Chapter 334: Dimi and the Golden Lion
"This island… seems like there's no one here."
Dimi landed on the island. The cloud hovered above his head as he walked through the forest, muttering to himself.
Buzz!!
The figure of the Golden Lion appeared above the forest.
"A kid? And a Devil Fruit user?" The Golden Lion narrowed his eyes.
"An island with no people… that means there's no food either… I should hurry and keep traveling. I hope I can join the Dragon Flame Pirates before my food runs out."
Dimi murmured to himself, then had the cloud lower down and climbed back onto it.
"Kid, you want to join the Dragon Flame Pirates?"
The Golden Lion suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Ah—!"
Dimi cried out in shock and fell straight off the cloud.
"Ouch…" He landed on the ground and groaned in pain.
Rubbing his forehead, Dimi looked up at the Golden Lion floating in the air. Seeing his fierce appearance—and noticing he had no feet, only two swords—Dimi's face turned pale with fright, and his body began trembling.
"Kid, I asked you a question."
The Golden Lion said coldly.
Dimi didn't even dare move. Fear filled his eyes as he looked at him.
"I… I'm going to join the Dragon Flame Pirates."
"Where did you come from?" Seeing how frightened the boy looked, the Golden Lion slightly restrained his imposing aura and spoke in a gentler tone.
"I came from the East Blue."
"East Blue? You came here alone?" The Golden Lion raised an eyebrow in surprise.
This place was already in the middle section of the first half of the Grand Line.
"Yeah… Mom and Dad have to run their business. If I want to join the Dragon Flame Pirates, I have to come by myself."
Dimi looked at the Golden Lion. He wasn't as scared as before now, but he still spoke softly.
"How old are you?"
Hearing the boy's words, the Golden Lion's eyes softened.
When he was young, he had also ignored his parents' advice and set out to become a pirate. By the time he had grown strong enough to return home, his parents had already been tortured to death. That was when his temperament changed drastically and he became increasingly mad and violent.
"I… I'm fourteen."
Dimi didn't dare meet his gaze.
"Fourteen… such a young age." The Golden Lion sighed.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Dimi."
"Dimi, my name is the Golden Lion. Have you… ever heard of me?"
Dimi shook his head.
"I'm a pirate just as strong as the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. You've really never heard of me?"
The Golden Lion paused in surprise, then added.
"Pirate King?" Dimi's eyes lit up.
He had heard of that.
"That's fine. I'm good friends with the Pirate King, and with Whitebeard too. I even know one of the current Five Emperors. My strength isn't weaker than theirs. See this whole cluster of floating islands? I made them!"
The Golden Lion lifted his chin, wearing an expression that clearly said Go on, admire me.
"Then… why aren't you one of the Five Emperors?" Dimi asked in confusion.
Pfft!
That question was like a knife stabbing straight into the Golden Lion's heart—just like the ship's rudder that had once pierced his head.
His face darkened slightly.
"That's not important. What's important is that I can make you stronger!" The Golden Lion lowered his head and looked at the little boy as he spoke.
"But I… want to join the Dragon Flame Pirates," Dimi said quietly, not daring to look at him.
"I… The Dragon Flame Pirates have so many people. They won't teach you how to grow stronger. But I can be your teacher and help you improve much faster. In less than two years, you'll become a top-tier powerhouse of the seas!"
The Golden Lion spoke to him with complete confidence.