A thousand meters up in the sky, Aeridar soared through the clouds, flying higher and higher.
He searched the surrounding sky for a long time, and with his speed, he'd already covered a twenty-mile radius around the battlefield. But apart from a few birds, he found nothing.
"Huh... Was it a hallucination or a trick of the mind?" Aeridar rubbed his chin, a puzzled look on his face. "But that doesn't feel right. I've never had a premonition or a vision like this before, and it's even less likely for me to have one now."
Given Aeridar's power, he was a force of nature, a monster. Those who reach such a level are unwavering in spirit. Even hallucinogenic drugs would have little to no effect on such powerful beings, let alone some random hallucination. Even those with Observation Haki don't experience illusions for no reason, and it's even more impossible for someone with Aeridar's strong spirit, who is an expert in Observation Haki and possesses Conqueror's Haki, to experience them without cause.
Therefore, the sudden vision was very likely a result of his precognitive ability.
With his powerful Observation Haki, he might have overlooked a single person. But the vision in his mind was a floating island. If it was real, it meant that the man didn't come alone and had likely brought a crew with him. A few hundred or a thousand meters in altitude is the most suitable for a crew, as anything higher would make it difficult for ordinary people to breathe in the thin air. So, as long as it appeared within Aeridar's Observation Haki range, it couldn't escape his detection.
"Hmm?"
After circling in the air for a while, Aeridar seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head to the east. From within the clouds, a massive shadow was gradually emerging.
"Is that..." Aeridar's face tightened as he vaguely guessed what it was.
Soon, the giant shadow burst from the clouds. It was a massive, island-like ship with huge sails and long oars on its sides. It was floating thousands of meters in the air, moving forward steadily.
"Haha... So it really was that ability," a wicked smile appeared on Aeridar's lips. "Precognition, a decent ability. Good! Very good!"
When he saw the huge island ship with the Golden Lion Pirates symbol on its sails, floating through the air, he knew it matched the image in his mind.
"But..." Aeridar's expression shifted. "The future hasn't changed."
The scene in his mind was of the Golden Lion's island ship breaking through the clouds, and what he was seeing now was exactly the same. Aeridar didn't reveal himself, as he still hadn't figured out why they were here. He hid on the side, watching the massive island ship gradually descend toward the battlefield below.
On the battlefield, Doflamingo and Caesar were still in a fierce fight. Both of them had wounds from their opponent, but even though it was a tough and intense battle, Doflamingo never called for Aeridar's help. He was a tyrannical ruler, but he was also a monster-level powerhouse with Conqueror's Haki and his own pride. If he were truly losing, he wasn't one to needlessly overexert himself, but he wasn't losing yet, nor was he at a disadvantage. Calling for help now would be unbecoming of his status as a king.
Clang!
As they clashed in close combat, Caesar swung his sword, its edge whistling as it tore through the air. Doflamingo moved his five fingers, sending out five solid, thin strings that directly blocked the sword's path. As they collided, a powerful surge of energy burst forth, creating a visible shockwave that swept through the surroundings.
"Hm?"
At this moment, both men seemed to feel something, and they both released their hold and looked up.
"Oh my God! Wh-what is that?"
"G-g-gulp... A met-meteor, or an island?"
"No way, no way! This can't be real!"
"We're going to die!"
A giant shadow loomed over the battlefield. Countless people looked up to see an island descending from the sky, leaving them dumbfounded, terrified, and filled with despair.
If such an island were to fall, even a small one would be enough to turn a ten-kilometer radius into a wasteland, killing all life. If it hit the battlefield directly, ninety-nine percent of the people on it would probably die. After all, while there were many strong fighters and experts on the battlefield, there were far more ordinary soldiers and pirates who had no way of surviving the immense impact of a falling island.
However, the massive island ship stopped about a hundred meters above the battlefield and remained motionless.
"Jihahahahaha! Caesar, you still alive, brat?"
As countless people watched in confusion, a wild, arrogant laugh came from the island ship.
"Did he come for that glass-head bastard? An enemy, or an ally?" Doflamingo was startled. He glanced at Caesar and quickly jumped backward, standing on a threadway in mid-air.
"Hahahaha! Shiki-san, you're a bit late, aren't you?"
Caesar grinned, his elegant and noble demeanor gone as he laughed out loud. At the same time, he thought to himself, 'The reinforcements have arrived. We've won this fight!'
"Shiki?" Doflamingo's brows furrowed. The name felt familiar, very familiar, but he couldn't recall who it was.
At that moment, a figure flew down from the island ship in the sky. The man had long, wild golden hair, like a lion's mane. His sideburns and beard were also golden and very long. He wore an orange and yellow striped outfit, and something that looked like a ship's rudder was attached to his head, either as a decoration or something else. Most importantly, his feet were two gleaming, sharp swords. Or rather, the two swords had replaced his feet.
"Go-Golden Lion Shiki!" A vein twitched in Doflamingo's eye, and a few drops of cold sweat trickled down his cheek.
Doflamingo recognized the man before him: a legendary pirate, a living legend, on par with the Pirate King, Whitebeard, and the Red-Haired Shanks.
"Jihahahahaha! I feel I've arrived at the perfect time!" Shiki spread his arms and slowly descended, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Doflamingo, who seemed to be standing in mid-air.
A vast, ocean-like aura washed over them, seemingly consuming everything and shrouding the entire sky, making him the only thing people could see.
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