Doflamingo stared in a daze.
Why was she here?
Although he still deeply resented Kaguya for the humiliation she had caused him, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of relief. At least the immediate danger was gone. If things had continued, all the years he had poured into building Dressrosa could've been wiped out in an instant.
But that mysterious creature seemed to fear Kaguya.
Doflamingo's heart sank. From her words, it was clear she knew the beast. And if she could control something that powerful, then it was time to reevaluate her strength entirely.
Kaguya turned toward him, smiling faintly. "Sorry about that. That guy tends to run wild whenever he's let out. Sorry for the trouble."
Doflamingo's eyes narrowed. So she really did know the creature. He couldn't hold back. "You know it?"
"Of course," Kaguya said brightly. "It's my pet."
Pet?
Doflamingo froze. That terrifying beast... was her pet?
What kind of expression was he supposed to make now?
...
In the underground warehouse—
Doflamingo had his men bring over a large chest. When it was opened, it revealed six Devil Fruits inside.
"This is what I've managed to collect over the past six months," he said.
"Only this much?" Kaguya frowned. "Don't tell me you've been slacking off."
Anticipating her displeasure, Doflamingo responded calmly, "The number of Devil Fruits out there is limited. Most have already been bought on the market. These are the last few available in the black market. Plus, Kaido has also been sweeping up any he can find. It's getting much harder to acquire new ones."
"Fine, I'll take what I can get," Kaguya said, casually stowing them away. "By the way, did you investigate what I asked about?"
"I did," Doflamingo replied. "The World Government's research facility used to have someone named Caesar Clown. But he left the government years ago and hasn't been seen since."
Kaguya had long been intrigued by artificial Devil Fruits. But the technology behind them was held by only a select few.
The best candidate was Vegapunk. Not only was he the creator of artificial Devil Fruits, but he also possessed technological knowledge that far surpassed his time.
Unfortunately, Vegapunk was heavily protected by the World Government. Not even Kaguya knew his exact location.
Since she couldn't get to Vegapunk, her next best option was Caesar Clown.
While not as skilled, Caesar still had the know-how to produce artificial Devil Fruits. Kaguya intended to make use of his talents to mass-produce them, which would significantly speed up her collection efforts.
As she weighed the Devil Fruits in her hand, she said, "You might try checking Punk Hazard in the New World. He might be there."
Punk Hazard.
Doflamingo's eyes narrowed. He had heard of that island before—a magnetic-free zone in the New World. But how did she know Caesar was there?
"Alright, I'm leaving now," Kaguya said, turning toward the exit. "Keep working hard. I'll make it worth your while."
Make it worth his while?
Doflamingo fumed. When had she ever done that?
All the hard-earned Devil Fruits were always taken without compensation—snatched up casually, without so much as a thank-you. And on top of that, he had to smile through the pain.
Doflamingo was bitter.
And now things were worse. Even her pet had come and beat him up. Not only did he get thrashed, he also had to hand over his Devil Fruits with a smile. He'd never felt this humiliated.
But the strong held the power. In the face of Kaguya's overwhelming might, Doflamingo dared not speak out.
Even her pet alone could beat him to a pulp. What could he possibly complain about?
"Oh right—"
Just before leaving, Kaguya turned back. "Don't tell anyone about this. Otherwise..."
She smiled sweetly. "I'll kill you."
Doflamingo froze. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and a chill crept down his spine.
The truth was—he had considered it.
Not that Kaguya truly feared him snitching. Even if he did, it wouldn't prove she was connected to the tailed beasts. The Navy wouldn't take a pirate's word seriously.
Besides, Kaguya and the Navy were never exactly allies. A falling-out was inevitable. So it didn't matter much if he knew.
Back on the warship—
Vice Admiral Tsuru walked up. "What's the situation in Dressrosa now?"
Rebecca, standing nearby, perked up. Though she had left Dressrosa, it was still her hometown. There was no way she could be indifferent.
"The unknown creature had already left when I arrived," Kaguya reported. "Aside from the royal palace, the damage to Dressrosa wasn't too severe. Everything should be fine."
Rebecca let out a breath of relief.
"By the way," Kaguya added, "I have something to take care of. I'll be leaving for now. You can proceed as planned."
"Leaving?" Tsuru blinked. "Where are you going?"
Rebecca looked at her curiously as well.
Kaguya smiled. "Skypiea."
...
The sky was a brilliant blue, dotted with drifting clouds. Bright sunlight streamed through the gaps, casting golden beams down onto the shimmering sea below. Waves rolled gently, and the cool sea breeze swept across the air, carrying a refreshing chill.
High above, Kaguya soared through the sky, her silver hair streaming in the wind, clothes fluttering like silk. But even the howling air currents couldn't disturb her composure.
Her goal? To find Skypiea—the sky island from the world of One Piece.
After years of collecting, Kaguya had gathered most of the Devil Fruits. Her mission was more than halfway done. The fact that it took Doflamingo months just to collect six fruits was proof that the supply had nearly dried up.
Most of the remaining fruits were now in the hands of Devil Fruit users—already consumed.
So, to finish her task, she would have to extract the Devil Fruit essence from their bodies.
The problem was, no one would give up their power willingly.
That meant conflict.
To claim the fruits, she would need to defeat these users herself.
But such actions had to be taken in secret. If the world found out she intended to rob Devil Fruit users, it would be seen as a declaration of war.
Even for someone as strong as Kaguya, that would be a major headache.
Just then, faint shadows began to appear in the distance—floating islands, suspended in the sky.
As Kaguya approached, she discovered it was an enormous floating island made up of several smaller landmasses. Each was covered in dense forests, clear lakes, and flowing streams, and populated by all manner of exotic beasts.
But Kaguya frowned. This wasn't quite what she had imagined.
Sky Islands, after all, were supposed to float atop Sea Clouds—created and supported by Island Clouds. But the islands before her had no such support. There were no clouds beneath them, no endless White Sea—just floating masses suspended in the air.
Could this not be a Sky Island after all?
As she pondered, several warships suddenly rose from the islands and began rowing through the air, heading straight toward her.
Cannon hatches opened along the sides of the ships, revealing rows of dark muzzles.
Kaguya raised an eyebrow. So they were picking a fight.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The warships opened fire. Amid thick smoke, countless cannonballs shot out like popcorn, soaring toward her in a dense barrage.
In the world of One Piece, cannons were arguably the most useless weapon. Named characters almost never died from cannon fire. Though they looked dramatic, their damage was negligible.
Against Kaguya, they were little more than toys.
But that didn't mean she wasn't angry. After all, no one liked being pelted for no reason. It was simply offensive.
So she let them have a taste of their own medicine.
Raising her hand, Kaguya opened her palm. A powerful invisible force exploded from it, surging toward the warships like a tsunami.
The airborne cannonballs instantly reversed course, smashing back into the ships.
BOOM!
A thunderous series of explosions rang out like firecrackers. The warships were torn apart, fire and smoke billowing into the sky. Screams echoed as flames engulfed the airships.
"Who dares disturb this place?!"
A loud roar erupted. A figure shot through the air like an arrow, heading straight for her.
"Wave Slash!"
A flash of cold steel streaked toward her.
"Trivial trick."
Kaguya snorted, casually drawing her blade.
CLANG!
A sharp metallic sound rang out as the slash shattered upon impact.
"Huh?"
The attacker grunted in surprise, evidently shocked.
As he neared Kaguya, his figure became clearer.
He had golden hair that looked like a lion's mane, a spindle-shaped face that appeared comical, and a half-embedded ship's wheel in his head. His frame was massive, draped in an orange coat. Where his legs should've been were instead two sharp swords.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed.
If she wasn't mistaken, this could only be Golden Lion Shiki.
Only Shiki had such a ridiculous appearance.
"Who are you?" Golden Lion asked in surprise. "How are you floating in the air too?"
"Why shouldn't I be able to float?" Kaguya said with amusement.
"No... That's impossible. There can't be two of the same Devil Fruit!" Golden Lion barked, waving his hand.
"Who said my power came from a Devil Fruit?" Kaguya sneered. "You're from the same era as the Pirate King Roger, yet you're this dumb?"
"What did you say?!" Golden Lion's neck bulged with veins, roaring, "Don't compare me to that Roger bastard!"
"Why not?" Kaguya said coldly. "Still dreaming of conquering the world? You think someone like you can rule anything? Don't make me laugh."
"Mocking my dreams?" Golden Lion's fury exploded, his voice a growl. "Then go to hell!"
In a flash, he launched forward like a thunderbolt.
"Shi Shi Senjindani!"
His sword-legs slashed the air with lightning speed, unleashing a barrage of flying sword energy.
Kaguya flicked her wrist, and her blade Liuli shimmered like autumn water, creating a blur of mirrored strikes.
CLANG!
With ease, she blocked every incoming slash.
"Heh," Kaguya mocked. "Is this the level of someone from the Pirate King Roger's era? If Roger was pushed to the brink by someone like you, then that must've been a fake Pirate King."
"Damn you! Who the hell are you?!" Golden Lion shouted, gritting his teeth.
"You don't even know your opponent?" Kaguya scoffed. "And you want to conquer the world? Who gave you the guts?"
Golden Lion narrowed his eyes, staring at her flawless face. Then his expression darkened. "You... You're Kaguya, aren't you?"
"Recognized me, huh?" Kaguya said with a playful smile.
"Why are you here?" he asked with a gloomy face. "The Navy sent you to arrest me?"
Kaguya's reputation had spread across the entire world. Even outside the Grand Line, her name was known far and wide. Not recognizing her would be the strange thing.
Hearing her name, Golden Lion's heart sank.
He was arrogant—but not stupid.
This was the woman who reportedly defeated Big Mom with ease, and even Kaido had fallen to her. Some said she fought Whitebeard to a draw without using her full strength. Against such a monster, even he had to tread carefully.
He didn't have the confidence to defeat Kaido or Big Mom, let alone her.
"No," Kaguya shrugged. "This has nothing to do with the Navy."
Golden Lion relaxed slightly.
"However... I came here simply—" Kaguya smiled brilliantly, "—to beat you to death."
In a flash, she became a blur of white light. Her sword Liuli slashed forward like a lightning strike.
Golden Lion's eyes widened in shock. But instead of fear, it sparked his battle spirit.
He let out a mighty roar, raising both arms. An invisible force surged outward. The sunny skies darkened in an instant, clouds roiling with thunder. Massive lion heads formed from the storm, crashing down like divine wrath.
"Shi Shi no Tenken!"
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