"Oh, Enel, still not settled?"
Wright glanced at the four individuals before him; it was clear that the negotiations had not yet been concluded.
"Tch! You wouldn't let me handle it my way. If I just fried them with my lightning, the problem would be solved already!"
Enel tilted his head with disdain.
"Looks like I didn't cut you hard enough last time..."
Wright's right hand moved toward the hilt of his sword. Enel grimaced and bared his teeth.
"Fine! Since you claim you can handle it, you deal with them. I'll go gather my subordinates!"
Seemingly afraid of getting slashed, Enel transformed into lightning and vanished.
"....."
Gan Fall, the Shandian Chief, and Wyper were left gaping, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets—
The young man in front of them, smiling calmly, was someone even Enel feared?
"Who... are you?"
Gan Fall steadied himself and stepped forward to ask. Compared to the Shandians, he at least had a better understanding of how to communicate with outsiders.
"The Sky Knight, huh... brings back memories."
Noting Gan Fall's armored appearance, Wright sighed nostalgically before smiling.
"I'm Wright, from the Blue Sea... Enel will no longer be a problem for you."
"I tasked him with ending your war, but it seems he's not very suited for the job. Looks like I'll have to step in myself."
"A man from the Blue Sea..."
The three exchanged glances before quickly remembering their deep-seated animosity. They averted their eyes from each other and focused on Wright.
"Thank you for driving Enel away... Over the past few years, I've come to realize—Sky Island doesn't need a 'god.'"
Gan Fall sighed. Enel had ruled Skypiea with terror and oppression, killing countless individuals who resisted over the past three years.
Even Gan Fall's former Divine Squad had to feign allegiance, doing their best to prevent people from resisting Enel in vain and losing their lives needlessly.
"Lord Wright, we are grateful for your help in defeating Enel, but we cannot—will not—abandon Upper Yard, our homeland of Shandora!"
The Shandian Chief spoke solemnly. "If the Sky People continue to occupy Upper Yard, we will have no choice but to continue this war!"
"That's right! We will fulfill the great warrior Calgara's will—to light the flames of Shandora!"
"The Sky People's desire for land is insatiable!"
Gan Fall sighed again. "If only we could live together in peace..."
"Your so-called peace means occupying our homeland?!" Wyper roared in anger.
"Ah... I know your history—the four-hundred-year war."
Wright waved his hand, cutting off their argument. "So, I have a solution. How about you hear me out first?"
"What solution?"
Gan Fall had spent years contemplating peace talks with the Shandians, but the land issue was an insurmountable barrier.
"First, Upper Yard will be returned to the Shandians. This island was originally a part of the Blue Sea that was sent skyward by the Knock Up Stream four hundred years ago. I believe you already know this, Gan Fall."
Wright paused. "After all, that pirate named Roger told you, didn't he?"
"You... you know Roger?!"
"Of course. Because I was his sworn enemy. I'm with the Marines, after all."
"....."
Gan Fall tightened his grip on his spear. It seemed that today's negotiations wouldn't end peacefully.
"Relax. I was still in training back then—I had no personal grudge against Roger."
Wright chuckled and waved his hand dismissively before looking at the Chief and Wyper, who were trying their best to maintain their composure.
"Now then, I fully understand the Sky People's need for land. As it happens, I have a way to transport islands from the Blue Sea to the White Sea..."
"The vast White Sea has plenty of space. Adding a few more islands won't be a problem at all. I will bring you a new island—you'll have all the land you desire!"
"!!!"
None of them had ever imagined such a solution. The three were too stunned to speak.
"Is that even possible for a human to do...?" Gan Fall murmured in disbelief.
"However, I have one condition."
Wright's words snapped the trio out of their daze. "I will bring two islands to the White Sea. One will be for the Sky People to inhabit. The other... will be my personal territory."
"I intend to build a resort there—ah, you can think of it as a place for relaxation. The three islands can interact and trade with each other, forming friendly relations. What do you think?"
"This... this is more than I ever dared to hope for... I have no objections!"
Gan Fall was visibly moved. It was clear that the man before them, someone even Enel feared, had just provided the perfect solution to their greatest problem—
If there isn't enough cake to go around, just make a bigger cake! With enough for everyone, why fight?
"Four hundred years of..."
Wyper began to speak but was cut off by the Chief.
"We accept!"
"Chief!"
"Enough, Wyper... Four hundred years, and haven't enough people died already? How much longer must this hatred continue?!"
The Chief's voice was firm. "To the Sky People, we were invaders. To us, they were the invaders..."
"Fate played a cruel joke on us. If Shandora had never been thrown into the sky, none of this would have happened..."
"But four hundred years have passed... And now, we belong to Skypiea as well."
"Lord Wright's solution is nothing short of perfect!"
"....."
Wyper was silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "I understand, Chief. We'll do as you say."
"Then it's settled..."
Wright was about to say more when a deep rumbling echoed through the White Sea.
"What's happening?!"
Wyper was startled, while Gan Fall and the Chief exchanged looks filled with anticipation as they turned to Wright.
"Ah... finally, they're here."
Wright turned to the distant White Sea. With his Observation Haki, he sensed two massive entities slowly rising.
"Island delivery—please sign for receipt!"
High above, Kuina hovered between the two islands, her Marine cape billowing in the wind, appearing like a goddess descending from the heavens.
Focusing intently, she carefully placed the island at Wright's designated location—just south of Upper Yard, right next to Angel Island.
It was an uninhabited island with an ecosystem similar to Upper Yard, though slightly smaller in size.
Such islands were abundant in the Grand Line, and it hadn't taken Wright and Kuina long to find one. With a single strike, Wright had cleaved through the island's foundation, while Kuina lifted it into the air.
As for the second island, it was even smaller but had the climate of a Spring Island, making it even more picturesque.
Additionally, Kuina had transported large amounts of seawater around the Spring Island—much like Shiki once did—allowing those on the floating landmass to admire the vast Blue Sea even from ten thousand meters above.
"It's really an island… A land-covered island!"
"An island has risen into the White-White Sea!"
Gan Fall and his companions were overwhelmed with excitement. Witnessing this miracle with their own eyes, they couldn't help but think—
Perhaps… this is what truly befits the work of a 'God.'
Far away in his shrine, Enel wore an expression of pure shock. Though his Mantra (Observation Haki) couldn't perceive the islands themselves, he could hear the astonished cries of Gan Fall's group—their awe, their joy.
And, more importantly, he could hear Kuina's presence in the Sky Islands.
"That person… brought an island from the Blue Sea up to the Sky Islands?!"
"Impossible!"
"Could that new 'presence' be another powerhouse?!"
"The Blue Sea… How intriguing!"
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