XX-level Hokage

“Yes, Master,” Claire replied obediently. Another week passed in the blink of an eye.

That same week, Lorena brought her student Coco to Ohara.

Subsequently, seemingly following a message from Lorena, a large number of scholars, along with their families, flocked to Ohara.

Faced with such a large number of scholars, Mashiro was not comfortable communicating with them for long, so this task was handed over to Robin.

Most of the older scholars had been acquainted with Robin's mother, Olivia, while the younger scholars were afraid of Mana's status as a Shichibukai, so Robin handled the situation very smoothly.

Accommodation was quickly arranged for all the arriving scholars.

Also during this week, various merchants sent by Stussy arrived in Ohara.

Within a week, although the population had not yet reached the level of a town, it was already starting to feel lively.

Scholars brought many books and placed them into the Tree of Omniscience free of charge. Although it only filled one wall of books, it gave this huge tree, which represents knowledge, meaning again.

"How is it?" Mashiro asked softly.

"The golden city of Shandora, the Kingdom of Dressrosa, the golden statue base on the Skypiea, Elbaf the Giant, and the Holy Land of Mary Geoise—basically, these are the places that all have at least one Poneglyph. Also, Granny Lorena told me that there's one hidden in the basement of the Tree of Knowledge," Robin replied.

"Are you sure?" Mashiro looked at Claire again. Claire nodded slightly.

"Gathering so many scholars has indeed been fruitful," Mashiro said with a light laugh. "So, Master, where do you plan to begin?" Robin asked curiously.

Mashiro pondered for a moment and said, "Let's start with the Sky Island. Call Leona for me." The White Sea is an inconspicuous area of ​​the East China Sea.

Because of the "monster current," few ships are willing to pass through this area, making it a paradise for giant sea monsters.

A young adult yellowtooth shark was tearing apart an elephant seal. Just then, a shadow fell over the area.

The yellow-toothed shark looked up and saw a giant bird, tens of meters long, rapidly approaching. Upon seeing this, the yellow-toothed shark instantly abandoned its meal and sank back into the sea.

The enormous bird was a strikingly unique shade of pink, and as it flapped its wings, pink clouds of smoke continuously spread. On its back stood two figures.

"This must be the place, Baihai?" a stunningly beautiful young woman asked softly.

“Yes, Master. I heard my mother mention before that her hometown is the White Sea, 10000 meters above the White Sea, also known as the Island of Gods.” Another red-clad figure…

"That's what the girl with the hair said."

Chapter 52: The Bells of the Golden Land

"Oh, that's fine then." The stunningly beautiful girl said, as the giant pink bird beneath her began to rise rapidly.

The two girls were Mashiro and Leona, and the one beneath them was a transformation of Senbonzakura. After deciding to go to the Sky Island, Mashiro found Leona.

Mashiro originally just wanted to ask her some specific information about Sky Island, but unexpectedly, after learning that Mashiro wanted to go to Sky Island, Suona excitedly offered to lead the way for Mashiro.

So Mashiro took Leona with her, and the two of them prepared to go to Skypiea.

Because there were only two of them, and neither of them knew how to sail, Mashiro summoned Senbonzakura and had it use the Jumei Bird Fruit.

With a change in power, they were transported to the Sky Island.

As the Thousand Cherry Blossoms rose higher into the sky, the surrounding scenery began to change continuously. Clouds and mist swirled, creating a dreamlike and ethereal scene.

“Master, have you heard of the legend of the Golden Land?” Leona suddenly asked.

The expedition leader of the Kingdom of Rubenil in the North Sea, Venbra Rolando, and the legend of the Golden Land he brought were executed because the king proved them to be false stories. His title was changed from the great adventurer Rolando to the great liar Brando.

"Actually, the Golden Land isn't a legend, but a real story that actually happened. It's just that, for some reason, the island where the Golden Land was located was washed ashore on a floating island," Leona said softly.

"Oh?" Mashiro looked at Leona, intrigued by what Leona had to say.

Leona's eyes became hazy as she slowly recounted, "400 years later, on the island of Jaya, a war for control of the land has raged for 400 years without ever ceasing."

The reason for this was that the indigenous people living on this land were suddenly invaded by outsiders who claimed to be "gods". In the end, the former were defeated and driven out of their own land.

Thus, faced with the irreconcilable conflict of encroaching on other people's territory, the flames of war on this land could not be stopped and escalated.

Especially for the Sky People, who are the invaders, their strength and greed for the resources of this land are the root causes for which only war can solve everything.

For a long time, they lived high in the sky, with clouds as their ground and no knowledge of what land was. The land of the South China Sea had always been something they longed for.

When Jaya Island suddenly appeared before them, and the island's beautiful songs spread throughout everyone's hearts, this longing naturally turned into war. The songs became the signal for war between the two sides, and this cycle repeated itself, and the flames of war were lost for hundreds of years.

Therefore, even 400 years later, a god-like leader representing the Sky People appeared and proposed for the first time to end the war and live in peace with the natives, hoping to bring an end to this centuries-long conflict.

However, for the indigenous Shandiya tribe, this is absolutely impossible to propose, just as the current Shandiya chief has said.

Do you intend to erase the crimes of the past century and simply make peace?! Do you still want to occupy our land and coexist peacefully?! All the things you have done to the Shandiya people for generations, now you just want to say peace and it all disappears?

Since that's the case, then let's offer up those innocent Sky People who don't want to die as sacrifices, offering their heads and paying the same price as us. If you want to erase your past sins, then offer up everything you have now!

As a warrior of the Shandiya race, the War Demon Wapa is just like the epitome of his ancestors throughout the past. He refuses to use the name of peace to disguise the reality of invasion and vows to fight to the death to drive out any enemy who dares to rule him. This has been the belief of Shandiya warriors for hundreds of years.

In addition, as a descendant of the great warrior Calgara from 400 years ago, War Demon Wapa also carries the legacy of his ancestor, which has lasted for hundreds of years.

For the survival of their race and for the sovereignty of their territory, this was the reason why the warriors had to reclaim their homeland no matter what. But for his ancestor, the great warrior Calgara, there was another debt that he had to repay, in addition to reclaiming his homeland.

This was also Calgara's greatest regret in his life.

Four hundred years ago, on the then-undeveloped island of Jaya, a contagious disease called tree fever broke out. Suddenly, all the villagers who came into contact with it became infected and the disease spread rapidly.

Faced with a disease with a mortality rate as high as 90%, they could only regard it as a curse from an evil spirit. Therefore, they chose a young girl as a sacrifice to seek forgiveness from the great gods and remove the curse.

This is a long-standing precept followed by this traditional tribe, even though the girl sacrificed was the daughter of the great warrior, Calgara.

Just as the deity (the serpent) appeared and was about to devour the girl, an explorer from the North Sea, Venbula Rolando, suddenly appeared, killed the deity, and roared angrily: For countless scholars who have risked their lives, this sacrificial ritual is a great disgrace.

For Rolando, an explorer and botanist, curable diseases were seen as curses of evil spirits, and life, which was greater than anything else, was seen as a sacrificial offering.

This kind of meaningless self-deception born of fear of death is a heinous act that countless explorers have felt deeply about and abhorred.

Finally, awakened by Rolando's resounding voice and the warrior Calgara's tearful lament, the traditionalists ceased to reject anything from the outside world, stopped holding traditional ceremonies, and stopped sacrificing their precious lives. Under the treatment of the special medicine, amidst unstoppable laughter and tears, they understood what progress truly meant.

Thanks to their heroic act of saving the village, Noland and his companions became the greatest benefactors of the Shandya clan. And for the subsequent treatment and complete eradication...

Rolando, who was also the source of the fever, accepted their invitation and stayed there temporarily.

During this time, the campfire never went out, and the smiles never stopped. The recovered people shone brightly under the electric campfire, and the surviving tribes were revitalized by their radiant smiles.

Without the constraints of religious rules, they listened to the island's past and experienced the cultures of different peoples—a lifelong pursuit for explorers. And without being swayed by external influences, they welcomed their guests and listened to their adventures. This was the original form of the Shandiya people.

It was this respect and shared understanding that made Rolando and Calgara rare friends. Despite their different races, births, and customs, their shared characteristics allowed their friendship, which should have been tempered by time, to transcend geographical boundaries with every laugh. Even the crew of the expedition and the warriors of Jaya Island were seeing the two of them smile so freely for the first time.

But just a month after Noland and his group stayed, as they were preparing to sail away after completely eradicating the pathogen, their former friendship suddenly turned into intense murderous intent.

The friends who were chatting and laughing just the day before have returned to their initial state of rejecting everything after the tree fever pathogen was completely eradicated.

The initial lively conversation turned into a wary silence, and the plans to stay a few more days became a call to leave. Why on the very last night before departure? Was this how our friendship was destined to end?

Just before the sails set sail and dawn broke, the girl Rolando had rescued, Calgara's daughter, found one of the expedition members alone and told them the reason for her anger.

"For the Shandiya people, death does not mean the end of their duty to protect the island. On the contrary, the souls of the ancestors who died on this island will return to this sacred white forest under the guidance of the bells."

The ancestors who once protected this island, even after death, would rise again to rest in the trees and continue to protect the Shandya people.

Therefore, this forest, which symbolizes the lives of our ancestors, is more important than their own lives. Yet you and your group have cut it down completely. If it weren't for the gratitude you owed for saving the village that suppressed your anger, the village warriors might have already turned their swords against you.

You claim to be botanists, yet you wantonly destroy things under the guise of research. You know we regard our ancestors as our friends, yet you still stubbornly and contemptuously cut down trees.

If this is the sacrifice you make for progress, then you shouldn't have been accepted here in the first place. The crew member explained why they did it.

What I'm about to say may sound like a sophistry, but for the sake of the admiral's reputation, I have to say it.

The sacred forest you speak of has long since died. The so-called tree fever is not just a human disease; its truly terrifying aspect is that even plants cannot avoid being infected, until they die.

That's how it is. People pass it on to trees, and trees pass it back to people. Several islands have perished in this way in the past. The admiral knows the dangers of this, which is why he is so determined to persuade you.

The initial 100 deaths in the village were just the beginning of the tree fever; had he not intervened, the plague would have engulfed the entire island.

But don't worry, just yesterday, Christ and we finished investigating all the forests and found no more sources of infection. Although making excuses is rather unsightly,

I cannot gain your forgiveness, but I must tell you that as a botanist, Rolando would never destroy trees unjustly, and as an explorer...

Home, Rolando also absolutely respected the beliefs revered by various ethnic groups; he simply knew that there were truths more important than trees and faith.

When the sails of parting were untied along with the misunderstandings, besides the regretful steps, the beautiful bell finally rang out from the hands of the people of Shandiya.

Before the misunderstanding had completely separated the two sides, Rolando and his party were sincerely invited to come to the depths of this island, protected by generations of people, to a city where everything in sight was dazzling gold, a dreamlike realm that existed only in legends, the Golden Incense - Shandora.

In gratitude for Rolando and his party's rescue of the village, Calgara, representing the villagers, agreed that they could take all the gold, except for the central golden bell, back to their homeland.

Noland was indifferent to the generous repayment; his attention was focused on the magnificent bell in front of him and the majestic chimes he played.

This immediately reminded Noland that it was this very bell that had guided them through the storm. In the midst of the inaudible wind and rain, Noland had clearly heard its voice and come here. At that moment, Calgara also spoke of the meaning behind the Golden Bell.

"In order to show off the prosperity of Shandora to the world, so that people from all corners of the world can know of its existence."

To ensure that the souls of our great ancestors, now ascended to heaven, will not lose their way on the vast ocean and can always return here until the end of their lives, it was named the Light of Shandora. Its meaning is to constantly remind them, "We are here."

Before Rolando left, the two, having cleared up their misunderstanding, made a promise to meet again.

But what the two of them didn't expect was that they would never fulfill their promise to meet again, and the lights of Shandora were never lit again.

After Rolando parted ways with Calgara and returned to his own country, as an explorer, he naturally told the king about the existence of Shandora. The king, who was overjoyed to learn that the land was full of gold, immediately agreed to go to sea with Rolando.

But when they finally arrived at Jaya Island after braving the winds and waves and enduring countless hardships, the smiling faces of everyone changed naturally in the illusion of an empty island.

Shortly after Rolando left, the lights of Shandora rang out constantly, never ceasing, in accordance with the promise of their reunion.

On that very day, as Calgary was making his expectant preparations, the island suddenly trembled and the final lights of war were lit. A series of loud thuds echoed across the ground, and giant waves surged from the ground, tearing parts of the island in two and sending them soaring into the sky before finally landing on the giant vines of the floating island.

As the impact resounded the lights of Shandora, it also drew the attention of the Sky People. The invasion of the Sky God! Look, this vast and desolate land, this beautiful song, is a gift from heaven. We must drive out all the natives of this land.

Rolando, can you hear me? What would you think if you returned one day and couldn't find us? I have so much to say to you. Don't worry, wait for me a little longer, I will definitely light the lamp of Shandora. "This is the prophecy of Calgara."

But the bell never rang again until the day the great warrior Calgara died in battle.

Later, a sailor from the North Sea came to the Sky Island and told the villagers everything that had happened there. Our great benefactor, Rolando, insisted until his execution that your homeland was real, but sadly, his dear friend could no longer respond.

This is Calgary's greatest regret, and Wapa's greatest regret. This is the story of the Golden Land, Rolando, and the Sky Island.

After Leona finished her story, she noticed Mashiro looking at her with a strange expression. "You're very good at telling stories," Mashiro said with a smile.

Leona lowered her head and said with a hint of sadness, "This is a story written by my mother. Her greatest wish in life was to exonerate Rolando, but the label of 'big liar' was so deeply ingrained that her books simply couldn't sell."

"Judging from her appearance, your mother must be from the Shandiya clan, right?" Mashiro asked softly.

"That's right. My mother is a descendant of the great warrior Calgara, and Wapa's cousin. She was forced to jump off Jaya Island by the Sky People."

What was originally a certain death situation unexpectedly landed on the nearby floating island of Visalia, where he miraculously survived, but lost one of his wings in the process.

Later, my mother stayed in the North Sea, where she unexpectedly fell in love with Rolando's descendant and gave birth to me. My father and mother were determined to clear Rolando's name and return to Skypiea.

They both perished as a result. Although I miraculously survived, I was captured by slave traders and sold to the Sabaody Archipelago. "Leona Goddess..."