Seeing the eruption of lava, Golden Lion Shiki relied on pure instinct. He instantly released both blades, his pupils narrowing as he hardened his entire body with advanced Armament Haki. In a blink, he teleported behind Akainu, aiming for a fatal blow—
But magma exploded from Akainu's back.
BOOOOM!!
Like a volcanic dam bursting open, streams of lava surged outward, engulfing everything in their path.
From within the rising smoke, the Golden Lion emerged, drifting upward on his floating island debris.
"Pff... ahh..." he exhaled slowly, singed and steaming. Parts of his coat had burned off, revealing scorched but unbroken skin — glowing red, like he'd just stepped out of a boiling bath.
He sneered, laughing through the smoke.
"Lava brat, you're absolutely disgusting! Laozi almost got hurt! Jehahahaha!"
Despite the sarcasm, Shiki took mental note. Even though Akainu was "just" a Vice Admiral, that Lava Devil Fruit was no joke.
Still — Shiki was the Golden Lion, once called the strongest man in the world. His Haki defense was top-tier. While the magma had rattled him, it hadn't truly damaged him.
But just as he composed himself—
"Don't get cocky, Golden Lion!"
A voice thundered behind him.
Zephyr had already closed the distance.
WHAM!!!
A devastating punch crashed into Shiki's back, enhanced by Zephyr's full strength and Haki.
Even someone like Shiki couldn't shrug that off. He was sent flying, smashing into the earthen wall he himself had summoned with "Majestic Lion: Earth Circle." A wave of dust exploded on impact.
Shiki skidded to a stop, coughing slightly.
He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and stood tall again.
Still grinning.
"Je hahahaha... Trouble, trouble, trouble... You're all ganging up on Laozi now."
"Keep this up and I might really end up back in Impel Down."
His tone was light — but his instincts were on high alert.
He had no intention of being caught. With the Float-Float Fruit, escaping would always be an option.
---
Meanwhile, near the lava crater...
The magma began to cool.
From the center, Sakura Tokiku — one of Shiki's twin blades — was ejected from the molten rock, glowing red-hot but undamaged.
Akainu reached down and picked them both up, examining them calmly.
They were beautiful, deadly... and wasted on pirates.
He thought back.
In his youth, Sakazuki had been a skilled swordsman — even a bit of a collector. But once he ate the Lava-Lava Fruit, he had thrown his blades aside. There was no need for finesse anymore. Power was everything.
Only fists the size of boulders could truly unleash his rage and justice.
Now, these swords were just relics to him.
But someone else... someone new...
---
Across the field, Kyle (formerly Lai Mu) stood frozen.
The two legendary swords dropped before him — still steaming from the lava, embedded in the earth. Heat shimmered off the blades, sending a plume of smoke curling upward.
He stared.
"Wait... is this a reward?"
His eyes widened.
"Brother Dog is so kind!"
He could hardly believe it. He knew the story. He knew what these blades were.
These were the swords Shiki had kept for decades. Even after breaking out of Impel Down, his first act wasn't revenge — it was retrieving his blades.
The fact that he never traded them for more famous ones like Shusui or Mihawk's Yoru spoke volumes.
These swords weren't just famous.
They were priceless.
One blade alone could be worth hundreds of millions of beli.
"Damn it, Brother Dog is so good to me!"
Kyle felt a jolt run through his chest.
First the Gravity Fruit. Now the legendary twin swords of the Golden Lion?
Was this real?
Am I... the main character?!
He looked up at Akainu.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki!" he called out, eyes shining.
"Are you giving me these swords?"
Sakazuki didn't hesitate.
"You've mastered two-sword style. Your future is promising."
"I expect great things from you."
His face remained stoic, but there was a spark in his gaze — faint approval.
Kyle saluted sharply. "Yes, sir!"
As the blades finally cooled, Kyle gripped them tightly for the first time.
Sakura Jukiku. Sakura Tokiku.
Twin double-edged swords — far different from standard katanas. They were heavier, more refined, and somehow felt perfect in his hands.
He grinned.
This was destiny.
He wrapped both blades in his Gravity aura, channeling his fruit's power.
A familiar beep echoed in his mind:
> [Attention Points: 103,790. Bronze Lottery ready.]
Kyle ignored it. Not now. Not yet.
Now was the moment to fight back.
With Sengoku, Zephyr, Sakazuki, and the Admirals closing in, they had Shiki surrounded.
Kyle raised both blades, shouting:
"Golden Lion!!!"
"Don't underestimate us Marines!"
"Surrender — or taste the weight of gravity!!"
From the sky, Shiki hovered — shocked.
His eyes locked on the glowing blades in Kyle's hands.
His blades.
A crack appeared in his expression.
"Those are... MY swords!!" he bellowed.
"You brat!! GIVE THEM BACK!!!"