He was an elderly man in his seventies or eighties, with meticulously styled brilliant golden hair. A ship's wheel-shaped ornament was slanted diagonally into his head, making him appear particularly peculiar.
He wore a loose-fitting golden kimono with subtle patterns embroidered along the hem, swaying gently with his movements. A sharp longsword was strapped to each of his feet, their blades faintly exuding a chilling coldness.
A smoking cigar hung from his mouth, pale blue smoke rings slowly rising and blurring the deep wrinkles on his face, yet unable to conceal his sharp, hawk-like eyes.
"Golden Lion... Shiki?!" Ryan exclaimed inwardly.
No wonder there were floating islands here! How could he have forgotten? This was the legendary pirate capable of making islands float in the sky using the Float-Float Fruit!
Golden Lion slowly descended, his toes hovering half a foot above the ground, his golden kimono gently fluttering in the wind.
He circled the shallow crater Ryan had created, the cigar twitching at the corner of his mouth as he let out a derisive chuckle: "This shape resembles that guy Kaido's transformed state, but these peach-colored scales look awkward, and the build is far inferior - that old monster is much more robust than you."
"Speak, little insect. What's your story?" Golden Lion stopped walking, looking down at Ryan with a scrutinizing gaze.
Ryan swallowed hard, his dragon throat making whimpering sounds as he tried to make his tone sound submissive: "I... I don't know."
He paused, organizing his chaotic thoughts, then recounted what he could about the events at Punk Hazard.
"I was originally a prisoner there. Later the laboratory exploded, poison gas everywhere... While fleeing for my life, I saw a strange fruit and ate it. Then I turned into this, flew all the way here without realizing it."
He deliberately avoided mentioning the Bloodline Factor and Artificial Devil Fruit - facing such an old fox, saying too much would only invite trouble.
Golden Lion narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze seeming to penetrate Ryan's scales, seeing right through him from inside out.
After a long moment, he suddenly grinned, revealing two rows of yellowish teeth: "Ate a fruit and turned out like this? Interesting."
He flicked the ash from his cigar, his tone carrying an undeniable command: "Since you've landed in my territory, you'll follow me for now."
Ryan hesitated almost not at all, immediately nodding in agreement.
He wasn't joking - the man before him was a legendary powerhouse from the old era, equal to Roger and Whitebeard!
Though he'd lost to Luffy in the movie, that was clearly plot convenience - in terms of actual strength, a newly flying little dragon like himself wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.
Besides, agreeing might offer a chance at survival. If he dared say "no," he'd probably be sliced in half by the swords on his feet the next second.
After all, he was a pirate!
Seeing Ryan agree so readily, a barely noticeable satisfaction flashed in Golden Lion's eyes. He then slightly lifted his chin, his tone carrying a hint of command: "Alright, stop lying there playing dead. Change back."
Ryan froze for a moment before realizing he was being told to return to human form.
He shook his peach-colored head awkwardly, his dragon pupils filled with helplessness: "I... I can't change back."
"Hmm?" Golden Lion raised an eyebrow, the swords at his feet trembling slightly with impatience. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know." Ryan carefully weighed his words, trying to make his sobbing sound clearer: "I just don't know how to change back."
Golden Lion frowned upon hearing this.
He stared at Ryan for a long moment, as if judging the truth of these words. The cigar in his mouth glowed with embers, blue smoke curling before his eyes.
After a moment, he suddenly snorted, as if having thought of something: "So you can't even control your ability. Utterly useless."
Though being insulted, Ryan actually felt relieved—at least the other didn't think he was deliberately hiding anything.
He drooped his tail, not daring to make a sound.
Golden Lion waved his hand impatiently and floated toward the island's interior: "Follow me, little insect. Just in time to show you what real power looks like."
His golden long hair fluttered in the wind, the solitary and powerful figure radiating unquestionable authority.
Ryan hurriedly struggled to climb out of the pit. The areas where his Scales had fallen off throbbed with pain, and his stamina hadn't fully recovered yet. But he didn't dare show any negligence, forcing himself to muster his strength as he stumbled along after the figure.
So what if he couldn't control his form? So what if he was called useless? At least he was temporarily safe for now.
If Han Xin could endure the humiliation of crawling between another's legs, why couldn't he, Ryan, bear this minor grievance?
Ryan shook his head, his pale yellow Dragon Whiskers swaying along. Perhaps by following this legendary pirate... he might find a way to control this power?
Watching Golden Lion's receding back, a faint spark of hope rekindled in his heart.
Following Golden Lion deeper into the island, the surroundings gradually changed. Winding stone paths were hidden among the dense forest, with numerous rust-stained nautical instruments scattered along the wayside.
In the distance, castle-like structures built against the mountains could vaguely be seen, emanating an aura both aged and imposing.
Just as they rounded a patch of giant ferns, a strange sound reached them—"pfft pfft"—like someone secretly letting out muffled farts, complete with rhythm.
Immediately after, a sharp and bizarre laugh rang out: "Kele kele... Who's this? Shiki, did you pick up a little snake?"
Ryan followed the sound and saw an odd man sitting on a rock by the path. He wore loose white surgical scrubs with unidentified stains at the collar and cuffs. His head was large and round, completely bald except for two tufts of pink curly hair on either side. A pair of round-lensed glasses sat on his nose bridge, the eyes behind them narrowed into slits as they curiously examined Ryan.
Most noticeable were the two upward-curling mustaches at the corners of his mouth, twitching along with the "pfft" sounds.
"Indigo." Ryan immediately had the answer—this was clearly Golden Lion's subordinate, the Flying Pirates' ship doctor Indigo.
Golden Lion glanced at Indigo, his tone flat: "Not a snake. A little insect."
"Kele kele... A little insect?" Indigo jumped down from the rock and circled Ryan twice, his nose sniffing close: "Smells like chemicals on him... Kele kele..."
Just then, heavy panting sounds came from the nearby bushes, and a robust black gorilla emerged.
Standing over two meters tall with bulging muscles, he wore a patterned bandana embroidered with a skull design, a bone necklace hung around his neck, and he gripped a thick wooden club, looking thoroughly intimidating. This was Scarlet, a combatant of the Flying Pirates.
Scarlet scratched his chin, breathing heavily, and poked Ryan with his finger.
Ryan staggered from the poke and instinctively shrank back.
"Still just a worm for now," Golden Lion exhaled a smoke ring. "We'll let him grow a bit first."
"Kare kare... Fatten him up to eat?" Indigo chimed in with a sarcastic tone.