Chapter 470: The Light of Shandora
Faced with Gan Fall's questioning, Enel wanted to say, "Useless people deserve to be eliminated!"
However, when he saw Ian beside him looking at him with a half-smile, he knew that if he said it, he would be in for a world of pain.
So he could only turn his head away, let out a cold snort, and wear a look of utter disdain, but say nothing at all.
Ian was well aware that this guy Enel, though he had been thoroughly beaten down by him and seemed obedient, still couldn't shake that arrogant pride when facing those weaker than himself.
How to put it? This was probably a common flaw among many pirates in this world. They usually only obeyed those stronger than them and held complete contempt for those weaker.
Although Enel wasn't a pirate, he had this kind of personality, shaped by his environment. Enel was a textbook case.
Having been undefeated for too long fostered this mentality.
But at the same time, this mentality was easy to cure—just crush him relentlessly until he submitted to you, and then he would obey.
That was the situation now. Enel was terrified of Ian and dared not defy anything Ian said. But Gan Fall was different. He had been driven out of power by Enel long ago. Against a defeated opponent like that, no matter what Gan Fall said, Enel wouldn't listen, not even to sound reasoning.
On the other hand, Wiper understood Enel's mindset well. He directly raised his rocket launcher, aimed it at Enel, and said, "Don't waste words with him. Just kill him and be done with it!"
Wiper's action made the Shandian guerrilla fighters raise their weapons in unison, all aimed at Enel.
The Shandians' hatred for Enel ran deep. During the years of Enel's rule over Skypiea, many Shandians had perished under his divine judgment. Now that Enel had been captured by Ian, how could they miss such a golden opportunity?
Seeing this, Enel sneered and turned to Ian, saying, "These Shandians aren't your companions. It's fine for me to attack them, right?"
However, Ian shook his head, ignoring him, and turned to Wiper instead. "Shandians, put down your weapons. He is my prisoner now. How I deal with him is my business. It's not your place to overstep."
"Blue Sea man, I admit you're strong for defeating Enel," Wiper said, not backing down as he stared at Ian. "But if you try to stop the Shandians' revenge, don't blame us for attacking you as well!"
The moment those words were spoken, a sharp clang rang out as Zoro drew his sword from beside him. He looked at Wiper and said, "If you want a fight, we're ready!"
"That's right!" Luffy and Sanji also stood by Ian's side, speaking up.
Seeing the Shandians show hostility toward Ian, the Straw Hat Pirates instinctively sided with Ian. Even Nami, Chopper, and Usopp were no exception. At this point, the Shandians were still strangers to Luffy and his crew, and Wiper had even attacked them earlier. If it hadn't been for the common enemy Enel, they wouldn't have joined forces with the Shandians. Now that Enel had been captured by Ian, everyone naturally rallied behind him.
The atmosphere grew tense in an instant. Reiju stood beside Ian with her arms crossed, ready to strike at any moment. Robin pressed her hat down firmly. Dorry cracked his knuckles eagerly, the sound echoing in the air.
Gan Fall looked from Ian to Wiper, wanting to mediate but unsure how to begin.
Enel, meanwhile, looked at Ian with some surprise. He hadn't expected Ian to speak up for him.
Wiper and the Shandian guerrilla fighters were also on edge. Facing an enemy who could defeat even the god Enel, it would be a lie to say they weren't under immense psychological pressure. Even Wiper hesitated, unsure whether to open fire.
Just then, Ian waved his hand and said, "Admirable courage, but Shandians, have you forgotten your true purpose?"
"What do you mean?" Wiper asked.
"Are you here to take revenge on Enel, or to find the light of your homeland?" Ian asked with a smile.
"The... the Light of Shandora!?" Wiper was startled and quickly asked, "Do you know where it is!?"
At this, not only the Shandians but also Gan Fall, Luffy, and Nami pricked up their ears to listen.
However, Ian said nothing, just looking at the rocket launcher on Wiper's shoulder with a knowing smile. Wiper noticed Ian's gaze and reluctantly lowered his weapon. When he did, the other guerrilla fighters also stood down.
"That's better! I'm not your enemy," Ian said with a laugh. "To be honest, I admire the persistence of you Shandians. But just don't treat me as an enemy."
"...I'm sorry," Wiper said after a moment's thought, looking at Ian with a determined gaze. "It was my fault. But please, you must tell us about the golden city of Shandora. It has been the greatest wish of us Shandians for 400 years!"
Ian nodded without further comment and said, "Follow me."
With that, he gave Enel a meaningful glance and flew upward toward the top of the vine.
Enel had no choice but to follow.
"Hurry! Hurry and follow Ian!" Nami exclaimed excitedly, dragging Luffy up the vine. "We're going to find gold and treasure!"
Everyone followed Ian, climbing up the massive vine. Wiper naturally joined, and even Gan Fall wanted to see for himself.
Ian flew, but Luffy and the others had to climb, which cost them a lot of time. When they finally reached the clouds where Enel's palace stood at the top, they saw the massive ark that Ian had destroyed, realizing just how fierce the battle between Ian and Enel had been.
"Where is this so-called Light of Shandora?" Enel couldn't help asking. "I've been here for so long and never heard of any Light of Shandora."
Ian smiled without answering and continued flying toward the clouds even higher up.
Enel was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught up.
Ian led the group all the way to the sky above the palace of the god. In his memory, the giant golden bell seemed to be located here.
Sure enough, when they reached a small island cloud in the sky, everyone saw a magnificent, imposing bell!
Even Ian had to admit that the golden bell was incredibly beautiful. Though covered in moss and vines, the faint ancient inscriptions and patterns visible on it spoke of its age and weight. It stood there, unchanging for four hundred years.
The moment they first saw the golden bell, Wiper and the Shandians were all frozen in place.
For some reason, even though it was their first time seeing the golden bell, a sense of familiarity welled up in Wiper's heart—a memory etched into their blood by their ancestors.
"The Light of Shandora..." Wiper trembled, reaching out his arm as if to touch the golden bell from afar. As he stretched out his hand, tears streamed down his face.
Finally found! They had finally found the Light of Shandora!
"Go ahead!" Ian said, feeling a pang of emotion as he watched this tough man shed tears. "Ring it! That is the perseverance of you Shandians for four hundred years. You are the most fitting person to ring it!"
Hearing Ian's words, Wiper was moved. He glanced at Ian, solemnly performed a Shandian gesture of respect, and then walked toward the giant golden bell.
Without any tools, how could he ring such a massive golden bell?
But Wiper demonstrated the pride of the Shandians through his actions!
He stood before the golden bell, silent for a long time, then suddenly roared, "Calgara!!!"
With his shout, he slammed his fist hard against the golden bell!
"Dong——!"
As Wiper struck the golden bell with his bare flesh, the sound rippled outward. Hearing the bell's tone, everyone was stunned.
What a breathtakingly beautiful sound... It felt as if the bell's chime could cleanse one's soul...
Striking the giant golden bell with such a small fist came at a great cost. On the first strike, Wiper's fist had already shattered the bones.
Yet, oblivious to the pain, he struck again with his bloodied fist.
"Dong——! Dong——!"
One after another, Wiper pounded the golden bell with his fists. The force of his blows made the bell sway.
Behind him, the Shandian guerrilla fighters fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces...