Kaido was finally fished out by Shano after much effort.
The high-altitude battle came to an end.
For the Golden Lion and BIGMOM, this amount of time was far from enough to determine a winner.
The Golden Lion, sensing the unfavorable situation and realizing Shano's stamina was gradually recovering and that he might join the fight at any moment, decisively abandoned the entanglement with BIGMOM and used the power of the Float-Float Fruit to quickly distance himself.
He stood high above, overlooking Cake Island below, and snorted coldly.
"Lingling, Kaido, and that brat Shano!"
The Golden Lion exhaled a smoke ring, baring his teeth, "This time, consider yourselves lucky! But don't think this is the end!"
If it were during his peak years, there's no way he would have left today, even if Kaido and Shano had fully recovered their stamina—it wouldn't matter.
What's three against one anyway!
Unfortunately...
He was getting old, his strength had somewhat declined, and since the island ambush didn't achieve its goal, he had to retreat for now!
He suddenly waved his hand, and the remaining scattered Floating Island fragments, under his control, turned into countless sharp rocky spears, shooting towards Cake Island.
Although the impact was far less than the entire island crashing down, it was still enough to cause considerable damage.
"Hey, Shiki! You bastard, what else do you want to do!"
BIGMOM roared, wielding Napoleon's Giant Sword, shattering the incoming rocks and intercepting them.
But the Golden Lion had already used this opportunity to completely shake off BIGMOM, ascending into the higher clouds, his figure quickly becoming blurred.
In no time at all, he turned into a small black dot on the horizon, leaving only his rampant laughter:
"Zehahaha, I'll be back! Today is merely a prelude to my return. Once my grand plan is complete and I officially return, you will all understand that after Roger, this era should be named Golden Lion!!!"
Grand plan?
Is he referring to that nearly completed IQ Fierce Beast Plan?
Shano stood by the shore, touching his wet dog head, squinting at the direction where the Golden Lion disappeared.
That old man...
As a contemporary contender who once vied with Roger and Whitebeard, his strength was naturally formidable.
His battle record was also illustrious.
He single-handedly broke into Navy Headquarters, battled Sengoku and Garp together for a long time, and destroyed half of Marinfanto.
But ever since the Aite War, when a helm was lodged into his head,
the old guy's brain hasn't worked quite right.
Logically, with the mobility of the Float-Float Fruit comparable to Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit, as long as he wants to leave, even an opponent of the same level would find it hard to stop him.
Yet he chose to be captured into Impel Down in the past rather than escape on the spot,
This can barely be empathized with; top strongholds full of vigor can never let go of their unwillingness and pride, after all.
But after twenty years of silence, twenty years of preparation...
The means of revenge against this world is to conduct some IQ Fierce Beast research, releasing fierce beasts into the sea to trouble the World Government?
It makes no sense.
Anyway, Shano couldn't understand it.
"East Sea..."
Shano's eyes gleamed slightly.
He remembered that the Golden Lion's revenge started from the towns of the East Sea.
However, if the original timeline continued, Luffy wouldn't have to worry about this before he set out to sea.
But having traveled to this point, the butterfly effect he caused was just too great.
With the Golden Lion showing up three years in advance, who knows if he would start his plan early? And among those hapless towns in the East Sea, would there be islands that are familiar to him?
Hometown Cocoyashi Village, Goa Kingdom, Shimotsuki Village...
He would never allow the Golden Lion to lay a hand on these places.
"I have to return to the East Sea soon."
Shano patted Ah Yin, "There's only a thousand days of being a thief, never a thousand days of guarding against one. I need to find the Golden Lion's base camp, and obliterate this old thing, along with the entire Flying Pirates."
He couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental, looking at Ah Yin's panting face, he smiled and said:
"It's been a year since we left the East Sea, huh. Hey, Ah Yin, do you want to go back with me?"
Achoo!
Ah Yin sneezed loudly.
It glared at Shano ruefully; was returning to the East Sea important now? All it wanted was a hot bath, then lying in a warm bed, and enjoy a big bucket of strawberry milk.
Hauling such a massive hunk of muscle from the sea bottom was really tiring!
"From your eyes, I've seen your longing and yearning for home."
Shano nodded, deeply moved, "As expected, you really understand my heart better, yes, it's decided."
Back to East Sea!
Once the remaining aftermath of Cake Island is handled, set off directly!
After solving the trouble of the Golden Lion, it would be perfect to bring Belle-Mere over as well.
His headstrong adoptive mother had never ventured out of the East Sea in her entire life.
He remembered that during childhood, when he was clearing the Orange Garden with Nojiko and Nami, these two tag-alongs...
This woman would often smile and say that once they saved enough money and became rich, she would definitely take her children to places beyond the East Sea, especially to the Grand Line to see the world.
And now.
He had made a name for himself, no longer the rookie who had to flee when the Navy sent even a Grand Admiral, having his own domain in the New World.