Sparring with the Golden Lion! Strength Leaps Forward!

At the port of Beehive Island, the moonlight was like water.

Luo Tian waited for a moment beside the massive pirate ship that had yet to take flight, only then seeing Golden Lion Shiki drifting back from the night sky in the distance.

Shiki's expression was clearly not very pleasant.

Before he could receive a definitive answer to his invitation, he had been pestered by that madwoman Charlotte Linlin for quite a while, and it had taken all the maneuverability of his Float-Float Fruit to make a pathetic escape.

He had hurried back to the banquet hall, intending to find Luo Tian and have a word, only to discover that Luo Tian had already left, which made him feel even more stifled.

Just as he was about to board the ship in a foul mood, he caught sight of Luo Tian waiting quietly in the shadows of the hull, and his mood instantly shifted from overcast to clear.

But then, remembering the despicable way the kid had diverted trouble onto him earlier, a surge of irritation mixed with a hint of embarrassment welled up in his heart.

"Hmph! Kid Luo Tian, you still have the nerve to show your face here?! About the stunt you pulled earlier, don't you think you owe me an explanation?!"

Shiki deactivated his Float-Float Fruit ability, landed steadily on the ground, and strode up to Luo Tian.

Luo Tian grinned.

He had seen Shiki's disgruntled expression from afar as he flew in; it was nine times out of ten because he had drawn Linlin's attention toward him.

Of course, there was also the possibility that he was just embarrassed by having been chased so miserably by Linlin.

"Yo, Shiki, you have the nerve to say that to me?" Far from feeling guilty, Luo Tian raised an eyebrow and countered:

"Back in the banquet hall, when Charlotte Linlin approached my back, you could have at least coughed or given me a wink to warn me, right? And what happened instead?"

"One second you were arm-in-arm, enthusiastically inviting me onto your ship to spar, and the next, as soon as Linlin appeared, you and Newgate immediately sat up straight, staring ahead, pretending you didn't know me? That speed of changing faces is impressive, Shiki!"

Luo Tian's tone carried a hint of mockery, but his eyes clearly signaled: We need to talk about this; you were the ones who were unrighteous first, so don't blame me for being unkind later.

Shiki was stunned upon hearing this.

He was choked up by Luo Tian's question, which had struck right at the heart of the matter.

Thinking back carefully, it did seem... a bit ungentlemanly at the time.

He felt a bit sheepish, and the momentum of his interrogation deflated like a pricked balloon.

"Uh... Luo Tian, let me explain... the situation back then... Linlin, she..."

Shiki tried to offer a few words of defense, but seeing Luo Tian's half-smiling expression, he knew he couldn't bluff his way through it, so he simply waved his hand, his tone softening:

"Fine, fine! Let's call it a mutual fault; we're even! No one is allowed to bring it up again!"

He recalled that at the time, he had indeed intended to watch the show and distance himself, and Luo Tian had even glared at him and Whitebeard.

Thinking about it that way, he really didn't have much of a leg to stand on.

"By the way, Shiki, you disappeared for so long before coming back—don't tell me you were actually... hmm?" Luo Tian smiled playfully.

"Damn it! Kid Luo Tian, don't you dare spout nonsense!!"

Shiki understood immediately, his face turning as black as the bottom of a pot. He gritted his teeth and defended himself:

"Do you think that's even possible?! I am the Golden Lion Shiki! Cough... anyway, it's absolutely impossible! It took every ounce of my strength to shake her off! You bastard, stop spreading rumors!"

"Hahaha! Just a joke, look how worked up you are." Seeing Shiki's intense reaction, Luo Tian couldn't help but laugh, finding it quite amusing.

However, he knew when to stop; if he kept going, Shiki might really lose face and fly into a rage.

"You waited for me here—does that mean you've decided to accept my previous invitation?"

Returning to the main topic, Shiki's gaze remained locked on Luo Tian, carrying a hint of anticipation.

Luo Tian nodded and said calmly, "Yes, I don't have any plans to form my own fleet just yet."

"Since you've invited me with such sincerity, I'll impose on you for a while. And as you said, we can spar and verify our swordsmanship, which will be beneficial for both of us."

For Luo Tian, increasing his own strength as quickly as possible was the fundamental goal.

Beyond the rewards the system might bring, persistent personal training and deep development of his abilities were equally indispensable.

Agreeing to Shiki's offer allowed him to befriend a top-tier powerhouse within the pirate crew while achieving his goal of training to become stronger—why wouldn't he?

"Hahaha! Good! Kid Luo Tian, that's refreshing!"

Hearing this, Shiki burst into loud laughter. He slapped Luo Tian's shoulder hard and vowed:

"Don't worry, under the personal guidance of the world's strongest swordsman, your swordsmanship will surely advance by leaps and bounds, progressing a thousand miles a day!"

The corner of Luo Tian's mouth twitched imperceptibly.

The world's strongest swordsman? Self-proclaimed, right? Did he ask Rayleigh? Did he ask Roger?

"Alright, Shiki, it's getting late. Let's get on the ship first; we can discuss the details tomorrow."

Luo Tian couldn't be bothered to waste more breath on this war of words; this guy would shine if you gave him a little sunlight, and his thick-skinned nature was truly something else.

One month later, in a remote sea area of the New World.

Above a deserted, densely vegetated island, two massive pirate ships hovered in silence.

One belonged to Golden Lion Shiki, and the other to Newgate.

Clearly, these two commanders had arranged to arrive together.

At this moment, Whitebeard and several of his early division commanders stood at the ship's railing with great interest, looking down at the battle unfolding on the island below.

"Clang--!!!"

"Boom--!!!"

On the island, blades clashed fiercely, erupting with constant explosions.

The spreading shockwaves shattered the surrounding rocks and snapped giant trees in two.

Luo Tian and Shiki were engaged in a hearty, exhilarating battle on the island!

Both men held famous blades in their hands.

Shiki wielded the Great Grade swords Oto and Kogarashi, while Luo Tian held the Supreme Grade sword Black Dragon.

From start to finish, both had tacitly agreed not to use their respective Devil Fruit abilities.

This was a pure duel of swordsmanship, stripped of external tricks and returning to the very source!

Every collision of their blades burst forth with circular shockwaves, crushing vegetation and whipping up sand and stone.

The aftermath of their slashes flew wildly through the forest; thick ancient trees were snapped in response, hard boulders were sliced open smoothly, and even the air currents were thrown into chaos.

The intense battle lasted from the afternoon until the sun dipped low in the west, a full four hours.

Finally, with one last ring that echoed through the sky, the storm abruptly ceased.

As the dust settled, the two stood facing each other, sheathed their blades in silent agreement, and each found a spot to rest.

Luo Tian leaned against a surviving ancient tree, replenishing his fluids, his breathing long and steady.

Looking at the island before him, now ravaged by their duel, he revealed a satisfied smile.

For this past month, the Rocks Pirates had not engaged in any large-scale operations; it had been calm and peaceful.

With nothing better to do, Luo Tian had arranged to spar with Shiki almost every day, using the live combat to hone his swordsmanship, turning it into battle instinct while rapidly accumulating experience in fighting against top-tier powerhouses.

His progress was visible to the naked eye.