Upon hearing the news, Yahn fell into momentary contemplation. He quickly recalled the Navy officers stationed at the upper levels of Impel Down and realized it was likely that the undersea prison had witnessed "Golden Lion" Shiki hijack a warship and reported the incident to Marine Headquarters.
However, what puzzled Yahn was the delay in Fleet Admiral Sengoku contacting him. By the time Sengoku finally reached out, Yahn had already dealt with Shiki.
---
Meanwhile, at Marineford, Marine Headquarters...
Fleet Admiral Sengoku cautiously cradled the Den Den Mushi in his hands. Beside him stood Vice Admiral Tsuru and Vice Admiral Borsalino (Kizaru).
Sengoku had originally planned to set sail with Kizaru to personally pursue Golden Lion Shiki. However, he was stopped by the newly-arrived Tsuru, who firmly insisted that the Fleet Admiral could not recklessly abandon Marineford.
Sengoku, who usually heeded Tsuru's advice, was uncharacteristically resolute this time. The disagreement escalated to the point of rare tension between the two.
Then Tsuru asked a simple question:
"Have you tried contacting Yahn through the Den Den Mushi?"
To everyone's surprise, the call connected—and it was Yahn on the other end. His voice sounded like he'd just woken up, a bit groggy and indifferent.
"Huh? Old man, are you talking about Golden Lion Shiki?"
Yahn's tone was as casual as if he were chatting over breakfast.
In truth, Yahn believed Sengoku was simply in his office and had just received word about the hijacked warship. It didn't occur to him that the always-composed and wise Sengoku had, out of instinctive dread, already assumed Yahn and the entire warship crew were dead at Shiki's hands. This misjudgment had driven Sengoku into a storm of grief and rage.
"Yes, Golden Lion Shiki," Sengoku snapped. "Where is he? Put him on the line."
Yahn glanced off in the distance—there lay Shiki, sprawled across the palm of Tenken, his life clearly slipping away.
"Hmm... not really convenient at the moment."
Sengoku's face darkened instantly, suspecting the worst.
He knew all too well that Shiki was a cunning and ambitious pirate, yet also impulsive and short-tempered. If Yahn was still alive, did that mean Shiki intended to use him as a hostage?
"Yahn, does Shiki know who you are—and your relationship with me?" Sengoku asked, voice grave.
"He didn't before. He does now." Yahn answered truthfully.
At that moment, Sengoku could vividly imagine Shiki, sitting nearby with a sinister grin, watching Yahn like a cat toying with a mouse. Perhaps Tsuru and Kizaru beside him were imagining the same.
None of them could have guessed that the fearsome pirate who once stormed Marineford alone—Golden Lion Shiki—was already at death's door.
Sengoku suddenly roared into the Den Den Mushi.
"Shiki, you bastard! If you've got anything to say, say it now!"
Hearing the familiar voice through the receiver—and sensing the taunt in those words—Shiki, who looked utterly spent, his blood nearly drained, suddenly flushed with rage. He rasped out:
"Sengoku, don't get cocky! I... I'll kill your brat—!"
But Shiki's voice was so weak it could barely reach Yahn's ears, let alone transmit through the Den Den Mushi.
He tried to sit up in defiance, but failed. All he could do was glare furiously at Yahn.
"Old man, what's with the yelling?" Yahn asked, covering one ear.
Still not hearing a word from Shiki, Sengoku grew more anxious. Mistaking the silence as manipulation, he forced a calm tone and said:
"Yahn, listen. Don't worry about a thing. That bastard Shiki won't be able to lay a finger on you…"
---
Golden Lion Shiki.
At that moment, Shiki felt more humiliated than he had in his entire life.
If he had been defeated in a fair battle at full strength, even by a rising star of the Marines, he might have begrudgingly accepted it.
But this wasn't just any upstart.
This brat was Sengoku's son.
He—Shiki—had been captured by Sengoku and thrown into Impel Down. After sacrificing his legs to escape, he'd finally made it back to the sea... only to die at the hands of Sengoku's own son?
How could the proud Golden Lion possibly accept that?
Worse still, Sengoku was mocking him?
As if to say: if his son was just fighting normally, Shiki wouldn't even be able to touch him?
And what made it unbearable... was that it was true.
Shiki hadn't even managed to scratch Yahn.
Then Sengoku shouted again:
"Golden Lion Shiki! If you still have a shred of pirate pride left in you, come to Marineford now and see if you can survive one punch from me!"
"Aaaaaargh!!"
Shiki coughed up the last of his blood—his fury having exhausted the last embers of his life.
He was gone.
---
"Hey! Shiki, you bastard! Don't bully the juniors—say something, damn it!" Sengoku's voice still thundered from the Den Den Mushi.
"Old man, could you please quiet down for a second and let me talk?" Yahn sighed, pulling the receiver away from his ear.
"That 'Golden Lion' you were yelling at? Yeah... he's gone. Stop shouting."
"What?! G–Gone?!" Sengoku's voice trembled with disbelief. "Where did he go?!"
"How the hell should I know?" Yahn rolled his eyes.
Sengoku, Tsuru, and Kizaru looked at each other in stunned silence.
Then Sengoku asked sternly, "Yahn... you're not joking, are you?"
Without hesitation, Yahn swore:
"If I said even half a lie just now, may both you and I remain single for the rest of our lives."
---
Currently at chapter 370 for advance chapters
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