Chapter 213: The Legend Returns!
High above, a massive, floating island blotted out the sun, descending upon the Whole Cake Chateau. The island was nearly as large as Whole Cake Island itself. Falling from such an incredible height, the impact would have only one outcome... the complete and utter annihilation of Totto Land.
"What the hell is that?!"
"The island... it's falling on us!"
"Is this... the end of the world?!"
The remaining guests and Charlotte family members stared in horror. Stussy trembled, her eyes wide with disbelief. Plan A had failed. She had only stayed to witness the outcome of the battle between Kaido and Shane, a result the World Government would have been happy with either way. But this... A memory from a long-forgotten past clicked with the scene before her, and she instinctively glanced at the two other former members of the Rocks Pirates.
"Hey, Linlin... there's only one person who can do this..." Kaido said, forcing himself to stand, his face grim.
"That old bastard," Big Mom finished, taking a deep breath.
"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
A wild, arrogant laugh, identical to Blackbeard's, echoed from the sky. A figure with long golden hair and a yellow admiral's coat stood at the edge of the floating island, a cigar clamped between his teeth.
"Linlin! Kaido! It's been a long, long time! Didn't expect to see me again, did you?! The Golden Lion, Shiki, is back!" He spread his arms wide as if he held the world in his grasp.
"And you, the brilliant new star of this era, Shane! Zehahaha, what a rare gathering! Today, I will use your lives to announce my return! I will remind this sea who the true ruler of the New World is!"
Seventeen years. It had been seventeen long years since he had cut off his own legs and escaped from Impel Down. To take his revenge on the World Government, to reclaim his ambition of ruling the seas, he had hidden in the shadows, biding his time, building his strength. His plan had been to wait another two or three years, until his army of genetically-engineered beasts was complete. But... the seas had been too turbulent, a new generation of heroes rising too quickly. First that Red-Haired brat, and now Shane, whose rise was even more terrifying. These newcomers... they had inherited Roger's will, and their power was unreasonable. He couldn't just sit back and watch any longer.
And when he heard that Kaido and Shane had been locked in a battle for days, he knew... this was the perfect opportunity to remind a world that had forgotten his name of the terror of the Golden Lion Armada. Linlin alone couldn't stop the island from falling. And with the other two exhausted... they were the perfect stepping stones for his return. One, the so-called "World's Strongest Creature," the other, the strongest rookie in history. Their deaths would be enough to make his name tremble across the Four Blues once more, a name even greater than that of the old man who was still alive.
"Zehahaha..." Shiki grinned and, with a downward thrust of his hand, roared, "FASTER!!!"
RUMBLE!!!
The giant island began to accelerate, its shadow swallowing the sky.
"Shiki! You crazy old fool... Hey, Zeus!!" Big Mom roared. The white thundercloud flew to her side, and she leaped onto its back, ready to charge into the sky.
Shane's expression changed. His hand moved, a Senzu Bean appearing in his palm. He was confident he could survive the impact, but his crew? The innocent people of Totto Land? They would be annihilated. He couldn't let that happen. Even if it meant using his last Senzu Bean...
"Jack! Lord Shane hasn't recovered his strength! You stay here and protect him! Everyone else, with me! We're helping Charlotte Linlin stop that island!" Kuina's sharp command cut through the chaos. With a cry, she drew her sword, ready to face the falling sky. Behind her, Kuma, Nojiko, Smoker, and the Sweet Commanders all shot into the air.
"You got it, Big Sis!" Jack roared. In an instant, he transformed into a giant mammoth and sat down, his massive body completely shielding Shane. Even if the island falls, it'll have to go through me first. I won't let it touch the Boss.
But... as he transformed, he didn't see that Shane had been in the middle of raising his hand to his mouth. Now his arm was pinned under a giant mammoth's backside.
"I..." Shane was about to pass out from sheer frustration. On a normal day, he could have tossed the mammoth aside with ease. But now... he was completely drained.
"Jack!" he roared, but his voice was drowned out by another.
"Worororo... You old bastard! You think that little punk was enough to take all my stamina?!" Kaido, his breath ragged, looked up, a savage glint in his eyes. He had been on the verge of collapse, but now, at the brink of death, he summoned one last burst of strength. He stomped the ground and shot into the sky like a cannonball.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME, SHIKI!!!"
BOOM!
With a clap of thunder, he transformed once again into a massive, azure dragon. "GET OUT OF THE WAY, YOU ANTS!" he roared, his tail swatting Kuina, Katakuri, and all the others out of the sky. "You can't stop this!"
"Kaido..." Big Mom stared in shock at the azure dragon. A massive cloud of purple-black flames erupted from his body, spreading out to envelop the underside of the floating island.
VWOOM!
The plummeting island screeched to a halt, held aloft by the flame clouds just a few hundred meters above Totto Land.
"Hm?" Shiki's eyes widened in shock. He had never imagined that the exhausted Kaido would have enough strength left to do this, that his Devil Fruit powers had evolved to this level. No one had ever been able to completely stop one of his falling islands before. Not even Whitebeard or Garp. They could only shatter them into pieces, which would still have devastated the island below.
"Mamamamama! Nice one, Kaido!" Big Mom laughed, her eyes burning with murderous intent. "Now, do me a favor and toss that thing into the sea! The rest is up to me! Let's go, Zeus!"
"Yes, Mama!"
Zeus zipped around the floating island and shot toward Shiki. Big Mom raised Napoleon, her Conqueror's Haki crackling around the blade. "SHIKI! YOU BASTARD!" she roared. "You're a relic of a bygone era! Get the hell out of my territory! Today, I'm going to teach you the meaning of the word 'regret'!"
"I don't know how to read, you old hag!" Shiki cackled. "And you... you're still as hot-headed as ever, Linlin!" And just as beautiful. He was confused. The rumors had said she'd become a fat, ugly old woman. He waved his hands, and dozens of giant rocks tore loose from the island, flying toward her like cannonballs coated in Armament Haki.
"Ikoku Sovereignty!" With a single slash, Big Mom shattered them all and closed the distance.
"You want to compare swordsmanship with me, Linlin?! If your old memory hasn't failed you, you should remember... this is my specialty!" Shiki laughed, meeting her attack with his own two famous swords, Oto and Kogarashi. They clashed high in the sky, their battle a storm of black-and-red lightning, rising higher and higher until they were just two small dots in the distance...
"It must be nice to be able to fly," Jack said, looking up with envy. Then he looked down. "Hey, Boss. If you were at full strength, could you fight them at that altitude?"
A weary voice came from beneath him. "With Moonwalk, getting up there is no problem. But fighting two flying opponents at that altitude for a long period of time would be a disadvantage. Of course, that's not the main issue here."
"Eh? What is?"
"The main issue, you idiot, is that you need to get your giant ass off of me!" Shane roared, a vein throbbing on his temple. "Kaido already moved the island! What are you still sitting on me for?!"
"Oh... oh, right!" Jack quickly transformed back to his human form. "Sorry, Boss!"
Shane finally freed his arm. He looked at the Senzu Bean, shook his head, and put it back in his inventory. He looked over at Kaido. The azure dragon was struggling to move the floating island over the sea. It was clear the effort was taking a massive toll on his already-depleted stamina.
"Hey, Kaido, need a hand?!"
"Shut up! Stay out of it! I don't need your help!" the dragon roared. With one final, desperate burst of energy, he shoved the island the rest of the way. It crashed into the sea with a thunderous boom, sending up a tsunami hundreds of meters high.
"Success! Totto Land now has thirty-seven islands!" Kaido transformed back into his human form and laughed, spreading his arms wide. "You owe me a big one for this, Linlin! Now you can stop bringing up that old debt... worororo..."
His laughter faded, and his eyes went blank. He fell from the sky and plunged into the sea, unconscious.
"..."
Shane shook his head. What a show-off. But... he had saved him a Senzu Bean, and he had saved the people of Totto Land. He owed him one. He ate a few of the red bean buns he kept in his inventory, and once he'd recovered a bit of his strength, he walked to the shore... and kicked the curious, onlooking Gin into the water.
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