In the distance.
Deputy Indigo and the remaining members of the Flying Pirates who had rushed over stood dumbfounded.
"Hey, am I seeing things? This... this can't be real..."
"Lord Shiki... was taken down with one punch..."
"Just one punch?"
Many trembled uncontrollably, instinctively taking several steps back.
They couldn't believe what they were witnessing.
That legendary Pirate who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Roger and Whitebeard, the Golden Lion Shiki who single-handedly destroyed half of Marine Headquarters...
The Admiral of the Flying Grand Fleet whom they admired, revered, and followed with all their hearts, striving to conquer and dominate this world together...
Could he really not withstand even a single punch from that Xiano?
——
Within the deep crater.
Golden Lion breathed heavily, his vision darkening as he nearly lost consciousness on the spot. With great difficulty, he propped himself up, kneeling on one knee as blood continuously trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Pain!
Excruciating, bone-deep pain!
How many years... how many years had it been since he last experienced this level of agony after escaping from Impel Down?!
Lowering his head, he stared at his deeply sunken chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"How is this possible... such strength..."
Golden Lion suddenly looked up, glaring fiercely at Xiano hovering in the air, gnashing his teeth: "You bastard, how the hell did you do this?!"
He recognized this punch!
It was Garp's!
Garp's signature, exclusive technique—why did this guy know it too? And the power behind it was no less than Garp's at his peak!
"What, finally realizing the gap between us?"
Xiano looked down imperiously at Golden Lion, his voice icy:
"It seems Charlotte Linlin held back somewhat when fighting you. She didn't realize... the legendary Golden Lion Shiki who once shook the world has long been dead!"
"What stands in his place is nothing but a maggot—a resentful worm too cowardly to face the World Government head-on, hiding in the shadows and venting its frustrations on innocent civilians of the East Blue!"
Not even worth mentioning!
"..." Golden Lion stared blankly at Xiano, his breath seemingly halting at this moment.
What did this brat just call me?
A maggot...
A maggot???!
The words tore through Golden Lion's heart like venomous fangs, gnawing and devouring his sanity. His eyes instantly reddened, veins bulging as his entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
"A maggot, you say?"
A thick vein pulsed at Golden Lion's temple as he spat out his cigar with a ptui, roaring in fury:
"You damn brat! How dare you... what gives you the right to call me that?!"
His plans weren't wrong!
Even if there were flaws, it wasn't for some snot-nosed kid—who was barely born when Roger died—to criticize!
BOOM!
With his rage, a terrifying aura erupted violently from his body!
"The East Blue was merely the starting point."
Golden Lion slowly rose from the crater, blood flowing faster from the wound on his chest, yet his oppressive aura continued escalating relentlessly.
"Stop being so self-righteous! My ultimate dream has always been to dominate this great sea, this entire world!"
Oh?
Xiano raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly, "Finally showing some spirit, huh? Pity it's still just self-deception... This level is far from enough."
"Whether it's enough or not isn't for you to decide!!!"
Golden Lion grinned ferociously, suddenly extending both arms before slamming them together in front of his chest!
"Lion's Roar Earth Bind!"
Boom!
The entire floating island began to tremble violently.
The ground writhed like a living creature as countless rocks and dirt surged into the sky, coalescing in midair. In an instant, they transformed into seven or eight gigantic lion heads, each nearly a hundred meters tall!
Roar!
These earthen beasts bared their fangs, charging at Xiano from all directions to tear him apart.
Xiano descended from the air and landed on the ground. Facing the ferocious giant lion heads, he didn't even bother to lift an eyelid.
"Is this all you've got?"
He crossed his arms, not even bothering to assume a defensive stance, allowing the first stone lion to pounce down and viciously snap at his head—
Crack!
The lion's fangs shattered instantly. Then, as if it had crashed into the hardest metal in the world, the entire head began to fracture from the point of impact, crumbling into dust in the blink of an eye.
One after another, the remaining stone lions roared as they followed suit.
The outcome was no different.
The moment they touched Xiano's body, the stone lions exploded one by one, turning into clouds of dust that scattered through the air.
Under Golden Lion's disbelieving gaze, the dust drifted down like falling snow.
"Don't embarrass yourself with childish mud-pie games."
Xiano remained motionless, shaking his head slightly.
"Bring out something you're actually good at, Shiki. Or perhaps nothing will work—your Haki is as weak as your convictions. Whether it's Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki, without strong Haki reinforcement, your Float-Float Fruit abilities alone pose no threat to me!"
This old man... It seems he can't even use Conqueror's Haki Infusion anymore.
Though the outcome of this battle had been predetermined in his mind from the start, the opponent being this weak made it unbearably dull.
"..."
Golden Lion stared at Xiano, his expression darkening further. After a moment of silence, he suddenly took a deep breath and let out a furious roar:
"Brat! Your physical prowess is indeed formidable! But don't get too arrogant—I'm not just a Devil Fruit user! I was once a world-renowned Master Swordsman of the Two-Sword Style!"
Watch closely!
Thud!
His stumped legs kicked off violently, launching him into the air like a cannonball. His two legendary swords, Sakura Ten and Kogarashi, serving as prosthetic limbs, gleamed coldly under the moonlight.
"Two-Sword Style: Lion Beheading Valley!"
Hummm!
Golden Lion's slashes were blindingly fast. In the instant his words faded, dozens of golden slashes weaved into a net, illuminating the night sky as bright as day!
"Now this is more like it."
Xiano finally showed some interest, reaching for the greatsword Masamune on his back.
Swordsmanship, is it?
If it's swordsmanship...
Then he would respond in kind.
His gaze turned icy. Just as the countless golden slashes were about to reach him, his slender blade flashed from its sheath!
"Divine Departure!"
Clang!
A simple, unadorned horizontal slash cut through the night.
The seemingly slow blade light erupted with terrifying power the moment it touched the web of slashes. Black-red lightning exploded, shattering all the golden slashes simultaneously like fragile glass.
How could this be?
Golden Lion's jaw dropped, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.
Not just because of the power, but also the sword technique...
This move...
He had seen it before too!
"Roger!" he instinctively shouted. "To think you'd inherit his will as well! You damn brat, is there anything you can't do?!"
As he spoke, the terrifying residual force of Divine Departure, which hadn't been fully deflected, slammed into his body.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed.
Even though Golden Lion had desperately activated Armament Haki for defense, the area below his neck—his shoulder blades and collarbone—was still cleaved open with wounds deep enough to reveal bone.
"Guh...!"
He groaned, staggering back several steps, his face turning deathly pale.
The gap... was too vast!
At this point, no matter how stubborn or unwilling he was, he had to admit it—whether in Martial Arts, Haki, or swordsmanship...
This young man before him was far beyond him!
In his current state, there was absolutely no chance of victory!
"Let's end this here."
Xiano stepped forward slowly, his blade tip pointing at Golden Lion's throat:
"Spouting nonsense about revenge against the world or dominating the world means nothing! You might fool others, but you can't fool your own will, your own heart!"
"If it were the Shiki of old—the Shiki who was truly worthy of rivaling Roger in his prime—would he have waited until Kaido and I were exhausted from battle to swoop in for cheap fame? Would he have pinned all his hopes, all his time, on some ridiculous thing like IQ drugs?!"
"..."
Golden Lion stood frozen, silent.
His gaze gradually lost focus, as if lost in some memory.
Xiano's words were like a sharp knife, stabbing straight into his heart.
Yes.
When had he become so despicable?
After losing the Ed Wall naval battle?
After cutting off his own legs in Impel Down?
Or during these twenty years hiding in the shadows, numbing himself day after day, conducting those laughable experiments?
"Roger... Whitebeard..."
Golden Lion muttered to himself, a dazed flicker in his eyes.
"One's long dead, the other's terminally ill but still fighting to live with everything he's got."
Xiano said coldly, "But whether alive or dead, neither of them ever abandoned their convictions. You, on the other hand, lost yourself long ago in your petty fears and hesitations."
Lost...?
"Don't you dare look down on me!!!"
Golden Lion suddenly roared, his bloodied right hand shooting upward to grip the wooden helm embedded in his skull, his eyes flashing with desperate madness.
"I am... Golden Lion!!!"
Rip—!
Amid the sound of tearing flesh, the helm that had fallen from the sky during the Ed Wall naval battle—lodged deep in his skull for decades—was forcibly ripped out by his own hand!
A torrent of blood instantly gushed forth, staining half his face crimson.
Golden Lion swayed, nearly collapsing from the loss of balance, but his aura abruptly surged to terrifying new heights!
"Lord Shiki!"
Indigo, who had been trembling behind a large rock, suddenly widened his eyes and leaned out in horror, screaming:
"How can this be! You can't pull out that rudder! Your wounds will—"
"Shut up!!"
Golden Lion wiped the blood from his face with a savage grin. His previously unfocused, vacant eyes suddenly sharpened with clarity and ferocity:
"Of course I know! Pulling this thing out means I won't last long no matter what! But, but—! Rather than being beaten like a dog by some young upstart, unable to fight back or even retort… I'd rather go out like this, in a blaze of glory!"
Keep pulling!
This time, it's the swords!
The two blades that had accompanied him from obscurity to the pinnacle of the seas, reigning supreme!
"Sakura Ten! Kogarashi!"
With a roar, Golden Lion yanked the two legendary swords from his severed legs, blood gushing forth like a fountain.
His body trembled violently, as if he might collapse at any moment.
But in the end, he did not fall.
It's back, all of it is back!
"This… is the real me!"
Without the support of his legs, Golden Lion hovered in midair, buoyed by the power of the Float-Float Fruit.
Gripping his swords, drenched in blood, the Conqueror's Haki he hadn't unleashed in years erupted in full force. Thick, terrifying bolts of black-and-red lightning crackled wildly around him.
"Come at me, brat!"
Golden Lion laughed maniacally, crossing his swords before his chest before sweeping them outward with exhilaration:
"Lectures from youngsters like you won't reach a stubborn old man like me, so let's end this here! Now, I'll show you what a true lion's majesty looks like!"
Bzzzt!
With that motion, a force so immense it distorted the very air radiated outward in all directions!
The sea of clouds, lakes, sand, mist—everything seemed to answer his call, either boiling violently or rising into the air, coalescing into countless colossal lions, each coated in Armament Haki so dense it was nearly tangible.
"Secret Technique: Lion's Roar Heavenly Conquest!"
ROAR!!!
The countless pitch-black lions threw back their heads and roared in unison. With an earth-shaking chorus, the legion of lions surged forward.
They trampled through the void, devouring even light in their wake. The entire floating island groaned under the strain of their power, as if on the verge of collapse.
But it didn't end there!
Golden Lion gripped his swords with both hands, channeling every ounce of his strength and the black-and-red Conqueror's Haki lightning into Sakura Ten and Kogarashi. The blades erupted with a blinding golden radiance.
"Two-Sword Style: Lion's Requiem: Myriad Worlds!"
Swish!
A golden slash spanning the heavens erupted, trailing behind the stampede of lions as it hurtled toward Xiano. Space warped, clouds shattered—it was as if the very world would be split in two!
"Finally… I can feel it."
Xiano watched calmly.
The aura of a legend…
"Out of respect for your final stand, I'll go all out too."
He sheathed his Greatsword Masamune.
Then.
Grinning, he solemnly raised his right fist and clenched it tight.
BOOM!!!
A brilliant cross-shaped burst of black-and-red lightning exploded from Xiano's fist.
The pinnacle of Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki merged flawlessly in that instant, forming a spiraling storm of destruction at his knuckles!
The clouds across the entire night sky were stirred by this overwhelming aura, scattering in all directions and revealing the dazzling, boundless expanse of the Milky Way.
"This move," Xiano raised his head and spoke solemnly, "is my latest technique, perfected over these past few days by combining Old Man Garp's Galaxy Impact with my own fist arts."
"Golden Lion, you're the first to witness it—and you're worthy of that honor."
He knew nothing of swordsmanship, so the Divine Departure he'd taken from Red Hair could only be replicated exactly as it was, without the slightest modification.
But fist arts… were different!
From that small tangerine grove onward, he had trained in countless fist techniques since childhood, enduring endless hardships and sweat, his hands calloused over and over as he gritted his teeth and pushed forward step by step.
In this world, he was truly a master of fist arts on par with Garp—a genuine grandmaster of the craft!
Thus, Galaxy Impact could be freely refined, merged with other fist techniques, and reborn into a new form—one that suited him better and could unleash its full destructive potential.
Its name was…
"Galaxy—"
As Xiano roared, the muscles in his right arm swelled to their limit, veins bulging like coiling dragons. The already shattered ground beneath his feet collapsed completely, massive spiderweb-like fissures spreading outward in layers, reaching the edges of the floating island in an instant.
"—Inversion!"
—BOOOOM!!!
The moment his fist shot forward, time itself seemed to freeze for an instant.
Then, a black-and-red pillar of light over a hundred meters in diameter pierced through heaven and earth, shattering the surrounding space like glass.
The Armament Haki lions charging at him evaporated instantly upon contact with the light, leaving not even a trace of residue behind.
The golden slash that followed managed to hold out for a brief moment—but only just.
Within seconds, the golden Sword Aura crumbled apart, while the massive black-and-red pillar of light, its momentum barely diminished, swallowed Golden Lion whole as he spread his arms and roared defiantly.
"Lord Shiki!!!"
Indigo wept bitterly, his voice choked with grief.
Further away, many of their subordinates who had fled to the battlefield's edge turned to witness the scene, their bodies trembling. Some covered their faces and sobbed, while others wailed openly.
Dust and smoke filled the air, taking a long time to disperse.
Golden Lion's mangled body lay quietly at the bottom of a crater over a hundred meters deep.
His arms had completely vanished, and a horrific penetrating wound stretched from his chest down to his waist, exposing the dirt beneath.
Yet, a relieved smile lingered on his lips.
Seventeen years…
Seventeen years of running, hiding—seventeen laughable years spent plotting revenge…
It was all over now.
And with it, his liberation.
The old era was destined to pass, and though he didn't know where the tides of the new era would lead, one thing was certain: the name shining brightest at its peak right now was Xiano…
Perhaps this entire new age would one day bear his name!
To die at the hands of such a man…
Was no disgrace at all!
"Zehahaha… Roger… I'm finally coming to see you…"
With that final whisper, the legend of the old era lay there, eyes wide open, laughing up at the sky—until his body stiffened, and his breath ceased.
Thud.
Sakura Ten and Kogarashi, which had been thrust into the pit's bottom, suddenly seemed to reach their limit of endurance at this moment. Simultaneously, they snapped at the waist and fell lightly to the ground.
(End of Chapter)