The coldness in Michael's eyes intensified.
Regarding Shiki, he had always felt both admiration and disgust.
His admiration lay in the man's unwavering belief in strength.
His disgust stemmed from Shiki being a pure pirate.
His purity far surpassed even Roger and Whitebeard.
From beginning to end, Shiki never had so-called "ideals"—he simply reveled in the thrill of slaughter on the high seas.
"Spouting nonsense about pirates... yet that didn't stop you from cozying up to the World Government, did it?" Michael lifted his gaze to Shiki.
"Talking about pirates... now you're nothing but a lapdog of the World Government."
"Say what you will." Shiki shook his head, then slowly drew Oto and Kogarashi.
The two short broadswords that had accompanied him for a lifetime emitted a resonant hum, as if sharing their master's excitement for another true battle against a strong opponent.
"Michael, now that I'm no longer hindered by my broken legs or the helm... I hope you're truly as strong as the rumors say. Otherwise... I might not be able to enjoy myself fully."
"Quite the boast, you old lion..." Michael shook his head, gripping Morning Star tightly. "If you're already this old, why not crawl off to some corner and retire!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Michael charged straight at Shiki.
The preemptive strike at super high speed didn't fluster the experienced Shiki.
He calmly retreated two body lengths while simultaneously swinging Oto and Kogarashi...
"Slash Wave!"
A massive cross-shaped "X" of sword energy surged toward Michael.
On the open sea, this single slash could cleave through a hundred kilometers of water.
As Shiki's signature sword technique, countless had fallen to this move...
But Michael certainly wasn't among them.
"Starlight Sigil Slash!"
Holy Flame and Armament Haki simultaneously enveloped Morning Star as a pure white slash tinged with violet-black edges shot forth, colliding violently with Shiki's Slash Wave.
Instantly, the point of impact was carved with deep fissures by their attacks.
Michael frowned...
Was this really Shiki at his peak?
He was undoubtedly strong, but...
Something felt off.
That last slash definitely wasn't Shiki's full power.
His own attack had merely been a probing strike, yet it had cleanly severed Shiki's Slash Wave?
This wasn't the level of strength one would expect from someone on par with Whitebeard.
"You... should get serious now, old man." Michael glanced at Morning Star before looking up.
"I truly intend to kill you here."
"Oh, I know your intentions, brat. Your killing intent has been sky-high from the start." Shiki chuckled.
But within that laughter, Michael detected a trace of dissatisfaction.
This faint dissatisfaction puzzled him.
Yet... in battle, Michael wouldn't give Shiki any openings.
After the first slash collision, Michael maintained his speed, pressing the assault against Shiki.
Shiki let out a hearty laugh as he effortlessly parried each of Michael's slashes.
Physical strength—no issue.
The use of Armament Haki—no issue either.
Every movement and action perfectly met the standard of a true powerhouse...
Yet Michael remained unsatisfied.
After another clash, Michael used the momentum to leap back.
"Oh? What's this? Giving up already?" Shiki raised an eyebrow but didn't seize the opportunity to pursue.
"No. Just as you said," Michael sighed before continuing, "This is too dull."
Michael's words instantly ignited a surge of anger in Shiki, whose face had been brimming with laughter just moments ago.
The wild aura around him intensified, his killing intent steadily rising.
"You... can you still use Conqueror's Haki now?" Michael showed no excitement, tilting his head slightly with a questioning tone.
"Are you truly no longer affected by that thing on your head?"
Michael's question pierced Shiki's chest like a blade sharper than the Morning Star.
Raising his head, the lion-like eyes revealed a long-suppressed dissatisfaction that now broke free, gushing forth.
It was dissatisfaction toward Roger—for his betrayal.
It was dissatisfaction toward Michael—for blocking his assault back then...
But most of all, it was dissatisfaction toward himself, toward the relentless passage of time.
Time spares no one, never granting a single soul any favor.
It is the fairest force in the world...
And also the cruelest.
The tides of the era rise and fall, one after another...
The speed at which the world's strongest are replaced only accelerates, each new wave surpassing the last.
Whether it's Shiki, Roger, or Whitebeard—no matter who they are...
Their strength is undeniable.
But in the flow of time, in the shifting tides of the era, they are but a drop in the ocean.
After his prison break, he had intended to remind the world what a true great pirate was!
Yet it wasn't until recently, with the "help" of the World Government, that he regained a new lease on life.
This... filled him with utter self-loathing.
He even began to feel that his current self, his so-called "New Flying Pirate Crew," was almost a joke.
Especially when facing Michael, the true pinnacle of strength today, Shiki couldn't help but sneer in disdain and mockery.
Not at Michael—but at himself.
"You're right." Shiki exhaled deeply.
"The World Government may have healed my legs and minimized the damage from this thing," he tapped the helm embedded in his skull.
"but... how could it ever be completely negated? As long as this remains, I... will never climb back to my peak."
"But... I've had enough."
"The feeling of barely clinging to life... I never want to experience it again."
Shiki lifted his head.
He was done with time's cruelty.
Done with others standing above him, issuing commands.
And done with being powerless, crushed into dust beneath the relentless wheels of progress!
Michael's eye twitched slightly...
He sensed something unusual.
Sure enough, the next moment, Shiki suspended Oto and Kogarashi midair, gripping the ship's helm embedded in his skull with both hands.
Then with a mighty pull...
Amidst a furious roar, he violently wrenched it free from his head!
Instantly, blood sprayed everywhere!
But...
"BOOM!"
The Conqueror's Haki that had long existed within Shiki but been suppressed by his injuries now awakened completely as the helm was removed.
Terrifying Conqueror's Haki swept across the entire sky.
Shiki alone made heaven and earth change colors.
Shiki looked at Michael's expression and smiled in satisfaction.
"This... is the real me."
"This... is Golden Lion!"
"Michael, let's begin round two."