"Bob, it's been many years, yet you still look so young!"
"It's truly enviable!"
Shiki had sensed Bob arrival during the explosion earlier, but he had been content to watch the spectacle unfold without revealing himself.
Now, he gazed at this young man who, after forty years, still looked exactly the same as he did back then.
He couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
"Hahaha! Shiki, that doesn't sound like something you'd say!"
"Since when did the once invincible pirate start envying others!"
As he spoke, Bob released the clown-like man and turned his gaze toward Shiki.
After years of trials, this legendary pirate, one of the three great pirates, now had streaks of gray at his temples.
"Forty years without a single change! Who wouldn't be jealous of that!"
"Look at me, the once dashing and handsome man, what have I become!" Shiki lamented, seemingly venting his frustration at the unfairness of fate.
As he spoke, he pointed to the wooden steering wheel embedded in his head.
The once golden mane had disappeared, leaving only a bald spot on top.
Hearing this, the clown-like man felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
This man, who appeared to be in his twenties, had looked exactly the same forty years ago and he had known his captain for forty years.
Back then, Shiki had been the commander of the Rocks Pirates!
Suddenly, the man seemed to recall something.
Bo... Bob?
The man murmured in his heart, his pupils slowly dilating, his back already drenched in sweat.
Hearing Shiki words, Bob raised an eyebrow and retorted.
"Isn't this because you wanted to gang up on Roger?"
After the dissolution of the Rocks Pirates, Shiki had formed the Flying Pirate Crew, dedicated to conquering the world.
Twenty-seven years ago, Shiki had learned of the location of the Roger Pirates.
He led the Flying Pirate Crew, whose overall strength surpassed Roger, to corner Roger, forcing him to join forces and rule the world together.
After being refused, Shiki flew into a rage and the two sides clashed.
Shiki was on the verge of victory, but Roger, the "Child of Destiny," was saved by a sudden storm.
Most of the Flying Pirate Crew fleet was sunk and due to an accident, the steering wheel ended up embedded in Shiki head.
Since forcibly removing the wheel would have been life-threatening, it remained there to this day.
"Roger!"
"If only he had truly joined forces with me back then, he wouldn't have ended up like that!"
Hearing Bob mention Roger name, Shiki couldn't help but recall those past events.
As he spoke, he flipped his right hand and the sword Oto, which had been thrust into the mutated deer, was pulled out.
With a shake of his right arm, droplets of blood slid off the blade and scattered in all directions.
After Roger capture, Shiki couldn't believe it.
He single-handedly stormed the Marine headquarters, "Marineford," to confirm the news, killing a large number of Marines.
Marine Vice Admiral Garp and Marine Admiral Sengoku took to the field to confront him.
The battle between the three destroyed nearly half of Marineford town before a victor emerged and Shiki was defeated and imprisoned in the world's greatest prison.
"Impel Down" LEVEL 6: Eternal Hell!
However, there was a slight difference: when Shiki escaped from Impel Down, he didn't sever his own legs.
Instead, he was secretly rescued by Bob.
This became a mystery for the World Government—how did Shiki manage to escape from the world's most secure prison?
As the first prisoner to ever escape from Impel Down, Shiki image among pirates was shrouded in mystery.
"Everyone has their own fate!" Bob shook his head and said.
He knew that Roger surrender wasn't for the reasons Shiki had imagined.
Even if Roger had truly allied with Shiki after seeing the complete Poneglyphs, he would still have done the same.
"By the way, how have your experiments been going these years?" Bob glanced at the mutated deer that Shiki had slain with a single strike and continued.
After being rescued, Shiki didn't return to sailing the seas as he had before, perhaps realizing that such a path wouldn't lead to world domination.
So, upon discovering an island filled with animals that had become ferocious after consuming plants containing "IQ" he decisively abandoned his maritime ambitions.
Using his powers, he lifted the entire island into the sky, turning it into his floating fortress.
From there, he plotted his grand comeback, occasionally releasing these animals into the East Blue to wreak havoc and demonstrate his vengeance to the World Government.
"Jihahaha!" Shiki let out a maniacal laugh. "Thanks to the efforts of me and my ship doctor, Indigo, we've made a major breakthrough these years! Look at that deer—it's our latest achievement!"
As he spoke, he pointed at the clown-like man and then at the black deer.
For years, Shiki and his most trusted ship doctor, Indigo, had remained on the island.
After countless experiments and failures spanning over two decades, they finally achieved a breakthrough.
The plants outside the castle all contained "IQ," and through Shiki and Indigo refinement, they no longer merely caused animals to become aggressive but induced fundamental mutations, transforming ordinary creatures into savage beasts.
The man named Indigo, upon hearing Shiki words, began to dance around excitedly.
This time, Bob understood his meaning—it was pure excitement.
Looking at the animals enclosed by the black walls, Bob frowned and said.
"Do you know how to control these creatures? If you can't manage them properly, then this research of yours is useless!"
In response, Shiki pulled out a specially crafted bell and laughed heartily.
"Jihahaha! Bob, do you think I wouldn't have thought of that? Keeping these mutated animals here is precisely to train them!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he shook the bell, producing a clear, melodious sound.
In the next moment, the animals within the black walls immediately entered a frenzied state, madly ramming against the walls.
"Ding-ling!"
Another chime rang out, though upon closer listening, one could detect a subtle difference in the sound.
Instantly, the frenzied black monsters stopped their actions and calmed down.
"These things have no consciousness, only the most primal instincts!"
"Using this to control it is just perfect!"
Shiki held up the bell, a faint smile playing on his lips as if he were showing off his achievement to Bob.
However, Bob expression showed no sign of surprise, which made the Shiki feel somewhat deflated.
He put the bell away, pursed his lips, and said.
"Alright, out with it! What do you need from me?"
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If you like Whitebeard Inventor, i already post marine version of this fic, its called Marine greatest Inventor
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