"Yes, Lord Shiki!"
The subordinate immediately dropped to one knee and accepted the order with absolute respect. He understood how important the responsibility was and did not dare treat it lightly.
Once Shiki departed, maintaining Loguetown in the air and keeping the entire island under control would fall to him.
Shiki nodded in satisfaction before turning his gaze toward the distant horizon.
Toward the South Blue.
Ambition and anticipation burned in his eyes.
The South Blue was full of islands and kingdoms waiting to be claimed, and Shiki was already eager to see what could be added to the Eternal Divine Kingdom next.
"South Blue…"
A familiar grin spread across his face.
"I hear there are a few decent islands over there, along with several kingdoms that call themselves 'steel fortresses.'"
"JIHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter rolled through the sky.
"Perfect! They'll make excellent additions to my aerial fleet!"
Shiki already seemed able to picture it—fortress islands torn from the sea and incorporated into an ever-growing armada that could cross the skies wherever he pleased.
This time, however, he would not be making the journey alone.
A crimson figure silently appeared beside him, so quietly that there was almost no disturbance in the air.
The newcomer wore old-fashioned aristocratic clothing, every detail carrying traces of a nobility that belonged to another era. Time had left its mark upon his handsome features, but those years had only sharpened the distant, almost indifferent air surrounding him.
In one hand, he carried a slender bat-shaped umbrella.
His calm eyes gave the impression that very little remaining in this world could truly surprise him.
He was Patrick Redfield—
Red the Aloof, the legendary pirate said to have stood alone on the same level as the crews of Roger and Whitebeard.
"Shiki."
Redfield's voice was quiet, yet carried an unmistakable pressure.
"Your plans are still as noisy as ever."
He glanced toward the horizon.
"You could accomplish the same thing more simply."
"JIHAHAHAHA! Red, nothing worthwhile ever gets done quietly!"
Shiki laughed without the slightest concern.
"With an old monster like you coming along, taking the South Blue should be easy!"
It was difficult to imagine a more dangerous partnership.
On one side stood Golden Lion Shiki, the legendary Flying Pirate whose Float-Float Fruit granted extraordinary strategic mobility and the ability to manipulate entire islands. Wherever he went, battlefields themselves could be uprooted and rearranged to suit his purposes.
On the other stood Red the Aloof.
Redfield's Observation Haki had been cultivated to an extraordinary level, allowing him not merely to sense his surroundings but, in this world, even to peer into the thoughts and memories of others.
Secrets were difficult to hide from him.
Enemy deployments, concealed intentions, weaknesses buried beneath layers of deception—once Redfield focused his attention on a target, very little could remain hidden for long.
Together, their capabilities complemented each other almost perfectly.
Shiki provided overwhelming force and unmatched strategic mobility. He could move enormous landmasses through the sky, attack from directions no conventional fleet could anticipate, and crush large-scale resistance through sheer destructive power.
Redfield provided intelligence and precision.
He could identify critical information, locate the most important figures within an enemy force, and strike directly at the command structure before the opposition even understood what was happening.
This was not merely the strength of two legends added together.
Their combination covered each other's weaknesses and created a force far more dangerous than either operating alone.
And now—
their target was the South Blue.
Another storm was about to descend upon the seas.
Shiki wasted no more time.
He raised his hands slightly, and the Float-Float Fruit responded at once. Material beneath him gathered and rose into the air, forming a broad floating platform large enough for them to stand upon.
Redfield stepped onto it with effortless grace.
A moment later, the platform accelerated.
WHOOSH!
The two legends of the old era shot across the sky like a streak of light, rapidly disappearing toward the South Blue.
Behind them, the island of Loguetown continued its slow ascent into the heavens under the control of Shiki's subordinate.
What had once been one of the East Blue's most historically important towns now drifted through the sky beneath the banner of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
But for Shiki and Redfield—
Loguetown was already behind them.
Their attention had moved on to the next target.
The South Blue.
...
With two legends of the old era moving together once again, the skies over the East Blue and South Blue were about to be swept up in an even fiercer storm.
And with Golden Lion Shiki acting as the Eternal Divine Kingdom's spearhead, its expansion was accelerating at an alarming rate.
It was beginning to resemble an unstoppable flood, surging forward with enough force to swallow everything in its path and add one territory after another to the Divine Kingdom's growing domain.
...
Ten thousand meters above the sea, savage winds howled through the sky.
Below, an endless ocean of clouds rolled and churned, sometimes resembling raging waves and at other times rising like vast mountain ranges.
Shiki stood proudly atop the floating platform he had created, completely at ease despite the violent air currents tearing around them.
His familiar laughter occasionally rang through the sky before being scattered by the wind.
He glanced toward Redfield, who stood beside him with his eyes closed, looking as calm and unmoving as a stone monument.
"Hey, Red!"
Shiki grinned.
"We've reached the South Blue!"
He swept an arm toward the vast sea below.
"So where should we start? Which island should we move first and send back as a nice little gift for the Divine Kingdom?"
Redfield did not even open his eyes.
"Anywhere."
The answer was so indifferent that it immediately awakened Shiki's mischievous side.
His eyes shifted as an increasingly malicious idea formed in his head.
"JIHAHAHAHAHAHA! Anywhere?"
Shiki's grin widened.
"That's boring!"
"If we're going to do this, we might as well make it big!"
He suddenly pointed toward a specific direction below.
"If I remember correctly…"
A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
"That old bastard Sengoku's hometown is somewhere around here, isn't it?"
Redfield's eyelids moved slightly.
Shiki was already getting more excited by the second.
"There's a peaceful little island called Slender Island."
He stroked his chin.
"I heard the scenery's pretty good. Lots of greenery, nice sea breeze…"
His grin became increasingly wicked.
"And apparently they grow some damn good citrus fruit there too!"
Redfield remained silent.
That tiny reaction was more than enough encouragement for Shiki.
"JIHAHAHAHAHA!"
"That's it!"
"Slender Island!"
Shiki threw his arms wide, laughing like a man who had just discovered the greatest joke imaginable.
"We'll move the Fleet Admiral's hometown!"
He could already picture Sengoku's expression when the news reached Marineford.
"What better greeting gift could there be?!"
Shiki slapped his knee.
"I'd pay good money to see that old bastard's face when he finds out his hometown got stolen!"
"JIHAHAHAHAHA!"
"He'll probably be so pissed his whole face twists up!"
The idea was malicious even by Shiki's standards.
This was not simply taking another island.
It was a direct insult aimed at Sengoku himself.
Stealing the Fleet Admiral's hometown and carrying it away beneath the banner of the Eternal Divine Kingdom would be a humiliation aimed straight at the head of the Marines.
And Shiki clearly found the thought hilarious.
"Come on, Red!"
He raised one hand.
"Let's go help Fleet Admiral Sengoku 'move house'!"
Shiki manipulated the floating platform beneath them, and it immediately changed direction.
The air screamed around its edges as it accelerated.
Redfield opened his eyes just enough to glance ahead, offering no objection.
A moment later, the two legends shot across the sky like meteors.
Their destination was clear.
Slender Island—
the hometown of Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
...
At that very moment, Slender Island remained completely peaceful.
The residents went about their ordinary lives, working from sunrise until sunset as they had for years.
Citrus orchards stretched across the hills beneath the warm sunlight, and gentle sea winds moved through the trees.
No one on the island had the slightest idea that two monsters from the previous era were already racing toward them through the sky.
And one of those monsters intended to steal their entire home.