In response to the ferocious shout from Shiki, Giotto remained unfazed, completely focused on condensing the blazing sword in his hand, making its edge even sharper.
During the war with Whitebeard Pirates in Wano Country, Giotto had used this very same attack to engulf Whitebeard in flames, sealing the conclusion of that epic battle. However, at that time, Whitebeard was already severely weakened, and Shiki was not. He firmly gripped Oto and Kogarashi in his hands, and his power had truly reached its peak.
At this moment, Shiki glared at Giotto as he imbued his two swords with Color of Arms Haki. The true swordsman inside of him was now unleashed to its fullest.
He could sense the immense power of Giotto's impending attack, so he didn't dare to hold back. He might have aged, but he wasn't about to be surpassed by someone so easily, right? As he had stated, he was Shiki, and that alone spoke volume of his immense strength.
"Lion Menace: Earth Coiling!"
Big Mom's expression suddenly changed. She knew Shiki quite well, having been a fellow crew of Rocks Pirates once. She knew the true extent of his strength. What she didn't expect was that Shiki would be pushed to this extent by Vongola Primo after only a short period of battle.
Lion Menace: Earth Coiling was the true signature move of Shiki's Two-Sword Style. Unlike common sword techniques like Slashing Wave and Lion: Thousand Slice Valley, this move was incredibly powerful. The aura Shiki gave off when he used this move was akin to the roar of a lion king, making all beasts submit.
In the past, both during his time as Rocks Pirates' crew and he became of the Three Great Pirates, Shiki had used this move to defeat countless well-known pirates who were on par with Whitebeard and Roger.
However, since Roger's execution, this technique had never been seen. After all, such a powerful sword technique couldn't be used effectively when he used his swords with his feet.
"Meet your creator, Vongola brat!"
Following a loud shout, Shiki's momentum reached its peak. He grinned as he crossing his two swords in front of him before viciously slashing forward.
As he swung his swords, an incredibly massive lion head-shaped compressed air blade was dished out. The lion's head had sharp fangs that seemed capable of crushing anything, radiating a bone-chilling aura.
"Flame Commandment: Annihilation Bough!"
At the same moment Shiki unleashed his strike, Giotto's eyes flashed with a cold light. He swung his blazing sword as well, and a torrent of flames erupted, spreading like wildfire. It seemed as though it would incinerate everything in its path. This blazing attack was aimed directly at the lion head-shaped compressed air blade.
Countless eyes were fixed on these two attacks. Both were astonishing in their own right, and neither side was holding back. Within a second, their ferocious attacks collided, resulting in a deafening explosion that reverberated through the sky.
The razor-sharp compressed air blade and the scorching flames clashed, sending visible shockwaves in all directions. Fortunately, they were fighting in the sky without anyone else around as weaker individuals would have been killed by the shockwaves of their clash alone.
Both the compressed air blade and the scorching flame tried to overwhelm each other with no sign of backing off.
Unexpectedly, cracks began to appear on Giotto's Annihilation Bough due to the impact of the intense compressed air blade. This turn of event made Aria, Robin, and the others' expressions changed. Could it be that Vongola Primo's Flame-Flame Fruit ability was unable to withstand Shiki's strike?
"Ma Ma Ma Ma! Shiki's attack is a perfect fusion of swordsmanship and Haki, while Vongola Primo's attack relies solely on his Devil Fruit ability. He's too arrogant. Had he used X-Burner, he could have easily blocked Shiki's attack. But now..."
Big Mom couldn't help but laugh. After all, Shiki was currently gaining the upper hand in the battle against Vongola Primo. If he could truly defeat Giotto, then they had already won half the battle.
However, just as Big Mom finished speaking, a burst of blinding light erupted from the cracks on the Annihilation Bough. Immediately afterward, it... exploded!
"Boom!"
Layers of flames and intense heat waves spread through the sky. The explosion had turned that portion of space into a concentration of flames, devouring everything and reducing it to ashes. Even Shiki's compressed air blade couldn't escape the impact.
The Annihilation Bough was originally formed from the infinite condensation of flames, and after battling Whitebeard, Giotto had improved this technique. When the Annihilation Bough exploded, the compressed flames within it would truly reveal its true horror. The impact would be more intense after the explosion, destroying everything within its area of effect, truly living up to its name...
Annihilation!
Seeing this scene unfold before them, Shiki had to admit that Giotto was a true genius!
In his opinion, if Vongola Primo had only relied on his Dying Will Flame, he could be considered to have unusual power, but that was all. But now, it was clear that Vongola Primo was not just an ordinary individual. His ability to hone Flame-Flame Fruit to such a terrifying level demonstrated his exceptional talent.
Of course, the system had upgraded his Devil Fruit ability, but those techniques were created by Giotto himself. While the Devil Fruit had provided him with the potential, it was Giotto's years of training that had allowed him to fully unleash its power.
Just as Shiki marveled at Vongola Primo's abilities, a strong gust of wind brewed, and Giotto appeared in front of him, striking him down relentlessly with devastating punches!