"Brother, be careful!" Shirahoshi cried out. She was completely safe inside the spatial barrier. At this moment, she also wanted to help Elior, but she knew very well how weak she was. Although she could summon extremely powerful Sea Kings, they were currently in the sky. Shirahoshi could only stand there and watch Elior fight.
The enormous stone lion charged toward Elior, while he hovered calmly in midair, facing it. At that moment, Elior raised both palms toward the stone lion. A transparent light barrier instantly formed and rapidly expanded, surging forward. The instant the light barrier made contact with the stone lion, the roaring construct shattered into countless fragments. The explosion was earth-shaking, and the massive shockwave even rocked Shiki behind it.
"Powerful, boy!" Shiki, who had been closely watching Elior, naturally understood by now that Elior's abilities were mysterious and terrifying. They were clearly more than just one Devil Fruit power. Amid the flying dust and debris, violent shockwaves swept in all directions. Elior burst through the dust cloud and appeared directly in front of Shiki.
"Old man, I won't play with you anymore." As soon as he finished speaking, Elior swung his right leg down from midair like a massive battle axe.
"So fast! Even within my Observation Haki range, I can barely perceive that speed!" This thought flashed through Shiki's mind. There was no doubt that Elior's strength surpassed everyone Shiki had ever encountered in his life. He was unfathomable. Facing the axe-like kick, Shiki coated both arms with Armament Haki and crossed them to block.
With a dull, crushing impact, Elior's leg slammed down, forcing Shiki's arms downward. In the next instant, the airborne Shiki was smashed straight into the ground below. No, this flying island was completely pierced through, and the Shiki's body was sent crashing uncontrollably toward the sea.
"This power… it is overwhelming! And he still hasn't gone all out!" Shiki barely managed to stop his descent just before hitting the ocean, relying on the Float-Float Fruit. Otherwise, he would have been smashed straight into the deep sea. Even so, the clothes on his back were torn to shreds by the impact. Though his body wasn't broken, intense pain surged through him.
"Impossible to fight head-on!" Clenching his teeth and enduring the numbness in his arms, Shiki rushed back toward the floating island. Above him, Elior looked down calmly. The moment the Shiki surged upward, Elior dove straight down.
"Lion: Scattering Valley!" Shiki unleashed more than ten massive crescent-shaped slashes in rapid succession. Blinding white arcs of destructive power tore through the air, strong enough to split the sea itself. Elior, meanwhile, gathered explosive magic in midair. A crimson magic circle spun rapidly, and terrifying explosive energy erupted outward. A torrent of crimson power plunged downward, piercing the air and colliding head-on with the slashes.
A chain of violent explosions followed. Shiki's slashes shattered like fragile glass, completely overwhelmed by Elior's explosive magic. Even though they resisted for more than ten seconds, the outcome was inevitable. They were utterly crushed. A few slashes managed to slip through, but instead of reaching Elior, they shot into the sky and obliterated several nearby islands. At the same time, a dark-red pillar of terrifying energy tore through the void and slammed directly into the Shiki.
"Well done, brat! Looks like I really am dying at your hands today!" Shiki laughed openly, without fear or hesitation. Facing the overwhelming crimson energy, Shiki didn't dodge. Instead, he launched his strongest slash head-on. In his life, Shiki had never known fear or retreat. After all, he was the man who once stormed Marine Headquarters alone and later shattered his own legs escaping Impel Down.
Roaring, Shiki charged forward. He knew there was no chance of survival. Elior possessed killing intent and power greater than his own. Explosions echoed continuously as Shiki slashed through the crimson energy again and again. Above him, Elior kept pouring in more explosive magic.
"How long do you think you can hold out?" Elior gazed down calmly. He could see the fluttering clothes and flowing golden hair. Finally, a massive explosion sent Shiki flying. Very few could endure Elior's power for even minutes. Finally, Shiki was blown away. Midair, a surge of heat rose in Shiki's throat. Though he tried desperately to suppress it, blood spilled from his mouth. Under Elior's explosive magic, the ground within a thousand-meter radius had collapsed.
In the end, he crashed heavily onto ice. Elior, who could teleport, arrived faster than the falling Shiki. The moment he stepped out above the ocean, Elior froze the surface beneath them. The frozen area wasn't large. Elior hovered two meters above the ice, while Shiki struggled to stand, trembling, blood still staining the corners of his mouth.
"I'll give you a dignified end, so you don't have to worry." Elior looked at Shiki and vanished instantly.