"Jihahahahaha!"
As soon as Oboro and his companions soared over Garden Island, a distinctive maniacal laugh pierced the air.
Looking ahead, they spotted the elderly Golden Lion seated regally on an ornate chair. However, while the crew's attention was immediately drawn to Shiki's imposing presence, only Oboro seemed unaffected by the legendary aura that still clung to the Flying Pirate.
The most striking feature was the ship's steering wheel lodged deep in his skull, a permanent reminder of his catastrophic battle with Gol D. Roger at Edd War. Equally prominent were his missing legs, the renowned swords Oto and Kogarashi now served as grotesque prosthetic limbs, bound to his stumps after his legendary escape from Impel Down.
Oboro's analytical gaze swept over Shiki with clinical precision, his enhanced insight allowing him to evaluate the legendary pirate's current condition. The Golden Lion returned this examination with equal intensity, both veterans sizing up their opponent while completely ignoring Dom and the others.
"Still such a massive gap..."
Oboro's heart sank slightly at his assessment.
His current mastery of physical analysis, refined through experiences across multiple worlds, allowed him to perceive the capabilities of virtually any opponent at a glance. Unless dealing with truly extraordinary beings, Oboro could instantly determine someone's physical strength, potential, and hidden talents. Concealing one's true power level from him had become nearly impossible.
Under his analytical scrutiny, Golden Lion Shiki's entire physical condition appeared like digitized data, revealing every strength and weakness with uncomfortable clarity.
The stark contrast before him painted a picture vastly different from the peak Golden Lion he remembered from the legends.
Shiki's aging frame bore the toll of twenty years away from active piracy. The absence of constant combat had dulled his edge considerably. While his Conqueror's Haki remained undeniably powerful and menacing, Oboro recognized it as more facade than substance, the remnants of past glory rather than present strength.
"He can't compare to Whitebeard, Garp, or even Rayleigh now," Oboro concluded with certainty.
As contemporaries from the same legendary era, while the others had also declined with age, they had remained active forces on the seas. Even Rayleigh, now living as a coating artisan and heavy drinker in Sabaody Archipelago, had maintained his warrior's instincts through occasional battles. His pirate fangs remained razor-sharp beneath his retired exterior.
But Shiki... perhaps he had once surpassed Rayleigh in raw power, but Oboro's current evaluation placed him significantly below the Dark King's present capabilities.
This man has been living in comfortable isolation here for too long. He's grown soft.
His eyes... especially his spirit, can't deceive me. Without genuine fighting spirit, no amount of pretense matters.
With this realization, Oboro felt his initial nervousness diminish considerably.
"So you're the God Slayer who executed those Celestial Dragons," Golden Lion declared, his piercing gaze locked on Oboro as the Hell Pirates descended from the sky. He raised his cigar, took a deep draw, and grinned with predatory interest.
"Ah... so he really is hiding in the East Blue," Indigo observed with scientific detachment, standing nearby in his distinctive clown-like attire. His purple-striped shoes emitted their characteristic flatulent sounds with each step. The appearance of the God Slayer seemed to cause him little concern, after all, he served under Golden Lion, once as famous as Pirate King Roger himself.
Besides, this was their territory, surrounded by their floating island fortress.
"The incident in the Bolie Kingdom must have been connected to the Celestial Dragons... after all, only the World Nobles had any reason to visit the East Blue recently," Indigo added with analytical precision, his unusual voice carrying hints of his eccentric personality.
"Golden Lion Shiki, your reputation precedes you," Oboro replied courteously upon landing. He removed his hat and placed it against his chest in a gesture of respect, offering a genuine smile.
Regardless of his current assessment of the man, Shiki had once stood at the absolute pinnacle of the pirate world. His achievements were truly admirable, and the strong deserved acknowledgment. It was unfortunate that this man could have achieved even greater heights, perhaps even surpassing Whitebeard in Oboro's estimation. The potential had certainly existed.
It was simply Shiki's personality flaws and choices that had led him down this divergent path.
Perhaps this represented Golden Lion's fate...
"You actually know of me?" Shiki raised an eyebrow, displaying genuine surprise.
"The once-legendary Golden Lion, whose fame even eclipsed that of Pirate King Roger at times... and the only pirate in Impel Down's history to successfully escape alive. These deeds, even if dimmed by the passage of time, cannot be erased," Oboro replied with sincere appreciation.
"Jihahahahaha!"
To Shiki, Oboro's words represented the highest form of flattery. He laughed heartily, his ego thoroughly stroked.
"Interesting young man!"
"So... that Celestial Dragon from the Bolie Kingdom incident, you killed him personally," Golden Lion suddenly shifted topics, his tone carrying dangerous interest.
"Yes," Oboro confirmed without hesitation.
"Excellent! You possess a bit of this old man's ruthlessness," Golden Lion declared with obvious approval.
His words left Dom seething internally. The arrogant old fool was pretending to praise their captain while actually bragging about himself. Here was a washed-up relic, forgotten by the ocean, yet still displaying such insufferable arrogance.
Since Oboro and Golden Lion had just met, naturally the other Hell Pirates couldn't interrupt their conversation.
Strangely, Golden Lion showed no interest in learning why they had come or what their purpose might be. He simply didn't care to know, whatever Oboro planned, the young pirate would have to get past him first.
Shiki remained supremely confident in his own strength, despite the evidence of his decline.
"I haven't entertained guests here in ages... Would you care to share a drink?" Golden Lion suddenly extended an invitation.
"Certainly," Oboro agreed readily.
Old as he may be, he's still one of the sea's former kings. With his experience and cunning, some things don't need to be stated directly.
Following Golden Lion's lead, the group flew to another floating island.
Shiki guided them into the main hall of his palace, instructing Indigo to summon the heads of his various departments for a proper banquet. Put simply, this was to welcome the Hell Pirates with appropriate ceremony.
Soon, a grand and lively celebration commenced.
Within the hall, decorated with touches of traditional Japanese aesthetic, dozens of people sat cross-legged on the floor with low square tables placed before them. As host, Shiki occupied the position of honor at the front of two parallel table arrangements, seated on a raised platform. He took the initiative, raising his sake bowl in a welcoming toast to the God Slayer. This gesture showed genuine respect for Oboro, who returned the courtesy with appropriate grace.
However, unlike Oboro's diplomatic restraint, Dom, Yuri, and the others seemed distinctly out of place and increasingly uncomfortable.
Honestly, before meeting Shiki personally, they had felt genuine awe toward this legendary figure.
But upon encountering him in person, they found themselves inevitably disappointed.
The current Golden Lion fell far short of the fearsome reputation legends had painted. During their ongoing conversation, his subordinate Dr. Indigo frequently interrupted and contradicted him, even going so far as to slap Shiki rudely on multiple occasions. Yet Golden Lion sometimes apologized meekly, showing no trace of anger or authority.
This behavior was incomprehensible to Dom and his companions.
A subordinate dares to treat the captain with such disrespect...
Furthermore, in their assessment, Dr. Indigo posed no significant threat, indicating a complete lack of personal strength.
Throughout the evening, Golden Lion would also engage in bizarre comedic routines with the gorilla Scarlet, attempting humor that fell completely flat.
In summary, the impression he created was nothing like the legends suggested.
Then there were the people gathered in the hall itself... While numerous and supposedly all Golden Lion's loyal subordinates, they were clearly nothing but a collection of weaklings and incompetents!
After meeting them personally, Dom and his companions had fundamentally reassessed this legendary pirate.
No wonder there was no place for him in the modern era of piracy.
If it weren't for Oboro's previous warnings and the fact that some of Shiki's historical deeds were genuinely documented... it would be nearly impossible for them to imagine that such a person had once stood as an equal to Whitebeard and Roger.
The mighty Golden Lion had fallen far indeed.