Naval Headquarters — Marineford.
The war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy had reached its peak. The clash of these two titanic forces shook the very foundations of the world.
Yet, amidst the chaos of that all-out war, one battle stood out — a duel that drew every gaze on the battlefield.
It was the ultimate confrontation: the Marine Hero versus the strongest of the Four Emperors.
The sheer ferocity of their fight defied imagination. Each exchange was a collision of legends, the kind that reshaped the age itself.
And finally—
When the hero began to falter, the Navy's second legend could no longer remain still.
Marshal Sengoku, the Buddha of the Marines, joined forces with Garp the Hero — the two greatest pillars of the Navy standing side by side once more.
Their combined presence reignited the hopes of the Marine forces.
But before the battle could resume…
A sudden, unnatural change swept through the sky.
The battlefield fell silent as every soul — Marine, Pirate, and Revolutionary alike — turned their eyes upward.
Moments ago, the storm clouds that had blanketed Marineford were torn apart by the clash between Sugisawa Yuuto and Garp, revealing clear skies and bright sunlight.
Yet now…
Without warning, darkness fell once more.
A vast shadow loomed over Marineford, swallowing the entire island in gloom.
"What's that...?"
"Another cloud?"
No — not a cloud.
The thing casting that monstrous shadow wasn't vapor or smoke… it was land.
An island.
A floating island large enough to cover all of Marineford.
The entire battlefield erupted in horrified uproar.
"W-What the hell is that?!"
"An island—an island in the sky?!"
"How can something so huge float like that?!"
"This is bad! If that thing falls—Marineford will be destroyed!!!"
"Our headquarters… will be wiped out!"
Both Marines and Pirates screamed in disbelief, their faces pale under the growing shadow. Even battle-hardened soldiers felt their hearts seize in terror.
"What's going on?!"
"This can't be happening again!"
"Who's behind this now?!"
Lindbergh, Murray, and Callas — commanders of the Revolutionary Army — stared upward with grim expressions.
"A Sky Island…?" cried Straw Hat Luffy in shock. "Why is there a Sky Island here?!"
"This isn't a natural one," said Sabo, his tone tense. "It's man-made… and if it's man-made, there's only one person in history who could do something like this."
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed. "So the rumors were true…"
The sky itself split with a blinding streak of gold light.
"That floating island…" Marco muttered, his eyes wide. "Could it be—?"
"But it's been decades! Why would that man appear now of all times?" Joz and Vista turned toward their captain.
Whitebeard let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "Gurararara! That old lion's been hiding all these years… and now he decides to show himself."
He of all people recognized that power — the power to make the islands themselves soar. They had crossed blades long ago, countless times.
Even the Marine legends, Sengoku and Garp, felt their faces harden. They too knew who had arrived.
"Shiki…" Sengoku's voice trembled with both anger and dread. "You bastard. What are you plotting now?"
"Jie-hahahahaha!!!"
A booming, wild laugh rolled down from above.
Under the shattered light of the sky, a figure leapt down from the floating island — his golden mane flowing like a lion's, his presence burning into every heart on the battlefield.
The man landed with thunderous force, standing tall and unbending, eyes sharp as blades.
Gasps and screams spread through Marineford.
"T-That man—!"
"It can't be—!!!"
"There's no mistake! He's—he's—!!!"
"The Flying Pirate! The legend of the previous era, rival of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard himself—Golden Lion Shiki!!!"
A roar of disbelief erupted across the battlefield.
"WHAT?!"
"The Golden Lion?! That's impossible!"
"The only man to ever escape from Impel Down… that was over twenty years ago! I thought he was dead!"
"Why is he here now?!"
"This is the worst possible timing!!!"
The Marines stood frozen, their confidence cracking.
If it had only been the Whitebeard Pirates, they could have endured. Even with Sugisawa Yuuto and Rayleigh joining the fray, Sengoku and Garp's combined strength made victory seem possible.
But now—
A third legend had entered the battlefield.
One who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger and Whitebeard.
Twenty-two years ago, the Golden Lion had single-handedly stormed Marineford. The memory of that day — when one man nearly destroyed the entire Navy — still haunted their veterans.
Back then, only the combined might of Sengoku and Garp had managed to subdue that raging lion.
And now… he had returned.
"The Golden Lion…" Vice Admiral Tsuru murmured, her sharp eyes narrowing as she looked from Shiki to Sugisawa Yuuto.
Her expression grew thoughtful, a trace of unease flashing across her face.
"Could it be… that the Golden Lion has joined Fairy Tail?" she whispered.
"Jie-hahahahaha!!!"
Golden Lion Shiki threw his head back in laughter, his voice echoing like thunder across the battlefield.
After two decades of disappearance, this was his grand re-entry — the perfect, dramatic return he had dreamed of.
"Sengoku! Garp!" he roared, grinning wildly. "You two old dogs haven't changed a bit! Still ganging up when you can't win one-on-one, huh?"
His tone shifted, cold and sharp.
"But even if you join forces…"
He spread his arms wide, power swirling around him like a storm.
"…it's useless. All of it. Because you've already provoked the true king of this world!!!"