The Final Promotion Ceremony Before Sequence 5

Crocodile easily took control of the situation...

After suffering a major defeat at the Battle of Edd War and being captured after Golden Lion Shiki's irrational solo attack on Marine Headquarters, the Flying Pirate Group' elite forces have fallen apart.

After Golden Lion Shiki escaped from prison, he pinned his hopes on the "IQ Plan" but failed to recruit any more capable companions.

Shiki is not here; there's not a single person on the island who can fight...

Which mutated rare beasts are included!

Unfortunately, the personnel left behind did not know what Shiki was doing; they only knew that he had sailed to the North Sea in the Golden Lion, which resembled a small island.

Indigo, a key researcher in the IQ Plan and also the Ship Doctor and first Captain, also traveled aboard the ship.

Sig had a guess about their purpose—the owner of the Op-Op Fruit was currently in the North Blue!

It's unclear whether Golden Lion made this trip in the original work, and whether he went to the North Sea but didn't find Trafalgar Law, or whether he found him but failed to achieve his goal for some reason.

Judging from the fact that Golden Lion even wanted to cooperate with Silver Axe before, he still really craves the power of the Op-Op Fruit.

Removing the rudder or reattaching the legs are not difficult tasks for the Op-Op Fruit. In fact, the "IQ Plan" would be even more powerful with the Op-Op Fruit's assistance.

However, Crocodile had no interest in that; he was mostly looking for Golden Lion to make a name for himself...

Although they haven't found the Golden Lion yet, they've already destroyed his lair, Crocodile has no intention of crossing the ocean to the North Blue again for the sake of the Golden Lion.

Especially after arriving in Beihai, he had no idea where the Golden Lion would appear, so he could only search aimlessly like a headless fly!

"You want this 'Strong World'?" Sig sensed that Crocodile had other ideas.

"Hmm, IQ... perhaps we can make use of it," Crocodile said calmly.

"If I were you, I would cooperate with my colleagues... like Tesoro, after all, you can't keep the 'Strong World' in the air forever," Sig hinted.

Crocodile stared at Sig for a moment, understanding his implication, but still unsure what the relationship between Tesoro and Sig truly was.

Sig plans to use Tesoro to transport "IQ" to Wano Country and add it to the artificial Zoan Fruit package.

"Or I could introduce you to my Captain ... not Shanks, but another Captain — Kaido of the Beasts... Hmm? No need? Fine..." Seeing Crocodile's lack of interest, Sig didn't continue.

Crocodile didn't think that cooperating directly with Kaido was a good idea.

"But you'd better move your things and people off the island. I can't guarantee it'll still be floating in the sky in a while," Sig warned.

The island is in the air because of the Float-Float Fruit's power; however, if Shiki, a Float-Man, dies or loses consciousness, "Strong World" will fall.

Sleeping is fine, just like with the "Hobby-Hobby Fruit". Falling asleep and losing consciousness are two different things. In the former, only the human form of the Devil Fruit ability falls asleep, and the Devil user does not lose consciousness. In the latter, however, everyone loses consciousness!

However, ordinary people still live in the "Strong World." After all, the Golden Lion never goes out and always needs people to grow crops. Moreover, he is used as a test subject, so he enslaved the island's original inhabitants.

It's just a small island. Although it's strange that it disappeared, the World Government didn't investigate it too much. Strange things happen all the time at sea, and it's just a small island with a few thousand people...

Sig then discovered that these islanders seemed to have undergone some mutations due to the influence of "IQ" on their bodies, as a result of the Golden Lion's experiments.

However, judging from Sig's knowledge of flesh and blood, they haven't mutated to the point where they could briefly fly when forced into a corner at the end of the original movie!

"Enough with the nagging," Crocodile scoffed.

Crocodile was the second most rude person Sig had ever met.

First, of course, is the Empress...

Yes, it's true that good looks can make people more patient even if you're not polite— Crocodile is completely different.

Having left the "Floating Island," Sig found it easy; he simply unfolded the hang glider beneath his cloak...

This is something Sig made recently. It's much more convenient than the original glider. With just a gentle pull, a glider pops out from under the cape. It's a completely original design. That phantom thief probably copied Sig's idea.

To get from the East China Sea to the North China Sea, you need to cross the Red Line Continent. If you can't fly, you can only take the Grand Line, either passing through Mary Geoise or going to Fish-Man Island...

However, Sig can fly, so he doesn't need to enter the Grand Line; he can just choose any place and fly over the Red Line Continent.

The Red Line Continent has an average elevation of 10,000 meters, meaning that almost every part of it is as high as Wano Country, and its sides resemble the Wailing Wall, rising almost vertically.

Only in the Mary Geoise area, where the altitude is lower and the terrain is not so steep, are there very few people living in other places.

Sig flew directly to the Red Line Continent that separates the East China Sea from the North China Sea, then changed direction and flew up to an altitude of 10,000 meters...

As Sig flew higher and higher, a feeling of approaching a certain membrane, of being on the verge of breaking through it, became increasingly apparent.

At this moment...

The wind whistled in my ears.

It was as if they were singing, and as if they were cheering.

Finally, as Sig charged through the sea of red and saw the endless expanse of red earth, a sense of liberation arose spontaneously...

In Sig's consciousness, the only one still dim, the "Wind-blessed," finally began to flicker!

And at the same time, the "Promotion Ceremony" also came to Sig's mind...

Sig had originally hoped that the role would be related to Sequence 5 "Ocean Songster"—compared to "Wind-blessed," "Ocean Songster" mainly differed in strength, but mainly in the addition of abilities related to "singing" and "lightning."

If the ritual involved mastering the power of lightning, Sig could perform it on the spot.

If it's about using "singing" to accomplish something, Sig also has the ability of a "Visionary" to cooperate...

However, things didn't go as planned. The ritual wasn't related to the next Sequence, "Ocean Songster." Judging from the type, it should be a deeper version of this Sequence, namely, the "Wind-blessed" ritual!

The wind is ever-changing, sometimes violent, sometimes gentle, unpredictable...

Once the Promotion Ceremony begins, if you encounter any powerful opponents from the opposing faction, you must act before your rationality is triggered. If your rationality is triggered, the ceremony will be considered a failure, and you will have to suffer the backlash!

The ritual is complete when one encounters a stronger opponent and survives the battle.

Sig:...

The level of danger is visible to the naked eye!

It must also be done "before reason is triggered"...

So, can't you even use your brain a little bit?

Does this hot-tempered guy's brain have to be just for show?

Fortunately, the target of this ritual is "experts from different factions," meaning that one must act without thinking when encountering an enemy who can be considered an "expert." Otherwise, theoretically, one would become a "Lunatic" after starting the ritual.

After all, even ordinary naval personnel are considered to be in the opposing camp, and even soldiers from Affiliated Nation are considered to be in the opposing camp.

Fortunately, it was "after the ceremony began"—it didn't start automatically; Sig had to initiate it himself.