Shunpo: Cicada Shell

"Pfft..."

Following a sound that made one's scalp crawl, the ship's wheel deeply embedded in Golden Lion Shiki's head was pulled free.

A massive amount of blood sprayed into the air, yet Golden Lion Shiki's smile grew even more unrestrained and heroic.

"Hahaha! I really didn't die. It's just a ship's wheel!"

In the next instant, a darkness as black as ink—Armament Haki—covered Cherry Ten and Withered Wood, which Golden Lion Shiki held in both hands.

Then... he swept them toward the countless falling cherry blossoms that had already surged before him!

"Wave Slash!"

The sword technique was the same, but this golden Flying Slash was dazzling to the extreme, instantly wiping away a huge swath of the Sea of Cherry Blossoms before him!

!!!

Yaen.

Was this the pinnacle of the sea's combat power?!

Was this the Great Swordsman Golden Lion Shiki, using Armament Haki with all his might?

"Terrifying. Sure enough, I'm right. The Golden Lion Shiki just now was far weaker than I'd imagined—so weak that I was even a little disappointed. So this is what the legendary Great Pirate looks like at full power?"

Yaen muttered, his spirit completely tensing as both hands began actively controlling the Sea of Cherry Blossoms.

The Sea of Cherry Blossoms, spreading across the sky and earth, moved with him. As shattered petals continuously regenerated, an endless sea of cherry blossoms surged from all directions, closing in on Golden Lion Shiki.

"Brat, I'll tell you right now: blades as tiny as these cherry blossoms can't cut anything!"

Having long since seen through the essence of the endless Sea of Cherry Blossoms, Golden Lion Shiki spoke arrogantly. The blood trickling from the wound atop his head only made him look even more imposing.

"Conqueror's Haki!"

In the next instant, a tangible wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from Golden Lion Shiki's body. It forcibly scattered the cherry blossoms drifting toward him, carving out a small space within the Sea of Cherry Blossoms.

Immediately afterward, Golden Lion Shiki shot toward Yaen like a streak of golden light.

Under Yaen's full-force control, the endless Sea of Cherry Blossoms continued blocking and tearing at Golden Lion Shiki.

Yet, protected by Armament Haki, Golden Lion Shiki was like a sailboat breaking through waves against the wind atop the Sea of Cherry Blossoms. The golden Flying Slashes he released from time to time swept across the field, erasing swaths of petals.

In just a few short breaths, Golden Lion Shiki had already closed more than half the distance between himself and Yaen.

"Yaen, you little brat, go to hell!"

Another burst of Conqueror's Haki briefly opened up space for Golden Lion Shiki. The Famous Sword: Cherry Ten and Famous Sword: Withered Wood, cloaked in dense Armament Haki, suddenly swung repeatedly toward Yaen.

"Lion Thousand Cut Valley!"

In the next instant, hundreds upon hundreds of golden Flying Slashes flew wildly toward Yaen, like a lion's furious roar.

Dodge?!

Yaen maintained a wide-ranging Observation Haki, rapidly searching for the weakness in Lion Thousand Cut Valley.

In an extremely short time, Yaen reached a judgment through his Observation Haki.

Yet there was none!

No—in truth, the only opening was to charge straight into the lion's roar!

These thousands of Flying Slashes covered an enormous area, and Golden Lion Shiki was continuously using the Float-Float Fruit to control the air and influence their paths.

Therefore, the farther one retreated, the less room there was to dodge!

Was this the domineering might of the Great Pirate Golden Lion?

Before the lion king, blindly retreating meant nothing but death!

Instead, Yaen had to charge forward into the thousand Flying Slashes roaring from the lion, forcibly breaking through one or two of them to evade this attack.

However...

"Backing down and dodging before a lion would be far too ugly!!!"

Yaen abruptly thrust his palm forward and began chanting rapidly.

"O favored child of heaven, iron-forged fortress, dragon's stride, lion's roar, tiger's howl, wolf's charge—before the collapse, sever heaven and earth!"

"Binding Path #81: Sky Sever!!!"

In an instant, an invisible barrier suddenly appeared before Yaen.

"Boom boom boom boom boom boom..."

Hundreds upon hundreds of golden Flying Slashes struck the invisible barrier, shattering into golden petals.

It held!

Binding Path #81: Sky Sever was the strongest Bakudo Yaen could currently wield. Unless its limit was reached, even if the number of golden Flying Slashes multiplied several times, they still would not be able to break through the invisible barrier.

At that moment, through a gap in the aftershocks created when the golden Flying Slashes shattered against the barrier, Yaen saw a black shadow rapidly closing in.

In the next instant, the Famous Sword: Cherry Ten and Famous Sword: Withered Wood, covered in dense Armament Haki, crashed down heavily upon Binding Path #81: Sky Sever.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound rang out. Cracks instantly appeared across Binding Path #81: Sky Sever, then spread throughout the entire barrier.

Immediately afterward, Binding Path #81: Sky Sever shattered with a bang!

"Yaen, you little brat, I've got you!"

A wild, arrogant smile appeared on Golden Lion Shiki's imposing face. The Famous Sword: Cherry Ten and Famous Sword: Withered Wood in his hands slashed toward Yaen at terrifying speed.

At that moment, Yaen's pupils could not help contracting. He had no idea how Golden Lion Shiki had bypassed the perception of his Observation Haki and closed in to such a distance in an instant.

Yaen knew his greatest shortcoming all too well—a fatal one at that: his physical body!

If the twin blades in Golden Lion Shiki's hands struck him, it would definitely be more than just two additional scars. Even being cut into three pieces would not be the end of it.

My body... might be blasted into nothingness in an instant...

A sense of danger, accompanied by the sudden contraction of Yaen's pupils, fiercely stimulated his nerves.

The Famous Sword: Cherry Ten and Famous Sword: Withered Wood continued closing in, and Yaen's hairs were already prickling from the bone-chilling cold.

"Whoosh!"

In the next instant, the Famous Sword: Cherry Ten and Famous Sword: Withered Wood swept past with overwhelming force, passing through Yaen's abdomen and chest respectively.

No...

Golden Lion Shiki soon sensed that the feeling transmitted through the Famous Sword: Cherry Ten and Withered Wood was wrong.

And at some point, the place where Yaen had originally been was left with nothing but a piece of clothing.

"Shunpo: Cicada Shell."

Immediately afterward, Golden Lion Shiki abruptly turned his head and looked upward. Yaen had already appeared a hundred meters away.

"What incredible speed..." Golden Lion Shiki was secretly shocked.

"What terrifying twin blades..." Yaen was still shaken with fear.