The dragon in the sky…
…was Romu's imitation of Hashirama's Wood Dragon technique.
Not chakra-based — instead, it was formed by flooding plant matter with enormous amounts of life essence through the Wood Fruit.
Over one hundred meters long.
Its body was harder than steel.
A casual tail sweep could split mountains.
Pure physical devastation.
And more—
The dragon inherited Thorn Kill's absorption trait. Any damage it received could be repaired by draining energy from what it struck, with excess vitality flowing back to Romu.
The battlefield ascends
High above the island, the wooden dragon coiled like a floating continent.
Its vine-like whiskers fluttered in the wind.
Its glowing eyes radiated authority.
Atop its head—
Romu stood with arms folded, cloakless torso exposed to the storm wind.
Like a war god surveying prey.
Below, fifty lions circled the island.
"Lions?"
Romu's gaze was indifferent.
"Toys."
Across the battlefield, Shiki's cigar smoldered as he stared upward.
His voice was low.
"…Romu…"
The arrogance in his aura had dimmed — replaced by focus.
Then his eyes sharpened.
Both arms rose.
"Rise!!"
The lion pack roared in unison.
They dug their massive paws into the air—
and launched skyward.
Fifty colossal beasts surged upward with thunderous force, jaws open wide, charging the dragon without hesitation.
"Go."
Romu's command was calm.
The wooden dragon answered with a roar that scattered the clouds.
Its body shot forward like a living missile.
Sky war
Dragon and lions collided.
A dragon claw pierced a stone lion — shattered instantly.
A tail strike crushed another.
But both lions reformed moments later.
They were constructs of power.
So was the dragon.
Three sea lions clamped onto the dragon's tail — tore off a section—
and it regenerated immediately.
Energy vs energy.
Sky and sea churned.
The island trembled.
Observers
Hundreds of meters away, pirates struggled just to keep their ship afloat.
They no longer watched the battle.
They fought the waves.
Only the commanders stared on.
Wang Zhi muttered,
"…I thought I could recruit that kid as vice captain…"
Silver Axe clenched his weapon.
"…This is Shiki's real strength?"
John exhaled.
"I can't even read who's winning anymore…"
Nearby, Newgate's eyes glowed.
Romu… wins.
At first, even he couldn't tell.
Dragon and lions were evenly matched.
But Observation Haki revealed the truth.
Each time the dragon struck—
it absorbed energy.
The lions weakened.
The dragon recovered.
A slow, invisible shift.
Four lions reformed only halfway.
Shiki's eyes widened.
"…What?!"
He couldn't explain it — but he understood one thing:
A drawn-out fight meant defeat.
So he abandoned attrition.
He clenched his fist.
"Converge!!"
The lion swarm froze—
then collided into a single body.
Impact after impact.
Forty-nine lions vanished.
One remained.
A colossal mud lion.
Ninety meters tall.
It roared—
and charged.
Each step cracked the air itself.
The dragon answered.
Steam blasted from cavernous nostrils.
It surged forward.
Final impact
For a heartbeat—
silence.
Then—
light.
Blinding light.
Like a sun igniting above the sea.
BOOM.
The explosion tore the island apart.
A towering tidal wave erupted into the sky.
The final clash shook the ocean itself.
And in that flash—
the battle reached its curtain fall.