For pirates, Impel Down is a forbidden place, surrounded by the Calm Belt where Sea Kings dwell, making it nearly impossible for ships to navigate these waters.
Shiki, enduring the excruciating pain from severing his own legs, had been floating for a long time before finally spotting Wood's ship at sea.
At first, Shiki thought it was a Navy ship transporting death row prisoners back to Navy headquarters for execution.
However, he quickly realized that wasn't the case. The ship was filled with prisoners, and to his astonishment, the young man wearing a Navy cloak had killed them all!
This definitely wasn't a regular Navy ship!
From Wood's ruthless behavior alone, Shiki judged that Wood could not be a conventional Navy officer.
But it didn't matter to Shiki whether they were Navy or not. What mattered was that this was the only ship he had found in the vast ocean where he could land.
Whether they were real or fake Navy, Shiki was determined to take this ship!
"Sir, I presume you are the infamous Golden Lion Shiki. The Navy is likely hunting you down everywhere right now. What brings you to our ship?"
Shiki's legs were freshly severed, hastily bandaged with his pant legs, but blood still dripped from the air.
Having fought Magellan and Shiryu of the Rain, Shiki was also carrying several injuries. Despite his condition, the aura emanating from this legendary pirate was still formidable.
In the film, Shiki was essentially a victim of plot necessity. After all, Shiki was a pirate who could rival Roger and Whitebeard in terms of stature and strength. Even after cutting off his legs, his power shouldn't have been diminished to the point where he was defeated by Luffy, who hadn't even mastered Gear Fourth.
Not just Shiki, but Zephyr, the former Navy admiral who fought evenly with Kizaru after forming the Neo Navy, also fell to Luffy in the end.
It all boils down to one thing: Oda doesn't understand pirates. When Luffy's protagonist halo activates, it doesn't matter whether it's a legendary pirate or a former admiral; they all fall!
But Wood wasn't Luffy. He didn't have the fate of the chosen one, nor did he have any powerful benefactors giving him a mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
As he faced the approaching Golden Lion, Wood could only maintain a calm facade.
He was no longer the cannon fodder from the life simulation, easily slaughtered. Two years of honing had greatly improved Wood's strength.
Now, with Shiki severely exhausted and heavily injured, even a big shot like him might not be invincible. If they were to fight, Wood believed he might have a chance of winning.
"Kid, you're not a Navy officer, are you? I've been around the seas for many years and seen plenty of Navy men, but I've never met one as ruthless as you. But since you know who I am, you should also realize that I'm nothing like the trash you just slaughtered."
Shiki was known for his cunning and ruthlessness. Normally, if he could fight, he wouldn't waste time talking.
This time, however, he refrained from attacking immediately because he admired Wood's displayed strength and merciless tactics.
Moreover, Shiki lacked substantial navigation skills. If he killed Wood and his crew in a fit of rage, it could take him who-knows-how-long to find the next island.
"You guessed wrong. One look at our uniforms should tell you we're from Navy headquarters. You're a pirate on par with Gol D. Roger, and we know we can't capture you with our strength. If you don't want to be surrounded by the Navy, I suggest you leave quickly. Every Navy ship is equipped with a special Den Den Mushi. You've just fought in Impel Down, and you shouldn't be in any condition to take on the top forces from headquarters right now."
If possible, Wood didn't want to fight Shiki. On one hand, he wasn't confident in his chances; on the other, he was worried that their battle might destroy the ship.
If the ship were destroyed, unlike Shiki, Wood couldn't fly, making it nearly certain that the Navy would capture him.
Wood had just defected from the Navy and didn't want to be arrested by his former comrades before even spending a day as a pirate.
"Kid, don't try to fool me. I'm not an idiot. I know you're the traitor those guys from Impel Down mentioned. I'll get straight to the point. I admire your strength and character. How about joining me?"
Hearing Shiki's words, Wood was taken aback. He had just defected from the Navy, had been a pirate for less than a day, and was already being recruited by a big shot?
Before joining the Navy, Wood had been noticed by Admiral Zephyr. Now, as soon as he turned pirate, he was being eyed by the infamous Golden Lion Shiki.
Wood even began to wonder if he had some strange aura attracting people who wanted to make him their underling.
Coincidentally, both Shiki and Zephyr later became fodder for Luffy in the films…
Shiki extended an olive branch to Wood not only because of Wood's impressive strength and ruthless character but also because, after two years in Impel Down, Shiki's former subordinates had either gone independent or vanished into some obscure corner.
If Shiki wanted to rebuild his pirate crew and rule the seas again, he needed subordinates, and Wood seemed like a good candidate, at least qualified to be his underling.
"Brother Shiki, I appreciate the offer, but the reason I defected from the Navy is that I'm tired of being someone's lackey. Those guys I saved earlier refused to acknowledge me as their leader, so I killed them. Now you want me to be someone else's underling? That's not going to happen."
Sengoku had sent Wood to be a pirate undercover, and infiltrating Shiki's "Flying Pirates" could have been a good move. Shiki was a prominent figure among pirates, and the intelligence gathered could be valuable.
However, joining another's pirate crew would mean losing more autonomy, and Shiki, being naturally suspicious and ruthless, didn't offer much of a future for someone like Wood.
"Kyahahaha! If that's your choice, then go to hell!"
At Wood's stubborn refusal, Shiki, who had been laughing just a moment ago, suddenly gripped his twin swords and slashed at Wood.
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 200+ at patreon.com/Betek.