At that moment, as the Whitebeard commanders soared through the empty skies, Ace, who was scanning the horizon, suddenly pointed a finger at one of the distant, dueling figures.
"Hey, isn't that him?" he said, his voice laced with surprise.
"The one draped in that ridiculous pink feather coat—isn't that the Warlord, Doflamingo?"
Hearing this, everyone began scrutinizing the figures more closely.
Indeed, the man in the pink coat, with his flamboyant posture and infuriating grin that was visible even from a distance, bore a striking resemblance to the infamous Heavenly Yaksha.
"And who's the other guy?" Jozu squinted, his expression one of pure confusion.
"He's got a freaking ship's rudder stuck in his head! That's hilarious! BWAHAHAHA!" He burst into a loud, booming laugh, clearly amused by the bizarre sight.
A rudder? The moment the word "rudder" was mentioned, it was as if a key turned in a lock deep within Ron's mind.
His weariness, the grim thoughts of their captain's reckless plans—all of it vanished in an instant, replaced by a jolt of pure, electrifying excitement.
His heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
A legendary figure, a ghost from the past who he had been seeking for so long.
Without hesitation, he stood up on the dragon's back, his sharp eyes scanning the distant battle.
As his gaze focused, the figure gradually came into perfect clarity, matching the image from the old bounty posters perfectly.
It was him.
The Golden Lion, Shiki.
At that moment, Ron's eyes gleamed with an exhilaration he hadn't felt in a long time.
He had been searching for the Golden Lion for ages.
Who would have thought they'd cross paths here, in the middle of nowhere, on their way home from a war? What an incredible coincidence.
What a magnificent twist of fate.
"Get closer!" Ron urged impatiently, his voice sharp with an urgency that startled the others.
"Hurry up and get closer!" He knew this opportunity was a miracle.
If they missed it now, who knew when—or if—they'd ever find the elusive Golden Lion again.
No matter what, he couldn't let him slip away.
"Got it, Ron!" Kingdew immediately responded.
With that, he and the other commanders accelerated, the nine dragons closing the distance between them and the two dueling legends in mere moments.
By now, the others had also finally recognized the Golden Lion's identity, and a new wave of shock rippled through them.
What surprised them even more was why this legendary pirate, a rival of the Pirate King himself, had suddenly clashed with a Warlord like Doflamingo.
"HEY! OLD MAN SHIKI!" Kingdew opened his massive dragon mouth and let out a deafening roar that was more like a physical force than a sound.
"OUR VICE-CAPTAIN RON IS LOOKING FOR YOU!" His voice echoed through the air, causing Shiki's long, golden hair to flutter wildly.
Doflamingo also noticed the sudden, terrifying appearance of the Whitebeard Pirates' top commanders.
After a moment of genuine shock, he halted his attack, his string clones dissipating as he silently stepped aside, a wide, unreadable grin plastered on his face.
"Kai… Kaido?!" Shiki's eyes widened in initial terror, seeing the nine massive dragons descending upon him.
"No, no… not Kaido… You are…?" His gaze then landed on the massive, sleeping form of Whitebeard resting on a dragon's back, and he exclaimed in pure shock.
"NEWGATE?!!! You're the Whitebeard Pirates!!" His voice carried a faint tremor, clearly shaken by the sheer, overwhelming presence of the crew.
Since when did the Whitebeard Pirates have nine dragon-commanders?!
This was absurd!
Ron nodded, seeing that the old lion had recognized them.
He glanced around, noticing Shiki's exhausted condition and the barely concealed murderous intent still radiating from Doflamingo.
It wasn't hard to guess what had happened.
'Doflamingo must have wanted the Golden Lion's blood for the multi-fruit ability,' Ron speculated.
'And as a proud, legendary pirate, Shiki would never bow to a mere brat.'
Thus, an earth-shattering battle had erupted.
"It seems inconvenient to talk up here," Ron suggested, his voice polite but carrying an undeniable weight.
"How about we find a place to chat down below?"
Shiki who had been initially terrified, now felt a wave of profound relief.
Among the few people in the world he knew from his era, he had some history with Whitebeard.
This was a temporary chance to catch his breath.
His battle with the infuriating, surprisingly powerful flamingo had drained much of his stamina.
Considering this, accepting Ron's proposal seemed like the wisest choice.
After weighing the pros and cons, he shot a disdainful glance at Doflamingo before agreeing in a tone laced with his own brand of arrogance.
"Since you insist, I won't refuse."
Then, Ron turned to Doflamingo, but before he could speak, the other man cut in eagerly, his voice brimming with a sudden, unsettling warmth and friendliness.
"Fuffuffuffu! The chance to chat with the famous Vice-Captain Ron is an opportunity too good to pass up."
Ron was momentarily taken aback.
He had expected the other man to be wary or even hostile, but he hadn't anticipated the Heavenly Yaksha to be so… accommodating.
He nodded in understanding and then took the lead, guiding his dragon toward a small, uninhabited island below.
Shiki hurriedly followed, afraid of missing any opportunity.
Doflamingo merely snorted coldly at Shiki's eagerness but still signaled for his family executives on the ship below to follow.
The grand, bizarre procession then advanced toward the island.
As they made their way, a subtle, heavy tension hung in the air.
Ron, meanwhile, remained as calm and composed as ever, his mind already working several steps ahead.
The moment the nine massive dragons landed on the island, their overwhelming presence instantly swept across the entire landmass.
This sudden pressure transformed the once peaceful and serene island into a place of primal terror.
Birds nesting in the ancient trees were startled into a panicked frenzy, flapping their wings desperately to flee.
Even the island's fiercest beasts sensed an unprecedented threat—some hid deep in the dense forests, while others lay motionless on the ground, paralyzed with fear. For a moment, the entire island was plunged into an eerie and oppressive silence.
Just as the tension reached its peak, Shiki and Doflamingo finally arrived at the designated meeting spot on the beach.
There, they saw a scene of impossible civility.
Ron was already seated at a simple stone table that he had clearly just fashioned, with cups of light, steaming tea and a few simple snacks laid out, as if he had been waiting for their arrival all along.
"Meeting by chance is a work of fate," Ron greeted the two legendary pirates with a calm, welcoming smile, gesturing to the empty seats.
"A humble offering of tea. Please, sit."
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