Shin originally didn't have much desire for gold. After all, as long as he had enough to eat, he was content.
However, after deciding to develop artificial Devil Fruits to enhance human potential in the Naruto world, his perspective changed.
Scientific research is a bottomless pit—especially when it comes to high-end projects like artificial Devil Fruits. Shin didn't want to mass-produce defective results, so he had already devised a way to deal with the bizarre side effects that could arise from consuming artificial Devil Fruits.
Eating artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits often led to strange extra limbs, and in some cases, even complete animal transformations. Shin had once seen a hippo in Kaido's zoo with a human mouth inside its own—a grotesque sight.
To be honest, if that was the result, Shin felt it would be better to simply turn into one of the so-called "gifters."
While Shin's research abilities weren't particularly advanced in the pirate world, his unconventional thinking made up for it. If consuming artificial Zoan fruits led to strange transformations, wouldn't eating the Human-Human Fruit directly bypass the issue?
With that in mind, Shin immediately thought of his former acquaintance—Chopper—who had consumed the Human-Human Fruit in its standard model.
Beyond that, another individual entered his consideration—a certain rubber man. After all, Chopper was an animal that ate the Human-Human Fruit, not a human who had consumed it. His genetic composition might still pose unforeseen complications.
'I wonder if the Human-Human Fruit Model: Nika would work…'
Shin mulled over these thoughts as he made his way toward the remnants of Shandora.
At that moment, loud noises erupted from Upper Yard, accompanied by shouting and heated arguments. With a slight use of his observation ability, Shin saw the native residents of Upper Yard locked in a heated dispute with the Skypieans—on the verge of a fight.
Now that he had absorbed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Shin had overcome his previous limitations regarding his observational range. With a mere sweep of his senses, no secret on Skypiea could escape his perception.
"Lucky me… all the residents of Upper Yard are gathered here." Shin smirked before tilting his head skyward. Then, his entire form shifted into a massive dragon, soaring into the sky.
Hearing the dragon's roar, the Shandorians and Skypieans alike looked up in astonishment, recognizing the eight-headed dragon that had left such an impression on them.
Moments later, they saw the dragon inhale deeply and unleash a whirlwind, sending the Skypieans—who physically differed from the Shandorians—spiraling into the sky.
Then, with a flick of his tail, Shin struck the colossal vine tree at the center of Upper Yard. A sharp cracking noise rang out as the tree split apart, and with a thunderous crash, a small palace fell from within.
Shin conjured a flame cloud to catch the palace and half of the enormous tree, lowering them gently to the ground.
"That's…!" The Shandorians, who had initially panicked and prepared to flee, turned their eyes toward the falling palace. Their gazes locked onto the gleaming golden structure, and their expressions turned to sheer awe.
"The Golden Bell… There's no mistaking it! That's the legendary Golden Bell… Shandora's light has finally returned!"
The Shandorians burst into cries of joy and disbelief, some weeping, others laughing, all too overwhelmed to pay further attention to Shin's imposing form.
Ignoring the commotion, Shin casually absorbed the historical text beneath the Golden Bell. Then, with another conjuration of his flame cloud, he covered the entire fragment of Jaya Island. With a mighty roar, he lifted the entire island into the air.
One of the Shandora warriors, a strong-looking man, stepped forward with a stunned expression. His features seemed vaguely familiar to Shin—perhaps a character from the original story?
"Sir Dragon, where are you taking the Upper Yard?" the warrior asked, his voice laced with urgency.
Shin glanced at the man, recognizing him as someone named Wiper or something similar. Unlike the Skypieans, who had cowered before his dragon form, this warrior had the courage to approach and speak.
Without hesitation, Shin answered, his voice rumbling like thunder across the sky: "Shandora's people, hold on tight. I am returning the Upper Yard to the Blue Sea—your true homeland!"
Hearing his words, the Shandora villagers exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with excitement.
Blue Sea – Gaya Island – Mock Town
"I still haven't found it… Is the so-called Golden City truly just a myth, a legend born from imagination?"
A tall, muscular man with a peculiar chestnut-shaped head surfaced from the ocean, climbed onto his boat, and lay there catching his breath.
Staring up at the sky, he muttered to himself. "If the skeleton's right eye didn't sink into the sea… could it have flown into the sky? Ancestor Noland, what kind of legacy did you leave us? Or were you really just a liar…?"
Just as he sighed, his two assistants—both oddly resembling monkeys and named Masira and Shoujou—suddenly shouted in alarm.
"Captain! Captain! Look! There's an island falling from the sky!"
"What nonsense are you spewing?" The captain rolled his eyes. "An island falling from the sky? Next, you'll tell me the legend of the sky island is—"
He froze mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he processed the sight before him.
"Damn it! An island is actually falling!"
The captain and his crew gawked in shock as the landmass approached. Their jaws hung open, and their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
After a long silence, one of the orangutan-like assistants scratched his head and mumbled, "That island is getting bigger and bigger… Why do I feel like it's heading right for us?"
"No, that's not just a feeling," his counterpart replied solemnly. "It really is coming straight at us."
"…It wasn't my imagination?"
"What are you two standing around for?! Start rowing! Do you want to get flattened by an island?!" the captain bellowed, snapping out of his stupor.
"Ah! He's right! Row, row for your lives!"
Panic-stricken, the crew scrambled to lift the anchor, raise the sails, and paddle as fast as humanly possible. They poured every ounce of effort into escaping the island's trajectory.
Just as they barely cleared the landing zone, the enormous landmass crashed down onto Jaya Island with a deafening boom, seamlessly merging with the terrain.
The captain blinked in stunned disbelief. As he surveyed the area, his eyes landed on his house—or, rather, the half of his house that had been left behind.
To his utter shock, the missing half had now perfectly fused with the section of the house that had fallen with the island, restoring it to its original, complete state.
"…I don't even know what to say to this."
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