"Shiki!"
"So it really is you!"
Staring at the figure that had suddenly appeared before her, Granny Nyon—who had been under protection—gently pushed aside the guard at her side and stepped forward with a heavy expression. Her gaze met that of the Golden Lion.
The moment she saw the island floating in the sky, she had already had her suspicions. But when the Golden Lion truly appeared before her eyes, her emotions still turned indescribably complex.
A trace of nostalgia flashed through Shiki's eyes as he let out a sigh.
"I never would've imagined that after all these years, the Flame Flower once adored by countless pirates would end up like this."
"Time truly spares no one."
"You've changed quite a bit yourself, Shiki," Granny Nyon replied with a sigh of her own.
Seeing an old companion seemed to stir memories of past glory, and the panic on her face gradually faded away.
In its place was an almost unnerving calm.
"Why attack Amazon Lily!?" she demanded. "There shouldn't be anything here that you want!"
After all, they had once been comrades. Upon realizing that the attacker was Shiki, she still harbored a faint hope of persuading him to withdraw.
However, something she never expected happened next.
At that moment, another burst of laughter suddenly echoed from the opposite end of the palace.
"Zehahahahaha! That's not necessarily true, old lady!"
"How can you be so sure there's nothing here that we want?"
A towering, rough-looking figure clad in a pitch-black cloak styled like a Marine coat emerged from the shadows and strode to Shiki's side.
"You are… Blackbeard, Teach!?"
Granny Nyon's pupils shrank, shock flashing across her face.
Whether in the underworld or in reports published by the World Economy News Paper, it had long been stated that Golden Lion Shiki was cooperating with Blackbeard.
Their pirate alliance was even publicly known as the Black Lion Alliance, with Blackbeard's name placed first.
Yet Shiki's reputation as a legendary pirate was simply too overwhelming.
So overwhelming, in fact, that many believed Blackbeard to be nothing more than Shiki's subordinate.
However…
Looking at Blackbeard standing shoulder to shoulder with Shiki—his presence completely undiminished—Granny Nyon instantly realized that the situation might be far different from what she had assumed.
Blackbeard bared his teeth in a vicious grin and bluntly declared their purpose.
"Old lady, seeing as you and Lord Shiki are old acquaintances, as long as you hand over the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, we'll leave this country immediately!"
"But if you refuse…"
"I can't guarantee that after today, your nation will still exist!"
"Don't forget—"
"That island in the sky could come crashing down at any moment!"
Blackbeard locked his threatening gaze onto Granny Nyon.
Since the formation of the Black Lion Alliance, Blackbeard had already used the Dark-Dark Fruit to seize no fewer than ten Devil Fruit abilities.
To continue borrowing Shiki's Float-Float Fruit power, ensure his own safety, and quietly expand his influence, Blackbeard had shown considerable "sincerity" by handing over more than half of those Devil Fruit abilities to pirates loyal to Shiki.
Even so, his demand left Granny Nyon stunned.
"Your target… is Hancock!?"
She froze for a moment before realizing that the force mentioned through the Den Den Mushi—those who had intercepted them earlier—likely didn't belong to the Black Lion Alliance at all.
But that only meant the situation hadn't improved.
It had become even more dangerous.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
Granny Nyon raised her head.
"Amazon Lily has never feared any enemy!"
"And the Amazon Lily Kingdom would never cling to life by betraying its Empress!"
"If you think threats like this will intimidate us—then you are gravely mistaken!!!"
Bang!
Her serpent-shaped staff slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash.
A powerful aura—far beyond what her aged body should have been able to produce—erupted from Granny Nyon.
Though that aura wasn't overwhelmingly strong, the resolve burning in her eyes made even Shiki glance at her twice, his expression subtly shifting.
Blackbeard, however—single-minded and ruthless in pursuit of his goals—only grinned wider.
"As expected of a former member of the Rocks Pirates!"
"That presence is impressive!"
"But—"
"I wasn't joking either!!!"
Blackbeard suddenly reached out, and swirling black mist like a vortex formed in his palm.
In an instant, Granny Nyon felt an unbelievable suction force drag at her body.
Already advanced in age, she had no power to resist and was yanked straight from where she stood, slammed into Blackbeard's grasp as his hand closed around her throat.
"Granny Nyon!"
The leopard-patterned guard cried out in panic.
But already injured—and struck moments earlier by falling debris—she could barely move, let alone rescue Granny Nyon from Blackbeard's grip.
"Zehahahahaha…"
Blackbeard let out his signature villainous laugh, even causing his ally Shiki to cast him an odd look.
Shiki's cooperation with Blackbeard had begun on a whim.
But after they stormed Impel Down and the special nature of Blackbeard's Devil Fruit was exposed, Shiki had gained far too many benefits from him.
Over time, he found himself reluctant to sever the partnership.
As for Blackbeard…
What he truly wanted was to kill Shiki and take the Float-Float Fruit for himself.
But after failing to find the right opportunity or confidence to do so, he had once again chosen the next best option.
Whitebeard—Red—Golden Lion—
After weighing his choices, his sights ultimately fell upon Empress Hancock.
Having once studied the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia in great detail, Blackbeard understood the special properties of Devil Fruits better than almost anyone.
The Love-Love Fruit had been on his hunting list for a very long time.
Though it paled in comparison to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, lacked the agility of the Float-Float Fruit, and was nowhere near as miraculous as the power wielded by that brat Red—
The Love-Love Fruit was an exceedingly rare Paramecia, rivaling even Mythical Zoans, possessing multiple stages of ability!
Its powers could be divided into two phases.
The first phase was what Hancock normally displayed—granting overwhelming charm, constantly emitting intense mental waves that influenced others.
The second phase turned anyone affected by the user into stone.
And that petrification could only be undone by the current user.
Not even another Love-Love Fruit user could reverse it.
In other words, turning someone to stone was equivalent to holding absolute dominion over their life and death.
From a deterrence standpoint, the Love-Love Fruit was far inferior to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit or the Float-Float Fruit.
But—
What Blackbeard truly valued was not its combat potential.
As powerful and versatile as petrification sounded, that wasn't the real reason he coveted it.
What he truly desired was the fruit's ability to enhance one's personal charm.
In the world of pirates, there had never been a method to train mental strength.
And mental strength was a critical attribute for Devil Fruit users.
The use of abilities, their awakening, even the power of Conqueror's Haki—all were deeply tied to mental strength.
To Blackbeard, Hancock's use of the Love-Love Fruit was nothing short of wasteful.
Her straightforward, brute-force fighting style showed that she treated the fruit as nothing more than an amplifier for her beauty.
She had never truly cultivated its deeper potential.
Blackbeard had long planned that once he obtained the Love-Love Fruit, his first step would be to fully develop it and greatly enhance his own mental strength.
Then, using its charm-enhancing effects, he would tilt the pirates of the Black Lion Alliance further toward himself.
This was also one of the key reasons he currently dared not split from Shiki.
The name of a legendary pirate carried far too much weight.
Within the Black Lion Alliance, the vast majority of lower-ranking pirates had joined for Shiki's sake and remained loyal to him.
In comparison, aside from a handful of powerful Impel Down pirates with sharper insight—those who could see Blackbeard's immense potential—
Blackbeard's standing within the alliance was awkwardly unstable.
That was why he had used the excuse of helping Shiki create more ability users to secure his cooperation in obtaining the Love-Love Fruit.
However…
Just as Blackbeard indulged in his grand ambitions, Granny Nyon—clutched in his grasp—suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The bright crimson splashed across Blackbeard's palm, reflecting a pair of unyielding eyes.
"Even if you kill me," she rasped, "I will never tell you where the Snake Princess is."
"Tch—what a stubborn old hag!"
"In that case, go rot in hell!!!"
"I don't believe every woman on this island is as tight-lipped as you!"
Anger flared across Blackbeard's face.
Endless darkness churned wildly in his hand, as if it were about to drag Granny Nyon's flesh and blood into that horrifying abyss.
Even Shiki, witnessing this, couldn't help but feel shaken.
No matter what, Granny Nyon had once been his comrade.
Watching a former ally face death at Blackbeard's hands made him avert his gaze.
And yet—
Just like in every story where a savior appears at the critical moment—
A sharp cry rang out from beyond the palace walls, just before Blackbeard crushed her throat.
"Stop!!!"
(End of Chapter)