Inside the main hall of the Golden Lion.
"Everyone else, step back and leave us. I wish to speak with these younger generations," Shiki waved his hand, ordering all his subordinates to withdraw immediately. In a matter of moments, the vast hall was left empty except for himself, Grimm and his two companions, as well as Kaido and his two commanders.
"Gahahahahaha! I never thought I'd see the day when you, Kaido, would sit here quietly and listen to what I have to say! I honestly believed I'd have to knock you unconscious and drag you back here by force!" Shiki laughed loudly as he looked at Kaido, who was seated on his left.
"If you think you have what it takes to do it, then you're more than welcome to try again!" Kaido retorted. He lifted a large barrel of liquor and drank deeply from it, then slammed it down hard against the floor, shattering the sturdy wooden container into splinters instantly.
"Will you keep making such a racket, Kaido? Can't you even wait for someone to finish speaking before you start shouting?" Grimm said impatiently, leaning casually against a stone pillar.
Holding a cigar between his teeth, Shiki began, "Let me explain everything from the beginning. The plan that Grimm and I have devised is that first, we want you to…"
"Save your breath, Shiki!"
Shiki had intended to lay out the entire plan to attack the World Government in full detail, and then see whether Kaido would agree to take on the role of decoy that had been assigned to him.
Originally, Shiki had believed that Kaido was a man of sound mind and reason—and anyone with a clear head would never willingly agree to become bait for an operation.
But after fighting him for hours on end, Shiki had come to realise that this man didn't seem to have a rational thought in his head at all. That was why he had decided to explain his plan anyway, yet before he could even get to the main point, he was cut off by Grimm.
In truth, it was Shiki who was lacking in common sense and foresight—Kaido was actually far more intelligent and sharp-witted than he appeared.
However, Grimm had long since decided that it was easier to simply treat both of them as complete idiots. "These prehistoric beasts don't understand normal human speech anyway. Let's just get straight to the point."
He glanced over at Kaido, who showed no sign of interest or reaction and continued drinking his wine. "I am going to send you to Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy," Grimm said, stating the ultimate goal of their plan clearly and directly. "So… what do you say? Do you agree, or not?"
"And what exactly do you intend to use me for?" Kaido asked bluntly.
He was certainly no fool—on the contrary, he was extremely sharp and calculating. He simply had a tendency to act with dramatic, over-the-top grandeur, and combined with his massive size and imposing build, he often gave off the impression of being nothing more than a brute who relied entirely on strength.
Naturally, Kaido found the idea of being used and manipulated by Grimm and Shiki utterly unacceptable and infuriating. But unfortunately, he was already aboard their ship, and facing Shiki and Grimm alongside Plank and Yasuo, he knew he was in no position to resist or fight back. He had no choice but to play along for now.
And besides… the thought of going to Marineford did sound rather exciting and thrilling, didn't it?
There were no ordinary means or restraints that could possibly hold Kaido captive. So during the days of their journey to Marineford, Grimm himself kept watch over him personally. At the very first sign that Kaido intended to cause trouble or try to escape, Grimm would simply cast the spell Confession upon him.
Kaido felt nothing but misery and frustration deep down. I'm a man who isn't even afraid of death itself… and yet you decide to torment me like this?!
Travelling while carrying such a massive island and so many vessels through the air was certainly a convenient ability to have. A journey of this distance would have taken Kaido himself more than ten days even if he transformed into his smaller Azure Dragon form and flew without stopping to rest. Yet with Shiki using his powers to propel the entire fleet forward, they arrived in just three short days.
Shiki used his abilities to separate a section of the Island of Miracles, turning it into a secure holding area where Kaido would remain, and Grimm stayed there alongside him for the full duration of their five-day voyage.
"You really ought to be feeling proud and excited right now. You are about to take part in something that no one in history has ever accomplished—nothing less than the total destruction of Marineford itself!" Grimm said, sitting casually right on Kaido's shoulder.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could use him as my personal mount? Grimm suddenly found himself struck by this rather interesting thought.
"Hmph! If I hadn't been feeling incredibly bored and restless lately, do you really think I would have agreed to go along with this nonsense?" Kaido replied dismissively. It's nothing more than a sightseeing trip to Marineford anyway.
It's not as if I can't escape whenever I choose. Even if King and Jack decide to leave on their own, I doubt the Navy has the strength or power to stop them. What is there for me to be afraid of?
"Kaido… I've been thinking. Once all this is over and done with, why don't you and I form an alliance?" Grimm suddenly suggested out of the blue.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kaido asked immediately, turning to look at him.
"You have so many subordinates who are Devil Fruit users of the Zoan type, and my crew and I are constantly in need of reliable mounts to ride into battle. So… how about this? Why don't you lower yourself a little and serve as my mount first, and set a good example for all your men to follow?"
"YOU BASTARD! ARE YOU TRYING TO INSULT ME?!" Kaido roared in fury.
At that very moment, a figure came drifting down from the sky above, landing lightly beside them. Glancing back and forth between Grimm and Kaido, who were now arguing fiercely, Shiki spoke up. "I'm planning to bring a large group of journalists here and announce my intention to attack the World Government to the entire world. What do you think of that idea?"
"Do you really need to make such a grand spectacle and show off like this?" Grimm shrugged his shoulders. "We could easily launch a surprise attack and strike directly at Mary Geoise in one go if we wanted to!"
Both the Navy and the World Government had far too many powerful experts and capable fighters among their ranks for the Golden Lion Pirates to ever hope to defeat them in a direct, open battle. It was obvious to anyone—even if you used your backside to think—that launching a sudden, unexpected strike to catch them completely off guard was by far the wisest and most effective strategy.
"Gahahahahaha! I am Shiki the Golden Lion! I want the entire world to watch closely and bear witness to what I am about to do—something that even the great Pirate King Roger himself never dared to attempt!" Shiki threw his arms wide and declared proudly.
"Fine, do whatever you want," Grimm replied, completely indifferent. After all, you're the one rushing headlong toward your own death.
"What an idiot…" Even Kaido had lost all respect for Shiki's intelligence and decision-making.
Grimm turned his gaze away. In truth, his original goal was simply to cause trouble and give the World Government and the Navy a massive headache. He knew perfectly well that actually overthrowing or destroying them was an impossible task—even Kaido was well aware of that fact.
But if Shiki really intended to bring in journalists and broadcast their intentions across the globe… then this whole thing was going to become far more interesting than he had expected.
---
April 1st, Year 1503 of the Marine Calendar.
Grimm had no idea if a day called April Fool's Day existed in this world, but it was purely by coincidence that their plan came to be set in motion on this exact date, giving the whole situation a strange and almost eerie feeling.
Above the Sabaody Archipelago, the massive Golden Lion descended and came to rest above the largest island in the region, located in Area 13—a zone widely regarded as a place of ill omen and bad luck.
There, countless pirates bearing the mark of the Golden Lion Pirates moved through the area with wicked grins and laughter, rounding up every journalist they could find and dragging them aboard the ship.
At the very same time, the large public viewing screens installed throughout every district of Sabaody, which had previously been switched off and inactive, suddenly flickered to life with a bright flash of light. The image displayed showed a tall, imposing man seated upon a grand throne.
He was well over fifty years of age, yet he still carried himself with an air of unbridled defiance and arrogance. His golden hair flowed down past his feet, his legs had been replaced by two long bladed weapons, he held a cigar between his teeth, and most notably, a large ship's helm was embedded deep within his skull.
At that time, the archipelago was filled with pirates and bounty hunters from across the seas. The moment they saw the figure on the screen, screams of shock and alarm erupted from every corner.
"It's the Golden Lion! T-That's Shiki the Golden Lion!"
"H-How is this possible? Have they taken control of all the public Den Den Mushi?!"
"What does he intend to do? Is he about to make some kind of announcement?!"
"Does this mean he's actually here on Sabaody right now?! Damn it… we need to get out of here immediately!"
"All naval forces! Search the entire island for the Golden Lion and his crew! Report this to Headquarters at once!"
Meanwhile, Shiki stared down at the ground. He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke from his mouth, then slowly lifted his head, the corners of his mouth curling upward to reveal a sinister grin.
"Well hello there, all you lowly pirates out there who spend your days chasing after Roger's lost treasure!"
"One month from today, we will launch a full-scale attack on Marine Headquarters, Marineford! You pathetic, useless trash who have no idea what it truly means to be a great pirate… you will finally get to feel the true terror of what a real legend is capable of! Remember this day for all eternity… Gahahahahaha!"
After letting out his wild, maniacal laughter, the visual transmission was cut off instantly. Back aboard the Golden Lion, Shiki waved his hand casually, and all the captured journalists were immediately thrown off the deck and sent tumbling down toward the sea below…
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