The news of Pure Gold did not remain hidden for long.
Before the World Government could fully seal the information, word had already spread among the world's major forces. One organization after another quietly began to move.
The World Government itself was no longer as unified as it once had been.
Although the situation had stabilized on the surface after the Golden Sea Battle, the chaos during that period forced many officials and intelligence agents to seek backup plans for themselves. Numerous members of the government had secretly established ties with outside forces in preparation for the possibility of collapse.
As a result, even though only CP0 personnel were involved in the operation, the information still leaked out.
And once it leaked, it spread rapidly.
Pure Gold.
The legendary treasure capable of extending lifespan.
Even if some forces could not obtain it themselves, they still did not want anyone else to possess it. Because of that, many people deliberately spread the news further, hoping to muddy the waters and turn the entire situation chaotic.
Besides the World Government, the Flying Pirates had also dispatched a large number of forces into the surrounding sea region. As an Emperor-level pirate force, such a large-scale movement naturally attracted attention.
Soon, many people connected the dots.
The Flying Pirates had clearly learned about Pure Gold before everyone else and had already moved ahead of the competition.
That meant the initiative was currently in the hands of the World Government and the Flying Pirates.
The appearance of Pure Gold immediately complicated the political situation of the New World.
The nearby Big Mom Pirates and Beast Pirates became involved almost immediately.
Further away, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Nightfall Pirates also received the information, along with numerous other major pirate forces.
"Pure Gold has appeared?"
Teach showed little surprise after hearing the report.
The Nightfall Pirates had already learned several years ago that Pure Gold might have resurfaced somewhere in the sea. The current news merely confirmed those suspicions.
Originally, Teach believed the Flying Pirates might quietly obtain the treasure without drawing attention.
Unexpectedly, the World Government had also become involved, and now the entire world knew.
"Hahaha! Right now it's still only intelligence, so nobody can confirm whether it's real or not," Redyat laughed from the side. "But the odds are high. Things are about to get lively again. What do we do?"
"Nothing special," Teach answered casually.
He leaned back in his chair without the slightest urgency.
"Send Laffitte over to take a look. We'll join the fun too."
Teach understood very clearly that this was not a large-scale war.
At most, it would become a scramble between competing forces.
Once it became confirmed who truly obtained the Pure Gold, the incident would quickly settle down.
In the end, this kind of thing depended mostly on luck, timing, and speed.
Of course, there would definitely be consequences afterward.
Pure Gold was the kind of treasure that could drive the entire world insane.
Kings.
Nobles.
Tycoons.
And powerful individuals unwilling to grow old.
All of them would eventually turn their eyes toward whichever force acquired it.
"Understood."
Redyat grinned.
"Then we'll just enjoy the show."
While the major forces secretly dispatched personnel to investigate the situation, Rhinos was already carrying the Pure Gold back toward the Sky Kingdom.
To avoid encountering other factions midway, he flew directly through the skies at an altitude of ten thousand meters. At the same time, he contacted Shiki and requested that the Admiral personally come meet him.
To prevent outsiders from linking the Pure Gold incident to the Flying Pirates too quickly, Rhinos also kept the Flying Pirate members stationed in the sea region continuing their false investigation.
Meanwhile, the World Government's CP0 team had already reached the original location of the vanished island.
"Officer, the girl's scent disappeared here."
One of the agents spoke respectfully while frowning toward the man beside him.
The speaker was a Paramecia-type Sniff-Sniff Fruit user with an abnormally powerful sense of smell. Even after many days, he could accurately track targets through lingering scent traces.
Although Olga had escaped, the intelligence agents who previously captured her had left behind several objects carrying her scent.
Using those traces together with the Sniff-Sniff Fruit's ability, the World Government personnel had successfully followed her route all the way here.
Hearing the report, Shokuma frowned deeply.
He understood exactly how important this mission was.
The Five Elders and several Celestial Dragon nobles had personally issued death orders.
Even if they failed to secure the Pure Gold itself, they absolutely had to discover who obtained it.
A mysterious disappearance was unacceptable.
"There should have been an island here before," Shokuma muttered while observing the empty sea. "But now it's gone."
The scene before him resembled the records from more than two hundred years ago, when the legendary City of Steel had mysteriously vanished.
"It's almost like something swallowed it."
Shokuma could not understand why a gigantic Sea King would suddenly devour an entire island.
"Officer."
The Sniff-Sniff Fruit user suddenly spoke again.
"Besides the girl's scent, I also detected another person's scent here."
As for the Sea King's scent, he simply ignored it.
Shokuma's eyes immediately lit up.
"Where?"
He stepped forward at once.
"Lead the way. We'll pursue immediately."
In his mind, the situation was already becoming clear.
The island appeared deserted, and the disappearance of the girl's scent likely meant she had died at sea.
As for the Pure Gold, it had probably been taken away by another individual who appeared afterward.
And his guess was largely correct.
The World Government's team was extremely well-prepared.
Besides the Sniff-Sniff Fruit tracker, they also brought flying-type ability users for rapid pursuit.
The entire group quickly advanced through the sky following Rhinos's flight path.
Meanwhile, Shiki had already received Rhinos's message.
Because Shiki possessed Rhinos's Vivre Card, he immediately set out after receiving the information.
Even Shiki himself had not expected Rhinos to bring him such an astonishing surprise.
Pure Gold.
A treasure capable of extending lifespan.
For someone like him, who had already reached the peak of his strength, there could hardly be a greater temptation.
Shiki would never forget the fate of John, Silver Axe, and Wang Zhi. Once-powerful monsters who were eventually eroded by time.
Their strength declined.
Their dominance faded.
And in the end, they fell.
Shiki absolutely refused to accept such an ending for himself.
The two finally met high above the clouds.
"Admiral."
Rhinos respectfully handed over the container.
"This is the Pure Gold."
Shiki stared curiously at the glass cylinder in his hand.
With a light squeeze, the container shattered instantly.
Glass fragments and the masking liquid scattered through the sky and fell toward the distant sea below.
At the same moment, a dazzling golden radiance erupted outward.
Both men instinctively focused their gaze on the object in Shiki's hand.
The fist-sized Pure Gold glowed like a miniature sun.
"It's beautiful."
Shiki laughed loudly.
"This light is more beautiful than any treasure I've ever seen!"
Golden brilliance illuminated his face and reflected across the clouds themselves.
"Yes, Admiral."
Rhinos lowered his head slightly.
"Only someone like you deserves such radiance. The future belongs to you."
"Jiehahahahaha!"
Shiki burst into roaring laughter.
"Rhinos, what nonsense are you saying?"
Bathed in the golden glow, Shiki could already feel subtle changes beginning within his body.
He understood clearly that Pure Gold did not require large quantities to function.
Even a tiny fragment was enough.
That also meant this piece could be divided among several people.
"What meaning is there in living forever alone?"
Shiki had never once doubted Rhinos's loyalty.
"You and Kronos are the people I trust the most," Shiki declared. "You'll stay with me until the very end."
"Admiral…"
Rhinos's expression softened slightly.
This was Shiki's charisma.
Both Rhinos and Kronos had followed Shiki since their youth.
Even before Shiki rose to prominence during the Rocks era, they had already become his right and left hands, helping him build the Flying Pirates into one of the greatest powers on the sea.
Shiki trusted them deeply.
And truthfully, Shiki also feared being the only one left behind at the end.
That kind of loneliness was far worse than death.
Suddenly, Rhinos's expression changed.
He turned his head slightly and looked toward the distance.
"Admiral."
His voice became colder.
"Someone is following us."
Shiki narrowed his eyes immediately.
"Just a few rats?"
A dangerous smile appeared on his face.
"Then let's kill them."
The moment Pure Gold fell into his hands, there was no possibility he would give it up.
Furthermore, the exposure of the Pure Gold news itself was already troublesome enough.
A terrifying killing intent spread from both Shiki and Rhinos.
It didn't matter who the pursuers were.
It didn't matter what organization they belonged to.
Anyone who saw this had to die.
Meanwhile, the CP0 unit led by Shokuma continued pursuing through the sky ten thousand meters above the sea.
Rhinos had deliberately altered his route multiple times while flying, and with endless white clouds surrounding them in every direction, the agents had completely lost their sense of orientation.
Suddenly, a dazzling golden light appeared ahead.
Even the nearby clouds were dyed faint gold.
"Faster!"
Shokuma's eyes brightened immediately.
He knew they were close.
That golden radiance was almost certainly Pure Gold.
But moments later, the airflow around them suddenly changed.
Violent wind currents began accelerating at terrifying speed.
At ten thousand meters in the air, such a phenomenon was extremely abnormal.
Yet the air grew more violent with every second.
Clouds twisted and compressed.
In an instant, the surrounding space transformed.
Massive air currents spiraled like giant dragons, completely surrounding the CP0 unit.
"It's Rhinos of the Flying Pirates!"
Shokuma shouted.
"He took the Pure Gold!"
His eyes burned with excitement.
"Keep chasing! Don't let him escape! Take the Pure Gold back!"
Shokuma possessed absolute confidence in his own abilities.
He was not certain he could defeat Rhinos.
But he believed he could seize the treasure.
Unfortunately for him, he celebrated far too early.
An enormous wall of compressed air currents already surrounded the group.
The terrifying pressure caused every agent's body to shake violently in midair, making stable flight nearly impossible.
Worse still, the walls were shrinking.
The pressure grew heavier and heavier.
Then, suddenly.
Golden sword slashes descended from above.
They tore through the airflow itself and crashed toward the CP0 agents.
Shokuma's expression changed drastically.
He immediately used Moonwalk to evade.
The remaining agents, however, were not nearly as fortunate.
Restricted by the violent air currents, they had no room to dodge.
One after another, their bodies were sliced apart by the terrifying slashes.
Blood scattered across the sky.
In only moments, every CP0 agent besides Shokuma had died.
Then a figure descended slowly before him.
The overwhelming aura radiating from the newcomer caused Shokuma's pupils to contract violently.
Even before seeing him clearly, he already knew who it was.
"Shi… Shiki."
His voice turned bitter.
Shiki had already used his ability to manipulate the surrounding airflow.
Together with Rhinos's powers, the two had fused the wind currents into an enormous killing field.
This had been a trap from the beginning.
Escaping now would be nearly impossible.
"Another World Government dog?"
Shiki's eyes turned cold.
"To keep this news from spreading, you die here."
The instant his words ended, he attacked.
Rhinos remained nearby without moving.
He merely watched calmly, ensuring the CP0 officer had no chance to flee.
The moment Shiki personally entered the battle, the outcome was already decided.
Even if the man ran, where could he possibly escape?
The sky itself was the territory of the Flying Pirates.
Every advantage belonged to them.
Rhinos stayed only as insurance.
He did not yet know whether this CP0 officer possessed any strange abilities.
But in his eyes, the man was already dead.
"Run!"
That was the only thought left in Shokuma's mind.
He knew perfectly well that he could never defeat Shiki.
And Rhinos was still watching from the side.
Shokuma instantly used Moonwalk and charged toward the airflow wall, attempting to break through.
But a compressed stream of wind slammed directly into him.
The impact struck his body heavily and forced him backward.
The condensed airflow possessed cutting power, while the denser compressed currents struck with explosive impact.
Thanks to his Busoshoku Haki defense, the damage itself was limited.
But Rhinos's purpose had already been achieved.
Wild golden hair filled Shokuma's vision.
Shiki instantly appeared before him.
A terrifying sword slash descended straight toward his body.
Shokuma had no way to evade.
At that moment, he immediately activated his Devil Fruit ability.
The power of the Suku Suku no Mi erupted from his body.
Terrifying suction spread outward.
It was not gravity.
It was absorption.
Shiki immediately felt an external pulling force acting upon his sword.
The slash that originally targeted Shokuma's torso shifted downward toward his arm instead.
That arm was the core through which Shokuma used his ability.
"Clang!"
Wrapped in Busoshoku Haki, Shokuma's hand forcibly grabbed Shiki's descending blade.
Blood burst from the torn flesh between his fingers.
His arm trembled violently.
He already understood he could not escape.
The only option left was resistance.
Even if it was meaningless.
At the very least, he had to transmit information back before dying.
The moment he saw Shiki appear, he had already prepared himself mentally.
His attempted escape earlier had merely been a distraction.
"A strange ability."
Shiki raised an eyebrow slightly.
He could clearly feel his Haki being drained away. The energy flowed through the blade and into Shokuma's body. With such a power, Shokuma naturally possessed a major advantage in close combat.
After all, Haki formed the foundation of battle between powerful individuals.
It determined both offense and defense. Most strong fighters would not die until their Haki was completely exhausted.
Unfortunately for Shokuma, he was facing Shiki. And Shiki had no intention of dragging the battle out. The longer this continued, the greater the chance outsiders would notice something unusual.
Once Shiki became serious, Shokuma was completely overwhelmed.
Without getting close enough, he could not absorb Shiki's Haki effectively.
Although he could absorb sword energy, doing so only inflicted severe damage upon himself.
After a short but desperate struggle, Shokuma was finally cut down by Shiki's blade.
However, moments before dying, he successfully opened his Den Den Mushi.
The final words transmitted outward were:
"Golden Lion Shiki…"
Rhinos and Shiki's expressions darkened slightly.
The news had still leaked.
"Then deny everything," Rhinos said calmly after a moment of thought.
"The World Government has no proof. The more chaotic the situation becomes, the better."
Even if people eventually confirmed the truth, it would not matter too much.
"We can simply claim the Pure Gold only works for a single person."
Rhinos understood clearly that Pure Gold could be divided.
But if the world believed only Shiki possessed usable Pure Gold, the pressure on the Flying Pirates would remain manageable.
At the same time, it would further strengthen the crew's confidence in Shiki.
After all, Shiki possessed the power necessary to protect such a treasure.
However, if the outside world learned that Pure Gold could be split apart and shared freely, the situation would become far more dangerous.
Rhinos did not trust many of the other Flying Pirate members.
In his eyes, most of them merely submitted to Shiki's overwhelming strength and prestige.
More importantly, many of them lacked the power to protect such a treasure.
If Pure Gold were distributed among them, it would only turn them into targets.
Other forces would hunt them down.
The Pure Gold would eventually be stolen.
And that outcome would become a devastating blow to the Flying Pirates as a whole.