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Boom!
Shiki pressed his hands against the ground, and the shattered palace along with the surrounding town began to rise into the air.
The main island itself disintegrated into massive chunks, morphing into countless sharp blades. Each blade was coated with Shiki's Armament Haki, their jet-black tips gleaming with deadly intent.
"Awakening!!!"
Without a doubt, Shiki had unleashed his Devil Fruit's awakened powers. Even the colossal floating island beneath them began to disassemble and transform—a feat only achievable through such an awakening.
"Waaahhhh!"
"Help us, Commander! We're on your side!"
"Raaaahhhh!"
The pirates who had come to attend the grand assembly found themselves caught in the chaos, crushed by the relentless storm of blades. Blood sprayed from their mouths as they screamed and pleaded for mercy from Shiki.
Even the monstrous creatures Shiki had created howled in agony under the pressure of his unleashed power.
Shiki, however, was indifferent. These subordinates had feigned death the moment Uchiha Kitaro's shadow clones had attacked the headquarters earlier. Useless as they were, he didn't bother saving them.
As for the monsters he had spent twenty years creating, he could simply cultivate new ones, and with his experience, it might only take two years this time.
The priority now was simple: kill that brat, and kill him in the most painful way imaginable.
"You damned brat! I'll obliterate you until there's nothing left but dust!"
"I am the true ruler of the skies! Only I can conquer this world! There's no way I'll lose here!"
Shiki directed the swarm of razor-sharp blades toward the floating figure of Uchiha Kitaro.
"So, the movies really can't be trusted," Kitaro muttered.
The strength Shiki displayed was leagues beyond his portrayal in the films. It wasn't even close. This man, who had once forced the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, into a corner, stood shoulder to shoulder with Whitebeard, and had made a name for himself before the likes of Big Mom and Kaido, was a completely different entity.
The Shiki of legend had commanded the Flying Pirates and required both Sengoku and Garp to join forces to bring him down. Such a man could hardly be the same one defeated by a haki-less Luffy in a film.
Floating in the sky, Kitaro began to transform.
Two jade-white horns sprouted from his head, and dark markings appeared around his eyes.
Sage Mode: Ryūchi Cave!
A massive Rasengan, over 20 meters in diameter, formed in Kitaro's hands. Infused with both Armament and Conqueror's Haki, the colossal sphere radiated like a second moon, crackling with black and red lightning.
"Sage Art: Supreme Rasengan!"
With a loud cry, Kitaro dove toward the ground, the massive Rasengan leading the charge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The spinning sphere obliterated every blade that came near it. Within moments, Kitaro appeared right in front of Shiki.
As the giant, moon-like Rasengan loomed inches away, Shiki's face twisted in terror.
"Am I… about to lose again? To another man besides Roger…? My ambition… I'm not ready to give up!"
BOOM!
The enormous Rasengan smashed into Shiki, grinding him into the ground. The floating island beneath him disintegrated entirely as the attack pushed him down, plunging into the sea below.
At last, the sea erupted with a massive explosion. The impact unleashed a colossal shockwave that sent tidal waves crashing in all directions.
"Ahhhhhh!"
The island remnants crumbled, and Gion lost her footing, plummeting toward the sea.
Whoosh!
Kitaro darted through the air, catching her just in time. Feeling his familiar presence, she exhaled in relief.
The battle had shaken her to her core. Shiki, the Golden Lion, was indeed a legendary pirate. His strength rivaled that of an Admiral, and his unique Devil Fruit abilities made him nearly untouchable.
Only someone like Kitaro, who could also fly freely, could possibly take him down.
Gion's assessment wasn't wrong. Shiki had only been captured before because of his reckless attack on Marineford, which had prompted Sengoku and Garp to team up against him.
Even so, the real shock to her wasn't from Shiki—it was from Akira or what she thought he was.
During the war at Marineford, she hadn't seen Kitaro fight in person. She had only caught glimpses of his power through the live broadcast, which barely captured his overwhelming might.
Now, witnessing her Akira unleash his true strength up close left her utterly speechless. In her mind, Akira's power was nearly on par with his twin brother, Uchiha Kitaro.
(A/N: Maybe they are the same person?)
"Two men of such monstrous strength from the same clan—what kind of terrifying bloodline was the Uchiha?" Gion was amused.
Kitaro lightly patted Gion on the rear. "Alright, it's over now. You can stop clinging so tightly."
Gion blushed furiously but tightened her grip even more. "I won't! I won't let go!"
"If you want hugs, you can have all you want later. I need to retrieve Shiki before Sengoku decides to back out of this deal. Besides, you can fly on your own now."
"Huh?" Gion blinked, hesitating before releasing her grip. To her surprise, she found herself hovering midair. A quick test of her will confirmed it—she was flying!
With childlike glee, she zipped around in the air like an excited bird discovering its wings for the first time.
"I can fly! I can fly!"
Kitaro chuckled at the sight. He remembered his own excitement when he'd first learned the Lightweight Boulder Jutsu from the Third Tsuchikage. Back then, he'd flown for hours before the novelty wore off.
Landing on a large chunk of land—one of the floating island's remnants—Kitaro found Shiki.
The Golden Lion had washed ashore, unconscious and gravely wounded. Even in such a state, the legendary pirate hadn't succumbed to death.
"This spot isn't far from Marineford," Kitaro said, hoisting Shiki onto his shoulder. With Gion in tow, he took to the skies, heading straight for the Marine base.
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I hope you're enjoying the story so far!
I wanted to share an update: After 40 more chapters, Kitaro will finally return to Konoha, marking the beginning of the end for the ninja and pirate worlds. Once that arc concludes, the story will officially end.
However, the Fairy Tail world will continue as a side story.
If you'd like to support my work and access advanced chapters, along with Patreon-exclusive fanfics, you can do so here: patreon.com/_Coreal
Thank you for your support!