Chapter 13 – Bells, Baskets, and a Weird Old Man
Stonebell Island had its charm. For once, Ayman wasn't running from sea monsters, haunted forests, or tsundere explosions. Instead, he was helping a tiny old man carry a basket of bells uphill.
And the basket was way heavier than expected.
"Are these things made of iron or something?" he asked, sweating as he adjusted the weight on his back.
"Yes," the old man replied cheerfully. "Sacred Iron from the Bellforge Caverns. Each bell must be blessed at the Ten Shrines of Harmony, or else they'll explode."
Ayman froze. "Explode?!"
The old man chuckled. "Kidding, kidding. Mostly."
Trailing behind them were Android 18, Tsunade, Yoruichi, and Esdeath—none of whom seemed eager to carry anything.
"This is your side quest," Tsunade said, stretching and yawning. "We're just here for the scenery."
Yoruichi looked amused. "And the opportunity to watch our Captain struggle."
"I'm logging your suffering," Android 18 added, raising a small camcorder she found in the tech shop. "For memory storage. And maybe blackmail."
Esdeath didn't speak. She was watching the town from the hilltop, eyes narrowing at the bell towers and their strange glowing inscriptions.
[System Notification: Side Quest Active – "Deliver the Ten Sacred Bells"]
[Objective: Help Bell Keeper Zengu deliver each bell to its shrine. No time limit.]
[Reward: Local Reputation Boost, Hidden Knowledge, Bonus 1,000,000 Beli]
The first shrine was a humble stone arch in a flower garden on the edge of a cliff. Zengu placed the bell carefully on its pedestal and rang it once.
A pure, clear chime echoed across the wind.
"That was… nice," Ayman admitted.
Zengu nodded. "Each bell carries a tone that protects this island. Harmony is power, my boy."
They visited the next shrine in a bamboo grove, where a giant talking rabbit demanded carrots before letting them in.
"Please tell me this is a dream," Ayman muttered as Tsunade bribed the rabbit with a bottle of sake.
The third shrine was underwater. Yoruichi convinced Ayman to strip down and swim.
Unfortunately, the shrine guardian was a group of overly friendly mermaids who kept floating too close.
"Uh, I'm engaged to—uh—pirate life!" Ayman stammered, flailing.
Back on the shore, the girls were howling with laughter.
"That was the most action you've gotten in a month," Yoruichi teased.
"I'll drown myself," he replied.
Shrine four sat at the top of a bell tower, which involved a climb of over 500 steps. Android 18 simply flew up and dropped the bell off.
"You're welcome," she said flatly, returning before the others even made it halfway.
Shrines five through seven were relatively uneventful, though the seventh had a puzzle door that required solving a riddle involving the phases of the moon and a rooster's scream.
"Why does everything on this island make no sense?" Ayman asked.
"It's One Piece," Tsunade shrugged.
Shrine eight was in the middle of a field of butterflies. Esdeath tried to freeze one out of curiosity. The bell responded by releasing a shockwave that blew everyone's hair straight up.
Ayman sat up, covered in grass and soot. "Okay. Bells have defense mode. Noted."
At shrine nine, an old woman offered them tea. She ended up lecturing them for an hour on proper bell etiquette and how "young people these days just don't appreciate tonal harmony."
Ayman nodded politely the whole time while the others dozed off or escaped into nearby trees.
Shrine ten was at the peak of a windy cliff. As they placed the final bell, the ten tones rang out in sequence on their own, creating a beautiful harmony that swept across the island.
The ground briefly shimmered. For a second, Ayman thought he saw a hidden structure appear behind the mayor's tower in the distance.
Zengu smiled. "Good work, boy. Few bother with old traditions. You've got a good heart, even if you've got too many women."
"I didn't choose the harem life, it chose me," Ayman said.
[System Notification: Side Quest Complete – "Deliver the Ten Sacred Bells"]
[+1,000,000 Beli]
[+Local Reputation: Stonebell Hero (Tier 1)]
[Hidden Clue Unlocked: A hidden chamber lies beneath the mayor's tower. Seek the tone of silence.]
As they walked down the hill, the city felt warmer, calmer. Locals waved and smiled. Kids ran past shouting, "It's the bell guy!"
Yoruichi bumped shoulders with Ayman. "So, bell guy, what now?"
He smiled. "Now we rest. Then... we find out what the mayor's hiding."
Back at the inn, the crew enjoyed a quiet dinner. Tsunade drank. Android 18 charged her core. Esdeath read a very graphic murder novel. Yoruichi lay sprawled across the couch in nothing but a shirt and a teasing grin.
And Ayman? He stared out the window at the mayor's tower, feeling that the slow days might soon end.
But for now, they had earned this peace.