Golden Lion Shiki advanced with overwhelming force, personally striking down several poison-dispersing airships along his path.
For a Float-Float Fruit user like Shiki, the slow-moving, massive airships presented nothing more than stationary targets—a vulnerability Morgan William had anticipated from the outset.
In the indigenous village of Merveille, William sat calmly atop a bluestone boulder, listening through his Transponder Snail as reports filtered in from his doomed airships, each transmission bringing news of Shiki's relentless approach. Throughout these updates, William's expression remained impassive.
He understood that even with parachutes and gas masks, crew members from downed airships faced grave danger on the island below. Yet William recognized the harsh reality of warfare—casualties were inevitable. Victory remained paramount; only through success would his subordinates' sacrifices hold meaning.
Lifting his gaze skyward, William observed the fragmented cloud formations overhead—scattered and torn like shredded cotton. The surrounding cloud layers varied dramatically in elevation and dimension. With his Basic-Level Navigation Skills, William could interpret weather patterns through observation alone. He recognized these fractured cumulus formations as indicators of unstable pressure systems and moisture content—harbingers of an imminent downpour.
As the Transponder Snail fell silent, a disturbance rippled through his nearby forces. William raised his head toward the horizon, where a floating island-ship—its bow carved into a magnificent lion's head—rapidly approached the village.
Taking a telescope from a subordinate, William studied the vessel. Atop the lion figurehead stood Shiki, resplendent in a golden kimono, his long hair streaming in the wind as he glared predatorily at the settlement below.
With deliberate calm, William returned the telescope and activated his Transponder Snail once more. The connection established instantly.
"You may proceed," William commanded in a measured tone before terminating the call.
Most indigenous villagers had evacuated under William's advisement. Those who stubbornly remained were left to their fate—William had come to wage war, not conduct rescue operations.
Consequently, the village stood eerily silent, occupied exclusively by William's strategically positioned forces.
In reality, William had deployed only a few hundred men to this location, recognizing that the true battle would be fought between himself and Shiki alone. Additional personnel would contribute little and potentially impede his movements. Following his directives, the majority of his forces were engaged elsewhere on crucial assignments.
Shiki's flagship soon loomed above the village, hovering at minimal altitude. Shiki gazed downward, cigar clenched between his teeth, while William looked upward, hand firmly gripping his sword hilt.
The two golden-haired men—one aged, one youthful—locked eyes in silent confrontation. One's expression radiated ferocious menace, the other's cold defiance. After a moment of tension, William's lips curled into a subtle, provocative smirk.
Instantly, cannon fire erupted.
The weapons William's forces had unloaded from their airships now stood ready. Though limited cargo capacity had prevented them from bringing heavy artillery, their ammunition consisted of Buggy Balls—explosives jointly enhanced by Dampier and Buggy himself. These small-caliber cannons and shoulder-mounted launchers delivered destructive power far exceeding Shiki's expectations.
A synchronized volley of fire sent violent tremors through the floating island-ship. Its underside, directly exposed to the barrage, began disintegrating, with substantial fragments breaking away.
"Captain Shiki! We must ascend higher!" A panicked pirate rushed forward with his urgent recommendation.
"Silence!" Shiki hurled his cigar at the man, his mind fixated on William's taunting expression.
Rather than heeding his subordinate's counsel, Shiki forced the vessel to descend further.
"Brace yourselves!" Shiki roared.
The massive island-ship plummeted like a meteor, hurtling toward the village below.
"No, Captain Shiki!" His surrounding pirates blanched with horror, recognizing that while this maneuver might obliterate their enemies below, most crew members aboard would perish in the impact as well.
William's expression tightened as he shouted evacuation orders to his subordinates. But the vessel had already descended too close to the ground, crashing down moments later.
The entire island seemed to shudder from the impact. A thunderous collision reverberated across the landscape as William's militia—composed primarily of East Blue volunteer pirates—reacted with less discipline than formally trained soldiers.
Those unfortunate enough to be caught directly beneath were instantly crushed, without even time to scream.
The aftermath proved equally devastating. Massive boulders and soil chunks dislodged from the impact rained down, generating dense dust clouds filled with agonized cries and moans.
William and his immediate companions had retreated beyond the impact zone, thanks to his swift reaction and leadership. Yet before he could reorganize his disoriented forces, flashes of sword light burst through the dust cloud, descending toward his position from above.
Lion's Thousand Cuts Valley!
William's response was instantaneous. Beyond his Lightning Reflexes expertise, his Heightened Alertness granted him preternatural battle intuition. The moment sword light manifested, his blade was already drawn.
Iai Slash: Secret Sword Rising Dragon!
As Wado Ichimonji cleared its scabbard, steam erupted from the narrow gap between blade and sheath. This pressurized vapor, combined with William's masterful swordsmanship, produced a spectacular technique. Amidst swirling mist, a dragon-like sword beam soared skyward, dispersing Shiki's multiple slashes.
Shiki emerged from the dust cloud, his golden attire gleaming as he floated against the sun's radiance, projecting an aura of divine invincibility.
Hovering above the cacophony of pain and suffering below, he looked down at William with contempt. "Is this the foundation of your defiance?"
"No!" William declared, removing his cape and tearing away his shirt to reveal his muscular torso and the Eye of Horus tattoo emblazoned across his back.
Dropping into a combat stance, his body surface emitted white vapor—steam pressure not fully contained within his system. As William activated Life Return, however, the escaping mist recirculated into his body.
William's exposed skin transitioned to a visible crimson, radiating such intense heat that even his closest allies, Diego and Hatcheson, instinctively retreated.
With each word and breath, white vapor coiled like serpents around his mouth and nostrils—not emanating from within, but forming as atmospheric moisture contacted his scorching body heat.
Standing red-hot and mist-wreathed, William embodied a wrathful Asura from ancient mythology, his Eye of Horus tattoo seemingly animated with supernatural life.
"This is my true strength!" William proclaimed.
"Overheat!"
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