Virgo, The Central Island.
Under the combined assault of Doll and Hancock, Shiki the Golden Lion was gradually being pushed toward defeat. It was an inevitable outcome. Years of being hampered by the rudder embedded in his skull, combined with numerous old injuries, had drastically reduced his power; he was a shadow of his former self. In contrast, Hancock and Doll had improved their abilities at a monstrous rate. Faced with their relentless teamwork, Shiki found himself in constant, desperate peril.
"Damn it all!!" Shiki gasped for breath, his eyes burning with malice as he looked down at the hordes of his fallen, genetically-modified monsters. The brutal beasts he had spent years creating with IQ had been wiped out in an instant by Leo before they could even properly debut. Even when he tried to use his Float-Float Fruit to escape, Leo would call down bolts of lightning to block his every retreat route. He was cornered.
"I'LL SHOW YOU!!!" Shiki snarled, unleashing a torrent of wild, untamed Conqueror's Haki. It surged outwards like a demon's grasp, sweeping down towards Doll and Hancock.
BOOM! CRACKLE!
Dark red lightning crazed the air, enveloping the entire island. Shiki's face was a mask of strain and pain; he was barely holding on. Ever since the rudder had become a part of him, he had never dared to use his Conqueror's Haki. A single misstep could be fatal. But in this crisis, if he didn't give it his all, his life was forfeit anyway.
"Kehkehkeh... Conqueror's Haki?" Doll laughed. "What a coincidence. So do we!"
She and Hancock roared with laughter, not yielding an inch. An identical wave of supreme Haki erupted from the two women, crashing against Shiki's own.
(Doll possessed hers thanks to the Conqueror's Haki Fruit she had consumed, while Hancock's was innate.)
Within the clashing domains of will, the three Conqueror's Haki energies wrestled and tore at each other. But Shiki, who hadn't used his for years, was no match for the two women. After a few seconds of stalemate, there was a final, concussive BOOM as his Haki was utterly crushed and scattered, fleeing like rats before a cat.
"BASTARDS! SIN WHEN DID CONQUEROR'S HAKI BECOME SO COMMON?!" Shiki raged, his mind fracturing. It was common knowledge that Conqueror's Haki could only be awoken by one's own spirit and could not be trained, only refined through the growth of the user's own ambition. He was somewhat aware of Hancock's capabilities, but the other woman? Not only did she have the Glint-Glint Fruit, but she'd also awoken Conqueror's Haki?!
"Shiki! Letting your guard down in a battle is fatal!" a cold voice taunted.
Shiki's pupils constricted. A powerful, spinning kick was coming straight for him. A leg, hardened black with Armament Haki and now shimmering with the power of light, slammed into him with devastating force.
Caught completely off guard, Shiki was sent flying, tracing a graceful arc through the sky before cratering into the ground with a earth-shattering impact. Dust and debris plumed into the air. A spiderweb of fissures spread out from the point of impact.
"Cough... cough... You... damn... brats..." a series of coughs and curses emerged from the massive crater.
Shiki, gritting his teeth against the agony, forced himself to float out of the pit. Doll and Hancock immediately closed in, flanking him once more. Shiki clutched his chest, his cold eyes sweeping over them. The last time he'd been this badly injured was at Marineford. But back then, his opponents were Garp and Sengoku! And now? One was a mere former Warlord, and the other... he didn't even know her name!
Humiliation. It was the most profound humiliation!
His gaze grew colder, a bloodthirsty, oppressive light radiating from his pupils. The next second, he stretched out his hands and clenched his fists.
"Lion's Roar: Imperial Earth-Shattering Roll!!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The entire island began to shake and tremble violently. The deafening roar was like the land itself screaming in protest.
Doll and Hancock exchanged a glance, the gravity of the situation clear on both their faces. This was the full power of the Float-Float Fruit! Shiki was pulling out his ultimate technique for a final, desperate stand.
Without a moment's hesitation, Hancock summoned her Love-Love Bow and nocked an arrow. Doll took a deep breath, the golden light around her intensifying to a brilliant glare.
"KEEHAHAHAHAHA! DIE!!" Shiki's eyes blazed with murderous intent, a狰狞 (feral) grin spreading across his face.
The earth for hundreds of meters around bulged upwards, forming massive mounds. The next instant, they burst open. Millions of tons of rock, soil, and sand coalesced, forming dozens of giant, predatory earth lions. With deafening roars that shook the very air, the monstrous lions seemed to spring to life, their crimson eyes locking onto Doll and Hancock with primal hunger.
"DEVOUR THEM!!" Shiki commanded.
With a synchronized stomp that made the island quake, the dozens of earth lions charged, an unstoppable tidal wave of destruction. Ancient forests were flattened in their path, flocks of birds and herds of beasts scattering in terror. Anything that stood in their way was pulverized.
"Bring it on!"
"Glint Cannon Salvo!"
Doll met the challenge head-on. Multiple ports for launching beams of light materialized around her, and she poured a continuous stream of Armament Haki into them. Facing Shiki's killing move, she held nothing back.
"Triple Arrow Shot!"
At the same moment, Hancock drew her bowstring taut, her Observation Haki firmly locked onto Shiki.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sound of tearing air and roaring light cannons filled the sky.
"Keehahaha—... WHAT?!" Shiki's triumphant laugh died in his throat, his face morphing into one of shock. The purple arrows Hancock had fired pierced through his giant lions like they were skewers of candy, obliterating half of them in an instant. The remaining dozen or so were blown to smithereens by Doll's relentless cannonade.
"No... it's impossible! How can this be?!" Shiki muttered, his spirit breaking. Had he truly become so weak? Had his proudest technique been dismantled so easily?
There was no time for further reflection. The last purple arrow weaved through the chaos, homing in on him.
"DAMN IT!"
"Slashing Wave!"
Shiki swung his legs, sending a flying slash to intercept the arrow.
CRACK!
The sound of shattering rang out. The Heavenly Arrow tore through the golden slash as if it were paper, its momentum unchecked as it shot toward Shiki.
Under his horrified gaze, the arrow pierced clean through his chest, becoming a streak of light that vanished into the horizon.
The petrification began to spread.
Shiki's mouth hung open, not a single sound escaping. His pose was frozen for eternity. His consciousness began to fade.
I've lost again, was his final, fading thought. I was so famous, yet my whole life has been a series of defeats. Lost to Rocks, joined his crew. Lost to Roger, got this damn rudder in my head. Lost to Garp and Sengoku, locked in the endless darkness of Impel Down, only escaping by cutting off my own legs. And now... lost to two women. Rocks is dead. Roger is dead. Garp is dead. Whitebeard is dead. And now... finally... it's my turn? Perhaps... the old era has truly ended. There's no place for us in this new one.
Shiki's consciousness vanished completely.
The lifelike stone statue fell from the sky like a meteor.
Leo teleported over, immediately using a Blank Fruit to retrieve the newly manifested Float-Float Fruit.
"Well done," he said, nodding in approval at the two panting women. Their performance against Shiki had been commendable.
The two women walked over to Leo, smiling as they nodded back.
Leo then used his cloud powers to lift the entire fleet of islands and began a controlled descent, lowering them back towards the sea.
Seven days passed.
After successfully securing the Float-Float Fruit, Leo followed the Eternal Pose to Sleepy Town. After a... very enjoyable and extensive "treasure hunt" with all twenty-four of his crew members throughout the town, he successfully located the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, a Mythical Zoan-type.
That night, Leo led his crew in a massive "team-building exercise" all over Sleepy Town, leaving their... mark... on the island in more ways than one.
The next day, not wasting any time, Leo teleported the entire crew back to Sabaody Archipelago.
The Cold, Dark Depths of the Sea.
Countless fish, sea snakes, and turtles swam and darted through the water. The coated Ark Maxim cut through the powerful deep-sea currents, speeding toward the ocean floor.
On the deck, the women looked around in awe, their eyes wide.
"Leo, so this is the world under the sea? It's so beautiful!"
"I'd always heard Fish-Man Island was gorgeous, but I never thought I'd see it for myself!"
"Captain, are the mermaids there as beautiful as they say?"
"Leo, look over there! What a beautiful fish!"
The women chattered excitedly, pointing at every new sight. Even a turtle they hadn't seen before was a cause for amazement.
"Captain, your target this time is the Mermaid Princess, Shirahoshi, isn't it?" Robin asked, walking up to Leo with a knowing, mischievous smile. After all, their ship could simply fly over the Red Line to the New World. There was no need to take this detour through Fish-Man Island unless he had an ulterior motive.
"The Mermaid Princess?! She must be even more beautiful!"
"I heard that at the slave auction houses on Sabaody, mermaids are the most sought-after items. You can't even buy one with money!"
"I can't wait to see what the princess looks like! She must be divinely beautiful!"
The mention of beauty immediately piqued the interest of every woman on board. They were eager to witness Shirahoshi's legendary beauty for themselves.
"Captain, is Princess Shirahoshi more beautiful than Empress Hancock?" Tashigi asked, gently rubbing against Leo's leg, her voice dripping with playful teasing.
Hearing this, Hancock, standing nearby, immediately straightened up and thrust out her chest, looking at Leo with a challenging, amused smirk.
More trouble-making, Leo thought.
With practiced ease, he found a sensitive spot on Tashigi and gave it a gentle pinch with two fingers.
"Ah~! Captain, I was wrong!" Tashigi immediately surrendered, looking at him with pitiful, pleading eyes.
After this minor punishment, Leo let her go and looked at the gathered women. "You'll understand just how beautiful she is once you see her," he said calmly. Even he felt a stir of anticipation.
The three great beauties of the world: Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi, and Kozuki Hiyori. Just from the stories, Shirahoshi was often considered the pinnacle. But in reality, Hancock was already so devastatingly beautiful that it was hard to imagine anyone surpassing her. The thought alone sent a surge of heat rushing through him.
As for the significant size difference between him and Shirahoshi, Leo had already devised a solution. The Rokushiki manuals, gathering dust in his system warehouse, would finally come in handy. By mastering the Six Powers, one could learn the ultimate secret: Life Return. Its power allowed the user to freely control their body, hair, internal organs... anything. Just like Vice Admiral Onigumo, who used his hair to manipulate multiple swords. He would have Shirahoshi learn Rokushiki. Then, they could both use Life Return to alter their sizes—him growing, her shrinking—until they found a... compatible middle ground.
Ahem. Problem solved.
"Look out, something's coming!" Nami suddenly shouted, breaking his reverie.
Leo snapped back to attention and waved a dismissive hand. "Just a local pest."
No sooner had he spoken than a giant, yellow octopus, its tentacles stretching hundreds of meters, surged towards the Ark Maxim, its limbs lashing out menacingly.
"Oh my god! Is that an octopus? It's enormous!"
"Look over there! There are so many shipwrecks! Did it do that?!"
"It must be thousands of meters long!"
The women stared in shock at the behemoth.
"That's the Kraken, Surume," Leo explained patiently. "Tashigi, go take care of it."
"Understood!"
Tashigi acknowledged the order, her form flashing as she shot out through the coating bubble. Using her Observation Haki to pinpoint her target, she swung her black blade, Shusui, unleashing several sharp flying slashes.
A flash of sword light, and several of the Kraken's tentacles were severed, slowly drifting down into the abyss.
ROAR!!!
ROAR!!!
After a second of stunned confusion, agonizing pain wracked the beast, and it let out a deafening, watery roar that shook the sea. The Kraken thrashed its remaining tentacles wildly, stirring up violent currents. The sea itself seemed to groan as inky black whirlpools formed in the surrounding waters.
"Cliff-Splitting Sword!"
In the bone-chilling water, Tashigi tightened her grip on Shusui. An immense power began to gather around her impressive figure. Suddenly, her beautiful eyes snapped open, locking onto the Kraken. She swung her sword!
SHWIIING!
The flying slash tore through the deep sea like a laser, cleanly bisecting the colossal yellow creature from top to bottom.
ROAR...!
With one final,凄厉 (mournful) and低沉 (deep) cry, the Kraken lost consciousness and began to sink into the endless darkness.
CLICK!
Tashigi sheathed her sword expressionlessly and used Geppo (Moon Walk) to return to the Ark Maxim. The moment she stepped back onto the deck, countless ions skimmed over her body, instantly evaporating all the seawater she was drenched in.
"Thank you, Leo," Tashigi said, looking down at her perfectly dry clothes, a bright smile returning to her face. She撒娇 (acted spoiled), darting into Leo's arms and nuzzling against him.
"Your swordsmanship has improved again," Leo said, stroking her hair affectionately. With the various miraculous training aids and his personal... daily guidance, the women's strength was increasing by leaps and bounds. At this rate, Leo felt it wouldn't be long before he could lead his crew to conquer the entire world.
Being invincible was truly a lonely feeling.
The Ark Maxim continued its journey into the deep.
10,000 Meters Deep, Fish-Man Island.
Unlike usual, the Ryugu Palace had a rather... unwelcome guest today. Docked at the entrance was a massive pirate ship. Whenever a mermaid passed by and saw the unmistakable jolly roger on its flag, they would recoil in terror and flee as if they had seen a ghost.
Anyone familiar with the seas would recognize it instantly.
This was the ship of an Emperor: Big Mom's personal vessel, the Queen Mama Chanter.
Ryugu Palace. The Opulent Throne Room.
The hall was dazzlingly golden. In order to receive Perospero, King Neptune and all his ministers had assembled. News of Whitebeard's death had reached Neptune days ago. After the initial grief, he had become desperate to find a new protector for his island. Fish-Man Island's peace had always relied on Whitebeard's patronage. With his name as a shield, no one dared to cause trouble. But now, with Whitebeard dead and Jinbe imprisoned in Impel Down, Fish-Man Island was in a perilously vulnerable position.
Just as Neptune was fretting like an ant on a hot pan, Perospero had arrived.
Perospero looked down at the visibly anxious Neptune and came straight to the point. "Neptune. Mama has decreed it. From this moment on, Fish-Man Island will submit to the Big Mom Pirates."
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T/N :
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