The fiery red sun hung in the sky.
The pale blue sky, like a clean velvet curtain, was edged with a golden border.
In the high white clouds, birds flew in from one side and out from the other.
If one looked closely, they would notice an island faintly visible within these massive clouds.
And if the view were zoomed in, one could see various plants growing on this island.
Among these plants stood a colossal castle.
Its entire structure was pitch black, as if cast from ink, gleaming with a metallic sheen under the sunlight.
Just from its exterior, one could tell the castle was incredibly sturdy.
Around its perimeter were dozens of walls made of black stone blocks, each housing different kinds of animals.
Their shapes and sizes varied, but every one of them had a fierce glint in their eyes.
If not for the animals' extreme abnormality, this place would resemble an animal farm.
But this was, in fact, the base of one of the three legendary pirates: Shiki The Golden Lion.
The floating island, "STRONG WORLD!!"
At the entrance of the black castle stood a man wearing a white coat, his chest exposed, and a blue-and-yellow scarf wrapped around his neck.
His face was an eerie pale white, and he wore glasses on his head, making him look like a clown.
In his hand, he held a bottle of green liquid, crystal clear, resembling a delicious drink.
In front of him stood a small deer.
The man raised the green liquid and extended it toward the deer.
Initially hesitant, the deer, upon catching the plant-like scent of the liquid, seemed entranced.
The deer leaned its head forward and began licking the liquid.
In no time, the liquid in the man hand was completely consumed by the deer.
However, within half a minute, something bizarre happened.
The once lively deer, with clear eyes, began to undergo a strange transformation.
Its bones crackled, its eyes rolled back, and its pupils turned completely white.
In the next second,
they turned blood red.
Its entire body rapidly expanded, growing larger and larger.
Its skin was torn apart by the rapidly growing muscles, exposing blood-red flesh to the air.
But soon, a layer of black skin formed over the exposed red muscles.
Just like the color of the castle, it looked incredibly tough.
Under the sunlight, it gleamed with a metallic sheen.
"ROOOAARR!"
With a deep roar, the deer transformation ceased.
Now, it had become a monster with four hooves, much like the animals kept within the black walls.
If not for the two antlers on its head, no one would recognize it as a deer.
The clown-like man, witnessing this scene, showed no fear. Instead, he let out a piercing laugh.
"Kehehehhe..."
It sounded spine-chilling.
Just as the man was laughing wildly, a calm voice suddenly interrupted him.
"Hey! Your awareness is lacking!"
"You didn't even notice someone here!"
Hearing this, the man expression changed drastically.
On this floating island, apart from him and Shiki, there wasn't a single human being.
The sudden sound of a human voice made a bead of cold sweat form on his forehead.
It was clear that whoever could discover this island and make their way up here was no ordinary individual.
After all, this place was several thousand meters above the ground and below it was nothing but a vast ocean.
The voice seemed to come from all directions, and the man knew this wasn't the time to ponder over these details.
He frantically looked around but couldn't spot a single figure.
Just as he turned his head back, a bald man appeared right in front of him.
Instantly, the man face turned pale and he began flailing his arms and legs, as if dancing, in a comically exaggerated manner.
But in the next second.
He suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing, and several smooth spheres shot out from his gloves.
They flew straight toward Bob.
"BOOM!!"
In an instant, a deafening explosion rang out as the spheres detonated mid-air one after another.
A massive burst of flames erupted, the intense heat causing the surrounding temperature to rise slightly.
The mutated deer, startled by the commotion, bolted in all directions, its four legs thrashing wildly.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!"
Its massive body slammed into the black walls, the sheer force of the impact making the ground tremble as if it were shaking.
Yet, the walls remained completely unscathed, showing no signs of damage! It was as if the deer's attacks were as ineffective as paper.
The clown-like man glanced at the rampaging deer, his expression unchanged.
He knew this deer posed no threat to him.
But the man from earlier was clearly trouble, and he had vanished once again.
'I definitely hit him in that surprise attack!'
'How did he just disappear like that?'
The man thought to himself, his eyes darting around.
But still, he couldn't see a single figure, as if it had all been an illusion, and no one had actually appeared.
However, the crazed deer was proof that this wasn't an illusion—the enemy must be hiding somewhere nearby.
Swish!
Suddenly, a figure appeared, and the man reacted swiftly, hurling something with all his might.
But in the next moment.
The figure vanished, only to reappear abruptly behind the man, a hand gripping his neck.
"Calm down, I'm not here to pick a fight!"
"I'm looking for your captain!"
"Golden Lion Shiki!"
Hearing this, the man twisted expression gradually relaxed and he let out a long sigh.
There was no need for the man to lie—after all, he could easily take his life at any moment.
And the fact that he had found this place alone suggested he must be an old friend of the captain.
Thinking this, the clown-like man began flailing his arms and legs again.
Bob watched, utterly baffled.
He couldn't understand what the man was trying to convey and after observing for a while, he finally shook his head.
Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he headed straight for the castle.
But just then, a familiar laugh interrupted Bob steps.
It was a laugh that carried both nostalgia and a sense of seasoned wisdom.
"Jihahaha! Bob!"
"Long time no see!"
As soon as the words were spoken, Shiki appeared before Bob.
With a ship's wheel on his head and a cigar in his mouth, he looked just as punchable as ever.
As he spoke, he casually threw the renowned sword, Oto and Kogarashi in his hand.
Whoosh!
The sound of it cutting through the air echoed.
In the next second.
The rampaging deer fell into a pool of blood.
"Long time no see!"
"Shiki!"
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Read One piece : Glory to the fleet admiral
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