Shiki raised his wine cup high above his head, and nearly thirty commanders of the Golden Lion Pirates lined along both sides of the red carpet did the same. Shiki laughed heartily and declared, "I shall forge legends belonging to the Flying Pirates! I now declare that my crew, the Flying Pirates of the Golden Lion, is reborn!"
After everyone drained their cups in one go, as dusk fell, five people in total—Shiki, Indigo, and the three companions of Grimm—made their way to the sky island that floated high above the sea, kept aloft by Shiki's powers.
Just as they had done three years prior, Grimm injected the power of the Blood Plague into one of the island's creatures, this time choosing a giant praying mantis.
After struggling violently for roughly ten seconds, the mantis's bright green body erupted in waves of dark red energy. Veins of crimson spread across its form like a virus, completely transforming its physiology. Its size grew dramatically, while its temperament and strength became ferocious and wild beyond measure.
Before the creature could be consumed entirely by its berserk state—
Puff! Puff!
Indigo stepped forward, letting out strange popping sounds as he moved. Like a magician performing a trick, five purple bubbles about the size of table tennis balls appeared at his fingertips. He hurled them straight at the rampaging giant insect, shouting loudly, "Chemical Magic: Potassium Blast!"
The five purple bubbles struck the mantis with incredible speed. To Grimm's surprise, the beast, which had been driven mad by the Blood Plague, grew noticeably calmer. Yet when it spotted a strange bird flying through the sky above, its aggressive instincts flared up once more, and it lunged straight for the creature, engaging it in a vicious struggle.
Indigo spread his hands wide like a comedic actor performing on stage, grinning broadly as he turned to Grimm and said, "I've developed this suppressant formula based on the properties of your virus. It can slightly rein in their berserk impulses and extend their lifespan just a little. So far, the longest any test subject has survived is twenty-seven minutes and thirty-three seconds… while the shortest lasted barely a single minute!"
"Hmph. Even among beasts, there are those that are strong and those that are weak. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if some drop dead within seconds!" Grimm replied.
He watched as the mantis tore the strange bird apart limb from limb. The moment the creature turned its gaze toward the group, Shiki acted instantly. He swung his right leg downward in a sharp, powerful slash, cutting the mantis cleanly in two with a single strike.
"Tell us the details of your plan, Indigo," Grimm said.
"We will infect every single one of the five thousand four hundred and sixty-two rare and powerful beasts on this island, and then deploy them all upon Mary Geoise. But to do that, we will need a little strategy," Indigo explained, gesturing wildly with his hands as he spoke.
"We will first send the majority of our forces to draw the full attention and firepower of the World Government. During that time, we will use Captain Shiki's abilities to raise the Island of Miracles high into the clouds directly above Mary Geoise. Once the moment is right and we give the signal, we will complete the transformation of all the beasts and release them directly into the holy land. If all goes according to plan, we will have achieved total victory!"
Indigo's research could only extend the lifespan of the infected creatures by a few minutes at most. Because of this, it would be impossible to transform the beasts beforehand and transport them there directly. Instead, they would have to create a diversion to keep the Navy and the World Government occupied long enough to complete the process while the island remained hidden above the clouds.
After taking a long drag from his cigar and blowing the smoke aside, Shiki spoke up. "So what you're saying is that you want me, Plank, and Yasuo to act as decoys?"
There was no trace of anger or outrage in his tone. If he had already agreed to the far greater undertaking of attacking the World Government itself, how could he possibly object to playing the role of bait?
"Well… for the time being, there really isn't anyone better suited for the job than you, Captain Shiki, the King of Intimidation, and the Fake Captain," Indigo replied.
"Wait a moment…"
Grimm smiled mysteriously and continued, "I actually have another candidate in mind…"
"Who is it?" Shiki asked, turning to look at him.
Grimm mouthed the name silently, and the moment Shiki read his lips, his brow furrowed deeply while Indigo gasped in shock.
After a long pause, Shiki crossed his arms over his chest and spoke slowly. "Him… you mean him?"
"You've clashed with him many times in the past, haven't you? What would you say are our chances of success if we ask him to join us?" Shiki asked.
"Who knows? That rabid dog has been growing increasingly bored roaming around the New World lately. He doesn't follow logic or reason, so it's impossible to predict what he might do," Grimm replied, his smile never fading. "But it is certainly worth trying!"
"You have a point. There's no need to rush into making a final decision right away," Shiki said. He grabbed hold of Indigo and soared through the air back toward the deck of the Golden Lion, while Grimm spread his wings and followed close behind.
"Your quarters are still arranged in the side chamber," Shiki called back to him. "I've kept it empty and reserved just for you ever since you last stayed here."
With those parting words, Shiki left the main hall and made his way to the ship's command centre. Taking his place in the captain's seat, he turned to the helmsmen and weather observers standing below and gave his order: "Change course. We are heading for Banilla Island!"
The more than twenty crew members responsible for navigation and observation stared up at him in disbelief, but they quickly fell silent under the weight of Shiki's fierce, piercing gaze. "What are you all gawking at? Do it now!"
"Y-yes! My apologies, Captain Shiki!"
Overwhelmed by his commanding presence, the crew scrambled to adjust their heading. Banilla Island was a desolate, frozen land located deep within the New World, where snow fell all year round. It also served as the permanent base of operations for Kaido and his crew.
Two years prior, Kaido had conquered the island and turned it into one of his primary strongholds. The kingdom that had ruled there had never possessed great military strength, so Kaido had easily crushed their royal forces and claimed the entire territory as his own.
Floating thousands of metres above the ground, the group could look down and see the snow-blanketed landscape stretching out below them, observed through special den den mushi designed for long-range surveillance.
Grimm stood near the open doorway, letting the heavy snowflakes drift past him, while Shiki sat in his seat at the highest point of the ship and spoke, "Perfect. Lower us down right here. Let us pay a visit to Banilla Island!"
"Speaking of which… I've never actually crossed blades with that brat Kaido before," Shiki said, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes. "I'll be the one to take him on this time!"
Shiki was clearly brimming with fighting spirit. Ever since the plan to attack Mary Geoise had been agreed upon three years ago, he had spent his time in the first half of the Grand Line treating every ambitious, fame-seeking pirate he encountered as a means to rebuild his strength and return to his former glory.
He had already fought and defeated countless weak opponents, so the prospect of facing Kaido—one of the few figures in the world who stood on equal standing with Grimm—filled him with great anticipation.
Grimm looked out at the swirling snowfall, his back turned to Shiki as he spoke. "That man is truly a rabid beast who prefers to speak with his fists rather than his words. But do not push him too far or drive him into a corner. After all, everything we are doing serves the greater plan. It would be quite troublesome if the two of you were to end up battered and broken, neither side able to claim victory."
Gahahahahaha! Shiki threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Hearing you say that only makes me want to defeat him all the more!"
It was still the middle of the afternoon, but the pirates stationed as guards on Banilla Island suddenly noticed the sky growing dark and heavy. Instinctively, they looked up, their eyes widening and their mouths falling open in shock, unable to utter a single word.
High above them, a fleet of more than five massive warships was slowly descending toward the island. Leading the fleet was a vessel constructed in such a way that its lower section resembled solid land while its upper decks rose like a traditional ship, crowned with a figurehead shaped like the head of a giant lion.
This was the Golden Lion—a vessel as famous and renowned across the world as the Moby Dick belonging to Whitebeard, made even more unmistakable by the flag of the Golden Lion Pirates fluttering proudly in the wind.
The crew members of the Kaido Pirates standing below stared up in utter astonishment. Thud! Thud! With soft sounds echoing across the deck, Shiki slowly floated down from the bow of his ship and came to rest right in front of the high stone walls surrounding the island's main city.
"A-Ah! It's… it's Shiki the Golden Lion!"
"H-Help us! Someone save us!"
Even though Shiki had spent the past three years operating primarily in the first half of the Grand Line, he had long since become a figure of legend. No matter how arrogant or fearless the members of the Kaido Pirates usually acted, the moment they came face to face with such a legendary figure, they could not help but cry out in alarm and terror.
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