"It's Shiki the Golden Lion!"
"The legendary pirate on par with Oyaji!"
"Damn it! Why is he here?!"
"All hands, prepare for battle!"
...
The sea raged with violent winds and towering waves, and the Moby Dick rocked fiercely in the storm.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates stared in horror at the figure plummeting from the sky. Their eyes were filled with dread and tension as they gripped their swords, bracing for a fight.
Even the newest recruits had heard more than once about Shiki's terrifying reputation. The man was volatile, ruthless, and cruel—a savage pirate, the complete opposite of their Oyaji.
Feeling the oppressive pressure bearing down, Marco's heart pounded and his expression tensed.
Shiki, at this moment, showed no hint of despair over the total destruction of his massive fleet. Instead, his overwhelming and untamed aura was even more intense than when they'd last seen him on Coin Island.
"This is bad—Oden?!"
Marco's face changed abruptly, but before he could move, he heard quick footsteps behind him.
"Oden?!"
"What are you doing?!"
...
Everyone gasped as they turned and saw a one-armed figure in samurai garb leap from the deck.
"Wahahaha!! What incredible sword aura! Let me see your strength!"
All traces of Kozuki Oden's drunkenness vanished, his eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit. The wind whipped his loose kimono wildly as he looked up at Shiki descending from the sky.
The gloom in his heart was gone.
He had left Wano to circle the globe, to witness all the wonders and beauty the world had to offer. And aboard this ship, Whitebeard had taken him in, shown him warmth he'd never known.
He wouldn't let anyone defy Whitebeard's authority!
Oden launched into the air, body low and angled forward, one hand gripping the hilt of Ame no Habakiri as he assumed a drawing stance.
Swish!
Flowing Haki danced around him like delicate cherry blossoms, spreading from his arm to the entire length of his blade.
Then—his head snapped up.
With a fierce motion, Kozuki Oden drew his sword toward the airborne lion barreling down on him!
The storm-darkened sky suddenly lit up, as if day had broken in an instant.
A brilliant flash of blade light burst forth.
The sword led, the warrior followed.
It was as if the famed Meito itself dragged Oden forward, soaring upward like a meteor at a speed too fast for the eye to catch.
"Tōgen Totsuka!"
"Jihahahaha! Brat, you've got a death wish!"
Faced with such a dazzling strike, Shiki's savage eyes narrowed. He let out a wild, maniacal laugh.
Zzzzt zzzzt...
Crackling black-red lightning exploded from his twin Meito, Oto and Kogarashi, like fireworks. The sheer force tore through the surrounding space, painting a hellish scene.
"Outta my way!"
Like he was wielding raw storms in both hands, Shiki's bloodshot eyes flared as he slashed downward!
BOOM!!
In the blink of an eye, the two clashed—like a meteor striking the earth!
A dense, twisted sphere of black-red energy compressed at the point where the three swords were about to meet.
Kozuki Oden's pupils shrank to needlepoints.
There was no impact!
This was... Whitebeard's ability!
Before he could react, Shiki let out a crazed laugh and brought his blades down with full force!
A massive blast of black-red lightning slammed into Oden's chest. Blood sprayed through the air as his body shot back like a broken kite, crashing into the Moby Dick and smashing a hole in the deck.
Cries of alarm rang out from the crew.
With Oden heavily wounded in a single strike, Shiki didn't slow down—he launched straight toward Whitebeard.
Whitebeard frowned, gripping his enormous naginata. As he stepped forward, he swung it upward with crushing force!
Another black-red lightning storm burst forth, crackling densely around the blade of his weapon.
Blades and naginata clashed midair!
BOOM!!
A boiling mass of black-red energy erupted again, twisting and colliding violently between their weapons...
Lightning and hellish winds exploded outward, engulfing the two combatants. Roaring shockwaves flattened everything in their path, and for kilometers around, the sea erupted into chaos—titanic waves towering hundreds of meters crashed in all directions.
The cloud-filled sky split apart. The Moby Dick's deck groaned, webbed with cracks under the pressure.
Many crew members were thrown into the air, clinging desperately to masts and railings to avoid being swept into the ocean.
Marco and the division commanders shielded their eyes with one arm, staring in awe at the two monstrous figures locked in battle.
"Oyaji... he's going all out!"
"There's actually someone on this sea who can go toe-to-toe with Oyaji..."
"This is insane... it's like the end of the world."
...
Right now, Whitebeard and Shiki stood across from each other, golden hair whipping wildly in the wind, red glints flashing in their eyes. The sheer force of their presence surged to its peak.
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar that seemed to tear the world apart, a massive shockwave blasted skyward, ripping a jagged rift through the thick sea of clouds.
The sky split open.
Both men stepped back simultaneously, and the chaos seemed to settle.
The tsunami that had been suspended in the air crashed back down, sending up towering plumes of spray.
"Jihahahaha! Newgate, it's been a long time."
Shiki laughed as he sheathed his twin swords, casually grabbing a bottle of liquor from a nearby crate on the deck. He popped it open and took a hearty swig.
Glancing at the samurai climbing out from the wrecked deck, he grinned.
"Your sworn brother's got some serious fight in him."
His eyes landed on Kozuki Oden—chest bloodied, but eyes burning with fire.
"Hey, samurai. You're a two-sword-style user, right? That move earlier... was missing something."
Kozuki Oden gave a pale smile.
"It's just an arm. Won't be long before I adjust... and when I do, I'll be even stronger than before."
As he stared at the proud lion before him, there wasn't a trace of defeat on his face—only eager anticipation.
He's strong.
Unbelievably strong.
And unlike Whitebeard, Shiki fought like he once had—with twin blades and overwhelming ferocity.
In fact, Oden had a feeling that Shiki the Golden Lion... might just be the strongest swordsman of this entire era.
Fighting a madman like this had awakened something in him. His understanding of swordsmanship had been shattered and rebuilt on the spot.
His grip tightened on the hilt of Ame no Habakiri, confidence shining in his eyes.
With this battle under his belt, he was certain—he'd reach the top again soon.
No—he'd surpass it.
"I'll be waiting," Shiki said casually, then turned to Whitebeard, whose face was still dark.
He grabbed another bottle of booze and tossed it over.
"What's wrong, Newgate? After all these years, this is how you greet an old friend?"
He squinted teasingly.
"Not even gonna share a drink with me?"
"Come on, we were crewmates once."
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, stabbed his naginata into the deck, and popped the cork. He downed the entire bottle in a single breath.
Less than five seconds later, it was empty.
With a loud smash, he crushed the bottle and sat back in his seat, voice cold.
"That's one bottle. Now get to the point, Shiki. Say what you came to say, before I decide to throw you back into the sea."
"Jihahaha, so cold…"
Shiki grinned wickedly.
"This time... I'm here to talk."
He licked his cracked lips, a wild, violent glint flaring in his eyes.
"To talk about... a certain interesting Marine brat."
He cast a mocking glance at the one-armed samurai.
"Come to think of it, he and your Whitebeard Pirates... have quite a bit of bad blood between them, don't they?"