After reaching the floating archipelago Shiki called the "World of the Strong," the two airships flew straight toward the largest island in the center.
Xie Wen stood at the bow, looking around.
The islands surrounding it differed quite a bit. Although most were covered in dense forests of various kinds, the plants on each island were noticeably different, and even their seasons differed. Xie Wen even spotted an "Autumn Island" that was entirely golden...
Could those strange, single-season islands in the One Piece world retain their original conditions even after being separated and removed from their current geographical environment?
Something this unscientific was so damn One Piece!
Aside from these distinctly different forest islands, several islands were completely covered in seawater, while another was a desert island that looked as though it had been moved over from Alabasta.
Xie Wen guessed that either the creatures had been assigned to different islands according to their habits, or these satellite islands were individual experimental bases, using different ecosystems to test the directions in which those animals would evolve.
Given Shiki's way of doing things, the second possibility seemed more likely.
The main island, however, was different. It had a little of practically every geographical environment: desert, plains, forest, ocean... There was even a snowy mountain at the island's highest point.
Besides that, the main island also had a very conspicuous Royal Palace, as well as...
"A village?"
Xie Wen turned toward Shiki and asked with feigned curiosity, "You have ordinary people on this island too?"
"Jihahahaha! Someone has to do the odd jobs." Shiki made no attempt to hide anything and said frankly, "Actually, these people are the island's original inhabitants. I abducted them along with it to work for me."
Before Xie Wen could frown, he continued, "I only make them