What happened at the Sabaody Archipelago was ultimately sealed tight, confined to a very limited circle of those in the know—especially the matter of Golden Lion Shiki's appearance.
That outcome was the result of multiple factors converging at once.
For one, Enel's bloody "purge" of the lawless zone—and his subsequent clash with the Dark King, Rayleigh—had caused massive destruction. Buildings were reduced to rubble, casualties mounted, and countless witnesses fled in terror. The sheer scale of the chaos effectively blurred the focus of the incident.
Then came Admiral Kizaru and the Marine forces under his command. They swiftly took control of the affected areas, sealing them off and placing strict controls on the flow of information.
In the end, what the world received was an explosive yet barely self-consistent "official version."
A representative of the Worst Generation, "Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy and his crew had brazenly attacked and killed the World Noble Saint Charlos at Sabaody. The act had triggered the pursuit of a Marine Admiral and resulted in large-scale unrest and destruction across parts of the archipelago.
Once "Big News" Morgans of the World Economy News obtained the headline "Straw Hat Crew Kills Celestial Dragon," he was more than satisfied. That alone was a bombshell. He began manufacturing the story in earnest, never knowing—nor bothering to imagine—that Golden Lion Shiki had appeared afterward.
Thus, the number of true witnesses could be counted on one hand.
Rayleigh was no gossip. He simply returned to his quiet life as a coating mechanic, as though nothing extraordinary had occurred.
Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino, might have mentioned certain irregularities in his report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. But given his trademark "ambiguous justice," he would most likely gloss over it with something like:
"The situation was more complicated than anticipated. An unexpected powerhouse intervened, but the core incident has been resolved."
He would not casually place the name "Golden Lion Shiki" on the table. That would invite endless investigation, trouble, and disturbance—ruining the peace he so dearly cherished.
At most, he might privately mention to Sengoku that "there seem to be some new… developments on Gern's side."
As for Trafalgar Law, he never had the chance to leak a single word.
Because he was taken away from Sabaody by Gern, Golden Lion Shiki, Enel, and Kuma—escorted directly to G-10.
In the end, the only party truly left licking its wounds was the Straw Hat crew.
…
One week later.
New World. G-10 Base. Gern's private garden.
Golden Lion Shiki stood with his head lowered, staring at the pair of legs that Trafalgar Law had painstakingly crafted for him using the power of the Op-Op Fruit. Carefully selected. Perfectly connected flesh and nerves. Seamless integration.
His hands trembled as he touched the skin, feeling real sensation beneath his fingers. Warm blood flowing. Muscles responding.
The joy of regaining what he had lost was so overwhelming that he abandoned the two liberated Meito—Oto and Kogarashi—without a second glance and broke into a run toward Gern.
"Jihahaha… My legs… my legs are really back!!"
"Marine brat! Look! Hurry up and look! They're legs! Real legs!"
As if merely showing them off wasn't enough, the emotionally unhinged Golden Lion dropped to his knees in front of Gern. In a display of excessive "affection," he began kissing his own restored legs.
Then, perhaps because some nerve fired incorrectly—or perhaps because he simply lost himself in the moment—he lifted one foot and looked ready to lick it.
The sight was so disturbingly heartfelt that Gern, who had been leisurely sipping tea, felt his eyelid twitch violently.
"What the hell?! Are you disgusting or what?!"
Before the sentence had fully left his mouth, Gern's hand flashed out.
"I'm drinking tea, you idiot!"
Bang!
Caught completely off guard, Shiki was sent flying by the sheer force of the slap. He spun wildly through the air, flipping several times before crashing down in an undignified heap.
The impact, however, did have one positive effect—it knocked some of the madness out of him.
Shiki shook his dizzy head and climbed back to his feet. To his credit, he didn't lose his temper.
After spending time at G-10, he had grown… accustomed to Gern's blunt, merciless style.
Dusting grass and dirt from his clothes, he turned his gaze toward Trafalgar Law, who had been standing quietly to the side the entire time, hands in his pockets, expression calm and detached.
"Brat. This thing on my head." Shiki pointed to the ship's wheel embedded in his skull. "When can you take it out?"
Law's tone remained steady.
"The wheel is embedded too deeply, and it's been compressing critical brain nerves for years. If I forcibly move or remove it using the Op-Op Fruit's ability, the resulting neural collapse and brain tissue damage would kill you instantly."
Shiki's expression darkened at once. The joy of his restored legs dimmed.
"So… there's no other way?!" His voice sharpened with irritation.
"There is."
Law nodded without hesitation. A faint curve lifted the corner of his mouth.
Over the past week, Shiki had practically worshipped him within G-10—granting every request, fawning shamelessly, desperate for healing.
That treatment had slowly emboldened Law. The fear and caution he'd felt on Sabaody had evolved into calculation.
Into leverage.
Today, he intended to throw out his bargaining chip.
Meeting Shiki's reignited gaze, Law spoke evenly.
"I can continue researching a safer, more stable surgical method."
"But…"
He deliberately paused, emphasizing the word.
"I need you to do something for me."
For a brief instant, Shiki's face stiffened.
Then the displeasure vanished, replaced by a grin as he drawled:
"Oh? What kind of thing…? Let's hear it."
Law inhaled deeply, staring straight into those oppressive eyes.
"Help me destroy a man."
"Name."
"Donquixote Doflamingo."
Gern's tea-sipping motion paused ever so slightly. Then he chuckled softly, shaking his head.
He did not intervene.
Instead, he added fuel to the fire.
"Doflamingo, huh…"
"Tsk, tsk. One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. 'Heavenly Yaksha.' The 'Joker' of the underworld."
"Most importantly…"
Gern deliberately stretched the last words, glancing sideways at Shiki.
"He happens to be an important 'partner' under one of your old crewmates."
"Old crewmate?" Shiki frowned, instinctively turning his head. "Newgate? Linlin?"
Gern spoke the name lightly.
"Kaido."
"Kaido…" Shiki repeated under his breath.
Seeing hesitation flicker across the Golden Lion's face, Law pressed forward immediately.
"If you help me, I will remove your wheel perfectly. Without the slightest damage."
..
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