"Slash Wave!"
In the next instant, a golden arc of sword energy soared into the sky, tearing through the falling cherry blossoms in a brilliant blast.
But compared to the billions of blossoms flooding the sky, that one attack was like a drop in the ocean. The sea of petals merely stalled for a moment—then surged forward again like a cascading waterfall, crashing toward the "Golden Lion" Shiki.
Still, that brief pause was enough.
With the power of the Float-Float Fruit, Shiki's body lifted swiftly into the air, narrowly dodging the incoming wave of blossoms.
But unfortunately…
With just a thought from Yahn, the sea of petals swirled and shifted again—this time encircling Shiki from all directions, leaving no opening.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Within moments, Shiki—already severely wounded—was forced into a desperate dance of evasion amidst the relentless cherry blossoms. His proud form, once a symbol of terror across the seas, now looked ragged and battered.
From a distance, Yahn stood still, walking upon air, watching like one might observe a clumsy circus act. Not a hint of emotion on his face. Not even a flick of his finger.
It was that look—so indifferent, so detached—that enraged the legendary pirate.
"Don't get cocky, brat!!" Shiki roared.
---
But Yahn?
He was already fully engaged in the battle. He had no intention of mocking or underestimating Shiki—only a clear awareness of the stakes.
He knew his own weaknesses well, and wouldn't dare approach a living legend like Shiki recklessly.
Instead, Yahn maintained his distance, calmly directing the ocean of cherry blossoms to swarm toward the Golden Lion once more.
"You've got it wrong," he replied, his tone steady. "I'm not underestimating you at all. I'm taking this fight seriously."
But that calm demeanor—unmoving, almost serene—only poured oil onto the fire of Shiki's fury.
With a roar, Shiki unleashed a flurry of flying slashes, carving open space amidst the petals.
"Lion's Menace: Earth Coiling!"
With a surge of his Devil Fruit's power, an enormous air-formed lion—several times larger than a battleship—materialized beside him.
"ROAR!!"
Though it had no voice, Yahn could almost feel the lion's bellow shake the sky.
The massive air beast, commanded by Shiki, charged straight into the endless sea of cherry blossoms like a hurricane of destruction.
BOOM!
In the violent clash, the air lion detonated like a colossal bomb. A shockwave ripped through the petals, tearing a gaping void in the cherry blossom sea.
Shiki's figure followed behind it like a golden comet, streaking through the opening—headed directly for Yahn.
"Slash Wave!"
Another devastating arc of sword energy hurtled toward him.
But… there was no need to dodge.
Yahn stood his ground.
Dodging might be exactly what Shiki wanted.
Yahn was well aware that he was no match for Shiki when it came to battle experience. After all, Shiki was a pirate who had carved a path of blood across the seas for decades—a living legend.
Yahn wouldn't give him the close-range fight he excelled at. He would stick to what gave him the advantage: the overwhelming flood of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi—his Bankai.
With a single thought, a tide of cherry blossoms surged forward, layering over one another to intercept the incoming slash.
Petal by petal, the golden arc was ground away… until it vanished completely.
But to Shiki, Yahn's stillness—his refusal to even lift a hand—was the ultimate insult.
"When—when was the last time anyone DARED treat me like this?! YOU BASTARD!!"
With a thunderous roar, Shiki pushed his powers to the limit.
"Lion's Menace: Govern Place Earth Coiling!!"
One… two… five… ten…
Dozens of air lions began forming behind him, each massive and roaring in unison. They lined up like an army at his command, ready to charge.
BOOM!!!
The sky turned into a battlefield as the pride of air lions clashed with the endless cherry blossoms. One after another, the lions were torn apart by the whirling petals, exploding in bursts of wind that carved temporary voids in the floral sea.
But Yahn's spiritual pressure was vast. For every petal destroyed, more shimmered into being under the sunlight, swirling gently back into the sky to rejoin the tide.
Meanwhile, Shiki, wounded and worn, continued summoning more air lions—refusing to fall, refusing to surrender.
It had become a battle of attrition.
Just as Yahn had hoped.
He had never once underestimated the Golden Lion. On the contrary, he knew exactly how dangerous Shiki was. A true monster—among the strongest to ever sail the Grand Line.
If Shiki had been at full strength, Yahn wouldn't have stood a chance.
But he wasn't.
Years ago, during the Battle of Edd War, Shiki suffered a grievous injury—a ship's rudder/helm pierced his skull, rendering him unable to use Haki.
Two years ago, he stormed Marineford alone and was nearly killed by the combined might of Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp. He was thrown into Impel Down in a state of near death.
Even now, Yahn could see the lingering scars of those battles. Shiki's wounds hadn't fully healed. The stumps of his severed legs—self-amputated for escape—still bled beneath his prosthetic blades.
Yahn knew this wasn't the lion of legend—it was a dying beast.
All he had to do was drag Shiki into a battle of endurance.
Victory would be his.
And Shiki knew it too.
Despite his vast experience, despite his instincts honed through decades of slaughter, he could feel his body failing.
Yet even so…
Even so…
As a proud lion who once ruled the seas, how could he accept such disdain?
"The sea… it's not a place for brats like you to decide the future of!"
With another enraged roar, Shiki summoned air lions at an even faster pace—determined to tear Yahn's cherry blossom sea to shreds.
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Currently at chapter 325 for advance chapters
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