Be Buried in the Endless Falling Cherry Blossoms

In response to the roar of Golden Lion Shiki, Yaen's thoughts stirred. He manipulated the ocean-like expanse of cherry blossoms, strangling them toward Shiki as he spoke.

"Perhaps you are right; the seas are not yet mine to command, but they certainly shouldn't be commanded by a pirate like you. Let your journey end here. End it with the same final glory as the Pirate King Roger..."

He paused, then added.

"Otherwise, as you grow older and fall further behind the pace of the era, you will only struggle more pathetically within the tides of time, becoming all the more contemptible."

These words instantly provoked Golden Lion Shiki!

Roger!

The name Roger, in particular, was an inescapable knot in Golden Lion Shiki's heart.

The reason Golden Lion Shiki had once stormed Marine Headquarters alone was because he could not believe that a man like Roger could ever be captured by the Navy!

"You mere Navy brat, don't get too cocky! How dare you even mention the name of Roger?!"

"That bastard Roger was an idiot, but even if he had to die, he should have died by my hand!"

His golden hair billowed behind him. In those few short sentences, Golden Lion Shiki exuded a soul-shaking aura.

"To dare call me a remnant who cannot keep up with the times... I... I am the one who will conquer this sea and create an era that belongs to the 'Golden Lion.' How could a brat like you ever understand that?"

"Is that so?"

Yaen crossed his arms, countless cherry blossoms drifting beside him, and said calmly.

"But what this sea needs is not a pirate era filled with riots, looting, and slaughter, but a brand-new future. That is something a mere pirate could never understand!"

"My apologies, Golden Lion Shiki. If it were before today, perhaps I wouldn't have intercepted you here. But now that I have joined the Navy, then..."

"In the name of the Navy, Golden Lion Shiki, may you and your delusions be buried today within these endless falling cherry blossoms!"

The next moment, Yaen finally moved his hand. He swept it toward Golden Lion Shiki and gently clenched his five fingers.

In an instant, the beautiful yet dangerous sea of cherry blossoms seemed to riot. Their speed surged several times over, transforming into countless pink streaks of light as they swept toward Golden Lion Shiki.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"

The air lions blocking the path in front of Golden Lion Shiki bore the brunt of the assault. Under the scouring of the infinite cherry blossoms, they burst one after another, generating massive shockwaves.

However, the speed of the cherry blossoms was such that a portion of them had already broken through the lions' defensive line before the lions even exploded.

At this moment, propelled by the impact of those terrifying shockwaves, these seemingly fragile and dreamlike cherry blossoms accelerated even further as they flew toward Golden Lion Shiki.

"SWISH!!"

Hundreds, then thousands of cherry blossoms streaked across Golden Lion Shiki's body at blinding speed.

The next moment, Golden Lion Shiki felt a surge of pain throughout his entire body. Hundreds of different wounds instantly erupted with blood, staining him completely red.

Golden Lion Shiki breathed heavily, feeling his once seemingly omnipotent body gradually losing its strength. The massive pride of air-lions he had condensed to block his front was also constantly shattering and dissipating.

I am, I am the Golden Lion Shiki!

Golden Lion Shiki roared, a sound as fierce and proud as the cry of a wounded lion king.

Immediately after, Golden Lion Shiki looked toward Yaen, who was walking through the air in the distance. Heavy breaths puffed from his nostrils as he spoke.

"Brat, you arrogant brat. As long as I am still here, this is my era."

Then, Golden Lion Shiki cast a glance aside, pointing the hand holding the Meito Oto towards the warship still floating in mid-air.

In the next instant, the massive naval warship was hurled toward Yaen as if it were a mere toy.

Clearly, this was a threat; this was a hostage situation.

Golden Lion Shiki had long since realized the importance Yaen placed on this naval warship and the soldiers aboard it. That was why, from the very beginning, he had spared their lives—to use them as leverage against Yaen.

But now, as Shiki began to treat Yaen as a true enemy and rival, abandoning any thought of recruiting him as a subordinate, there was naturally no need to keep those naval soldiers alive any longer.

Yaen also understood this for what it was: a blatant, despicable scheme.

On the naval warship being hurled like a weapon by Golden Lion, there were over five hundred unconscious naval soldiers.

If Yaen were to forcibly block it under such immense momentum, he feared it would result in the immediate death or injury of most of those five hundred soldiers. Yet, if he simply dodged, he would only be toyed with by Golden Lion Shiki as he continued to manipulate the warship.

"What a pity, Golden Lion Shiki. Did you really think I would believe in the kindness of a pirate, or that I hadn't made preparations for the safety of my own men?"

Yaen said mockingly, then shouted aloud.

"Xiao Jin!"

As Yaen's voice echoed through the firmament, Xiao Jin, whose movements had been concealed by the sea of cherry blossoms, streaked toward Yaen like a golden beam of light, positioning itself directly in front of the naval warship.

Castle-Castle Fruit!

As Xiao Jin opened its beak toward the naval warship, the vessel rapidly shrank the moment it reached the bird, disappearing into Xiao Jin's beak.

"Well done, Xiao Jin. I'll give you an extra bag of snacks tonight!"

"Chirp-chirp!"

Xiao Jin let out a joyful cry, circled elegantly, and landed directly on Yaen's shoulder, its little head tilted slightly upward.

However, when Yaen turned his gaze back toward Golden Lion Shiki, his pupils couldn't help but constrict.

Golden Lion Shiki was gripping the ship's wheel deeply embedded in his head, roaring as he pulled it out, inch by inch!

It must be known that ever since the ship's wheel was accidentally embedded into his skull years ago, doctors had advised Golden Lion Shiki against forcibly removing it, warning that doing so would likely endanger his life and result in immediate death.

Precisely because of this, even though the presence of the ship's wheel severely hindered Golden Lion Shiki's Haki abilities, it had remained there ever since.

"It seems I've... overstimulated this old lion," Yaen muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

One has to realize that even back when Golden Lion Shiki was suppressed by the combined efforts of Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp, he had not chosen to pull the ship's wheel out himself.

However, having been slightly delayed by the naval warships, it was already too late for Yaen to stop Golden Lion Shiki now.