"In moments like this... focus is everything," Kyle thought, eyes locked on the sky.
Golden Lion Shiki scanned the battlefield, searching for a path of escape. Sengoku stood in his way, his expression grim. He knew exactly what kind of trouble a man like Shiki could cause. With the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, Shiki had the edge in mobility—if he made a break for it, stopping him would be nearly impossible unless someone faster intervened.
Sengoku frowned. Where's Kizaru? Why hasn't that light-speed slacker shown up yet?
Suddenly, a system notification rang out in Kyle's mind:
> [You have drawn the attention of the Golden Lion. Gained 2,000 Attention Points.]
Kyle stiffened.
He hadn't activated Observation Haki yet, and without the system, he never would've sensed Shiki focusing on him.
What the hell? Why me? he cursed internally. Is he really going to attack?
It made sense. Shiki wasn't gaining the upper hand in this three-way clash against Sengoku, Zephyr, and now Akainu. The infamous pirate would never leave without causing destruction—he'd drop one last devastating attack, then vanish into the skies like always.
Kyle's fingers tensed. Since merging with the Gravity-Gravity Fruit, he'd learned how to guide gravity through his movements—similar to Shiki's telekinetic control over objects via the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi.
But unlike Shiki, Kyle had mastered how to channel gravity through weapons.
He drew both swords.
He wasn't just a Devil Fruit user now—he was also a dual-sword wielder. That combination made him dangerous. And if Shiki really was going to strike, Kyle refused to sit still.
"Je-hahahaha!" Shiki's mocking laugh echoed from above. He stared down at Kyle like a predator. "Oi, brat. Think you can guess what comes next? Or more importantly… can you survive it?"
Sengoku and the others turned sharply at Shiki's words.
A wave of junior Marines had just arrived—recruits led by Vice Admirals, many of them still green. Their ranks were disorderly. Shiki's attack would hit them first.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed. "Damn it. His target is the recruits!"
He tried to shout a warning, but it was too late. Shiki had already raised his arms.
"Je-hahahaha! Lion Majesty: Earth Pattern!"
The battlefield erupted.
The ground convulsed violently—splitting and cracking like a massive earthquake had hit. Chunks of soil exploded upward. Uprooted trees and broken terrain twisted and morphed into massive stone lions with gaping maws and snarling faces.
They roared—lions made of earth, thundering across the island toward the young Marines.
The ground itself seemed to come alive, lunging to devour them whole.
"SHIKI!" Sengoku roared. In an instant, he transformed into his giant golden Buddha form, shimmering with divine power, and appeared in front of the Marines to shield them.
Zephyr surged forward with a snarl, his fist already turning black with Armament Haki.
"Black Arm!!"
Akainu, now standing beside the recruits, clenched his fist. "Tch… Don't think you can just target the new blood and walk away."
Flames erupted as molten magma engulfed his entire arm.
"Great Eruption!!!"
The lava surged forward, melting everything in its path. Waves of heat seared the air.
Kyle watched the chaos with narrowed eyes. He remembered this move—Lion Majesty—from the One Piece films. He knew Shiki's earth manipulation could trap entire groups and bury them alive.
No way I'm letting that happen.
He dodged swiftly, channeling gravity into his swords.
"Gravity Blade: Tiger!!"
A deep hum echoed through the air. Purple light exploded from his blade, distorting the very space in front of him. A horizontal wave of compressed gravity ripped through the terrain like a tidal surge.
The earth lions shattered.
The twisting ground halted mid-motion. A massive chasm split the battlefield, scattering debris in all directions.
"W-What was that?!"
"Paramecia… Gravity-Gravity Fruit?!"
"He's controlling gravity?! That recruit?!"
Voices rose in stunned disbelief.
Shiki's eyes widened as he narrowly dodged Zephyr's punch, flying higher to avoid a direct hit.
But for a brief moment… he looked down again.
His golden eyes locked onto Kyle—who stood, swords drawn, amid the chaos.
A grin spread across the old pirate's face.
Kyle—unintentionally—had just stolen the spotlight.