The old jungle in Upper Yard was alive, buzzing with a raw, primal energy that you could practically feel vibrating in your teeth.
Ben and his group were strolling through this potential death trap like he was window shopping on a Sunday afternoon. On his shoulder, Mini Merry was swinging her legs rhythmically, her mechanical eyes whirring softly as she scanned every leaf and bug with intense curiosity.
Behind them, you had Chopper, currently in his big, muscle-bound Heavy Point form, but mentally shrinking back to his small Brain Point because he was absolutely terrified. His blue nose twitched at every snapping twig, and his head swiveled like a radar dish.
Next to him was Mont Blanc Cricket, clutching an unlit cigarette in his mouth so hard he was nearly chewing through the filter. He looked pretty anxious, which was fair considering he was walking through a forest of legends.
They'd just finished mopping up the last of Enel's Priests. And honestly? It was brutal. Ben didn't just beat them; he completely dismantled them, tossed them into portable spatial prisons, and called it a day.
"Ben-san," Chopper whispered, tugging at the back of Ben's coat. "Are you sure this is the right way? It smells... super scary. Like, really big predator scary."
"The navigation is spot on, Doctor Chopper," Mini Merry chirped happily from Ben's shoulder, her voice cutting through the gloom. "Sensors say the Captain is about three kilometers that way. Also, detecting high kinetic energy signatures. Lots of fighting going on."
"Of course there is," Ben sighed, though a small smirk played on his lips. "It wouldn't be us if there wasn't a brawl happening somewhere."
Suddenly, the ground started shaking. This was a deep, rumbly vibration right under their feet, like the island itself was shivering.
HISSSSSSS...
A sound like a giant steam valve blew through the trees, loud enough to pop your ears. Then, crashing out of the bushes came something ridiculous. A snake. But calling it a "snake" was a massive insult. It was a titan, a living mountain of purple scales and muscle that towered over the ancient trees. Its golden eyes were huge—like, size-of-a-small-house huge—staring right at them with vertical pupils that screamed 'lunch'.
"G-G-G-GIANT SNAKE!" Chopper screamed, instantly fluffing up into a fur ball of terror and clinging to Ben's leg for dear life.
Cricket froze, the unlit cigarette finally dropping from his mouth. "What on earth is that?! That's not a Sea King... that's a monster of the sky! It's the size of a mountain!"
The Master of the Sky, Nola, reared back, casting a shadow over the entire group, and let out a roar that flattened the bushes and sent a gale-force wind tearing through the clearing.
While Cricket and Chopper looked ready to pass out from sheer terror, Ben just looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand.
"Impressive," Ben said casually, like he was critiquing a painting. "Grand Line animals always get huge due to the isolation, but this guy... he's ancient. You don't get that big without surviving a few centuries."
"Over 400 years old, to be precise," Mini Merry added, zooming in with her camera eyes. "Scales appear highly durable. Nice pigmentation too. Very shiny."
"Ben! Merry! Stop admiring it!" Chopper yelled, tears streaming down his face. "It's gonna eat us! We're just appetizers!"
Right on cue, the giant snake lunged. It moved way too fast for something that size, diving down like a purple missile with its maw wide open, ready to swallow them whole.
Cricket shut his eyes tight, bracing for the crunch. Well, at least I made it to the sky, he thought grimly.
"Protego Maxima."
Ben said it quietly, almost under his breath. He just raised one hand, palm up, lazy as you like.
BOOM!
The snake's nose slammed into an invisible wall just ten meters above them. The crash sounded like a thunderclap, shaking the whole forest and sending dust flying everywhere. The air shimmered, revealing a translucent, golden dome that covered Ben's group perfectly.
The snake pulled back, hissing and shaking its head like it had just walked into a glass door. Confused and angry, it reared back and bashed the barrier again. And again. BAM! BAM!
Each hit was heavy enough to smash a stone fortress to rubble, but Ben's shield didn't even flicker. It just hummed softly. Ben stood there, checking his fingernails for dirt, totally unbothered.
"He... he's stopping it with one hand," Cricket gasped, staring up at the golden light. "Who are you guys?"
After a few minutes of furious head-banging, the snake finally got tired. It slowed down, panting heavily, huge gusts of wind blowing from its nostrils. Its rage faded into confusion, its golden eyes blinking slowly.
"Done throwing a tantrum?" Ben asked, looking up.
Seeing the snake calm down, Ben dropped the shield. The golden dome dissolved into sparkles of light that drifted away on the wind.
The snake didn't attack. Instead, it lowered its massive head slowly, bringing it down to their level. Its giant pupils contracted, focusing not on Ben, but on the man standing beside him.
Mont Blanc Cricket.
The snake froze. It tilted its head, its forked tongue flickering out to taste the air. Then, it moved closer, sniffing.
"Back off!" Cricket shouted, stumbling backward over a root. He landed on his butt, scrabbling away in the dirt. "Don't eat me! I'm tough and chewy! I taste like cigarettes!"
But the snake ignored him. It put its snout mere inches from Cricket's face. It seemed to recognize something—the chestnut-shaped hair, the scowl, the jawline. It smelled the bloodline. It saw the silhouette of a man it had waited four hundred long years to see again.
Noland?
The snake let out a sad, low coo that vibrated in everyone's bones. Then, to everyone's shock (and disgust), a massive, wet tongue extended and licked Cricket's entire face, drenching him in liters of snake saliva.
"Gah! Gross!" Cricket sputtered, wiping sticky slime off his eyes. "What is wrong with this thing?! Is it tasting me before it swallows?!"
Ben chuckled, stepping forward and placing a hand on the snake's massive snout. The creature didn't flinch. "No, Cricket. It's not marinating you. It's saying hello."
"Hello?" Cricket looked up, confused, slime dripping from his chin.
"Look around," Ben said, gesturing to the rich soil beneath their feet. "This isn't cloud. This is Vearth. This forest is part of Jaya, your home. It got knocked up here by the Stream four hundred years ago. And this snake... it remembers. It remembers the man who used to visit. The man who promised to return."
Cricket froze. His trembling hands lowered. He looked up at the giant serpent, really looked at it this time. He saw the intelligence in those golden eyes, the longing, the sadness.
"You mean..." Cricket's voice shook, cracking with emotion. "It thinks I'm..."
"Mont Blanc Noland," Ben nodded, his voice soft. "You're his descendant. You bear his face. To this snake, the waiting is finally over. Noland finally came back."
Tears welled up in Cricket's eyes, mixing with the snake slime. For a decade, he had been mocked. He had been the disgrace of the North Blue, the descendant of the Liar Noland. He had spent his life diving into the dark ocean, searching for a lie. But it wasn't a lie. It was here. And this creature... this living piece of history... remembered him.
"You... you knew him?" Cricket asked the snake, his voice barely a whisper. "You knew my ancestor?"
The snake blinked slowly and nodded its massive head. A tear, large as a bucket, pooled in the corner of its eye and splashed onto the ground.
Cricket broke down. He fell to his knees, not in fear, but in pure relief, burying his face in his hands. "He wasn't a liar," he sobbed. "He really wasn't a liar."
Chopper, who had been peeking out from behind Ben's leg, slowly stepped forward. His fear had vanished, replaced by pure, starry-eyed wonder.
"Suuuuugeeeee!" Chopper squealed, his eyes sparkling. "It understands us! It's a nice snake! Ben! Look! It's crying happy tears! It's so emotional!"
"Yup," Ben smiled, patting the giant scales. "Hey there, big guy. We're heading to the ruins of Shandora—the City of Gold. I know you know where it is. Do you mind giving us a lift? We have some friends to save and a bell to ring."
The snake hissed a yes, the sound surprisingly gentle, and flattened its head against the ground like a living ramp.
"Hop on," Ben commanded, jumping lightly onto the space between the snake's eyes. Mini Merry settled comfortably on his shoulder. "We're travelling in style."
Cricket wiped his eyes, stood up with a newfound resolve, and climbed onto the head of the creature that had once been his ancestor's friend. Chopper scrambled up last, his hooves clattering on the scales.
"Mush!" Chopper yelled, pointing forward like a commander.
The snake surged forward, not with violence, but with a smooth, purposeful speed, slithering through the forest of Upper Yard toward the center of the island.
The Ruins of Shandora
It was total chaos.
The battlefield was a mess of dust and broken stone. On one side, Shandia warriors were blasting away with reject dials and bazookas, desperate to reclaim their land. On the other, Skypieans and Divine Soldiers were fighting back just as hard.
Right in the middle of it all stood the largest, weirdest gathering of pirates you'd ever see.
Luffy stood with his arms crossed, watching the brawl. Zoro had his swords drawn but lowered, looking bored out of his mind. Sanji was smoking a cigarette, leaning against a pillar and critiquing the fighting styles.
Nami and Vivi stood close by, with Caroo the duck nervously hiding behind them. Robin was observing the ruins with a calm smile, while Usopp was shivering behind a rock.
And towering over them all were Dory and Brogy, the two giants from Little Garden, along with the monkey-salvage brothers Masira and Shojou, who were currently making monkey noises at the explosions.
"They just won't quit," Vivi sighed, gripping her peacock slashers tight. "They've been fighting for centuries over this land. They don't know how to stop."
"It's a war of ideology," Robin observed calmly. "Ancestral land versus holy land. Neither side can yield without losing their identity. It is quite tragic."
"Ideally," Usopp muttered, knees shaking, "they would yield before I get blown up by a stray blast. Shouldn't we stop them?"
"Gebabababa!" Brogy laughed, leaning on his massive axe. "This is a warrior's fight, Long-Nose! We don't interfere in another warrior's duel unless asked!"
"Besides," Dory added, "Ben said to wait here. So we wait!"
Suddenly, the ground shook. The fighting faltered. Wyper spun around, his bazooka raised, eyes wild. "What now?"
Trees at the edge of the clearing snapped like twigs. A massive shadow fell over the battlefield, blocking out the sun.
With a roar that shook the clouds, the Master of the Sky burst into the clearing. It drifted into a massive skid, its body coiling around the ancient ruins, its head coming to a stop directly between the two armies.
Silence. Absolute, terrified silence descended on the battlefield. The Shandia warriors froze, their eyes wide. To them, this snake was a deity, the Grandfather snake. The Skypieans were paralyzed with fear.
However, the Straw Hat group had a different reaction.
"Whoa!" Masira and Shojou screeched. "Big snake! Big snake!"
"Gebababababa!" Dory roared with laughter, slapping his thigh. "Look at that, Brogy! It's a little garden worm!"
"Gebabababa!" Brogy joined in, his laughter shaking the nearby ruins. "It's barely a snack compared to the Island Eater! Maybe a good belt!"
While the giants laughed and the locals trembled, everyone noticed the figure standing atop the giant snake's head, arms crossed, coat fluttering in the wind.
"Yo," Ben said, his voice amplified by a subtle charm so it echoed across the entire clearing. "Sorry we're late. Traffic was a nightmare. You wouldn't believe the potholes."
"BEN!" The Straw Hats cheered, relief washing over them.
Luffy's eyes, however, were locked on the massive reptile beneath him. Drool instantly began to pool at the corner of his mouth.
"MEAAAAAAAT!" Luffy roared.
Luffy launched himself into the air, his massive frame propelling him toward the snake's nose. "It's huge! It looks delicious! I'm gonna eat it! BBQ snake!"
The snake recoiled, sensing the predatory intent of the rubber man.
"Captain, halt," Mini Merry's voice cut through the air, projected from a speaker on her chest.
Luffy stopped mid-air, grabbing onto one of the snake's fangs and swinging there. "Eh? Merry?"
"Target designation: Friend," Mini Merry stated, pointing a small finger at the snake. "Consumption of crew allies is prohibited by Ben-sama's protocols. Current hunger levels can be satisfied with emergency rations. Please do not eat the transport."
"Friend?" Luffy blinked, looking at the snake, then at Ben. "Oh. It's a mystery snake friend?"
"It's a friend, Luffy," Ben confirmed, jumping down to the ground. The rest of his group slid down the snake's scales.
Cricket landed on the dusty stones of Shandora. He looked around, his breath catching. "This... this is it. The city..."
The Shandians and Skypieans were staring at the group with intense wariness. Wyper stepped forward, his knuckles white on his bazooka. He looked from Ben to the giant snake, which was now nuzzling against Cricket like a giant puppy.
"Why is the Master of the Sky... obeying you?" Wyper demanded, his voice hostile. "And who is that man? Why does the snake accept him?"
"Because he is the descendant of the man your ancestor swore an oath to, Wyper," Ben said calmly, stepping between the two armies.
Wyper froze. "What?"
"Mont Blanc Noland," Ben said the name clearly. "This man is Mont Blanc Cricket. He spent his life looking for this place to clear his ancestor's name. The snake recognizes him. The snake remembers the promise."
Murmurs broke out among the Shandians. The legend of Noland and Calgara was sacred to them.
"But that doesn't solve the problem, does it?" Ben continued, his voice hardening. He looked at the Skypieans, then at the Shandians. "You're fighting over dirt. Valuable dirt, sure. But just dirt."
"This is our homeland!" Wyper shouted. "We fight to light the Fire of Shandora! To let our ancestors know we are here!"
"And we fight to protect God's land!" a Skypiean soldier yelled back.
"Enough," Ben's voice dropped an octave, radiating magical presence—that forced everyone to silence. "I have a solution. A simple one. You live together."
"Preposterous!"
"Never!"
"Then I have an alternative," Ben said, a cold smirk touching his lips. He pulled a small, silver briefcase. He tapped a button on the side, sliding open a small ventilation panel.
"Inside this spatial prison, I have Enel. I also have his Priests." Ben held the briefcase up to his mouth like a microphone. "Say hello, Enel."
From inside the briefcase, a high-pitched, tinny voice shrieked out, amplified slightly by the box's acoustics.
"I AM GOD! RELEASE ME, YOU BLUE SEA MONKEY! I WILL RAIN JUDGMENT UPON YOU ALL! MY LIGHTNING WILL TURN YOU TO ASH! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I AM ENEEEEEL!"
The voice sounded less like a terrifying deity and more like an angry chipmunk trapped in a tin can. The sheer absurdity of it made the crowd blink in confusion. Ben snapped the panel shut, cutting off the rant mid-scream with a sharp click.
"See?" Ben said nonchalantly, tucking the briefcase back under his arm. "Very grumpy. Very loud. If you prefer fighting so much, I can release him right now. I'm sure he'd love to resume his plan of destroying Skypiea and everyone on it. You can fight him for your survival. We'll just leave."
The color drained from every face on the battlefield. Even Wyper looked pale. The threat of Enel was absolute terror, but hearing him reduced to a squeaky toy in Ben's luggage made the situation surreal and terrifyingly final. Ben held their nightmare in a box.
"Cooperation," Ben said, "or extinction. Choose."
The silence stretched. Weapons lowered, inch by inch. The fight had gone out of them. The fear of Enel, combined with the awe of the giant snake accepting these strangers, broke the stalemate.
"Good choice," Ben nodded. He turned to Luffy. "Luffy."
"Yeah, Ben?" Luffy landed beside him, casually picking his nose.
"Go up there," Ben pointed a finger straight up, toward the massive, twisting stalk of the Giant Jack that pierced the clouds. "At the very top, there is a golden bell. The Light of Shandora."
Wyper gasped, eyes widening. "The bell... it's real?"
"Ring it," Ben ordered. "Ring it so loud that everyone hears it. Ring it for Cricket. Ring it for the Shandians. Let them know we're here."
Luffy grinned, adjusting his straw hat. His eyes shadowed, a fierce determination replacing the hunger. "Got it."
BOOM!
Luffy vanished, the ground cracking where he stood as he rocketed up the beanstalk, a blur of red and rubber.
For fifteen minutes, the battlefield was silent. Everyone looked up, shielding their eyes against the sun. Cricket stood with tears streaming down his face, clutching his chest. Wyper fell to his knees, his eyes fixed on the clouds, waiting. The snake coiled up, looking upward, waiting.
Ben stood with his arms crossed.
"Three... two... one..."
DOOOOOOOONG!
The sound was not just a noise; it was a physical force. A deep, resonant, beautiful tone that washed over the island like a cleansing wave. It vibrated in the stones, in the trees, in the very souls of everyone present. It was the song of the island, a melody lost for four hundred years.
DOOOOOOOONG!
Below, in the Blue Sea, the sound travelled. It reached the ears of those who had mocked the dreamers. It told the world: We are here.
On the battlefield, the effect was instantaneous.
For the Shandians, it was validation. The bell was real. Their ancestors' city was real. The vow Calgara made to Noland—that they would be here, waiting—was finally fulfilled. Wyper bowed his head, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The crushing burden of four hundred years of war began to lift from his shoulders.
For the Skypieans and Gan Fall, the sound brought a sudden clarity. It was a holy sound, one that spoke not of war, but of harmony. The "Island's Song" washed away the tension, the hatred. It was a sound too beautiful to fight over.
DOOOOOOOONG!
"He hears it," Cricket whispered, looking at the sky, tears flowing freely down his rugged face. "I know you hear it, old man... We found it."
As the echoes of the bell faded, a profound stillness settled over Upper Yard.
Ben looked around at the faces—Shandians and Skypieans alike, many weeping, some hugging, others simply sitting in stunned silence, overwhelmed by the history they were witnessing. The weapons lay forgotten on the ground.
"Peace," Ben stated, his voice carrying clearly in the quiet aftermath. "It's settled. Whether you chose it because you wanted to, or because I threatened you with a lightning god in a box... the result is the same."
He turned to his crew, who were smiling. Nami was already calculating the value of the gold with berry signs in her eyes, Sanji was lighting a fresh cigarette, and Zoro was finally sheathing his swords with a click.
"Now," Ben clapped his hands together. "Let's have a banquet. I'm starving, and I believe we have a lot of gold to load onto the Merry."
"Aye!" the crew shouted, the tension finally breaking into laughter.
And thus, the war of four hundred years ended—not with a final battle, but with a snake, a threat, and a bell that sang of a promise kept. The Sky Island of Skypiea entered a new era, one forged by the strange, terrifying, and miraculous Straw Hat Pirates.