I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

"But it's only now that I've come to realize that perhaps you and I have never been the same, just like Roger and Whitebeard. There's an invisible wall between us."

Roger, Higuma, Shiki, Whitebeard...

Although they could sit down and drink together in the past, they were ultimately enemies who fought each other to the death, and could never compromise.

Differences in ideology and dreams are ultimately insurmountable barriers.

The golden lion seemed a little forlorn.

He turned his head, stood at the edge of the sky island, and looked out at the battlefield on the main island, exchanging glances with the fifty-six emperors across the distance.

"What are you looking at?" Sig asked in a low voice.

"A group of lions," the golden lion said, its eyes slightly narrowed.

"There is only one lion king in a pride."

"The lion king will always have challengers; it must always be stronger than the other lions. If it gets old and its claws are no longer sharp, it will be replaced by a younger and stronger lion."

"But I haven't grown old; I've remained strong until the very end."

The golden lion has not aged, and the disability in its legs has been repaired.

This time, he was not defeated by the timing of events, nor by old age, physical weakness, crippled legs, or declining strength.

Instead, they fight to the death in their most powerful and brilliant state.

Sieg nodded and said, "You are indeed not old, and you are stronger than them all."

“Of course,” Shiki the Golden Lion murmured.

"I am the Golden Lion."

He looked up at the sky, standing there motionless like a statue, his breath gradually fading away.

The dark clouds that had been obscuring the sky finally dispersed, and sunlight appeared between the clouds.

It was already dusk; the setting sun was like blood, and the red clouds dyed half the sky crimson.

This battlefield of ravaged sky islands, which originally consisted of a dozen or so small sky islands, has been reduced to seven or eight small sky islands after a long and fierce battle.

Some were destroyed in the battle between Sig and the Golden Lion, while many more were instantly vaporized in the massive explosion at Explosive Rock.

When the power of the Float-Float Fruit disappeared, all the sky islands began to fall.

Sieg looked slightly surprised as he gazed into the distance to the west.

The clouds dispersed, revealing a small floating island that was recaptured by gravity and accelerated its descent.

This floating island is very small, with only one building that looks like a hospital on it.

"So they used the power of the Cloud-Cloud Fruit to secretly hide it here? No wonder Ain and the others couldn't find it..."

Sig stretched out his palm and gently lifted it upwards.

The floating islands that had just begun to fall quickly stabilized and hovered in the sky.

The battle with the Golden Lion had nearly exhausted his strength, and his injuries were quite severe. However, he was able to retain some telekinetic energy, which was enough to bring the sky islands back to the sea.

He took a slight breath, his expression showing signs of fatigue. As his mind relaxed slightly, intense pain shot through his limbs and bones.

But soon, all expressions vanished from his face, and he returned to his usual indifference, straightening his back and exuding an aura of authority.

Now is not the time to rest.

It's unclear when it started, but the cowardly and timid Sieg gradually adapted to enduring pain and fighting, seemingly going against the grain of a peaceful life.

The air door opened, and Stussy and Ian appeared behind Sieg.

Sig's body floated up, flying in the wind, and finally came to rest above the main island battlefield, looking down at the fifty-six emperors below.

"Will you continue to be my enemies?"

Sig lowered his eyelids, his face expressionless.

He is in very poor condition.

However, Sieg's skill in bluffing was already at its peak. Even when his strength was almost exhausted, he could still create a terrifying sense of oppression that made people unable to even think of testing him.

At this point, he was close enough to the fifty-sixth emperor that anyone could see that his injuries were quite severe.

These powerful pirates, who were also proficient in Observation Haki, could also see that Higuma's aura had clearly declined compared to before, and he was no longer at his peak.

However, no one looked up to meet his gaze; they silently looked away.

Perhaps it was the fact that Sig's aura, which had been weakened by the previous explosion, had regained its strength after its decline; perhaps it was the fact that his final battle with the Golden Lion had intimidated them; or perhaps it was the words spoken by Hale and the white-haired giant that had shaken their hearts.

They have lost their fighting spirit.

As for those who put up a last-ditch resistance, there were some, such as the wicked king among the fifty-six emperors and the Moon Hunter Katarina, who were defeated and killed in the battle just now. Those who survived were basically just loafing around.

Wald, who was half-lying on the ground, also closed his eyes.

The battle is over, the loser has left the stage, and the legendary pirate of the old era, Shiki the Golden Lion, bids his final farewell under the setting sun.

..................................................

The floating islands, now consisting of only seven or eight smaller islands, slowly descended under Sieg's control, landing smoothly on the sea surface and stirring up huge waves.

The fleet composed of the Revolutionary Army and the NEO Navy has received a Den Den Mushi (snail phone call) from the bandits and is coming to pick up and treat the wounded.

On the main island of Vermeer, inside the Golden Lion Building, the sound of a cane hitting the ground echoed.

"Teacher Zephyr, please slow down," Ain's voice said.

"I can walk by myself, I'm not old yet."

Zephyr sighed softly, leaning on his cane and supported by Ain as he walked toward the door.

Before he even entered the door, he paused and turned to look to the side.

Within his sight, Revolutionary Army leader Ryu walked side by side with Fujitora, followed closely by Revolutionary Army cadres, as well as Bakara, Kuina, and others.

"Mr. Zephyr, are you alright?" Fujitora, who was also using crutches, asked Zephyr with his eyes closed.

Before Zephyr could answer, Fujitora also sensed something was wrong, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

“Mr. Zephyr, weren’t you kidnapped by Shiki the Golden Lion? How come you are now…” Fujitora asked.

Zefa's expression was somewhat complicated. He raised his cane and pointed inside the gate:

"It's a long story, let's go inside and talk about it."

Besides Fujitora, Ryu's expression also looked somewhat strange.

He rushed over as soon as he received the call from the Den Den Mushi, without fully understanding the situation.

He assumed that Sieg was preparing to join forces with him, perhaps to test the waters by targeting the Sky Emperor, Lion...

Strangely, he had been to this area before, but for some reason, there were seven or eight islands that looked severely damaged.

What's even stranger is that this building on the island, and other buildings as well, bear many of the Flying Pirates' symbols.

If he hadn't known that the Golden Lion's territory was in the sky, he would have almost thought he had entered the Golden Lion's lair.

After exchanging pleasantries with Zephyr standing at the door for a moment, Long, Zephyr, and the others stepped forward, pushed open the door, and entered the hall behind it.

The hall is very spacious and can accommodate hundreds of people for dining, while at the top of the stairs is a throne.

Sig sat on the throne, his body wrapped in heavy bandages, his face pale, and he was receiving an IV drip.

The old ship's doctor, Crocus, stood beside him, frowning and saying something.

Zephat walked in, leaning on his cane. He looked up and saw Sig on the throne at the top of the stairs, and his expression faltered slightly.

He seemed to see the white-bearded man with an IV drip back then, giving him the illusion that Sieg would rip off the IV tube and cleave the sky in two at the slightest provocation.

Dragon also stopped in his tracks, just like Zephyr.

However, he wasn't looking at Sig, but rather at the dozens of fierce-looking, menacing pirates sitting in the hall.

They didn't talk, patiently sitting in the corner, a stark contrast to the bandits chatting animatedly beside them.

"These appear to be the most ferocious and dangerous pirates who escaped from the Infinite Hell back then, commonly known as the Fifty-Six Emperors. Many of them were members of the Rocks Pirates..."

"Hmm? That can't be right, they're all so much younger than the wanted posters suggest!"

"It's almost like the Rocks Pirates have been resurrected..." Dragon's expression was a little strange.

Only then did the bald man greeting guests realize that he had made a mistake in his haste and forgot to tell Long the specifics of what had happened. He then briefly recounted what had occurred.

"What? The Golden Lion is dead? And the Fifty-Six Emperors have submitted?"

Long Yan's eyes twitched. He silently looked at Sig, who was receiving an IV drip on the throne, his expression somewhat strange:

"Is this the personal matter that Sig mentioned yesterday that he needed to handle?"

............................................

P.S.: Book recommendation for Sunday.

I, the blind box merchant, started in Mondstadt.

---

Brief introduction: Liang Yuan, 24 years old, has written a Genshin Impact fanfiction.

One day, I woke up to find myself transported into the body of the protagonist I had written.

The goal is to become a popular blind box merchant in Mondstadt. As long as you copy the storyline, you can sell the right products and make a name for yourself!

However... everything is in chaos. I didn't get any of the characters that were supposed to be part of the storyline, while all the characters I shouldn't have gotten arrived—

Yura Lawrence, the wielder of the Ice-type Eye of God, wields a crimson Nichirin Blade that represents the knight's undying faith.

Jean, the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, is skilled at cooking pizza. Her signature dish, which can conquer the taste buds of many, has earned her the title of Mondstadt's culinary master.

Klee loves throwing bombs, and the voice of a big pink cat behind her is constantly stroking the slimes she encounters on the roadside, which has a serious impact on the outdoor ecosystem of Mondstadt.

Batman Diluc, the owner of a winery, obtained the Chaldea blueprint technology and is determined to summon Servants to fundamentally change Mondstadt!

...

This doesn't feel right!

Just as Liang Yuan was hesitating and confused, the blue-haired girl who broke down the door pressed him against the headboard.

"Liang Yuan, list your sins! Why did the Abyss Mages swarm around Mondstadt, hanging banners saying they wanted to create a new world where only travelers could get loot!?"