Summary:
The Mont Blanc Noland flashback continues.
Noland’s crew sits around a campfire discussing the recent events and how upset Noland is with the villagers suddenly turning their backs on him. They mention that they are leaving tomorrow and that the bell still hasn’t rung.
Noland is nearby and remembers Kalgara’s words of anger to him when they met earlier in Shandora. Mousse is also shown looking thoughtfully at the night sky from his bedroom window.
Dr. Noland’s crew is drinking alone while his friends sleep and bemoans the situation when a cloaked Mousse appears behind him and startles him.
Kalgara looks at the grove of felled trees and curses Noland. He angrily shouts what Noland has done.
Mousse explains to the Doctor that these trees were sacred to them, as they believe that the souls brought back by the Golden Bell reside in these trees and watch over Shandia. The Doctor sadly acknowledges that the crew cut them up, and Mousse tells him that the only reason the villagers didn’t attack them is out of respect for their earlier help with the Tree Fever. Mousse says that even if they didn’t know the meaning of the trees, the villagers would never forgive them, but she wanted them to at least know why they were angry.
The next day on Noland’s ship, the Doctor reports to Noland what Mousse said, and Noland is horrified and guilty. He understands the villagers because the bell has now lost its purpose because of them. Noland then tells the crew that they are leaving treasure behind, and the crew is horrified.
In the village, someone mentions the departure of Noland and his crew, and some of the villagers look grumpily conflicted. Mousse runs into town and starts rumbling breathlessly to his father Kalgar. He asks what they would do if they knew one tree was infected and was going to poison the rest of the island, and begins to cry. Mousse begs his father to go talk to the crew before they leave, telling him he’ll regret it later if he doesn’t go say goodbye to the best friend he’s ever had. Mousse recalls the rest of his earlier conversation with the Doctor, who explains that the grove in question was already dead and infected with Tree Fever. Since the plague infects both humans and plants, the crew had to cut them down to prevent these trees from infecting the rest of the island and killing the villagers again.
Seto and the villagers are stunned to hear that they did this to protect them. Kalgara rushes to the beach to beg Noland for forgiveness.
A pile of treasures was left on the beach. Some of Noland’s crew are upset. Noland addresses them and tells them that it is time to return home to the kingdom of Lvneel. Filled with regret and guilt, Kalgara keeps running to get to the beach.
As the ship sails, the Golden Bell starts ringing again. Noland hears this and is shocked. We see Seth and the other villagers all crying and ringing the bell hoping Noland and his crew will hear it before they leave. Then Kalgara burst onto the beach and screamed Noland’s name. She remembers the moments of their friendship and cries. He yells at Noland to come back again. He says he will wait for Noland’s return and keep ringing so Noland’s crew can find their way back even in a bad storm. Noland is also in tears and vows to come back and meet again.
Back in the kingdom of Lvneel, the narrator tells of Mont Blanc Noland and his stories that no one knows if they are true. They show him returning from his trip and telling the king about Shandora.
Five years later, the King says that Mary Geoise has approved Noland’s return trip to Shandora, but instead of his usual crew, Noland will be escorted there by the King himself and his army. Noland looks pleased.
Back on Jaya Island, an adult Seto accompanies Kalgaru to their daily bell ringing. He greets Nora, a now slightly grown python who is Kashigami’s grandson and now lives in the ruins. Seto wonders when Noland will return, but Kalgara is patient and says that he will return sometime, but understands that his family is in the North Seas. Calgary believes if they keep ringing, Noland will be back.
However, at that moment the Southbirds start to scream and the sky darkens. Kalgara and Seto rush back to the village to protect it. The earth begins to break and we see the cricket house on Mont Blanc being torn apart in the middle by the fault of the island. Rocks fly and we see the Knock Up Stream erupting from the center of the island.
Followed by the king and his army, Noland is now on the island looking in despair at the halfway house, wondering where the rest of the island has gone. The king attacks Noland and accuses him of cheating him out of the gold. Noland is worried about Kalgar and wants to hear the Fire of Shandora so he knows his friend is okay.
Noland’s execution in Lvneel is about to begin. A crowd gathers and Noland retells them the story of Jay Island and the Golden City. One of the king’s advisors invites a member of Noland’s crew to hear what he has to say. The man appears and tells the crowd and the king that it’s all a lie. The crowd is shocked and thinks Noland is a terrible person. Some of the real members of Noland’s crew come out of the crowd and shout that the man is a fraud and try to tell the people about Calgary, but they are reticent. Noland is about to be executed and the crowd heckles him and calls him a liar while his men cry.
The Shandia part of Jay is shown being plucked up into the sky by the Knock Up Stream and impaled on Giant Jack. As the Golden Bell flies in the sky, it rings and the people of Angel Island hear it in amazement. The man who is the then god of Skypiea tells his enforcers that this is the birth of the Holy Land and that he should live on this Vearth.
Everyone in Shandia village is in shock. There are many injured. God appears in the village with his enforcers and Kalgara and some of his men attack them to protect the land.
When Noland is about to be executed, he wonders where Kalgara is. As he prepares to attack God, Kalgara worries what Noland will think when he returns to Jaya and doesn’t find his friend there. He repeats his hope that they can meet again.
Back to Wyper’s flashback, the village chief tells the young Wyper that Kalgara was thinking of Noland the whole battle, hoping that if he could ring the Golden Bell one more time, he could let his friend know that he was alive and thinking of him. Unfortunately, he never made it. Some time later a ship from the Blue Sea came to Skypiea and told Shandia what had happened to Noland. Kalgara continued to be a great warrior in the sky, but he always regretted never being able to tell his feelings to his friend. Young Wyper wonders if ringing Noland now would still make an impact and let him know about Calgary’s friendship. Maybe, says the boss…