As William faced Shiki, the intense aura radiating from both of them promised a battle of legend. The removal of the steering wheel lodged in Shiki's head left the Golden Lion revitalized, bringing him nearly back to the peak of his power. Now, with a fierce gleam in his eye and an imposing stance, Shiki prepared to unleash his full strength, the power and experience of an era etched into every move he made.
William smirked, feeling a familiar surge of excitement. He clenched his fists, letting his Haki radiate outward, filling the battlefield with his unyielding Conqueror's Haki.
"Old lion," William said, grinning, "this is what I've been waiting for. Show me everything you've got!"
Shiki's fierce laugh echoed around them. "You're as bold as you are strong, kid. But you have no idea who you're up against!"
With a swift movement, Shiki summoned massive waves of water from the island's nearby lake, shaping them into monstrous, roaring lion heads. Each lion surged forward, maw open wide, as if ready to devour William whole. Shiki's mastery over his ability was unmatched, and he controlled the liquid lions as though they were extensions of himself, hurling them at William with ruthless precision.
William didn't hesitate. He drew upon his dragon powers, channeling intense cold through his hands and launching a stream of ice at the water lions. Instantly, they froze in mid-air, transformed into towering sculptures of ice that shimmered under the sky. But Shiki grinned wickedly and manipulated the frozen lions, turning them back against William. The frozen beasts charged, snapping and lunging.
"Not bad!" William murmured, his eyes glinting with excitement. Without missing a beat, he clenched his fists and coated them in Haki. With a powerful strike, he shattered the ice lions into pieces, fragments falling like glistening hail around him.
Shiki didn't relent. He shot forward, launching himself at William with his prosthetic leg swords. As he moved, he sent razor-sharp air slashes in a deadly whirlwind. Each slash was like a guillotine, aimed to strike William down. But William met each of Shiki's attacks head-on, using his Haki-coated fists to deflect the slashes, countering with strikes of his own.
As the two clashed, the intensity of their Conqueror's Haki began to alter the battlefield itself. The ground cracked beneath them, stones and dust lifting into the air from the sheer pressure of their presence. Sparks of black, gold, and red lightning crackled in the air around them, filling the area with a fierce, suffocating intensity.
"Impressive, kid!" Shiki called out, a hint of admiration mixed with defiance in his voice. "But let's see how you handle this!"
Summoning all his strength, Shiki pulled debris and rubble from the floating island, crafting an army of massive, snarling stone lions again. They leapt forward, each one aimed to crush William under its weight. Shiki hovered above them, arms spread wide in triumph as he controlled each creation.
William's eyes narrowed as he watched the advancing attack, and with a single deep breath, he channeled his Haki. His entire arm glowed with the power of his Armament Haki, and he brought his fist back, gathering red and black energy around it. With a decisive blow, he punched forward, releasing a massive shockwave that tore through the stone lions, reducing them to rubble before they could reach him.
Finally, after what felt like hours of battle, William took a step back, his eyes burning with determination. it was time finish the fight.
William's fists crackled with red and black lightning as he channeled both his advanced Armament and Conqueror's Haki into a single, devastating blow. Across from him, Shiki braced himself, gathering his remaining strength, Haki surging around his body. Their eyes met—William's filled with fierce confidence, and Shiki's with the hardened resolve of a seasoned pirate.
With a roar, they struck. Their fists didn't even touch, but the sheer force of their Haki clashed in the air between them, sending out a shockwave so powerful that the island beneath them cratered. Shiki, already dying from the steering wheel's removal, felt the force of William's Haki overwhelm him. And after a few moments, Shiki lost the confrontation and was hit hard by william.
Shiki fell to the ground, blood trickling from his mouth. His breathing was labored, and he knew he was nearing his end.
William approached, looking down at the legendary pirate with a mixture of respect and satisfaction. "That was a good fight, old lion."
Shiki coughed, a weak laugh escaping him. "It seems… it's time for me to meet Roger again." His gaze turned serious as he looked at William. "Kid… what is your ambition?"
William's eyes glinted as his Conqueror's Haki flared, filling the air with his raw resolve. "I'm going to take down the World Government, and change this rotten world."
Shiki's laugh was faint but genuine. "A wild ambition… but with a Haki like yours, I'd expect nothing less. Go for it, kid. Do what we old fools couldn't." His voice faded, his breath slowing as he closed his eyes, his final thoughts drifting back to the old days of adventure.
Watching Shiki slip away, William felt a rare moment of solemnity. But he had no time to waste; he quickly placed Shiki's body in his space dimension near the fruits he had prepared.
The ground around him trembled as Shiki's floating island began to descend, the effects of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi fading with Shiki's life. William sprinted back to the main hall, where Hancock, Robin, Marigold, and Sandersonia were waiting amidst a hoard of treasure.
"Time to go!" William called, waving them over as he put away the treasure. Robin held up three paper copies of Poneglyphs with a grin, and Hancock gave him an approving nod.
"Let's hurry," Hancock said. "This place is about to drop!"
With a flick of his wrist, William opened a portal, leading directly to Shakky's bar. One by one, the girls stepped through, and William took a last look around Shiki's floating fortress as it continued to tremble. Satisfied, he stepped through the portal, leaving the legendary base behind as it began its final descent to the ocean below.
They emerged on the other side, the familiar sight of Shakky's bar greeting them.
Shakky looked at them with a bemused smile. "Well, seems like you all had an adventure."
William laughed, ruffling his hair. "Just a little fight with the Golden Lion. Nothing too crazy."
The group laughed, the weight of their battle easing into a sense of satisfaction and victory. For William, it was another step on his journey, one that fueled his ambition to change the world. And as they settled into the warmth of Shakky's bar, he knew that this fight with Shiki would only be one of many legends they would encounter on their path forward.
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