Chapter 35 – The Great Swordsman
The instant Golden Lion Shiki's voice thundered through the air, the world shifted.
Overhead, the sky above the shattered island was swallowed by rolling, ominous clouds, as if the heavens themselves were responding to the force awakening below.
The air vibrated, and from Shiki's body burst an unseen storm—waves of raw, crushing pressure that slammed into every living being within range, threatening to tear their souls straight from their bodies.
Dark-purple lightning crackled from Shiki's frame. This was no ordinary lightning. It was the tangible form of Haoshoku no Haki—Conqueror's Haki. A power reserved only for those born with the will to stand above all others.
Even Tachibana Kyūjō—whose mind had carried the weight of three lifetimes, whose will and spirit had been tempered countless times—was forced to retreat several steps under the sheer spiritual assault.
The air itself felt heavy. Every breath Kyūjō took was laden with invisible mental pressure pressing down on him.
And the closer he moved toward Shiki, the more overwhelming that pressure became. It was as if the very world rejected his presence.
But it wasn't that Shiki's will or spirit was inherently stronger than his.
The truth was simpler.
Haoshoku Haki was a spiritual strike—a manifestation of the will to dominate.
Kyūjō simply hadn't awakened it yet.
All he could do was endure, resisting this pressure with nothing but his own mental fortitude. Like a man who could withstand a blow from a weaker opponent… yet had no idea how to strike back.
And to even begin learning this power, one requirement had to be met: To Be Born a King.
— — —
Kyūjō had never been sure he possessed the so-called "Qualities of a King."
Ambition? It had never truly taken root in him.
He loved the path of strength—but not out of a desire to rule over others.
He loved mastery. He loved the beauty of technique. He loved understanding the body and the world.
But to trample others beneath his feet? To stand alone at the peak of the world?
That was never his dream.
And because of that, deep down, Kyūjō doubted… whether he was worthy of awakening his own Haoshoku.
Yet that thought vanished in an instant.
Through his sharpened perception, Kyūjō saw something that made his pupils narrow sharply.
There it was—the advanced application of Haoshoku Haki.
Infusion.
The ability to coat one's body and weapons with Conqueror's Haki, turning every strike into the embodiment of an unyielding will.
Shiki could do it.
Of course he could.
As a man who once stood shoulder to shoulder with the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, how could he not?
Memories of Garp's fist—one that had once driven through his body—flashed through his mind. That unbearable pain that burned straight to the bone.
But unlike that time…
Now, Shiki was using this technique at full strength. Without mercy. Without restraint.
Even though Kyūjō believed death was never truly the end, his body responded with the oldest instinct of life—fear.
Cold sweat trailed down his temples. Muscles tightened. His heartbeat pounded faster.
His body… trembled.
It wasn't weakness. It was instinct—an honest, primal reaction to the presence of mortal danger.
— — —
And yet, within that crushing pressure…
Kyūjō slowly raised his hand, pulling something from the small pouch at his waist.
A fruit, green as emerald.
Its skin shimmered with a mysterious swirling pattern—gentle waves etched like celestial circuitry.
A Devil Fruit.
More precisely, the Goro Goro no Mi—the Thunder Fruit. One of the most feared Logias, said to grant its user the power of a god on earth.
He had found it long ago in Skypiea, hidden deep within the ancient ruins of Bika.
Since then, Kyūjō had kept it as his final trump card—for moments like this, when life and death balanced on the thinnest thread.
In countless simulations within his Infinity system, he had seen it: if he ate this fruit, he could survive.
He could turn into lightning, untouchable, and escape.
And when Shiki exhausted himself, he could strike back.
But… was that truly what he wanted?
— — —
Lightning gathered at Shiki's feet. His twin blades, Oto and Kogarashi, were wreathed in black-violet lightning—the fusion of Conqueror's and Armament Haki.
It felt as though the sky itself shuddered with every step he took.
Shiki gritted his teeth through the pounding pain in his head, forcing the long-dormant power to awaken again.
But he knew.
His body wasn't the same.
Once, this technique flowed naturally through him.
Now… everything felt rigid. Heavy.
Damn it. All because of that "rudder" lodged in his skull since the day of disaster.
If not for this Navy brat pushing him this far, he might never have tried this again before his death.
"Shishi Odoshi: Royal Lion Armor!"
The Golden Lion roared without sound.
From the air, dozens of Haoshoku-infused slashes rained down, each one ripping through the sky like a thunder missile.
Every swing carried the will to end.
Every swing… was a decision to kill.
— — —
Kyūjō's Infinity perception and simulation roared to full power.
Every possible choice ran through his mind.
And once more… he knew.
If he ate the fruit, he could dodge it all.
He might even win.
But…
Would that victory mean anything?
If he relied on power from outside himself… how could he ever walk the true path of the sword?
No.
Kyūjō knew his answer.
Without hesitation, he smiled faintly.
And crushed the fruit in his hand.
The bright green flesh burst apart, scattering into the wind in fragments.
Kyūjō chose to trust.
Trust in his own strength.
Trust in the sword path he had walked all this time.
Trust that even thousands of techniques could never defeat a single true blade.
In his heart, he whispered one conviction:
"If someone still clings to borrowed strength… they will never reach the end of the sword's path."
The moment Kyūjō let go of that power, something else rose within him.
Awareness.
Understanding.
And in that instant…
It erupted.
Like waves breaking upon the shore.
Like thunder splitting the heavens.
An unseen aura—his own Haoshoku Haki—exploded from his body, surging in every direction.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Join my Patreon here:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ Enjoy 70+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ Get 2 new chapters every day exclusively on Patreon
✅ Be the first to enjoy the new 3rd arc after One Piece before anyone else
Join my Ko-fi here:
🔗 ko-fi.com/faaanzkun
Let's keep this adventure alive, together chapter by chapter! 💖
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —