Chapter 236: "Golden Lion" Shiki (I)
Eric originally wanted to improve his relationship with the future Sea King, Shirahoshi, but with so many people watching, he regrettably gave up.
In the past, there was Cao the married man, and now there's Lolicon Eric , carrying this nickname doesn't feel good.
As for the Senzu beans, Eric kindly left two, not to prevent Princess Otohime from getting injured, but to ensure that she wouldn't accidentally kill her husband, the great knight Nepton, while drunk.
Before leaving, Eric also gave a suggestion: don't remove all of Princess Otohime's guards at once. Instead, gradually reduce their numbers, allowing the true mastermind behind the assassination plan to let their guard down. Once the assassination attempt happens again, they can then capture the culprit.
During the stay, Eric also bought a lot of fishman island desserts for Kurome.
[Kurome' affection increased, Bond level unchanged]
Feeding small animals felt really good.
...
Esdeath stood at the bow, her soft blue hair flowing in the wind.
"This target, is it the legendary pirate?"
"Yes, the man who rules the seas in the sky, the sky's overlord, 'Golden Lion' Shiki!" Eric , eager to obtain the floating fruit ability, had set his next target as "Golden Lion."
He no longer wanted to rely on submersible ships to explore the sea. Not only was it slow, but he also felt a slight fear of the gloomy, dark depths.
Flying from the Red Line would be much cooler, fast, and much more stylish.
"A man who rules the seas, he really dares to say that..." Esdeath's killing intent began to radiate from her, as she smiled lightly, "Since that's the legend, it should fulfill my needs..."
Following Esdeath's gaze, Eric saw vast glaciers floating on the surface of the sea, with several pirate ships frozen inside.
The pirates on board were either sliced by sharp blades or frozen into ice sculptures, their bodies smashed to pieces with a single kick. They died in a tragic manner.
...
After several days of sailing, the Fearless arrived at the calm belt between the East Sea and the Grand Line.
"The Golden Lion is right here." Eric looked at his compass, and its needle spun uncontrollably in all directions.
"You said he is the man who rules the seas in the sky." Esdeath instantly realized, looking up at the sky, "Looks like we need to fly up there."
"I see several islands floating thousands of meters above us," Chiron's thousand-mile eyes came into play. "One of them is a huge island, surrounded by the sea."
"Seems like we found the right place." Eric smiled and asked, "Chiron-sensei, can you provide supporting fire from here?"
"No problem. Wherever my sight reaches, my arrows can reach," Chiron replied.
"Just like Chiron-sensei, makes me feel at ease."
"Wait, wait!" Perona shouted in disbelief, "'Golden Lion' Shiki? He's a pirate on the same level as Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard Edward Newgate! We..."
"Are you afraid of a disabled old man with a rudder stuck in his head, when we weren't even scared of the Navy Hero Garp who captured him?" Eric interrupted.
Everyone was confused. "A rudder stuck in his head?"
Eric sighed, "Not just that. He cut off his own legs and uses two famous swords, 'Sakura Ten' and 'Dead Wood,' as prosthetic legs."
"Fighting with someone like him? What fun would that be? Even if we killed him, there's no victory in it," Esdeath said somewhat dissatisfied.
"No," Scáthach , who had used her [Thousand-Mile Eyes] to see the future, interrupted, "If it's just you and him fighting one-on-one, the result might not be good..."
"Is that so?" Esdeath finally revealed a thrilled smile, "Seems like 'Golden Lion' will satisfy me."
"Then it's settled. Let's take Deidara's Explosive Clay and fly up."
"Hey, my Explosive Clay is not for flying..."
"I know, your Explosive Clay is incomparable art."
"Really? Finally, someone understands my art." Deidara happily nodded, his hands crossed over his chest.
Everyone else: 'It's so easy to fool him...'
...
The Flying Pirates, once a top-tier crew alongside the Roger Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates, had been silent since the defeat of "Golden Lion" Shiki seventeen years ago during the Ed War battle.
In the battle, a sudden storm sank most of the Flying Pirate ships, and even Golden Lion himself was accidentally impaled by the ship's rudder.
Later, after Roger's capture, Shiki went alone to the Navy Headquarters, fighting Sengoku and Garp . The battle destroyed half of Marineford before the outcome was decided, and Shiki was imprisoned in Impel Down.
Two years later, Shiki cut off his own legs to escape, found his old subordinate, the scientist Indigo, and discovered an island where animals turned violent after consuming plants with the "IQ" component. He used his powers to lift the entire island into the sky, focusing on developing biological technology, waiting for the right time to destroy the entire world.
As for whether it would succeed, well...
It was stopped by Monkey D. Luffy.
And now, on this day, after hiding for twelve years, the Golden Lion was found by Eric and his crew.
"Bad news, boss!"
A pirate underling rushed into Shiki's palace, panicked, and reported:
"Boss, there's a white flying dragon heading this way!"
"A white flying dragon?" Shiki narrowed his eyes.
...
"Those animals, they look strange," Akame licked her lips, "I wonder how they taste."
"These animals were bred by the Golden Lion using special methods," Eric sneered, "If you're not afraid of turning into one of those weird creatures, then go ahead and eat them."
Giant turtles with spiked shells; green giraffes roaring toward the sky; squids that should be soft-bodied creatures standing upright on land...
This scene immediately shocked the gluttonous Akame .
However, since they had seen many bizarre Sea Kings by now, the group figured these were not that different.
"These guys look pretty strong..." Esdeath, looking at the massive animals and insects, was eager to try hunting, "I really want to go on a proper hunt."
"If you want to hunt, hurry up. After we kill the 'Golden Lion,' these animals will be gone," Eric said.
"Why?"
"This island is floating in the sky using Golden Lion's power. Once he dies, the island will fall, and these animals will die with it."
"Is that so? Then I won't hold back!" Esdeath leaped down and rushed toward the beasts below.
"Roar!" The wild beasts sensed the incoming Esdeath and roared at her.
In a flash of sword light, the giant beast was neatly sliced in half from head to toe.
Hot blood sprayed out, and it seemed like blood rain was falling around the beast.
The intense smell of blood acted as bait, and surrounding large animals and insects came rushing toward them, shaking the ground with their movements.
With a slash for each, Esdeath laughed manically:
"Hahahaha! This is it! This kind of battle is exhilarating!"
"Ah, you really are a battle maniac."
Suddenly, a voice came from above: "What are you doing to my experimental subjects?"
A tall man floated in the sky, with two long swords replacing his legs. His golden hair shone brightly, resembling a lion's mane, so thick that it made people envious.
Unfortunately, his head was bald—because of the rudder?
"'Golden Lion' Shiki..."
(END CHAPTER)
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