As Chrollo broke through the cloud layer, his jaw nearly dropped.
In front of him lay a gargantuan landmass formed by several islands linked together. It looked as if a giant invisible hand had ripped them straight from the seabed and suspended them thousands of feet in the air. The bottom of the islands revealed jagged rocks and soil, entwined with strange, grayish-white vines.
Chrollo stared at the floating archipelago, swallowing hard.
"Is this the power of a top-tier Devil Fruit in this world?" he whispered. "What a monster."
How big was this place? Chrollo couldn't see the end of it. Ten miles? Twenty? Maybe even a hundred. The sheer strength required for the Float-Float Fruit to hold up something this massive was staggering. It was almost beyond imagination.
But the stronger the power, the more Chrollo wanted it. Shiki was old and crippled. While the Float-Float Fruit was invincible in large-scale warfare, it had its weaknesses in a one-on-one fight.
"There's a chance," he muttered.
Whoosh—
He landed on the floating island and crouched down, placing his hand on the ground. A white door manifested out of thin air: [4-Dimensional Mansion]. One by one, the members of the Troupe stepped out.
"Where the hell are we, Chrollo?" Bonney asked, looking around curiously as soon as she emerged. Then, her face twisted in anger. She kicked a rock with all her might. "Dammit! Is this the thing that ruined my meal?! Just wait until I find out who owns this island! I'm gonna kill 'em!"
Chrollo looked at her with a strange expression.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Bonney asked, confused.
"You really want to kill the owner of this island?" Chrollo asked with a half-smile.
"Duh! Anyone who interrupts my dinner deserves to die!" Bonney pumped her small fist, showing off her "might."
"It's Golden Lion Shiki."
"Fine! Golden Lion, whatever! I'll go kill Gold—" Bonney froze mid-sentence.
Her leg stayed stuck in the air like a glitching robot. Her head slowly creaked toward Chrollo, her face wearing a smile that looked more like a sob.
"Who... who did you say it was?"
"Golden Lion~" Chrollo said, clearly enjoying this. He enunciated every syllable slowly. "The Flying Pirate. The legend who stood equal to Roger and Whitebeard... Gol-den Li-on."
"!!!" Bonney practically levitated like a startled cat, diving behind Chrollo's legs. She started shaking. "Then what are we doing up here?! Let's go! Run! Now!"
She tried to bolt toward the edge of the island, but her feet skidded to a halt. In front of her was nothing but a vertical drop into the clouds.
"This height... a moving island floating in the clouds... it really is Shiki," she whimpered, her teeth chattering.
"I thought someone was just saying they were going to 'eliminate' the owner?" Chrollo teased.
"It wasn't me! I didn't say it! Don't spread rumors!" Bonney's head shook like a bobblehead.
"But he interrupted your very important meal, Lady Bonney~"
"Heh... hehe... honestly, it wasn't that important. I can skip a meal. It's healthy!" Bonney laughed awkwardly, scratching her head. "Let's just go. If he finds us, we're dead..."
"Go? Why would we go?" Chrollo's lips curled into a predatory grin. "What do you think I came up here for?"
Bonney's jaw dropped. A look of pure horror took over her face. "Don't tell me... you're here to hunt the Golden Lion?"
Chrollo gave a calm, slow nod.
"YOU'RE CRAZY!!" Bonney shrieked. "That's the Golden Lion! A legendary pirate! The guy who once led a fleet to attack Marine Headquarters! And you say you're going to hunt him?!"
"Is there a problem with that?" Chrollo shrugged.
Seeing his nonchalance, Bonney's spirit broke. She slumped to the ground, clutching her head. "You're insane. You're actually insane. You're gonna get me killed..."
"I regret everything," she moaned. "If I hadn't joined this crew, my dad wouldn't have left. If my dad hadn't left, I wouldn't have ended up in this terrifying place. If I hadn't ended up in this terrifying place..."
"Wait, are you quoting My Own Swordsman?" Chrollo asked, genuinely surprised by her "Widow Tong" monologue.
"What's a 'Swordsman'? What are you talking about?" Bonney looked up, blinking in confusion.
Chrollo patted her shoulder, his voice cold and steady. "Relax. You won't die, and we won't lose."
"But—"
Chrollo cut her off. "He might have been one of the top pirates in the world once, but he's old now, isn't he? As the user of the Age-Age Fruit, you should understand the power of time better than anyone."
His eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "Besides, we know exactly why we stepped onto this sea... Only the strongest are worthy of the One Piece!"
"Look at them..." Chrollo stepped aside to reveal the Troupe.
Bonney was shocked to see that the members looked like they were on a Sunday picnic. They were casually chatting, showing zero concern for how powerful their opponent might be. Or rather... they had absolute, unshakable faith in Chrollo. Even if they knew the enemy was a god, they'd probably just smile and say, "Sounds fun."
"His ability can actually do all this? This island is incredible," Shalnark noted, looking analytical.
"The climate here is bizarre," Nobunaga observed. "Tropical rainforest right next to snowy peaks, and a desert bordering a swamp. It's like a maze."
"What is that giant bird with the saber-toothed fangs? And that hedgehog the size of a hill?" Pakunoda asked, looking intrigued.
"As expected of the 'Dark Continent,'" Uvogin concluded with a savage grin. "Unlocking the mysteries of an ancient labyrinth city... this is gonna be great."
"..." Chrollo was speechless. Never change, Uvogin.
Bonney felt defeated. Then her eyes lit up—Nami! Surely Nami would agree with her! She turned to look at Nami, hoping for a sane ally.
Nami was staring at the luxury castle on the highest island, her eyes turned into literal dollar signs. "There must be so much money in there! My money... all that sweet, sweet gold..."
"..."
There are no normal people left on this ship! Bonney realized.
"So, Boss, what's the play?"
Everyone turned to Chrollo.
"The mission?" Chrollo's lips curved upward as he looked at his crew. "The mission is simple... Go nuts. Destroy everything."
The floating islands were packed with the vicious pirates Shiki had recruited and the mutated "IQ" beast army. Killing them all wouldn't be a mistake. It was the perfect playground for the Troupe to vent their violence.
At Chrollo's words, the eyes of the combatants glowed with a terrifying light.
Nobunaga gripped his hilt, his aura flaring. "I've been dying to cut something. This is exactly what my blade needs to evolve."
Phinks cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna twist their heads off one by one."
Uvogin let out a low, predatory chuckle.
"Time to hunt!"
---