"Bastard!"
Golden Lion Shiki brandished his twin swords, Oto and Kogarashi, slashing mercilessly at the CP0 agent.
Clang!
Shiki's blades met the agent's Armament Haki (武装色の覇気), sending sparks flying. His ferocious attacks came relentlessly, each swing embodying the feral rage of a wild beast. The CP0 agent, overwhelmed by Shiki's ferocity, staggered backward, struggling to defend himself.
Despite the chaotic scene, the Marines stood still, watching silently without interfering.
"Oi! You self-righteous Marines! What are you doing just standing there? Arrest the Golden Lion already! Are you going to let him run rampant?"
The CP0 agent's voice was filled with desperation as he barely parried Shiki's unrelenting strikes. Yet even as he faltered, his tone maintained the haughty arrogance of the World Government's elite.
The Marines remained taciturn, unwilling to act.
"Tch, I'll remember this. The Gorosei won't let this slide. Prepare to face their wrath!"
With those words, the CP0 agent leaped into the air, executing a Geppo (月歩) to escape swiftly. His figure disappeared into the night sky, leaving only his humiliation behind.
Shiki lowered his swords and turned to face Kaizen, who was still struggling to stand.
"Oi, brat! You're lucky. You're not planning to die just yet, are you?"
Shiki smirked, a mix of amusement and pity coloring his tone.
Kaizen straightened, his hand gripping the blade still embedded in his chest. His eyes burned with unwavering determination, a sardonic smile playing on his lips.
"Die? Don't make me laugh. This wound will leave a scar, sure, but that's all."
Though his words were confident, pain radiated from the stab wound, the numbing sensation ebbing and flowing in waves. Still, Kaizen endured it, his resolve unshaken.
---
Nearby, Fleet Admiral Sengoku raised his voice, his tone as firm as steel.
"Shiki! It's over! Even if you could fly, you won't escape Marineford!"
Shiki let out a boisterous laugh, his expression wild and unyielding.
"Can't escape even with wings? That's the funniest thing I've heard all night!"
His defiance only grew as he swept his gaze across the thousands of Marines surrounding him.
For someone who had spent his life fighting, surviving, and thriving in the deadliest corners of the sea, this was nothing more than child's play. Shiki was a man unafraid of death—a trait even Gol D. Roger respected about him.
---
Garp stepped forward, his fists clenched tightly.
"Shiki, this is pointless. Put down your swords, and we'll ensure you receive a fair trial. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
The night had grown late. The stars dotted the sky, their faint glow the only light as the moon remained hidden behind the darkened clouds.
Kaizen gritted his teeth, his breaths labored as he tried to quell the pain.
Shiki merely grinned, his confidence undiminished.
"Fair trial? Don't make me laugh, Garp! You Marines will never give me—or anyone like me—fair treatment. Let me show you how little your 'justice' means to me!"
His voice was filled with scorn, yet beneath it was the unmistakable tone of a man with a plan.
---
Sengoku's eyes narrowed as he addressed his old adversary.
"What are you planning this time, Shiki? You won't leave here without a fight, will you?"
Shiki's grin widened.
"Kaizen, you've got potential, kid. The kind of potential that can shake this world to its core. Live your life as you see fit, without bowing to anyone. Here's my parting gift to you."
Shiki stomped his foot hard against the ground.
The entire square trembled violently, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
"Can he cause earthquakes? That's Whitebeard's power!"
Panic rippled through the Marines as the earth beneath Kaizen began to rise, lifting him high into the air.
"No! He's going to escape!" Sengoku shouted, his voice booming.
In an instant, he activated his Buddha-Buddha Fruit (ヒトヒトの実 モデル大仏) power, transforming into a towering golden Buddha. With one massive palm, he aimed to stop Kaizen's ascent.
But Shiki was faster. With a sharp motion of his hand, the rising chunk of land carrying Kaizen launched into the air like a cannonball, hurtling far from Marineford.
---
Garp clenched his fists, glaring at Shiki with a mixture of anger and frustration.
"Damn it, Shiki! You let him escape! Do you know what you've done? That brat will cause nothing but chaos in the future!"
Though Kaizen was injured, Garp knew it wasn't enough to kill him. The man's will was as strong as his body. Garp could only watch as the pirate disappeared into the horizon, his mind filled with uneasy thoughts of the havoc Kaizen would bring.
Shiki, meanwhile, burst into laughter, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
"What's that I see on your faces? Is it despair? Hahaha! It's beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"
Shiki's unrestrained laughter and radiant confidence made him seem untouchable—a defiant beacon against the might of the Marines.
---
But Sengoku wasn't ready to let the battle end.
"Enough of this farce! Garp, we need to stop him, even if it means sinking Marineford itself!"
Garp nodded, his expression grim.
"What's coming can't be avoided. This farce of a 'Great Pirate Era' needs to end. Let's finish this!"
The two Marine legends, their power unparalleled, charged toward Shiki with the ferocity of wild beasts.
Shiki, undeterred, swung his swords, unleashing a barrage of devastating sword energy. Waves of power exploded outward, carving deep scars into the earth and sending shockwaves rippling through the square.
Marines scrambled to avoid the deadly onslaught, their fear evident as Shiki's ferocity painted the battlefield with destruction.
---
The final clash between Shiki and the Marines was inevitable, a collision of titanic wills. In that moment, it was clear: the only way to stop a monster was to become one.
The battle raged on as the fate of Marineford hung in the balance.
---
TO BE CONTINUED...