Michael had to admit, his first reaction upon seeing Shiki was sheer bewilderment.
Logically speaking, the current Shiki should have cut off his own legs and used his two great swords, Oto and Kogarashi, as prosthetics...
And around this time, he should also have been mentally unstable, bordering on dementia, thanks to the ship's rudder embedded in his skull.
Yet here was Shiki, limbs intact, eyes sharp and clear, not resembling a senile old man in the slightest...
In fact, he looked no different from the Shiki who had once single-handedly sought to destroy the Marine Headquarters.
However...
Michael's surprise was fleeting.
Even if Shiki was still the same as he had been back then...
Michael was no longer the same Michael.
With that thought, Michael took two steps forward, blocking the entire Flying Pirates crew from entering Egghead's core area.
"Honestly, I sometimes find it strange..."
"Why do you old fossils always insist on making big waves in the world?"
"Wouldn't it be better to just quietly rule your little corners of the New World... and wait for me to wipe you out?"
"To rebuild a crew from scratch, I truly admire you... After all, not every aging pirate can reclaim their former ambition."
"But... what a pity you chose to make your comeback during my era."
As Michael spoke, his Wings trembled slightly behind him, scattering wisps of Holy light into the surrounding air that dissolved into pure white motes of radiance.
His entire being exuded such divine purity that one couldn't help but gaze longer.
Yet Shiki remained unfazed by Michael's imposing presence, his grin instead growing wilder with madness.
"Michael, you've never faced me at my peak... Back then, you only withstood the dying embers of my waning strength."
"You're undoubtedly powerful now, but I... am the Golden Lion!"
Shiki's booming laughter echoed in all directions.
Meanwhile, Michael seemed to sense something, raising his head warily to peer at the distant sky.
His Observation Haki... had collided with something extraordinary.
The Cloud layer blanketing the high heavens suddenly began swirling and dispersing...
The next moment, an enormous rock broke through the clouds, gradually revealing its full form.
Only then did Michael see clearly...
This was no mere giant boulder, but an entire archipelago.
A complete island ecosystem.
Through his Observation Haki, he could even sense the life force of animals inhabiting those islands.
Though the island's massive size made its movement appear slow, its actual speed was considerable.
Within moments, it had completely overshadowed Egghead Island.
"Is... is that some kind of specially made Sky Island?"
Stella and Crocodile, emerging a step later, looked up just in time to see the massive island chain.
"That's no Sky Island." Michael's lips twisted wryly, feeling his molars ache. "But this damn thing's way worse than any Sky Island."
Yet soon, that strange unease in Michael's heart settled.
All that remained was exhilaration at facing a worthy opponent.
Shiki's strength at his peak had never been in doubt.
Whether in Devil Fruit mastery, physical combat, Haki, or the most intangible battle instincts...
He was undoubtedly top-tier in every regard, ranking among the elite in any category.
As for Oda never mentioning Shiki possessing Conqueror's Haki... it went without saying this guy must have it.
If even Chin Jao had it, how could Shiki—who once rivaled Roger and Whitebeard—not?
In high-level battles, having advanced Haki makes all the difference.
Thus, peak Shiki was virtually the perfect warrior.
Otherwise, he couldn't have nearly defeated Roger during the Edd War.
His only flaw might be that all-consuming arrogance... though that was also his defining trait.
The only ones he'd ever regarded as equals were those of Roger and Whitebeard's caliber...
And now, apparently, Michael too.
"What's wrong? Surprised by my collection?" Shiki chuckled. "You're probably the only one here besides me who truly understands their purpose, aren't you?"
"Tsk, you still have a habit of picking up random things, old man." Michael's Wings fluttered slightly as he flew toward the floating island in the sky.
"Stella, Crocodile... I'll leave the rest to you."
"Just hold out until Rosinante and the others arrive. That's all."
"What do you take us for?" Crocodile sneered, stirring up a whirlwind of sand.
"I can send them all to hell by myself."
"Hahahaha! Michael! It really has to be you! After all these years, you're the only one who can get my blood pumping again!"
Shiki ignored Crocodile's threats and instead burst into laughter, activating the power of the Float-Float Fruit before soaring into the sky.
That bold, wild laughter...
He had laughed like this when facing Roger at Edd War.
And again after his prison break, during his final drink with Whitebeard in the New World.
But now, looking at Michael...
This young man actually made him recall the days when he clashed with Roger and Whitebeard!
Shiki and Michael ascended higher and higher, finally landing on the massive floating island.
"To be honest, Michael, you're the only one I've taken seriously since Roger and Whitebeard."
"All these years, I've watched your every move..."
"Former Grand Inspector of the Marines? Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army?"
"No, no, no, Michael. You've been blinded. You don't realize that freedom is the most precious thing on these seas!"
"Come! Michael! Join my Flying Pirates! With the two of us united, who on these seas could possibly stand in our way?"
Shiki's eyes gleamed with excitement and... a hint of nostalgia.
He remembered how, back then, he had similarly invited Roger to join his crew, to conquer the seas side by side!
He couldn't help but wonder...
If Roger had actually accepted his offer back then...
Would the world be a different place now?
But before he could indulge in his fantasy, Michael's cold snort cut him off.
"Your so-called 'freedom'? Save it."
"If what you imagine can be called freedom..."
"Then the freest beings in the world wouldn't be pirates or the Pirate King, but the stray dogs on the streets."
Shiki wasn't surprised by Michael's answer.
Just as he had known back then—Gol D. Roger, that man, would surely refuse him.
But even if he asked a million times, he would still ask again.
He was an old man, and old men loved reminiscing.
Now, he could only use this question, in his own way, to remember that man.
The captain of the Roger Pirates and the captain of the Flying Pirates.
One who faced death with composure before the world.
One who survived Impel Down to this day.
Boring...
Boring!
"Too boring!"
Shiki's hair and beard bristled as he suddenly roared.
Michael blinked, then said with disdain:
"Tsk, I knew that rudder must have messed with your brain..."
"What are you yelling for?"
"If your mind's unstable, let me stabilize it for you..."
"Just chop off the head and it'll stabilize, don't be afraid..."
"Pain is normal."
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