On top of the massive head of the Master of the Sky, Nola, directly adjacent to the White Dragon and the colossal Golden Bell, Gan Fall and the Shandian Chief stood face to face.
The Chief's eyes were practically glued to the Golden Bell, occasionally darting down to meticulously examine the Poneglyph embedded in its base. This was the absolute closest any Shandian had been to the Light of Shandora in four hundred years.
"Gentlemen, before we officially begin negotiations, allow me to introduce myself," Bardock announced, stepping forward. "My name is Bardock. I am what you would call a Blue Sea dweller. One of my primary objectives for coming to Sky Island was to locate the Golden City of Shandora."
Gan Fall and the Chief exchanged wary glances. Just as they were about to speak, Bardock raised a hand to stop them.
"The origin of this quest traces all the way back to an explorer from four hundred years ago named Mont Blanc Noland..."
Bardock briefly summarized the tragic tale of 'Noland the Liar'. He explained how he had met the Tontatta tribe, learned the truth about Noland's adventures, and resolved to find the Golden City to permanently clear the legendary explorer's name.
Seeing the two tiny Tontattas—Leo and Mansherry—standing on the deck as living proof, the Chief's hostility noticeably thawed. At the very least, he realized Bardock's crew weren't generic, greedy plunderers.
Gan Fall, however, felt a massive weight pressing down on his chest. If this incredibly powerful Blue Sea dweller was explicitly sympathetic to the Shandians' historical claim, the Skypieans were highly likely to lose Upper Yard entirely. Without the Vearth, he couldn't even guarantee the long-term safety and stability of Angel Island.
"Our tribe's legends also speak of this," the Chief said, looking at Leo and Mansherry with a remarkably gentle expression. "When Noland saved our people, he shared many stories of his adventures with our Great Warrior, Kalgara. He mentioned helping a tribe of 'little people' defeat a great enemy and teaching them the science of botany. It seems you are the descendants of those very same little people."
Just like the Shandians, the Tontattas shared a deep, inextricable historical bond with Mont Blanc Noland from four centuries ago. For them to suddenly reunite here, on an island in the sky, felt like the undeniable arrangement of fate.
"Chief! Did Noland really help your people too?!" Leo and Mansherry asked eagerly, their eyes sparkling with intense curiosity about their hero.
"Yes. It must have happened shortly after he visited your island," the Chief nodded, his voice taking on a solemn, reverent tone. "Back then, we were an ignorant, barbaric tribe. We worshipped a massive, terrifying beast as a god."
"Then, one day, a horrifying plague swept through our island. We know now that it was 'Tree Fever', but back then, we had absolutely no cure. Countless tribesmen died in agony. In our absolute despair, we believed it was divine punishment from the gods."
"Left with no other choice, we prepared to sacrifice a young girl to appease the beast. But at the absolute final moment... Noland appeared. He easily slaughtered the 'god' with a single swing of his sword and violently halted the sacrificial ritual..."
The Chief vividly recounted the legendary tale passed down through generations. He spoke of how Noland and Kalgara transitioned from bitter enemies to the closest of blood brothers, the tragic misunderstanding over the chopped-down sacred trees, the tearful reconciliation, and the sacred promise shouted across the ocean as Noland's ship sailed away.
"Not long after he left, our island was caught in a catastrophic Knock Up Stream and blasted into the sky," the Chief continued, his voice trembling slightly. "We were immediately ambushed by the Skypieans. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, we were violently driven from our ancestral homeland and forced to build the Hidden Cloud Village in the outskirts."
"Even in the final moments before he died in battle, Great Warrior Kalgara never gave up trying to reclaim the Golden Bell. He desperately wanted to light the Fire of Shandora to guide Noland back to us."
"It wasn't until many years later that we learned the horrific truth from a passing Blue Sea adventurer. When Noland returned to Jaya with his King, he couldn't find Shandora... and he was publicly executed as a liar. If our ancestors had just been strong enough to ring the Golden Bell from the sky back then... that tragedy never would have happened."
"Since that day, returning to our ancestral land, ringing the Golden Bell, and lighting the Fire of Shandora has been our tribe's absolute, singular obsession. It is our unfulfilled promise to Noland."
As the Chief finished the story, he looked up at the Golden Bell, tears finally spilling over his wrinkled cheeks and streaming down his face uncontrollably.
Even though Bardock already knew the lore, hearing it recounted firsthand with such raw emotion still made him sigh at the cruel irony of fate. The more sensitive members of the crew—Chopper, Perona, Leo, and Mansherry—were already bawling their eyes out, their vision completely blurred by hot tears.
Gan Fall closed his eyes, a look of profound grief and guilt washing over his aged face. As the 'God' of Skypiea, he had realized a long time ago that his ancestors' violent annexation of Upper Yard was an act of pure, unjustifiable imperialism. He had spent his entire reign trying to end the endless war. Now, hearing the tragedy from the Shandians' perspective, he fully acknowledged the sheer magnitude of the sin the ancient Skypieans had committed.
"Lord Bardock. Chief," Gan Fall spoke up, his voice heavy with remorse. "I am deeply, profoundly sorry for the invasion my ancestors launched 400 years ago. This war has dragged on for centuries. Countless young men and women from both our tribes have bled into this soil. I have long wished to end this senseless slaughter. However... the Skypieans of today literally cannot survive without the Vearth. I beg of you, we must find a compromise regarding the ownership of Upper Yard."
"If you admit it was an unjust invasion, then you should immediately return the island to its rightful owners!" the Chief roared, his anger flaring up again.
Seeing that the two old men were about to start bickering again, Bardock loudly clapped his hands, instantly silencing them.
"Finding the Golden City is only the first step in clearing Noland's name," Bardock stated firmly. "The second step is actively informing the Blue Sea that Noland wasn't a liar. I fully intend to spread the news of Shandora's existence across the globe."
Both leaders froze, instantly realizing the horrific implications of that statement.
"When that news breaks, an endless tide of greedy pirates, bounty hunters, and adventurers are going to flock to Sky Island looking for gold," Bardock continued, his tone turning deadly serious. "Therefore, Upper Yard absolutely must be jointly garrisoned and defended by both the Skypieans and the Shandians. Separated, you will both be slaughtered by Blue Sea invaders. United, you can protect your home."
"I will be taking a portion of the gold with me, and I will loudly claim responsibility for taking it to draw the heat. But I will leave the Golden Bell here. As long as the bell continues to ring, ambitious fools will come looking for it. In exchange for taking some of the gold, I will temporarily stay on Sky Island and teach the warriors of both your tribes how to use Blue Sea Haki."
To emphasize his point, Bardock coated his fist in Armament Haki and punched the air. A concentrated shockwave shot out, striking the Golden Bell from afar.
DOOOOOOONG...
In the ruthless world of the Grand Line, overwhelming strength dictated the rules of negotiation. Bardock possessed absolute military superiority. While his proposed compromise didn't perfectly satisfy either party's most extreme demands, it addressed their core needs flawlessly. Therefore, they had absolutely no choice but to accept it.
The Shandians got to return to their ancestral homeland of Shandora, recovered their sacred Poneglyph, and regained control of the Golden Bell, allowing them to light the Fire of Shandora whenever they wished.
The Skypieans didn't lose access to Upper Yard, they were finally free from a 400-year war of attrition, and the ordinary citizens of Angel Island could finally step foot on real dirt. Yes, Upper Yard would become a hotspot for pirate invasions, but they were also gaining the opportunity to learn Haki from an absolute monster. Having fought a brutal guerrilla war for 400 years, neither tribe was afraid of a fight. Overall, it was a massive win-win.
The Chief and Gan Fall nodded in agreement and headed back to their respective armies to announce the truce and coordinate the logistics. Bardock immediately dispatched Leo and Mansherry to the front lines to use their Devil Fruit powers to heal the wounded warriors of both factions.
"Alright, that leaves just one loose end... this massive snake," Bardock muttered, feeling Nola's consciousness slowly stirring beneath his feet. "Chopper, get over here and translate for me."
Chopper, despite being absolutely terrified of the giant python, bravely trotted over and hid behind Bardock's leg. "Y-yes, Captain!"
As the Master of the Sky slowly opened its massive, golden eyes, the Skypieans and Shandians below instantly tensed up, raising their weapons nervously.
With Chopper translating the snake's hisses and grunts, Bardock quickly negotiated an understanding with the colossal beast. Nola's demands were incredibly simple: it just loved the sound of the Golden Bell. It missed the chiming from 400 years ago. Bardock promised that if Nola obeyed orders and protected the island, the Shandians would ring the bell for it regularly. The snake happily agreed.
Seeing the terrifying, invincible Master of the Sky so easily tamed and casually submitting to Bardock's authority completely shattered any lingering thoughts of rebellion or dissent among the few stubborn hardliners in both armies. Combined with Mansherry's miraculous ability to instantly heal lethal wounds, Bardock's crew was practically viewed as a pantheon of descending gods.
And just like that, an incredibly bloody, 400-year war came to an abrupt and completely anti-climactic end.