I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

Golden Lion's Strong World Project can be considered a partial failure. Meanwhile, Sigurd's project has clearly yielded remarkable results.

If this is a gamble, the Golden Lion has already lost ten years of his life.

And now... he faces an even bigger gamble.

The golden lion's eyes were filled with complex emotions as he murmured softly:

"Sig, you're a crazy man!"

"Let me see just how far you'll turn this world upside down!"

"I'll bet against you in this bet!"

Chapter 397 Imperial ambitions are discussed in jest; life is but a fleeting dream.

An island group high in the sky, thousands of meters above the ground.

Clang... clang...

Shiki the Golden Lion stepped into the laboratory, each step accompanied by a crisp metallic clang as the two famous swords struck the ground.

Shiki has had the Float-Float Fruit for many years, and given the extent to which he has developed his fruit's power, he could easily float in the air 24 hours a day.

But most of the time, he still preferred to walk slowly on his own two legs, even though his legs were broken and he could only use his sword as a foot.

Actually, being disabled in both legs doesn't have a huge impact on him as a user of the Float-Float Fruit; it's more of a matter of habit.

But now, Shiki walked quickly, and there was an undisguised excitement in the depths of his eyes.

If the plan proceeds as he predicted...

So it won't be long before he can have a pair of legs to walk on.

Pfft pfft pfft...

When Shiki finally arrived at the laboratory, the ship's doctor, Indigo, danced around for a while, his shoes making a comical sound like farting as they stomped on the ground.

"Boss Shiki, you've finally arrived!"

Dr. Indigo gestured wildly for a while before finally speaking.

Although he has a comical appearance and behaves like a clown, he is indeed an excellent ship's doctor, biologist, and chemist who has been with Shiki's crew since before the Great Pirate Era.

"The test results for the Angel Fruit are in."

"This is clearly an extremely special fruit. It possesses a structure and properties similar to Devil Fruits, but it also differs significantly from them..."

Indigo explained with a hint of excitement.

"To make a long story short, what is the probability that this Angel Fruit is real?" Shiki asked directly.

"This is not a matter of probability. The Angel Fruit has never appeared in the world before. The one that appeared in the Sabaody Archipelago last time has been officially debunked as fake by Sig.

"Our tests only show that this Angel Fruit is very special and definitely does not belong to any kind of Devil Fruit."

"So strictly speaking, this is the first Angel Fruit to appear on the market. Whether its effects are real or not can only be determined after it is eaten."

Indigo did not propose a specific probability.

After hesitating for a moment, Indigo spoke again:

"Boss Shiki, you should reconsider."

"Every power comes at a price. The strength of the strong is acquired through years of hard work and training. Even with a Devil Fruit, one will bear the curse of the devil when consuming it."

“Even if this Angel Fruit is truly effective, there might be some unknown cost,” Indigo said.

"So, this thing is still a gamble?"

The golden lion, with a cigar dangling from his lips, exhaled a smoke ring, but his face wore an arrogant smile.

He is a shrewd and calculating person who rarely does things he is not sure of, but this time the situation is special.

In the battle just now, he realized that his ten-year plan for a world of strongmen had already failed halfway.

Without regaining his youth, the original Leo might not have had enough time and energy to prepare for a new comeback plan, often on a twenty-year cycle...

The Golden Lion doesn't have many options.

"I'm betting on this."

Shiki the Golden Lion reached out and took the Angel Fruit from the lab table, but his gaze remained fixed on Indigo:

"Sig is already drunk, and I've put him in a guest room."

“If anything happens to me after I eat the Angel Fruit…” A cold glint flashed in the Golden Lion’s eyes: “Before the Sky Island crashes, you must immediately activate the pre-set chemical toxin trap.”

It's one thing to get along with Sieg.

Ultimately, however, the foundation for the reconciliation between the two sides lies in the Angel Fruit.

Before confirming the authenticity of the Angel Fruit, no matter how well the conversation goes, Shiki could never fully trust Sigurd.

Indigo wiped his sweat and repeatedly agreed.

Then, he watched as Shiji Zhang opened his mouth, brought the silvery-white fruit to his lips, and took a bite. At that moment, the Golden Lion's expression changed drastically.

"W-what's wrong?"

The matter concerned their lives, and even the usually unreliable Indigo became a little nervous.

But then he saw Shiki's eyes glistening with tears, his face filled with happiness:

"It's so delicious, it tastes just like my mom's cooking."

"...You've eaten your mother's food?" Indigo swallowed his words halfway through.

However, the Golden Lion didn't seem to care. His attention was entirely on the Angel Fruit, and he ate it very quickly. In less than half a minute, he finished the entire fruit clean, and his face still showed an expression of unsatisfaction.

After finishing the meal, he carefully observed the changes within himself.

Then, a look of joy gradually appeared on the golden lion's face.

A vague, unseen instinct seemed to tell him that things had succeeded.

He let out a long breath, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

He stretched out his hand and gestured outwards.

A moment later, a small, exquisitely crafted box flew from afar and landed in his palm.

"I never expected that the Devil Fruits I collected years ago would come in handy at this time."

Shiki burst into laughter.

He had his eye on several Devil Fruits.

For example... the legendary Op-Op Fruit, worth 50 billion Berries, which can perfectly remove the ship's rudder from his head.

For example... the Mythical Zoan type, the Bat-Bat Fruit (Vampire Form), allows Shiki to maintain his youth by drinking the blood of others.

Furthermore, if he cultivates to the point where his Devil Fruit ability awakens, he will also gain extremely strong regenerative abilities.

But now, having regained his youth, he has more options.

For example... this fruit in my hand.

"Boss Shiki, are you sure you want to eat this fruit?" Indigo asked.

The golden lion looked at the fruit in his hand with longing in his eyes, but after a moment of silence, he shook his head.

"Now is not the best time."

"That guy Sig wants to drive the world crazy... so I'll just add fuel to the fire."

The golden lion, carrying the box, walked out and said:

"Notify me immediately as soon as Sieg wakes up."

"Also, keep the news under wraps and don't let anyone else know about Sig for the time being."

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

Day two.

Sig opened his eyes from his drowsy state.

"Another unfamiliar ceiling."

Sieg sighed softly, feeling a slight headache and still a bit groggy, as if he hadn't fully sobered up from the hangover.

"I drank again? This time with Shiki? I'm still alive?" Sig was shocked.

Upon waking up, the first thing he did was open the system panel... Sig was shocked again.

Chapter 398, Seventh Character Card: Naruto!

Upon waking up, Sig immediately opened the system panel.

Then he discovered that the Usopp card and the Yuta card had increased in value again.

Not only that, a line of small text also appeared on the task panel.

"Achievement Quest: The Old Age Returns (2) Completed."

"Task Reward: One chance to draw a random card."

"........."

"Achievement Quest Phase Update".

"Achievement Quest: The Old Age Returns (3)".

"Mission Objective: Influence historical figures who were active in the past, altering their destinies and allowing them to reappear in the new era. 3/5"

"Task Reward: One chance to draw a random card."

Seeing so many changes, Sieg was completely astonished.

So many changes occurred during a bout of drunkenness.

"Alcohol is truly a wonderful thing! Not only can it increase compatibility, but it can also be used to complete quests," Sig exclaimed.

He made a wild guess and concluded that the character who fit the criteria for the Old Age Rebirth mission should be Shiki the Golden Lion.