The "Silver Gull" sailed across the vast sea of the Grand Line. Ronan had requisitioned this ship from the royal family; its speed surpassed that of an ordinary passenger vessel.
He had never intended to hide his departure from the royal family. In fact, his leaving the royal palace had made them all breathe a sigh of relief. The one most delighted was the first prince, Seki, who hoped that once Ronan left, he would never come back—preferably dying somewhere out on the sea.
Ronan stood at the bow, calmly gazing at the tranquil waters ahead, while in his mind he recalled the events that were supposed to happen around this point in the original story. But much of it had been glossed over, and Ronan only knew a rough outline of the plot.
Beth stood quietly a half-step behind him at his side, like a loyal guardian angel, while Alicia stood at the very tip of the prow, like a living figurehead. Her sharp gaze ceaselessly swept over the surrounding sea and sky.
So far, their voyage had gone smoothly. They had not encountered any major storms or idiot pirates who did not know their place. Life on board, however, was dull and monotonous. Once the initial novelty wore off, Ronan completely lost any romantic feelings about sailing.
He finally understood why the Straw Hat crew went out of their way to find a musician.
No wonder pirates were always throwing parties. If not, living on this boring sea would drive an ordinary person insane.
Suddenly—
A suffocating pressure, impossible to describe in words, descended without warning.
It was as if…the sky itself grew heavy and the air turned viscous. Even the light seemed to quietly dim.
Alicia, standing at the very front of the bow, was the first to notice something was wrong. She snapped her head up and stared coldly at the sky, her hand tightening instantly around her sword hilt. Almost at the same time, Beth subconsciously stepped half a pace forward, placing herself closer to Ronan.
Ronan followed their gaze and looked upward.
At first, the sky was merely more overcast than usual. But very soon, Ronan saw the edge of a shadow growing clearer, and…slowly, it was getting larger and lower.
The area covered by the shadow expanded at a frightening rate, quickly engulfing the "Silver Gull" and a large stretch of sea around it.
What is that?
Ronan's mouth fell slightly open as he stared in shock. As the shadow descended, he finally made out the outline of the enormous object—it wasn't a mass of dark clouds, but a piece of…land! Or rather, a colossal floating island hanging in the sky!
The island was so huge it defied imagination, as though it had stuffed the entire sky full.
"T-This is…" Beth murmured softly. Even with the willpower of a greatsword warrior, she couldn't help but feel shaken by this sight that blotted out the sun.
Alicia did not speak, but the alertness radiating from her body had risen to its peak, as though she were ready at any moment to respond to whatever might descend from the heavens.
Ronan's pupils shrank sharply. A single name flashed through his mind like lightning—a name that existed only in broken memories and the legends of this world!
The Float-Float Fruit user.
Admiral of the Flying Pirates.
A legendary great pirate spoken of in the same breath as the Pirate King Roger and Whitebeard Edward Newgate—Golden Lion Shiki!
"Impossible…" Ronan whispered in shock, his expression showing disbelief for the first time. "Why would he be here?!"
According to the fragmented bits of story he remembered, by this point in time Shiki should have already escaped from Impel Down and cut off both his legs. Right now, he ought to be hiding in some remote stretch of sea, devoting himself to his so-called "IQ" secret drug, raising an army of berserk beasts and gathering strength for his insane plan—to destroy the entire East Blue.
The first half of the Grand Line—especially waters this close to the Sabaody Archipelago—was an area frequently patrolled by the Marines. A place like this was the last place someone like him should appear!
Strutting around in such a showy way, was he not afraid of bringing down the full force of Marine HQ on his head?
A flood of questions surged through Ronan's mind.
The floating cluster of islands continued to descend slowly, and the pressure it exuded grew more and more suffocating. Ronan could faintly see the main island's bizarre trees, which seemed to defy gravity, growing upside down, as well as several…strangely oversized birds flying between them.
Ronan forced himself to calm down, his mind working at high speed. By now the floating islands overhead had stopped descending, and Ronan knew that the other party must have locked onto him. He had no idea why Shiki had set his sights on him, but at this point, all he could do was adapt to whatever came.
At that moment, a wild, arrogant laugh echoed from the island high above, ringing clear between sea and sky:
"Jiahahahahaha!! Jiahahahahaha!!!"
The laughter was steeped in absolute, domineering arrogance. Immediately afterward, a figure shot from the edge of the floating island like a meteor, plummeting toward the sea, heading straight in the direction of the "Silver Gull" at free-fall speed!
As the distance closed, Ronan could see the newcomer clearly. It was a man with a mane of golden hair cascading down his back like a waterfall, wearing a traditional kimono under a double-breasted captain's coat. The most striking thing about him, however, was that below his kimono's trouser legs there was only empty air—replaced by two long, gleaming swords, directly connected to the stumps of his legs, serving as his prosthetics!
Golden Lion Shiki!
He did not crash into the ship or the sea. Instead, he came to a halt, hovering tens of meters above the water, facing the "Silver Gull" across the air.
Shiki looked down at the little ship that remained steady even under his oppressive presence, and at the three figures standing at its bow—the black-haired boy, and the two identical golden-haired female guards.
There was no sign of anyone else on board. Within the range of his perception, these three were the only people on the entire ship.
"Jiahahaha! Interesting!" Shiki looked down proudly at the three. "This old man rarely comes out for a stroll, and I actually run into such an amusing little brat! You see my island overhead and you're not scared enough to piss your pants? You can still stand there so calmly?"
His gaze fell mainly on Beth and Alicia, lingering for a moment on the huge swords on their backs. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Oh? These two little girls…are kind of interesting. They don't look like ordinary pirates, and they're not Marines either."
Shiki's perception was frighteningly sharp. Even though Beth and Alicia had already suppressed their yoki, that warrior's aura still allowed this veteran powerhouse to sense something different about them.
Facing the gaze of this legendary pirate, Ronan took a deep breath. He raised his head and met Shiki's eyes without the slightest hint of fear, speaking in a level tone:
"I've long heard of the great name of Golden Lion Shiki, the Flying Pirate. May I ask why you have blocked our way? Do you have some instruction for us?"
The moment he heard this, Shiki's laughter abruptly cut off.
(End of Chapter)
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