"Hehehe," Tony chuckled.
Tony chuckled, seeing right through Shiki's last-ditch attempt to cling to some semblance of dignity as a legendary pirate who didn't want to be controlled. But Tony was anything but naïve—he already had a scheme in mind, and his look made it clear he had Shiki cornered.
"You're the great Golden Lion, right? Why would I deceive someone like you? Just to show my sincerity, I'll let you experience a taste of it first."
Nami, Robin, and Vivi stood by, watching with apprehension. They weren't convinced Tony had any healing abilities; they assumed he was just stalling, thinking up a way to deal with the situation. Yet to everyone's surprise, Tony began to chant a series of words that sounded like incantations.
"Heart of the South, Eyes of the North, Fingers of the West, Heel of the East, gather with the wind and disperse with the rain! Bakudo #73: Falling Mountain Crystal!"
In an instant, a giant, translucent blue crystal encased both Tony's group and Shiki within its boundaries. This high-level spell had certain healing properties, though whether it would fully restore Shiki's legs was another question. Not that Tony cared; his intent was simply to dangle the possibility in front of Shiki to win his cooperation.
"What… is this?" Shiki's eyes were wide with confusion. Even with his extensive experience, this mysterious power was like nothing he had ever seen. He could feel a stirring in the long-dead tissue of his legs, the dead skin beginning to peel away.
"Amazing! Gahahahaha! My legs… they can really heal!" Shiki exclaimed, caught up in excitement.
But just as his hope soared, Tony swiftly canceled the spell. Boom! The crystal shattered and dissipated into thin air, leaving Shiki's rising spirits crashing down. His face darkened with anger as he roared, "You bastard! What are you trying to pull?"
Tony, unfazed, straightened up, speaking with complete composure. Shiki was at his mercy, so there was no need for him to worry. "Mr. Shiki, I think you misunderstood. I said I would let you experience a little of what I can do. This was never about healing your legs unconditionally."
"Hmph! You're a sly little brat!" Shiki huffed, though he couldn't hide his amazement. He had glimpsed a path to ruling the world. If this kid truly had the ability to heal his legs, he could change everything. With countless powerful pirates suffering from various injuries and ailments, Shiki knew that by keeping Tony close, he could gather a loyal following of the most formidable pirates. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Yet Shiki wasn't the only one with a plan. Tony calmly extended his hand and laid out his terms.
"First, I need you to use your Float-Float Fruit ability to help us reach Skypiea."
"Second, I need you to fend off the Marines pursuing us."
"If you can fulfill these two conditions, then exactly one year from today, meet me on Sabaody Archipelago, and I'll heal your legs."
Shiki fell silent, contemplating the offer. Although Tony's conditions were easy enough to meet, he didn't like the feeling of being led around by the nose. Displeased, he scoffed, "You're a bold one, kid, daring to make two demands! Do you really think I'll just agree?"
He glared, his expression darkening as he released a surge of killing intent. "Maybe I'll just capture you all right here and force the truth out of you. Let's see if you're still as cocky then."
Boom!
Tony didn't back down in the slightest. Activating his Flame-Flame Fruit powers, he set himself ablaze, flames spreading outward and enveloping the surrounding area in an inferno. His piercing gaze locked onto Shiki, daring him to make a move. In terms of power, Tony had no reason to fear the disabled Golden Lion. If they really fought, it was anyone's guess who'd come out on top.
Seeing this, Shiki hesitated. Facing a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, he wasn't entirely confident he could overpower Tony. Worse yet, he might lose his precious chance to have his legs restored. It was too big a risk—a losing proposition.
After a long moment of contemplation, Shiki finally agreed to Tony's terms. For him, the conditions were trivial. Reaching Skypiea was as simple as raising a hand, and fending off the Marines was just a matter of acting as Tony's bodyguard for a year. He had gone over two decades without legs, so what was one more year?
Once Shiki realized this, he abandoned any remaining thoughts of capturing Tony and coldly turned away with a huff. "You better keep your promise. I'll ensure you don't see a single Marine for the next year. But if you don't heal my legs by then, don't blame me if I get ruthless!"
"Oh, such a terrifying threat," Tony replied with casual indifference. He knew Shiki was desperate to regain his legs and doubted the pirate would dare to harm him. Both had their own hidden agendas and were playing a game of mutual calculation.
In truth, Tony had no idea if he could heal Shiki's legs at all. He just needed the guy's Float-Float Fruit ability to reach Skypiea. As for the deal a year from now… well, he'd deal with that when the time came. By then, he was confident he'd be strong enough to take Shiki down with ease.
Tony and his crew headed toward the port, ready to set sail for Skypiea. Shiki trailed behind them, muttering curses under his breath, feeling thoroughly vexed at being led around by a rookie. Nami, Robin, and Vivi all felt a chill down their spines, as if a massive lion were glaring at them from behind. They didn't dare to look back and rushed onto the ship for refuge.
Tony stayed on deck to wave goodbye to Shiki, a smirk on his face. "Mr. Shiki, this is as far as you go. Ah, I'm almost sad to part ways with you. Heh heh."
~-------------------------
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