Summary:
Some time ago, in the land of North Blue, Mont Blanc Noland is shown in his village. It turned out that Noland told the children outrageous and hard-to-believe stories, and even though no one could tell if the stories were true, they still liked him. One day, after returning from a great expedition, Noland tells the king that he has discovered the ruins of the great city of Shandora, which was literally made of gold. Excited by this new prospect of wealth, the King grants Noland permission to take three ships to the Grand Line five years after he returns. As admiral of the survey team, Noland would take the king and his royal soldiers instead of Noland’s usual crews. The king insists that he and Noland go on the same ship for safety, but Noland warns the king to be prepared for hard times ahead.
On their journey along the Great Line, the group encounters a sea monster, experiences strong winds capable of tearing a sail apart, nearly hits an iceberg, and loses one of their ships. The king and the soldiers call for Noland to help them, but Noland claims that the soldiers are not good at sailing and that some ships must be sacrificed to ensure the king’s safety. Finally, on November 16, 1127, the groups arrive at Jaya, which Noland is sure is the same island he came upon earlier. The king and soldiers are excited, but they only see a small cliff next to the ocean and half of the building. Noland is shocked and wonders where the rest of the island is, but the king kicks him and calls him an incompetent fool. The king is furious and asks Noland why he lied and where is the gold that Noland promised. Noland, still in shock, wonders where Shandia has gone. He asks Kalgara, if he is still alive, to ring the bell, the light of Shandora.
Six months later, back at Lvneel in the North Blue, Noland is asked to repeat his claim to the public. Noland stands by his statement and says he saw a golden city in Jaya six years ago. A man who apparently sailed with Noland is brought in and asked how much of the story is true. The man replies that it’s all a lie, so people think Noland is scum because he’s pretending to be an adventurer. Some of Noland’s real crew, seeing their admiral on the gallows, rush forward to say that the man who disputed Noland’s claim was never with them on their journey. They ask Noland if he has reunited with Kalgara, but the King orders them to be taken away before they can continue. For making false claims to the king, Noland is then sentenced to public execution, with the crowd calling him a liar. Noland’s crew tries to argue, but Noland can do nothing but wonder where Kalgara went.
A year before Noland’s execution in Shandora, Kalgara leaves to ring the golden bell, accompanied by Set. Seto pauses to feed Nola the snake while Kalgara continues up the stairs to the bell. Seto wonders when Noland will be back, but Kalgara says it’s not an easy trip, but as long as the bell rings, Noland promised he’ll be back eventually. Suddenly the sky darkens and something resembling an earthquake occurs. Kalgara tells Seto to stay calm and return to the village, but the Knock Up Stream launches Shandor into the sky, causing him to land on a gigantic beanstalk in the Upper Yard. The impact causes a golden bell to ring, surprising the Skypieans and causing the god of Skypiea to want to live there. When he finds people there, he decides to drive them out. In Shandora itself, everyone is trying to find out if they are counted when the Skypie warriors rush in to claim the land for their god. Kalgara, breathing heavily, tells him to hide the women and children, yelling that he doesn’t care who they are, they can’t have their home. Kalgara thinks he’s made a deal with Noland and that he’ll let him know he’s still there after all. He goes on to say that although many things have changed, he will rekindle the light of Shandora.