Captain! Multiple pirate ships spotted ahead! Judging from the flags... they belong to the Flying Sky Pirates!" shouted Golan from the crow's nest.
Flying Sky Pirates? Shiki the Golden Lion? Fang Yi muttered, turning to look at Roger.
After Shiki obliterated Impel Down's Demon Island, his pirate fleet rapidly grew in strength. Now, the Flying Sky Pirates under his command had become a force even the Marines couldn't afford to ignore.
Shiki and Roger had a long history—rivals in every sense. When Roger later turned himself in, Shiki stormed into Marineford alone, refusing to believe that someone like Roger could be captured.
But from what Fang Yi could recall, the Roger Pirates hadn't crossed paths with the Flying Sky Pirates too often—mainly because they were constantly evading the Navy. Roger now had no plans to engage, only to warn Shiki about Garp's pursuit.
As the two crews neared each other, a familiar laugh echoed from the deck of one of the flying ships.
"Jihahahaha! Isn't that Roger?" Shiki called out with a cigar in his mouth, standing at the bow of his flagship.
"Shiki…" Roger looked over, smiling wryly. "If you're smart, you'll turn around now."
"Huh?" Shiki blinked, confused. He hadn't expected a warning.
"Garp is closing in fast. We just managed to slow him down, but he's already on his way again," Roger said, gesturing behind him toward the horizon.
As if on cue, a Navy warship appeared, just a tiny silhouette on the edge of the sea.
"Garp, huh…" Shiki squinted at the distant ship, remembering old battles. Then he laughed again. "Roger, how about we team up and take him out together?"
"I refuse," Roger answered immediately, not even hesitating.
"Why?!" Shiki asked, bewildered. "If we take out Garp, the Navy won't have anyone left to stop us! We could rule the seas—no, the whole world!"
"Shiki, I'm not interested in ruling the world," Roger replied calmly. "My dream... is to become the Pirate King."
"Pirate King?" Shiki paused, then burst out laughing again. "You seriously believe in that legend?!"
"Shiki, we just see the world differently," Roger said with a grin, unfazed by the mockery.
"Are you serious? If we ruled the world, you'd be more than just Pirate King—we'd be kings of everything!" Shiki said, now completely serious.
But Roger simply sailed on, not looking back. Shiki watched the Oro Jackson disappear into the distance, his thoughts conflicted. He genuinely respected Roger's strength and believed the two of them could conquer everything together.
Stubborn as ever, Shiki ignored Roger's warning. He pressed forward—only to run directly into Garp's warship. A massive battle erupted between the Navy and the Flying Sky Pirates, leaving both sides bloodied. Meanwhile, Roger's crew slipped away unnoticed.
Barrett, however, looked back longingly. He was eager to face a true powerhouse like Garp.
Since boarding the Oro Jackson, Barrett had been uncomfortable. Betrayed in the past, he no longer believed in crewmates. To him, only personal strength mattered—comrades were disposable.
But here, among the Roger Pirates, he saw something different. Fang Yi, Shanks, Rayleigh, and Roger all fought side-by-side with unshakable trust. That sense of unity made Barrett question everything he once believed. For the first time, his resolve began to waver.
Later that day, Fang Yi, just done training, stumbled upon Buggie sneakily fiddling with something.
"Hey… what are you up to, Buggie?" Fang Yi asked suspiciously.
"N-nothing!" Buggie stammered, hiding whatever he was holding behind his back.
Fang Yi narrowed his eyes. "You're not planning some prank, are you?"
"Of course not! I'm not that kind of guy!" Buggie retorted loudly.
But Fang Yi knew better—Buggie wasn't known for harmless pranks. If he was acting shady, it likely involved treasure.
"What's in your hand?" Fang Yi asked, stepping closer.
Buggie flinched. His attempt to hide it failed as a rolled-up map peeked out.
"Ssshhh!" Buggie quickly pulled Fang Yi into a quiet corner and revealed a treasure map.
"Another one? Seriously, where do you keep finding all these treasure maps?" Fang Yi said, exasperated.
"Unlike you guys, my dream is to collect the world's largest treasure hoard!" Buggie said proudly, clutching the map.
"And then what? Bury it somewhere and turn it into another treasure map for future pirates to fight over?" Fang Yi said dryly.
Buggie blinked—he hadn't thought that far ahead.
Shaking his head, Fang Yi left him to his daydreams and went back to his room. Later, feeling bored, he pulled out a mystic bait from his inventory, hoping to fish up something interesting.
Normally, using this bait attracted sea beasts or Sea Kings. Rarely, it would bring up something truly bizarre. But today… nothing. No movement. The sea was eerily calm.
And that unnerved Fang Yi.
It was the kind of silence that preceded a storm.
Meanwhile, inside the ship, Roger suddenly stood up from his rest.
"What is it, Roger?" Rayleigh asked, startled.
"Something's wrong… I can feel it. Something... is watching us," Roger said, eyes narrowing as he stepped out onto the deck.
He looked around—clear skies, calm waters—but the feeling didn't leave.
Fang Yi, seeing Roger's serious expression, knew his instincts had been right. Something big was coming.
Rayleigh joined them. "What's the matter, Fang Yi?"
"I used mystic bait to fish… but caught nothing. And I've had this lingering sense of dread ever since," Fang Yi admitted.
"Mystic bait?" everyone murmured in surprise.
They were all familiar with Fang Yi's unusual bait—it usually just attracted small Sea Kings. None had ever caused this kind of tension.
"Something is approaching," said both Roger and Rayleigh in unison, their eyes locked on the sea behind the ship.
BOOM!
A massive explosion of water erupted behind the Oro Jackson. A colossal goldfish head emerged—one with eyes locked straight on the ship.
"It's… It's the Island-Eating Goldfish!! RUN!!" Rayleigh shouted.
This legendary beast was said to devour entire islands. Its jaw alone was wide enough to swallow land whole.
The sailors, frozen in terror, could barely stand at the sight of the monstrosity.
"Captain! This is my fault! I'll lure it away with the bait!" Fang Yi shouted, stepping forward despite the fear in his heart.
"Shut up and run!" Roger barked. "Everyone—full speed escape!"
The goldfish, drawn by the bait, wasn't going to let go. Its mouth opened slowly—wide enough to devour their entire ship...