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“Rumble!” “Rumble!”
Amid the thunderous sounds of something collapsing and crashing down, Hans stirred awake from his daze.
“…Mm?”
He groggily opened his eyes, and through the deck beneath him, he could vaguely see the distant sky and in that sky, the collapsing and falling ‘floating Skypiea’ Vermillion.
Yes, its island foundation was breaking apart, countless massive rocks plunging toward the sea below, letting out piercing whistling sounds.
Only then did Hans realize that he himself seemed to be suspended in midair as well.
“Am I done for?” Instinctively, Hans thought he was finished.
But then…
“Idiot.” A familiar voice came from beside him.
Turning his head, he saw Fal and the Marines of the Marine Detention Unit leaning against the deck.
“Fal, my brother? Guys? What the hell, you’re still alive!?” Hans blurted out, then noticed that everyone else on the deck was wrapped in bandages, their injuries already stabilized.
“…”
Fal’s expression darkened, his fist tightening slightly. Considering Hans had been the most severely injured among them, Fal ultimately held back from hitting him.
Only then did Hans belatedly realize that they were on the deck of the Black Loyalty.
Yes, although the battleship had suffered heavy damage during its sudden encounter with the Golden Lion’s rare beast weapon, its mast and sails destroyed, its hull badly damaged, the entire ship had been brought up to the floating Skypiea by the Golden Lion.
“The ship… is flying?” Hans stared in disbelief, the entire Black Loyalty was floating in midair.
“It’s the boss’s newly developed ‘Wind Shockwave Fist.’ Supposedly, it uses vibrations to guide the power of wind.” Fal shook his head as he spoke: “After saving us, he found the Black Loyalty and gave us basic treatment. Now he’s gone back to the floating Skypiea to check on the villagers. He should be back soon.”
He summarized the situation in a few sentences, leaving Hans stunned.
‘Making a ship fly with fists? How was that even possible?’
Though… he vaguely recalled that Vice Admiral Garp could do something similar.
But…
“Wind Shockwave Fist? The boss developed another new move?” Hans’s expression turned serious: “This is outrageous, at this rate, my dream of surpassing him and ruthlessly ordering him to pour cola for me is getting even further away!”
Fal: “…”
Marine Detention Unit marines: “…”
Hans: “Why are you all looking so serious? What’s there to be afraid of? The guy’s not even on the ship right now, you can relax…”
“Relax what?” A familiar voice came from behind him.
Hans stiffly turned his head.
Seeing the figure stepping through the air using Geppo, sweat formed on his forehead:
“B-Boss, you’re back? Man, I was so worried! How’s the situation? I heard there are still residents on the island?”
“Thud.”
Roy landed lightly on the deck.
He glanced at Hans, silently marking this down in his mind; this guy actually dared to think of defying his superior. Absolutely no respect for authority.
Still, considering Hans’s injuries, Roy didn’t act on the spot. Instead, he quietly decided that all miscellaneous duties for the Marine Detention Unit over the next month would be assigned accordingly.
“See for yourself.”
He simply pointed in a direction and spoke calmly.
‘See for ourselves?’
The others turned, puzzled.
Then they saw… From the collapsing floating Skypiea, figures were flying out one after another.
They were villagers with wings growing from their arms, some carrying elderly people and injured individuals on their backs, likely those conscripted into the royal palace.
“Ah! It’s that uncle!” Among them, Aio, who also had wings on her arms, seemed to spot Roy from afar.
She flapped her wings and shouted:
“Thank you, uncle!”
Roy: “…”
‘Who are you calling uncle?’
He was only eighteen years and a bit over a hundred months old, making him a perfectly fresh young man!
Still, seeing this scene, he wasn’t surprised. He had long known that the villagers living in Vermillion had undergone changes over the past decade.
They had grown wings… gaining the ability to fly.
Perhaps it was related to the special plant IQ on the island. Or perhaps it was simply their deep desire to escape this island and regain freedom.
Just like how Haoshoku Haki is born from the will of kings, sometimes, intense desire can give rise to incredible power.
“The human body is truly fascinating.”
Hans, however, accepted this far too easily. Grinning carelessly, he looked at Roy: “Boss, since these villagers can fly on their own, doesn’t that make your trip to the island kind of…”
He stopped mid-sentence upon seeing Roy’s dangerous expression.
“…!”
Realizing he was still in a weakened state and in no condition to fight, Hans broke into a cold sweat and immediately shut his mouth.
Roy, however, sneered: “I obviously didn’t go there for a stroll; I went to confirm the pirates’ situation.”
‘And… picked up a few things along the way.’ Roy added silently in his mind.
At this moment, he could feel the items stored within his body through the power of the Fresh-Fresh Devil Fruit.
Those were bottles of green potion.
They were the very “SIQ” potions that the Golden Lion Shiki had spent nearly twenty years developing, potions capable of granting beasts intelligence and making them extraordinarily powerful.
Roy had obtained them after locating Shiki’s subordinate, Dr. Indigo, on the floating Skypiea. Along the way, he also discovered the treasure Shiki had accumulated there. Although most of it had already been spent over the years on researching SIQ and constructing the floating islands, there was still wealth exceeding 20 billion Beli remaining.
Beyond that, Roy also found a Devil Fruit inside the treasure vault.
[Paramecia-type · Fight-Fight Devil Fruit]
[Analyzed — Current Level: LV3]
[Devil Fruit Ability: Enhances one’s combat techniques]
LV3: Enhances combat techniques and battle instincts, accelerates learning of combat skills, and allows smoother execution of mastered techniques. All techniques become more powerful, and any weapon can be used freely to perform different combat styles. (Unlock cost: 300 million Beli)
LV4: Deep development of the Devil Fruit. During battle, the user can gradually identify flaws in the opponent’s techniques. Striking these flaws allows a “Break,” ignoring defenses and dealing greater damage. (Unlock cost: 1 billion Beli)
LV5: Devil Fruit Awakening — Endless Combat. During battle, “Fight Seals” are gradually generated. Their form can be freely controlled and cannot be destroyed. The longer the battle lasts, the more seals are created, up to four. (Unlock cost: 6 billion Beli)
These seals greatly enhance all of the user’s attributes and significantly weaken similar attacks from enemies. When four seals are formed, the user enters “Battle Stance”, most enemy attacks become ineffective, the user’s strength reaches its peak, and every attack can trigger a “Break,” though at the cost of immense stamina.
The Fight-Fight Fruit enhanced combat intuition, amplified the power of techniques, and helped identify enemy weaknesses, an extremely practical Paramecia-type ability for battle.
Naturally, Roy was quite satisfied.
“Pirates?” Only now did Hans react: “Oh right, boss, the pirates on the island, and the Golden Lion…”
He had just woken up earlier and was still groggy, then got distracted by the matter of the villagers. Only now did the question occur to him.
But halfway through speaking, he stopped.
Because he had already realized that the collapsing floating Skypiea alone was enough to reveal the Golden Lion’s fate.
And if that wasn’t enough…
“Golden Lion is dead. As for those pirates… if they can survive falling unconscious from ten thousand meters in the air, then they deserve to live another day.”
Roy’s calm words instantly ignited the atmosphere on the deck.
In truth, although Fal and the others had woken up earlier, they hadn’t been able to confirm Shiki’s fate.
Only now, hearing Roy say it himself, did they finally dare to believe it.
“That… that legendary ‘Golden Lion’…”
Even though they had fought him without fear of death, they knew what that name represented.
A legend of an era… had come to an end.
And more importantly…. Their gazes turned toward Roy.
His expression remained calm as he casually removed the black mane cloak from his shoulders.
But they all understood… The death of the Golden Lion meant that a new legend had begun, and that rising legend stood right before them.
“Boss… you’re… you’re insanely strong!”
As Hans blurted out again without thinking, the cheers of the Marine Detention Unit echoed through the sky ten thousand meters above.
“Boss! Long live!” ×N
Yes…
Explosive news like “The Twelve Zodiac bounty updates” and “Black Kirin slays the Golden Lion” were destined to sweep across the entire sea soon.
But before those headlines spread, another long-anticipated event across the seas was already unfolding.
…
The Tayami Kingdom — Royal Palace
“Cough… cough… cough… Has the location of Dreamland Island been confirmed?”
The king of the Tayami Kingdom, King Tayami III, spoke between coughs.
It wasn’t illness… It was simply old age.
At 98 years old, having ruled for over sixty years, this elderly king was already nearing the end of his life. As a member of the World Government’s affiliated nations, he had even been unable to attend recent Reverie meetings due to his frailty. It was said that ministers within the kingdom had already begun privately discussing candidates for the next king; almost everyone believed he wouldn’t survive past next year.
But clearly… The old king himself was unwilling to accept that fate.
“It’s nearly confirmed, the alliance fleet has already identified its most recent location. The surrounding seas have been completely sealed off.”
His trusted attendant minister reported from beside him.
“However, it’s said that landing on that island with malicious intent is extremely dangerous. So the king of the Mogaro Kingdom has hired the famous professional assassins, the ‘Vanku Brothers.’ The Ever Kingdom has brought in the ‘demolition expert’ Jet. In addition, there’s the ‘Raider’ Jean, even the Donquixote Family has been invited…”
He continued listing names.
Some were bounty hunters, some assassins, some fighters, some pirates… All of them were well-known powerhouses in the Grand Line, and they had all been invited by various kingdoms to land on that island.
The implication… could not have been clearer.
And beyond that…
“The kingdoms within the Grand Line have also dispatched large fleets.”
The minister was clearly worried. His power was closely tied to the king, if the king failed to achieve his goal, he too would quickly lose everything.
“That’s only natural… cough cough…” As the old king spoke, he began coughing violently again. Faint traces of blood could already be seen on the handkerchief in his hand.
“The ‘alliance’ was originally formed as a temporary measure to deal with the pressure from Big Mom… That Emperor of the Sea has already declared that after this year’s Tea Party, she will claim ‘Dreamland Island’ as her own. But… cough cough… a treasure like the ‘Fountain of Youth’, who would willingly hand it over?”
His low voice described what had already become the most talked-about matter across the seas.
Dreamland Island.
This nearly fairy-tale-like legendary island had now been almost completely confirmed to exist.
The dreamlike creatures upon it, the fairies, and the legendary Fountain of Youth… They had already become the hottest topic across the entire sea. Many kingdoms had naturally been investigating and tracking all related information, each hoping to obtain the island’s astonishing resources and wealth.
But recently… The situation had changed.
The source of that change was one of the Yonko… Big Mom.
It was well known that this Emperor of the Sea loved collecting rare and exotic creatures to expand her territory, Totto Land. And naturally, a place like Dreamland Island, filled with legendary creatures, had drawn her attention.
“This island… naturally belongs to me!”
She had made such a declaration.
However, since her most important annual Tea Party was approaching, everyone knew that although she had claimed ownership, she would only begin searching for the island after the celebration.
Under normal circumstances, if an unclaimed island in the Grand Line was declared as belonging to a Yonko, almost no nation would dare risk offending them by attempting to seize it.
Even kingdoms affiliated with the World Government were no exception.
But clearly… Dreamland Island was different.
Because in this sea, nearly everyone desires eternal youth and everlasting life.
Thus, not long ago, kingdoms eager to obtain the Fountain of Youth and seize Dreamland Island formed a temporary “alliance”, to resist Big Mom’s pressure and attempt to claim the island before her Tea Party.
With this, the number of nations involved grew far beyond just a few, and not limited to World Government members either. Even against a Yonko, they could muster a measure of confidence.
But obviously… Though these nations appeared united, they could never truly act as one.
The minister’s report was proof of that. The search for Dreamland Island itself had gone smoothly. Even a constantly moving island could eventually be located under enough surveillance.
“By sending mercenaries, pirates, and bounty hunters, whoever lands on Dreamland Island first will naturally obtain the most ‘Fountain of Youth.'”
At this point, a flush appeared on King Tayami III’s aged face.
“That water… all of it belongs to this king!”
Yes…
Even among all the kings, he was undoubtedly one of those who desired the Fountain of Youth the most.
He was on the verge of dying from old age. But if he could obtain enough of that miraculous water, he could continue living, perhaps even regain his youth. He could keep wearing his crown. Keep controlling everything in the kingdom.
Just the thought of it drove him nearly mad.
Once someone has tasted power, they never want to let it go. Once someone has experienced old age, they never want to endure it again.
But unfortunately, although the Tayami Kingdom was affiliated with the World Government, its territory was small and its resources were limited.
Like the Nismail Kingdom, it had prospered largely through its status, engaging in trade with underworld and unlawful forces. But after an upheaval a few years ago, its national strength had sharply declined.
Moreover, being located in the South Blue, it had limited ability to intervene in Grand Line affairs. So even though it knew that other Grand Line kingdoms had already begun making moves, sending fleets and hiring mercenaries, it had little it could do.
If this continued… How much Fountain of Youth would he receive in the end?
One drop? Two?
But just then…
“Your Majesty.”
After a moment of thought, the minister seemed to recall something.
“I believe… we could release that person.”
“That person?”
Tayami III froze for a moment, then quickly realized who the minister meant.
It was a prisoner held within the Tayami Kingdom.
The very culprit behind the kingdom’s decline in recent years.
But…
“If it’s that person…”
For the first time, King Tayami III was tempted.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.p*treon.com/darkshadow6395