Shiki... You Let Your Guard Down

"Boom--!"

The sky was ablaze with fire, and black and red Conqueror's Haki Inazuma leaped wildly between the two figures!

The figures of the Golden Lion and Roy were like two streaks of light, constantly intersecting and colliding in the sky.

Fists and swords flashed and clashed, creating a deafening sonic boom!

Blood slowly trickled down the Golden Lion's forehead; his robes at the chest had been torn to shreds by the force of the punch.

Roy's uniform was covered with numerous slash marks, stained with blood, and torn at the corners.

But their gazes remained sharp as knives, and their fighting spirit burned like fire!

"Hoo... Hah..."

The Golden Lion was breathing heavily, his eyes flashing with complex emotions, but a chill was creeping into his heart.

"Damn it... Even if I retrieved the ship's rudder, my Conqueror's Haki was fully restored, and I used the Float-Float Fruit to its maximum potential—"

"But stamina, reflexes, and even that peak 'sharpness'..."

"In the end... things are not as they used to be!!"

"If I continue fighting like this... I will undoubtedly lose!!"

He suddenly retreated, his two swords crossed in front of his chest, his long golden hair billowing back like a lion's mane!

A resolute glint flashed in his eyes!

"Roy, you brat!! Let me show you the true power of the Float- Float-Float Fruit!!"

He suddenly spread his arms wide, pushing his levitation ability to its limit!

"Lion's Might - Imperial Scroll!!"

"Boom--! Boom!! Boom--!"

The entire Air Quake! Dozens of Floating Islands around it shook violently and plummeted under the control of the Golden Lion!

Each island carried terrifying kinetic energy capable of destroying a fleet, hurtling towards Roy like a falling meteor!

Even more terrifying is--

The rocks, trees, and even the steel debris in the ruins on the island were all twisted and deformed by the Golden Lion's power, turning into thousands of roaring "lion heads"!

They opened their enormous, blood-red mouths and pounced from all directions!

"Aww--!"

A colossal island looms overhead! A lion's head bites and cleaves! Killing intent surges like the sea, and sword energy pierces through it like a torrential downpour!

At this moment, the entire sky became the Golden Lion's killing field!

"Whoosh--!"

Roy vanished in an instant!

But Golden Lion's Observation Haki had already locked onto and predicted it!

"Clang--!"

Several sword energies and the lion's head struck Roy's landing point with pinpoint accuracy!

"You can't escape!!" The Golden Lion's eyes were fierce. "This airspace is now completely under my control!!"

However, he was met with a hearty laugh!

"Ha ha--!"

"That's more like it, Shiki!!"

Roy's figure abruptly stopped in mid-air, his smile burning like flames, his fighting spirit erupting like a volcano!

He suddenly pulled his fist to his waist, his muscles bulging like mountains, his back slightly arched, his whole body resembling a fully drawn bow!

Black and red lightning bolts surged wildly along his muscles, causing the space around his fist to collapse and vibrate!

"Instant Prison - Hundred Gods' Blast!!"

The next moment--

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang--!"

Roy's figure suddenly blurred, as if it had split into countless afterimages!

Hundreds of fist-like gusts of wind erupted simultaneously from different spatial coordinates!

Each punch was amplified by the Spatial Jump acceleration brought about by "Teleportation," and each gust of wind was unleashed without warning from various angles, directions, and spatial levels!

It was as if hundreds of Roys were throwing punches simultaneously high in the sky!

"Boom--!"

The entire sky seemed to be pierced by the force of the punch!

The lunging lion heads crumbled and vanished in the force of the punches!

Each giant island was instantly Quake-Split hundreds of pieces of rock the moment it came into contact with the force of the punch!

Even the sword energy released by the Golden Lion himself was completely torn apart in this round of all-around spatial bombardment!

"Wh... what?!"

The Golden Lion's pupils contracted sharply, and a rare look of horror and bewilderment appeared in its eyes!

"What kind of move is that?!"

"This isn't ordinary speed..."

"Instead, it's an attack from hundreds of coordinate points simultaneously in an instant?!"

He gritted his teeth, his body thrown backward by the blast wave!

The air was torn apart, and space wailed!

Roy, like God of War descending to earth, slowly stepped out from the aftershocks of the punch. The Conqueror's Haki wrapped around his body surged and boiled like flames, and the void beneath his feet was pressed down and cracked inch by inch.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at the Golden Lion in front of him, which was disheveled but still stood proudly.

"Shiki..." he said calmly, his eyes burning, "Can you still hold on?"

This seemingly ordinary question pierced the deepest recesses of the Golden Lion's pride like a blade.

His gaze swept across the surroundings—

The Floating Islands were reduced to dust, the sword energy dissipated, and the "lion's head," symbolizing its dominion over everything, was completely shattered.

Even with all his Conqueror's Haki, Float-Float Fruit, Martial Arts, and swordsmanship, he was unable to suppress this monster of the New Era.

His chest heaved violently, and his hands trembled involuntarily.

The Golden Lion finally understood--

The monsters of the New Era are no longer "juniors" they can control.

Even so, Shiki the Golden Lion will never bow down!!

He roared to the sky, raising his twin swords high. "This isn't over yet... you brat!!"

"Boom--!"

That roar seemed to awaken heaven and earth!

The Golden Lion suddenly spread its arms wide, and its Conqueror's Haki exploded like a raging tide!

Suddenly, the vast East Blue, thousands of meters below, began to churn!

Driven to its limits by the Float-Float Fruit, the atmosphere is torn apart and gravity is reversed!

Thousands of tons of seawater were forcibly "dragged" from the sea surface, roaring like a water dragon, piercing the sky, and flowing upstream!

In the blink of an eye, the surging seawater gathered, twisted, and swirled around the Golden Lion, transforming into three thousand-meter-tall "sea lions" that roared and shook the heavens, encircling the lion's body!

The lion's head is formed by the interweaving of water flow and floating pebbles, with ferocious fangs and eyes that reflect the light of thunder!

At this moment, the sky, ten thousand meters above the ground, has transformed into God's Battlefield!

--On the Warship below!

The violent air currents whipped up waves, causing the ship to rock violently!

"Oh my god... that's..."

"Seawater?!!"

Usopp gaped, slumped onto the deck, barely able to utter a sound, "That was... 10,000 meters in the air?! He actually pulled the seawater up there?!"

Zoro's pupils contracted, his grip on the hilt tightened, and veins bulged. "Damn it... he can even control seawater?!"

"For those with special abilities, this is their most lethal nemesis!"

Kuina gritted her teeth and whispered, "Brother Roy..."

--At the top of the sky!

Roy stood in mid-air, a serious expression finally appearing on his face.

His gaze was fixed on the terrifying sight of the three roaring sea lions, and he muttered to himself:

"The seawater... it's incredible how it can manipulate the Float-Float Fruit to this extent..."

The Golden Lion grinned, its eyes burning with manic excitement and bloodthirsty killing intent.

"Little brat—finally, I've seen that expression on your face!! Hehehe!!"

He swung his arms down suddenly, roaring furiously, "This is no ordinary attack!!"

"This is Death Omen Star for ability users!!"

"Lion's Might - World-Destroying Wave!!"

"Boom--!"

Seawater, rubble, and the remains of floating islands intertwined and merged into a destructive storm, crushing in from all directions!

The clouds were instantly ripped away, and the entire sky was filled with continuous explosions, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth was splitting apart!

The water lion roared, its claws slamming into the void, tearing the air into dark cracks that even lightning had to give way to!

--This is Shiki the Golden Lion, the true trump card of the old era's overlord!

Facing the threat of death!

Roy focused his energy and vanished instantly. He used teleportation Teleportation, rapidly traversing the surging seawater.

He had to dodge the ferocious attacks of the giant sea lion while also facing off against every sword strike from the Golden Lion. His Conqueror's Haki surged like thunder in every confrontation!

Amidst the constant attacks, clashes, and life-or-death struggles, Roy suddenly sensed a qualitative change in the Haki within him!

That was the feeling of soaring spirit under extreme pressure!

"Haha!!" He laughed as he fought, his fists whistling like Roaring Rage Dragon!

"Shiki... this is the kind of battle I've been craving!!"

"Is this the true power of the overlords of the old era?!"

Upon hearing this, the Golden Lion burst into arrogant laughter, and was about to brandish his sword in mockery once more!

"Buzz--!"

In my mind, a frantic warning of Observation Haki!!

"What--?!"

The Golden Lion's face instantly turned extremely gloomy, and alarm bells rang in his mind!

However, his utterly exhausted body could no longer keep up with the speed of his thoughts!

In the blink of an eye!

He suddenly felt everything go black!

A hand covered in a spiraling black vortex appeared silently before my eyes!

Like the hand of fate, cold and merciless, it roared in with an irresistible intent to end things!

Just as that hand was about to touch him, Roy's whisper pierced his ear like a cold glint—

"Shiki... you were careless."