"Roman, if you need anything, just tell us..."
"Okay, Vice Admiral Tsuru."
"That old man Golden Lion!" Garp, with his silver hair, cursed loudly, "How dare he attack our Marine rookies! If I catch him, I'll smash the ship's helm into his skull!"
"Yes, yes, Garp..."
I believe you can do it, as long as you can find Golden Lion and also know how to fly.
·········After hearing that Golden Lion was 'bullying the small,' the Marine experts were furious. They all rushed to Roman, comforting him not to be discouraged and expressing their willingness to help beat up the Golden Lion! Even Akainu asked if they should send an Admiral, which made Roman laugh and politely refuse.
"Don't worry, I can handle it."
——————
——————————Outside Marine Headquarters, the sea boiled again!
Every time Roman sets out to sea, the reporters always calculate the timing and wait at the Marineford dock, because Roman always causes a big stir.
This time, although the warships were damaged and everyone was injured, it also brought 'big news.'
The legendary pirate 'Golden Lion' is back at sea!
Who is the Golden Lion?
His real name is Shiki, nicknamed 'Golden Lion,' captain of the Flying Pirate Crew, admiral of the Golden Lion Pirate Fleet, and a user of the Float-Float Fruit. He was once as famous as Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard Edward Newgate!
Twenty years ago, when Pirate King Roger was captured, he caused a commotion at Marine Headquarters. Although he was captured by Garp and Sengoku, he still destroyed half of Marineford. His ferocity was legendary! Later, he became the first pirate to escape from Impel Down.
Roman Rear Admiral's defeat at the hands of such a legendary pirate can't really be called a 'failure.'
In fact, it could be said that being able to return with most of his crew from the hands of such a legendary pirate... The excited reporters had already started preparing headlines like 'The Future of the Marines, Admiral of Tomorrow.'
——————————After contacting Nami, Roman had calmed down.
Though Nami was kidnapped, with her world-class sailing skills and ability to alter the weather, she had already become a guest of honor in the Golden Lion Pirates!
Not only the pirates' officers but even the Golden Lion himself was quite indulgent toward her. He gave her whatever she asked for, acting all polite and respectful, so her safety wasn't in immediate danger—at least for now.
However, that was only temporary. Once the Golden Lion planned to destroy East Blue, Nami would immediately be in grave danger!
Of course, even in such an extreme situation, Roman still had his final backup.
"The Thieves' Ultimate Skill" not only bound Nami's "Devil Fruit ability card" but could also be used to "swap" places, allowing Roman to appear next to Nami instantly. As long as the Golden Lion wasn't watching, Roman was confident that he could take Nami and escape without a problem.
However, doing so would directly consume "The Thieves' Ultimate Skill," so he wouldn't use it unless it was a dire emergency.
In fact, the simplest solution now would be for Roman to gather a group of Marine elites, pinpoint Nami's location, and then bring the Golden Lion a wave of "justice from above!" He'd flatten the old, half-paralyzed, dementia-ridden fool into a pancake...
But...
"Thanks, but no need."
Facing the tall Peach Rabbit in front of him, Roman seriously declined her help.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely bring Nami back!"
The Golden Lion had been able to roam freely for so many years precisely because of his ability to float islands into the sky, using them as mobile bases so that the Marines could never catch him, leaving them only staring at him helplessly across the sea.
Now that the Golden Lion dared to kidnap Nami, next year would be his memorial day!
Since Luffy and the others had already spoken up, the Straw Hat crew would handle rescuing their own member. If they had to rely on others... then when Luffy set sail, he might as well tie up his Pops and Grandpa on the ship and speed all the way to Laugh Tale to crown himself "Pirate King."
—"Boss, are we really searching like this with no direction..."
Although Roman had already devised a detailed plan, for Bolkin and Isuka, tracking down the Golden Lion Pirates felt more like finding a needle in a haystack!
"It's not aimless. Well... forget it, just trust that I'll bring back Lieutenant Commander safely," Roman said, clearly unwilling to explain further.
Bolkin hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself. In the end, he could only silently return to the training field at the back to train harder. Meanwhile, Roman, though standing on the battleship, was mentally focused on something else entirely.
—
A series of white fighter jets tore through the sky, rapidly converging on Roman's location from all over the world. Each carried a member of the Straw Hat crew. At the same time, far above the battleship, at a height invisible to the naked eye, a group of islands, big and small, formed an artificial "sky island" in the air.
Lush greenery, rainbow-like bridges, colorful flowers, autumn leaves, and snowy frost—all four seasons were represented in one breathtaking view, as if it were an earthly paradise!
Only one person in the entire world could achieve such a feat:
"Golden Lion" Shiki!
He had used the powers of his Float-Float Fruit to keep these islands floating in the sky for decades! Without a doubt, this was a sign of his Devil Fruit ability awakening.
"Boss, we've arrived at the destination."
On a small island next to the largest main island, a row of figures stood or squatted. Dressed in white suits, ties, top hats, and masks, their appearance made it clear who they were:
CP0!
Or, more precisely, the World Government's secret elite intelligence agency: Cipher Pol-AIGIS0.
"Good. Let's lay low for now."
Roman's voice came from the paper held by a man dressed in a white coat. Perched on his shoulder was a pigeon, also wearing a white coat, white tie, and white top hat, clearly signaling the man's identity:
Rob Lucci!
The people standing nearby were undoubtedly Kaku, Gabura, Blueno, the Lion, Kage Owl, Califa, and the others.
"Wait for my next orders. If support is needed, I'll signal you."
"How are the things you were tasked with preparing going?"
Facing Roman's question, Lucci nodded calmly.
"We've gathered all the information on the villagers' evacuation and the 'IQ' research materials. We're ready to act as soon as you give the word."
"Don't act too rashly," Roman reminded them."The Golden Lion is not someone to be taken lightly. Your task is to fill in the gaps."
As for the direct assault, that was obviously something Roman and the Straw Hat crew would handle personally!
"By the way—"
A voice came through on the phone paper.
"Stay safe."
··········The moment Nami was captured, Roman had already deployed his personal forces to infiltrate the Golden Lion's Sky Island. It was known that the Golden Lion had been issuing a 'recruitment notice,' gathering fifty pirate crews to his Sky Island to partake in the 'brotherhood ritual.' This was to serve as cannon fodder for his attack on East Blue.
This gave Lucci and the others, skilled in infiltration and assassination, a chance to get to the Golden Lion's Sky Island first and prepare for the initial phase of the operation.
"Stay in this sea area for now."
After ending the 'call,' Roman turned to Isuka, "As for Marine matters... just clean up."
With Isuka still confused, Roman spread his wings and flew upwards with Geppo.
"Hehehe, do you think if I jump down from here—"
"Luffy Luffy, look at my new hat..."
"Don't mess around!"
"Yohohoho, let me sing a song for everyone. Though I no longer have a throat, just bones left..."
?!With a flap of his wings, Roman soared above the clouds, seeing Luffy and the others shaking the 'paper hot air balloon' beneath him. He habitually rubbed his temples.
"Is everyone here?"
This hot air balloon was made from paper planes Roman had created to carry them, serving as a temporary landing point. As familiar faces came into view, Roman jumped into the basket of the paper balloon.
There was Luffy, always full of confidence; Zoro holding three swords; Usopp carrying a large slingshot; Sanji with a cigarette in his mouth; Chopper with a medical kit; Robin with her hair tied in a ponytail; Franky with a weapon box bigger than himself; and Brook holding a violin..."Roman! Take us to that Golden Lion guy—"
Luffy clenched his fists, determined.
"Let's beat him and rescue Nami!"
"Alright."
With a clap of his hands, Roman made the paper hot air balloon quickly disassemble into sheets of paper!
"Hey hey hey?!"
The basket beneath them...
"Ahhh, we're falling—"
"We're really falling..."
"We're falling!"
However, the Straw Hat crew didn't actually fall freely. Instead, the sheets of paper gently caught them and turned into seats... of course, the seats faced the sky.
"Everyone, hold on!"
The sheets of paper quickly wrapped around them, transforming into a long, slender flying machine:
"Paper Dance - Long March II-C!"
Boom boom boom—As the rocket released powerful flames from its bottom, the "Ability Rocket," designed in the shape of Roman's memories, combining various powers, soared into the sky toward Nami's location!
"Super~~ cool!"
Franky leaned back in the rocket 'cabin.'
"Ability users are really amazing. They can easily do things that technology can't."
"But once technology is mass-produced, it's something ability users can't compare with. And for regular people, technology is—"
"Hehehe, I don't care about that stuff."
Luffy, with excitement all over his face, interrupted Franky and Roman's conversation.
"All that matters is being able to adventure with my companions, whether it's ability or technology, I don't care about anything else!"
As the rocket shot higher, the small dot slowly began to expand. — That red dot was, of course, a group of islands floating in the air.
"Charge, Gorilla Rocket!"
"Forward! Usopp Captain Ship!"
"Howl!!"
Amid the shouting of the Straw Hat trio, Roman couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"It's just a temporary means of transportation..."
Well, as long as they're happy.
--- ————— ----You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu