"Shiki-sama! We have an intruder!"
A pirate with a rocket launcher on his back ran into the main hall in a panic, shouting.
Clank! Clank!
A tall man with a full head of golden hair and swords for legs turned around. He looked at the pirate who ran into the hall and said in annoyance, "We're in the Calm Belt, three thousand meters in the air. Were you drunk last night?"
This man's golden hair was extremely long, like a lion's mane. His sideburns and beard were also golden and very long. He had something like a ship's wheel stuck in his head and wore an orange and yellow striped kimono. He moved on two sharp, gleaming swords that served as his legs, and the tips of the swords made a "clank" sound on the ground as he walked.
He was one of the three legendary great pirates, the captain of the Flying Pirates, the admiral of the Golden Lion Pirates Fleet, the "Flying Pirate," the "Lion Ghost," Golden Lion Shiki!
"Shiki-sama, there really is an intruder!" the pirate said, trembling.
"Huh?" Seeing that the pirate wasn't lying, Shiki frowned. "How many of them are there? Can't you deal with them?"
"Shiki-sama, we… we can't even get close," the pirate said in terror. "As soon as one of our men gets close to that man, they just pass out. And everyone who tries to attack him from a distance gets killed."
"What?!" Shiki's brows furrowed. That ability sounds a lot like Conqueror's Haki.
"With just a flick of his finger, a large bloody hole appears in our men's chests, as if they were shot by a gun," the pirate continued, trembling slightly as he spoke.
"Killing with a flick of a finger? Interesting," Shiki said, chewing on his cigar with a grin of interest.
Pootz, pootz, pootz, pootz…
A sound like farting came from Dr. Indigo, who walked over, resembling a circus clown.
"Can't you figure out a way to get rid of that noise your feet make, Dr. Indigo?!" Shiki yelled in an annoyed tone.
Pootz, pootz, pootz, pootz…
Hearing Golden Lion Shiki's words, Dr. Indigo gestured wildly as if trying to express something.
"Eh?" A look of confusion appeared on Shiki's face. He watched Dr. Indigo's gestures for a long time but still didn't understand what he meant. He then asked impatiently, "What are you trying to say?!"
"Shiki-sama, there's an outsider on the surveillance feed! An intruder!" Dr. Indigo said, spreading his hands.
"You can talk?!" Shiki's eyes bulged out in surprise.
But Shiki quickly composed himself and said with disdain, "Your news is already outdated. One of my subordinates already reported it to me."
Dr. Indigo said anxiously, "No, Shiki-sama! That man has already arrived…!"
Boom!
Before Dr. Indigo could finish, the main hall's door suddenly exploded, sending fragments flying everywhere. Outside the door, a group of guards lay on the ground with their eyes rolled back, mostly unharmed. It was clear they had been knocked unconscious.
Clank, clank, clank, clank…
A young man with a golden earring, a black overcoat with a white wave pattern, a bare chest, and black leather shoes stepped into the main hall. His footsteps echoed clearly.
"This is…" Shiki's eyes narrowed, and his pupils shrank.
"Oh my, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, the legendary great pirate, the Flying Pirate, Golden Lion Shiki!" Aeridar said, bowing slightly to show respect. Compared to the World's Strongest Man, Whitebeard, Shiki was what a true pirate was.
"A fish that jumped onto land!" Shiki's eyes were wide, and his mouth was agape.
Smack!
Dr. Indigo slapped Shiki on the head, complaining, "He doesn't look like a fish at all!"
"Uh…" Aeridar's mouth twitched, speechless at the sight of the comical Shiki. To be honest, the character designs in One Piece were very strange, especially many of the strong characters. Their laughs, personalities, and actions were all very funny.
"Jihahahaha! Don't lie to me, kid. You have a lot of nerve to do something so outrageous to my men!" Shiki said with a sinister grin as he stared at Aeridar, his killing intent growing.
"Shiki-sama, his old bounty was 300 million Berries. He's the current Warlord and the king of the Clifford Kingdom, Golden Ring Aeridar!" Dr. Indigo gesticulated wildly as he handed an old wanted poster to Shiki.
"Golden Ring Aeridar! That's a name that leaves an impression!" Shiki took the wanted poster, glanced at it, and then narrowed his eyes, speaking with a profound tone.
First, his subordinate, Demon Mask Gutte, was killed, and then his territory was made a neutral zone by Whitebeard. These things had greatly surprised Shiki.
"I am truly honored to have left an impression on the legendary Golden Lion!" Aeridar said with a grin, meeting Shiki's gaze.
Clank, clank, clank…
Shiki took a few steps forward, pointed at Aeridar, and laughed. "Jihahahaha! Kid, I don't know how you found this place, but since you also possess Conqueror's Haki, I'll give you a chance. Join me!"
"Hold on, hold on. You're pretty arrogant, aren't you? I actually came here to discuss a collaboration," Aeridar said, not angered, just a little bored.
"A collaboration?" Shiki raised an eyebrow and sneered. "Jihahahaha! Kid, don't think you can stand on equal footing with me just because you and a bunch of people repelled that guy Redfield. In this tame era, you haven't truly witnessed the cruelty of pirates yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, an incredibly powerful aura erupted from Shiki, filling the entire hall. The pirates present felt a suffocating pressure and a feeling of impending collapse.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
As if he hadn't felt the overwhelming pressure, Aeridar shook his head, his eyes filled with a look of pity.
"What can I say? You've reached this level with just pure aura. I guess that's what makes you a legendary pirate. But that ship's wheel on your head keeps you from even using Conqueror's Haki," Aeridar said, pointing at his own head, his voice filled with regret. "I'm afraid that in a few years, your remaining two types of Haki will also be severely weakened. With your age and your self-amputated legs, how much has your strength declined?"
Hearing Aeridar's words, Shiki's face gradually darkened.
"Do you want to witness my power?" Shiki's gaze turned cold, like a sharp arrow that seemed to pierce through Aeridar's body. At the same time, the entire hall trembled slightly, making everyone afraid that it would fall apart at any moment.