Chapter 108 New Gods and Old Gods (5k) (Ch 108)

Finally, Gan Fowle, the former God of Sky Island, withstood the momentum that almost overwhelmed him and stood up with difficulty.
“Please… please forgive our overstepping of authority.” He spoke, and every word seemed to have exhausted tremendous strength. His voice was obviously hoarse and full of fatigue that was difficult to conceal.
The marks left by time on this old man’s face are now deeper than ever before.
“I… I am Gan Fowl, the ‘Sky Knight’, and also… the former ‘God’ who was ousted by Enel.” He straightened his back and tried to maintain his last bit of dignity.
Moze responded indifferently: “Oh, I know, and then what?”
“If you want to emphasize your insignificant so-called legitimacy to me, or tearfully accuse Enel of how despicably usurped your position, in order to win my sympathy.”
“Then you can take your people and leave.”
“While I’m in a good mood today.”
Gan Forge’s body shook slightly, and the last glimmer of hope in his heart disappeared.
He took a deep breath and spoke again: “No, that’s not the case.”
“I… Gan Ful, once the ‘God’ of this sky island, was later expelled by Enel. Now, I am willing to acknowledge your identity as the new God, and am willing to serve you…” He paused with difficulty, and finally said, “…serve you.”
“god!”
“Lord Gan Fol, how could you…”
“We can’t bow down to this Blue Sea man!”
Once these words were spoken, it was like throwing a piece of ice into a boiling oil pot.
The soldiers who followed him were suddenly in an uproar, with exclamations of disbelief and growls mixed with anger coming one after another.
They could fight to the last drop of their blood and die, but they could not accept that the “God” they once admired would bow so easily to another “God”, especially an outsider who had just crushed them with force.
Those fiery gazes almost pierced through Gan Forge’s back.
Gan Fowl had his back to them, but he could clearly feel the weight of those gazes, as if they were pressing on his spine.
An indescribable bitterness welled up in his heart, but he had to force himself to swallow it.
He knew that his decision was tantamount to betrayal in the eyes of these loyal warriors.
Don’t admit it?
What else could he do?
Resist? What can we resist with?
Just as Moser said before.
The identity of the God of Sky Island has never required any so-called recognition and inheritance, nor any whitewashing of orthodoxy.
There is only one standard for judging “God” from beginning to end. It is simple and crude, but extremely true – that is absolute and unparalleled strength!
As a former god, Gan Ful knew the history of Sky Island speechlessly.
Four hundred years ago, the Island of the Gods, Arpaiado, the land beneath their feet, was washed up on the White Sea for unknown reasons.
At that time, the “God” of Sky Island coveted this vast and rich land. He took advantage of the fact that the Shandians had just arrived at Sky Island and had not yet fully adapted to the thin oxygen and environmental changes at an altitude of ten thousand meters, and launched a war.
They forcibly occupied Arpaado by despicable means and took over the homeland that the Shandians had guarded for generations.
Since then, for a full four hundred years, the Shandia people have never given up resistance.
In order to regain their homeland, they fought an unremitting and even brutal battle with successive generations of “gods”.
Gan Ful once privately believed that the god from four hundred years ago was wrong. He acted like a robber, took away other people’s homes, and brought endless disputes and hatred to this sky.
Before he was driven off the throne by Enel, he had tried more than once to hold peace talks with the chieftains of the Shandian people, hoping to reach a reconciliation and jointly manage this island of gods.
Ending this four-century-long feud.
However, the historical grievances are too deep. How can the four hundred years of estrangement and blood feud be easily resolved in a few words?
What’s more, after so many years of evolution and inheritance, the Island of Gods, Arpaiado, has long been regarded by the residents of the Sky Island as an integral part of the Sky Sanctuary and their sacred home.
This deeply rooted concept is difficult for him to forcibly change and promote so-called peace by his own strength, even if he is a “God”.
Just as he was still trying his best to mediate the matter and try to find a glimmer of hope for peace.
Eneel and his group of priests descended on Sky Island like a disaster from the sky.
At that time, Enelu was almost synonymous with invincibility in the eyes of him, all the residents of Sky Island, and the people of Shandia.
The power of thunder and lightning that destroys the world and the attitude that treats all living beings as worthless are simply not something that mortals can resist.
He is truly worthy of the title of “God”!
Even if all the remaining strength of the Sky Sanctuary and the Shandia clans were used up, they were unable to shake Eneel in the slightest, and could not even force him to use his true strength.
In the end, under the absolute suppression of force, the Sky Sanctuary chose to surrender, Gan Ful’s throne was taken away, and Enelu became the new “God”, ruling the sky with terror and high pressure.
The once brave and unyielding Shandia people were forced to hide in secret villages deep in the clouds, struggling to survive and waiting for a slim chance of revenge.
However, it was Enelu who, in their opinion, was so powerful that he was almost unstoppable and was revered as a “God”.
But not long ago, he was defeated so easily by the man from the blue sea in front of him – no, now he should be called the new god – Moze.
Gan Fowle knew that from the moment Moze stepped onto the sky island and defeated Eneel with a thunderous force.
The situation of Sky Island has completely changed.
The so-called “God”, in the face of absolute power, is nothing more than a title that can be replaced at any time.
Continuing to resist will be meaningless except for causing more innocent Sky Islanders to sacrifice in vain.
It will only cause the new god’s wrath to burn everything.
All he could do was to follow this irresistible trend.
Or to be more precise, the rules of Sky Island have changed since Enel put on the crown of “God”.
But after that, these people of the “old times” still held on to a glimmer of unrealistic luck, hoping that a miracle would happen one day, defeat Eneel, regain the throne of God, and let everything go back to the way it was before.
But even after that, they still had a lucky mentality, dreaming that one day they could defeat Eneel and regain the throne of God.
And this ridiculous mentality of taking chances is almost completely ended with the arrival of the second even more unfathomable alien “god”.
Perhaps, this is also a kind of relief.
But the price is too heavy.
Gan Fowl thought bitterly in his heart.
Mo Ze was stunned at first, as if he had not expected that the former god would be so decisive.
Then he burst into a deafening laugh: “Hohohohaha! Hohohahahaha!”
The laughter echoed over the Island of Gods, carrying an indescribable joy.
As the laughter spread, the domineering aura that had almost broken Gan Fowl’s spine disappeared silently like the receding tide.
The air seemed to start flowing again, Gan Fore’s tense body relaxed slightly involuntarily, and the almost stagnant blood resumed circulation.
Only then did he realize that his forehead was already covered with fine beads of cold sweat.
“Not bad.” Moze finally stopped smiling, and his deep eyes fell on Gan Fowl again. There was a hint of approval in his tone, or perhaps it was just stating a fact, “You made a wise and only correct choice.”
Moze didn’t seem to need his response, and continued to speak: “Next, I will go to the Hidden Cloud Village and have a good talk with those Shandians.”
He paused, his eyes sweeping across the island of gods that once belonged to Gan Ful, then to Enel, and now to him.
“Before I come back, I want to see that you have resolved all the internal conflicts.”
“Handled properly?” Gan Forge’s heart trembled. The meaning of this word could be big or small.
Is it to appease the people, or… eliminate dissidents?
Moze seemed to see through his thoughts, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly: “You should understand what I mean. I don’t want there to be any discordant voices on Sky Island when I come back. Those guys who still have unrealistic fantasies about you, the ‘former god’, or that ridiculous ‘old era’, or those idiots who are obviously hostile to the arrival and rule of me, the ‘new god’…”
“I don’t mind taking action myself and letting them know in the most profound and unforgettable way that times have changed. Believe me, I have many ways to make them understand.”
“But, I think,” Mozer continued, with a hint of playfulness in his tone, “you should be more willing to solve these minor troubles in a relatively… gentle and more efficient way, right? Gan Ful ‘Front Front’ God-sama?”
Gan Fowle swallowed hard, his throat a little dry. “I… understand. I will do my best to appease the people and let them accept the new order and adapt to the new God as soon as possible.”
“It’s not trying your best,” Moze corrected, his voice suddenly turning cold, “It’s a must. I don’t like trouble, especially unnecessary trouble.”
“There is only one God. There was one before, there is one now, and there will be one in the future. As for those who are unwilling to admit this, or who try to challenge this, their opinions and their existence are irrelevant.”
After finishing speaking, Moze turned around and said to Urouge who had been standing respectfully beside him: “Urouge, bring Enelu and follow me.”
“Yes, sir.” Urouge carried Enel on his shoulders without hesitation and followed Robin.
He carried Enel and followed Nico Robin silently. Robin stood quietly beside Moze from beginning to end, with a faint smile on her face, as if everything happening before her had nothing to do with her.
Gan Forle stood there, watching the backs of Moze and his companions as they walked away, the wind from the sky blowing his gray beard.
He felt a chill running through his bones, and realized more deeply that an irresistible and huge change was ruthlessly leaving him and everything he represented behind.
After Moze left, the Sky Island warriors, who had been almost suffocated by Moze’s momentum, became restless again like a pot that had exploded.
“How can this be possible? Are we just going to give up the throne to someone else like this?”
“What kind of monster is that guy? Enelu actually…”
“Are we, the people of the sky, destined to be ruled by outsiders?”
A young warrior, his face flushed red and his fists clenched, seemed like he was about to rush out and fight with Moze who was not present in the next second.
His slightly older companion pulled him back, but his face was also filled with grief and indignation.
The noise rose and fell, full of resentment and despair.
“That’s enough.”
Gan Fowle slowly raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
His face was still pale and the cold sweat on his forehead had not yet completely dried, but his eyes were unusually firm.
He looked around at the faces that were either angry, confused, or desperate, and said in a deep voice: “Stop saying those useless things.”
The soldiers gradually quieted down, all eyes focused on this former “God”, now the “former God”.
The young soldier Colin broke free from his companions’ hands and said indignantly, “How can this be useless? Are we going to watch our homes being taken away and do nothing? Just sit there and wait for death?”
“Shut up!” Gan Forge’s eyes fell on him, without any rebuke, only a deep weariness and understanding.
“Yes, it’s useless. Anger, resentment, empty slogans, in the face of absolute power, these are meaningless. Don’t you see it clearly?”
He paused, his tone was bitter but clear: “Enel, once in our eyes, was like a true god, possessing the power of thunder and lightning, controlling the life and death of everyone. But in front of that Moze, he was defeated so easily and thoroughly. You all felt it, right? That kind of pressure, just standing there, was enough to make us unable to move.”
“Are we just not going to do anything?” a middle-aged soldier growled in a hoarse voice.
“What?” Gan Fowle asked, “Rush forward and die? Use the lives of all our people to prove our ‘morality’? Let our wives, children and elders all suffer a catastrophic disaster because of our stupid actions?”
“There are more than just our kind in this sky.”
He shook his head, his eyes scanning each person’s face.
“Times…” Gan Fowl uttered these two words slowly. His voice was not loud, but it seemed to carry a force of a thousand pounds, hitting everyone’s heart heavily, “…has changed.”
“First, it was Enelu who took away the throne in his brutal way. Now, it is this new god who is powerful in a way that we cannot even comprehend. This sky is no longer the sky we knew.”
“After four hundred years of comfort and enjoyment, perhaps we really think we are the chosen people. We have forgotten how our ancestors seized this island of gods from the Shandians and ascended to the throne of gods. At that time, weren’t we also ‘outsiders’ and ‘invaders’ to the natives?”
Gan Fowl’s voice is self-deprecating and has a power that penetrates people’s hearts.
There was deathly silence in the hall. Many soldiers lowered their heads with complicated expressions on their faces.
Someone murmured quietly: “But that’s for survival…”
“Yes, for survival.” Gan Fowle continued, “but we won, so we became ‘God’ and they became ‘Rebels’. Now, someone has taken the throne from us in the same way, or perhaps in a more direct way.”
“Now, we should wake up.”
“What we can do now is not to think about how to resist this irresistible torrent, but how to fight for a glimmer of hope for our people in this torrent.” Gan Forge’s eyes swept across the crowd.
“A glimmer of hope?” Someone murmured to himself, his tone full of doubt, “Will that monster give us a chance to survive? Will he be like Enelu, killing people at random when he’s in a bad mood?”
“Yes, there is a glimmer of hope.” Gan Ful nodded affirmatively. “Although the new god is domineering, he does not seem to enjoy pure destruction and killing. After he defeated Enel, he did not immediately start a purge against us. Instead, he left me behind and asked me to ‘take care of internal affairs’. This in itself is a signal.”
“Even Frey, who challenged the majesty of God, is not dead.” Gan Fol’s eyes fell on Frey who was seriously injured and unconscious.
A few people nodded slightly, as if weighing this statement.
Indeed, compared to the “Divine Punishment” that Enel brings down from time to time, this new god has not killed indiscriminately so far except for showing his power.
“This new god seems to be intent on establishing a new order. And order requires managers and obedient people.” Gan Ful’s tone softened a little, trying to give everyone a glimmer of hope, even though this hope was so heavy.
“He needs us alive, at least temporarily. He wants an orderly sky island, not a ruin.”
“What we have to do is to strive for as much rights and interests as possible for our people in this new order. Let them see our value. Let them understand that keeping us is more useful than getting rid of us.”
“Any inappropriate ‘courage’ of yours, any foolish provocation, will make it more difficult for our people to survive, and even push the entire Sky Island into the abyss. Do you want to be the hero of Sky Island, or do you want to be the sinner who ruins everything?”
Gan Fowl’s voice suddenly became stern.
The soldiers were speechless after hearing these words. Many of them had beads of sweat on their foreheads, and the anger on their faces was gradually replaced by a more complicated emotion.
Some people even began to whisper that if the new god really just replaced Eneel, he would no longer bring down divine punishment at will.
That… might not be something that can be tolerated.
Gan Forle looked at the changes in everyone’s expressions and sighed in his heart.
How could he not feel heartbroken and humiliated?
But the situation is stronger than the man, and for the survival of Sky Island, he must swallow the bitter fruit.
He calmed himself down and continued, “Before the new god left, he said he would go to the Hidden Cloud Village. This means that the Shandians will face the same choice. If we cause chaos first, the new gods will only think that we are a more unstable factor and will be more likely to be targeted for elimination.”
“Treat Frey’s wound first, then leave here.”
He took one last look at the silent crowd, and said in a hoarse and tired voice: “Let’s go back and discuss how to… greet the future tomorrow.”