"That's more like it… that's more like it!"
Watching as Shiki's mane-like hair flutter like an actual lion's under the influence of his Conqueror's Haki, Naruto's face finally lit up with excitement.
At the same time, a Conqueror's Haki no weaker than Shiki's surged from Naruto's body.
The two Conqueror's Haki clashed violently, crushing against each other, causing Dr. Indigo and Scarlet, who are trapped within the storm, to grimace in agony.
It didn't take long before both of them collapsed, unconscious.
And now, the real battle between Naruto and Shiki was about to begin.
"Little brat!"
"Golden Lion!"
Their voices rang out simultaneously as their fists collided midair.
Fists clad in Conqueror's Haki pressed against each other, the distorted space between them crackling with tension. Neither gave an inch as they locked eyes.
Unlike before, both Shiki and Naruto now have wild, exhilarated grins.
Boom!
A massive lion suddenly formed beside them, lunging at Naruto under Shiki's will.
"Shihahaha! Daring to lose focus in battle?! Is this how Roger taught you, brat?"
The lion's head slammed Naruto aside.
Bang!
Naruto shattered the giant lion's head with a single elbow strike before kicking off the air and appearing right beside Shiki.
Before the older pirate could react, Naruto's foot smashed into him, sending him crashing downward.
"You're the one who's slipping, old man!"
"Have all these years hiding in this place rusted your brain?"
Naruto let out a hearty laugh, not giving Shiki a moment to recover. Raising his fist high, he gathered power and unleashed a devastating [Hakoku Sovereignty] downward.
The massive shockwave threatened to annihilate everything below, but then Shiki's voice roared back.
"Lion Menace: Earth Coiling!"
This time, what gathered wasn't just earth or stone… it was the very air itself, mixed with dust and debris, all reinforced by Shiki's immense Haki.
The resulting lion's head was even more formidable than the ones made of solid rock.
The colossal lion surged upward, meeting Naruto's Hakoku Sovereignty head-on.
For a moment, the two forces clashed in midair, until Naruto's Hakoku Sovereignty finally shattered.
It can't be helped. Hakoku Sovereignty is not the ability of a Devil Fruit and the power of the attack is determined at the moment it is launched.
It is impossible to reinforce it as continuously as Shiki's attack.
The giant lion head formed by the Earth Coiling struck Naruto's body, sending him flying high into the air.
"Shihahaha! Nice! Again!"
After taking this solid hit, a faint trace of red appeared on Naruto's body, but his expression only grew more exhilarated.
This time, Naruto simply imitated a certain palm technique that descended from the heavens… except he replaced the palm with his own body.
This move was inspired by a certain Marine Hero who preferred not to reveal his name, [Galaxy Impact], but Naruto modified the attack method to suit himself.
Naruto transformed into a meteor, plummeting straight toward the golden-haired pirate below.
"Slash Calamity!"
This slash far surpassed the previous ones, carrying an overwhelming surge of Haki and momentum as it shot forward.
The fist and the slash collided, and finally, the slash was shattered to pieces.
But a shallow cut also appeared on Naruto's fist.
Bang!
The punch landed on Shiki again.
However, thanks to Armament Haki, Shiki actually managed to withstand Naruto's fist with his head.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Don't misunderstand… it wasn't Naruto's blood.
The wound on his hand had already begun healing within just a few seconds.
"Hey! Senpai! You still holding up?"
Naruto and Shiki remained locked in midair as he laughed and taunted his opponent.
Ever since Shiki forcibly ripped the rudder from his head, blood had been seeping from his skull.
At this moment, his face twisted into a ferocious grin, one that could easily terrify children.
"You're the one who should worry, brat! A scratch like this means nothing!"
Grabbing Naruto's wrist, Shiki hurled him to the side before reaching down and drawing the two legendary swords strapped to his severed legs.
Shiki, who holds the famous swords in his hand again, is now the real [Flying Pirate] once more!
"Lion: Thousand Slice Valley!"
Clang!
Naruto seemed thoroughly satisfied with this attack.
He drew out Mushokou from his waist once again, coating it in Haki.
"Divine Departure!"
Black-and-red lightning wrapped around the massive slash as it carved a long arc through the air.
Shiki's Thousand Slice Valley surged toward it like a swarm of moths to a flame, but not a single one could hold it back for even an instant.
As the slash grew larger in his vision, Shiki's mind flashed with a strange sense of deja vu.
The figure of Naruto in the sky overlapped with that detestable man from his memories.
"Roger?"
Though weakened slightly by his Thousand Slice Valley, the Divine Departure still struck Shiki squarely, leaving him with a wound reminiscent of Zoro's infamous scar.
Divine Departure… its name did not mean 'even gods must evade', but rather 'the fall of a god'. (T/N: In Chinese, Divine Departure was named God Avoidance, which is different from the original Japanese, which already means the passing away of a God.)
True to its name, this slash possessed the power to slay gods.
"Cough… cough…!"
Shiki couldn't suppress the blood rising in his throat. The slash that had nearly bisected his upper body left his life hanging by a thread.
"It's over, Senpai."
Naruto descended once more, but this time, his smile was gone.
Instead, he looked at Shiki with a gaze full of regret.
Ever since Shiki tore off the rudder that had suppressed him for over twenty years, it seemed he had also removed something else… something that had been holding him back.
After that, during his battle with Naruto, he never considered his so-called grand ambitions of 'conquering the seas'.
His mind was focused solely on the opponent before him.
And it was from that moment onward that Naruto once again addressed him as 'Senpai', no longer in mockery, but in genuine respect.
"It's far from over."
Shiki bared his teeth in a grin before letting out a furious roar.
"Lion Menace: Govern Place Earth Coiling!"
With his roar, the main island of this floating archipelago, which was also the largest island, began to move.
To the horror of those still conscious below, the island slowly cracked apart.
Hidden within the mountains Shiki had lifted into the sky were rivers of molten lava, now rising alongside the shattered earth.
Magma and rock intertwined, forming a lion's head larger than the mountains themselves, hovering in the sky.
Scarlet lava gathered in the lion's maw before unleashing a silent roar.
Even Naruto froze for a brief moment at this sight… before his face twisted into a blazing battle lust.
"Bring it on!"
Naruto roared back as every muscle in his body began to swell and expand.
Even his hair seemed to take on a life of its own, writhing wildly.
[Life Return: Full-Body Liberation]
At this moment, Naruto unleashed the full, terrifying power hidden within his body.
His shirt burst apart instantly under the strain of his expanding muscles, revealing his perfect and muscular body that looked like it was sculpted by Gods.
For the first time in years, Naruto revealed his true form to the world.
This shocking scene even stunned Kurama, who was secretly watching inside Naruto.