"Ha… the sake is good."
"But fighting a true powerhouse is even better!"
After decades in the One Piece World, Naruto had unknowingly picked up the habits of battle maniacs.
The strong in this world often fought for reasons that weren't particularly complicated.
Was it for territory?
For treasure?
Or simply because someone looked at them the wrong way… any of these could spark a bloody battle.
Pirates were free, but they were also chaotic and lawless.
Naruto always tried to distance himself from that kind of reckless pirate lifestyle, but the passion for battle had long since seeped into his bones.
This is not something that can be cultivated while bearing the heavy fate in the Ninja World.
To show 'respect' for his 'senior', Naruto drew Mushoukou from his waist.
It wasn't that he didn't want to use the Kusanagi Sword, which was generously sponsored by Orochimaru.
It's because the sword that was sharp yet lacked durability would shatter easily against a master swordsman.
The nearly transparent sword pointed straight at Shiki as Naruto's aura surged to its peak in an instant.
"I'll make the first move, then!"
Mushoukou transformed into a streak of light, striking Shiki before even Dr. Indigo or Scarlet could react.
Clang!
Oto clashed with Mushoukou, sending sparks flying.
"Shihahaha! Is this all you've got, brat?!"
Shiki kicked upward, deflecting Mushoukou, then twisted his body midair, while his other leg, replaced with the famed sword Kogarashi, slashed out a golden arc of energy.
"Slash Calamity!"
Naruto suddenly stopped smiling and just stood completely still, not even bothering to dodge.
The slash hit him cleanly, but aside from cutting a bit of his clothes, it didn't leave so much as a scratch.
Despite taking no damage, Naruto frowned.
"Are you really the man who fought Captain Roger?"
His eyes were filled with disappointment.
It's not that he's mocking Shiki, but he's actually a little disappointed by the unexpected situation.
"You little brat…"
As if able to sense Naruto's emotions, Shiki's face was suddenly filled with anger.
"Who the hell do you think you're looking down on?!"
He shot higher into the sky.
"Lion Menace!"
With a single motion of his hand, the floor, walls, and even the earth itself were crushed and reshaped by an immense force… forming several gigantic lion heads.
The fact that he had just destroyed his own palace in an instant didn't seem to bother him at all.
What he cared about more was that this brat from Roger's crew dared to look at him with those eyes.
Those eyes… filled with pity, as if looking at a withered old man!
After seeing Shiki's expression, Dr. Indigo and Scarlet immediately started to run away, thus avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
But the small fries weren't so lucky.
Shiki didn't care about their lives, ignoring their screams as they were swallowed by the lion heads.
Then, the massive stone lions lunged at Naruto all at once.
A torrent of earth and rock engulfed Naruto, twisting into a spiraling pillar that shot into the sky.
Shiki loved watching his enemies slowly suffocate inside those stone prisons.
But this time, before he could enjoy the show, the stone pillar shattered instantly.
Naruto stood there, completely unharmed.
"It seems… you really have grown old."
"Golden Lion."
This time, Naruto directly sheathed Mushoukou.
"Then again, if you were still the same legendary powerhouse of the seas, you wouldn't have resorted to such a crude plan to conquer the world."
Naruto thought about the other party's plan of breeding various transformed beasts for more than 20 years, and a complex expression of disdain and sadness appeared on his face.
Originally, because of Shiki's legendary reputation and the fact that Roger praises him many times, Naruto thought he could have an epic battle against a true powerhouse.
"Don't get too carried away, little brat!"
This attitude pissed Shiki off far more than outright mockery ever could.
With a furious roar, he unleashed a barrage of kicks midair, sending countless slashes raining down like a storm.
"Lion: Thousand Slice Valley!"
Buzz!
Black lightning coiled around Naruto's body like chains as he instantly weaved through the storm of slashes, appearing right in front of Shiki in a flash.
His fist, which is covered in Armament Haki, never even touched Shiki's body… yet the sheer force of the impact sent the man flying backward.
This was the power of Advanced Armament Haki—internal destruction without direct contact.
But on Shiki's body, Naruto didn't even see a trace of Haki.
Under the force of that punch, Shiki's body smashed through the ground, plummeting downward until his figure disappeared from sight.
"…A boring fight."
Slowly landing back on the ground, Naruto's face showed none of the joy a victor should have.
All that remains is the sadness for yet another fallen legend.
Dr. Indigo and Scarlet are worthy of being Shiki's most loyal subordinates. Even after witnessing Naruto's overwhelming strength, they didn't flee. Instead, they charged at him.
"Mass Juggling!"
A massive sphere of purple-green chemical gas ignited in midair before hurtling toward Naruto.
Meanwhile, Scarlet let out a furious roar and leaped at Naruto with a flying tackle.
Bang!
Perhaps because he was just a researcher, Dr. Indigo's attack couldn't even scratch Naruto, so he outright ignored it.
With a single backhanded punch, he sent the gorilla flying back where it came from, his expression utterly unimpressed.
"Give up on your plans."
"With this level of strength, you shouldn't even dream of conquering the seas."
Having said that, Naruto turned to leave directly.
But after only a few steps, Naruto looked at the island still floating steadily in the air beneath his feet, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.
"You brat…!"
At this time, Shiki's voice echoed from below.
The spot where Naruto had struck him bore a deep imprint, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
But at this moment, the face of the Golden Lion Shiki showed an expression Naruto knew all too well… the look of a true powerhouse.
Reaching up, he gripped the ship's rudder that had been embedded in his skull over twenty years ago during the Battle of Edd War.
"Admiral! What are you doing?!"
Dr. Indigo immediately realized Shiki's intentions, and an anxious look appeared on his face.
As Shiki's right-hand man, no one understood Shiki's physical condition better than him.
The rudder was inserted in such a dangerous position that it was impossible to remove it without risk.
Since it only weakened his ability to use Haki at full power without affecting his Devil Fruit abilities, they had left it untouched all these years.
For Shiki himself, the rudder was a mark of humiliation, a constant reminder of his defeat… of Roger's triumphant face.
Ignoring Dr. Indigo's protests, Shiki locked eyes with Naruto.
"I am… the Golden Lion!"
There was a roar, followed by the sound of blood splattering and wood falling to the ground.
At the next moment-
An overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki, like aged wine finally uncorked, erupted from Shiki's body.