"Vice Admiral Gion! Come look at this!"
Far below the aerial battlefield where Jerry and the Golden Lion clashed, a startled cry rang out from a Marine warship cutting through the vast ocean.
This was the ship under Gion's command. After witnessing Jerry's crew ascend to the Sky Island via knock up stream that afternoon, they hadn't departed the area.
The Marines naturally possessed intelligence about Sky Island. Even if Gion had never personally visited such places, she understood their significance well enough.
Therefore, she'd decided to have the warship follow the knock up stream's trajectory and maintain surveillance. If the situation dragged on too long, she'd arrange shifts to keep watch.
Just after dinner, Isuka had been stretching on deck while persistently gazing upward at the sky.
Suddenly, she spotted two streaks of light rapidly weaving back and forth through the heavens, flashing continuously while accompanied by violent auras and heart-shaking roars.
Hearing Isuka's exclamation, Gion hurried out from the officers' mess and noticed that every Marine on deck was staring skyward in amazement.
Gion took a spyglass from a nearby sailor and peered up at the sky, observing the two fighting figures that alternated between blurry and crystal clear.
"That's 'Leviathan' Jerry, and the one fighting him is... Shiki the Golden Lion?!"
Gion quickly recognized both combatants engaged in their fierce aerial duel, her initial murmur escalating to a shocked exclamation.
"What?! Shiki the Golden Lion?!"
"That legendary pirate?"
When Isuka and the other Marines heard Gion's identification, they erupted in amazement.
Shiki the Golden Lion—a legendary pirate who'd stood equal to Pirate King Roger and "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate—was a name that carried enormous weight throughout the Marines.
As the first prisoner in history to escape from Impel Down after wreaking havoc at Marine Headquarters, the Golden Lion was undoubtedly featured as a prime villain in every Marine textbook.
However, after disappearing for nearly twenty years, younger sailors might not recognize him immediately.
Ignoring the Marines who stood dumbfounded upon hearing that infamous name, Gion was already using her Den Den Mushi to make an emergency call.
"Understood," Gion said, hanging up after reporting the situation directly to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Her orders were to observe and wait—not to intervene in the battle recklessly.
After all, the confrontation was taking place at high altitude, which wasn't exactly the Marines' area of expertise.
Additionally, headquarters remained unclear about what had caused the conflict between the Golden Lion and Jerry. Hasty intervention might prove counterproductive.
If the two pirates turned and joined forces against the Marine warship, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Following Gion's commands, the warship began moving outward cautiously to maintain a safe distance.
Then numerous sailors took their positions, looking up with shock and tension at the heart-pounding fierce battle raging overhead.
In the midst of their brutal exchange, a deafening explosion suddenly thundered across the sky.
After another devastating collision, both fighters lost their balance and were sent flying backward in opposite directions.
After stabilizing himself in midair, Jerry tore away the tattered remnants of his shirt, revealing solid muscle with sharp definition and smooth lines that seemed to contain endless power.
However, this impressive physique was now covered with shocking sword wounds—some fine as threads, others long and deep.
Jerry paid no attention to his injuries. After taking two deep breaths, he glanced at the equally battered Golden Lion floating opposite him. A provocative and confident smile spread across his lips.
"Shiki, every generation has its own heroes. You should have retired long ago. This era no longer belongs to you!"
"Hah... hah! Little brat, what do you understand?" The Golden Lion's face was bruised and his entire body ached, but he still laughed with undiminished spirit. "As long as I control the sky, I can dominate the seas! The World Government will tremble before me! Jahahaha!"
Seeing this display, Jerry clenched his fists and spoke with deadly seriousness:
"I respect you as a warrior, but there are many ways to rule the seas."
"You chose the path that shows complete disregard for human life. You tried to steal from me and even attempted to kill all my friends! Who exactly do you think you are?!"
As his words faded, Jerry stomped hard against the air itself. His Conqueror's Haki bloomed like a deadly flower while crackling black lightning wrapped around his fists.
The Golden Lion tensed slightly. He wasn't unfamiliar with facing opponents in this state.
"Come on then, brat! If you have what it takes, come and replace me as master of these seas!"
With that declaration, the Golden Lion poured every ounce of his remaining strength into the confrontation, releasing tremendous Haki to meet the challenge head-on.
"Water Dragon's Judgment!" Jerry roared, apparently understanding that all ultimate techniques required appropriate vocal accompaniment.
"Lion's Roar: Zantetsu!" the Golden Lion bellowed in response.
On the distant Marine warship, sailors looked up and witnessed both fighters become blurred in an instant.
Then a massive energy wave visible to the naked eye spread outward from where their attacks collided.
The surrounding wind and clouds churned violently, and even the knock up stream clouds above seemed affected by the battle's fluctuations. Countless vapor formations compressed and roiled continuously.
A deafening crash followed, and one figure stepped back slightly while remaining airborne. The other—a golden form—was sent flying backward at alarming speed, blood drawing crimson arcs through the air.
The Golden Lion's chest was soaked in blood, more gore pumping from his mouth as if driven by high pressure.
He knew in his heart that age would eventually claim him, that someday he would fall to younger, stronger opponents.
He only regretted not achieving his grand ambitions, not witnessing the moment when the World Government would surrender and tremble before his power.
Looking at the young figure that grew increasingly distant and blurred in his fading vision, the Golden Lion's gaze gradually dimmed as he finally closed his eyes.
"Cough! Damn... that bald lion was really something else."
Jerry stared at the rapidly falling Golden Lion, feeling a complex mixture of emotions.
He reflected that this Golden Lion—still proud and powerful despite his age, his heart remaining young—would probably decline rapidly over the next year or two due to factors like advancing age and that rudder embedded in his skull.
What Jerry had faced was the Golden Lion during the period before his strength began its final, complete deterioration.
Though Shiki was no longer as formidable as in his prime, his Haki remained dangerous and far from negligible.
Mulling over these thoughts, Jerry—disheveled and exhausted—began his return to Sky Island while pondering an odd question.
He couldn't understand why, after Shiki had cut off his legs, his hands remained perfectly functional for sword work, yet he'd chosen to mount his famous blades on his feet instead.
Wasn't that essentially abandoning his own advantages?
Could kicking with swords really be more effective than traditional swordsmanship?
Shaking his head, Jerry decided not to dwell on such irrelevant details.
A series of loud crashes echoed from far above. Jerry scratched his head and turned toward the source of the noise. A second later, he smacked his forehead and muttered:
"Oh right, those two famous swords of his... they're probably worth a fortune. I forgot to loot them."
He glanced at the Marine warship below, which was already heading toward the Golden Lion's crash site, and reluctantly abandoned the idea.
On the warship, the Marine soldiers who'd witnessed the explosive finale were utterly shocked.
"Shiki the Golden Lion... was actually defeated?"
"Incredible! That's a legendary pirate!"
"Can we really handle Leviathan Jerry..."
Listening to the discussions erupting around her, Gion's expression flickered briefly before returning to calm professionalism.
She surveyed the area, taking in the varied expressions on everyone's faces.
Then, gripping her sword, she tapped the deck lightly with its scabbard several times.
"Silence! This isn't the time to marvel at pirate strength. Shiki the Golden Lion has fallen into the sea. Change course immediately—we need to capture him and determine whether he's dead or alive."
Upon hearing the order, the well-trained Marines immediately suppressed their confusion, straightened their postures, faced their commanding officer, and responded in perfect unison:
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"