Upper Yard

Upper Yard (神の島 [アッパーヤード], Kami no Shima [Appā Yādo], literally translated as Island of God) is an island in Skypiea, that unlike other sky islands is a piece of solid land (soil), not a cloud. It was part of Jaya in the past.

Most of it is covered by forest. The trees and animals on Upper Yard have grown to huge sizes, due to the decrease in the atmosphere.

Most of the Skypiea arc took place here.

History
Upper Yard was once the part of Jaya that was sent up in the sky four hundred years ago by the Knock-Up Stream. Its former habitants, the ancient Shandians were then droven out by Skypieans, for whom it presented a big value due to rarity of soil in the sky. Upper Yard had become home to the rulers of Skypieans, who beared the title of God of Skypiea. Enel, after his invasion to Skypiea, made it his residence and instituted total control over the island. Apart from him, only the four Priests, which run their respective Ordeals there, God's Enforcers, Enel's servants and some of former Gan Fall's men, turned into slaves, inhabited the island. For everybody else it was forbidden to step onto Upper Yard, as it was considered "holy land". The situation was changed only when Luffy defeated Enel; both Skypieans and Shandians started to live together in peace there.

Locations
A Milky Road leads to Upper Yard from Angel Island.

Entrance of Ordeals
Entrance of Ordeals is an entrance in which people must decide an ordeal of their choosing. Underneath the entrance is the sculpture of the head of an idol.

Areas of Ordeals

 * Lost Forest - Ordeal of Balls
 * Ordeal of Iron
 * Ordeal of String
 * Ordeal of Swamp

Sacrificial Altar
The Sacrificial Altar is a place located in the northeast portion of Upper Yard. People who commit a Class-5 Crime are sent there to be executed. It was also at this place, 400 years ago, that Mousse was about to be sacrificed to appease "God".

Giant Jack
Giant Jack is a giant beanstalk in the center of Upper Yard, that goes through the main ruins of the once-great city of Shandora, the Upper Ruins, and the God's shrine. Giant Jack towers over all of Skypiea.

God's Shrine
God's Shrine is the residence of Enel. It rests upon an Island Cloud that the Giant Jack goes through. In the past, it was home to Skypiean rulers. His servants stay there to play music and feed him. It was destroyed by Enel.

Upper Ruins
Upper Ruins are debris of the upper parts of building of the ancient city of Shandora. They were located below God's Shrine but above the main part of Shandora's ruins.

Main ruins of Shandora
The ruins of the fallen golden city of Shandora remain in Upper Yard, the bottom of Giant Jack, under the ground level. They were covered by pieces of Island Clouds, and therefore unknown to current inhabitants of Skypiea (except Enel). They were rediscovered by Nico Robin. The Shandorian Poneglyph Chamber is located here. It contains a Poneglyph, that however doesn't contain information about Void Century, but has a message to find the second Shandorian Poneglyph, located in the Golden Belfry.

Shandorian Golden Belfry
Shandorian Golden Belfry resides on a small Island Cloud above Upper Yard near the top of Giant Jack. It's location was also unknown to inhabitants of Skypiea. It contains the legendary Bell.