"Boss!"
"Boss?" The surrounding pirates gasped in shock at Shiki's appearance.
Though Rosinante was undeniably powerful, none of them had expected him to be strong enough to require Shiki the Golden Lion himself to step in!
"Jihahaha! Truly a man capable of shaking the seas," Shiki laughed, his golden mane swaying. "You've got skill—far beyond those brats who just debut and don't know the world's heights. With your power, even in the New World, you could dominate. My subordinates here may not be top-tier, but they're all renowned New World pirates. Yet even all together, they wouldn't match you. I must admit, you've earned my attention!"
Rosinante's eyes narrowed at the sight of Shiki descending. "Shiki the Golden Lion… he's finally stepping in."
This was not the Shiki twenty years later. After the battle of Edd Sea and Impel Down, his strength had waned but most of his prowess remained. Unlike the Shiki of two decades hence, whose body and Haki had weakened with age, this Shiki was still a fearsome force—a legend who even Luffy's hero aura alone couldn't hope to best.
"Boss, there's no need for you to step in for this brat!" Kaen said.
"Exactly! Even if Bolly alone is no match, with all of us together, he wouldn't stand a chance!" Shifang added.
"Boss, leave him to me. I haven't lost yet!" Bolly said, his gaze burning with defiance.
Jihahaha! Shiki only laughed at their words, not deigning to respond. He turned his cold gaze to Rosinante.
The entire Flying Sky Pirates froze.
He hasn't revealed his true strength yet? Could a single young man really still be holding back against the leaders of the Flying Sky Pirates? Unthinkable.
"No choice… It seems meeting him is far less impressive than hearing of him. The current Flying Sky Pirates are truly not what they once were. With these people, there's no need for me to reveal my full strength. Now let's see if the legendary Golden Lion can force me to go all out," Rosinante said coolly.
"What!"
"You little brat! Say that again if you dare!" the pirates roared in anger.
Jihahaha! Shiki silenced their fury with a wave of his hand and a cold smile spread across his face. He planted his foot, and from beneath him, a massive slashing wave shot out from the blade at his side.
"Tch… terrifying… Heaven-Shattering Slash!" Rosinante's eyes narrowed, and he slashed in response with his own sword.
The two slashes collided, sending waves of energy into the air, making the surrounding pirates feel as if the sky itself were about to collapse.
"Useless," Shiki said coolly. "Your strike is interesting, but a half-measure cannot stop my attack."
Indeed, Rosinante's strike began to falter under the overwhelming force, his blade cleaved and forced back by Shiki's sharp, relentless slash.
"Truly the Golden Lion… his strength lives up to the legend. I had hoped to reserve some power for later, but it seems I was naïve. If I cannot hold back, then I must go all out. Body restriction—silent mode," Rosinante said, his blade flashing.
With his full strength unleashed, his strike instantly blasted Shiki's attack into the sky.
"Impossible!" The pirates' faces were filled with disbelief at the overwhelming aura emanating from Rosinante.
"Incredible!" Kaen muttered, astonished.
"I thought Rosinante's power had limits, but he's reached this level…" Bolly said, now back in his human form, eyes wide with shock.
"Now I begin to believe he could rival Sengoku… but I am no Sengoku. I am Shiki the Golden Lion!"
Shiki's face turned serious, battle-hardened from decades of warfare. Rosinante's aura told him plainly: this was no rookie; this was a warrior demanding full power. And yet, even with this, Shiki only smiled coldly.
"Underestimating someone can be fatal," Rosinante said, transforming into a streak of light as he appeared before Shiki, swinging his blade in a fierce strike.
"Impressive speed!" Shiki acknowledged, eyes sharp as he reacted instantly. His sword point burst with Haki, evading Rosinante's slash.
After the strike missed, Rosinante didn't falter. His body flickered forward again, attacking Shiki relentlessly.
CLANG! Shiki lifted his body, blocking with a Sakura Ten Kick, while his other foot unleashed a series of slicing shockwaves toward Rosinante.
Rosinante's purple blade countered the shockwaves, but their immense force forced him to retreat.
"Lion Might: Earth Sweep!" Shiki shouted, leaping into the air. He raised his hands, the hall collapsing in chunks as debris and stone flew violently around them.
"Damn! The Golden Lion is going all out!"
"Rosinante made the Golden Lion use his Devil Fruit… this kid really is a formidable opponent!"
"Quickly, leave this place! If the Golden Lion's wrath hits us, we'll all be dragged in!"
"This battle is beyond us!"
The Flying Sky Pirates' eyes widened as Shiki unleashed his Devil Fruit powers. They had witnessed his terror before—staying would mean inevitable collateral damage. One by one, they scattered.
Only ten captains, each with bounties over 500 million, remained to observe.
Yet even these captains looked at Rosinante with mixed emotions.
A young man, commanding power that forced Shiki himself to fight seriously—how could this be possible?
From the rubble, Shiki's power coalesced into ten massive lions of stone and earth, roaring to life and charging at Rosinante.
Each lion was terrifyingly lifelike, moving as if they were real predators made of rock and soil.
"Now this is scary… the Drift Fruit might be worth risking it for!" Rosinante's eyes hardened as he faced the massive stone lions, gripping his blade tightly.
"Silence… Extreme Heaven-Shattering Slash!" A fierce gleam flashed in his eyes as he swung his sword with explosive force.