Incident
Sea Circle Calendar 1491
The port of the Heberfeller family.
Suddenly, the sky darkened as an enormous shadow loomed overhead, blocking the sunlight.
Charlotte instinctively looked up—his pupils contracted sharply.
The confused onlookers followed his gaze. A massive pirate ship was floating in the sky, slowly descending toward them.
"Why is there a ship flying in the sky?" Beta shouted in astonishment, eyes wide with excitement. He had never witnessed such an incredible sight before.
Ivan and Lina, standing nearby, wore solemn expressions. Unlike Beta, who only cared about fighting, they immediately recognized the gravity of the situation.
"A flying pirate ship… It can only be Golden Lion Shiki," Ivan muttered grimly. "A bounty of 2.138 billion Berries… One of the most feared pirates in history."
Beta froze at the name. Even he had heard of Golden Lion Shiki—a pirate whose notoriety rivaled that of Gol D. Roger, the captain of the Roger Pirates, and Edward Newgate, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
At this time, Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom) and Kaido had yet to reach their full strength, making them slightly inferior in standing. But Golden Lion Shiki was already at his peak, boasting the highest bounty besides Roger and Whitebeard.
His Float-Float Fruit (Fuwa Fuwa no Mi) made him an even greater threat—a pirate capable of defying gravity itself.
Charlotte's expression turned grim. Danger hadn't come from the sea—it had come from the sky.
Then, a black speck in the sky rapidly grew larger. Or rather, it floated downward at an alarming speed.
Golden Lion Shiki's flagship was descending.
A moment later, Golden Lion Shiki himself stepped off the ship, levitating effortlessly in the air.
His golden hair cascaded down like a lion's mane, and his matching beard gave him an imposing presence. He wore a traditional Japanese-style robe with orange and yellow stripes, and at his waist hung his famed twin swords, "Oto" and "Kogarashi."
At this point in time, there was no rudder embedded in his head, nor had he suffered the humiliating loss at the Battle of Edd War against Roger.
Charlotte's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. He was facing a legend at his peak.
Shiki grinned wildly, a cigar clenched between his teeth.
"Oi… You look like a decent swordsman," he said, his voice carrying a sharp edge of amusement. "Let's see how good you really are!"
Without warning, Shiki swung his sword through the air.
A golden slash, spanning dozens of meters, tore through the sky, heading straight for Charlotte.
Charlotte's brows furrowed. Pirates. Always so unreasonable.
Worse still, Shiki clearly didn't care about the civilians below.
Without hesitation, Charlotte countered with his own flying slash.
There was no point in holding back now. The enemy had come knocking—if he didn't display his full strength, he'd be killed without question.
The two airborne sword strikes clashed above the port.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted as the colliding forces sent shockwaves rippling through the sky.
The impact shook the entire harbor, and the startled crowd gasped in disbelief.
"This… This is Boss Charlotte's power?!" someone stammered.
"He actually stopped Golden Lion Shiki's attack…"
The crew of the Flying Pirates were equally shocked. They knew better than anyone just how frighteningly strong their captain was.
But instead of anger, Shiki laughed heartily.
"Jihahahaha! Not bad, kid! You handled that without breaking a sweat!"
His voice carried a mocking tone, but his eyes gleamed with genuine interest.
Everyone around paled at his words. That was a casual attack?
Charlotte's face remained dark. He could tell—Shiki wasn't taking him seriously.
The Golden Lion grinned wider.
"Jihahaha! You've got some skill, brat," he admitted. "Let's test you a little more…"
"Chopping Wave!"
Shiki swung his swords once more.
A massive, golden crescent slash shot forward, slicing through the air with terrifying force. The sheer pressure alone was enough to make weaker warriors collapse.
Charlotte's pupils shrank. He clenched his teeth.
"This guy's pushing too far…!"
His left foot slammed back, shifting his stance.
His sword, Shiyu, hummed ominously as he drew it.
"One-Sword Style… Sun Slash: Fire Dance!"
With a swift motion, Charlotte's blade traced a blazing half-moon arc.
A fiery-red slash erupted forth like a dragon of flames, surging into the sky to meet Shiki's attack.
BOOM!
A second, even more powerful explosion tore through the air.
Winds howled violently as the force swept through the port. The weaker crew members were nearly blown off their feet, and even the docked ships tilted dangerously.
But when the dust settled—
Charlotte had blocked it again.
However, his expression remained heavy.
He knew the truth.
Despite this clash, there was still a massive gap between him and Shiki.
This was Golden Lion Shiki at his peak.
And Charlotte was still too young—his strength had yet to reach its full potential.
Shiki, however, looked intrigued.
"Jihahaha! You're not half bad, kid," he admitted.
Few swordsmen of this generation had that kind of power.
As his massive ship finally touched down in the harbor, Shiki landed lightly on the ground.
Charlotte exhaled slowly. Devil Fruit users like Shiki were troublesome.
The Float-Float Fruit was practically a god-tier ability.
As long as he stayed in the sky, who could even touch him?
Some people were just born lucky—they stood at the finish line while others still had to fight for survival.
Suppressing his irritation, Charlotte fixed his gaze on Shiki.
"The infamous Golden Lion Shiki of the Flying Pirates…" he said warily. "What business do you have here?"
Shiki smirked.
"Jihahaha! You don't sound too happy to see me," he teased.
He didn't care about Charlotte's cautious tone in the slightest.
Power was all that mattered.
Even now, despite his playful demeanor, Charlotte remained on edge. Shiki was dangerous.
Beta, Lina, Ivan, and the others also stood ready—fully aware that they were facing one of the strongest pirates alive.
And in the world of One Piece, encounters with monsters like Golden Lion Shiki were never simple.