Fate can be cruel.
Golden Lion Shiki had once held the upper hand over Roger. But it was a freak storm not a sword or a cannon that wiped out his pirate fleet and shattered his legacy. Worse, a ship's rudder had impaled his skull during the disaster, forever crippling his strength.
Now, as Shiki looked down at Keith's determined expression, he seemed to catch a glimpse of that other man from long ago. A twisted grin crept onto his face.
"Ka ha ha ha ha! The weak don't get to choose!"
Lion's Might: Thousand Cut Valley!
From high above, Shiki unleashed his signature technique. Multiple flying slashes howled down toward Keith.
Iron Body: Armament Haki!
Keith, caught off guard, activated Iron Body in a desperate attempt to block the attack.
But his Haki was nowhere near strong enough to withstand the might of the Golden Lion. The slashes tore through his defense, carving deep wounds into his chest. Keith hit the ground hard.
"Ka ha ha ha! So this is what East Blue has to offer?"
Shiki jeered at Keith's collapse. But his laughter soon died in his throat.
Because Keith... was getting up.
The honey badger small in size, feared by lions and cobras alike. An unrelenting creature that knows no fear, driven by sheer will and raw instinct. Vicious, vengeful, and impossible to kill.
That's the spirit Wayne had seen in Keith long ago the very reason he'd entrusted him with the Honey Badger Fruit. The Zoan power didn't just grant Keith a beast's resilience it magnified his unbreakable will.
As long as Keith drew breath, as long as his consciousness remained, he would keep fighting. Just like a honey badger. Unyielding. Unafraid.
"Tch. Still trying to stand? Then I'll make sure you can't get back up again!"
Rage burned in Shiki's eyes.
It had been twenty years, but the memory still stung. That other man had done the same thing falling again and again, only to rise stronger each time, until Shiki had finally been defeated.
Now, history seemed poised to repeat itself.
But Shiki wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.
He summoned a massive sphere of seawater from above and hurled it down onto Keith.
The salty grip of the sea closed in.
Suffocating. Crippling.
Even with all the will in the world, a Devil Fruit user like Keith couldn't escape the sea's curse. Powerless, he slipped into unconsciousness.
Shiki didn't laugh. He didn't gloat.
He silently sealed Keith within the same massive earth mound that held Robin and the others.
"And now... this city is next."
With the fire of battle extinguished, Shiki's mood soured. He no longer cared to toy with his enemies. He would destroy Freedom City in one blow.
High above, one of the floating islands began to move, drifting slowly over the city. Shiki released his grip, letting the Float-Float Fruit's power fade from it.
And the island... began to fall.
The sky darkened.
Citizens of Freedom City looked up, astonished. Where there had been clear skies, now loomed a descending shadow a whole island, blotting out the sun.
Wallace stared upward, feeling the weight of helplessness settle over him. He had once split a house-sized meteor in two but this was no meteor. This was an entire island.
His legs trembled. His hands, gripping his twin blades, began to sweat.
Could he stop it?
No. Not with brute strength.
But he had to try.
For the city. For the people.
Resolute, Wallace launched himself into the air, blades crossed.
Even if it was hopeless even if it cost him his life he would resist.
At the same time, countless attacks from the ground rose to meet the falling island. Wallace looked back in surprise.
Below him, over a thousand fighters stood as one.
Some were members of the "Three Hundred" who hadn't made it to the floating island. Others were young recruits from the Youth Corps. Some were even pirates like Iron Bull.
They fired rifles. Used Finger Pistols. Leapt into the air with Moonwalk. They used everything they had to slow the island's descent.
Two-Sword Style: Cross Cut!
Wallace unleashed his strongest technique.
But could human effort truly stop the weight of the sky?
No matter how hard they fought, the island continued to fall unyielding, unstoppable.
Despair.
Crushing, suffocating despair.
And then purple lightning split the sky.
A figure shot toward the city at incomprehensible speed, cloaked in electricity.
Wayne had returned at the very last moment.
But there was no time for relief.
He looked up, face grim. Even for him, the falling island posed a serious threat.
It has to be destroyed completely.
Wayne made the call instantly. Slicing it in half wouldn't be enough. Even fragments that size would level the city.
"It has to be dust."
He took a deep breath, eyes locked on the descending mass.
Drawing the cursed blade Rakshasa, he gripped the hilt tight. His arms pulsed with energy.
One-Sword Style: A Thousand Strikes in a Flash!
Purple lightning crackled across his body, then surged into Rakshasa. With a mighty swing, a massive purple slash raced skyward.
It moved slowly.
So slowly that it seemed like slow-motion to the crowd below.
But to a skilled swordsman, it was blindingly fast so fast that in the span of mere seconds, Wayne had delivered over a thousand strikes. A thousand slashes, all compressed into one.
Thus, the name A Thousand Strikes in a Flash.
Keith, still conscious just barely, watched in awe as Wayne's lightning-clad figure unleashed a technique that defied comprehension.
The slash soared toward the island.
Boom!
In stunned silence, the people of Freedom City watched the impossible.
The massive floating island was split in two.
But it didn't stop there.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the halves. And then like glass shattering the island fragmented, splintering into uncountable pieces.
Crash!
The debris rained down harmlessly across the outskirts. The city was safe.
Wayne exhaled slowly.
That one technique had taken a toll, drawing on every reserve of power he had. To strike a thousand times in a single moment... only Wayne, with his unmatched speed and swordsmanship, could have done it.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Love the story? Show your support and unlock early access to new chapters by joining me on Patreon!
[email protected]/yanxx
Change @ to a.