Though Blackbeard had asked Ikki about the second special fruit, he already had his own answer in mind. Since Ikki knew about the Dark-Dark Fruit, he must know something about Devil Fruits. The second special fruit was likely either the Munch-Munch Fruit or Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
But when Ikki gave his answer, the smile on Blackbeard's face dropped.
"The second special fruit?" Blackbeard asked.
"Gum-Gum Fruit," Ikki smiled with a hint of mystery.
Of course, only he knew that the Gum-Gum Fruit itself wasn't special—it was the mythical Nika Fruit hidden under it.
"Gum-Gum Fruit? Are you joking?" Blackbeard frowned. "Forget it. Give me your answer. Will you and your friends join me, or are you saying no?"
As he spoke, Blackbeard's face showed an evil smile. Nami had already attacked Van Augur, so if Ikki and the others refused to join, Blackbeard, as captain of the Blackbeard Pirates, would have to teach them a lesson.
"I'm sorry," Ikki replied. "While I respect your big dreams and patience—even now that you have the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit—I don't want to be anyone's helper. Especially someone who has turned on his own friends." The corner of Ikki's mouth turned up as he slowly drew Zangetsu from his waist.
"Huh? You know about me?" Blackbeard's brow wrinkled.
"How could we not? You're part of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors' crews," Ikki said. "Despite being so strong, you were happy being just a regular member, even giving up the Second Division Commander spot to Fire Fist Ace. And when the Dark-Dark Fruit showed up, you killed your old friend Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander."
Ikki turned to his crew. "Everyone, be careful. Even though it was a sneak attack, this man killed a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. He even left three scars on Red-Haired Shanks' face, another of the Four Emperors. When the fight starts, stay alert—especially you, Nami. Use your power well."
Ikki glanced at Nami, clearly asking her to use the power of Bankai.
Nami nodded slightly, her serious eyes fixed on Van Augur and Blackbeard. Golden lightning began to rise from her body as she fully turned on the aura of her Mountain-Cutting Realm swordsmanship. It gave off a strong energy different from Conqueror's Haki.
Nami had always hated pirates, and Van Augur had just shot at her for no reason. Blackbeard also gave her a bad feeling. She was ready to fight the Blackbeard Pirates. As for Ikki's claim about Blackbeard's chance to surpass the Four Emperors, Nami didn't think he was that strong right now.
"Captain, it seems our guest doesn't want to accept your offer," Van Augur raised his rifle and glanced at Blackbeard beside him.
"Zehahaha! Too bad I've been turned down," Blackbeard laughed, not taking Ikki and his crew seriously. Though Nami's aura surprised him a bit, he had seen many people with stronger auras in the New World.
But his smile quickly faded. Following a soft sound, Ikki's body suddenly burst with a scary aura that covered the entire Blackbeard Pirates crew.
"Conqueror's Haki?!" Blackbeard's face changed for the first time. "And not a weak level either!"
Behind him, the once calm Blackbeard Pirates widened their eyes in surprise.
"I didn't think you'd have Conqueror's Haki," Blackbeard said. "No wonder you don't want to be my helper. Zehahaha! You really are fit to be on top. Being a bounty hunter shouldn't be your goal."
Blackbeard laughed loudly, and as he got more serious, his own aura slowly grew stronger.
"So this is Conqueror's Haki? What a strange power," Van Augur narrowed his eyes and slowly moved his aim from Nami to Ikki. "But shouldn't this power make weak people faint right away? Why are the weaklings still awake?"
"Zehahaha! This man's Conqueror's Haki is very high-level. We can stay inside the reach of his Conqueror's Haki without being knocked out. But the more amazing a man is, the more I want him as my partner. It would be sad to destroy him." Blackbeard looked at the bar customers, explaining with a laugh.
The customers and owner who had stayed to watch could no longer stay calm. They rushed to escape through the doors and windows, knowing this battle was not safe to watch. A fight between a Whitebeard Pirate and a bounty hunter who dared kill was not something they wanted to be near—they'd die instantly if they got too close.
"I like what Red-Haired Shanks once said," Ikki stepped forward, his sword pointing toward the floor as it became wrapped in scary Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki.
Seeing this, Blackbeard was shocked once more. Conqueror's Haki coating! Even after sailing the New World for years, he had only seen this move used by strong pirates like Whitebeard and Roger. This surprise showed clearly on Blackbeard's face.
"What words?" Blackbeard spread his hands, black energy rising from his body.
Though he didn't know who Ikki was, Blackbeard no longer looked down on a man who could use Conqueror's Haki coating.
"Red Hair once said that when you pull out your weapon, you must be ready to risk your life," Ikki sneered, looking at Van Augur behind Blackbeard. "That crew member of yours is very rude. I hope he learns better manners in his next life."
As he finished speaking, Ikki's Zangetsu suddenly slashed upward at an angle. A strike packed with the power of Armament Haki, Conqueror's Haki, and Mountain-Cutting Realm swordsmanship rushed toward Blackbeard.
"Divine Departure!" The corners of Ikki's mouth lifted in a smile. Even without using Zangetsu's released power, this blow—packed with his strong energy—could match Zangetsu's 'Getsuga Tenshō.'
'Divine Departure?' Hearing this, Blackbeard's eyes widened. He clearly remembered this as one of Pirate King Roger's moves.
In his moment of surprise, Ikki's slash had already reached him. Blackbeard quickly raised his hands to block with dark energy, but even so, the force of Ikki's attack sent him flying. In an instant, he crashed through several buildings as he was blown toward the coast.
"Nami, Nojiko, Vivi, and Robin, I'll leave these guys to you," Ikki called out. "After you deal with them, Nami, come help me."
With these words, Ikki jumped into the air and rushed straight after Blackbeard.
"You bastard!"
Van Augur gritted his teeth and tried to turn his gun to aim at Ikki's back. But when Ikki jumped up to chase Blackbeard, Van Augur realized he could only see Ikki's afterimage. There was no way to even aim and shoot.
How could Van Augur, who had always been proud of his eyesight and shooting skills, accept such a situation?
However, just as he turned his gun, a feeling of fear rose in his heart, causing him to look in Nami's direction.
"Who said you could point your gun at our captain?" Nami lowered her body and pulled her left leg back into a sword-drawing stance.
In an instant, the golden lightning that had been flashing around her body began to roar wildly. The sound of chirping thunder filled the tavern.
"This woman is dangerous," Doc Q coughed. "We should deal with them first and then help the captain." He took out a bottle of purple liquid from his coat and was about to throw it at Nami and the others.
Seeing this, Robin's eyes narrowed. The next moment, several arms sprouted from Doc Q's body and grabbed the poison bottle out of the air.
"Devil Fruit power?" Van Augur frowned, and his Haki flowed into the bullets in his rifle.
Just as he was about to shoot Robin, Nami's figure turned into a flash of lightning and vanished.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash: Sixfold!"
With a crackling sound, Nami appeared in front of Van Augur. Her blade, wrapped in golden lightning and powerful Armament Haki, was about to cut through Van Augur's neck.
"Watch out!" Burgess roared. His whole body turned black with Armament Haki as he grabbed Van Augur and Doc Q in his arms.
The lightning blade flashed, and Burgess's back was torn open. Blood spurted from the wound.
"Not cut all the way through?" Nami frowned in surprise, looking at Burgess who was holding Van Augur and Doc Q. "Is this guy's Armament Haki that strong? But... it's over now."
Nami smiled and looked toward Nojiko and Vivi.
"Burgess, are you okay? Be careful!" Van Augur glanced at Burgess in shock. Just then, he saw Nojiko dropping from above.
Her sword, wrapped in burning flames, aimed at Burgess's neck where Nami had already cut him.
Without thinking, Van Augur pulled his rifle from under Burgess's arm and tried to aim at Nojiko.
BANG!
A gunshot rang out. Van Augur's eyes widened, his confident look turning to confusion. He looked down at his arms.
A slender hand had grown out of Burgess's body and pushed on Van Augur's hand holding the rifle. This hand had caused his shot to miss by more than thirty degrees.
"Sun Breathing, First Form: Scorching Earth!" Nojiko smiled at Robin in thanks.
Her flame-wrapped blade slashed across Van Augur's hands with great force, then cut toward Burgess's neck.
CLANG!
The sound of metal hitting metal rang out as Burgess was sent flying, still holding Van Augur and Doc Q.
"This guy blocked it again? What a strong body," Nojiko frowned as she landed on the ground, watching Burgess.
After she had cut off Van Augur's hands, Burgess had managed to strengthen his neck with Armament Haki again, successfully blocking Nojiko's attack.
Despite this, Nojiko didn't chase after them. Instead, she calmly put her sword back in its sheath.
"My hands! My hands!" Van Augur looked at his bloody wrists in pain. Both his hands were gone, cleanly cut off by Nojiko's flame blade.
For a sniper, eyes and hands are most important. Now that he had lost his hands, even Van Augur's cold nature couldn't keep him from feeling angry and scared.
He never thought that shooting at a seemingly "weak" orange-haired woman would lead to losing his hands.
"Van Augur?" Doc Q looked at Burgess in shock. Though Burgess wasn't dead, there was a deep cut on his neck that showed bone.
Then he looked at Van Augur, who was crying in pain. A cruel look appeared in Doc Q's eyes as he slapped his chest with both hands.
CRACK!
The sound of several glass bottles breaking was heard. The next moment, his body started giving off purple smoke.
The floor darkened when touched by the smoke and even showed signs of rotting.
"You're all... going to die," Doc Q looked at Nojiko, Nami and the others with dead eyes.
But just as he finished speaking, a cold voice came from behind him.
"Someone is going to die, but it's not us."
Doc Q turned around. About a meter away stood Vivi. The poison smoke turned to ice crystals when it floated toward her and fell to the ground.
"What is this?" Doc Q tried to stand up but found his legs covered in solid ice.
"First Dance, Moon White!" Vivi called out. "Freeze in the ice."
The ice under the feet of Van Augur, Burgess, and Doc Q suddenly erupted, forming a huge ice column that seemed to reach the sky.
CRACK!
The ice shattered, and Burgess's iron-like body broke into pieces with it.
Vivi took a deep breath and returned Sode no Shirayuki to its normal state.
"Thank you, Vivi," Nojiko walked up to her with a smile. "As expected of an attack-type Zanpakutō. You took out these guys in an instant. Even the poison was frozen by your ice."
"Nojiko, your Zanpakutō can heal others, which is something none of our other Zanpakutō can do," Vivi smiled back. "Your Zanpakutō is more useful to everyone than mine."
"Still, I want to help everyone in battle too. I hope I can get the power of a Complete Zanpakutō soon. Then I can help Ikki like Nami does."
Nojiko shook her head and looked behind her. Nami was already gone—she had left to help Ikki.
With S-level Life Force, intermediate Armament Haki, intermediate Observation Haki, and the Complete Gonryōmaru Zanpakutō, Nami was certainly qualified to fight alongside Ikki.
Nojiko put her hand on the Zanpakutō at her waist. Unknown to both Vivi and Robin, her Zanpakutō appeared to be one that healed others, but in truth, it was made for fighting.
'Compared to you two, I'm the one who hasn't been trying hard enough,' Robin thought. 'To stay with Ikki, I need to work harder.'
Robin sighed to herself as she walked toward Nojiko and Vivi. In the battle just now, she hadn't truly drawn her sword. She knew that even without using her Devil Fruit power to help Nojiko and Nami, they both could have handled Van Augur's shots.
"Nojiko, Vivi, let's go too," Robin said. "We should get closer to Ikki. Perhaps your Minazuki and Vivi's Sode no Shirayuki can help in the battle."
Robin looked into the distance. Even without using Observation Haki, she could feel the loud shaking coming from the direction Ikki and Blackbeard had gone.
Hearing this, Nojiko and Vivi agreed and rushed in the direction Ikki and Nami had gone.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Mock Town...
"Hey! What's that?" A man with a bare upper body, an orange hat, and shorts put his hand above his eyes and looked at the huge ice column that had suddenly appeared in the distance.
"Ice power? Could it be Admiral Aokiji is here?" he wondered. "If that guy is around, I can't stay in this town."
The man frowned, deep in thought.
If Ikki were there, he would definitely recognize him. This man was the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—Portgas D. Ace.
Mock Town, port.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Huge roars kept coming, and the entire coast was close to collapse from the powerful forces clashing.
People who had been working near the port had already moved far away. Even those in distant parts of town were running because of the terrible shaking coming from the harbor. They feared being caught by the huge flame slashes or the strange black mist if they ran too slowly.
BOOM!
Another loud crash echoed as Ikki and Blackbeard each jumped back several meters.
"Zehahaha! Really good swordsmanship," Blackbeard laughed loudly. "You can even control fire power. It reminds me of an old friend."
He seemed unconcerned about the fight or his companions.
"Thinking of your old shipmate Ace?" Ikki asked, resting Zangetsu on his shoulder and watching Blackbeard with interest. "If my information is right, that guy is looking for you all over the world now, Teach. He might even be in this town."
Ikki continued, "But, Blackbeard, why are you so relaxed? Aren't you worried that the partners you worked so hard to find will be killed by my friends?"
To give Nami and the others a chance to deal with Van Augur and the rest, Ikki had used all his strength from the start to hit Blackbeard with a strike similar to Roger's "Divine Departure." His goal was to prevent Blackbeard from absorbing that slash filled with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, and to pull him away from the bar.
Though Van Augur and the others would become leaders in an Emperor-level pirate crew in the future, they certainly didn't have the strength now that they would in two years. Ikki thought Nami and the others could handle them just fine.
"Zehahaha! Man, don't be too confident. My partners are very—huh?"
Blackbeard's laughter was cut short as he suddenly looked up at the sky in surprise. A rapid flash of lightning was heading straight for him.
"Thunder Breathing, Thunderclap and Flash!"
CRACK!
Lightning flashed, and quick slashes carrying thunder and lightning reached Blackbeard in the blink of an eye.
Blackbeard frowned and raised his hands to block. With a loud bang, the lightning knocked him back nearly ten meters, carving two deep lines in the ground before he stopped.
"You? The woman?" Blackbeard was shocked when he saw who was standing before him.
It was Nami—the same one Van Augur had shot at in the bar earlier. If she was here, that meant his crew...
"Woman, where are my partners? What happened to them?" The smile vanished from Blackbeard's face as black mist began to rise from his body. He suddenly realized his Observation Haki could no longer sense his crewmates.
"Want to meet your friends?" Nami smirked. "Don't worry, we'll send you to join those ugly pirates soon."
"Really? Let's see if you have that power," Blackbeard laughed angrily. The black mist around him suddenly shot upward, covering half the sky over Mock Town.
Seeing this, Nami frowned, stepped back, and held Gonryōmaru in front of her.
"Bankai: Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū!" (Golden Lightning Palace)
BOOM!
A massive golden thunderbolt suddenly fell from the sky, striking the sword Nami held high. It destroyed Blackbeard's black mist that had spread overhead, and formed a gorgeous thunder shield around Nami. All the black mist that tried to reach her was blocked.
"What power is this?" Blackbeard's eyes narrowed as he looked at Nami, then at the sky. "Rumble-Rumble Fruit?"
The once clear sky was now completely covered by dark clouds. Golden lightning flashed within them, ready to strike at any moment.
"Dark-Dark Fruit, huh?" Nami felt a rush of excitement using Bankai for the first time. "Let's see if your Dark-Dark Fruit can block my lightning."
In an instant, the golden thunder began to gather above Blackbeard as if responding to her command. A second later, with a deafening crash, a massive lightning pillar filled with destructive power fell directly toward Blackbeard's head. The black mist hanging over him was instantly destroyed.
"Ugh!!!" Blackbeard's eyes widened as he quickly raised his hands.
He tried to use his Dark-Dark Fruit's power to absorb the lightning, but the energy carried by the Bankai Gonryōmaru couldn't be easily absorbed. Unprepared, Blackbeard was struck directly and fell into a crater created by the lightning.
"ARGH! It hurts! It hurts!" Blackbeard wailed in pain, his body rolling around in the giant pit.
Ikki had no intention of giving him time to recover.
"Cleave the heavens and moon, Zangetsu."
Blue spirit energy surrounded Ikki as he leaped over Blackbeard.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
WHOOSH!
The sword swung down, sending a huge blue crescent slash toward Blackbeard.
Sensing danger with his Observation Haki, Blackbeard ignored the pain from the lightning strike and quickly jumped to avoid Ikki's attack.
"Damn, what a lucky woman," Blackbeard gritted his teeth. "She now has Rumble-Rumble Fruit power, and she's already developed it this much." He couldn't afford to be careless anymore.
"But if it's Devil Fruit power, there's a simple answer—Black Hole!"
Blackbeard raised his hand toward Nami as a dark vortex spun in his palm.
Nami simply glanced at him and pointed Gonryōmaru at him again. Another thunderbolt instantly fell, heading straight for Blackbeard.
"What?!" Shocked, Blackbeard quickly raised his hands over his head.
Learning from his earlier mistake, he didn't hold back this time and successfully absorbed Nami's lightning. But at that moment, Ikki's slash arrived in front of him.
With no time to dodge or absorb it, Blackbeard was cut by Ikki's attack. A huge gash opened across his chest, and blood spurted out.
However, within seconds, black smoke began rising from the wound. Clearly, the Dark-Dark Fruit was helping absorb the damage.
Seeing this, both Ikki and Nami frowned.
Ikki thought, 'So we really need to cut off his head to finish this?'
Nami wondered, 'Do I need to blast this man to pieces?'
"Bastard, why doesn't my ability work on you?" Blackbeard shouted angrily. "Since it's a Devil Fruit ability, it should be affected by my Dark-Dark Fruit. Why aren't you pulled in by my power?"
Blackbeard stood up from the ground and glared at Ikki, who was walking on Moonwalk in the sky. Then he looked at Nami, who was surrounded by golden thunder and lightning.
He couldn't understand why his Black Hole couldn't pull in Nami, who he thought was a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user.
"Devil Fruit?" Nami frowned slightly. "Hmph, you don't need to understand. Just know that you're going to meet your friends soon."
After saying that, Nami struck Gonryōmaru on the ground.
The sky roared even louder than before.
"Since you can absorb damage, let me see if you can still absorb it after I turn you to ashes."
Nami snorted coldly as the lightning in the sky began to gather above Blackbeard and strike down.
Blackbeard had raised his speed to the limit, but when he tried to dodge, Ikki's slash would arrive at the perfect time, blocking his escape route.
Within seconds, Blackbeard was struck by lightning again and again.
"Damn it!"
Pinned to the ground by lightning and unable to move, Blackbeard roared in anger. His Dark-Dark Fruit powers activated continuously.
Thick black mist covered his entire body and spread throughout Mock Town with Blackbeard at the center.
Nami's position was the first to be hit by the black mist, but thanks to the shield of golden thunder, the dark energy couldn't break through to reach her.
However, this protection wouldn't last long.
Nami frowned as she felt her strength, already draining from using "Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū," start to decrease much faster after coming in contact with Blackbeard's black mist.
"Can't I defeat this guy even with my Bankai?" she wondered, gripping her sword tightly with a serious expression.
"As expected, even the current Blackbeard has considerable strength. If that's the case, I'll have to go all out."
Ikki's Observation Haki sensed the black mist spreading toward where Vivi, Nojiko, and the others were. To protect them from the Dark-Dark Fruit's effects, Ikki had no choice but to use his Bankai.
"Bankai: Tensa Zangetsu!"
Ikki shouted sharply, and the huge sword in his hand shrank dramatically, transforming into the sleek black blade of Tensa Zangetsu.
Just as he was about to combine forces with Nami to finish off Blackbeard, a fiery presence entered his awareness.
Ikki frowned slightly and looked in that direction.
"Fire Fist Ace? Is he really here?" Ikki wondered. "Fire Fist Ace is already here, but is there someone else approaching too?"
Seeing Ace appear, Ikki extended his Observation Haki further, exploring the surrounding area to detect any other powerful warriors nearby.
"Huh? What's that?!" Suddenly, Ikki raised his head and looked at the sky.
In his perception, some kind of powerful entity seemed to be lurking behind the dark clouds.
"What monster is in the sky?" Ikki frowned and quickly used Moonwalk to move closer to Nami.
"Nami, save your energy for now. Stop attacking Blackbeard."
The powerful aura in the sky made Ikki cautious. Without knowing if it was friend or foe, he didn't want Nami wasting her strength on Blackbeard.
"Yes, Ikki." Though she didn't understand why Ikki asked her to stop, Nami nodded and halted her lightning attack on Blackbeard.
Just then, Fire Fist Ace landed between the two groups—Ikki and Nami on one side, Blackbeard on the other.
"Hey, it's quite lively here," Ace grinned. "I just saw a huge ice column, and now I see powerful lightning attacks. Amazing! Luckily, I came over out of curiosity and found that the ice was different from Aokiji's. Otherwise, I don't know when I would have found you, Teach."
Ace smiled and nodded to Ikki and Nami, then looked at Blackbeard, who was gradually becoming visible as the lightning stopped.
"Ace? It's you?" Blackbeard frowned, looking at Ace with hostility while remaining on guard.
One Ikki and Nami were enough to push him to his limits, but with Ace added to the mix...
"Hey, you two with the lady there," Ace called to Ikki and Nami. "I have some history with this guy. Would you mind letting me handle him? Thanks."
"Let you handle him?" Ikki raised his eyebrows and looked up at the sky again.
The powerful aura was getting closer and closer.
At that moment, several golden slashes fell from the sky, heading straight for Nami who was still surrounded by her golden thunder shield.
Ikki frowned and quickly swung Tensa Zangetsu. Black slashes flew out one after another, intercepting the golden flying slashes.
BOOM!
With a muffled sound, the collision of flying slashes triggered a violent whirlwind.
This sudden attack shocked both Blackbeard and Ace.
Nami looked up to see where the slashes had come from. Now she understood why Ikki had asked her to stop attacking Blackbeard.
Enemies had arrived from above.
"Jihahaha! You actually caught my slashes," a voice boomed from the sky. "What an amazing swordsman! But it's not you I'm after. If you don't want trouble, hand over the woman behind you to me."
A man with long golden hair, a ship's wheel embedded in his head, and two swords for legs descended from the sky.
"That's... Golden Lion Shiki?" Blackbeard's eyes widened in shock. "You're still alive?!"
"Huh?" Golden Lion turned to look at Blackbeard. "Are you the one who was fighting that woman? So my island was destroyed because of you."
Hearing this, Blackbeard frowned in confusion. "Island? Destroyed? What are you talking about, Shiki?"
Blackbeard was lost, but Ikki roughly understood what Golden Lion meant.
'This guy must have had a floating island that flew into the thunderclouds created by Nami's Bankai,' Ikki thought, looking with slight embarrassment at the dark clouds that still covered half the sky, flashing with golden lightning.
Ace also recognized Golden Lion Shiki. Though he had never seen him in person, he'd often heard stories about Golden Lion from Whitebeard. He knew Shiki was once a great pirate who rivaled his father Roger.
Though eager to deal with Blackbeard, Shiki's appearance made Ace pause his attack.
Nami frowned and looked at Ikki with worry. Shiki's words made her understand why this flying man had come after them.
Ikki gave Nami a reassuring look, then turned to face Golden Lion high in the sky.
"Golden Lion Shiki, did my friend's lightning affect your sky island?" Ikki asked.
"Your partner..." Golden Lion glanced at Ikki. "Shihahaha! Because of your partner, most of my research facilities were destroyed."
Shiki explained that not long ago, he had been navigating his ship and some floating islands past Mock Town. The sudden appearance of thunder had destroyed many of his men and the research facilities used to study animal transformation. Seeing that the thunder wouldn't stop and was getting worse, Shiki had moved his islands away from the thunderclouds and headed straight for Mock Town.
"That's true," Ikki nodded, resting Tensa Zangetsu on his shoulder. "So what do you want to do about it?"
"What do I want to do?" Shiki smiled coldly. "Since you've damaged my property, how do you think we should handle this, boy? I'll give you two choices. First, become my subordinates and make up for my losses. That thunder power is quite good and might help my plans. Second... well, I don't need to explain. If you're not stupid, you should make the right choice now that you know who I am."
Hearing this, Ikki just shrugged. "Then there's nothing to talk about."
He called over to Ace, "Fire Fist Ace, like you asked, Blackbeard is all yours. That guy ate the Dark-Dark Fruit, which can pull in Devil Fruit users and cancel their powers if he touches them. Though he's been fighting my partner for a while, you should be careful if you don't want to lose."
Ikki had confirmed through his Haki that the Blackbeard Pirates were dead. Having already made an enemy of Blackbeard, he didn't mind finishing him off right there. But with Shiki present, he had to leave Blackbeard to Ace for now.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit can cancel Devil Fruit powers?" Ace frowned, looking at Blackbeard.
"Thanks for the warning, stranger," Ace nodded. "Hope you survive."
Ace glanced at Golden Lion, then turned back to Blackbeard. "Teach, let's find another place to settle our business."
Hearing this, Blackbeard frowned. He had no intention of leaving.
"Ace, I'll deal with you later," Blackbeard said coldly, then looked up at Shiki. "Golden Lion, don't underestimate these two. They're powerful swordsmen, and you saw the woman's strange thunder power. Since you're also here to fight them, why don't we team up?"
Blackbeard looked at Ikki and Nami with a vicious smile.
"Team up? Who do you think I am?" Shiki laughed, waving his hand casually.
The ground beside Blackbeard, Ace, Ikki, and Nami suddenly rose up, forming stone lions that roared and charged toward them.
"I'm very upset, so none of you will escape today," Shiki declared, directing the stone lions to attack.
"Hey, are you attacking now? I have no interest in fighting Golden Lion," Ace sighed. He punched in Blackbeard's direction, his fist turning into a massive fireball that rushed toward his target.
Blackbeard dodged, pushing off the corner of a stone lion to fly further away.
"Good luck to you both," Ace called to Ikki and Nami as his body turned to flames. He fled through the hole created by his fire fist, quickly disappearing from sight.
"He destroyed my ability," Shiki noted with surprise. "Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit—interesting. But running is useless. Once I deal with these two, he won't escape either."
Shiki clenched his fist, causing the rocks around Ikki and Nami to compress inward.
Nami frowned, wanting to use her thunderclouds to strike the rocks, but worried about hurting Ikki. She looked at him with concern.
Ikki smiled confidently as Tensa Zangetsu moved in a blur, striking out repeatedly. Each swing released a powerful flying slash that cut the incoming stones to powder.
"Hmm!" Golden Lion looked at Ikki with surprise. He hadn't used much power in his attack but hadn't expected Ikki to counter it so easily. The slash Ikki had used to block his earlier attack had already shown his skill as a great swordsman, but Shiki hadn't expected him to destroy his stone lions so quickly with pure slashing power.
What Shiki didn't know was that Tensa Zangetsu greatly increased Ikki's speed, making those slashes easy for him.
"I seem to have underestimated you, boy," Shiki said. "I didn't expect to meet such an amazing young man after being away from the world for so many years. It's a shame someone like you has to die. Why not become my partner and help me overturn the world?"
Golden Lion laughed and extended his hand to Ikki.
"What day is this? I've been invited to become a pirate by two pirates in a row," Ikki shook his head, standing between Nami and Shiki. "If I joined you, how could I collect bounties from the Marines?"
The Demon Mark on his forehead had begun to spread across his face.
"That's truly a shame," Shiki shook his head with mock pity. "At least tell me your name before I kill you, young man."
"Fair enough," Ikki nodded. "My name is Ikki Kurogane, and my partner is Nami. When you go to the next world, at least carry our names with you."
Hearing this, Shiki laughed again.
"Shihahaha! You're really arrogant. It seems I've been away from the sea for too long, and people have forgotten the name Golden Lion."
As he spoke, a powerful aura burst from Shiki and rushed toward Ikki and Nami. Though it wasn't Conqueror's Haki, it was still strong enough to shock them.
Nami's eyes widened. She felt this man might be even stronger than Blackbeard. But soon, her attention was caught by the conversation between Ikki and Shiki.
"Golden Lion, can I ask you a question? What's your bounty?" Ikki asked.
Since Shiki had been imprisoned in Impel Down, his bounty poster had long been withdrawn. Though he later escaped, he hadn't appeared in public for a long time. The Marines and World Government believed he might be dead and hadn't put a new bounty on him. Despite collecting bounty posters for pirates of all sizes, Ikki had never seen one for Golden Lion.
"Bounty? Kid, do you want to exchange my head for money? Shihahaha! My head is worth 4.8 billion Berries. If you want it, come and get it!"
Nami's eyes widened, and an unusual aura came from her.
"F-four point eight billion Berries? Is that true?"