"Lion's Might: Slash Wave!"
Soaring through the air, Golden Lion Shiki launched two flying slashes from the blades attached to his feet. They arced down like crescent moons, slicing toward Gloria.
"Gloria!"
Robin and the others shouted in alarm, but they were too far away. There was no time to intervene only a warning.
"Huh?!"
Gloria, who had been focused on singing, looked up just in time to see the slashes flying at her. There was no chance to dodge.
In that critical instant, a voice rang out above her.
"Iron Body: Armament!"
It was Keith.
He soared overhead, arms outstretched, shielding Gloria with his body. His entire frame turned to steel, shrouded in the black gleam of Armament Haki, as he braced to take the blow.
"Gah...!"
Keith plummeted from the sky. The slashes tore into him, piercing through the Armament coating and leaving two deep wounds across his chest. He crashed to the ground, coughing up blood before falling unconscious.
"Keith!"
Gloria rushed to his side, frantically checking his condition. Her heart eased slightly when she confirmed he was only unconscious.
But Shiki wouldn't waste such a perfect opportunity. He raised his blades again, aiming to strike down Gloria while she was vulnerable.
"Iaido Slash: Swift!"
Solomon's blade flashed forward, intercepting the attack and forcing Shiki to retreat. The others seized the moment, surrounding Shiki to keep him from pressing the attack.
Shiki eyed Solomon and the rest, letting out a mocking laugh. In terms of raw strength, he could defeat these fighters one by one but their teamwork was frustrating. Their combined abilities were tying him down.
That's the power of numbers.
Just then, figures emerged from the edge of the forest.
"Captain!"
"Lord Shiki!"
It was Dr. Indigo and the sword-wielding gorilla, Scarledo. Behind them trailed a small army of genetically enhanced beasts.
Scarledo, once a wild gorilla native to the island, had evolved into a sentient warrior after being administered IQ. Now, his intelligence rivaled a human's, and his swordsmanship was nothing to scoff at.
"Captain, the preparations are complete."
A smile crept across Shiki's face as he turned to the chaos below.
"You lot think numbers are your strength? Don't forget whose turf you're standing on!"
With a roar of laughter, he unleashed the beasts.
The tide turned immediately.
With reinforcements on Shiki's side, the pressure eased. Robin and the others found themselves overwhelmed. They had barely been holding on against Shiki now, with beasts and enemies flooding in, they were stretched to the breaking point.
Solomon sliced down a charging monster, then called back to his team.
"Leave Shiki to me! You all handle the reinforcements!"
Without waiting for a response, Solomon coated his blade Snowfall in Armament Haki and charged forward.
Robin found herself facing Dr. Indigo.
Klaw met Scarledo's gaze beast against beast.
"I'll handle the creatures."
Gloria gently laid Keith in a safe spot, then stepped into the battlefield. Surrounded by savage beasts, she showed no fear. Instead, she began to sing.
A soft, lilting lullaby filled the air.
Song Technique: Lullaby.
The red glow faded from the beasts' eyes. Their snarls softened. One by one, they wobbled and slumped to the ground, falling into peaceful slumber.
"Snore... snore..."
Gloria exhaled in relief. This technique only worked on creatures with a certain level of intelligence. Judging by the results, these beasts were smarter than they looked.
Shiki scowled as he watched his minions get neutralized. For the moment, he couldn't lend them support Solomon was keeping him busy.
Shiki turned his full attention back to the swordsman.
"So, you want to play hero, huh? Fine. I'll deal with you first!"
Lion's Might: Heavy Slash Wave!
A massive wave of energy, far thicker than before, ripped through the air toward Solomon.
Solomon took a deep breath. Gripping Snowfall tightly with both hands, he murmured:
"Iaido Slash: Heart Gate."
A powerful slash burst from his blade, colliding head-on with Shiki's attack. The two waves struck mid-air with a deafening roar, stirring a whirlwind of dust and pressure.
Shiki raised an eyebrow.
"A flying slash? So you're a great swordsman after all? Huh... maybe I misjudged you."
Solomon didn't answer. His hands were trembling from the recoil. He had managed to parry the blow but barely.
The truth was, Solomon wasn't a great swordsman.
That technique had drawn on the power of his Devil Fruit. After awakening the Door-Door Fruit, he'd discovered a new ability to open the Heart Gate, temporarily unlocking his hidden potential. By combining this with his Iaido techniques, he could fight at a level rivaling a true great swordsman for a short time.
But it came at a steep cost. Just like Luffy's Gear Fourth, it consumed an enormous amount of stamina and left him severely weakened afterward.
Solomon was no frontline fighter. Within Wayne's organization, his role was closer to logistics than combat.
Shiki could sense Solomon's decline.
"So it was just a fluke. You're not a real swordsman just playing pretend!"
He lashed out again, slashing at Solomon repeatedly. Solomon gritted his teeth and raised Snowfall to defend, parrying blow after blow.
The battlefield reached a tense stalemate.
After a while, Shiki let out a lazy yawn.
"I'm tired of playing with you kids. Where's your captain, huh? What's taking Wayne so long? Don't tell me... he's actually scared?"
No one responded. The team remained locked in combat, holding their ground in grim silence.
Shiki snorted.
"Fine. If he won't show himself, I'll end this now!"
He raised a hand and the sky responded.
From the clouds above, an enormous mass of liquid shimmered into view. It looked like an island made of clear jelly... but it was seawater.
Gloria gasped, her lullaby faltering.
"Sea... it's seawater!"
Lion's Might: Imperial Terrain Scroll!
Boom!
The hovering seawater twisted and churned under Shiki's control. Then it surged forward, forming into enormous lion heads made entirely of saltwater.
The watery beasts lunged down toward Robin and the others.
They tried to flee but they were too slow.
One lion split into three, enveloping Robin, Klaw, and Gloria all at once.
All three were Devil Fruit users.
The moment the seawater touched them, their strength was drained. Their bodies went limp as they struggled in agony, the suffocating pressure dragging them toward unconsciousness.
This was the terrifying power of the Float-Float Fruit.
To manipulate seawater the bane of all Devil Fruit users.
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