"How can you do this?!"
Shiki rose slowly from his throne, his golden eyes gleaming with interest as he gazed toward the destruction outside.
Carl had annihilated an entire island's worth of creatures and pirates with an overwhelming show of force, yet the legendary pirate did not seem afraid in the slightest.
He was the Golden Lion—Shiki, Admiral of the Flying Pirates!
A man who had once stood toe-to-toe with Roger, Whitebeard, and Garp.
If not for that cursed storm interfering in his battle against Roger, the history of this era might have taken an entirely different path.
There was nothing in this world that could instill fear in him anymore—save for the very peak of the Four Emperors or the Navy Admirals.
Some lone upstart, no matter how strong, was hardly enough to make him waver.
Outside, Carl had already descended to the top of the main island, looking down at the palace below. He exhaled sharply, rolling his neck as he raised his right hand.
The thin blades composing his wings detached and gathered in his palm, reforming into a long sword.
Jet-black lightning surged, wrapping around his arm and the blade.
"Cut!"
A massive, dark slash tore through the sky, surging downward toward the palace with terrifying force.
But just as it neared its mark, a golden slash of equal size shot upward from within the palace!
The two slashes collided, unleashing a shockwave that cracked the surrounding landscape before dissipating into the air.
"Boy! State your name!"
A golden figure erupted from the ruined palace.
An oppressive wave of Conqueror's Haki surged out with his arrival, making the very air feel heavier.
Carl's Haki warned him—this was an opponent who could not be underestimated.
"I am Golden Lion Shiki!" The legendary pirate hovered in the air, the twin blades 'Oto' and 'Kogarashi' gleaming as his rudder-embedded head turned toward Carl. "To challenge me here, you've got guts!"
Carl's crimson eyes met Shiki's gaze. His voice was calm but laced with contempt.
"The remnants of the old era should stay in the past. Do you even deserve to be called the 'Golden Lion' in your current state?"
Shiki's figure was as infamous as his name—his legs severed, replaced by his own swords, his golden mane now wild and unkempt, and a rudder permanently lodged in his head, a reminder of his defeat at the hands of Garp and Sengoku.
A far cry from the proud lion that once challenged the Pirate King.
"Jihahahaha!" Shiki let out his signature laugh. "Seems I've been away too long—kids these days don't know the might of the Golden Lion!"
He sneered.
"You don't think wiping out some trash mobs makes you my equal, do you?"
His eyes sharpened.
"Boy, looks like I need to teach you a lesson in power!"
Carl's pupils shrank. He's coming!
Shiki vanished in an instant, his right leg-sword slashing toward Carl's skull.
Fast! But within his Kenbunshoku's grasp.
Carl swung Senbonzakura upward, blocking the strike.
Shiki's grin widened, and with a flick of his other leg, he unleashed a second attack.
Black lightning crackled violently.
Carl extended his free hand—catching the incoming blade with his bare fingers!
"…Oh?" Shiki's eyes narrowed, then suddenly widened in realization.
"I see. Your Armament Haki… has reached that level."
Then, his lips curled into a grin.
"Good! This will be interesting!"
He forced power into his trapped blade, and sparks erupted where the two swords met.
Then, in a flash, Shiki kicked off, retreating midair before accelerating toward Carl once more!
Unlike normal combatants, he moved as if gravity did not exist—his body twisting and turning unpredictably through the sky.
His twin swords slashed at bizarre angles, attacking from directions impossible for ordinary warriors.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Carl matched him blow for blow, sparks flying with each exchange.
"Old man," Carl's voice remained calm, but his eyes flashed with cold light.
"I already told you—relics of the past should stay buried."
"Killing Intent."
A wave of suffocating bloodlust exploded outward.
For a brief moment, Shiki's Conqueror's Haki flared in response, but the sheer density of Carl's malice pressed against him like a tangible force.
It was as if a monstrous, blood-soaked beast was baring its fangs at him from all sides.
"Jihahahaha!" Shiki roared with laughter. "What a terrifying aura! But do you think something like this will work on me?"
And yet—his body stiffened.
His movements slowed—if only for a fraction of a second.
But it was more than enough.
Carl had already moved behind him.
A fist wrapped in jet-black Haki drove into Shiki's back!
"Die."
A muffled boom!
"Pfft—!"
Shiki coughed up blood, his expression twisting in pain.
Yet, gritting his teeth, he broke free from the aura's suppression and retaliated!
"Slash Wave!"
A golden, crescent-shaped energy blade erupted from his sword-leg.
Carl's grip on Senbonzakura tightened.
A blackened slash shot forth to meet Shiki's attack head-on.
BOOM!
The two slashes clashed violently, obliterating everything in their path before canceling each other out.
In the aftermath, Shiki had retreated once again, floating at a distance.
"Cough… cough…"
Blood dripped from his lips, but his eyes remained sharp, his smile undiminished.
"Boy… I acknowledge your strength."
His voice carried an unexpected weight.
"A man like you… should not be a Marine."
Shiki's gaze was piercing.
"Join me. After I pass, the next Admiral of the Flying Pirates could be you!"
If one looked closely, a distinct fist-shaped imprint could be seen on Shiki's back—dark lightning still flickering where Carl had struck.
Even among the top fighters of the world, few could land such a devastating blow on him.
Carl flexed his fingers, his crimson gaze unwavering.
"Old man, do you even hear yourself?"
"People who have already lost their way should just go back to their graves."
Why did he join the Marines?
Because he was sick of the endless hordes of pirates rampaging across the world.
Did this old fool seriously expect him to betray everything and throw himself into the fray as just another bandit?
Even if he was going to be a pirate, he sure as hell wouldn't be some washed-up relic's lackey.
If he wanted to be a pirate, he'd create his own damn crew and stand at the top himself.
Not bow his head to someone who belonged to an era long past.
"Jihahahaha!" Shiki's laughter carried a hint of disappointment.
"A shame. A man like you could have ruled the sea."
But then—his body trembled.
That earlier strike was still affecting him.
A true internal-damage Haki strike…
Not just external reinforcement, but something that shattered defenses from within.
Few in this world could wield it so effectively.
Carl's smirk widened slightly.
"Why are you relics of the past always so damn overconfident?"
He raised his hand.
Hundreds of thin blades detached from his wings and hovered around him.
"Scene Three: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
The sky darkened.
A storm of pink petals surged forth.
Shiki's pupils shrank.
This move is bad news…!
"Lion: Thousand Slice Valley!"
Massive golden slashes erupted from his leg-blades.
The sky ignited as Senbonzakura's petals met the legendary pirate's attack in a whirlwind of destruction.
In the distance, Shiki's figure shot away—evading rather than engaging.
"…Hmph."
Carl exhaled.
"Seems like your instincts haven't dulled yet."