Golden Lion

The Marines assigned by Fleet Admiral Sengoku to Yaen's ship were true elites even by Marine Headquarters standards, with extensive sailing and combat experience.

At the same time, nearly all of these Marines had personally witnessed the incident two years ago when "Golden Lion" Shiki stormed into Marineford alone.

Faced with the "Golden Lion" Shiki, who had come alone and displayed the might of a true hero, countless Marines had been defeated in a single blow before him, utterly powerless to resist.

In the end, it was only through the combined efforts of the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Sengoku, and Hero of the Marines Vice Admiral Garp that "Golden Lion" Shiki was finally subdued—at the cost of half of Marineford being destroyed—and imprisoned in the deepest part of the underwater prison, Impel Down.

That earth-shattering battle had taken place only a little over two years ago, so these elite Marines clearly had not forgotten it.

And precisely because of that, they knew very well what a terrifying monster "Golden Lion" Shiki truly was.

For a moment, none of the Marines had time to wonder why "Golden Lion" Shiki, who should have been imprisoned in the deepest part of Impel Down, had appeared behind the Gate of Justice.

At that moment, driven by fear, every Marine aboard the warship instinctively followed Yaen's orders and pushed the ship to its limit, trying to get as far away as possible from the monster known as "Golden Lion."

"Quick, full power, full speed..."

"Lower the main sail, hurry..."

"Turn the helm, turn the helm..."

If the warship had been equipped with oars, Second Lieutenant Hope would probably have led the Marines in rowing personally to speed it up.

As the Gate of Justice slowly opened, the scene behind it became increasingly clear. Even the ordinary Marine Soldiers could see it perfectly.

Impel Down, which had originally stood over the sea and suppressed countless pirates, had become battered and ruined on the outside. Large black shadows constantly rose into the air, explosions erupted from time to time, and one could vaguely see countless guards and Marines battling prisoners.

Chaos. Without a doubt, Impel Down had already fallen into chaos.

The person who had single-handedly brought all of this about was "Golden Lion" Shiki. He floated in midair, both legs severed at the knees and still bleeding profusely, while his long golden hair streamed in the sea wind like the mane of a wounded lion.

The next moment, under the gaze of every Marine, "Golden Lion" Shiki crossed the Gate of Justice and shot through the air straight toward the warship where Yaen was.

His speed... was astonishingly fast!

"We can't escape. It seems 'Golden Lion' Shiki's target is us."

Yaen spoke with a trace of solemnity. He raised a finger slightly, signaling the inconspicuous Xiao Jin to move away from the warship for now.

"Chirp!"

Xiao Jin seemed to understand Yaen's intentions as well. Without the slightest hesitation, it used the warship as cover and skimmed across the surface of the sea, moving away in the direction opposite to "Golden Lion" Shiki.

Soon, while countless Marines felt their hair stand on end, "Golden Lion" Shiki landed atop the warship's mast. His golden hair fluttered among the Marines, and his wild laughter echoed across the sea.

"Kyahaha..."

"So much for the so-called 'impenetrable fortress,' the underwater prison, Impel Down, where no prisoner has ever escaped. Isn't it still unable to hold me?"

His domineering, contemptuous words made the more than five hundred Marines aboard the warship tremble, as if they were ants quaking beneath a lion's might.

"Pre... prepare..."

At that moment, Horton's tense yet resolute voice rang out. He shouted, "All soldiers, prepare to arrest the pirate 'Golden Lion' Shiki."

Interrupted by the voice, "Golden Lion" Shiki's laughter faltered. He looked down with an amused smile and said,

"Really now, couldn't you Marines quietly share in my joy, then obediently go and die?"

The next moment, "Golden Lion" Shiki raised a hand toward the sky. As his five fingers closed, the countless currents of air seemed to come under his control.

"Lion's Roar: Air Scroll!"

In an instant, a huge lion formed from air currents appeared above the warship and charged down, roaring.

At that moment, Yaen's voice rang out.

"Wait, Shiki. Are you planning to smash this ship and sink into the sea along with us?"

"Hm?"

Hearing this, "Golden Lion" Shiki looked toward the bespectacled young man who appeared refined and gentle.

In that brief moment, Yaen had already more or less understood "Golden Lion" Shiki's objective, and he spoke.

"You came straight for this warship not merely to share your joy. You need a warship where you can rest for the time being, don't you?"

"That doesn't conflict with killing you Marines. I only need a ship," "Golden Lion" Shiki said dismissively.

"Heh. Leaving aside whether your attack will damage the warship's overall structure, the more important issue is that the lower-deck storeroom contains a large number of shells. If you attack, I'll immediately have the Marines in the storeroom detonate them and blow this ship apart."

After a pause, Yaen looked at "Golden Lion" Shiki, who seemed somewhat irritated, and said with certainty,

"Your severed legs are still bleeding heavily, and you still have countless wounds on your body. Even the Great Pirate 'Golden Lion' Shiki won't be able to endure injuries this severe for long, right?"

"Without a Log Pose to point the way, and without anywhere for a Devil Fruit User to rest, you'll be an exhausted lion wandering the skies, unable to find an island to settle on. You may even be caught by reinforcements from Marine Headquarters, Marineford."

"So, 'Golden Lion' Shiki, this ship is likewise your only hope of escaping Impel Down completely. Without this ship to take you away, once the reinforcements from Marineford arrive, your only fate will be imprisonment with no hope of escape."

Listening to Yaen's orderly analysis, the irritation on "Golden Lion" Shiki's face suddenly gave way to delight.

"Kyahaha..."

Then, "Golden Lion" Shiki drifted down from the mast and landed in front of Yaen. He said, "Kid, you're interesting. What's your name?"

"Teffimoe Yaen."

The next moment, under the stunned gazes of countless Marines, "Golden Lion" Shiki extended an invitation to Yaen.

"Very good, Teffimoe Yaen. Join me. I'm going to rebuild the 'Flying Pirate Group' and rule this sea from beneath the heavens. Follow me, and I'll give you the position of vice-captain."

"Vice-captain?" Yaen asked.

"What? Aren't you satisfied? Becoming my vice-captain is something countless pirates across the sea dream of."

After a pause, "Golden Lion" Shiki asked in confusion, "Could it be that you have an even greater dream than that?"