The Shandians Return Home and the Design Blueprint
They couldn't resist the powerful Enel, and now they had no power to resist the man who had defeated him. Gan Fall was filled with confusion and fear about the future of the Kingdom of God.
"What are your plans for the Kingdom of God moving forward?" Gan Fall asked nervously, fearing that another tyrant like Enel would take over.
"The Shandians will rule Upper Yard from now on," Sanders replied, pointing to the island.
"As for Angel Island, it will remain as it was before Enel came. You'll be responsible for managing Angel Island."
Gan Fall breathed a sigh of relief. Although he felt some regret over losing Upper Yard, he knew there was nothing he could do. Plus, restoring peace to Angel Island and ending Enel's reign of terror was already a great outcome.
"Can we still trade with the Shandians?" Gan Fall asked.
Upper Yard was valuable not only because of its gold but because its land was crucial. The land allowed for farming vegetables and grains, resources desperately needed by the Skypieans. Now that the island was given to the Shandians, they didn't dare try to take it by force. Trade was their only option.
"That's up to you to negotiate. I won't interfere. Everything on both islands remains as it was," Sanders replied indifferently.
Whether they traded or divided some of the land was up to the Shandians. Sanders wasn't interested in managing their 400-year-old conflict.
"Could you tell me your name? The people of Angel Island need to know who their new 'god' is," Gan Fall asked respectfully.
He didn't seem upset about losing Upper Yard. The problems with the Kingdom of God had persisted for centuries, and now that it was resolved, he saw it as a good thing. At least now, the two sides wouldn't shed blood over the island's ownership. With a new god who had defeated Enel, the people of Angel Island wouldn't dare object.
"Sanders. My name is Sanders," he replied.
With that, Sanders waved him away. He needed to extract the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
After Gan Fall left, Sanders carried Enel to the storage room aboard his ship, which held all the various fruits he had collected. Without hesitation, he snapped Enel's neck and watched the fruits in front of him.
After a while, one of the ordinary fruits began to change. The originally yellow fruit turned blue and became covered with lightning-like patterns.
Sanders breathed a sigh of relief. If used correctly, this fruit could provide him with a powerful ally.
After studying the fruit for a moment, Sanders placed it inside a small box and used the powers of his Fusion Fruit to completely seal the box in metal.
With that done, Sanders took Enel's corpse to the deck, incinerated it with lightning, and scattered the ashes into the sea.
Some time later, both the Shandians and Gan Fall returned with their people. When the two groups met, tension filled the air, their faces etched with hatred. Four hundred years of conflict had claimed many ancestors on both sides, and such deep-rooted hatred wasn't easily resolved.
Sanders had no interest in mediating the conflict. He ordered the two sides to live separately, without interfering with each other's lives.
"Will you return Upper Yard to us?" the Shandian chief asked respectfully as he stepped forward.
In the Kingdom of God, the title of "god" was simply a designation for the ruler. Sanders didn't bother correcting their use of the term.
"Submit to me, and you can return to your homeland. You may also take back the Light of Shandora," Sanders replied.
Joy spread across the chief's wrinkled face. "Thank you for allowing us to return to our homeland. The Shandians are willing to submit."
They had no other choice. Wyper and the others had already told the chief about the overwhelming power of the new god. Besides, the opportunity to return to their homeland and rekindle the Light of Shandora was the dream of their ancestors.
"Then you may begin your relocation and ring the Great Bell," Sanders said calmly.
The chief trembled with emotion at the thought of returning to their homeland after centuries. Tears streamed down his face, and he nearly knelt in front of Sanders, but Sanders stopped him. He made it clear that he didn't like people bowing to him.
Other Shandians were also crying tears of joy.
"Make sure to relight the Light of Shandora quickly. The descendants of Montblanc Noland in the Blue Sea are still waiting," Sanders reminded the chief. He briefly explained Noland's tragic fate.
Hearing this, the chief and his people looked deeply remorseful.
"We wronged them!"
Had they not failed to relight the Light of Shandora for hundreds of years, Noland wouldn't have been branded a liar, and his descendants wouldn't have suffered ridicule and humiliation.
The Shandians left, eager to ring the Great Bell and send a message to their distant friends.
Sanders then turned to Gan Fall. By now, Gan Fall had removed his armor and was wearing a simple robe. Several people stood behind him, likely his former guards.
After Enel had defeated Gan Fall, his guards had been imprisoned and forced to work under Enel. Now that Enel had been defeated, Gan Fall had freed them.
"And what about you?" Sanders asked.
"We also choose to submit," Gan Fall answered.
He was a man of wisdom and had once been friends with Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Gan Fall knew that having a powerful protector for the Kingdom of God wasn't a bad thing. Moreover, Sanders wasn't exploiting them, which was far better than being under Enel's rule.
"Angel Island will remain as it was. You will help me manage it. Whether it's trading or negotiating with the Shandians, I won't interfere."
"Now, I need you to do something for me."
"Please, give your orders," Gan Fall replied.
"Go and retrieve the blueprint for Enel's Ark Maxim."
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T/N:
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