Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi

As Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Sengoku knew very well that at this moment, there was only one Marine warship that would appear in the Great Whirlpool!

That was the warship carrying Yaen!

And regarding his old rival, the Golden Lion Shiki, Fleet Admiral Sengoku was intimately familiar with his temperament: capricious and merciless.

After being imprisoned by the Marines for several years, having sacrificed his own legs to escape from the underwater Great Prison, Impel Down, how much would the Golden Lion Shiki hate the Marines?

It was not impossible that, upon a single encounter, the Golden Lion Shiki would slaughter everyone on the entire warship without a second thought.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku also knew that Yaen must have had some secrets of his own, but he was facing the Golden Lion Shiki, a Great Pirate of legendary status—the very man whom he and Vice Admiral Garp had joined forces to capture years ago.

It's too early...

This is still too early for Yaen! Damn it!!!

Just as Fleet Admiral Sengoku was cursing himself and the Golden Lion Shiki in a fit of regret and fury, Yaen looked toward the Gate of Justice, which had already receded until it was no longer visible, and muttered to himself.

"Just about time, and not a moment too soon."

"Hm? What are you saying?"

Hearing the tone in Yaen's voice, which seemed to carry a hidden meaning, the Golden Lion Shiki couldn't help but frown and ask.

"Nothing, just calculating the time and distance. It's about enough."

Yaen took off the glasses from the bridge of his nose and hooked them onto his chest, saying, "Since I am to battle a legendary Great Pirate, I must take it seriously. Otherwise, I fear I might die in an instant."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, the Golden Lion Shiki's expression gradually turned serious, and a cruel smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. He said, "Kid Yaen, you, who think of relying on women to conquer the world, actually have the courage to challenge me?"

"Because I am a man who knows his own limitations..."

Yaen shrugged, looking calmly at the Golden Lion Shiki before him.

"I am well aware that if my strength were only at your level, I would merely be a loser on the sea. That is why a weakling like me needs someone to protect me at all times."

Instantly, the Golden Lion Shiki's expression turned ice-cold. "Yaen, do you actually think that a weakling like you is stronger than me?"

"Without concrete evidence, I would certainly not make such an irrational judgment without absolute certainty. However, during this time, I have carefully observed your injuries and your condition. In all likelihood, killing you will not be a problem, and at the very least, I will be able to retreat unscathed."

After a pause, Yaen looked at the Golden Lion Shiki, who was beginning to bare his fangs, and said, "However, to avoid unnecessary trouble and prevent certain information from leaking out, I will do my best to kill you..."

The next instant, before Yaen could finish his sentence, the Golden Lion Shiki flicked his hand, and a terrifying golden Flying Slash swept toward Yaen.

"Wave Slash!"

"Whoosh!"

This time, Yaen did not dare to be the slightest bit careless. He didn't dance on the tip of the blade as if he were performing for Gion; instead, he vanished from his spot in a flash.

"Boom!"

A corner of the warship near Yaen was instantly sliced off by the golden Flying Slash, which continued on to carve a path through the clouds behind the ship that seemed to stretch into infinity.

Slowly, Yaen stood in the sky above the warship as if walking on flat ground. He looked down calmly at Golden Lion Shiki below and praised him.

"Truly terrifying. As expected of a man who also holds the title of Great Swordsman. If one were to be hit by a Flying Slash of this caliber, it would be all over."

At this moment, Golden Lion Shiki, who had somewhat underestimated Yaen, couldn't help but turn solemn.

That terrifying speed, combined with the ability to walk on air, was not something a mere small-fry could master.

As Golden Lion Shiki's Flying Slash was unleashed, it caused a commotion among the Marines hiding inside the warship's cabin.

In Yaen's perception, Second Lieutenant Horton could no longer hold back and was about to peek out from the cabin.

"I went to such lengths to get you all to stay obediently in the cabin. These secrets are not meant for your eyes, so just get some sleep for a while."

As Yaen muttered to himself, a terrifying pressure instantly radiated from his body, spreading rapidly in all directions.

Heavy!

An incomparable sense of heaviness instantly descended upon the hearts of everyone on the warship, leaving them with a feeling of utter, desperate helplessness.

"Conqueror's Haki? No, it seems a bit different."

Golden Lion Shiki felt that pressure, which felt almost tangible, and spoke with uncertainty.

Of course, this was not Conqueror's Haki; it was the Reiatsu contained within Yaen's body—a level of Reiatsu reaching a full "Nineteen Units."

Reiatsu is a power derived from the soul. The stronger and denser the soul, the more it naturally generates a pressure similar to gravity.

Those with weak souls and fragile wills feel as if they are sinking into the deep sea when faced with powerful Reiatsu; they feel only eternal darkness and despair, unable to fight back. When the Reiatsu reaches a certain level, those who merely approach it are instantly crushed into nothingness.

Of course, Yaen had not yet reached the level of Reiatsu that was almost equivalent to a black hole, but forcibly suppressing the wills of the Marines on the warship and sending them into a coma was entirely within his capabilities.

Even... the former Marine Headquarters Colonel, Horton!

"Thud, thud, thud..."

The next moment, all the Marines inside the warship's cabin collapsed to the ground one after another, all falling into a deep slumber.

Golden Lion Shiki asked with a hint of confusion.

"What kind of power is this? A different kind of Conqueror's Haki? Or a Devil Fruit ability?"

"Guess!"

Yaen smiled, then drew his Zanpakutō from his waist, held it inverted before his chest, and slowly let go, allowing it to fall.

"Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"

In an instant, what seemed like an endless sea of cherry blossoms erupted from Yaen as the center, surging outward in every direction.

From afar, it looked as if a dreamlike, ethereal sea of cherry blossoms had appeared in the sky, blotting out the sun.

"Go!"

As Yaen moved his will, the overwhelming sea of cherry blossoms lunged toward Golden Lion Shiki from all sides. He spoke:

"Shiki, just consider me a Cherry Blossom Fruit user. Let me use these endless cherry blossoms to see you off on your voyage; your journey ends here."

"BOOM!"

As Yaen's words fell, the overwhelming sea of cherry blossoms crashed heavily down upon Golden Lion Shiki.