Boom! Boom! Boom!
A massive explosion shook the battlefield, drawing everyone's attention.
Pirates standing on the edges of the floating island-ship watched as the Golden Lion distanced himself from his enemy, their faces filled with horror and disbelief.
"Shiki-sama! He's injured!"
"Impossible! There's no way Shiki-sama would retreat!"
"That man is too strong! If even Shiki-sama isn't his match, what chance do we have?!"
"Then you might as well die!"
A looming shadow enveloped the panicked pirates as Weevil, his eyes burning red with battle lust, swung his massive blade in a merciless arc.
Not even sparing a glance at the bodies he had just cut down, he turned his gaze toward the center of the battlefield and bellowed,
"Godfather! You're invincible!"
...
The heavy clouds above began to release their first droplets of rain.
The wind stirred, scattering debris across the battlefield.
A pair of purple-glowing wings fluttered as Doflamingo stepped forward, his very presence exuding an aura of unstoppable dominance. Like a fallen angel emerging from the depths of hell, he gazed mockingly at the wounded figure floating above.
"If this is all you've got, old man... then today marks your end."
Golden Lion Shiki's expression twisted in fury, his bloodshot eyes burning with unwillingness.
But the wound on his head throbbed painfully, the ship's helm embedded in his skull feeling like a living parasite burrowing deeper into his flesh. He wanted nothing more than to rip it out with his bare hands.
Fresh blood, drawn from forcing out his Conqueror's Haki, trickled down his forehead, across his eyelids, staining his already fearsome face with an even more savage look.
Death? Pain?
None of that would take his life!
"Gehahahaha! You arrogant brat! You think I'd die here?!"
With a crazed grin, Shiki spread his arms wide, his blood-soaked golden hair billowing unnaturally.
BOOM!
The entire battlefield trembled as the floating islands and even the sea itself converged toward Doflamingo's position.
This was the true power of the Float-Float Fruit's awakening—the ability to reshape the very world itself!
But could such an overwhelming attack halt Doflamingo's advance?
No.
Because Doflamingo's mastery of Haki had already reached the absolute pinnacle.
He stood among the world's strongest warriors.
His Conqueror's Haki-infused wings slashed through the oncoming destruction, cleaving everything in his path effortlessly!
Shiki's eyes widened in shock.
His vision blurred as Doflamingo's silhouette loomed over him.
"Let me help you out, Golden Lion!"
A fist.
A devastating fist.
It shattered through Shiki's defenses in an instant.
His frail Armament Haki provided almost no resistance.
The impact landed squarely on his head.
The once indestructible ship's helm, embedded in his skull, cracked and shattered into fragments.
THUD!
The sound was sickening, not like flesh meeting flesh, but something more metallic, more unnatural.
The right side of Shiki's face caved inward, exposing blood-soaked brain matter beneath.
His body shot downward like a meteor, crashing toward the battlefield below.
His vision was painted red, everything blurred beyond recognition.
A deafening ringing filled his ears, like the buzzing of ten thousand bees.
Blood poured from his mouth, nose, and the gaping wound in his skull, falling like torrential rain.
And yet, even in this state, Shiki refused to loosen his grip on his twin swords.
Instead, the fire in his eyes burned even brighter.
High above, Doflamingo hovered effortlessly, peering down at the battered legend with an expression of cruel amusement.
Despite suffering minimal injuries, he could tell—the old lion had lost his edge. Time and sickness had dulled his fangs.
Shiki had a chance to land a decisive blow earlier.
But he had let it slip away.
"How does it feel, Shiki? How does it feel to fall from the sky?"
"Gehahahaha! I feel great!"
Shiki steadied himself, glaring upward.
Through the crimson haze clouding his vision, he saw the rain trickling down Doflamingo's face, the faint shimmer of his wings reflecting the storm's light.
Above them, endless rain clouds stretched across the sky.
And within them, the face of a thunder god stared down, his golden hair shining brighter than any lightning bolt.
For the first time, curiosity flickered across Shiki's features.
"Gehahahaha! Tell me, brat… what are you after? My life? Glory?"
Fame? Intelligence? Rewards?
A thousand thoughts raced through Doflamingo's mind in an instant.
But none of them mattered most.
"The sky is too small. There's only room for one ruler."
Spreading his arms wide, Doflamingo grinned maniacally.
"Ever since I claimed my throne in the heavens, all threats have to be eliminated! Fuffuffuffuffu~"
"Sky Island?" Shiki raised an eyebrow. Even he had never been this tyrannical. Not even Whitebeard had crossed his mind as an obstacle to be removed.
"YES! There can be only one Flying Pirate! I've made up my mind—today, you die!"
The truth was, Shiki's Float-Float Fruit was too dangerous to be left in anyone else's hands.
Watching as the bleeding had slowed, Doflamingo's smirk widened.
"You should've had enough rest by now, old man."
"Gehahahaha! You cocky little bastard! You remind me of myself!"
Shiki's laughter erupted like thunder.
This brat… he really was something.
A surge of Conqueror's Haki exploded from him, demanding submission from everything around him.
Doflamingo finally understood what Diamante and Trebol had meant.
The sheer force of Shiki's Haki was overwhelming, an unstoppable force of will!
How could he back down from such a challenge?
BOOM!
The clash of their Haki split the heavens apart.
The very atmosphere trembled, and the storm clouds above shattered, momentarily revealing the sun.
Enel, hovering in the storm, felt the electricity in the clouds spiral out of control. Bolts of lightning rained down, crackling wildly across the battlefield.
With a grunt, Shiki withdrew his Haki and raised his twin swords—Sakura Ten and Kurobikari.
"Fuffuffuffuffu, Shiki, is that all your Conqueror's Haki can do?"
"Gehahahaha! Just don't die too quickly, Doflamingo!"
Without another word, Shiki rocketed skyward, charging headlong into battle once more.
Death? Pain?
What did any of that matter compared to defeat?
He was the Golden Lion, Shiki, the Flying Pirate!
Death had never been able to stop him!
"DOFLAMINGO!"
His twin swords crackled with black and red lightning.
The floating seawater and shattered islands above morphed into towering, blade-like constructs, saluting their king before streaking toward his foe.
Doflamingo grinned wildly, his excitement palpable.
"Fuffuffuffuffu! Now THIS is more like it!"
His body expanded slightly under the effects of his Devil Fruit's awakened form.
The glow of his wings intensified, radiating a lethal light.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Feathers shot from his wings like bullets, intercepting the incoming storm of blades.
Then, his wings shifted.
Tiny vents formed at their base, glowing ominously.
A surge of Armament Haki erupted outward, fueling their propulsion.
"Golden Lion! End your life as a loser!"