In the center of the artificial sky island, within a garden outside his palace, Shiki the Golden Lion stood with wine glass in hand, singing and dancing alongside the gorilla Scarlet and his ship's doctor, Dr. Indigo. His face flushed with intoxication, the legendary pirate looked utterly carefree.
He and Scarlet, arms draped around each other's shoulders, danced with reckless abandon. But soon their revelry was interrupted by an all-too-familiar sound, Dr. Indigo's distinctive farting footsteps, produced by his peculiar striped shoes.
"Hey! Can't you do something about those damned shoes?" Golden Lion finally exploded after enduring the noise for several seconds. He spat out a spray of alcohol at the doctor standing before him.
Indigo gestured wordlessly, miming his response in characteristic fashion... He remained silent for a long moment before suddenly declaring, "Ah... I just remembered something..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Golden Lion and Scarlet struck a synchronized comedic pose, as if performing a well-rehearsed routine.
The unfinished dance came to an abrupt halt.
The pink-suited gorilla clapped enthusiastically and laughed heartily.
Golden Lion joined in the laughter.
Dr. Indigo was clearly accustomed to his companions' theatrical antics.
If one didn't know this man was the once-feared Golden Lion Shiki, who had commanded the largest pirate fleet of his era and rivaled Gol D. Roger himself, it would be impossible to associate him with that legendary figure. He seemed to lack the dignity befitting a great pirate.
"What I was trying to say... it just occurred to me. That... what's his name... oh yes, the God Slayer of the Hell Pirates, he's vanished completely. Is it possible he's in the East Blue? I read the newspaper a few hours ago, and it seems the World Government and Marine haven't located him in the East Blue, where his crew originally set sail. Rumors suggest the God Slayer has fled to other waters... But recently, I received intelligence that the Kingdom of Bolic in the East Blue has been completely sealed off from the outside world. Something significant appears to have occurred there."
Indigo held up a finger and spoke deliberately, his clown-like appearance making his words seem both eerie and comedic.
His appearance was genuinely unsettling: he wore a white lab coat over indigo overalls, his face painted white with purple lines near his eyes, and his wild indigo hair formed two prominent tufts on either side of his head.
More disturbingly, he accompanied his words with strange mimetic gestures... quite an eerie display.
"They're just a bunch of brats, what's there to worry about?"
Upon hearing this news, Golden Lion's playful expression grew slightly more serious. He belched, nearly choking on his cigar, before continuing, "Those useless Marines... after all these years, they still haven't improved. I wonder how Sengoku and Garp are training their successors."
He lifted his cigar, flicked ash from the corner of his mouth, and declared with obvious pride, "Well... that's only natural. Ever since I disappeared from the seas, I haven't bothered playing games with them... They lack any real pressure to drive improvement. Even that Whitebeard has grown quieter these days... As for Kaido and Linlin, those two youngsters... they're nothing compared to what I was in my prime! Without growth-inducing pressure, the Marine will naturally become increasingly incompetent..."
"Jahahaha!"
Golden Lion burst into boisterous laughter.
"Once I perfect the SIQ enhancement serum, I'll make the world remember the Golden Lion's terror once again!"
Shiki spread his arms arrogantly. After his grandiose proclamation, Scarlet handed him a small mirror to fix his appearance.
"Newgate grows more outrageous by the day... He actually allows those two brats Kaido and Linlin to stand as his equals. If I were still actively ruling the seas... there would be only room for these two hands..."
Shiki took the comb from the gorilla and prepared to arrange his hair. When he glimpsed his reflection in the mirror, his eyes bulged comically as he shouted, "Who is this guy with a steering wheel stuck in his head... who looks like a rooster?!"
"That's you, you idiot!"
Indigo leaped forward and smacked the back of Golden Lion's head with characteristic exasperation.
The humorous and harmonious atmosphere among the three companions created quite a lively scene.
"Hm?"
However, at that moment... Golden Lion, who had been preparing for another round of theatrics, suddenly changed his expression entirely. He turned his gaze skyward with a pronounced frown.
"What's wrong?" Indigo asked, startled.
"Jihehe... interesting."
Shiki's aura transformed dramatically. A fearsome presence emanated from him, causing his robes and the surrounding garden vegetation to sway constantly, as if caught in a powerful windstorm.
His long, thick golden hair, reminiscent of a lion's mane, gave him an air of natural majesty that commanded respect without the slightest hint of anger. His expression and gaze adopted a more hardened quality, imbued with the domineering presence of a true conqueror.
"Guests have arrived!"
He exhaled a puff of cigar smoke, grinning with predatory anticipation.
After soaring past several floating islands, Oboro and his companions didn't immediately search for the Golden Lion.
Instead, they flew through the sky, surveying conditions across multiple islands.
Each island here resembled a prison for ferocious beasts. The inherently isolated aerial environment prevented any creatures from escaping, and all species had evolved unchecked and savage. These creatures were enormous and extraordinarily aggressive, seemingly driven to madness, constantly attacking and devouring one another. Their display of raw danger and power was truly awe-inspiring, though that was merely the beginning. Several other islands also contained villages... apparently inhabited by native populations.
On one particular island, the Golden Lion had established a base for his research operations.
Oboro even spotted numerous white-coated scientists moving about the facilities.
The floating islands' natural environment remained pristine, having been largely undisturbed over the years. Even with the massive populations of wild beasts, this was primarily due to a species of plant called "IQ" that emitted toxic gases. This natural defense system kept the creatures at bay while effectively protecting the buildings and territories constructed by both the indigenous people and Golden Lion's forces.
"Impressive... He's actually managed to support so many people up here? And the World Government remains completely unaware..."
Dom marveled after observing the scene.
Considering not only the sheer number of researchers and security personnel, but even the funds required to construct these aerial installations from nothing would be astronomical.
And as everyone understood, scientific research... consumed money like flowing water.
"Oh, the government knows about his existence... They simply no longer consider him an immediate threat," Rob Lucci observed with pointed insight.
He continued, "In the past, he ranked among the most powerful pirates on these seas, dominating for decades. The wealth and influence he accumulated during that time is beyond calculation. Unlike Pirate King Roger, Golden Lion commanded the Sky Pirates, which was essentially a vast pirate alliance. The money and treasures he plundered... even if much has been spent, what remains is more than sufficient to fund his current operations."
"I didn't realize you were so knowledgeable about him, Lucci."
"As a pirate, there are certain things you naturally learn if you take an interest," Lucci replied calmly.
"In that era... his Sky Pirates possessed power equivalent to the Four Emperors of today."
As he spoke, everyone's expressions suddenly shifted dramatically.
They turned to stare toward a specific island.
From that direction... an overwhelming aura emanated without restraint.
The crushing presence seemed to darken and oppress what had moments before been a clear sky.
"It's him," Dolan whispered, his voice trembling with fear.
He hadn't even laid eyes on the Golden Lion himself, yet even from this considerable distance, sensing that faint emanation of power... was like gazing upon a terrifying apex predator.
It felt too dangerous to approach... getting any closer might result in being completely devoured.
However, he quickly suppressed his instinctive terror and forced himself to maintain composure.
"Our host has noticed our arrival," Oboro smiled with dark amusement.
"He's openly inviting us, the uninvited intruders. Let's not keep him waiting."
Oboro and his group altered course, heading directly toward the source of that overwhelming presence.