The arrival of the Golden Lion, Shiki, completely blindsided Saint Galin. This unexpected turn of events spelled serious trouble.
Kaido of the Beasts and Charlotte Linlin, "Big Mom," had been expected. The Navy had already dispatched two Admirals and an elite group of Vice Admirals to prepare for their possible appearance.
But no one imagined that Shiki—the crippled lion who had vanished for nearly twenty years—would suddenly reemerge in the South Seas.
For decades, Sengoku the Buddha had prepared countermeasures against the possibility of Shiki's return, stationing heavy forces to protect Marineford, the Sabaody Archipelago, and the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Even legends like Garp and Kizaru were kept at headquarters, ready to defend against any surprise attack.
Of course, Garp himself, the Iron Fist of the D. Clan, had no desire to protect the Celestial Dragons. With the Sorbet Kingdom incident devolving into a massacre of civilians, he would not dirty his hands in such atrocities. He still carried the shadow of God Valley deep in his heart, unwilling to relive such tragedy. That, too, was why he had refused promotion to Admiral—he would not be a dog on the Celestial Dragons' leash.
But now Sengoku and Tsuru had miscalculated gravely. Shiki the Golden Lion had indeed returned. He ignored Souta Kiryuu's shouts and showed no interest in Marine Headquarters. Instead, he flew straight into the chaos engulfing the Sorbet Kingdom.
That single decision threatened to upset the balance. The Knights of God could now face overwhelming shortages in battle power.
···
The collision of Conqueror's Haki from Galin, Kaido, and Big Mom rippled across the battlefield, knocking countless marines, pirates, and civilians unconscious.
Shiki, however, wore a grim expression. The ship's rudder embedded in his skull prevented him from recklessly unleashing his full Conqueror's Haki. If he pushed too hard, the jagged wood might pierce deeper into his brain and kill him instantly.
"Ma ma ma ma! Shiki! You've really gone downhill since we last met!"
Big Mom let out a mocking laugh at Shiki's withered state. She remembered well the days of the Rocks Pirates, when Whitebeard Newgate and Shiki both stood above her, stronger than she could hope to be.
Even now, Whitebeard remained mighty, the most feared of the Yonko. But Shiki—crippled and broken—had hidden away for nearly twenty years. Most had assumed the old lion was long dead.
"Hmph! You sow-breeding fat sow! One more word, and I'll send a new island crashing into Totto Land every single day!"
Shiki's voice was cold, his threat sharper than steel. Even weakened, he was not someone former underlings could mock.
And yet, Big Mom's taunts only hardened his resolve. The Pluton blueprints would be his. With an Ancient Weapon in hand, Admirals, Yonko—none of them would matter. He would blow them all away with a single strike.
"Tch… hmph."
Big Mom narrowed her eyes. She would not openly provoke the man who held dominion over the skies. Her goal was the same as his—the Pluton designs, and the mythical Pure Gold said to grant eternal life.
"Old hag, old lion—let's start a war to shake the world itself! What Rocks failed to do, I'll finish! Today, I'll butcher these Celestial Dragons!"
Kaido roared with madness, charging straight at Saint Galin, the strongest of the Knights of God. For once, he was pleased—Souta Kiryuu had crafted a battlefield worthy of legends.
At his side, King the Wildfire soared down, flames trailing behind him as he targeted the Knights on the ground. His hatred was personal. His Lunarian race had been slaughtered by the Celestial Dragons, and he himself had been tortured in their labs for years. Murderous fury blazed in his eyes as he launched himself at a masked Knight.
"Quick! Protect the Celestial Dragons!!"
A CP0 agent screamed orders, urging Akainu and Aokiji to shield their masters. The chaos was spiraling beyond control, leaving the CP agents shaken.
"Ma ma ma ma!!"
Big Mom's gaze flashed coldly. She had no interest in clashing with Admirals or the Knights of God. She headed directly for Sorbet's interior, searching for the hidden blueprints.
Back at God Valley, she had done the same—charging headlong for the Celestial Dragons' prizes. There she had seized the Azure Dragon Zoan, and nearly stolen the Paw-Paw Fruit from Bartholomew Kuma. If not for the sudden appearance of Elder Saturn and Kuma's quick reflexes, she might have taken them both.
···
On the deck of the Ark Maxim, Souta Kiryuu laughed aloud as Manjushri's healing restored his strength and stamina.
"Better than I expected!! We even flushed Shiki out of hiding!"
His eyes gleamed when he spotted King. The Lunarian's genetic lineage factor was far more valuable to him than Fujitora's. If given the chance, he would carve samples from King's flesh himself.
With Kaido engaging Galin, Souta shifted his focus to other targets.
"That masked one—what Zoan is that? A phantom beast?"
His gaze locked on the bone-faced, goat-headed demon locked in battle with Karasu. Souta's lips curled into a hungry smile. Hunting down Mythical Zoans was a law within his crew.
Meanwhile, Dorag quickly reassessed the battlefield. With two Yonko and a legendary pirate now involved, he ordered his army to tighten ranks and carve off a section of the battlefield. Let the monsters clash with the Knights—better them than the revolutionaries.
Scanning the chaos, Dorag's eyes narrowed on his chosen opponent. His aim was clear—protect his army, while striking where it mattered most.
"Kuzan. Still lost in your doubts, aren't you?"
Dorag's smirk was sharp as he dissolved into a howling gale, streaking straight toward Admiral Aokiji. He would hold the man himself, leaving Shiki and Big Mom free to rampage through the island and clash with the Knights.
"Jiehahaha! The Revolutionary Army?"
Shiki sneered, spotting Dorag clash with the newly-recovered Aokiji. That suited him just fine. He ignored the Admiral entirely, steering his lion-headed island ship straight toward Sorbet's heart. His goal was the Pluton designs—nothing else mattered.
Akainu, however, had been preparing to target Souta. But a CP0 agent rushed to him, barking an order to assist Galin in defeating Kaido first.
The Admiral's eyes flared with magma and smoke. The arrogance of being ordered by a mere agent infuriated him. His glare alone drove the CP0 back in terror. But in the end, Akainu was still a soldier. With a snarl, he turned and launched himself toward Kaido, determined to bring down the so-called "strongest creature alive."
···
On the island, a CP5 agent stumbled across a yellowed parchment, a possible fragment of the Pluton blueprints. Ecstatic, he raced toward CP0, eager to deliver the prize.
But before he could take another step, a massive sand blade erupted from the earth, cleaving him in two.
His eyes bulged with terror as a sandstorm swept over him. The parchment vanished into the whirlwind, and his bisected body shriveled into a dry husk.
Crocodile had entered the game.
...
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