East Blue, high above Prosius Island, a dozen floating islands drifted among the clouds.
At the heart of these islands, the largest—once called Vilmia Island—served as the stronghold of Golden Lion Shiki.
After escaping Impel Down, Shiki had discovered this island, teeming with ferocious animals mutated by "IQ" plants. Using his Float-Float Fruit, he'd torn it into the sky, renaming it Strongworld Isle* and making it his base.
For twenty years, Shiki had concealed his whereabouts, collaborating with his trusted deputy, Dr. Indigo, to research "IQ" while plotting his comeback from this aerial fortress.
His plan: unleash his savage beasts on East Blue, the "weakest sea" and Roger's birthplace, to wreak havoc and signal his vengeance to the World Government.
In Strongworld's opulent palace, a raucous banquet was underway. Shiki, his long golden mane crowned by a ship's rudder embedded in his skull, donned a traditional orange-and-yellow striped kimono.
On a platform below his throne, he danced erratically with Dr. Indigo and a massive gorilla.
Since the rudder lodged in his head, Shiki had grown neurotic, prone to dazed pauses or nonsensical outbursts. Beyond dancing, he had few hobbies.
Below the throne, two rows of ragtag pirate captains sat cross-legged, guzzling wine and howling with laughter.
These were minor crews Shiki had casually subjugated over the years—not true members of his yet-to-be-reformed Golden Lion Pirates.
Lacking strength, they compensated with every pirate vice: cruelty, coldness, ruthlessness, bloodlust, and lawlessness. Shiki valued their raw pirate spirit, employing them as pawns, not partners.
As they cheered his dance, Shiki froze mid-step.
He'd sensed one of his islands had been sliced apart—a test he'd sent to probe Sora.
A glint sparked in his eye, and he roared with laughter. "Jihahahaha! That silver-haired brat's got some spunk!"
Lighting a cigar, he puffed and turned to Dr. Indigo. "I'm going to check on this kid. Keep the party going."
"Karle!" Dr. Indigo cackled, swaying in his mime-like antics, gesturing for Shiki to go.
"Huh?" Shiki blinked, baffled.
Frustrated, Indigo stomped, emitting a string of "pootz-pootz" fart-like sounds. "Pootz! Pootz-pootz!"
Just as Shiki could snap, Indigo blurted, "I got it, boss! Go!"
"You can talk?!" Shiki gaped.
"Jihahahaha!" With a booming laugh, Shiki flung his cloak and soared out of the palace.
A wanted poster of Sora fluttered to the floor. The captains barely glanced at it, resuming their revelry. A 70-million-Belly rookie? Nothing to Shiki, a legend who'd rivaled Pirate King Roger and Whitebeard, with the power to raze the earth—and the first to escape Impel Down.
---
On the ground, the bearded tavern keeper, having just exhaled in relief, bulged his eyes in terror at the sky.
As the dust settled, a golden figure floated opposite Sora.
The tavern keeper's gaze locked on this figure, his face a mask of dread, as if beholding a nightmare. "No way!"
"How's this old monster in East Blue?!"
He'd never forget the legendary pirate who, twenty years ago, had inflicted catastrophic losses on Marineford. As a young trainee, he'd witnessed Shiki's invasion.
Too weak to fight, he'd survived by sheer luck, but the image of a half-ruined Marineford, strewn with corpses and blood, was seared into his memory.
The surrounding Marines stared, baffled by his outburst.
"Is the colonel losing it?" they muttered.
None recognized Shiki, and at this distance, they couldn't see clearly anyway.
A Marine rushed to the tavern keeper, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "Colonel! Colonel, what's wrong?"
Snapped from his daze, the tavern keeper's mind raced. "No time to waste."
Only he grasped the terror of that golden silhouette. Glancing at Shiki, he forced down his fear and leapt up, bellowing at the Marines, "No slacking! This isn't the time to dawdle!"
"Move, move, move! Round up the villagers at the docks—we're evacuating now!"
With Shiki here, more floating islands might lurk above. If those two great swordsmen clashed, stray slashes could slaughter them. And if Shiki dropped another island, no one would escape.
"Why, Colonel?" a Marine asked, confused.
"No time to explain! Get the villagers—tell them it's leave or die! Go, go, go!"
The tavern keeper's frantic terror spurred the Marines into action. They scattered to rally the villagers, unsure why their colonel looked like the sky was falling but certain something massive was afoot—enough to warrant evacuating the entire island.
(End of Chapter)