Floating Island, Vermeille Village.
Garen and Kuzan waited at the edge of the Floating Island for a long time, but Golden Lion never returned.
During the long wait, Garen suddenly remembered a terrifying fact:
There was a village inhabited by ordinary civilians on this island.
After Golden Lion Shiki escaped from Impel Down with his scientist subordinate Indigo, they discovered the rare plant "IQ" on this island, which could make animals evolve rapidly. That was when he conceived a battle plan centered on aggressively developing biotechnology.
So Golden Lion used his Devil Fruit Ability to lift the entire island into the air and turn it into a mobile base.
The island's native residents had tragically been dragged into the sky by Golden Lion as well, living as slaves under his brutal rule, never knowing if they would survive another day.
Once Garen remembered this crucial detail, he hurriedly searched the island and finally found this village, ravaged by Golden Lion, amid the mountains.
Then Garen quickly had Nami fly the airship back to the Floating Island to evacuate these innocent villagers trapped in danger.
These villagers had already lived under Golden Lion's shadow for eighteen full years.
The children born in the village had never even seen normal land or the sea. They only knew that a demon called Golden Lion hung above them, pinning them here without any chance of escape.
When they saw Garen and Kuzan descend from the sky, along with that airship floating in the air—
The villagers truly looked as though they had seen their saviors. They could hardly believe it, yet were overwhelmed with excitement.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
With tears in their eyes, the villagers fell before Garen and thanked him for saving them in the most heartfelt, choked voices.
"I..."
A single