"There's nowhere to run."
Law sighed.
Everyone had come with the resolve to kill Shiki.
Even though they were pirates, marines, and revolutionaries, at this moment, they could join forces.
"Shiki," Shanks said, "You're too dangerous."
The world still awaited the answers from the people.
The ones who would change the world in the future might be somewhere in this sea.
Shiki must not be allowed to act recklessly!
He must not be allowed to break the saplings!
"..."
Shiki was slightly silent.
Then…
"Hahaha!"
He laughed loudly, gripping the twin swords in his hands. A tremendous aura suddenly expanded in all directions. "Come at me!"
"I am Golden Lion Shiki!!"
Garp's fist crackled with lightning.
Dragon's arms turned into a raging wind.
Shanks raised his famous blade.
Kuzan's body turned to pure ice.
But just at that moment…
"Please wait a moment."
A soft voice rang out.
Everyone turned in unison.
A giant of golden flames floated toward them.
Ian stood with his arms crossed on the shoulders of Fire Spirit, staring at Shiki. "Shiki-san, let me ask you one last time."
"Can you stop?"
"Brat!"
Vice Admiral Garp impatiently looked at Ian. "Why are you still saying these things now?"
Ian didn't answer. He just quietly gazed at Shiki.
"Heh hahahaha!"
Shiki roared. "Brat! What more is there to say!"
Ian sighed.
Yeah, what else is there to say now?
The Navy and Dragon won't let him go.
Even if Ian wanted to save him, it was impossible.
Since that's the case...
"Then, Shiki-san."
Golden light began to radiate from Ian's body, flames enveloping him as he flapped his wings forward.
"Let me send you off."
"Ian?"
Shanks looked up in surprise.
"Hey, brat?"
Garp frowned. "Are you serious, kid?"
The last person who said they were going to face Shiki one-on-one is still lying there.
"Anyway, Shiki-san has no way to escape now."
Ian smiled. "Why don't you all wait until I'm defeated before making your move?"
"Ara ara, I don't mind."
Kuzan lazily said, "If Shiki can be worn down a bit, it might actually be better."
By the way...
He glanced at Ian.
It would be even better if this guy could take Shiki down with him. He might as well capture him afterward.
Dragon said nothing, silently turning his arms back to their original form.
He didn't care either. As Ian said, Shiki already had no way to escape.
"Then, good luck, Ian."
Shanks cheered for Ian.
"Heh hahahaha! Brat!!"
Shiki stared at Ian with wide eyes, "Do you think I'm the same as I was during our last encounter?"
It was still a shameful memory. The last time he lost to Ian, that guy didn't even fight back. He just let himself get attacked, until he was too exhausted to continue!
"So," Ian chuckled, "Isn't this a chance for you, Shiki-san, to redeem yourself?"
"Jie hahahaha!"
Shiki laughed loudly, raising his sword towards Ian, "Then come at me, brat!"
Apart from Roger, this kid had brought him the most humiliation! It wouldn't be too bad to have the chance to take revenge before he dies.
"Don't rush, before that," Ian turned around, "Law, help Shiki-san fix his last flaws."
Law had already understood why Ian had brought him along.
He couldn't help but curse in his heart. That bastard Ian, did he predict the current situation from the start? He frowned, "I need two legs."
Shiki also understood Ian's intention.
He paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Jie hahahaha!"
"Brat!! Then I won't hold back!!"
With a swing of his hand, the ground below rumbled and rose up. From the surging earth, countless corpses began to emerge.
"What's he trying to do?"
Kuzan was slightly stunned.
"No matter what he's up to," Shanks chuckled, casually sheathing his Griffin sword, then walked towards Mihawk, "Ian should be able to handle everything."
"Eh?"
Kuzan was taken aback.
This guy has that much confidence in Ian? Didn't Mihawk just lose to Shiki? Could it be that this kid is stronger than Mihawk?
"Mihawk," Shanks walked up to Mihawk's side. "Are you alright?"
"I'll survive."
Mihawk had already stopped the bleeding, tilting his head back. "Ian, that guy, seems to be planning to use Shiki as his final sharpening stone."
"Oh?"
Shanks raised an eyebrow.
In the sky, Shiki was flying towards them, carrying a body that looked similar to his own.
Though they were enemies and about to clash, Ian calmly let Shiki fly past him and head towards Surtur.
Shiki tossed the body in front of Law. "Is this okay?"
Law glanced at it and nodded lightly. "Don't resist."
"ROOM!"
He immediately summoned his surgical space and enveloped Shiki within it.
This guy's a Devil Fruit user?
Ace turned in surprise, watching as Law drew his sword and swiftly cut off the corpse's legs, then removed Shiki's knees altogether.
Next, Law attached the legs to Shiki's own.
"Don't move," Law said. "Next comes the nerve connection."
Shiki nodded.
Suddenly, he noticed Ace.
Shiki's gaze sharpened. "Hey, kid, what's your name?"
Ace looked up at him, his eyes filled with no fear. "Ace! Portgas D. Ace!"
"Portgas?"
Shiki raised an eyebrow.
Did he make a mistake?
He snorted lightly and said nothing more.
Ace suddenly remembered something very important, and he nervously asked, "What about those ships on the sea? Have they already left?"
"Ships?"
Shiki froze for a moment before flashing a cruel smile.
"Kekekekeke, you mean those ships that I sent crashing into the seabed with the giant waves I created?"
Ace's body stiffened.
Sabo!
Impossible!
Sabo!!
"I'll kill you!!"
Roaring in fury, Ace charged straight at Shiki without any hesitation.
"I told you not to move!"
Law grunted, activating his ability, and froze Ace in midair. He casually said, "What can you do? Leave it to Ian."
"…"
Ace ground his teeth, his cheek trembling.
Sabo!
Shiki didn't care, not even lifting an eyelid.
Just a little brat.
"That brat!!"
Below, Vice Admiral Garp's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
That bastard Ian just let Shiki get close to Ace. Is this how he's protecting his own grandson?
"Alright, Vice Admiral Garp," Kuzan continuously tried to calm him down. "Hasn't Shiki done nothing?"
Law's movements were very deliberate as he carefully controlled the connection between Shiki and the nerves in his legs.
This wasn't too difficult for him, after all, in the original work, he was able to separate all the toxins in his body using his ability.
Soon, Law wiped the sweat off his forehead. "It's done."
Shiki lowered his head in surprise.
A sensation he hadn't felt in a long time, traveling from his toes all the way to his heart.
His thoughts shifted, and his toes curled and straightened in response.
"Kekekekeke!!"
Shiki turned his head and looked at Ian. "Excellent! Now, are we at full strength?"
Full Strength Posture?
Ian chuckled lightly, "You want this too, huh?"
But then again, two legs wouldn't make much of a difference, especially when they were just the legs of ordinary people who hadn't trained much.
"Shanks, take care of the two kids for me."
Ian shouted down below.
Then, Surtur threw the two kids he was holding toward Shanks.
"Ahhh!!!"
The kids screamed, and Shanks quickly jumped up to catch them.
"Leave it to me."
Shanks chuckled lightly.
Ace's eyes were filled with tears as he stared at the sky.
Ian!
Kill him!!
And then...
"Come on! You brat!!"
Shiki raised his sword.
Ian reached out, "Surtur, Laevateinn Mode."
"Yes! Master!"
The fire spirit instantly transformed into flames, flowing into Ian's hand and quickly condensing into a golden flame sword.
"Kekekekekekehaha! Lion's Might—Destructive Slash!!"
The double blades surged like a storm.
Ian swung his sword to counter.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
In the blink of an eye, a fierce wind howled across the sky.
Shiki's sword was much faster now, far quicker than when he cosplayed as Steel Shadow.
But Ian's swings weren't slow either, and with his future-seeing Observation Haki, he accurately blocked every one of Shiki's strikes.
"Kekekekekehaha! Brat! Is this all you've got?"
Shiki roared, his dual swords crackling with dark lightning, and his Conqueror's Haki poured into them. "If that's all, then it's me who will be sending you off!!"
Boom!
Even though he wielded two swords, the strike released an explosion-like effect, instantly knocking Ian back.
Without using the Destructive Fire, Ian was slightly overwhelmed by Mihawk's full-on effort.
Facing the stronger Shiki, he naturally found himself in an even more difficult situation.
But.
Ian flapped his wings to steady himself, his expression unreadable. He raised his Flame Sword and studied it closely.
He looked up and met Shiki's gaze. "Thank you, Shiki-san."
Shiki furrowed his brow. What is this kid trying to do?
In the next moment, Ian shot forward.
Shiki's pupils immediately constricted.
The golden Flame Sword now had a layer of pitch-black darkness covering it, and beyond this dark domineering aura, invisible waves of domineering energy began to spiral around it.
Finally, black lightning erupted, crackling and spreading.
"Oh!!"
Below, Shanks couldn't help but exclaim, "Ian can do that too?"
"No," Mihawk's expression was somewhat complex. "He's learned it."
He remembered when he had sparred with Ian.
But now, seeing Ian's progress, a sense of satisfaction suddenly filled him.
Clang!!
The Flame Sword collided with Shiki's twin swords—
No!
It wasn't a collision!
The three swords clashed in mid-air!
A small, pitch-black dot like a black hole danced in the air, erupting with countless bolts of black lightning.
A violent wind suddenly swept everything away.
"Huh?"
Even amidst his sorrow, Ace couldn't help but look up, then stared in disbelief. "It cracked again... the third time it's cracked."
The sky... had cracked open again.
**********
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