Without Conqueror's Haki, just Whitebeard's sheer presence alone made everyone present feel genuine fear from the depths of their hearts.
Gan Fall, who stood directly facing him, was also afraid - but not of Whitebeard himself. What terrified him was Whitebeard's earlier words.
Have I... really been thinking of myself as a god?
"No! This is my fault!" Gan Fall said painfully.
Whitebeard was taken aback, then fell into thought. This guy didn't seem to be like those fat-brained fools who called themselves gods.
"I understand now, Blue Sea pirate. You're right," Gan Fall said slowly, stepping forward while stopping the God Squad members who wanted to come protect him.
He approached the Shandia Chief, who calmly met the gaze of his old rival.
With a swift motion, Gan Fall tore off the cloak that represented his status as god and knelt before everyone's eyes.
"That was our ancestors' mistake, but I treated it as peace for the residents. From today onward, I will return the Sanctuary to you."
"I don't expect the Shandia to forgive us immediately, but I still hope that one day we can coexist peacefully."
After speaking, Gan Fall awaited the Shandia Chief's judgment.
"It's too late, Gan Fall," the Shandia Chief murmured. If Whitebeard and the others weren't here today, would you still be doing this?
"I won't forgive you. If you want the Shandia to forgive you, wait until people like me are dead," the Chief declared, and Gan Fall understood.
The young Shandia warriors still felt resentful, while the God Squad members suppressed their anger.
Watching this scene, Chronos felt complicated emotions.
Fighting over land, a hundred-year war...
Did Oda really write the war between the Shandia and Skypieans without any metaphor?
In the end, the Land of God that had stolen the Shandia's land for centuries was invaded by another, more brutal and powerful god, and the Sanctuary truly became the territory of a single faction.
All the God Squad members who had opposed the Shandia were captured as forced labor and eventually slaughtered.
In the end, Gan Fall experienced the same pain that the Shandia had suffered before.
Chronos thought the message was quite clear - all violence born from greed will eventually encounter even greedier and more violent forces.
Greed fears greater greed, but generosity doesn't fear greater generosity.
That's why the Skypiea arc is considered one of the best in One Piece, and for good reason.
As for Gan Fall himself, Chronos didn't dislike him. As someone who benefited from the system, being able to voluntarily give up his advantages and pursue peace was truly commendable.
Expecting him to actively undermine his own interests in his original growth circumstances would require sainthood - especially since what he cared about was his people.
This was the knightly uncle who would risk his life for you for just 500 Belly!
Chronos also really liked one of Gan Fall's famous lines.
After finishing his conversation with the Shandia Chief, Gan Fall actually smiled, because he could see true peace ahead.
Approaching Whitebeard, Gan Fall looked up at this giant and said slowly:
"A great pirate from the Blue Sea—I had some understanding of this phrase before, but it wasn't clear. Only now can I roughly articulate it."
"'The world where humans live has no gods!'"
That was the phrase. Under Enel's oppressive pressure, Gan Fall finally achieved mental clarity. Now, with Whitebeard here, Gan Fall had figured things out.
"I think I'll likely resign from the position of 'God' soon."
Gan Fall smiled at Whitebeard, causing the nearby God Squad to gasp in shock.
"God! You cannot..."
Gan Fall raised a hand to stop them.
"I'm not leaving this place, but I feel the title of 'God' is far too arrogant."
"Perhaps there truly exists an omnipotent god."
As he spoke, Gan Fall glanced at Whitebeard—the impact of that earlier punch had been too overwhelming.
"But I am certainly not such a being."
"May I ask, in your Blue Sea, is there a more suitable title than 'God'?"
Isn't there someone right beside you called Chief?
Marco thought this with his eyes, but didn't voice it aloud.
"Well..." Whitebeard's gaze drifted. If he understood such matters, he wouldn't have occupied the best territory in the New World for decades while remaining so impoverished.
Most places flying the Whitebeard Pirates' flag didn't even receive protection fees from Whitebeard.
Fish-Man Island had explicitly pointed this out—at least the Big Mom Pirates symbolically collected some desserts!
Chronos stepped forward and spoke: "In the first half of the Grand Line, there exists an island called Water 7. It's said to have originally been formed by a gathering of shipwrights, so it has no nobility."
"To manage the island conveniently, they held votes to elect a position called Mayor, responsible for governing the entire island."
"If Elder Gan Fall requires it, you could learn from Water 7 and have the residents elect their own Mayor."
As he spoke, Chronos produced a book detailing the history of Water 7.
People often say the civilization in the world of pirates is fragmented, but that's not actually true—because it exists on a single planet, not within a single nation.
Wealth gaps, civilization and barbarism, war and peace—these coexist normally in different corners of the world.
There are kingdoms and mayor systems; primitive islands with surviving dinosaurs and futuristic tech metropolises; slave fighting arenas and world-renowned divas...
This is a living, breathing world.
Water 7 is indeed advanced. In the main storyline, its Mayor Iceberg could become Mayor despite being an orphan with a teacher declared a criminal. Under such circumstances, he still managed to become Mayor through his capabilities and the achievements of the sea train developed in collaboration with his teacher, the fish-man Tom.
Even the World Government's Cipher Pol couldn't find any dirt on him and could only conduct undercover investigations.
It's unclear whether Iceberg's methods were simply too impeccable, or if the World Government inexplicably follows rules in some strange way.
Upon hearing about election by residents, Gan Fall immediately grew enthusiastic.
"Thank you, young man!"
Accepting the book as if receiving a priceless treasure, Gan Fall resolved to study it thoroughly!
Chronos had many excellent memories from his previous life in his mind, but he preferred using existing events and examples from this world.
Just as the old saying goes, copying blindly is dangerous—successful experiences aren't necessarily applicable everywhere.
Whitebeard cast an approving glance at Chronos. With Chronos by his side, he had nothing to worry about!
Though the God Squad didn't understand Gan Fall's actions, they still complied obediently.
Gan Fall soon bid farewell, leading the God Squad back. He had numerous matters to attend to next, and needed to recall the God Squad from the Sanctuary as well.
The Shandia people roared with excitement—today was their lucky day. They had met Noland's old acquaintance and reclaimed Shandora.
Centuries of obsession and dreams had now been realized as if in a fantasy!
"You shall forever be a friend of the Shandia!"
The Chief solemnly declared to Whitebeard, fully understanding the reasons behind today's events.
"Gurarara, the honor is mine."
Whitebeard laughed heartily. He had grown fond of these Shandia people too, partly because of his friend's story.
The feast was forgotten as all Shandia mobilized, leaving their former village behind without a second thought.
Now they only wanted to return to Shandora!
Chronos patted Cricket beside him, who was still processing the overwhelming information, and said with a laugh:
"Still not accustomed to life at sea? We're setting sail again~"
"Huh?"
...
Their long-lost homeland lay before them, the scent of earth filling their nostrils, lush forests painting their vision green.
Tears welled in the Shandia people's eyes, for their love for this land ran deep.
"This is the other half of Jaya Island? Why does it look like a primeval jungle?"
The Whitebeard Pirates looked around in amazement—this was nothing like the Jaya Island they'd seen before!
"It ascended four hundred years ago. I doubt the Skypieans would have maintained the island."
Chronos speculated that, to the Skypieans, the supreme Earth might be considered too sacred to casually touch.
Suddenly reminded of the Skyblock mod from Minecraft, Chronos felt One Piece's Skypiea might have influenced it.
"Ooh! Aah!"
The Whitebeard Pirates responded absently while listening to the explanation.
Suddenly Marco's eyes widened as if he'd spotted something.
Pointing in one direction, Marco shouted: "Look! Isn't that Chestnut-Head's house?!"
The Whitebeard Pirates stared in disbelief.
"My god!"
"That's a four-hundred-year-old building!"
"So you've been living in an antique all along?"
Facing their disbelief, Cricket looked equally stunned.
"That's... the other half of my house?"
"I thought the other half had collapsed into the sea..."
Cricket murmured involuntarily, revealing the overlooked detail.
"The sea?" Marco grinned, stepping closer. "So you believed in Noland from the very beginning?"
!
Cricket's throat moved as his face rapidly flushed red.
"You annoying pineapple-head!"
"What gives you, a chestnut-head, the right to say that to me?!"
The two uniquely-coiffed men began arguing fiercely.
Finally, Cricket awkwardly turned away, gazing into the distance with unfocused eyes.
"I never believed in Noland—I only believed in something that could never be wrong!"
"The City of Gold, Skypiea... these don't exist? Since no one could prove their existence before, that means no one could prove their nonexistence either!"
"To chase and search for nonexistent things because of dreams—though others may call it foolish, what does it matter?"
"Isn't this... 'romance'!?"
Cricket spread his arms wide as if embracing Jaya Island before him.
Wasn't he now witnessing with his own eyes something that shouldn't exist!
Behind him, Masira and Shojo had already burst into tears - they were about to see the City of Gold!
"You guy..."
Marco muttered but ultimately couldn't refute this, because he actually agreed with the statement.
"Hey! Chronos, you be the judge! What's up with this guy!"
Marco turned to his good brother, expecting Chronos to speak up for him.
Chronos glanced at the two of them and laughed:
"Generally speaking, when someone says they don't want something but acts more enthusiastically than anyone else, we call that tsundere.
But male tsundere? Forget it, not interesting at all~"
"You bastard!"
Cricket flew into a rage out of humiliation, his teeth grinding into shark-like shapes.
"True enough!"
Marco nodded, laughing heartily.
"Chestnut-head, you're not cute at all!"
"Shut up, pineapple-head!"
"Who are you calling pineapple!"
Chronos quickened his pace to distance himself from the two bickering children.
Surveying Jaya Island before him, Chronos remained quite curious about the prehistoric jungle.
If he found suitable subjects, he might create more Homies like that Express Shrimp.
For example...
"Chirp!!!"
A clear yet muffled bird call sounded nearby.
Chronos looked up to see a large parrot-like bird appear before him.
Its appearance was quite peculiar - though its head would occasionally turn, whenever it stopped moving, it would involuntarily face one specific direction.
"A primitive Large Guidance Bird?" Chronos murmured.
Was the jungle's ecological environment really this well-preserved?
Hmm?
A shadow fell over him. Chronos looked up to see another Large Guidance Bird curiously staring back at him.
After a few seconds of eye contact, Chronos extended his hand.
"Life."
"Chirp!!!"
With flapping sounds in his ears, Chronos stood leisurely atop the Large Guidance Bird, surveying the island from above.
Hmm... everything was covered in lush green, hidden beneath the abundant primitive jungle.
Chronos soon descended, patting the Large Guidance Bird beside him as he said seriously:
"From now on, your name will be Compass."
The Large Guidance Bird nodded, accepting this name.
Marco rubbed his chin, feeling somewhat strange - was he no longer the Whitebeard Pirates' only bird?
Chronos called out, "Have you found the City of Gold?"
He vaguely remembered that in the original story, the City of Gold seemed to be hidden by cloud layers?
"The Shandia are searching using old maps. I wanted to help, but they stopped me," Marco responded.
After all, this was their homeland - they deserved some sense of ceremony.
When they found the Shandians, what appeared before the Whitebeard Pirates was a group of people frantically tearing at the earth, or rather, at an area covered by a layer of clouds.
"Pops, what are they doing?"
Marco leaned forward, somewhat confused.
"They say the City of Gold is located beneath here, so the Shandians are digging it out," Whitebeard explained.
Though he could easily break through with one punch, the honor of reclaiming their homeland should belong to the Shandians themselves.
"We've dug through! We've dug through!"
"Shandora! It's Shandora!"
"The golden, glittering Shandora!"
The concealing cloud layer was torn open, and the Shandia people were bathed in the golden light that had finally seen the light of day once more.
Tears filled their chests as the Shandia, like children returning to their mother's embrace, leaped down one by one.
The Whitebeard Pirates curiously approached and peered down, their expressions instantly changing as they were all stunned by the sight of the gold before them.
"Hey, hey, hey! Is this for real?!"
"Pops, have we struck it rich?"
"Bastard sons, that's someone else's homeland!"
Whitebeard's voice trembled slightly as his mind raced furiously.
What appeared before the Whitebeard Pirates was gold! Unprecedented gold! An entire town built of gold! Enough gold to influence the world!
Even Chronos, who had anticipated this, was awestruck.
In his previous life, he had only seen pictures, but now, the real thing was right before his eyes!
The visual impact was absolute.
Taking a deep breath, Whitebeard led the crew down, the dazzling golden light before them making their steps feel almost unsteady.
But soon, the crew's attention was drawn to another situation.
"It's not here! It's not here!"
"Where did it go, the Lights of Shandora?"
"Damn it, could it be those Skypieans?"
The Shandia people were rushing about, their eyes bloodshot with urgency.
"What's going on?" Marco wondered.
Chronos blinked. The Lights of Shandora—oh right, that had been sent flying upward.
"Chief, haven't you noticed this thing?" Chronos patted the enormous beanstalk growing right in the center of Shandora.
In the original storyline, Gan Fall's residence as the god was up there, but since they had already left, it was empty now, so it didn't matter.
"If something is missing and it wasn't taken by people, then it must be due to nature. That's what we learned down on the Blue Sea," Chronos said, as Cricket beside him gave a wry smile.
"So, it might have been carried upward by something again."
"You mean..." The chief snapped back to reality, looked at the giant beanstalk, and suddenly understood.
"Quickly, climb up! Find the Lights of Shandora!"
"Gurarara, need my help? I don't know the details, but if we cut this beanstalk and catch whatever's on top, that should work, right?" Whitebeard walked over, gripping his Cloud-Cutting Sword, and grinned at the giant beanstalk.
Time to cause some destruction?
"You'll probably have to trouble yourself, Pops." Chronos looked up and then shook his head.
"Chief, this thing is too tall, and the Lights of Shandora is a giant bell, right? If that's the case, your people definitely won't be able to bring it down."
The chief froze, thought about the size of the Lights of Shandora as passed down in their traditions, and then looked at the height of the giant beanstalk. He was on the verge of tears.
Could it be that they were unable to reclaim their homeland through their own strength?
Fortunately, the chief quickly composed himself and said seriously, "If it's possible, then we'll have to rely on you."
Someone who acted on impulse alone could never be a chief.
"Gurarara, then everyone step back a bit."
Whitebeard clenched his fist and grinned menacingly.
The Shandia people were puzzled, but remembering Whitebeard's earlier punch, Cricket, who had turned pale, hurriedly shouted for everyone to scatter, and they quickly moved away.
A milky white sphere of vibration appeared, accompanied by that grating crack crack crack sound once more.
Whitebeard bent his arm, his Observation Haki precisely capturing the state of the giant beanstalk. His muscles gradually bulged before he threw a powerful punch.
BOOM!
Under the violent tremors, the giant beanstalk met its end. Like bamboo bursting from the bottom, it tore apart from base to tip, all its components shattering into powder, segment by segment dissipating into the air.
Just as the debris was about to hit the ground, Whitebeard transformed his fist into a claw and swept it fiercely to the side. A frenzied gale surged forth, blowing the fragments away.
In the sky, a small black dot gradually emerged, followed by a spreading shadow that slowly covered the land.
"Oh, is that the thing?"
Whitebeard murmured thoughtfully, then raised his hand.
The falling object became increasingly distinct—a massive golden bell, complete with its entire base, larger than the nearby skyscrapers!
BOOM!
It fell like a toppling high-rise, yet the moment it was about to smash into the ground, it abruptly halted, only stirring up a forceful wave of air.
Whitebeard single-handedly caught the edge of the golden bell, then, spotting an open space, set it down steadily.
Creak...
Gazing at the enormous bell before him, even Whitebeard couldn't help but show a satisfied expression.
Truly a treasure from the old era~
The Chief stared dumbfounded at the monster before him, his hand trembling as he pointed.
"What... what was that?"
"Oh," Chronos replied casually. "It's Haki. Pops used Haki."