Ding-ding-dang-dang...
The former Golden Land Ruins had now become a construction site, where Sky Islanders and Shandia worked together to gradually build their own homes—and Caesar's imperial palace—on this land.
Naturally, given Caesar's status as emperor, the palace construction took top priority.
The crew's residences were also being built at the fastest possible pace.
These shipmates were either orphans or runaways, and Caesar couldn't bear leaving them without proper shelter. With a grand gesture, he assigned each a villa—no need for modesty here.
After all, he only provided materials without lifting a finger himself—the very picture of generosity with other people's labor.
As compensation, Caesar did offer the locals valuable rewards—soil.
Called "Bass" in Sky Island, this commodity could grow food and was more precious than gold to Sky Islanders—the true hard currency of their economy!
Caesar didn't shortchange them either: one pound of soil per day's work plus three meals. The locals praised the emperor's generosity, vowing loyalty—though the crew's withering stares made Caesar seem more like a slave driver.
Fortunately, Issho stepped in to explain, saving Caesar from being strung up on a lamppost by his own crew.
Caesar had no better option—no material wealth could compare to soil in these Sky Islanders' eyes.
"Everyone, lunch is served~"
A radiant Sky Island girl carried small baskets, distributing food to the workers.
"My, if it isn't Conis."
A Shandia man accepted the food with a warm smile.
The two peoples had been forcibly integrated under Caesar's violent coercion. Initial friction was inevitable, but with Caesar's iron-fisted oversight, neither dared cause trouble, forcing interaction between them.
Yet to their surprise, they found each other not so difficult to get along with after all.
Shandia youths adored the gentle Sky Island maidens, while Sky Island boys were smitten with the wild, spirited Shandia girls.
Caesar could only remark that across all worlds, ethnic integration ultimately relied on hormone-driven youth.
"You've worked hard."
Conis beamed.
"Haha, you too."
The Shandia man flushed slightly. "Say, Conis, are you planning to relocate to Upper Yard later?"
"No such plans."
Conis' family belonged to Sky Island's middle class—her father repaired Wavers, those mainstream Wind Dial-powered vehicles. They owned a large house near Cloud Beach with no need to move.
"But I will be working in Upper Yard." Conis smiled brightly.
"Oh? What job? Running a restaurant?"
The Shandia man grew excited—he held special admiration for this kind Sky Island girl.
Hers was a gentle warmth unlike the wild women of his tribe, the sort that could make a man lose himself.
"I'll be the palace head maid!"
Conis replied gently, "According to Miss Baby 5, His Majesty the Emperor personally appointed me."
"Eh?"
The Shandian elder's smile froze on his face, his entire body turning to stone.
To be honest, working as an imperial palace maid was essentially no different from being the emperor's woman.
Although Sky Island was previously ruled by divine authority under the god's governance, the nature of the work was fundamentally similar—both involved serving the ruler.
But how the ruler treated the maids was entirely up to the ruler.
"Was this job... forced on you by the emperor?"
Holding onto a faint, unrealistic hope, the Shandian elder tentatively asked.
"Huh? No, not at all."
Conis looked expectant: "Miss Baby5 asked me about it, and I'm very satisfied with the salary and benefits. I heard that in the palace, we can eat all kinds of delicacies from the Blue Sea every day! And Miss Baby5 assured me that no one would force us to do anything we don't want to do."
"I see..."
The Shandian elder sighed in relief. "But how did His Majesty know about you? Have you met him before?"
"No..."
Conis was equally puzzled.
"Could it be... he took a liking to you?"
The Shandian elder's smile was strained.
"Eh? Could I really...?"
Conis covered her cheeks shyly, lacking confidence.
The Shandian elder: "..."
Your bashful expression is breaking my heart!
Caesar certainly didn't have romantic intentions toward Conis—what might happen in the future was uncertain, but at least for now, his interest was purely out of admiration for her character and integrity, as well as respect!
In the original storyline, when threatened by Enel and forced to choose between her conscience and her life, Conis resolutely followed her sense of justice and morality. She revealed Enel's scheme of forcing her to lure the Straw Hat crew into the Ordeal of God, willingly enduring Enel's divine punishment for it.
And when Enel was about to destroy Sky Island, even as the Sky Islanders distrusted her and condemned her, she shouldered a cannon, drove everyone away, and decisively pulled the safety pin to threaten the White Berets captain into retreat. These actions had left Caesar in awe when he first watched this part of the story!
Gentle and kind-hearted, patient with the reckless Pirates like Luffy and his crew who had just arrived, never breaking down into endless tears, never yielding to tyranny, and capable of making swift decisions and acting decisively when faced with problems.
It might sound simple, but even in modern society, fewer than one in ten people could live up to such standards!
A talent like hers was wasted as just a head maid. Caesar planned to nurture her for a while and then put her to greater use.
As he had said before, Caesar didn't think much of these Sky Islanders and Shandians in general, but Conis was absolutely a good girl worthy of respect and trust.
Watching Conis's shy demeanor, the Shandian elder felt a chill in his heart.
But before he could say anything more, the sky suddenly darkened.
Both of them looked up to see dozens of warships slowly descending from the direction of the sun!
The lead ship's prow was carved with a golden lion's head, exuding an imposing aura.
And behind the massive fleet—there were actually several floating islands! Drifting without any visible support, following the fleet as it headed toward Upper Yard!
"Islands... flying in the sky?" Conis's expression changed.
The fleet was vast and ostentatious, visible clearly across all of Upper Yard.
The commotion naturally didn't escape Caesar's group's notice—or perhaps the intruders never intended to hide, boldly charging straight into Upper Yard, Caesar's stronghold, their arrogance evident.
"Is that... Shiki's flag?"
Kuma, who had been helping Bonney build their new home, suddenly changed expression. "Bonney, protect everyone."
"Got it!"
Bonney waved her small fist. The little girl understood priorities and wouldn't cause trouble at such a time. If Kuma didn't want her following, it meant this battle was beyond her.
Kuma smiled faintly and flashed to Yamato's side. Simultaneously, Issho came flying over atop a massive boulder.
Suddenly, a dark shadow pierced the sky.
With a flap of his great wings, Caesar appeared directly before the airborne fleet in an instant, gripping his longsword with a cold expression.
"Gyahahaha! So it's you? The brat who fought Kaidou to a standstill..."
On the deck of the lead ship, a golden-haired old man with a ship's rudder embedded in his skull and swords for legs laughed wildly.
Golden Lion, Shiki!
"I wondered who it was..."
Seeing the visitor, Caesar scoffed lightly and sheathed his blade.
"Just a relic of the old era."
"Hmph, arrogant brat..."
Shiki's smile turned icy as he bit down on his cigar. "I was making waves across the seas before you were even born."
"Does being a hundred-year-old trash make you any less trash?"
Caesar's disdain was written plainly across his face. "Here for the gold?"
Shiki casually produced a newspaper and waved it, eyes gleaming with greed. "Gyahahaha! Ten thousand tons of gold—that's too much for you to handle. Why not hand it over to me?"
As he spoke, cannons from the fleet behind him aimed downward at Upper Yard, poised to unleash a storm of fire at any moment.
"Heh..."
Caesar chuckled softly, seeming almost bored.
Shiki's decrepit, aged body couldn't even stir his interest in drawing his blade.
Forget the main combatants on the ship—even Ace could pound him into the ground.
The old fool thought he was Garp, still believing himself to be the once-dominant Flying Admiral...
BOOM—
A torrent of Conqueror's Haki erupted violently!
Black-red lightning crackled, instantly sweeping across the entire airborne fleet. On the decks, Shiki's crew collapsed like wheat before a scythe, dismantling his firepower threat in an instant.
"Conqueror's Haki..."
Shiki's expression darkened.
He'd anticipated Caesar possessing the Three Colors Haki before coming.
But he hadn't expected Caesar's Haki to be this powerful—or this precisely controlled!
Now, aside from himself, everyone on the deck had lost consciousness.
And despite the overwhelming intensity, not a single person below had been affected.
When the news reported Caesar fighting Kaidou to a standstill, Shiki had scoffed.
That weakling Morgans—what did he know about true top-tier strength?
In Shiki's view, Caesar had merely held out against Kaidou for a while at best.
Even the later repulsion of Garp hadn't fazed him.
After all, he knew exactly what kind of person Garp was. Despite all those years of love-hate battles with Roger, not a single member of Roger's crew had died at the hands of this so-called Navy hero. One might even mistake him for Roger's vice-captain.
But now, it seemed Caesar's strength had exceeded his expectations.
Due to the ship's helm, he could no longer use Haki. Yet Shiki had always believed that with his skills as a Great Swordsman and the power of the Float-Float Fruit, dealing with some brat would be a piece of cake.
Now, it seemed things weren't quite so easy.
In this situation, if a fight broke out, it would be him alone against Caesar and his entire crew. And Caesar's strength alone had already surpassed his expectations.
Shiki was considering whether to retreat, while Caesar marveled at the generosity of the older generation. With Shiki's arrival, he had been gifted several floating islands, an entire aerial fleet, and even the Float-Float Fruit. Securing all this would be an incredible windfall!
But the biggest question now was whether the White-White Sea could handle so many floating islands. Each of these islands was comparable to—or even larger than—Upper Yard in size. Caesar wasn't sure what impact dropping them would have on Sky Island.
Another issue was who should consume Shiki's Float-Float Fruit. Though the old lion was past his prime, he was still a powerhouse from the old era, with stamina far beyond ordinary people. Unlike the Press-Press Fruit, the Float-Float Fruit allowed permanent control over floating objects once touched, but it still required physical energy to maintain.
Seeing Caesar deep in thought, Shiki felt a flicker of hesitation. His original plan had been to seize this Sky Island and its ten thousand tons of gold, turning it into his base of operations. He never expected Caesar to be this strong—strong enough that he likely couldn't take him down alone.
Fortunately, Caesar didn't seem eager to fight either, which eased Shiki's mind. After a moment's consideration, he decided to speak up and give himself an out, planning to leave for now.
But before he could say anything, Caesar spoke first.
"Issho."
"Leave it to me."
Below, Issho slowly drew his sword.
Hum—
An invisible force field instantly expanded, supporting the aerial fleet and the floating islands. Yet Shiki, as their controller, noticed nothing—no matter how much weight Issho added, these islands had already been granted the 'floating' property by Shiki's ability, making them unaffected by gravity in his hands.
But Issho wasn't trying to increase their weight. He was merely using his force field to hold the fleet and islands in place, ensuring they wouldn't crash if Shiki was defeated by Caesar.
And the moment Issho stabilized the islands, Caesar raised his hand.
"Almighty Pull!"
Hum—
Another force field rippled out, swirling like a vortex that yanked Shiki uncontrollably toward Caesar. Shiki tried to resist, only to realize in shock that his ability wasn't working!
"Wait—what kind of power is this?"
Feeling his body being manipulated, Shiki's expression darkened. Without waiting for an answer, he suddenly swung his leg, launching two massive slashes at Caesar.
"Pretty quick reflexes..."
Caesar let out a mocking laugh. In the original storyline, when Ace was first pulled in by Blackbeard's Dark Water, he had been thoroughly beaten to a pulp!
But Shiki, after all, was a veteran powerhouse who had once rivaled the Pirate King himself. His adaptability was exceptional, and he immediately realized he should use long-range attacks to counter Caesar, a Devil Fruit user.
Unfortunately, these two slashes—unable to be imbued with Haki—held no intimidation whatsoever in Caesar's eyes.
He couldn't even be bothered to pretend, using Elementalization to ignore Shiki's slashes while rapidly descending from the sky! In one swift motion, he slammed the pulled-in Shiki into the ground!
BOOM—
The earth trembled as Shiki collapsed into the crater, eyes rolled back. With a wave of his hand, Caesar summoned countless fruits, piling them into a small mountain beside him.
"Old men really can't take a hit..."
(End of Chapter)