As Miguel soared toward Shiki's floating ship, his enormous White Tiger form was immediately spotted by the lookouts. He made no effort to conceal himself, his towering frame slicing through the sky in full view. The scouts, alarmed, wasted no time in contacting Shiki through the Den-Den Mushi. The interruption cut through the lively festivities aboard the ship, souring the mood and stirring Shiki's temper.
When Miguel neared the airborne fortress, he summoned lightning as a greeting — a fierce, crackling bolt aimed directly at the ship. It was less a warning and more a declaration of intent. Still, Shiki made no appearance, clearly not taking the intrusion seriously.
As the lightning struck, a thunderous boom echoed across the skies. Miguel's laughter followed, wild and unrestrained — a sound that carried over the entire vessel.
"Hahahahaha! Shiki! I think you have something that belongs to me!" he bellowed.
Shiki finally emerged, his expression a mask of irritation and confusion.
"I don't even know who the hell you are," he replied coolly, floating toward Miguel while unsheathing his sword in one fluid motion.
Miguel smirked.
"Your Devil Fruit — I want it. So, if you could just die and let it respawn into the nearest fruit, I'll be on my way," he said casually.
Shiki scoffed at the audacity. But then, his grin widened. Before he could respond, Miguel's weapon morphed into a massive kanabo, and his body shifted into a Hybrid Form, echoing the powerful build of Nekomamushi. He let out a thunderous growl, summoning black clouds overhead as he charged forward, haki crackling around his weapon.
Shiki, sensing the serious intent, coated his sword in Conqueror's Haki Infusion, meeting Miguel's assault head-on.
Their first clash sent a shockwave rippling through the skies. Though Miguel lacked Conqueror's Infusion himself, he was overflowing with raw Armament Haki, enhanced by the countless agents he had slain — most notably Sommers, whose immense haki reserves and advanced mastery, including Emission, had fused with Miguel's being.
Sommers had fallen because he had underestimated Miguel — a mistake Shiki would soon learn not to make.
Now wielding Sommer's strength, Miguel met Shiki's Haki with his own Armament Emission, surprising the golden-haired pirate. Their blades never physically touched — the haki clashing in the air between them.
Shiki grinned wider. "Heh… strong. Maybe even stronger than Kaido... and younger, too."
"Shishi: Senjindani!" Shiki roared, unleashing a flurry of slicing air blades, his swordsmanship enhanced by haki.
"Cleave!" Miguel retaliated, generating shimmering blue wind blades that met Shiki's attack in mid-air. As the shockwaves collided, Miguel advanced behind a storm of additional slashes, using them as diversions. It worked. Shiki was forced to react to each with precision.
"Thorn Strike!"
Miguel appeared behind him in a flash, crashing the kanabo against Shiki's back with powerful Emission Haki, drawing blood. The strike was clean — Shiki hadn't sensed him coming.
Miguel moved to press the advantage, but as Shiki staggered in freefall, he lashed out instinctively, throwing Miguel off balance long enough to recover.
"Lion Menace: Earth Coiling!" Shiki commanded, manipulating a massive mountain of floating dirt and stone from the nearby island. It compressed and shaped into the head of a massive lion, lunging toward Miguel like a living battering ram.
"Thunder Menace!" Miguel called out, summoning a burst of lightning that ripped through the sky and vaporized the construct. But the effort made him pause — just long enough for Shiki to stabilize himself.
"Shihahahaha! You're a strong one," Shiki said with a mad grin. "Why not join me instead of dying here? I'll find you another Devil Fruit — one just as good, or better. I'll give you ten if you want!"
He couldn't understand why Miguel, who already seemed to possess a powerful Devil Fruit, was obsessed with his.
Miguel laughed again, harder this time.
"Hahahaha! You're funny. I've been dominating this fight, and yet you think I'm the one who's going to die? Are you a fantasist?"
"Shihahahaha! It seems this little scrap is inflating your ego," Shiki replied mockingly. Then, with a sharp motion, he activated his Devil Fruit again. The debris scattered from the destroyed lion's head began floating toward him — now his arsenal.
Miguel grinned in anticipation.
Their battle resumed with even greater ferocity. Below, the onlookers could only watch in stunned silence as Miguel stood toe-to-toe with Shiki — a warrior they had once believed unmatched. Every clash of haki between them caused miniature explosions in the sky, shaking the heavens.
This was no mere scuffle — it was a battle where both fighters put their lives on the line.
Miguel, despite having inherited Sommers' immortality, fought as if he'd forgotten it, fully immersed in the fight. Every dodge, every strike, every chance to counter — he took them all without hesitation. He fought to win, not just to survive.
Hours passed. Night fell. But the battle raged on, as intense as ever.
Miguel wasn't slowing down — he was evolving. His bladework grew sharper, more refined. He began to show talent rivaling even the legendary Ryuma, pushing himself in this prolonged duel. At one point, he switched his kanabo for the mythical sword Gram, letting his haki flow through it with such finesse that he achieved the Ryuo of Wano — capable of internal destruction.
Their blades clashed again. This time, Miguel finally succeeded in channeling his Conqueror's Haki through his weapon — unlocking Conqueror's Infusion for the first time.
Shiki's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Shihahahahaha! Now you're getting serious!"
Both Shiki and Miguel soared toward one another at full speed, their swords drawn and cloaked in Conqueror's Haki Infusion. The air between them cracked with tension as they closed the distance, neither blinking, neither yielding. Just as they were about to collide, they simultaneously swung their weapons with all their might.
Their blades never touched.
Instead, the sheer force of their haki created a devastating shockwave, the clash of wills resonating across the sky. The thunderclouds Miguel had summoned with his Devil Fruit scattered violently, blown away by the impact. In the eye of this storm, both warriors hovered mid-air, their blades locked in a clash without contact — the air vibrating and tearing around them from the pressure.
Miguel and Shiki grinned at one another — two monsters enjoying the thrill of battle — as their swords, pulsing with haki, continued to refuse physical contact, each one's willpower pressing against the other like opposing titans.