Shiki hovered in the empty sky, feeling a strange mix of profound admiration and deep, seething frustration.
"To think of building an 'Eternal Kingdom' on top of that shattered, submerged island," he mused, his voice a low rumble.
"That kid Ron's idea… it's insane. It's even crazier than anything I ever came up with!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but shake his head, a gesture of both respect and disbelief.
"But he actually expects me to find all the islands for him! Just hands me a blueprint and tells me to go shopping! This pisses me off!"
The more Shiki thought about it, the angrier he became.
He simply couldn't figure out why Ron wanted him to rebuild Jaya Island, and even required him to find the forty-nine suitable landmasses himself.
Wasn't this clearly just a scheme to take advantage of his personal, private collection of floating islands?
Shiki stared down at the dark, watery grave where Jaya Island once stood and couldn't help but sigh inwardly at how shrewd that kid truly was.
He fully understood Ron's intentions.
This wasn't just a request; it was a test of his new loyalty and a convenient way to plunder his assets, all wrapped up in a single, grand "assignment."
And the worst part? He was utterly helpless to refuse.
"That brat is too cunning!" Shiki grumbled incessantly, a bitter smile creeping onto his face.
He was bound by contract, and he desperately wanted that future technology Ron dangled like a carrot.
Despite the resentment boiling inside him, he obediently soared into the sky, turning and flying back toward his own hidden territory, where his personal collection of islands—his life's work—might prove useful.
Mid-flight, the panoramic blueprint of the "Eternal Kingdom" that Ron had shown him replayed in his mind. It was a vision of staggering, almost mad, ambition.
Composed of forty-nine islands in total. Structured across seven tiers.
With twenty-one islands at the bottom serving as the foundation, the number of islands decreased progressively upward, forming a towering, floating pagoda that would literally scrape the heavens.
From bottom to top, the pagoda consisted of: Seventh tier (base): twenty-one islands!
Sixth tier: fourteen islands!
Fifth tier: seven islands!
Fourth tier: four islands!
Third tier: four islands!
Second tier: two islands!
First tier (peak): one island!
It was a fortress, a city, a nation in the sky. It was beautiful.
And it was going to cost him everything.
Before long, Shiki's imposing figure reappeared in the skies that belonged to him.
He soon reached his main stronghold.
Looking around, numerous islands were scattered sporadically across the area, held aloft by his power.
Some were relatively large, with rugged rocks and towering, ancient trees.
Others were smaller, barely accommodating a few sparse plants and the rudimentary structures of his beast labs.
He did a quick, frustrated count.
Even if he combined every single rock and patch of dirt, their total number fell far short of the required forty-nine.
"Damn it all!" Shiki hovered mid-air, glaring at the scattered islands, and couldn't resist cursing loudly.
"All the islands I've painstakingly accumulated over the years are going to be thrown into this kid's vanity project, and it's still not enough! Where am I supposed to get the rest?!"
Cursing under his breath, Shiki trudged heavily onto one of the larger islands.
His gaze was urgent and fierce as he headed for his base, the usual gathering spot for his subordinates.
The moment he stepped through the opulent gate and into the grand hall, a terrified, high-pitched shriek abruptly pierced the air.
Shiki frowned and followed the sound, spotting his chief scientist, Dr. Indigo, trembling as he clutched a stack of documents, his eyes wide with pure, unadulterated disbelief.
"Wh-who are you!" Indigo shrieked, his voice hoarse with fear.
"Why are you wearing our captain's clothes!" He involuntarily retreated a few steps, his eyes filled with deep suspicion.
"Huh???" Shiki was momentarily stunned.
He slowly lowered his head to look at himself—at his strong, healthy legs, his clean, untattered robes, his bare, rudder-free head.
When he saw his current appearance, the corners of his mouth twitched upward, and he burst into raucous laughter.
"JIAHAHAHA! You fool! Indigo, it's me! I am Shiki!"
Indigo stared at the person clad in the captain's attire, shaking his head frantically while muttering.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" His eyes were filled with a mix of confusion and determination.
"Our captain has no legs! And there's a ship's rudder stuck in his head! Removing it would mean certain death! You're an imposter! You're definitely not our Captain Shiki!"
Indigo's piercing shriek, like an alarm, immediately drew the attention of the others.
Before long, a group of Shiki's beastly subordinates came running from various corners, their faces equally filled with astonishment and confusion.
Meanwhile, the captains of the affiliated pirate crews currently docked at the island also sensed something unusual and hurried toward the hall, weapons drawn.
"Ubo ubo??? Who is this? Why does he look just like Captain Shiki?" one of the other captains murmured.
"....."
Shiki found himself in an awkward predicament.
The suspicious, even hostile, gazes from those around him felt like sharp arrows.
Despite all his power, it was difficult to clarify everything in just a few words.
However, seeing his subordinates so utterly shocked and terrified of him… it brought him an immense, perverse satisfaction.
It felt as if long-suppressed emotions had finally found an outlet, igniting a blazing fire of pride within his heart.
It seemed he really had to prove himself.
With that thought, Shiki abruptly straightened his posture, puffing out his chest as if to display all his majesty and presence in that very moment.
He lifted his head, his eyes radiating an undeniable, domineering aura, and shouted loudly:
"Listen up, you fools! I am Shiki! The real deal! A living legend, returned to his prime!"
His voice echoed through the hall with a piercing intensity that made everyone shudder.
As he spoke, Shiki slowly raised his right hand.
In that instant, an invisible force surged quietly through the hall.
The tables, chairs, benches, and even the wine goblets sitting on them, suddenly seemed to come to life, floating uncontrollably into the air.
They drifted slowly, swirling around Shiki in a silent, chaotic vortex.
"This is… this is the captain's Float-Float Fruit ability!" someone exclaimed, their voice filled with disbelief and a dawning, frantic excitement.
"It's true! It really is the captain!" others quickly caught on, their eyes gleaming with fervor.
"Captain, how... how do you have legs?! And where is the steering wheel on your head?!"
"Yeah! What exactly happened?!"
Dr. Indigo was also stunned by the scene, his scalp tingling.
His eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, leaving him momentarily at a loss.
In his heart, he had imagined this day countless times, but the reality before him surpassed his wildest expectations.
When he finally, truly realized that the man before him was Captain Shiki, he didn't hesitate for a second.
He immediately turned and hurried toward him, his steps urgent.
His hands trembling, Indigo pulled a stethoscope from his lab coat.
"Forgive me, Captain!" he shouted, and then carefully placed the instrument on Shiki's chest, listening intently.
He moved it around, examining him up and down, his expression shifting from disbelief to one of profound, scientific shock.
"That's it!" he finally shouted, his voice tinged with a sob of pure joy.
"This heartbeat! This breathing rhythm! It's him! It's the captain! The captain has really returned!"