"Not good!"
Aokiji and Nao's faces changed. They turned into afterimages and shot out from the entrance of Impel Down almost at the same time.
Their movement styles were slightly different—Aokiji ran across the sea's surface, freezing it beneath his feet to form a narrow icy trail.
Nao, on the other hand, used Geppo to leap through the air, tapping down on wave crests every hundred meters to maintain momentum—his speed slightly faster than Aokiji's, cutting through the air like a soaring dragon.
But the warship was still far—at least 20 to 30 kilometers away. No matter how fast they were, there was simply no way to reach it in time.
All they could do was watch helplessly as the falling island came closer and closer to the ship…
BUZZ!
Suddenly—a figure leapt into the air from the deck of the ship.
Drawing his blade, a grand, brilliant slash of white light erupted from the ship's deck, cleaving toward the massive island crashing down from above.
RUMMMMMMBLE!!!
With a deafening roar, the island was cleaved clean in two—split vertically down the middle. The two halves plummeted separately into the ocean below with a tremendous splash.
As for the ship—it rocked violently in the resulting tsunami-like waves, but miraculously survived without being destroyed.
"…Thank goodness."
Nao instinctively slowed down, exhaling in relief. He turned to Aokiji. "Was that Warden Pablo who made that move?"
"Yeah." Aokiji wiped the sweat from his brow. "Warden Pablo isn't just a Cold-Cold Fruit user… he's also a master swordsman."
"But the situation's still bad." Nao frowned and looked toward the faraway sky. "To throw an entire island from that height… something that insane…"
"There's only one person who could do that," Aokiji finished grimly.
The two of them stood together on the ocean's surface, heads slightly raised, their eyes full of tension.
Neither said the name—but they didn't need to.
They both already knew the only possible answer:
Golden Lion Shiki!
A former member of the Rocks Pirates, captain of the Flying Pirates, and in the old era, a legendary pirate equal in fame to the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard Edward Newgate!
Had it not been for a sudden storm during their climactic battle, Roger might have lost—and Shiki would've become the undisputed ruler of the New World!
Two years ago, he cut off both legs and escaped from Impel Down, vanishing from the world ever since.
No matter how hard the Marines or CP organizations investigated, they couldn't find a single trace of his whereabouts.
But as someone from another world—
But…
He wasn't supposed to show up in the East Blue until eighteen years later, was he?
Why has he shown up so much earlier, and why has he chosen Impel Down as his first target for revenge?
Is this a change in fate caused by the flapping of my little butterfly wings?
Nao narrowed his eyes, scanning the skies alongside Aokiji in search of the Golden Lion.
But the sky was empty.
No sign of floating islands. No sign of anyone at all.
"Maybe the sneak attack failed, so he withdrew." Aokiji pulled his gaze back, still visibly uneasy. "We should keep an eye on the sky regardless. For now, let's rendezvous with Warden Pablo and get the ship back to Impel Down."
"Okay."
Nao nodded. He could see the warship in the distance, speeding their way. Clearly, Pablo was worried about lingering out on the open sea and wanted to get his subordinates into Impel Down as fast as possible.
Just as the two were about to move—
CRACK!!
The ice beneath their feet suddenly split open, and the sea trembled slightly.
"What the—?"
Aokiji's eyes widened in confusion, but Nao's expression changed instantly, as if remembering something.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Aokiji by the shoulder and launched them both into the air.
SPLASHHHHH!!!
The moment they lifted off, the ocean below erupted, water reversing course like a tsunami, surging wildly northward.
From high above, they saw it clearly—the surrounding sea on all sides was acting the same.
Roaring winds howled across the area, and the ocean itself twisted violently—rising up into colossal, lion-shaped tidal heads, hundreds of meters tall, baring their fangs and rushing toward the warship below!
At the same time—
A deep, guttural voice echoed across the sea:
"Lion Might: Ocean Coil!"
RRRUUUMMMBBLE!!
The sight of the sea collapsing and pressing in from all sides looked like the end of the world itself—apocalyptic, cataclysmic.
From Nao and Aokiji's horrified vantage point, the entire warship was devoured whole, shattered into splinters with no time to resist.
The Marines aboard didn't even have time to scream before they were pulled into the vortex—swallowed without a trace.
And the aged figure who had leapt up moments ago to unleash that sword slash—
Was likewise swallowed whole by the towering tsunami, disappearing instantly.
"Warden Pablo!!"
"Shit!!"
Nao and Aokiji both shouted at once, their expressions turning pale.
Neither had imagined that a man as strong as Warden Pablo—who had sliced an entire island in half—would fall so suddenly to this unexpected disaster.
A calculated ambush, exploiting a Devil Fruit user's weakness…
Nao's gaze darkened.
He and Aokiji had sensed something wrong with the sea and acted immediately—there was no way Pablo hadn't noticed too.
But just like when he faced the falling island, he likely refused to abandon his crew. He'd probably tried to shield them with his sword, gambling everything on a chance to save them.
"Ha… finally got one, huh…"
As the sea calmed again, a low, eerie chuckle drifted through the air.
Then Nao and Aokiji finally saw it—
A pale yellow figure floated into the sky, landing atop the towering Gates of Justice.
He had a wild, rugged face, and a mane of golden hair that flowed like a lion's. His beard and sideburns were golden too, and his billowing cloak fluttered in the wind, radiating a dominant, kingly presence.
So that's where he was—hiding behind the Gates of Justice this whole time.
No wonder they hadn't seen him earlier…
—
"Looks like the most troublesome old fart's been dealt with."
Golden Lion Shiki bit down on a cigar and scanned the now-calm sea before turning his attention to the two figures floating in the sky before him—Nao and Aokiji, clad in white Justice coats.
He grinned savagely.
"Guess there's no one left who can stop me from wiping this goddamn prison off the map, huh? Or are you two little snot-nosed brats gonna try your luck?"
"Snot-nosed brats."
That's how Golden Lion Shiki saw them.
Nao and Aokiji—both renowned across the seas, elite officers of Marine Headquarters, among its strongest combat forces—
Meant nothing to him.
To an old era legend like Shiki, they were just nameless youngsters.
Arrogant. Powerful. Overbearing. Egotistical.
These were all traits shared by many of the legends from that bygone age.
"…You sure know how to sound dramatic."
Nao looked up at Shiki on the Gates of Justice, then suddenly gave a cold chuckle.
"Don't know what made you crawl out of your sewer on that sky island, but Shiki… the you now is way worse than you used to be."
"At the very least, the Shiki who fought Roger wouldn't have pulled off a sneak attack like that."
"You seriously afraid of an old man over seventy years old? Can't take him head-on anymore?"
"What happened to the Golden Lion who once stormed Marine HQ and went toe-to-toe with Sengoku and Garp, huh?!"
On the Gates of Justice—
Shiki's face darkened, his expression twisting.
It was clear that Nao had hit a nerve—he had no words to counter.
Nao wasn't wrong.
He wasn't the same man who once battled Whitebeard and Roger as an equal.
The ship's helm still embedded in his skull slowly sapped his life away each day. And ever since he'd severed his legs, his strength had diminished. Years of hiding on the floating island had dulled his edge, warped his mind.
And now this ambush on Impel Down—a critical part of his revenge plan—had to go perfectly.
To achieve that, he'd chosen to strike first. Kill Warden Pablo.
Even if he viewed it as disgraceful—
He had no choice.
"Shut your damn mouth, brat!!"
Shiki suddenly spat out his cigar, eyes glinting with murderous intent. He let out a feral laugh as he launched himself from atop the Gates of Justice.
"Without that old fart protecting you, I'd love to see how long your big mouth survives in a real fight!"
BOOM!!!
His legs moved—and the two famous blades strapped to his severed stumps, Kumoki and Sakuraten, slashed outward—
Unleashing an overwhelming blast of sword energy.
"Lion Slash: Thousand Valley!"
Two golden slashes crossed in the air, forming a massive X-shaped wave that roared forward with incredible momentum.
Tidal waves rose in its wake, and the sea split apart wherever the energy passed—threatening to wipe out everything ahead.
"So this is… the swordsmanship of Golden Lion Shiki?"
Aokiji's expression hardened.
He was about to act when—out of the corner of his eye—he saw Nao had already charged forward, both swprds drawn.
With a roar, Nao met the attack head-on:
"Perfect timing!"
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
The afternoon sun was warm and pleasant.
Just after finishing a stack of paperwork, Fleet Admiral Kong finally managed to relax. Carrying his coffee, he made his way to the sofa for a rare moment of rest.
BANG!
The office doors were suddenly flung open.
Kong furrowed his brows in irritation, about to scold whoever dared disturb him—but stopped short when he saw who it was:
Admiral Sengoku, out of breath, clearly in a hurry.
"What is it?"
Seeing Sengoku's anxious expression, Kong's face turned serious. He put down his coffee and stood up.
"It's Impel Down—something big happened, Fleet Admiral!"
Sengoku, usually calm and composed, was grim-faced. He handed over a document.
"This is a report from Vice Warden Magellan—just received. You'll understand when you read it…"
Kong opened it and skimmed quickly.
His face darkened.
"Golden Lion Shiki…"
His grip on the document tightened unconsciously, nearly crushing it.
"That bastard… we searched for him for two years with no luck—and now he shows up attacking Impel Down?!"
"Warden Pablo was ambushed… dragged into the sea. Status unknown," Sengoku said heavily.
"According to Magellan, so far only Shiki himself has appeared. None of the Flying Pirates have shown up. The ones holding the line are Kuzan and Nao…"
"Kuzan and Nao…"
Kong's mind raced.
These were two of the Marine Headquarters' brightest rising stars—with reputations that now rivaled veteran officers. Their strength was top-tier among Vice Admirals.
But—
Without Warden Pablo, they were on their own.
And the enemy was a living legend—a pirate equal to Roger himself.
He still remembered—years ago, Shiki had stormed Marineford alone and fought Garp and Sengoku for days, nearly reducing the entire base to rubble.
"Those two kids… they can't hold out alone."
Kong inhaled deeply, eyes flashing with authority.
"You stay here and oversee headquarters. Get Garp and Zephyr—have them depart immediately."
"Impel Down cannot fall. And we will not let Kuzan and Nao die at the hands of that lunatic!"
He slammed his palm on the table, issuing the order:
"As for Shiki—he slipped away two years ago, but this time? We're sending him back. Let him learn that justice and order will never be trampled!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
Sengoku saluted and rushed out.
Outside, a few staff officers exchanged anxious glances. The shock of Sengoku's message still hadn't fully worn off.
They could tell—Fleet Admiral Kong was truly furious.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have dispatched such a terrifying reinforcement squad—even recalling Zephyr, who had already retired.
But considering the opponent was Golden Lion Shiki…
They could only pray silently for Vice Admiral Nao, fighting on the front lines.
"Hang in there, sir…"
...
The turbulent sea, countless schools of fish, were swimming away in fear.
This even included some Sea Kings who had lived in the area for a long time, as if some terrifying presence was chasing them from behind.
BOOM!!!
In the earth-shattering roar, the magnificent sword slashes that collided and intertwined with each other created a terrifying commotion, like the end of the world.
The aftershocks spread out, blasting open countless huge, hundred-meter-high columns of water in the sea!