Sunset Red Team

To be honest, Ma Qiao always felt that the Golden Lion was not quite right in the head.

Ma Qiao could understand, to some extent, the ideas of other villains who wanted to destroy the world.

A guy like Obito Uchiha extremely delusional and shouted that he wanted to "create a world with Rin," could basically be classified as mentally ill, but that didn't stop him from having some logic. He was even adored by many delusional teenagers and was regarded as a representative of infatuation.

Golden Lion Shiki, who endured hardship for over twenty years, attempted to destroy the East Blue because he believed East Blue was too weak and that using it as an execution ground would be an insult to Gol D. Roger.

This is something even someone with a 30-year history of cerebral thrombosis couldn't understand.

Roger was from the East Blue; he died in his hometown, his soul returning home. The Navy has already been very considerate, hasn't it?

Ma Qiao studied various cultures, both Eastern and Western, as well as customs from the pirate world, but found no reason to support Golden Lion's logic.

Of course, it can't be said that there is none at all.

Some creatures, who would rather breathe sweet air amidst gunfire, might indeed view returning to their roots as an insult.

But in most cases, a child doesn't despise its mother for being ugly, and a dog doesn't despise its home for being poor; human moral standards are still higher than those of dogs.

Roger was clearly the same.

Therefore, Ma Qiao knew that he was dealing with a severely mentally ill person who had no logic and could not be judged by common sense.

However, one thing is certain: Golden Lion Shiki is an extremely stubborn and conservative guy, the kind of guy who always talks about how great our era was and how great today's young people are.

So Ma Qiao first showed a bunch of photos of himself with other strong figures from the same era as Shiki, thus bridging the gap between them.

Then, Ma Qiao finally explained his purpose.

"Captain Shiki, let's not beat around the bush. I'm a friend of Urpo D. Kuro, and I'm here to invite you to join the Sunset Red Squad."

"The Sunset Red Team"?

Golden Lion Shiki scratched his messy hair and asked, puzzled, "And who is Urpo D. Kuro? I don't know any guy like that."

"Nothing is more beautiful than the sunset glow, so warm and serene... Oh no, I mean, Captain Shiki, don't you think this era is absolutely terrible?"

Ma Qiao smiled, revealing eight teeth:

"In the past, the pirate world was filled with thrilling battles like the Battle of God Valley and the Battle of Edd War. Every great pirate harbored dreams and roamed the seas like true men."

"But in today's pirate world, all the young people are cunning and treacherous. One is plotting to usurp the throne, another is thinking of taking shortcuts. They have completely lost the spirit of the older generation of pirates, turning piracy into a game of make-believe. Captain Shiki, can you tolerate this? I certainly can't!"

Ma Qiao spoke eloquently, Shiki listened attentively, nodding as he went.

I have to say, what this young man said really resonated with me.

Why did he live in seclusion on the Floating Sky Island?

Is it because they're afraid of harassment from the navy?

How is that possible?

His old colleagues Whitebeard, Kaido, and Linlin weren't afraid of the Marines, so why should Golden Lion be afraid?

Shiki wanted to stay away from the sea because he felt that the younger generation was getting worse with each generation.

"You mean, Newgate, Kaido, Linlin formed the Sunset Red Team?" Shiki asked.

"And Garp and the others."

Ma Qiao stated definitively, "Iron Fist Garp and Black Arm Zephyr are also members of Sunset Red."

"How is this possible! I don't believe it!"

The Golden Lion suddenly raised its leg, or rather, its "prosthetic leg."

Twenty-one years ago, Shiki could not believe that Gol D. Roger, whom he considered his rival, had been arrested. So he single-handedly Marineford Marine Headquarters confirm it, only to be captured and imprisoned in the deepest part of Impel Down.

He cut off his feet, which were bound by Seastone shackles, and used "Oto" and "Kogarashi" as prosthetics to escape, becoming the only prisoner in Impel Down's history to successfully break out in front of Buggy, Luffy, and others.

At that moment, Shiki, that madman, merely heard Garp's name and, without a word, suddenly kicked out a cold, sharp blade.

The golden sword light sliced through the air, causing even the raging winds above the clouds to pause.

This wasn't even Shiki's proper swordsmanship; it was just a simple "basic attack" that had such power.

The strength of these veteran Four Emperors- level powerhouses is evident.

However, in Ma Qiao's opinion, even though they are both basic attacks, Shiki's Leg Blade is still weaker than Garp's Fist of Love.

Shiki, who claims to be on par with Roger, Ma Qiao got beaten up by Garp back in the day, which is why he lost his composure upon hearing Garp's name.

But he wasn't that excited when I showed him the photos earlier?

Ma Qiao shook his head, reminding himself not to argue too much with a mentally ill old man.

While the basic attack of Four Emperors- level character is incredibly powerful, the current Ma Qiao is no longer the same Macho he once was.

Facing the crescent-shaped sword aura that gleamed with cold light, Ma Qiao took a step forward, slightly lowered his body, and then drew the Storm Slayer sword from his waist and swung it forward:

"Face the storm!"

A thick Wind Wall appeared in response, and the air in front of Ma Qiao suddenly changed direction, from a horizontal gale to a vertical convection, resembling a giant waterfall of wind from the heavens under the sunlight.

The sword energy that Shiki had proposed landed on the waterfall of wind, but it vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed, without even a ripple.

Shiki frowned and shouted, "Lion - Thousand-Cut Valley!"

Seeing that his basic attack had no effect, Shiki unleashed a terrifying aura, and a hint of madness appeared in his eyes.

The sword beams were also kicked out by two prosthetic limbs, but they dispersed in mid-air and turned into dozens of golden crescent moons.

The dense crescent moons, in an instant, swept across the ground like a missile barrage, heading towards...

Ma Qiao fell from the Wind Wall.

The result was predictable.

This scene somewhat reminded Ma Qiao of the painful memory of using Miss Fortune's ultimate to relentlessly bombard Yasuo's Wind Wall in a do-or-die game in Silver rank.

Shiki stared wide-eyed at Ma Qiao, who seemed completely unfazed behind the Wind Wall, even suggesting he get a manicure.

"You're a Barrier -Devil Fruit User? No, even that bastard from the Kurozumi family couldn't have blocked my attack so easily!"

"Yes, yes!"

Ma Qiao only listened to what Shiki said.

The Barrier-Barrier Fruit outrageous.

Aside from the fact that Uta's virtual world rules and power are combined with theatrical buffs, shattering it would be almost an absolute defense.

Although Kozuki Oden was an idiot, his martial prowess cannot be denied.

Or rather, it was precisely because Kozuki Oden was strong that he was an idiot.

The reason Ma Qiao recognized Kyros but not Kozuki Oden was because Kyros done his best.

He couldn't defeat Doflamingo, was turned into a toy by Sugar, was forgotten by everyone, and even watched his wife being killed. Wasn't he much worse off than Oden? But Oden was secretly gathering troops and constantly planning to save his country.

Although it was ultimately Luffy who helped reclaim the country, he had done his best, so no one blames him. Oden, on the other hand, did absolutely nothing but dance for five whole years. (Just kidding about this guy.)

In short, Oden, that powerful idiot, couldn't cut through the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, so Ma Qiao didn't think Golden Lion could achieve anything.

Furthermore, Ma Qiao had absolutely no desire to have any interaction with Kozuki, Kurozumi, or other nobles from Wano Country.

Even the woman who had endured twenty years of solitude, using her beauty to please men Kozuki Hiyori without accomplishing anything, was of no interest to Ma Qiao, even as a collector of princesses.

He immediately denied it, saying, "I'm not a Barrier Devil Fruit User, nor do I know anyone from the Kurozumi family. This is a Wind Sword Technique that I've mastered through hard work!"

Shiki nodded, acknowledging Ma Qiao's statement.

After all, he did indeed sense the increase in wind element intensity when the young man swung his sword.

"However, Senior Golden Lion's swordsmanship is indeed as renowned as it is; I am already close to my limit."

After giving the Golden Lion a hard time, Ma Qiao immediately offered him a way out. "I'm not here to fight you, but to invite you to join the Sunset Red Organization."

The Golden Lion's complexion is slightly better.

He has a good eye.

Despite his own attacks, the young man remained unfazed, neither flushed nor out of breath, showing no signs of being nearing his limit.

Although the Golden Lion hadn't used his full strength, he already sensed a threat from the strange young man before him.

At the very least, the other party is definitely not some ant that can be easily manipulated.

That makes sense. After all, something that can fly tens of thousands of meters high and find itself in the clouds must have some serious skills.

Golden Lion had to put aside his previous arrogance and take Ma Qiao's words seriously. "What you said is simply too absurd. I don't believe that Newgate, Kaido, and Linlin will form some kind of 'Sunset Red Team' with Garp and Zephyr."

"Look, this is a photo of everyone at the gathering."

Ma Qiao immediately slapped Tahm Kench on the head, and Tahm Kench immediately spat out a photo of everyone having a big party.

"I don't believe it! Photos can be faked!"

Ma Qiao was taken aback by Golden Lion's words.

This old man isn't easy to fool; he even knows that photos can be photoshopped?

But then, Golden Lion's words left Ma Qiao completely speechless.

"I don't believe the photos of Gol D. Roger's execution, and I don't believe the world is round. Of course the earth is flat, and there must be a huge cliff on the other side of Reverse Mountain."

"Also, I don't believe those guys like Vegapunk who say humans and Fish-Men share a common ancestor and evolved from each other. Look, Dr. Indigo and I have already proven that evolution is wrong!"

Ma Qiao:...

All right.

It turns out this blond guy is a complete conspiracy theorist.

However, to be fair, this damn theory of the evolution of the One Piece world is probably just nonsense.

As for the claim that the ground is flat, this thing flies around all day, so why can't it verify it itself?

As for flying over Reverse Mountain and heading straight for One Piece, that's probably impossible for some unknown reason; otherwise, the Grand Line and the One Piece would be a joke.

Fortunately, besides the photos, Ma Qiao had even more compelling evidence.

"Moshi moshi! Is Brother Garp there?"

Ma Qiao glanced at the time on his watch, then pulled out his Big Bird Den Den Mushi) and sent a video call invitation to Garp.

[The highly respected senior naval officer has hung up on your video call. Do you want to send it again?]

[Yes!]

Ma Qiao sent over a dozen video call invitations, all of which were rejected by Garp.

A short while later, Garp called.

[Scarf Kid, oh no, Brother Ma Qiao, bro, my Den Den Mushi has a cold and can't connect to video calls. What can I do for you?]

[It's better to talk in person, Brother Garp. Are you in room 306 of the Shurima Sanatorium? I'll arrange for a professional maintenance worker to come find you; he should be there in about three minutes.]

[Oh, no need, no need. It's nothing, no need to go to so much trouble. What is it that you need? You can tell me over the phone.]

[Oh, I wanted to ask about our Sunset Red Team's dungeon runs...]

[Sure, sure, I'll definitely come. Bye, I'm hanging up now. Oh, and please, please don't send any repairmen!]

With that, Garp hung up the phone impatiently, and a busy tone came from the Den Den Mushi receiver.

Ma Qiao used speakerphone the entire time.

Looking up, he saw that the once arrogant and domineering old master Golden Lion Shiki, was now covered in cold sweat.

Even if Shiki were reduced to ashes, he would still recognize that voice!

"It really is Garp! A voice can't be faked!"

Ma Qiao had no idea what kind of thought process Shiki had, which saved him a lot of trouble in proving it.

"Well, what do you think, Senior Golden Lion? The Sunset Red is the luxurious ship that we, the remnants of the old era, built to set sail once again!" Ma Qiao said with a smile.

"Remnants of the old era?"

The Golden Lion looked thoughtful. "Indeed, in this degenerate age, only we remnants of the old era can restore the spirit of true men on the seas."

"Yes, I knew this sissy guy. He's clearly a man, but he's wearing a pink feather coat, women's leather pants, and pointed leather shoes..."

Ma Qiao slapped Tahm Kench on the head, Tahm Kench once again spat out Doflamingo's picture like a printer.

"Senior, look! This is what the Shichibukai, now recognized by the World Government, look like!"

Golden Lion began his seclusion 21 years ago.

Doflamingo joined the Shichibukai and seized Dressrosa 10 years ago.

Prior to this, although Doflamingo had already established the Donquixote Family, he only operated in the North Blue.

Therefore, the Golden Lion did not know Doflamingo.

He took the photo, somewhat curious about what pirates looked like these days.

The result was immediately a look reminiscent of an elderly person on a bus looking at their phone.

Despite having a head of long, golden hair, the Golden Lion is naturally golden; he is essentially a very traditional person.

This can be seen from the fact that he always wears an old-fashioned kimono.

Seeing Doflamingo's attire, such a person felt an overwhelming sense of disgust, much like a school principal seeing a delinquent student with dyed hair and smoking.

"People's hearts have changed drastically, and the world is going to the dogs. How... how could someone like this become a pirate!"

"Look at Roger, that's what a pirate should look like! This... this androgynous thing dares to call itself a pirate!"

Looking at the indignant Golden Lion, Ma Qiao took out a Den Den Mushi tablet and opened a short video.

This is not a case of Ma Qiao framing someone.

This is a video that Doflamingo himself uploaded to Weibo.

He was wearing his signature outrageous outfit and sitting arrogantly on the sofa.

Surrounded by beautiful women and throngs of henchmen.

He threw out handfuls of cash, mocking the so-called "human dreams" and "pirate romance," claiming that the foolish old era was outdated and that a new era had begun.

Doflamingo proclaims himself a representative of the new generation and a godfather of the new era, earning him the admiration of many young people who regard him as an idol.

Among them, Bellamy, a rich second-generation, gave a lot of gifts and became the number one fan.

The Golden Lion nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. He wished he could immediately grab a knife and teach this arrogant junior a lesson.

Ma Qiao seized the opportunity and pulled out a contract. "Captain Shiki, sign this, and you can officially join the Sunset Red Team. I can help you better plan the development of the Floating Sky Island."

The contract doesn't have any hidden traps; it's mainly about resolving the issues of the original inhabitants of the Floating Sky Islands.

They were controlled by Shiki and used as free labor to manufacture biopharmaceuticals.

To be honest, this model is really inefficient.

This small business could be taken over by DaNiao Biomedical for CXO and contract manufacturing.

"But there's one last question..."

Before signing the contract, Shiki asked one last question, "How did you, a young man, manage to infiltrate our Golden Age group?"

Ma Qiao scratched his head. "Didn't I already say? I'm a representative sent by Lord Urpo d. Kuro?"

"So..."

"Who exactly is Kuro?" Shiki asked, puzzled.