"Talk all the trash you want..."
But there was a grave seriousness behind Shiki's eyes.
'That bastard Kong—did he take something?!'
'He's been chasing me for one or two months now. Does he really think I'm some pushover?! I'm the Golden Lion, Shiki! I'm not that easy to crush!'
His words…
Were like sharp daggers stabbing deep into Kong's heart.
Once again, they dredged up memories of his defeat at the hands of Klein—memories that continued to torment and drive Kong.
He couldn't afford even the slightest bit of slack or complacency!!
"Vice Admiral Kong, Shiki's a Floater who ate the Float-Float Fruit, he can fly. Our warships can't catch up to him easily. It seems like he's deliberately..." a nearby adjutant advised cautiously.
Kong's rugged face, chiseled like stone, radiated calm maturity—but there was a flash of unwillingness in his eyes.
"If we can't take him down in this final engagement, we'll abort the capture mission."
And then, he couldn't help but think of that cadet...
That guy's been unusually low-key lately. Not at all like the Klein he remembered.
—
On the pirate ship.
Shiki shouted to his men,
"Prepare the food and booze! Let's feast before I beat Kong down! Jihahahaha!"
To him, Kong was just a sparring partner. Of course, Kong felt the same.
But…
Unlike Garp and Roger, there was no such special bond between him and Kong.
"Boss Shiki! There's a Marine warship docked by the island ahead!"
"Oh?" Shiki grinned wickedly.
"Jihahahaha—since it's a Marine ship, I'll just wreck it. That should piss Kong off nicely."
He flew to the edge of the deck, squinting toward the barren island up ahead.
Sure enough, a Marine warship was moored at the island's edge.
And…
Compared to the massive ship trailing behind him, this one was clearly a different class.
Shiki's eyes turned razor sharp—like a beast poised to devour.
Both hands gripped the hilts at his waist. Twin blades drawn.
His narrowed gaze radiated danger.
He muttered,
"Still a little too far... need to get just a bit closer—"
—
On the Marine warship.
"We're never gonna be the kind of fodder Marines who faint from Conqueror's Haki ever again!!"
Sweat poured down as shirtless Marines trained relentlessly.
The entire deck was soaked in sweat.
Just then, one soldier noticed a black dot in the sky.
"Huh? Must be seeing things from training too hard…"
Suddenly—
Brrrrrr brrrrrr—!
The Den Den Mushi rang out.
The lead Marine picked up,
"Moshi moshi, this is XXX."
"This is Kong. What base are you from?!"
"Vice Admiral Kong?! We're from the G-14 Branch, under Rear Admiral Klein."
"Klein?"
On another ship, which had been monitoring pirate activity, they immediately detected Golden Lion Shiki's abnormal movements…
And also noticed another Marine vessel nearby, prompting an urgent call.
"It's him..." Kong was surprised.
He hadn't expected to cross paths with Klein again in the vast ocean.
And…
It hadn't been that long—it felt like just yesterday.
A smirk tugged at Kong's lips.
Klein plus himself—taking down Golden Lion Shiki was totally within reach.
"Put Klein on the line."
"Um... Rear Admiral Klein isn't on the ship right now."
The response instantly wiped the smirk off Kong's face.
Cold sweat beaded at his temples.
"Damn it—Klein's not on board? This is bad. You need to evacuate now! Shiki's preparing to strike from the air!"
Why now of all times?!
It's one thing for Klein to be outside his jurisdiction, but why the hell wasn't he even on the ship?!
"Nani?!"
—
On the warship.
Panic erupted like an explosion.
Some Marines yelled to retreat.
Others insisted they wait for Klein's return.
Many were paralyzed with fear at the mention of Golden Lion Shiki.
Total chaos.
—
Above them.
On his pirate ship, Shiki sneered.
"Jihahahaha—just hearing my name throws these Marines into disarray."
"How the hell did this kind of Marine muster the balls to enter the New World?!"
"Where'd they get the guts?!"
As a pirate, nothing was more satisfying than seeing Marines tremble before him. His vanity and pride swelled to bursting.
So good.
"As a little reward, I'll send all of you to the afterlife!"
A bloodthirsty glint flashed through Shiki's eyes.
He blasted into the air, heading straight for the Marine warship.
Wild golden hair whipped violently in the wind—like a crazed lion roaring in the sky.
He wanted to see it up close—their fear, their terror, their helpless expressions when faced with him.
—
At the same time—
Kong shot forward like a cannonball.
Air beneath his feet cracked with explosive force, white shockwaves rippling outward.
"Faster!"
"Faster!!"
"I have to stop that bastard Shiki!!!"
Panic coursed through him. Bloodshot eyes burned with desperation. His blood roared through his veins.
He pushed his body past its limits to unleash his maximum speed.
'I can't… I won't let Klein's subordinates die in front of me!!'
If that happened, how could he face Klein ever again?
If word got out—it would be a stain on his honor for life.
Wind screamed past his ears. Kong roared like a beast,
"Shiki! Attacking the weak—what kind of pirate are you?! Fight me instead!"
"I'll take you on!!"
"Jihahahaha—" Shiki's face twisted with frenzy and bloodlust. He mocked,
"Oi, I'm not a Marine. I'm a pirate, remember—?"
"When it comes to Marines, there's no reason to hold back. You're too late!"
"Kong, you just sit back and watch me massacre everyone on that warship. That's the price you pay for chasing Golden Lion Shiki!"
Whoosh!
Shiki surged with explosive speed, slicing through the air with a manic grin:
"Marines, feel pain!"
—
On the warship.
"Oh no!!! Shiki's closing in!!"
"Fire!!"
"Open fire!!!"
Bang bang bang—!!
A storm of bullets rained toward Shiki.
He moved slightly—his twin blades flashed, glinting brilliantly through the sky.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Black lead bullets were effortlessly sliced in half.
Skimming past him.
"Pointless."
"On this sea—the weak have no say. Running into me means today's your last."
A terrifying light flared in Shiki's eyes.
Before him, the faces of the Marines were crystal clear—panic, fear, desperation.
Nothing felt better than seeing your enemies quake before you.
"Lion: Thousand Cutter Valley!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
His blades tore through the air.
Gorgeous golden flying slashes blazed from a hundred meters out, ripping toward the warship.
"Shatter—" Shiki grinned cruelly, eyes locked on the beautiful scene of his slashes about to tear the Marine vessel apart.
—
"No—!"
Kong suddenly halted.
His eyes burned like wildfire—as if they could swallow Shiki whole.
Teeth clenched, voice low and seething:
"I'm going to kill you, you bastard…"
—
On the warship.
The lead Marine had turned completely pale with fear.
Hands trembling, he pulled a scroll from his chest—left to him by Klein before he left for Elbaf.
His voice shook,
"T-This… this must be what Klein-sama meant..."
"For critical moments!"