Shandia Gold
Luka returned to the shrine after days spent on Angel Island, his footsteps light from long rest, his mind overflowing with images of the warm nights he spent with Einara. The sky's air here was colder, quieter, as if the clouds were patiently awaiting his return.
He opened the shrine's door, made of solid clouds, and sighed as he stepped inside. Everything was as he had left it: the stillness, the scent of fragrant wood, and the faint glow of lightning that seeped from his body whenever he moved.
He tossed his cloak aside and sat on the stone ledge near the window, staring at the shifting sky while his fingers fiddled with his new pendant. He had rested… yes, but now he felt that his time with Einara was just a beautiful interlude, nothing more. The shrine was where he belonged now, where seriousness began anew, training resumed with full intensity, and ambition burned once more.
He ran his hand through his hair and sighed, saying: "Peace is beautiful… but it doesn't forge legends." Then he stood and headed to the training ground, ready to resume his pursuit of the power he dreamed of.
"But before this, I must retrieve that gold. I don't know how much it's worth. All I know is that Luffy took only a little—two bags of golden cups and coins, which he sold for 500 million berries. So I can't even imagine the value of that golden city."
The problem is, I don't know the location of the golden city. I stood in front of the shrine. The shrine is built on the clouds clinging to this massive, strange plant.
So I'm sure it's not above me, meaning I must search below. I flew downward. I remember from the anime that Robin dug through the clouds to find it.
But where exactly should I dig?
First, let's narrow the search. When this island was launched into the sky, it pierced that massive plant, splitting the golden city in half and throwing the giant bell above the clouds.
That means it's beneath the plant.
A blue lightning bolt shot from my hand and struck the clouds below. As expected, after piercing through, a deep hole opened downward.
Without hesitation, I jumped into the hole. Upon reaching the bottom, I saw a sight that made my body tremble.
A city plated in gold, buildings harmoniously arranged with strange symbols on the walls everywhere.
Green moss grew densely over the city, giving it an aura of mystery.
I approached one of the walls, placed my hand on it, and began dissolving the lightning into the wall. After a bit of thickness, I reached the wall.
"So it's not entirely gold—only the outer layer is gold. Now, how do I remove all this gold? If I keep dissolving it with my ability, it'll take too long."
And I'd rather spend that time training instead of peeling gold off the walls here.
So I think I'll assign this task to Ganfor.
After wandering a bit through these golden ruins, I returned to the shrine to fetch Ganfor.
---
Luka returned to the shrine once more, his body still charged with excitement, his mind swirling with dozens of plans.
As soon as he entered, he turned to one of his servants, a Skypiean, and said firmly, "Go immediately and bring Ganfor. Tell him I need him for an urgent matter."
The man bowed quickly and disappeared. Luka sat on his stone seat, his eyes watching the lightning dancing between his fingers.
Only minutes passed before the servant returned with Ganfor, his calm face unable to hide his curiosity.
Luka stood and said directly, "Come with me. There's something you need to see."
Luka led Ganfor to the hole he had made in the clouds, and they descended together until the golden ruins of Shandora appeared before them.
Ganfor stood stunned, his eyes wandering over the glittering ruins beneath the moss, before murmuring, "This… is incredible… I never believed it was this magnificent."
Luka looked at him and said confidently, "I want you to oversee the task of stripping the gold layer from everything here—walls, floors, statues, every inch. Use the soldiers to get it done."
Ganfor bowed respectfully and said, "As you command. I'll begin as soon as possible."
---
The next day, Ganfor began working under Luka's orders, surrounded by an increasing number of Skypiean men. Luka paid no attention to matters of trust or secrecy—he feared no leaks.
He issued his orders clearly: "All I want is the gold—only the outer layer. Walls, floors, pillars, ornaments… every inch covered in gold, scrape it off carefully and collect it. Leave no piece behind."
The operation began, but no one imagined it would be quick. The city's size, the intricacy of the ornaments, and the thickness of the gold layer ensured the task would take months. It resembled a massive archaeological excavation but with a practical, rough, and direct approach. Ganfor's teams used various tools—serrated hammers, sharp chisels, and even special techniques to heat and soften stubborn areas.
Ganfor himself moved between teams, supervising the work meticulously, coordinating efforts, and setting strict schedules: "This area must be fully stripped within a week." "Focus on the large temples first—they're the richest in gold." "The weather will change in days; make use of the time."
Though the gold wasn't collected in massive quantities in the early days, the pace gradually increased. Huge sacks were allocated to store the stripped layers, constantly transported to temporary chambers within the shrine, where Luka would later decide how to melt, sell, or use them.
Additionally, beautiful pieces like cups, swords, and golden crowns were everywhere.
From afar, Luka watched everything. He wasn't hasty. He didn't need immediate results. In his mind, this city was his personal treasure, and harvesting it would take time.
Luka didn't know what he'd do with this immense wealth now, but he was certain it would be useful—after all, money mattered everywhere, even in this world of pirates.
---
After a month:
The treasures' outlines slowly revealed themselves. Dozens of sacks filled with gold flakes stripped from Shandora's ancient walls. Some pillars were thick enough to require days of work. The sounds of chisels and hammers became part of the place's symphony.
In the shrine, Luka trained hard on his mental strength. He had always struggled with controlling living beings—all he could do was paralyze them briefly, while attempts to move them always failed miserably.
So throughout this month, Luka stayed here with small snakes and birds, trying to control them. He ended up killing many, but what mattered was that his control was improving.
---
After three months:
The city looked less golden and more majestic. The walls began showing their original stone color, while sacks of gold piled up in the shrine's storerooms. Ganfor increased the workforce, dividing them into teams based on ornament type and structure.
As for Luka, his mind had become like a sword. He tested his ability on sky birds first, then small snakes. He moved them, paralyzed them, knocked them unconscious—all without lifting a finger. Inside, he felt something new growing… a kind of control unlike any other power.
---
After six months:
The treasure became tangible reality. Hundreds of gold sacks had been extracted, and work continued. Over half the city had been stripped of its golden layer, and intricate ornaments were carefully dismantled. Ganfor established a system to protect the gold during transport and storage, everything running with military precision.
As for Luka, he had broken through barriers he once thought final. He crushed heavy rocks with mental force alone, compressed objects until they shattered. His power brimmed with potential, and as he mastered one thing, he discovered another. Luka loved it, so he continued immersing himself.
---
After nine months:
Shandora was now a bare stone structure, as if gold had never adorned it. Only what was collected in the labeled sacks, carefully stored in the shrine, remained—its weight beyond imagination. The soldiers were exhausted, but Ganfor kept pushing.
As for Luka, scenes unseen by anyone unfolded in Skypiea's skies. The giant serpent "Nola," once a terror to the island's people, now flew with eerie grace, coiling and twisting through the clouds as if born to soar. Luka, standing atop its head, eyes gleaming with focus, hand outstretched as if pulling invisible strings, had succeeded.
Through intense mental training, Luka had gained full control over the serpent, bending it to his will. Nola responded to his call like a soldier to his commander—flying, coiling, hovering with uncanny stability, making Skypiea's soldiers kneel in fear and awe. This display alone proved Luka had surpassed natural limits… and now achieved the impossible.
---
After a year:
The gold work neared its end. Only small decorative parts in the upper temples remained, and Ganfor oversaw their removal. The shrine had become a treasure vault. Gold was stacked in divided crates, some pieces minted for easier sale or use. Luka, meanwhile, was no longer just skilled… but dangerous.
Luka sat on the shrine's edge, watching the clouds dance beneath his feet, the gold glinting on the horizon like a sea of light. A year had passed… a year of transformation and growth.
His mental control reached fantastical levels—he could now seize dozens of targets simultaneously, crushing or dismantling them at once. Not just control, but complete sensory awareness of everything around him within a mental radius he could expand at will.
As for the Goro Goro no Mi, he had elevated it to terrifying levels. A year ago, his maximum lightning output was 30 million volts. Now, after a year, he could discharge 120 million volts.
This growth stemmed from his physical development. Despite his average talent, intense training, proper nutrition, massages, and muscle care had strengthened his body further. And as his body grew stronger, it could withstand greater speeds from the Goro Goro no Mi.
His current speed tolerance was five times greater than when he first ate the fruit.
Even his Haki had evolved. Using Enel as a reference, he created an electromagnetic field similar to the one Enel used.
Not as terrifyingly vast as Enel's, but still significant—within a 50- to 60-meter radius, he could hear and sense everything.
---
Deep in Skypiea's forests, where luminous trees intertwined and sky birds perched on branches, Luka stood firmly in a dirt clearing surrounded by massive trunks. Now sixteen, his body burst with taut muscles and combat flexibility, his height surpassing 1.81 meters. His dark skin glistened with sweat, his handsome face bearing mature features—sharp black eyes gleaming with focus, short black hair neatly framing his forehead without obscuring his sharp jawline.
* picture in the comments*
He slowly raised his right hand, blue sparks pulsing on his skin and rising upward. The air around him shifted, growing denser, hotter. A deep silence lingered for seconds until he muttered under his breath:
"Raigou: 120 Million Volts."
In an instant, a colossal lightning bolt erupted from his body, spearing through the entire forest like a divine lance. A blinding blue-white shockwave followed, violently shaking the earth. Trees within a radius of tens of meters charred from their roots, their leaves exploding into flying ash. The intense heat made the air tremble, a strong burning scent spreading as dust and fire swirled in a vortex of destruction.
At the explosion's epicenter, Luka remained standing, his body radiating energy, his eyes silently surveying the aftermath. The forest had turned into a scorched wasteland, circles of char etched into the ground with precision, as if carved by a god's hand.