In the West Blue, somewhere high in the sky, dozens of islands floated in midair. The pirates sailing on the sea below felt overwhelming fear. It wasn't the sight of dozens of floating islands that terrified them, but the man who was keeping those islands aloft: the great pirate Shiki, the final legend of the old era.
Shiki had long since entered seclusion. Any pirate ship passing through the area would deliberately detour dozens of miles farther rather than sail anywhere near waters controlled by Shiki. At that moment, on the central floating island, Shiki slowly lowered the newspaper in his hand. The headlines described the recent war between Elior and the Marines. Marineford had nearly been destroyed. Countless top-tier Marines had been killed. Sengoku, Zephyr, and numerous elite officers had all fallen at Elior's hands, and even the Red-Haired Pirates had been involved.
"What an arrogant brat," Shiki sighed. "If my strength hadn't declined, I might've gone to meet him myself."
Now in his seventies, Shiki's power had steadily waned due to past injuries and the erosion of time. Even a legendary pirate could not escape aging. Though he hated to admit it, Shiki knew it well in his heart: Elior was terrifyingly strong. Shiki was arrogant, but he respected strength, just as he once acknowledged Roger. Though arrogant, Shiki was a proud pirate, not a villain.
Suddenly, Shiki felt a strange fluctuation: an unfamiliar yet terrifying presence. Someone was coming, a monstrously powerful individual. On the floating island, a spatial gate opened. Elior stepped out calmly, with Shirahoshi following closely behind him. At the same time, Shiki emerged, his eyes sharp. The members of the Flying Pirates were instantly shaken. Everyone in the world knew Elior; Marines and pirates alike. That was an undeniable truth.
"I searched for over two days before finally finding you, old man."
Boom!
Centered on Elior, an overwhelming burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted, sweeping across the sky. The winds howled. The clouds twisted violently.
"Brat! I was just planning to head to the New World to meet you, and you came straight to me! Not bad! Let me see your power!" Shiki laughed loudly as a lion-like roar echoed through the heavens. His own Conqueror's Haki surged outward.
The sky churned violently. Thunder split the heavens as lightning tore through the clouds. Dark crimson and golden Haki collided, splitting the clouds in half as if the sky itself had been cleaved apart. This was top-tier Conqueror's Haki. Shiki's subordinates collapsed unconscious instantly. Even the floating island beneath them began to shatter inch by inch under the pressure.
"Show me this so-called strongest power in the world!" Shiki roared, pushing his Haki to its limit.
Elior did the same. Shiki's Haki field was steadily crushed until it burst like a balloon. Forced back by the overwhelming pressure, Shiki retreated several steps, carving deep grooves into the ground.
"Shirahoshi, wait here," Elior spoke calmly. With a wave of his hand, a carved-out spatial domain formed behind him, sealing Shirahoshi safely inside. Though Shirahoshi possessed the power of Poseidon, she was still in the early stages of awakening. For now, she could only summon Sea Kings; she was still just a fragile girl. Elior's spatial barrier wasn't absolute like the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, but it was powerful enough to withstand even the pressure of the sea at fifty thousand meters.
With Shirahoshi protected, Elior stepped forward and vanished. The battlefield had already collapsed beyond recognition under the pressure of Conqueror's Haki. Elior moved instantly. High-speed movement left traces, but teleportation did not. Shiki swung his legs, his twin swords, sending out a crescent-shaped slash that tore through the air and split the ground. The slash could cleave the sea itself.
Elior met it head-on. With Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki coating his fist, he shattered the slash with a single punch. True top-tier fighters could coat their attacks with Conqueror's Haki, just like Kaido's Thunder Bagua. In the blink of an eye, Elior appeared before Shiki. Before his feet even touched the ground, Elior dove downward and punched.
"Brat, trying to kill me already? Such killing intent! Jie hahaha!" Shiki punched back, laughing wildly.
"I need your power. So you must die. But I'll give you a dignified death," Elior spoke without hesitation.
"My power… the Float-Float Fruit?" Shiki immediately understood. Forced back by Elior's punch, Shiki slid across the ground, leaving long scars behind.
Elior was simply too strong, and Shiki was no longer at his peak. Roger had died young from illness. Whitebeard's health declined with age. Shiki had lost his legs and gone into seclusion for decades. Time spared no legend. And Elior still hadn't gone all out.
"What incredible strength! But I've got nothing left to regret. Let's have a battle worth remembering! Brat!" Shiki roared with laughter as the Float-Float Fruit lifted him skyward.
"Lion's Threat: Earth Bind!"
With Shiki's roar, the ground erupted. A massive stone lion surged forth like a living beast, roaring as it charged straight at Elior.