Wright never expected that his trip to Skypiea would lead him to stumble upon none other than the legendary "Golden Lion" Shiki—who had been hiding above the clouds for seventeen years!
"If I had been flying below the cloud layer or hadn't encountered that towering cloud mass, I probably would have missed him entirely..."
As Wright took in the breathtaking scenery before him, he contemplated how to handle this unexpected situation.
Was the Golden Lion strong?
The answer was an emphatic yes—exceptionally strong.
His Devil Fruit ability was absurdly overpowered, his dual-blade swordsmanship rivaled the best, and he possessed ambition, patience, and strategy.
Leaving aside his legendary battle with Roger, Shiki had once stormed Marineford with a ship's helm lodged in his head, fighting head-on against Garp and Sengoku—both at their prime—wreaking havoc that destroyed half the city before he was finally captured and imprisoned in Impel Down's Level 6.
Yet even then, Shiki became the first and only prisoner to successfully escape from the supposedly inescapable Impel Down.
Though he lost both legs in the process, his Float-Float Fruit (Fuwa Fuwa no Mi) completely nullified this disadvantage.
After escaping, Shiki reunited with his trusted scientist, Dr. Indigo, and went into hiding. There, he used a unique plant called "IQ"—found on these airborne islands—to create genetically enhanced creatures in preparation for his revenge against the world.
Now, with Shiki appearing before him, Wright saw this as a golden opportunity.
Without the plot armor of a protagonist and the disadvantage of stormy weather, Shiki was the perfect test to measure Wright's current combat prowess!
However... before challenging the Golden Lion, he had to prepare meticulously. If he recalled correctly, some of these floating islands were inhabited.
Additionally, the drug responsible for the violent gigantification of the island's wildlife had to be destroyed!
Having made up his mind, Wright chose a spring-climate island, set up a Lightforged Beacon, and took out his Den Den Mushi.
"Purururu... click"
"Smoker, it's Wright. Are you available?"
"No problem. Hina and T Bone are handling some things; I'm free."
"Perfect. Lightforged Beacon, code 01332. Transfer ASAP."
"Two minutes."
Wright ended the call, and just over a minute later, a golden light flashed, and Smoker appeared beside the beacon.
"Where is this?"
Looking around, even the typically unromantic, steel-willed Smoker couldn't help but be awestruck by the majestic beauty of the floating islands.
"We have a massive challenge ahead."
Wright spoke gravely. Seeing his serious expression, Smoker also straightened up.
"Have you heard of the great pirate, 'Golden Lion' Shiki?"
As Smoker's eyes widened in shock, Wright recounted Shiki's legendary history.
"So, you're planning to take on the Golden Lion alone?"
Smoker frowned. "Why not use the Lightforged Beacons to gradually send in reinforcements and eliminate his forces?"
"If Shiki is defeated, his Float-Float Fruit powers will be nullified, and these islands will come crashing down."
Wright shot Smoker a look. "How do you expect an army to evacuate in time?"
"Even Vice Admirals can't fly, and using Moonwalk (Geppo) at this altitude to reach the ocean safely is suicide."
"Crocodile was just stripped of his Warlord title, and the three Logia admirals are all busy leading suppression efforts elsewhere. Calling them now is completely unrealistic—and their abilities aren't suited for this anyway."
"That's why, as a Logia user who can actually fly, you're my only viable backup!"
"Heh..."
Smoker exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "I'm honored. Never thought I'd outrank an admiral in priority someday."
"So, what's my role?"
"Some of these floating islands are inhabited—their people seem unique, and they might even be capable of flight."
"But they're under constant surveillance by Shiki, so we can't approach them just yet."
"Your job is to locate them first. Once I engage Shiki, you'll gather them and ensure their safe descent when the islands start falling."
"Understood. But you're just going to charge in headfirst?"
Smoker reached into his coat and pulled out a Den Den Mushi—
A Visual Den Den Mushi.
"Want me to record it?"
"..."
Wright stared blankly at Smoker.
"Why the hell are you carrying that around?"
"Baroque Works-related investigations require video and photographic evidence. I didn't go personally, but I took one of these just in case."
Smoker spoke matter-of-factly, completely unfazed by his own logic.
Wright smacked his forehead. "...Have you become addicted to playing war correspondent?"
"Fine. Record it if you want, but the safety of the islanders comes first!"
"Obviously."
"And no, I'm not just charging in blindly. Before the fight, I need to destroy the research Shiki has been hiding for over a decade."
"If these results—an evolution in the aggression of giant beasts—leak into the Grand Line, things will only get worse!"
"Got it. You're setting fire to his backyard first, making him come to you. Understood."
"I'll start locating the inhabited islands now. I'll take this beacon with me—you can't fight while carrying it."
Smoker was aware of Wright's plans to visit Skypiea, but he had no interest in tagging along. Using the beacon to teleport was far more convenient.
Thus, the Lightforged Beacon needed to be well protected.
As for whether Wright could defeat Shiki?
Please. If things went south, Wright could always retreat. His life wasn't in any real danger.
"Alright, let's begin."
...
Central Floating Island—snowflakes drifted in the air.
Inside a grand palace, beside a luxurious heated pool, the "Golden Lion" Shiki sat enjoying his lunch, a cigar hanging from his lips.
His golden hair cascaded down to the floor like a lion's mane, his sideburns and beard equally long, reaching his waist.
Yet despite his massive hair volume... he was bald on top.
For over twenty years, ever since the Battle of Edd War, a ship's helm had remained embedded in his skull—impossible to remove.
His legs had long since been replaced by his two legendary swords, Oto and Kogarashi, making him look even more fearsome.
"Puchi, puchi, puchi..."
A series of squelching, fart-like footsteps echoed. Shiki's forehead twitched as a vein bulged, his head bobbing in sync with the irritating sound.
"Damn it!"
Shiki finally snapped, roaring, "Can't you do something about that godforsaken noise?!"
The source of the sound was a bizarre man with blue hair, ghostly pale skin, a protruding belly, and a white lab coat.
With a flurry of exaggerated gestures, Dr. Indigo excitedly looked at Shiki.
"Huh?! What the hell are you saying?!"
"Boss Shiki! My research has made a breakthrough!" Indigo announced gleefully.
"You can talk?!" Shiki's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"What breakthrough?!"
Indigo dragged in a pink-suited, floral-printed shorts-wearing... giant gorilla.
"Huh?! Grandma, is that you?!"
Shiki's jaw dropped.
SMACK!
Indigo slapped Shiki on the head. "That's a gorilla, you idiot!"
"Ahem… This is its latest evolutionary stage! A super-evolution of intelligence!"
The gorilla struck a pose, grinning proudly.
"It possesses intelligence nearly on par with humans!"
"…"
"I wanted a combat type! A combat type!"
Shiki roared, then suddenly paused. He turned to look at the gorilla and exclaimed, "Ah! For a second, I thought my grandma had shown up!"
"…Just how much gorilla blood do you have in your veins?!"
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