The moment Shiranami spoke, he vanished, leaving behind a long, crackling arc of lightning in his wake.
"HAHAHAHA! Bathe in blood, you filthy scum!"
At that moment, Shiryu's face twisted into a crazed grin as he brandished his sword Raigeki, cutting down prisoners left and right.
But then, he suddenly sensed a powerful and overwhelming force speeding toward him.
His eyes narrowed sharply. With a cold glare, he turned and slashed, unleashing a crimson wave of sword energy in Shiranami's direction. Along its path, more prisoners were shredded to pieces.
The strange thing was, the sword energy didn't fade. Instead, it absorbed the blood of those it killed, growing even stronger as it cut through.
More prisoners saw the scarlet wave barreling toward them and froze in terror. Some shut their eyes, as if surrendering to death, ready to be cleaved in half.
But then, at the brink of despair, a blinding silhouette descended like a god from the heavens.
The light was so intense that even those with their eyes closed winced at the flash.
BOOM!
In an instant,
The crimson slash collided with the figure.
The prisoners who had prepared themselves for death opened their eyes again, and were dumbfounded.
What… the hell just happened?
That was Shiryu's blade! And it was… stopped?
What kind of sick joke was this?
The figure, glowing with lightning, had walked straight into the slash without even raising a hand, just letting it crash into his body.
And the sword energy? Disintegrated. Shattered upon impact.
The crowd stood still.
Staring.
Worshipping.
The fear in their hearts was wiped away by that dazzling light.
Even the thought of escape was forgotten as their eyes followed that figure, walking toward Shiryu.
"Shiryu of the Rain. Your reputation clearly exceeds your strength. Is this the best you can do? And you still dare to slaughter like a mad dog?"
Shiryu's pupils shrank.
He had only used half his power in that strike, but even then, it shouldn't have been something so easily dismissed.
This man… was terrifying.
The moment demanded seriousness.
"Name yourself!" Shiryu barked. "Who the hell are you?!"
"The one who'll kill you, Shiranami Hakusei."
"Arrogant brat!"
Shiryu couldn't even remember the last time someone had dared speak to him like that.
With a flash, he appeared in front of Shiranami, Raigeki gleaming with cold light. Malice surged from the blade as he brought it down with a lethal, overhead slash.
The crowd gasped.
He wasn't moving? He's not even dodging?
"Kid's got a death wish!" an older pirate muttered.
"Yeah… sword energy and real blade strikes are two different beasts entirely."
"Besides, that sword is Raigeki. Some say it's one of the twelve Supreme Grade swords!"
Everyone shook their heads, ready to mourn Shiranami's foolishness.
But then, at the moment the blade was about to touch the tips of his hair,
Shiranami finally moved.
He raised one hand, black as iron and wrapped in electric light, and casually caught the blade in his palm.
The move was slow.
But it happened in the blink of an eye.
"Is this all?" Shiranami asked calmly.
"What?!"
"What?!"
First came Shiryu's gasp, followed by an echoing cry of disbelief from the crowd.
Barehanded blade catch?!
Holy hell…
This guy wasn't even taking Raigeki seriously?
Even if it wasn't confirmed to be one of the twelve Supreme Grade swords, it was at least one of the twenty-one Great Grade swords.
And he just… caught it?
No one could believe it.
Shiranami looked completely satisfied by the shock on their faces.
"Haha, the Third Raikage's lightning shield combined with the Pirate King's Armament Haki… what a glorious combo."
Shiryu gritted his teeth.
"This is impossible! You caught my strike with just your bare hand? No way! Even with Haki, that's not something anyone can just do!"
In Shiryu's mind, there was only one person who might have that kind of monstrous physique.
Beast Kaido.
"You… you…"
Shiryu's mouth hung open. The cigar in his lips slipped and hit the ground, rolling in the dust.
As if it signaled what was to come.
Disaster.
Shiranami gripped Raigeki tightly and smirked.
"Now… it's my turn."
The lightning around him surged violently, flooding into the blade.
Caught off guard, Shiryu was struck by an overwhelming surge of current. His body spasmed violently, flesh and bones flashing back and forth under the electric light.
In seconds, he was convulsing, foaming at the mouth. His eyes rolled back.
Shiranami's smile disappeared, replaced by chilling indifference.
A mass murderer like this…
He didn't deserve to live.
Better to kill him now than let him become a pawn of Blackbeard.
"This blade's not bad. I'll be taking it."
With the lightning retracted, he yanked Raigeki from Shiryu's limp hand.
Then,
Both lightning and Armament Haki swirled around the sword like twin cyclones.
Slash!
With one swift motion, Shiranami brought the blade down toward Shiryu's neck.
This wasn't a warning.
It was an execution.
Shiryu had no chance to respond. No time to react.
He felt a sharp pain in his neck, then the world spun.
The last thing he saw was the ground rising up to meet him.
His severed head thudded against the stone floor.
Thump, thump, thump.
Silence.
A hush fell across Level 3.
No sound.
Not even breathing.
It was as if time had frozen.
The prisoners were stunned, trapped in a kaleidoscope of shock.
That was… Shiryu of the Rain.
Everyone knew his name.
On paper, Magellan might've been the warden, but everyone knew who was truly feared in Impel Down.
Shiryu was a killing machine.
A monster.
A god of death.
And now…
This no-name kid, not even twenty years old, had just killed him in one strike?
That wasn't how this story was supposed to go!
Who was this guy?!
He moved faster than the eye could follow.
His body was a fortress of muscle and lightning.
His attacks were clean, decisive… merciless.
There were no words left to describe what they felt.
The figure before them, walking slowly away with Raigeki in hand, he looked like a god.
Lightning trailing around his frame, weapon glowing in his grasp,
A warrior descended from heaven.
Flying Thunder God.
That was the only title they could give him now.
"Flying Thunder God!"
A voice rang out, trembling with excitement.
"Flying Thunder God!"
"Flying Thunder God!"
"Flying Thunder God!"
One after another, the crowd joined in.
When their cells had opened, none of them actually thought escape was possible.
But now,
With someone like him leading the charge, their false hopes had ignited into real, blazing fire.
They believed.
They knew they had a chance.
Even though they were just chanting three simple words…
There was no mistaking it.
Their voices were filled with awe, belief, gratitude, and something more, devotion.
Shiranami casually slid Raigeki into a sheath. The mighty blade, said to thirst for blood, now trembled faintly, as if even the sword itself feared its new master.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter