The next day, as expected, Shiro once again brought the now fully healed Mihawk back to Onigashima.
This time, Mihawk took the initiative—his black blade Yoru gleamed coldly as he launched the first strike, intent on grasping the essence of Conqueror's Haki infusion through battle. Yet despite his progress, he was once again overwhelmed by Kaido's devastating "Conqueror of Three Worlds — Ragnarok!"
As before, Shiro intervened at the final moment, catching Mihawk's body with the Paw-Paw Fruit's power and carrying him back to the Virtue, where his healing energy quickly mended the swordsman's wounds.
But this time, something had changed.
Mihawk's understanding of Haki coating deepened—his gaze burned sharper, his resolve like tempered steel.
And so, Shiro continued bringing him back, again and again.
The second duel, the third, the fourth—each time Mihawk poured his entire will into the fight. Each time he lost. But not once did he yield.
Until the fifth battle, when Kaido's thunderous roar split the sky—his mace crackled with black-red lightning as he unleashed another "Conqueror of Three Worlds — Ragnarok!"
At that moment, Mihawk's eyes flashed with inspiration. The black blade Yoru shimmered faintly—the energy of Conqueror's Haki wrapped around it like a living flame.
When the two attacks collided, the ground split apart—but this time, Mihawk did not fall.
He had done it.
The power of Conqueror's Haki Infusion had finally taken form in his hands.
From a distance, Shiro grinned wide and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting toward the battlefield:
"Thank you, Teacher Kaido, for the lesson! My crewmate's finally mastered Conqueror's Coating!"
Kaido froze mid-swing. His veins bulged; his face turned crimson.
The Emperor of the Beasts had just realized he'd been tricked into being someone's sparring partner.
From that day on, Mihawk's power grew at an astonishing rate.
His swordsmanship refined even further—each strike sharper, cleaner, imbued with a king's will.
He was already nearing the level of an Emperor.
The title of World's Greatest Swordsman no longer felt so distant.
Days later, the Virtue sailed steadily across the Grand Line.
The sea wind carried salt and sunlight; the crew busied themselves with their duties.
At the stern, Mihawk practiced alone, his blade cleaving the waves—each swing leaving deep furrows in the ocean's surface.
Then, the Den Den Mushi at Shiro's waist began to ring.
He picked it up—and the snail's face twisted into the likeness of Doflamingo.
Shiro frowned immediately. His first thought was that Kaido, still furious from being mocked, had gone to the North Blue to exact revenge on his old partner.
But the voice on the other end quickly proved otherwise.
"Godfather—it's not Kaido," Doflamingo said between ragged breaths. "It's the Golden Lion! Shiki says I'm blocking his trade routes! He's already attacking the Donquixote Family headquarters!"
"Shiki?" Shiro's brows furrowed deeper. "What's he doing in the North Blue? He's supposed to be tearing up the New World!"
"I don't know!" Doflamingo snapped, panic edging his tone. "He just showed up and started destroying everything!"
"I'm on my way."
Shiro cut the line and turned to his crew, barking a few quick orders before stepping to the rail. As he readied his Paw-Paw ability, Mihawk sheathed Yoru and turned, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Captain… you're going to face the Golden Lion? Take me with you. He was once one of the greatest swordsmen to ever sail the seas. I want to test my blade against his."
Shiro's lips curled into a knowing smile.
He understood perfectly. For a swordsman chasing the summit, there could be no better challenge.
"Alright," Shiro said. "Let's go meet the legend himself."
He pressed his palms together, forming the familiar shockwave of his fruit.
In a flash of light, both men vanished from the Virtue's deck—
—reappearing an instant later above the Donquixote Family's fortress in the North Blue.
Below them, chaos reigned.
The skies churned with thunder and debris as the Golden Lion Shiki floated high above, his Fuwa Fuwa no Mi powers holding an entire island aloft beneath his feet. Trees, boulders, and wreckage rained down like a storm.
"Doflamingo! You brat!" Shiki's voice thundered across the sky. "You think you can steal my business and get away with it?! Get out here and face me!"
Inside the fortress, panic had already set in.
The Donquixote officers rushed about in confusion.
Diamante paced back and forth, his sword drawn.
"What do we do, young master? He's about to bring the whole island down on us!"
"Shut up, idiot!" Doflamingo snapped, kicking him aside. "That's Shiki the Golden Lion! The man who fought Roger and Whitebeard! You think we can stop him?!"
Trebol's nasal voice quivered.
"Doffy, when's Shiro gonna get here? At this rate, we're finished!"
"He'll come," Doflamingo muttered, his gaze locked on the shaking ceiling above. "He has the Paw-Paw Fruit. He can reach anywhere instantly."
But patience was never one of Shiki's virtues.
"You think you can ignore me, brat? Fine! Then you can all die together!"
He swung his twin swords through the air.
Two massive arcs of golden energy carved the sky.
"Lion's Cutting Valley!"
The slashes struck like meteors, smashing into the fortress walls.
Stone shattered, explosions thundered—the castle's upper floors collapsed in a storm of rubble and dust.
Coughing through the debris, Doflamingo bared his teeth.
"We can't just sit here anymore! Everyone, outside—hold him off until Shiro arrives!"
He charged out first, his coat flaring behind him.
Pica, Trebol, Diamante, and Vergo followed, their faces grim with resolve.
Above them, Shiki burst into wild laughter.
"Gyahahahaha! So you've finally crawled out! Perfect! I'll crush you all in one go!"
He lifted a hand, and half the floating island shifted in response—rising high before plummeting toward the ground like a falling mountain.
The sky itself seemed to split apart—
—and that was the moment when the sea wind changed, carrying with it a familiar hum of compressed air…
Shiro and Mihawk had arrived.
T/N: If you would like to read up to 20 chapters ahead for all my works, check out my P@treon: patreon.com/GhidorahWriter
Thanks for reading! Be sure to collect and vote for more chapters! A Bonus Chapter will be released once we hit 25 Powerstones!