Summary
After the events ofOne Piece’sAlabasta arc and the short arc covering the events on the island of Jaya, the Straw Hats' would eventually see themselves on a journey into the clouds to the land of Skypiea. This country was a massive one, existing on multiple levels within an Emperor Cloud and thought by most of the people in the world to just be a mythical land that was nothing more than a children’s tale.
However, despite the fantastical and larger-than-life scale of this legendary island, the history of Skypiea is a tragic and brutal one. It also houses the ancient land of Shandora, though this was a place that came up into the sky much later and hassince been the object of centuries of warand turmoil. So, in this article, let’s go over the history of Skypiea and why it has one of the most captivating backstories in all ofOne Piece.
The Fabled Land In The Clouds
First Appearance
One Piece, Episode 154, “Godland Skypiea! The Angels of the Cloud Beach”
Current Leader
Ganfor
The entire history of just Skypiea is largely shrouded in mystery. All that is known is that this land has existed for at least 400 years at the time of the current setting, as it was shown to have already been an established state by the time Upper Yard was blasted onto it. In this land, the residents prize ‘Vearth’ over all things. This is essentially just dirt and Earth material as it can germinate and grow plants in Skypiea, whose native soil cannot do so.
For most of Skypiea’s history, random things from the normal oceans of the world would find their way up the Knock Up Stream and onto the clouds. This happened very rarely, so whenever these things went up there, theresidents of the land would treasure themand regard them as holy objects. When Upper Yard was eventually taken up there 400 years ago, the entire future of the world changed.
Enter Upper Yard
Past Location
Formerly was a part of the island of Jaya
400 years before the setting of the current story, the island of Jaya on the Grand Line, and its most prosperous city of Shandora, were hit by a devastating plague that was ravaging the population. Due to this, the residents would offer up human sacrifices to appease their Gods so they could rid them of this blight, unknowingly not making a shred of difference to the indifferent powers of nature.
During this plague-ridden time, an explorer by the name of Mont Blanc Noland came to the island and convinced the inhabitants to trust in the power of his medicine, while at the same time,befriending their most powerful warrior, Kalgara. The debt the Shandorans owed to Noland was great, which is why they allowed him access to their ancient city that was covered in gold and even showed him their most prized possession; a gigantic golden bell named ‘The Light of Shandora’.
The farewell between Noland’s crew and the Shandorans was a bittersweet one, as they promised to meet one another again some day, with the latter saying ‘We will always be here’. 5 years would pass before Noland was able to sail to Jaya once more with many new spectators to this sacred land. However, to his shock, much of the island of Jaya was simply not there anymore.
The reason for this was the powerful Knock Up Stream, which had somehow managed to find its way under a certain section of the island. It exploded with such tremendous force that much of the land of Jaya was broken off and shot up into the clouds, where it has stayed since then, surprising Noland and branding him as a traitor and a liar to his people. Since then, the land has been disputed for 400 years, withthe Skypieans wanting it for its sacred significanceto them and the descendants of the Shandorans wanting to reclaim their ancient homeland.
The Fate Of Two Friends
Every day since Noland’s departure from Shandora, Kalgara would ring the massive bell as a way to signify their friendship and as a beacon to signal Noland’s ship back to the island, making it known that he was always welcome there. However, the next time Noland sailed towards it, that certain section of Jaya, which included Shandora, had already been shot up into the clouds.
Since he brought a greedy king and many more spectators with him this time, Noland was immediately branded a traitor and a liar, due to which he was put to death.Even during his public execution, he proclaimed his innocence and insisted Shandora, or ‘El Dorado’ as his people called it, truly existed. His final thoughts were of this land and the friend he made in Kalgara, praying and hoping that he was fine and that he never forgot about him.
There’s one thing that’s a fact. No one in history has ever disproved the city of gold and the sky island.
Kalgara, on the other hand, would ring the bell every single day in the hopes that his friend would hear it. Shandora and the surrounding land were shot up to Skypiea quite unexpectedly, due to which Kalgara and the others would be weakened due to the thin oxygen up in the clouds, which was made worse by the fact that they were beset upon by Skypiea’s forces, who unjustly laid claim to the land which was later named Upper Yard. Kalgara died fighting to protect his homeland, where he too thought of his friend in his final moments, hoping that he was alright and wanting to tell him that ‘we will always be here’.
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One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
