"Cling!"
The two figures crossed paths. Leno's body was covered in wounds, blood pouring down. Flying Slashes rampaged along the cuts, keeping them from healing quickly.
Leno's eyes blazed hotter—excited. From childhood till now, he had never fought with such all-out abandon. Battle! Fight! Kill or be killed! His blood boiled; hormones surged, goading him on—fight, keep fighting!
The Golden Lion looked at Leno, whose fighting spirit only climbed higher. His gaze trembled. Once, I was like this too—young, tireless, battling the heavens and earth, roaming the seas at will.
"Kid… what's your dream?"
"To be the strongest!" Leno's voice rang clear, eyes blazing. 'If I'm not the strongest, how can I live freely? How can I sail the world without chains? How can I marry my girls and live in peace?!'
"Jyahahahaha…" The Golden Lion froze, then burst into peals of laughter.
"Lion Menace: Govern Place Earth Coiling!"
"Useless, Shiki." Leno's blade flashed; several slashes shattered the charging earthen lion heads.
"Is that so?" A sly light flickered in Shiki's eyes. A massive sphere of seawater manifested above Leno and dropped in an instant, engulfing him whole.
"Jyahahaha … I admit your strength, brat—but this is the end of the line." Watching Leno trapped in seawater, Shiki crowed.
After a brief discomfort, Leno burst out of the sphere—leaving Shiki dumbfounded. "So this is a pirate: to win by any means—cunning, insidious, without scruple." Leno fixed his gaze on him. "Shiki, are you… done for?"
"You're not affected by seawater? ...Done for? I am the pirate admiral, the Golden Lion!" Shiki was bewildered, then furious.
"Now it's only just begun. Ready, brat?" Shiki dove—"shff, shff"—
"Lion Might—Cross Slash!" Two slashes crossed into an "X" and scythed toward Leno.
"Perfect—time to sample a legend's finest techniques!" Leno grinned savagely and charged straight into the crossing blades.
"Hey, hey, seriously? They've been fighting for a day and a night!"
"That kid's gotta be done—look at all those wounds!"
"I'll bet he drops within one stick of incense!"
Far off, pirate underlings clustered together, muttering as sparks burst with each clash, shockwaves battering their chests with terror.
"Pu-chi, pu-chi…" Indigo waddled up beside Scarlet, worry on his face. "At this intensity, I fear Boss Shiki's body won't hold. You know his headaches—they can't take this pounding."
Scarlet stiffened. He knew of Shiki's head pains—bad enough to send him writhing. And in recent years, the boss hadn't made any big moves. A sudden, titanic battle like this was a heavy burden.
Faces grave, they watched Shiki closely. Indigo added, "If things look wrong, we move in."
Scarlet didn't answer—he only nodded toward the battlefield.
"Ha… ha…" Leno panted, staring at Shiki not far away—he too was short of breath, eyes bloodshot.
"Shiki, you can't deny old age. Look at you—how miserable you are."
"Brat, you look worse than me! Still mouthing off? You're the one at your limit!" Shiki's eyes were red, his breathing rough.
"Don't kid yourself, Shiki. I know my body—do you know yours? Don't you see how far your power has fallen?" Leno taunted.
Shiki looked down at his hands—then threw his head back in wild laughter. "Jyahahahahaha … Jyahahahahaha! I really have gotten old—letting a snot-nosed kid look down on me."
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" With a sudden motion, he detached the two blades strapped to his legs. "I'm the Golden Lion who once ruled the world!"
"Thousand-Cut Valley!" Shff, shff, shff—
A rain of slashes howled in, blindingly fast!
Clang! Clang! Leno blocked as he retreated step by step under the storm.
Suddenly a deathly chill prickled his spine. Red light flickered in his eyes—he slipped aside in a flash.
"Shff!" KRAKOOM! A colossal slash split the spot where Leno had stood, blasting the ground apart. Shiki drifted down, looming from above.
"Not bad, brat—you saw the future!?"
Leno glared, cold sweat dripping. Close! Good thing I awakened Future Sight just now—or I was done for! He'd grown used to the rhythm of Shiki's twin Leg Swords; switching to twin handheld blades had spiked Shiki's speed and power—like fighting a different man.
"Brat, feel the true power of a great swordsman!"
"Perfect! Bring it on!" Leno's nerves were at their limit.
"Lion's Threat: Imperial Earth Bind!"
"Slash Wave!" Boom! Boom! Boom—
Leno dropped to one knee. A sword gouge carved from his left chest across his left arm—if not for his recent breakthrough in physique and the Armament Haki covering him, that one strike would've put him down for good.
The current situation was a desperate life-or-death moment. Suddenly, Leno stood up, his eyes turning calm. He calmly and quickly charged at Shiki, swinging his sword faster and faster.
The "clang" of swords colliding and the "swoosh" of flesh being sliced echoed continuously. With his Observation Haki and Armament Haki at full power, Leno fought like a madman! The sparks from their clashing swords reflected on Leno's "calm" face—a face that was serene in combat and calm in a killing frenzy! He swung his sword, swung his sword, and never stopped swinging!
Shiki's face shone with rapture; twin swords flashed like lightning. Blood spattered his face—some Leno's, some his own. Sparks danced over scarlet as his lips curled—the look of an Asura born.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Explosions roared across the island. Low hills crumbled; forests were razed; the earth split. The terrifying aftershocks shredded everything nearby.
Driven back to the floating island's edge, the pirates stared in horror at the distant shockwaves.
"Th-th-this…"
"Don't tell me they were just warming up before—this is the real fight?!"
"Hey, hey, hey, are you serious? If they keep fighting like this, isn't the island going to fall?"
"This is too terrifying!"
"Boom!" Leno was sent flying backward, his face covered in blood. His body was crisscrossed with sword wounds, his scales were broken, and one of his dragon horns was even broken off. He used his sword as a crutch and got back to his feet.
"Ha... ha..." Leno panted heavily, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Ha... ha..." Shiki was also panting heavily, his body covered in sword wounds. His cloak was nothing but bloodstained rags hanging from his body.
"Jyahahaha—cough, cough—haha!"
"This feels great! What a thrill!" Shiki was laughing loudly when his body suddenly stiffened. He then dropped both of his swords, clutching his head and screaming!