The City of Gold, Shandora.
An azure dragon plummeted from the sky, crashing into and collapsing several golden buildings.
"Hey, Kaido!!"
"Are you out of your mind? What if any of us got hurt?!"
Aside from King, the only one who dared to speak to Kaido like this was Bazel.
"What's the big deal? You're not hurt, are you?"
Kaido, now in human form, pushed aside the gold pinning him down.
"You can complain to me after you actually get injured."
"You bastard..."
Bazel released his hands, while Toki and Enel's eyes had turned into the shape of Berry symbols.
Toki (shocked.jpg): "So much…"
Enel (dumbfounded.jpg): "Gold?"
"I never expected a Poneglyph to actually exist in a place like this."
Ignoring the gold scattered all around, Kaido stared intently at the massive golden bell at the far end of the golden city, his expression growing increasingly fervent.
It was still the year 1492 of the Sea Circle Calendar. The stone tablet inscribed beneath the golden bell had not yet been lifted to higher skies by expanding island clouds, as it would be thirty years later. (T/N: In the original work, the golden bell was already on top of Giant Jack from the moment Shandora flew to Skypiea.)
Kaido walked up to the Poneglyph and reached out to touch the strange characters carved on it.
"What a shame. If only the Beasts Pirates had someone who could read ancient script."
"That guy Rocks kept saying these Poneglyphs hold the directions to the throne of the King."
"And the pirate who reaches that place will be the king of all pirates."
Kaido's eyes were distant, tinged with a hint of unwillingness.
Pirate King...
That was a legend, one of the dreams of men of the sea.
Bazel stopped beside Kaido, his gaze complex as he looked at the Poneglyph.
He couldn't read the text either, but he knew this Poneglyph wasn't one of the red Road Poneglyphs.
There were four red Road Poneglyphs:
One on Fish-Man Island, one on Zou atop the elephant, Zunesha, one in Wano Country…
As for the last one, in his previous life, it was in Big Mom's possession. Bazel wasn't sure whether that red Road Poneglyph had already appeared in Totto Land or if Big Mom had acquired it later. (T/N: The Road Poneglyph Big Mom has is actually acquired by Jinbe and given to her as tribute.)
Bazel sifted through his memories.
He recalled that Fish-Man Island actually had two Poneglyphs: one was Joy Boy's apology, and the other was a Road Poneglyph.
However, after obtaining a translated copy, the Roger Pirates had chosen to hide that Poneglyph.
As for the reason… Bazel wasn't sure either. Perhaps it was to prepare for the next Joy Boy?
But, even if they collected all four, it would be useless. Not to mention whether Robin had even been born yet, he couldn't just travel to the West Blue specifically for ancient script.
He is an undercover agent, a professional undercover.
As for whether there were other scholars on Ohara proficient in ancient script…
Bazel wasn't sure about that either.
But he knew one thing for certain.
If the Beasts Pirates started researching the Poneglyphs now and even managed to gather archaeologists who could read the text,
They would undoubtedly attract the attention of Imu, the Five Elders, and the God's Knights.
Then, like a reversal of black and white, the entire Beasts Pirates would be labeled as creations of demons.
"Kaido-san, what do you plan to do with this Poneglyph?"
Kaido pondered briefly, "Leave it here for now. This isn't the right time to move it."
Hearing Kaido's words, Bazel frowned slightly.
In his plan, the best course of action during this trip to Wano Country would be to relocate this sacred land as well.
He intended to conceal both this one and the one in Wano Country.
He refused to believe the Roger Pirates could still reach the final island if one of the Road Poneglyphs was missing.
If they still managed to become the Pirate King under such circumstances, then Bazel would have nothing left to say.
That would simply be the inevitable trend of fate… Roger would deserve to become the Pirate King.
"What if someone else finds it?"
Kaido shrugged it off, "This isn't a Road Poneglyph. At most, it just records what happened in the past."
"There's no need to worry about it."
"Instead, all this gold here~"
He shifted his gaze from the Poneglyph and scanned the golden city with a gleam in his eyes.
"If we tidy it up, it could potentially become one of the future bases for the Beasts Pirates."
"Bazel, you've got plenty of brains. Hurry up and come up with a cool name for this place!"
Bazel sighed inwardly. Kaido rarely made decisions, but once he did, no one could change his mind.
Moreover, he had to admit Kaido was right.
This wasn't the Great Pirate Era yet. The World Government and the Marines had plenty of free time on their hands.
If they moved the Poneglyph now, those ever-present spies might notice something amiss.
Rather than taking the risk of moving it to the New World, it would be better to discard it somewhere on Skypiea.
Just as Kaido said.
After all, it's not a Road Poneglyph.
As for the location of Poseidon, Bazel, being a transmigrator, knew all too well.
But it would be another 14 years before Shirahoshi was born, so there was no need to rush.
Instead, the two Poneglyphs on Fish-Man Island and Zou needed to be dealt with discreetly.
And they had to be moved silently…
'Silently?'
'Wait.'
Bazel stroked his chin in thought.
Seeing his brother deep in thought, Kaido didn't disturb him. Instead, he stepped back and signaled Toki and Enel to keep quiet.
'Kuma, who had eaten the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, was probably still in his hometown…'
'If we used the power of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, we might indeed be able to silently 'slap away' the two Poneglyphs!'
As for the hiding place, Bazel had already decided.
It would be in Wano Country, but not the current Wano Country. Instead, it would be hidden in the old Wano Country, where the ancient weapon Pluton was concealed.
'Now, the only problem was finding a reasonable opportunity to return to the South Blue.'
'It would be a good chance to visit my mom, get her a pure gold ring, and also recruit the gentle Kuma along the way.'
But this was precisely the most difficult part.
His reputation was now too great, making it hard to find a suitable opportunity or excuse.
Moreover, his mother was in the South Blue, and he had no intention of leading enemies there.
He didn't want to end up living a tragic life like Zephyr.
"Is it really that hard to come up with a name?" Kaido asked, puzzled.
'Name?'
'What name?'
Bazel suddenly remembered what Kaido had asked him to do before he started thinking.
A name came to mind instantly.
"Takamagahara. If our territory is in the sky in the future, let's call it Takamagahara." (T/NL In Japanese Mythology, Tamagahara is the abode of the heavenly gods.)
"Takamagahara?"
Kaido initially didn't think much of it, but the more he pondered, the more he liked it.
"An island floating on clouds above the sea, the legendary dwelling place of the gods. Not bad! That's decided then!"
"I'm claiming this place!"
After saying this, Kaido turned to leave.
"Let's go, Bazel. Once things stabilize in Wano Country, I'll personally move this place above Wano!"
"As for the gold here, let's seal it for now."
"Roar!!"
The dragon soared into the sky.
"Bazel, keep your woman and underling safe. I'm going to use my ability to bury this place."
"Tatsumaki!"
In an instant, Bazel transformed into a massive Yamata no Orochi.
Compared to the size when he first acquired the fruit, the serpent now stood over a hundred meters tall, truly a behemoth.
"Hold on tight, you two! Kaido's about to go crazy!"
The serpent's body surged forward, carrying the two away at high speed.
The rumbling noise echoed far and wide.
By the time Bazel brought the two out of the City of Gold, he spotted a group of figures racing toward them on the cloud path.
"How dare you! How dare you trespass on the sacred land!!"
"Capture them and sentence them to exile!"
"Wait."
"Yes, Gan Fall-sama!"
At the command of their 'god', the members of the God's Guards halted their actions.
Gan Fall first glanced at the dragon stirring up a tornado in the distance, then turned his gaze to Bazel, who was gradually reverting to human form.
"It's you again, Bazel! What exactly are the Beasts Pirates planning?!"
"If you want an all-out war, I will not back down!"
"All-out war? Don't overestimate yourselves."
Bazel took two steps forward, deliberately placing himself within the attack range of the God's Guards.
"Having experienced my might firsthand, you should know that I alone can utterly defeat you."
"And Gan Fall, you were watching from afar during my fight with Byrnndi World, weren't you?"
"Do you really think hiding far away can evade Observation Haki? Don't be naive."
"The reason you stopped your soldiers is that you understand one thing."
"If a fight breaks out, your Skypiea will be plunged into irreparable hell!"
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