"Damn it!" Marco cursed under his breath.
In a flash of brilliant blue flame, he transformed into his majestic Phoenix form, wings spreading wide as he shot into the sky to intercept the Golden Lion.
But before he could get close, a storm of shimmering sword slashes surged down toward him. Forced to evade, Marco barely avoided the deadly cuts that sliced through the air like lightning.
"It's not that easy to stop me! Go!" Golden Lion Shiki roared furiously from above.
At his command, the sky darkened as tons of seawater levitated upward, then plummeted toward the Moby Dick like a colossal tidal wave.
The pirates aboard Whitebeard's flagship widened their eyes in horror. Many of them—Doflamingo, Boa Hancock, Whitebeard, Jozu, and others—were Devil Fruit users, and the sea was their natural enemy.
Now, with seawater surging from the heavens itself, the Moby Dick was moments away from being engulfed!
"Damn it, that bastard's ability is troublesome!" Whitebeard growled, gripping his bisento. "We shouldn't be fighting him in the open sea!"
Even with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Whitebeard couldn't simply neutralize Shiki's ability to manipulate seawater. If they were on land or within Shiki's territory, it wouldn't have mattered—Whitebeard could unleash his power freely, even if it tore the island apart.
But here, on his own ship, one careless attack could destroy the Moby Dick itself. The old man clenched his jaw in frustration.
Then, just as the massive wall of seawater was about to crash down—
A flash of blinding white light split through the sky.
An instant later, a wave of biting cold swept across the battlefield. The surging sea froze midair, turning into solid ice that glittered in the sunlight like crystal.
The air turned frigid, as though winter itself had arrived in an instant. The crew shivered, their breath visible in the sudden chill.
Doflamingo blinked, his trademark grin twitching. "That freezing ability... it's even stronger than Aokiji's."
Empress Hancock clasped her hands together, her eyes shining as she stared toward the source. "Was that Ashveil? As expected of Ashveil-kun!!"
From above, Shiki's cigar slipped from his lips, his pupils contracting in disbelief.
"What the hell...?" he muttered. The enormous waves he'd created were completely frozen—he hadn't even sensed when it happened.
His eyes darted toward the deck of the Moby Dick, where a lone figure had appeared.
A young man stood there wearing loose clothes and a pair of slippers, his hair slightly messy, his expression half asleep.
"Could that... be Thorne Ashveil?" Shiki frowned. "He doesn't look like much..."
Deciding to test him, the Golden Lion began gathering power once again, both swords—Sakura Ten and Deadwood—glowing faintly as he prepared another technique.
But before he could even swing—
A crushing, invisible force pressed down from above.
Shiki's breath caught in his throat as the air around him grew heavy, his body trembling uncontrollably. The next moment, he plummeted like a stone, his Float-Float Fruit suddenly useless.
His wide eyes reflected utter disbelief. "You've got to be kidding... my ability... it's not working?!"
Realization struck him like a thunderbolt. No, it wasn't that his power had vanished—he was being suppressed by something far greater.
Conqueror's Haki.
An overwhelming, suffocating willpower that crushed him completely. The rumors had been true all along—Ashveil's Haki was monstrous, unlike anything else in this world.
With a thunderous crash, Shiki smashed through the deck of the Moby Dick, leaving a human-shaped crater.
"Seriously," Ashveil muttered, rubbing his temples, "is it really that hard for me to get some sleep?"
Even with cotton stuffed in his ears, he could feel the ship shaking while he tried to rest. He had already been woken up several times today—and now, his patience had finally run out.
He had only stepped out to deal with whoever was causing the disturbance… and of course, it turned out to be Golden Lion Shiki himself. The massive waves that had blocked out the sun were the final straw.
Still half-asleep, Ashveil had unleashed his Conqueror's Haki without hesitation, pinning the Golden Lion straight into the deck.
Below, Shiki coughed up a mouthful of blood, struggling to climb back out of the hole. His hair was disheveled, his pride even more battered.
The surrounding pirates stared in awe. The difference in power was beyond comprehension. Moments ago, they had all struggled against Shiki together—and yet Ashveil had defeated him in a single move.
Ashveil yawned, glaring at the battered pirate.
"Tell me, was it you who used your ability to shake the whole ship?" His voice was low, irritated. "I swear, it's impossible to get any sleep these days... and now even you, Golden Lion, have to show up and ruin it?"
The corner of Marco's lips twitched, and Hancock covered her mouth to stifle a smile. In truth, they all felt a little sorry for Shiki—after all, he'd become the unfortunate outlet for Ashveil's morning temper.
And yet, instead of anger, Golden Lion suddenly began to laugh.
"Shihihihi! You're really something, Thorne Ashveil! I heard you destroyed Marineford. At first, I thought it was an exaggeration—but now I believe it. Your strength is... extraordinary!"
Shiki's grin widened as his golden mane fluttered in the sea breeze. "Only someone like you is worthy to stand beside me! Hahaha!"
Ever since Roger's death, Golden Lion Shiki had been searching for powerful allies—someone who could help him overthrow the world. And now, he had found one.
"Defeating Marineford is nothing," he declared boldly. "Join forces with me, Ashveil! Together, we'll bring this world to its knees! From now on, everything will belong to us!"
Whitebeard's brow furrowed deeply. He understood now.
So that was it—after disappearing for so long, Golden Lion Shiki had been secretly plotting a grand rebellion...
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