Uninvited Guest

"That's right. If we fight the Shiki, I can't guarantee I can protect you."

Oboro, who was flying, suddenly stopped and turned to look at the six people suspended in the air.

With one hand pressing down on the brim of his hat, he smiled and said, "To be honest, I'm also quite 'nervous' facing this kind of old monster."

"If someone does die here... then your dreams will be inherited by the survivors... so there's no need to worry."

He spoke lightly, but to onlookers, it sounded somewhat like a death sentence.

Especially Dorans ... his expression froze. He even wanted to ask, if Shiki is so dangerous, why did they still come to make contact? Wouldn't it be better to just hide for now? They can grow stronger. The One Piece crew has only been established for a short time. They haven't even shed their 'rookie' title yet... Why are they in such a hurry? However, despite thinking this, he naturally didn't dare to speak.

"Just as I thought."

Rob Lucci was not surprised.

Looking at the Hell Pirates' history, including the Twin Cape War, while Oboro's strength is undeniable, their success is largely due to his intellect and strategic planning. However, against an opponent like Shiki ... 'scheming' is useless; brute force can overcome any technique. Moreover, they were the ones who actively sought contact... meaning certain issues couldn't be avoided. Given Shiki's abilities, Oboro's methods wouldn't yield any advantage.

"So... Captain, your hunting of Celestial Dragons to make the Hell Pirates famous was actually preparation for meeting Shiki?" Rob Lucci suddenly asked, having figured something out. "If it were an ordinary One Piece, Shiki probably wouldn't even give him a second glance, but with your current fame and status, Captain... even if Shiki is arrogant, he'll have to take you seriously."

"Um."

Long nodded.

"..."

Rob Lucci felt a chill run down his spine.

The longer he spent with Oboro, the more his understanding of this man was refreshed.

Killing Celestial Dragons... When was that? Could it be that the God Slayer foresaw this day at the very beginning of everything in the Sabaody Archipelago? This kind of vision is a bit too far ahead, it's a little frightening.

"How exciting... I've only just become a member of the ship, and I'm about to die..." Kaka laughed freely. "I don't want to be killed so soon, even if he was once a notorious One Piece." His teasing expression carried a faint chill.

"The elderly are still the elderly, and they should be phased out."

Yingge chimed in.

"Saying anything else is useless... In the end, it all comes down to whether he is stronger or we are stronger."

Dom said calmly.

None of them backed down.

"Very good... Fight with all your might and survive."

"However, there's no need to be too nervous. Whether he will actually make a move or not, we'll have to wait until we see him to find out."

Long left with two sentences and led them away again.

Oboro's reason for seeking out Golden Lion Shiki was indeed partly to invite him to join his crew, but the possibility was extremely slim. Aside from the Rocks Pirates of yesteryear, it would be difficult to find another force capable of making these maritime tyrants willingly 'submit' and gather together. The generational difference between him and Shiki was too great, and as for strength, although Shiki was old... Oboro felt that once a fight broke out, he would definitely be at a disadvantage. Whether he could win depended on whether he could create an 'opportunity'.

Shiki is definitely at the level of Yonko... there's no doubt about that.

Perhaps they are not a match for the current four, but they are on the same level.

As for Luffy in the original work, to be honest... besides being a plot device, it was also related to his own mindset. He seemed to be orchestrating everything in the East Blue Shiki, creating a blueprint for world domination, but deep down he had lost his drive and ambition; he just didn't want to admit it. Luffy's appearance gave him a reasonable and convincing reason to say goodbye to the sea... a fitting end to his life.

Otherwise... if he went hysterical and fought desperately, even with Luffy's protagonist aura and the advantage of the weather, he wouldn't be able to defeat such a person.

The only explanation is that the problem lies with him.

Over the years, Shiki has accumulated a vast amount of manpower and resources, including assembling a dedicated research team for SIQ research... Moreover, what Oboro covets is Shiki's reputation. The previous East Blue, and now the battle at Twin Cape, have made the Yonko realize they were being played... Even if Kaido and Big Mom are foolish, they can still understand this. In other words, it's impossible for the Hell Pirates to leverage this power again...

Moreover, given Kaido and Charlotte Linlin's personalities, they might already hate him.

After all, in their eyes, they were just juniors... No matter how famous they were, how dare they mess with them! This kind of blatant provocation was something they absolutely could not tolerate... Therefore, considering all the circumstances, the Hell Pirates urgently needed a ready-made member who could also deter forces like the Yonko, and Golden Lion Shiki was the best candidate! As for the current One Piece crew, apart from Oboro himself, the others... despite having grown somewhat, were still too inexperienced.

Shiki refused to board the ship... Oboro also wanted to borrow his power; even just the other's 'name' was priceless if he could use it.

It can gather a large number of remnants of the old era.

In addition, there is the research team assembled by Shiki... You must know that the power of science in the world of One Piece is not to be underestimated.

"If we really fight... what are my chances of winning? Without the protagonist's halo, can I influence his mentality? Or... has his mentality already 'dejected'? If it's the latter, that would be great... even if I don't recruit him, killing him and turning his abilities into cards... it would still be a huge profit."

"Hehehe... I haven't felt this nervous in a long time... Interesting."

"Will I die...? The memory is too distant... When was the last time I faced an enemy that put me under so much pressure head-on?"

Wandering through the sea of clouds, my thoughts drifted, and I made a self-deprecating remark.

While Oboro didn't know the exact location of the Shiki's territory in the East Blue, he was able to use the system's capabilities to deduce and narrow down the possibilities based on the original story's plot.

Therefore, two days later... they found their target.

A section of the sky above the East Blue.

Above the ethereal clouds, numerous floating islands of varying heights were arranged, each one incredibly large.

The most striking feature is an island that resembles a ship, with the entire island forming the hull. Two rows of enormous oars protrude from the soil beneath the island's foundation.

The sight of using an island as a boat stunned everyone except for Oboro.

"He... did all of this by using his abilities?"

Dorans was horrified and swallowed hard.

Previously, they had only discussed Shiki the Shiki, without having a clear understanding of his abilities... However, at this moment, just the fact that Shiki the Shiki used the Float-Float Fruit's ability to suspend many islands under the clear sky was enough to make them tremble with fear.

This Devil Fruit ability is simply too terrifying!

That's an entire island... and more than one.

With that kind of ability, why bother researching medicine?

Dom and the others subconsciously glanced at Oboro.

Long knew what they were thinking and chuckled softly, "My abilities are fundamentally different from his. I manipulate air currents, while he acts directly on objects... In terms of 'object manipulation' alone, his ability is more advanced than mine, but it's more singular and not as comprehensive as mine. However... with my current skills, I can't do what he does. Let alone a large island like this, I can barely make some small islands rise from the sea, and I can't maintain that for that long."

"Captain, you make it sound so easy, but to us it's unbelievable... You guys are monsters."

Kaka grinned and exclaimed.

"Let's go and meet this protagonist who once... shone brightly."

After speaking, several figures flew towards the shadow of a colossal creature overhead.