When Marcus stepped through the Nether Portal again, he found himself staring at something unexpected.
The copper golems had all gone still, one after another entering some kind of dormant state. They stood frozen like statues.
He blinked in surprise. He knew copper golems had a special mechanic, oxidation. When the oxidation reached a certain level, they'd transform completely into copper statues that he could break down and store in his inventory.
But these golems clearly hadn't oxidized yet. Their copper coloring looked perfectly normal. So how were they deliberately entering dormancy?
"Creator! You're back so soon!" Mighty called out as he approach him. "Are you here to train muscles with me?"
He flexed his biceps.
Marcus held up a hand before Mighty could get too carried away. "You're already different from the regular copper golems. Do you need to eat?"
Mighty nodded seriously, his bright eyes shining. "Indeed! My food is very simple, it's copper."
"Just copper? Nothing else?"
"Copper keeps the body strong! MUSCLES need proper fuel!"
Marcus filed that information away and glanced back at the dormant golems. "What's with them? Why are they all shut down?"
"Self-induced dormancy," Mighty explained. "They can return to normal operation whenever needed. Watch!"
He gestured toward one of the still golems. Its eyes suddenly lit up again.
"See? They're conserving energy when not actively working. Very efficient! Unlike muscles, which need constant exercise!"
Marcus felt relieved. At least the golems could power down safely without actually breaking. He opened his inventory and started pulling out copper blocks, loading them into the bronze chest Mighty used for storage.
Twenty-seven stacks of a thousand copper ingots each. That should last a while.
"If you run out, just come find me."
He turned to leave, but Mighty's broad hand caught his shoulder.
"Creator! Since you're here, don't rush off so quickly!"
Marcus froze. For a split second, his survival instincts screamed warnings about the situation. But he forced himself to stay calm and turned back to face the enthusiastic golem.
"What else do you need?"
"It's so hot here!"
BANG! BANG!
Mighty slapped his own pecs. The metallic clanging echoed across the entire platform, making Marcus wince.
"Our bodies will oxidize in this environment! Could you help us with maintenance?"
"Maintenance?"
Only then did Marcus remember the full mechanics. There were two ways to remove oxidation from copper golems: honeycomb plus an axe to scrape it off, or lightning to burn it away.
He pulled out the Rumble-Rumble Fruit he'd been saving and tossed it to Mighty.
The bronze golem's eyes lit up brighter than ever. "Thank you for treating me equally!"
He grabbed the Devil Fruit and ate it in one bite, not even flinching at what must've been a truly horrible taste.
Electricity crackled across his bronze surface, arcing between his limbs. When he opened his eyes again, lightning flickered in those bright pupils.
Marcus suddenly understood why Mighty had pulled him back. He'd given Devil Fruits to Goliath and Shira, but not to him. Of course the dwarf had felt left out.
He shook his head with an amused smile. "Anything else?"
"No! I will work hard to earn your approval!"
Lightning flashed, and suddenly Mighty was across the platform, already back to his training routine. Push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises that made no sense for a metal construct to be doing.
Marcus watched for a moment, still feeling like something was off about the whole situation. But seeing how dedicated Mighty was to his training, he decided not to question it further.
When he emerged back on Skypiea, both Gan Fall and the Shandia Chief were still waiting near the portal.
The moment they spotted him walking out completely unharmed, clothes still properly arranged, no signs of distress, both old men visibly relaxed.
Marcus caught their expressions and couldn't help laughing. "Mighty just has that kind of personality. That's all it is."
As the creator of these golems, he figured he should at least try to maintain Mighty's reputation a little. Even if it was already pretty damaged.
Both men exchanged awkward glances but quickly composed themselves.
Gan Fall cleared his throat and spoke seriously. "The trade connection between Skypiea and the Blue Sea is extremely important to us."
Marcus looked confused. Hadn't they already discussed this? Why bring it up again?
The Shandia Chief also wore a grave expression. "Are you truly certain you don't need any compensation from us? While we cannot give you the Golden Bell itself, we understand gold is valuable to you Blue Sea people. We could cut pieces from the bell's base platform."
Marcus finally understood. They were uncomfortable accepting help without offering something in return. For people in positions of authority, receiving favors without payment made them suspicious of hidden motives.
"That giant ship should be useless to you," Marcus said, "but it'd be a pain for us to sail it away. Besides, it's not time for it to make its debut yet. And the gold on that ark far outweighs what's on the Golden Bell anyway."
The Shandia Chief nodded slowly. "The Ark Maxim truly serves no purpose for us. No one here can even operate it."
"But... is that thing really sufficient?" Gan Fall asked uncertainly. "You're certain you don't need anything more?"
Marcus just waved and started walking away, his attitude answering the question better than words could.
Watching his retreating back, Gan Fall was suddenly reminded of another carefree pirate he'd met over twenty years ago. "I told you they wouldn't demand anything excessive."
The Shandia Chief shot him a look. "You were the one who first suggested cutting up the bell."
Both men exchanged glances and chuckled, shaking their heads.
---
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Going Merry was approaching the end of the cloud sea, getting close to where Skypiea's borders met open air.
Behind them, Gan Fall, the Shandia Chief, and several dozen Skypieans followed along to see them off properly.
"That's the exit up ahead, right?" Usopp stared at the ornately decorated boundary where the clouds ended. His expression turned worried. "But... there aren't any clouds in front of us. We're not just gonna fall straight down, are we?"
Everyone involuntarily remembered the scene of ship wreckage plummeting from the sky.
"Let's hope we don't end up shattered into pieces," Robin said thoughtfully.
"Robin! Don't say creepy stuff like that!" Nami shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
After all, from this altitude, any normal person would definitely die from a fall.
"Straw Hats!" Gan Fall's voice carried across the clouds. "Thank you for everything you've done for us! Be bold and move forward! You'll be perfectly safe!"
He watched as the Merry sailed over the edge and began its descent, then blew his whistle to summon his balloon octopus companion.
The crew recovered from their brief moment of panic fairly quickly. The octopus was already inflating beneath them, slowing their fall to a gentle glide.
"Animals on Skypiea really are amazing," Chopper said.
"Wonder how they taste," Luffy mused.
"LUFFY! Not the time!" Nami smacked him on the head.
The balloon octopus, somehow understanding it had just been considered as a potential meal, looked uncomfortable.
After that brief moment of chaos, Marcus moved to the railing and looked out at the vast blue ocean far below. Sunlight warmed his face as they descended through layers of clouds.
Back on Earth, he'd always wanted to go skydiving or ride in a hot air balloon, but poverty had held him back from those dreams. Yet here, in the pirate world, he was somehow fulfilling them anyway. Just in a much weirder way than he'd imagined. But as pleasant thoughts about the descent filled his mind, he noticed something strange in the distance. A cluster of black dots, floating at roughly their altitude.
He squinted, trying to make out details.
His expression slowly shifted to confusion.
Several islands were drifting through the air, completely unsupported by anything visible. They just floated there, defying every law of physics he understood.
"What the hell?"
Marcus wasn't the only one who noticed. At this altitude, everyone's natural instinct was to look into the distance, scanning the horizon.
Usopp pulled out his head-mounted telescope and peered through it, his brow furrowing deeper with every passing second.
Then he started blinking rapidly, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This is a real sky island?!"
"Huh?" several voices responded in confusion.
"What do you mean, a real sky island?" Sanji asked. "Weren't we just on Skypiea?"
Usopp lowered his telescope. "These are completely different. They're floating islands, no clouds underneath them at all. Nothing visible supporting them. And the water... there's water around the islands, but it's not falling. It's like the water itself is holding the islands up, or maybe the islands are holding the water. I can't tell which."
His explanation left everyone even more shocked than before.
"There are sky islands like that?!" Sanji pulled out a cigarette and lit it, needing something to do with his hands. "How is that even possible?"
Skypiea's existence had been miraculous enough, formed by incredibly rare, solid clouds that could support land and people. That they'd been able to understand and accept, however barely.
But islands floating with nothing beneath them? Water defying gravity completely? That went beyond anything they'd encountered so far, not counting the bizarre Minecraft stuffs...
Most of the crew reacted with curiosity at the sight of the floating islands.
Luffy's face lit up. "Nami! I wanna go check it out!"
Nami glanced at the Log Pose strapped to her wrist. "Our next destination isn't that way."
The others were puzzled about how islands could just float in the air without any visible support, but having just experienced Skypiea, they were handling this second sky island encounter relatively well. Their mental states remained stable, if confused.
Only Marcus' expression gradually shifted to something far more serious.
"Marcus? Aren't you curious about it?" Kira looked at his suddenly grim face in confusion.
The others, reminded by her question, finally noticed Marcus' tense expression.
"What's wrong?" Sanji asked, cigarette pausing halfway to his lips.
"The Golden Lion Pirates."
"Huh?" Multiple confused voices responded.
But Robin's expression also turned grave the moment she heard those words. "We should avoid getting close to them."
Her warning only confused everyone further. If anything, it made them more concerned.
Seeing their bewilderment, Robin began to explain, "Among pirates, there are the Four Emperors ruling the New World. But those 'Four Emperors' are essentially a title the World Government pushed through public opinion and news manipulation. Since they're rooted in the New World and their threat is geographically limited, the government can publicize them without causing mass panic in the other seas."
She paused, making sure everyone was following. "But... the captain of the Golden Lion Pirates, Shiki the Golden Lion, also known as the Flying Pirate, has deep connections with three of the current Four Emperors. More than that, he was a powerhouse from the same era as Gol D. Roger himself."
"Wait, Roger's era?" Usopp's eyes went wide.
Robin nodded. "After Roger was captured and sentenced to execution, Shiki refused to believe it. He went to Marineford and caused massive destruction, fighting both Marine Hero Garp and current Fleet Admiral Sengoku at the same time. Eventually they subdued him and he was imprisoned in Impel Down. But he didn't give up. He became the first person in history to escape from that prison. After that, he disappeared for years. Recently, reports have surfaced that he's formed the Golden Lion Pirates and commands a fleet of floating islands."
"So he's basically on the same level as the Four Emperors?!" Usopp asked worriedly. "Just not publicly reported?"
Due to how isolated pirate news was in the East Blue and Paradise, hearing about Shiki hit the Straw Hats like a ton of bricks.
Robin nodded gravely. "Yes, that's accurate. But Marcus..." She turned to him. "How did you know those were the Golden Lion Pirates just from seeing them?"
Everyone realized that Marcus had identified them at a glance, while Robin had only pieced it together after he'd named them.
Marcus kept his eyes on the black dots in the distance. "I saw them once in the East Blue."
The others exchanged glances but didn't question it further. After all, islands that could fly could theoretically appear anywhere in the world. And honestly, they were more concerned with having the intel than understanding how he'd acquired it.
Usopp stared at the distant shapes through his telescope, his expression becoming increasingly troubled. "I don't know if it's just me, but... I think they're getting closer. Like, heading toward us."
Everyone's attention snapped back to the horizon. They watched as the black dots steadily grew larger. The floating islands were definitely moving in their direction.
"Shit!" Usopp's face went pale. "We need to run!"
Chopper started trembling. "W-we're gonna die!"
"But we're not on the sea!" Nami's voice rose in panic. "How am I supposed to navigate when we're being carried by a giant octopus?!"
As the navigator, her job was to guide them safely between islands. But they were literally floating in the sky right now, completely at the mercy of the balloon octopus. There was no steering, no sails to adjust, nothing she could control.
"Wait! The Jet Dials!" Usopp's mind raced through their options. "Marcus, how many Jet Dials do you have on you?!"
During their last two days on Skypiea, the Straw Hats had studied the various dial shells extensively. They'd managed to acquire several of the rare Jet Dials, which could produce powerful directional blasts.
Marcus immediately started pulling out his MC-ified Jet Dials and tossing them to the crew.
Working together, they positioned the dials around the ship and activated them, creating propulsive blasts to push the Merry away from the approaching Golden Lion Pirates.
The modified Jet Dials worked incredibly well, the enhancements had made them significantly more powerful than standard versions. But compared to the Float-Float Fruit's ability to freely control the movement of entire islands, their speed was pathetically inadequate.
They hadn't even managed to cover a single kilometer when the Golden Lion Pirates, which had been tiny dots on the horizon moments ago, suddenly showed clear details. Multiple massive islands floated in formation, moving far faster than should be possible.
The Straw Hats' expressions shifted.
"Holy shit!" Usopp stared at the approaching floating archipelago, his legs starting to shake. "They're huge! How is this even fair?!"
The others looked similarly stunned. After Robin's explanation, they understood they were looking at someone on the level of the Four Emperors.
Which meant they were being targeted by one of the world's most dangerous pirates.
The crew immediately shifted into combat readiness. Zoro's hand moved to his swords. Sanji ground out his cigarette and lit a fresh one. Luffy cracked his knuckles, his usual grin replaced by a serious expression.
They watched the floating islands silently close the distance, their breathing becoming shallow and tense.
The sight was undeniably spectacular, several landmasses suspended in the sky, lush vegetation visible even from this distance, waterfalls flowing off the edges without falling. It looked like something from a dream.
But the pressure radiating from those islands was all too real.
While his crewmates prepared for battle, Marcus was thinking about what he was seeing. The Float-Float Fruit had to be awakened. There was no other explanation.
Making this many islands float simultaneously should consume enormous amounts of stamina. Just maintaining them in the air should require continuous concentration and energy expenditure.
But if Shiki had awakened his Devil Fruit and could permanently alter the properties of the islands themselves, along with the water surrounding them...
As someone who'd awakened Alvida's Slip-Slip Fruit, he understood the mechanics well. Even after awakening, using your power to alter other objects' properties still drained stamina, and the duration depended heavily on your physical conditioning.
But if Shiki could permanently change the fundamental nature of objects, like these islands that would never fall, that went beyond standard awakening.
That would be development past the awakening stage itself.
His expression grew complicated. If this really was power beyond awakening, could the current Straw Hat crew actually win?
If Luffy had unlocked Gear Fifth and transformed into Nika, maybe they'd stand a chance. But right now, Luffy had only recently grasped the basics of Armament Haki. He didn't know how to use Conqueror's Haki. His advanced techniques were years away from development.
Going into this fight with the mindset that "the protagonist always wins" would get them killed. This wasn't a movie. This was real life, and real life didn't give a damn about narrative convenience.
Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette, his eyes fixed on the floating islands that had now positioned themselves directly overhead.
"Looks like... they didn't notice us?"
Everyone held their breath.
The massive floating archipelago drifted past. Within minutes, they'd traveled beyond the Merry's position and continued onward.
The crew exhaled in relief.
Marcus' expression turned puzzled. That was it? They just flew past without even looking down?
Though thinking about it, that made a bit sense. Pirates at that caliber probably weren't scanning every bit of sky for random ships. They had bigger things on their mind.
Robin's eyes followed the trajectory of the floating islands as they moved away. Her face went pale as she tracked their heading. "That direction... isn't that where we just came from?"
"Skypiea," Nami whispered.
They watched as the floating islands steadily approached the white sea, heading directly for the cloud layer where Skypiea floated.
"What do we do?" Usopp asked.
Despite his cowardice, and his tendency to run from danger, Skypiea was different. They'd just left. The people there were still celebrating. And now the Golden Lion Pirates were heading straight for them.
As Skypiea's self-proclaimed 'god,' he felt responsible. Even if he'd never received any offerings, he couldn't just abandon them.
The others felt the same. Their time on Skypiea replayed in their minds.
"Should we go back?" Zoro asked. His eyes remained fixed on the floating islands as they drew closer to the cloud layer.
They'd barely escaped notice once. Going back would mean confronting the Golden Lion Pirates directly.
At that moment, a sound drifted across the sky.
GONG... GONG... GONG...