The massive sword wings dissolved, and countless thin blades reassembled around Carl. Final Scene was a formidable technique, but it consumed significant stamina. Even with Carl's monstrous endurance, wasting energy was unwise.
"A beast like that giant wolf from Cecilford Island…" His eyes narrowed.
His Kenbunshoku Haki picked up multiple powerful, primal auras closing in fast.
"ROAR!"
A black-iron-clawed bear, a scarred tiger, an armored monitor lizard, and a silver-furred giant wolf—all apex predators—charged toward Carl. Their immense speed compressed the air, creating shockwaves that sent dust and leaves flying.
"Heh." Carl exhaled, and a suffocating, bloodlust-infused Haki exploded from him—Haoshoku Haki!
The charging beasts froze mid-stride! Their enormous bodies skidded, claws carving trenches in the ground.
"Woooooo—"
A shuddering whimper escaped their throats. In their eyes, Carl was no longer human but a blood-drenched demon.
This ability had developed naturally. Two and a half years at sea, cutting down pirate crews guilty of arson, murder, and human trafficking, had refined his killing intent to the point of near-materialization. It was an advanced form of Kenbunshoku Haki, similar to the way Katakuri and Shanks used their Haki to dominate weaker beings.
The beasts, however, were no ordinary creatures. Their bloodlust overpowered their fear.
"ROAR!"
The black-iron-clawed bear lunged, swinging a massive paw.
"Troublesome."
Carl vanished—Soru!—and reappeared behind the beast.
BANG!
His fist smashed into the back of the bear's skull. A sickening crack echoed as bones caved in, and the beast collapsed lifelessly into the dirt.
"These creatures are irrational." Carl's gaze darkened.
If these beasts reached East Blue, it wouldn't be a joke.
"Then here, I will wipe you all out."
Jijing: Senbonzakura Yanjing!
The countless thin blades in the sky shifted, morphing into floating long swords.
This was a move he had saved during his battle against Dracule Mihawk—one of the Three Great Techniques of Senbonzakura Bankai.
Each sword could be controlled at will—a thousand blades that obeyed his every thought.
The surviving beasts, having broken free from their paralysis, hesitated at the impossible sight before them.
Carl took a deep breath and swung his hand lightly.
"Slash."
SHING! SHING! SHING!
The long swords blurred as they descended.
The beasts attempted to evade, but Carl had sealed every escape route.
Seconds later, only mutilated carcasses remained.
Carl exhaled and dispersed the swords, returning them to floating petal-like blades.
His gaze turned toward the center island, where a grand palace stood. His eyes flickered red.
A powerful presence—Golden Lion Shiki.
His aura was still domineering, exuding a monstrous will.
"But… why hasn't he come out?" Carl frowned. The chaos he caused wasn't minor.
Would someone like Shiki, a man who once challenged Roger and Whitebeard, really ignore such an invasion?
"Has his Kenbunshoku Haki dulled this much?"
Meanwhile, Inside the Central Palace
Seated on a golden throne, a man with flowing golden hair and a rudder embedded in his skull tapped his fingers lazily.
"Puba! Puba!"—his wooden prosthetic legs clacked against the floor.
A bespectacled man in a lab coat—Dr. Indigo—hurried into the chamber.
"Boss Shiki, we've been invaded!"
"I know."
The legendary Golden Lion Shiki didn't even flinch.
A grin split his face as he lazily waved a hand.
"This is the perfect time to test the S·I·Q formula."
The S·I·Q drug—the key to artificially evolving beasts—had been Shiki's most ambitious project for over a decade.
"To fly this high… This guy isn't weak." Shiki smirked. "Let's see how my enhanced monsters fare against him."
"Kalkalkal!" Indigo cackled. "You're right, Boss! Let's make this fool experience the full power of S·I·Q!"
Shiki laughed, stretching.
"Let's just hope he doesn't die too quickly. That'd be boring."
For over two decades, he had been waiting. His hands itched for battle.
"If he survives, I'll reward him… and then I'll show him the true power of the Golden Lion!"
Back Outside
Carl remained unaware of the conversation in the palace, but one thing was clear.
Shiki had no intention of coming out.
"Interesting."
Carl sneered.
Either the old lion was arrogant, or his Kenbunshoku Haki had really dulled to this extent.
Regardless, Carl had made up his mind.
He was going to drag Shiki out himself.
"Then let's start with the rest of you."
Carl's gaze swept across the scattered islands.
Pirates.
Beasts.
It didn't matter.
All of them were prey.
Final Scene: Senbonzakura Yanjing!
The massive sword wings reformed behind Carl as he soared skyward.
"Die."
A bitter cold radiated outward.
Water molecules in the air froze, forming an ocean of ice blades—a number that dwarfed his Bankai's normal state.
This was Senbonzakura's most devastating attack!
SWOOSH!
Blades of frozen death rained down, each carrying the cutting power of his Haki-infused swordsmanship.
SPLURT! SPLURT! SPLURT!
Not only did the ice blades pierce their targets, but some even cleaved through entire islands!
Though the blades were frozen, they carried the same force as Senbonzakura's slashes—making this technique comparable to Akainu's Meteor Volcano!
BOOM! BOOM!
Rubble and shredded corpses plummeted from the sky.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
"NO! IMPOSSIBLE! THIS IS BOSS SHIKI'S TERRITORY!"
"WE'RE 10,000 METERS HIGH! HOW CAN THERE BE AN ENEMY ATTACK?!"
The remaining pirates—the strongest ones—managed to survive.
Barely.
The gap between them and Carl was too great.
For them, blocking even a fraction of his onslaught was their limit.
But the beasts were not so lucky.
None survived.
"Heh." Carl smirked.
It was much quieter now.
Before, his Kenbunshoku Haki detected countless chaotic presences, each radiating malice—like standing in a sewer of killing intent.
Now?
99% of them were gone.
The island group had been cleansed.
Inside the Palace
Shiki's pupils shrank.
"They disappeared?!"
His Kenbunshoku Haki registered mass death.
A massive portion of life forces had just… vanished.