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"Kaido?" Ayr raised his brows slightly.
The Golden Lion would not go to Wano Country to find Kaido without reason. After all, the two had barely interacted before, and even during the Rocks era, Kaido had been a rising junior rather than a close ally of Shiki.
Such an abnormal move was truly intriguing.
"Lord Ayr, according to our initial guess, the two... may have formed an alliance!" A pirate reported respectfully.
"Oh?" Ayr's gaze sharpened slightly.
This possibility had crossed Ayr's mind as well.
After all, a man like the Golden Lion, Shiki, had always harbored ambitions of world domination. Every move he made across the seas was carefully crafted toward that goal.
Invading Wano and making an enemy of Kaido would serve no benefit to Shiki unless he was confident of overwhelming strength â or unless he sought Kaido's cooperation.
The most reasonable explanation was that the Golden Lion intended to recruit Kaido â to form an alliance, bolstering his forces with the future "Strongest Creature" to pave the way for future conquest!
As for whether they had truly succeeded... Ayr had no exact confirmation yet.
However, judging by Shiki's greed and Kaido's love of strength, the likelihood of an alliance forming was extremely high!
"Where are those Flying Sky Pirates now?" Ayr asked, voice calm but carrying a subtle pressure of Conqueror's Haki that rippled faintly through the deck.
Regardless of whether Golden Lion had allied with Kaido, he needed to personally meet Shiki â and resolve this matter thoroughly.
"According to the latest intelligence from our 767 units, the Flying Sky Pirates were recently spotted over the Atvor Sea!"
"Oh?"
Ayr immediately recalled: the Flying Sky Pirates and the Roger Pirates had once clashed famously in the Atvor Sea â a historical battle that had shaken the seas decades ago!
That battle had become a world-renowned event among pirates, cited alongside the battle of God Valley.
"Prepare a ship for me. I must depart immediately," Ayr ordered without hesitation.
If the Flying Sky Pirates were again moving through the Atvor Sea...
Then it was very possible that another clash between Shiki and Roger was imminent!
Ayr needed to reach the area as soon as possible â not only to assist Roger, but to confront Shiki himself and finish what began at DeRosta.
"Yes, Lord Ayr!" the pirates responded, quickly scattering to make preparations.
Meanwhile, Ayr opened his personal status panel:
---
Host: Ayr
Abilities:
Armament Haki (2500/4000)
Observation Haki (2500/4000)
Conqueror's Haki (MAX)
Special Ability: Sage Body (MAX)
Swordsmanship: Great Swordsman
Special Ability: Fairy Eye (6600/7000) (Current Stage: Mid-Term)
(Unlocked Abilities: Complete Body Susanoo, Tengai Shinsei, Shinra Tensei, BanshĆ Ten'in)
(Note: Upon full progress, additional Sage Eye abilities will unlock, and a Special Lottery will be triggered.)
Tailed Beast Powers:
Nine Tails:
Tailed Beast Bomb (Unlocked)
Full Tailed Beast Transformation (Unlocked)
Kurama Chakra Mode (Unlocked)
Complete Kurama Mode (Unlocked)
Ten Tails: Jinchƫriki Status (Unlock Pending)
Additional Abilities:
Wood Style
Sage Mode
Rasengan (Recovered and Integrated into Battle System)
HadĆ (Soul Arts Energy â Recently Acquired)
---
It was clear that after the Holy Land Mariejois battle, Ayr had made remarkable strides, especially in the evolution of his Fairy Eye.
Now, its progression had reached 6600 points!
If he could battle strong foes like the Golden Lion and his commanders this time, Ayr was confident his Fairy Eye progress would surge by several hundred points!
Perhaps he wouldn't immediately break into the Late Stage... but he would close the gap significantly!
Moreover, Ayr had recently unlocked HadĆ â a destructive soul-energy-based attack, stemming from principles somewhat akin to pure chakra control fused with spiritual force.
Although he had only briefly tested it against lesser pirates, Ayr had yet to fully unleash HadĆ's might against a true powerhouse like Shiki.
This upcoming confrontation would be the perfect opportunity.
---
Several days later â
In the Atvor Sea â
The sky was cloaked in thick black clouds. Thunder rumbled endlessly, and flashes of lightning tore jagged scars across the sky. Rain pelted down like countless silver needles.
The sea itself was restless, surging and heaving with chaotic waves.
From time to time, massive Sea Kings surfaced amidst the storms, their colossal bodies thrashing against the tide and the fury of nature.
Amidst the tempest, a colossal ship cut through the raging waters with unparalleled tenacity.
It was none other than the Oro Jackson, ship of the Roger Pirates.
Shanks stood on the deck, rain pouring down his crimson hair and soaking his coat, as he stared grimly at the storm-wracked heavens.
"The weather today is brutal," he muttered under his breath.
"Hahaha! The New World's weather has always been like this!" Roger roared with laughter at the bow of the ship, standing boldly against the furious storm.
Indeed, the seas of the New World were notorious for their ever-changing, lethal conditions.
Roger had long since grown accustomed to it.
Suddenly, the pirate at the helm shouted loudly through the downpour.
"Captain Roger! Multiple giant Sea Kings surfacing below! They're gathering around the ship!"
The Atvor Sea wasn't only infamous for its storms â it was a prime nesting ground for some of the largest and most aggressive Sea Kings in the world.
Standing in the torrential rain, Roger tightened his grip on Ace â his treasured saber â his spirit burning brightly despite the dark weather.
"This group of Sea Kings is already troublesome. They're hammering the ship's hull," Jabba said, wiping rain from his forehead in frustration.
"If it were just Sea Kings, it would be manageable. But hopefully, we don't encounter anything worse," Rayleigh added calmly, arms folded, Conqueror's Haki quietly suppressing the beasts' aggression to some degree.
Howeverâ
Just as Rayleigh finished speaking, a loud, unmistakable laugh cracked through the roaring winds:
"Jihahaha! Long time no see, Roger!!!"
At the sound of that laugh, Roger, Rayleigh, and Jabba immediately froze, their eyes widening in recognition.
Above them â emerging from the black clouds â dozens of massive pirate ships were descending.
They weren't falling â they were floating.
Propelled unnaturally by an invisible force, as if the storm itself were holding them aloft.
This was the might of the Lion-Lion Fruit: the Golden Lion Shiki's unique power that could grant flight to non-living objects and even entire fleets!
Shiki had kept his armada airborne, hiding within the storms â lying in wait for the Roger Pirates.
Now, the moment had come.
"Shiki?" Roger muttered, pushing the wet brim of his hat up with one hand.
"Damn it, Rayleigh! You cursed us!" Jabba grumbled bitterly.
Rayleigh had just hoped for a disaster-free voyage â only for the Flying Sky Pirates to materialize out of thin air.
"Why are Shiki's forces here?" Rayleigh said sharply, the gleam in his eyes sharpening like drawn steel.
Previously, they had dispatched Ayr to confront the Golden Lion at DeRosta. Given Ayr's overwhelming power â enough to match or defeat even Rocks D. Xebec's lieutenants â Shiki should have already been dealt with!
Why, then, had he reappeared with such a massive fleet?
Could it be... Ayr had failed?
No â impossible.
Ayr's monstrous strength â with his Sage Body, Fairy Eye, Conqueror's Haki, Wood Style, and Nine Tails power â should have crushed Golden Lion without difficulty!
"Shiki... you must have encountered Ayr before this," Roger said lowly, his expression grave.
Roger believed in Ayr's abilities absolutely.
But Shiki's current posture â high above, leading an aerial fleet amid the storms â suggested something strange had occurred.
Had Shiki escaped?
Had Kaido's interference changed the course of events?
Had some unknown factor delayed Ayr?
Regardless, there was no backing down now.
Another great battle was inevitable.
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