Above the edge of the Red Line, in the skies over the gateway to the New World, an arena had formed for two madmen.
Golden Lion Shiki crossed the blades of his famous swords, Oto and Kogarashi, grinding them together. The piercing screech of metal scattered tangible sparks, illuminating his face, which brimmed with wild arrogance and ambition.
He flung his arms wide. His golden cloak snapped furiously in the raging air currents and turbulent Haki, like a lion shaking out its mane.
"You dared attack that hypocritical temple in Mary Geoise, boy, and I dared storm Marineford single-handed back then!" Golden Lion's roar drowned out the wind and thunder, his eyes blazing with the flames of overturning the world.
"As long as we join forces, that bullshit World Government, Marine Headquarters, the balance of the Four Emperors... we'll trample them all underfoot! We'll overturn this utterly boring old world with our own hands! Come, boy! This is the stage worthy of men like us!"
The spectral blue electricity dancing in Boer's eyes abruptly blazed brighter. The dark gold Superconducting Ring on his chest gave a low, pleasant hum, beginning to draw in the nearly limitless electric charge and magnetic energy between heaven and earth at an unprecedented rate.
Buzzz-crack!
Magnetic Skeleton mode deployed at overload!
The spectral blue energy skeleton instantly covered his entire body, growing thicker and more fearsome.
He curled both hands around empty air. Highly compressed plasma and magnetic energy gathered madly in his palms, taking shape. In an instant, two "ionized greatswords," each over three meters long and shimmering with a dangerous dark red sheen, materialized.
"And after we overturn it?" Boer's voice came through the Magnetic Skeleton with the hiss of electricity, calm yet cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
Before his