In the New World, somewhere across the sea, the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick, drifted leisurely along the waves.
Marco had just finished his afternoon nap. He stepped out of the cabin, stretched on the deck, and saw his old man resting with his eyes closed on the throne.
When he turned his head, he spotted a News Coo flying by. With a casual gesture, the bird swooped down and perched on the mast in front of him. Marco tossed it a Belly coin and received a newspaper in return.
"Let's see if there's anything interesting today…" he muttered, unfolding the paper. Then he froze. He blinked hard, rubbed his eyes, and looked again.
"What!!??"
His shout jolted Newgate out of his half-doze. The old man sat up abruptly, glanced around—the sea was calm, nothing unusual—then looked toward the source of the commotion. Marco stood rooted to the spot, newspaper in hand, completely stunned.
"What's with the screaming!?" Newgate barked, annoyed at having his nap interrupted.
Startled by his father's voice, Marco spun around. "Dad—Shiki is dead!!!"
"Shiki?" A brief flicker of surprise showed in Newgate's eyes, but it faded quickly. "Did he finally burn himself out in that damned Impel Down?"
"No!" Marco shook his head frantically and hurried to his father's side. "The day before yesterday, the Revolutionary Army launched a sudden raid on Impel Down and broke Shiki out. Then, that very night, Shiki and the Revolutionary Army attacked the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, and set the whole place on fire. The newspaper says it was a terrorist attack—nearly twenty thousand casualties on Mary Geoise, and they even killed the World Government's Commander-in-Chief, Kessler!"
Newgate had just taken a sip of water to wake himself up, but at those words he spat it all out. He snatched the newspaper from Marco's hands and examined it closely.
Holy hell.
That was his first thought.
"It's actually true!?" Newgate stared at the obituary for the Commander-in-Chief, completely dumbfounded.
Shiki—was he really that fierce? First day out of prison, and he flies straight to Mary Geoise and kills the Commander-in-Chief of the entire World Government!?
Reading further, he saw the rest: Vice Admiral Benn Ortoren, the G-5 base commander, had been on leave in Marineford and rushed to Mary Geoise immediately. He fought Shiki through the entire night, and by dawn, in the waters of the New World's gateway, he cut Shiki down.
The photo showed Ortoren battered and covered in wounds, while Shiki's corpse was in an even worse state. Newgate couldn't help murmuring, "Looks like the World Government must've given Ortoren a kill order…"
But it was understandable. Shiki had gone on a rampage, turning Mary Geoise upside down, stomping on the World Government's pride—and spitting on it afterward.
There was no way they would let him live.
Still, Benn Ortoren killing Shiki in a single night genuinely shocked Newgate.
Of course, when he looked again at Shiki's corpse—with that ship's wheel still stuck in his head—and remembered that Shiki had been imprisoned for six years, only to run straight into Ortoren at his peak the moment he got out… this ending almost made sense.
"Even though Shiki died at Ortoren's hands… in a way, he pushed the pirate path to its very peak," Newgate thought with a trace of admiration.
Despite his death, the feat of burning Mary Geoise, and right in front of the World Government's eyes, killing the Commander-in-Chief in the heart of their territory—was something no one had ever done before, and no one would likely do again.
"Yeah, Dad. After something like this, he fits the title of Pirate King even better than Roger," Marco said, equally impressed.
...
Meanwhile, on Cake Island of the Totto Land territory, Charlotte Linlin was also reading the same newspaper.
"Shiki, that bastard… died, did he?"
A flicker of nostalgia passed through Charlotte Linlin's eyes, but it vanished in an instant. She threw her head back and roared with laughter. "Mamamama! Burning down Mary Geoise and killing the Commander-in-Chief—now that's the Shiki I remember! The pirate overlord who once suffocated every great pirate in the New World! Even in death, he goes out with fireworks! He didn't embarrass us pirates one bit!!!"
"Toren was the one who finished him. And judging from the World Government's situation, he might become an Admiral soon, Mama," Katakuri said from her side, glancing at the paper with a sigh.
Charlotte Linlin grinned. "Exactly. Shiki did well. Killing the Commander-in-Chief right before he died—this is going to force the Marines into a full reshuffle. With that brat's achievements, qualifications, and strength, there's no way he's missing the Admiral seat this time!"
She paused, then added, "That brat's pride is sky-high. If the World Government doesn't make him Admiral, he'll go crazy. He'll quit the Marines for sure. Who knows—he might even come back and take over our family business? Mamamama! Either way, it's a win for me. Well done, Shiki. You did wonderfully!!!"
After her booming laughter faded, Charlotte Linlin shifted her gaze toward the Revolutionary Army.
"I used to think the Revolutionary Army was nothing special, always running from those CP hounds. But clearly they have some skill. This incident might be their breakthrough…They're qualified to be the vanguard of a new era. A lot of ambitious types are going to start eyeing them. Soon enough, as long as they survive the World Government's retaliation, the Revolutionary Army should grow rapidly…"
Katakuri glanced at his mother. In his heart he muttered:
You're definitely one of those ambitious types, aren't you…?
He asked aloud, "Do we need to do anything?"
"Of course!" Charlotte Linlin responded immediately. "I hold plenty of cards. When a potential powerhouse emerges, it's only right to place a few bets."
After a brief moment of thought, she ordered, "Spread word through the Underworld—if the Revolutionary Army is willing to abide by Totto Land's rules, then they're welcome to enter my territory in the New World to rest and recover."
To her, unless Dragon had lost his mind, he wouldn't dare start a revolution in Totto Land.
And despite being a pirate, Charlotte Linlin held a certain pride. Within the New World, Totto Land was unmatched in living standards, public satisfaction, safety, and happiness. She was confident in that much.
Only a lunatic would try to start a revolution here.
If they tried anything on day one, they'd be kicked out of the New World on day two.
After all, Totto Land wasn't just the Big Mom Pirates' domain anymore. It was also the trade hub for the G-5 Marines, a partner in weapons and technology exchange, and a key ally to several of the Shichibukai. Anyone who touched Totto Land would be cutting into the interests of half the major forces in the New World.
Black, white, gray—Totto Land dealt with all of them.
And the Revolutionary Army?
How many divisions did they even have?
"Is that enough?" Katakuri asked quietly.
"That's enough for now. If they want me to invest more, they'll have to show me what they can do next," Charlotte Linlin said with a dismissive wave.
...
That day, the world trembled before the madness of Shiki and the Revolutionary Army.
After six long years of silence, the name of the Sky Pirate—Golden Lion Shiki—echoed across the seas once more.
It was as if the world was suddenly reminded of the era when Shiki had ruled the New World with overwhelming force.
The lion who once boasted he would storm Mary Geoise and crush the World Government… in the final moment of his life, fulfilled that wild, arrogant promise.
With a brutal yet dazzling act, he branded his name into history like a blazing iron, never to be smothered by dust nor erased by Impel Down's Eternal Hell as some forgotten prisoner.
In the eyes of countless pirates, Golden Lion Shiki at this moment—his title of "Flying Admiral" stood shoulder to shoulder with the Pirate King himself.
On this day, he raised his throne.
...
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