"The world's strongest? What an arrogant brat!" This kid named Bellamy... he had yet to see his other skills, but his boundless arrogance was something the Golden Lion greatly approved of. That's how a pirate should be. If you're not arrogant, how can you be worthy of conquering this sea?
"The North Blue, eh? It's been a while."
"Since it concerns my legs, let's set off immediately."
The Golden Lion's Flying Pirate fleet was far larger than the Bellamy Pirates. Back in the day, his grand armada had nearly buried Gol D. Roger at sea forever. Although a sudden storm had destroyed most of it, the Golden Lion's forces were still numerous.
But these soldiers and commanders all shared one characteristic with the Golden Lion: they were too old. To use a famous phrase, they were all remnants of a bygone era.
If Bellamy hadn't suddenly shown up, the Golden Lion would have launched his plan to destroy the East Blue in two years. This so-called plan was, simply put, to first breed a group of ferocious animals, then descend from the sky and drop them to destroy all the cities in the East Blue. His Devil Fruit ability allowed him to lift an entire island and use it as a weapon. He had once used this power to destroy half of Marine Headquarters. As long as he wanted to, no country or city in the East Blue could withstand his attack. He could literally drop islands from the sky and completely annihilate the entire sea.
This nonsense about ferocious animals might fool others, but it didn't fool Bellamy. The Golden Lion had simply been beaten into submission by Garp and Sengoku, and had developed a fear of the Marines. To conceal his cowardice, he had used this joke of a plan to hide in the sky for a full twenty years. If Bellamy hadn't found him, this legendary pirate would have met an incredibly ridiculous end at the hands of an East Blue rookie.
But since Bellamy had found him, it was time for this lion's fate to change.
With the steering wheel removed from his head, the Golden Lion's ambition began to stir. If the treatment Bellamy spoke of was truly possible, the legendary pirate, dormant for so many years, might just be about to re-emerge. Naturally, the Golden Lion cared more about his legs than anyone. At his command, the entire Flying Pirate fleet quickly sprang to life. The floating island, Merveille, which had been airborne for twenty years, began to speed toward the North Blue under the power of the Float-Float Fruit. Below the island, massive warships began to shuttle back and forth. The Flying Pirates, who had once dominated the four seas, seemed to have been reborn at this moment.
Only one person in the entire fleet was worried.
"Lord Shiki, our Ferocious Animals experiment has reached its most critical stage."
The Flying Pirates' ship doctor, Indigo, approached the Golden Lion with a face full of anxiety. Indigo was not only Shiki's doctor but also the head of the entire Ferocious Animals project. If the Golden Lion's strength was restored to its peak, the twenty years of research he had painstakingly conducted might be thrown in the trash. This grand animal modification experiment was so close to completion. Why did this setback have to happen now?
Indigo was not resigned!
Where did this kid named Bellamy come from? By approaching the Golden Lion at this time, he was tactfully trying to remind him not to abandon his experiment. But the Golden Lion's personality had always been autocratic; how could he listen to a subordinate's advice?
"What are you talking about, Indigo?"
"Are you saying my legs are worth less than a bunch of ferocious animals?" The Golden Lion held his cigar, looking coldly at the subordinate who had been with him for most of his life. This useless fool, as a ship's doctor, had let him remain crippled for a full twenty years. Incompetent people really were just a drag.
"No, that's not it."
Hearing the Golden Lion's tone, Indigo's heart skipped a beat. He immediately knew something was wrong. Having followed Shiki for so many years, he knew the great pirate's brutality all too well. If he continued on this topic, he was afraid he would be executed on the spot.
"Lord Shiki, the lab is about to begin an important experiment. I will take my leave now." Indigo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly bowed his head and slipped away.
The Golden Lion watched his retreating back and couldn't help but let out a cold sneer. "After spending so much of my money, you've produced no results." If this treatment went well, there would be no need to keep this waste around. How could some mere ferocious animals be more important than his own body?
The Op-Op Fruit!
The Golden Lion had heard of the legendary Perennial Youth Operation many years ago. This kid named Law was the user of the Op-Op Fruit. After this treatment was over, no matter what, he would absolutely not let him get away.
As for Bellamy, after his legs were healed, he would let him witness the true power of a great swordsman. For a hegemon like the Golden Lion, in the face of absolute benefit, how could he care about a little bit of trust? The hope of eternal life was right in front of him. It was impossible for him to let Law leave just because of a promise.
Fortunately, Bellamy had never trusted the Golden Lion from the start. He and Shiki were two of a kind; how could he have any trust in such a person? Bellamy had brought Law and had him display his ability in front of the Golden Lion precisely to force him to give his all in the plan that was to come.
The person he needed to capture was no joke. Even the Golden Lion at his peak would have a significant chance of defeat if he didn't fight with the resolve to risk his life.
Bellamy knew that once the Golden Lion recognized the Op-Op Fruit, he would never let Law leave easily. But to perform the Perennial Youth Operation, the user of the Op-Op Fruit had to sacrifice their own life. With Law's pride, how could he easily give up his life for a stranger?
But Bellamy could force Law to honor his promise and perform the Perennial Youth Operation for the Golden Lion. With such a bargaining chip in hand, the Golden Lion could never escape his grasp. No matter what Shiki was thinking, as long as he coveted the Perennial Youth Operation, he had to do as Bellamy commanded.
The Golden Lion in his youth might have had enough ambition and spirit to resist the temptation of eternal life. But now, he was clearly old and withered. The fear of death, the fear of aging, had already quietly taken root in his heart. Bellamy was confident that a Golden Lion like this would be absolutely unable to resist the temptation of the Perennial Youth Operation.