---
Sengoku ascended to the highest terrace of Marine Headquarters.
As soon as Gion, the Marine Vice Admiral known as Momousagi (Pink Rabbit), saw him, she leaped down from her post.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, could it be Uchiha Kitaro...?"
Sengoku's face was grim. "No… Uchiha Kitaro isn't the kind of man who resorts to theatrics like this. The only person capable of such a feat is another man."
"The survivor of the Pirate King era, a rival of Gol D. Roger, and later defeated by him. A man who was once captured by the Marines, only to sever his own legs and escape from Impel Down—Golden Lion Shiki!"
"He's been absent for a full twenty years. Now, with a new era unfolding, has even this guy lost his patience?"
Sengoku's expression darkened further, his fists clenched. Just as the turmoil surrounding Uchiha Kitaro was starting to settle, this troublemaker had to show up.
"Can't he wait six more months? I'd like to retire in peace."
Suddenly!
A warship in the sky came into view directly above Marine Headquarters. Under the pull of gravity, it began plummeting toward them.
"Ahhhh! It's falling!"
"What do we do?!"
"This is it! Is Marine Headquarters going to be destroyed again?!"
Whoosh!
Uchiha Kitaro leaped into the air.
"It's Vice Admiral Uchiha Akira!"
A low hum resonated as a massive white sphere of energy formed in Kitaro's hands.
"Wind Style: Giant RasenShuriken!"
With a powerful throw, the spiraling projectile soared toward the falling warships.
BOOM!
The enormous wind sphere detonated like a nuclear explosion, swallowing all the descending warships in an instant.
The terrifying shockwave obliterated everything in its radius, reducing the area to ruins.
"Wahhh!"
The gale-force winds knocked the Marines below off their feet, forcing them to shield their faces.
"So this is… Vice Admiral Uchiha Akira's Rasenshuriken?!"
"What incredible destructive power!"
Moments later, fragments of broken timber began raining down from the sky.
"We're saved!"
"Vice Admiral Uchiha Akira, you're amazing!"
"As expected, he's Admiral material!"
The Marines cheered loudly. Although Uchiha Akira was the twin brother of Uchiha Kitaro, their attitude toward him were quite different.
The story of Kitaro training his younger brother only to later aim for his eyes was widely known. While they may harbor resentment toward Kitaro, they held none against Akira.
High above, on a massive ship resembling an island, a figure stood at the bow with arms crossed, observing the scene below.
"Oh? That must be the little brat from the Uchiha clan who joined the Marines. He's not half bad," the man said.
With wild golden hair resembling a lion's mane, a golden coat draped over his shoulders, and a ship's helm embedded in his head, he stood tall. Instead of legs, he had two swords.
Upon seeing him, Uchiha Kitaro immediately recognized the man.
Golden Lion Shiki.
"Wait, wasn't he supposed to reappear two years later in the movies? What's he doing stirring up trouble at Marine Headquarters now?"
No matter. As a Marine Vice Admiral, it was his duty to act.
"Moon Breathing: Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!"
Uchiha Kitaro unleashed a powerful slash toward the floating island ship. A crescent-shaped wave, accompanied by smaller moonlit blades, streaked through the air toward the vessel.
Shiki's eyes lit up at the sight of the attack. "Oh! What a beautiful strike!"
Indeed, the slashes born from the Moon Breathing technique were some of the most elegant among all breathing forms.
"Slash Wave!"
Shiki soared into the air, swinging his sword-adorned legs to release a massive blade of energy.
BOOM!
The two attacks collided mid-air, shattering into fragments and sending a violent shockwave outward.
"What an impressive young man! Such a waste for someone like you to join the Marines!" Shiki laughed.
"Golden Lion Shiki! What are you doing here?!"
Sengoku transformed into his massive Buddha form, roaring at the pirate.
"Golden Lion?!"
"Isn't he the legendary pirate from twenty years ago?!"
"He's still alive?!"
The older Marines recognized the name. Shiki had been a contemporary of Roger and Whitebeard—a pirate of legendary stature. Captured and imprisoned in Impel Down over two decades ago, he'd escaped, severing his own legs in the process. Time had passed, and those once-rookie Marines were now Vice Admirals.
"Sengoku, you're old and useless now. To let a brat push you around proves that the Marines have grown weak! It's time for me to take over this world once more!"
"This is just a warning. Next time, I'll wipe you out for good! Jihahahaha!"
Shiki laughed maniacally as his ship ascended higher into the sky.
Uchiha Kitaro landed gracefully on the roof of the Marine fortress.
Sengoku, returning to his normal form, wore a grim expression. He had assumed Shiki was here for another rampage like the one twenty years ago. Back then, it had taken both him and Garp working together to subdue Shiki, and even then, half of Marine Headquarters had been destroyed.
With Shiki's powers, this Headquarters could disappear from the ocean at any moment.
The destruction of the old Marineford had already emboldened pirates everywhere, weakening the Marines' grip on the New World. If the current Headquarters was destroyed again, the Marines' reputation would be utterly shattered.
"Report! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, we have urgent news! Shiki has issued a pirate summons through the newspapers! He's gathering pirates in the East Blue, declaring his intent to destroy the entire sea!"
"What?! Damn it!"
.
.
.