Chapter 80

But......

"Luffy, you really can't wear that Seastone armor—give up," Chopper kindly warned.

"Yeah, Luffy, you're not even afraid of lightning anyway," Nami added with a slightly resentful tone.

Why the hell aren't you afraid of lightning?!

"Probably because rubber is an insulator and doesn't conduct electricity?" Robin speculated.

"But ordinary rubber melts under high voltage, doesn't it?" Nami asked again.

He was the ship's resident invention genius—he knew basic common sense.

Robin fell into thought.

Sima Di watched from the side, amused.

Who could've guessed Luffy isn't a "Paramecia-type: Gomu Gomu no Mi—Nick Form"?

As they talked,

the Golden Merry passed through the White Sea, and the silhouette of an island appeared before them—its land was not the yellow earth of the Sky Island, its towering trees did not rise from the sky, proving its identity beyond doubt.

"Ga-ga—"

The previously invisible Guide Bird flapped its wings and flew toward the island.

"It's got to be! It's got to be!" Kureha cried excitedly: "This must be the island that rose to the sky—Jiayadao! The Golden Land really exists! The Golden Bell must exist too! If we ring the Golden Bell, we can cleanse four hundred years of injustice!"

This nearly forty-year-old man now shed tears of excitement.

Had he spent over a decade diving relentlessly in search of the Golden Land for gold?

No!

He did it for the honor of a man!

The Straw Hat Pirates exchanged glances and smiled.

"I never thought Roland's stories were actually true..." Robin sighed.

Roland the Liar's fairy tales were household legends—who could've imagined they'd one day become reality?

Sima Di watched Kureha weep with deep emotion.

To have lived all his life under doubt and mockery, with the root being his own ancestors branded as liars—he must have suffered terribly.

Sima Di leapt off the ship and walked straight into the island's depths without looking back.

"Let's go—ring the Golden Bell."

"This four-hundred-year-delayed truth must finally arrive!"

But no!

A figure dashed out and launched a surprise attack on Sima Di!

? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick? Incense stick?

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13. A Four-Hundred-Year-Overdue Apology! Kureha and Waiya!

As the Straw Hat Pirates landed, a figure suddenly launched a surprise attack on Sima Di!

His speed was astonishing—everyone present failed to react.

Only...

"Bang!"

The figure slammed headfirst into the psychokinetic shield; his mask shattered from the impact, yet he himself remained unfazed, trying to sidestep the shield and continue his assault on Sima Di!

He was stubbornly persistent.

Sima Di had no intention of fighting back—he simply kept blocking him with the psychokinetic shield.

This left the attacker with no opening; he was forced to retreat to a safe distance, glaring warily at them all.

He was a lean, dark-skinned man.

"Who are you?!" Vivi snapped. "Why attack us out of nowhere? Do we have a grudge?"

"This is Shandia territory! I am Waiya, the War Spirit of Shandia—anyone who invades our land must be driven out!" the man warned.

It wasn't surprising he acted this way,

since the Straw Hats—aside from Sima Di and Luffy—were all clad in Mk-5 armor, looking distinctly formidable.

This intimidating threat,

yet to Kureha it sounded like heavenly music!

Yes!

This was the "Golden Land" Roland spoke of!

"What? This is Shandia?" Kureha cried. "Do you know Roland? Or perhaps you're a descendant of the great warrior Karugara?"

Waiya eyed Kureha warily and did not answer immediately.

He countered: "Why do you ask? Who are you?"

Sima Di watched the two men eye each other with suspicion, amused.

The Waiya before him was indeed a descendant of the great warrior Karugara, who had met Kureha's ancestor Roland in battle, but later, after cutting down Shandia's Sacred Tree to cure "Tree Fever," was wrongly branded a heretic for violating tradition and faith—Karugara had always carried guilt toward Roland.

Unfortunately,

the skyward current had carried Shandia to the Sky Island, making it impossible for Karugara to deliver his apology in person.

Now,

their descendants stood face to face again—what would happen next?

In response to Waiya's question, Kureha offered no concealment.

"I am the descendant of Montblanc Noland..."

"Wait!" Wiper's eyes widened as he asked, "Who did you say your ancestor was?"

"Montblanc Noland... Is there still a legend of my ancestor among the Shandia?"

Wiper still did not answer Kureha.

"How can you prove it?" Wiper asked again.

Kureha was also eager to know the truth, so he held nothing back.

He opened the bundle on his back and took out a pure gold bust and a gold ring.

"This ring was given to him by Mousse, whom my ancestor Noland saved when he was to be used as a living sacrifice."

Kureha tossed the gold ring to Wiper. The latter flipped it over to inspect the inscription on the inside, then expressionlessly tossed the gold ring back to Kureha.

"Well? I didn't lie to you... What are you doing?"

Wiper, who had just been attacking everyone, suddenly dropped to his knees and bowed heavily to Kureha!

Kureha was startled!

What is going on?

"This is an apology on behalf of my ancestor, the Great Warrior Kalgara, to your ancestor Noland!" Wiper said solemnly, "Back then, Noland cut down the God Tree to save our tribe, but my ancestor believed it was his fault and banished him. Failing to apologize to Noland in person was a regret for his entire life. As his descendant, I am making amends for him today!"

Saying this, he knocked his head three times with loud "Bang, bang, bang" sounds.

One could see his "sincerity."

This was also written in the logbook, so Kureha accepted it on his behalf.

【Ding! Congratulations on signing in at the famous scene "Kalgara's 400-year-late apology!" You have received the sign-in reward: Wiper's Strong Physique!】

——————————

Wiper's Strong Physique: As a descendant of the Great Warrior Kalgara, Wiper has always trained himself with his ancestor as a goal, forging a physique comparable to that of a Sea King!;

——————————

Sima Di could clearly perceive that his strength had increased slightly.

But do not underestimate this "slight" increase!

Sima Di's current physique can support the use of Intermediate Armament Haki, which is already considered mid-to-high tier in this sea.

This time, the stacking effect...

also caused his Armament Haki to rise in both quality and quantity.

Faintly,

Sima Di seemed to have touched a certain bottleneck; once he crossed it, he would reach Advanced Armament Haki, allowing it to attach to slashes and attack enemies from a distance.

Who would have thought that just watching a show would bring such an unexpected surprise!