Over twenty years ago, the world knew Golden Lion Shiki as the "Flying Pirate," famed for his legendary airborne fleet.
At the time, his flying armada was arguably the most powerful pirate force since the era of the Rocks Pirates.
As long as there were no storms, the ability granted by the Float-Float Fruit made his fleet of dozens of pirate ships nearly invincible.
Imagine it—
Dozens of ships hovering in the sky, relentlessly bombarding enemy vessels from above, while the enemy's cannons could not even reach them.
This overwhelming advantage in positioning was precisely what made Shiki's flying fleet so terrifying.
Of course,
While incredibly powerful, the fleet's inability to withstand hurricanes was a fatal flaw.
This made Shiki's decision to lead his grand fleet into battle against Roger during the infamous Edd War—amidst a raging storm—all the more baffling.
It was as if he deliberately chose to walk a treacherous, muddy path instead of a clear road, only to slip and fall face-first.
But now, perhaps Shiki should count himself lucky that his greatest counter resides within the Revolutionary Army rather than the Marines he currently seeks to destroy.
"Jihahahaha!"
As shadows engulfed Marineford, Shiki's wild laughter echoed through the skies.
After more than two decades, the world once again bore witness to the might of the Flying Fleet.
This awe-inspiring sight was broadcast worldwide.
Veteran journalists who had lived through Shiki's reign suddenly went pale as old memories of terror resurfaced. Some were so shaken that their pens and notebooks slipped from their grasp, unnoticed.
Panic quietly spread…
With Shiki's grand entrance, the course of the war became increasingly uncertain.
All the Marines watched him with grim expressions as he hovered in the air.
"Sengoku! The last 'gift' I gave your Marines was too mild. This time, I'll make it count! Jihahahaha!"
With arms outstretched, Shiki stood in the sky like a deity.
His confidence stemmed from the fleet of pirate ships and the five floating islands looming behind him—each teeming with fierce creatures.
His words sent a chill down the spines of every Marine present.
"..."
Sengoku looked up at Shiki, his gaze shifting momentarily to the five islands, each nearly as large as Marineford itself. His expression darkened.
If those islands were to crash into Marineford, the consequences would be catastrophic.
This was the most troublesome aspect of the Float-Float Fruit.
Fortunately…
Sengoku quickly glanced at Fujitora, who was using his gravitational powers to suppress Marco.
Although Fujitora couldn't pull down objects imbued with the Float-Float ability, he could keep them suspended in midair.
In other words, even if Shiki deactivated his power and let the islands plummet, Fujitora could stop them mid-fall.
The only question was… could Fujitora handle five islands at once?
Sensing Sengoku's concern, Fujitora let out a contemplative hum.
Holding up five islands simultaneously…
He had never attempted such a feat before, so there were no guarantees.
But no matter what, he had to do everything in his power to neutralize this impending disaster.
After a brief exchange, Shiki wasted no time.
First, he ordered his fleet to detach the massive iron chains binding the islands to the ships. Then, without hesitation, he released his Float-Float power from the islands.
In an instant, under the Marines' horrified gazes, the five islands—stripped of their buoyancy—began plummeting toward the ground.
Shadows blanketed the battlefield, swallowing everything beneath them.
"Run for your lives!"
Someone instinctively screamed.
But no one moved.
Run?
Where could they possibly run?
Most Marines stood frozen, their expressions a mixture of terror and despair.
Hurling entire islands like bombs—was this even something a human could do?
Beneath the execution platform—
Garp's fists clenched, veins bulging along his temples. "That bastard Shiki… He really will do anything."
Tsuru, gazing up at the descending islands, sighed. "The bigger problem is the fleet he brought with him."
Her sharp eyes scanned each pirate flag among the flying fleet, instantly recalling information about each crew.
"All these pirates have made a name for themselves. For them to rally under Shiki's banner in such a short time… He must have made them quite the promise."
Compared to the five falling islands that could sink Marineford, Tsuru was more concerned about the sheer manpower backing Shiki's fleet.
"The islands are the bigger issue, aren't they?"
Garp muttered under his breath, glancing at Tsuru's worried expression.
She heard him but said nothing, simply keeping her gaze fixed on the islands.
She trusted Fujitora.
Meanwhile, in the harbor—
"Oi, oi! Does he plan to drop those things on us too?!"
Pirates aboard the Moby Dick's backup ships looked up in shock.
The islands' shadows stretched over half the harbor.
Which meant—they were all within the impact zone.
"Man the ships! We're pulling back to the harbor entrance—quickly!"
Whitebeard's eyes flashed with understanding as he barked out orders.
"Got it!"
The pirates swiftly mobilized.
"Captain Marco is still in the plaza…"
One crew member hesitated.
If they retreated too far, they wouldn't be able to assist Marco in time, leaving him isolated.
"Trust him."
Whitebeard's voice left no room for argument.
As the pirates adjusted their positions, Fujitora made his move, drawing his cane-sword and raising it skyward.
A violet aura rippled around the blade.
When his ability activated, an invisible gravitational field surged upward, meeting the descending islands head-on.
The moment his gravitational field connected with the islands, there was no shockwave—no sound.
The islands simply stopped, suspended in midair.
"They stopped!!!"
The Marines were stunned for a moment before erupting in cheers.
The Vice Admirals exhaled in relief, their gazes turning toward Fujitora.
"This man's power… rivals an Admiral's…"
The same thought ran through all their minds.
Still holding his sword aloft, Fujitora suddenly furrowed his brow.
"…Only four?"
As he muttered gravely—
Up above,
Four islands remained frozen in midair.
But the fifth, though smaller than Marineford, continued to fall.
"There's still one left!!!"
The brief relief vanished as tension returned, all eyes fixed on the last descending island.
The three Admirals, Vice Admirals, and even Mihawk readied their attacks.
If they couldn't stop it, they had to destroy it.
But—
Even if they shattered the island, the resulting debris would still devastate Marineford.
They had no choice.
Just as the Marines prepared to attack, Maude suddenly appeared beneath the falling island—within its shadow.
"Hm?"
The top Marine officers and Warlords instinctively turned their eyes toward him.
Under their watchful gazes, Maude's shadow morphed into numerous black spires, piercing the shadow cast by the island.
At that moment—
The island, previously plummeting at full speed, came to an abrupt halt, suspended in midair like the others.
"!!!"
Vice Admirals and Marines alike gaped in shock.
Even the Admirals and Warlords showed expressions of surprise.
The Shadow-Shadow Fruit… can be used like this?!?!
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/EmperorGarus [remove the parenthesis ( )]
NOTE: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon!