"Back when Roger turned himself in, his place of imprisonment was top secret. 'Golden Lion' Shiki had no idea where he was being held. But…"
Vice Admiral Tsuru speculated aloud.
"Maybe the reason Shiki caused such a rampage at Marineford—going so far as to destroy half of it—wasn't just out of rage or impulse. Perhaps… he wanted to confirm whether Roger was imprisoned there."
"After all, with his ability to fly, Shiki could have easily escaped. Yet, instead of retreating, he chose to fight to the bitter end against Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp, only to be captured."
"If we look at it that way… it's possible Shiki believed that the only remaining place Roger could be held was Impel Down—and everything he did was part of a plan to confirm that."
Upon hearing this, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's eyes widened. He muttered in disbelief:
"Don't tell me… the reason Shiki allowed himself to be captured was so the Navy would send him to Impel Down, and from there, he could try to break Roger out?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded, deep in thought.
"It's not outside the realm of possibility. After all, Shiki, a Devil Fruit user, managed to escape from Impel Down. That alone proves he had prepared in advance for being imprisoned there."
"…Tch."
Sengoku sucked in a sharp breath, then said with a trace of relief:
"That kind of strategy… it's exactly what we'd expect from someone as calculating and cautious as Shiki. Thankfully, Roger wasn't held in Marineford or Impel Down. If he had been, it could've spelled disaster."
"No wonder he was called the 'Golden Lion'..." Tsuru added. "If not for Yahn, we might never have realized Shiki had such a plan all along."
Meanwhile, on the other end of the transponder snail, Yahn listened to the conversation with a dumbfounded expression.
Even he began to wonder if Shiki had really planned everything from the start.
But by the time that brief exchange ended, the 'Golden Lion' Shiki was already long dead.
Even if Yahn wanted to verify the truth, there was no way to do so anymore.
After confirming that Yahn and the rest of the naval crew aboard the ship had suffered no major casualties, Sengoku quickly ended the call.
"They actually believed it…"
Yahn felt like he was in a surreal dream. Still, this outcome was ultimately in his favor.
No matter what, Yahn would never reveal that he had defeated and have killed the 'Golden Lion' Shiki.
Not only would that jeopardize his chances of a smooth promotion—it would also draw the attention of the World Government, a level of scrutiny he couldn't afford.
Picking a fight with the World Government without sufficient power?
That would be pure suicide—and Yahn had no interest in dying stupidly.
As he descended rapidly toward the sea below, he released both his Shikai: Senbonzakura and Bankai: Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, keeping only Shikai: Tenken active to carry Shiki's corpse.
"You're a pirate. Then let the sea be your grave."
Normally, Yahn would have incinerated the body to avoid leaving any trace behind—burn it to ash and scatter it cleanly.
But after fighting Shiki, even if he didn't agree with the man's so-called dreams, he still respected his will to fight until the very end.
So, Yahn retrieved two iron ingots from within Little Gold (Goldie), bound them tightly to Shiki's body with chains, and whispered:
"Return to the freedom of the sea."
Splash!
A great splash rose as Shiki's body, weighed down by the iron, quickly sank beneath the waves—soon disappearing completely from sight.
"Farewell, Golden Lion Shiki. You were a worthy opponent."
After that, Yahn tossed Shiki's two famed swords—Oto and Kogarashi—into the castle inside Goldie.
The value of these famous blades far exceeded that of most Devil Fruits. As far as Yahn knew, a single famous blade(Meito) could fetch at least 300 million berries on the black market—and potentially even a billion.
In terms of pure weight, the two iron ingots Yahn gave Shiki were far heavier than the swords.
They just weren't nearly as valuable.
Of course, for someone like the now-dead Shiki, money was meaningless.
Whether it was expensive or not, Shiki probably wouldn't have cared.
"Fairness in return. A matter of human courtesy…"
After a pause, Yahn turned to Goldie.
"Release the warship."
Chirp chirp!
Goldie responded with a cry, flew away from Yahn, and opened its mouth.
With a toss, the warship rapidly expanded and landed stably on the surface of the sea.
Yahn boarded the vessel, checked the cabins, and confirmed that apart from a few minor scrapes and bruises, the navy officers were all unharmed.
Their minds had been overwhelmed by his spiritual pressure and had fallen unconscious.
Based on Yahn's estimate, they would probably remain unconscious for the rest of the night, only waking once their spirits recovered.
Next, Yahn returned to his private quarters, closed the door, and entered Goldie's inner world.
The ship's cabin?
He had grown thoroughly sick of it during his last trip with Aokiji to Ohara.
The interior of Goldie, on the other hand, had been fully remodeled into a grand castle.
Designed in a European medieval style, it radiated luxury and opulence.
It had everything—entertainment, living essentials, food and water.
More importantly, this served as one of Yahn's contingency hideouts.
If something truly dangerous occurred, Yahn planned to hide inside Goldie, who could then bury itself on a remote, deserted island. No one would ever find him.
"The only regret is that I'm in here alone.
If I had a partner or two, I wouldn't mind practicing in seclusion for decades…"
Yahn sprawled across a massive couch in the center of the castle and soon drifted off to sleep.
…
"Yahn, are we starting today's training?"
As Yahn's spirit opened its eyes, a warrior clad in violet armor—his face hidden by a fearsome mask adorned with cherry blossom petals—appeared before him.
"…Yeah."
Yahn nodded, then looked at the armored figure and said with gratitude:
"Senbonzakura, thank you. Without your guidance in Shunpo and Bakudō, I might really have died at Shiki's hands this time."
As the manifested spirit of his Zanpakutō Senbonzakura, the warrior responded calmly:
"You are now my master, Yahn.
These techniques, passed down from my previous wielder, are part of what I must teach you—as your sword."
---
Currently at chapter 370 for advance chapters
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27
patreon. com/Sami_27