And what had just happened was only the beginning.
Golden Lion Shiki, one of the most infamous and feared pirates on the seas, had used his overwhelming power and boundless ambition to do something capable of shocking the entire world.
He had taken Loguetown—the town known as the place of beginning and end—and lifted it into the sky.
For countless pirates, Loguetown had always represented the beginning of a dream and the turning point where destiny could change forever. Now, this town steeped in history and legend had been torn free from the sea beneath Shiki's power and was steadily rising toward the heavens.
Panic consumed the entire island.
The once-bustling streets descended into chaos as residents screamed, prayed, and fled without knowing where they could possibly go. Some shouted themselves hoarse in an attempt to vent their terror, while others dropped to their knees and begged whatever gods they believed in to protect their families.
A few simply collapsed where they stood, staring blankly at the sky as despair overwhelmed them.
Amid all that chaos, one figure appeared above the center of town.
He floated there like a king overlooking his domain.
Golden Lion Shiki.
His golden kimono fluttered in the wind while his mane-like hair streamed behind him like a blazing lion's mane. The ship's wheel embedded in his head only made his already unmistakable silhouette even more bizarre and imposing.
Shiki stood upon empty air as naturally as though an invisible staircase existed beneath his feet.
Below him, frightened civilians and tense Marines alike looked insignificant.
A wide grin spread across his face, carrying equal parts madness, arrogance, and complete confidence that everything was unfolding exactly as he intended.
Then his amplified voice thundered across the island.
It cut straight through the screaming crowds, roaring wind, and crashing waves below until every corner of the rising Loguetown could hear him clearly.
"JIHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Shiki's laughter rolled over the town.
"Listen up, you trash of Loguetown!"
His voice carried such overwhelming authority that the chaos below gradually quieted as people instinctively looked toward the figure floating overhead.
"From this moment onward, the land beneath your feet—this island flying through the sky—no longer belongs to the World Government!"
His grin widened.
"And it doesn't belong to you either!"
Confusion swept through the crowds.
Shiki slowly spread his arms as though embracing the entire island.
"This island has officially been requisitioned by the Eternal Divine Kingdom!"
For a moment, there was stunned silence.
Then he continued.
"And every last one of you living here—whether you're a civilian, a pirate…"
His sharp gaze deliberately shifted toward the Marine Branch.
"…or a Marine!"
Mockery filled his eyes.
"From this moment onward, all of you are citizens of the Eternal Divine Kingdom!"
The declaration exploded across Loguetown.
"Your lives!"
"Your futures!"
"Your fate!"
Shiki threw his head back arrogantly.
"They'll all be decided by the Divine Kingdom!"
"And by me—GOLDEN LION SHIKI!"
For several seconds, no one seemed capable of processing what they had just heard.
Then the entire town erupted.
"The Eternal Divine Kingdom?!"
"Golden Lion joined the Eternal Divine Kingdom?!"
"W-Wait…"
Someone stared around in disbelief.
"Does that mean… we're citizens of the Divine Kingdom now?"
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
An enraged Marine shouted from the crowd.
"WE'RE MARINES!"
Shiki's announcement had produced wildly different reactions.
Most civilians simply stood there in confusion.
They barely understood what the Eternal Divine Kingdom even was.
All they knew was that their home had suddenly risen into the sky, a terrifying legendary pirate now controlled whether they lived or died, and someone had apparently decided that they belonged to an entirely different country without bothering to ask them.
Their future had become completely unknowable.
Meanwhile, some local thugs and pirates reacted very differently.
After the initial shock passed, excitement began creeping across their faces.
Greed flashed in their eyes.
To them, the chaos looked less like a disaster and more like opportunity.
If Golden Lion truly served the Eternal Divine Kingdom, then perhaps aligning themselves with this new power could give them a far greater backing than anything they had possessed before.
Their minds immediately began racing with possibilities.
The Marine Branch, however, reacted as though a declaration of war had just been delivered directly to its doorstep.
For years, the branch had stood in Loguetown as a fortress of Marine authority, responsible for maintaining order and Justice throughout one of the East Blue's most important towns.
And now—
without warning—
Golden Lion Shiki had simply declared that the entire island, Marines included, belonged to the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
...
Inside the Marine Branch, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Every officer and soldier wore the same stunned, grim expression, but Vice Admiral Karon looked the worst of all.
The veteran officer's face twisted with humiliation and fury as he forced himself back to his feet despite the pain in his body. His arms trembled from the strain, yet his back remained stubbornly straight.
"Golden Lion! Don't even think about it!"
Karon raised his head and roared toward the sky.
"The Marines will never submit to you! The World Government won't let you get away with this!"
His voice echoed over the rising island.
"JIHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Shiki laughed as though he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"The World Government?"
Mockery filled his voice.
"They've got enough problems keeping themselves alive right now!"
His smile vanished as his eyes turned cold.
"As for you…"
A crushing pressure erupted from his body.
The force descended over the Marine Branch like a mountain, instantly silencing the furious shouts coming from below.
Marines stiffened where they stood.
Some began trembling involuntarily beneath the overwhelming presence, unable to move even though resentment still burned in their eyes.
Shiki stared down at them.
"Submit…"
His voice was colder than before.
"…or die."
There was no humor left in his expression.
"That's the only choice the Divine Kingdom is giving you."
Around the edges of the flying island, enormous lion-shaped masses created through the Float-Float Fruit began to churn.
Cloud, stone, and debris gathered into huge leonine heads that loomed over Loguetown, silently demonstrating exactly what would happen if anyone tried to resist.
Shiki did not need to explain further.
His decision was final.
He intended to take the island by force.
Its land.
Its population.
Even the Marines stationed there.
Whether the people of Loguetown liked it or not, Shiki had already decided that all of it now belonged to the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
And then, in the most arrogant manner imaginable, the Golden Lion planted the flag of the Eternal Divine Kingdom upon the newly airborne territory.
The banner snapped violently in the high-altitude wind.
It was more than a flag.
It was a declaration.
Golden Lion Shiki had returned to the world stage, and his ambition to expand the Divine Kingdom's territory was no longer being hidden from anyone.
The peaceful skies of the East Blue had changed in an instant.
Fear spread throughout Loguetown as civilians stared at the flag overhead.
"We really… belong to the Divine Kingdom now?"
"This is terrifying…"
"Is this going to be good for us or bad?"
No one knew.
All they understood was that their home had been lifted into the sky and claimed by a power they had barely begun to understand.
And in the strangest possible fashion, the territory of the Eternal Divine Kingdom had begun expanding again.
Shiki had simply taken an entire island.
...
After creating enough chaos and fear to crush any immediate thoughts of resistance, the Golden Lion showed no intention of remaining in Loguetown.
He had other things to do.
Shiki turned toward one of his trusted subordinates, a man who had also obtained the ability of the Float-Float Fruit through the Divine Kingdom's methods.
"I'm leaving this place to you."
His tone was casual, but the threat beneath it was unmistakable.
"Keep an eye on this island."
Shiki glanced down toward the streets below.
"And keep an eye on these people."
His gaze sharpened.
"When I get back, if even one damn stone is missing…"
A dangerous grin spread across his face.
"…you'll answer to me personally."
The subordinate immediately straightened.
There was no possibility of misunderstanding the order.
Loguetown was now property of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
And until Shiki returned—
nothing, and no one, was allowed to disappear.