Seeing his old rival brought low like this, Roger let out a deep sigh and bellowed:
"Shiki! You better get out of here—heaven won't save you!"
Even Roger felt a twinge of apprehension. That fleet's destructive power had been overwhelming; one slip-up and the entire crew could have been wiped out.
"Roger! I'll rise again! Just you wait!"
The Golden Lion spat his threat and shot off into the distance. His figure grew smaller in the stormy wind, yet the aura of defiance clung to him.
Shiro's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he pounded his chest and appeared instantly in front of Shiki.
"Y-you little brat… what are you trying to do?!"
Shiki's eyes widened in shock at Shiro's sudden arrival.
Without a word, Shiro drew his blade, his gaze sharp and lethal. In the next instant, he unleashed a Divine Departure strike, the blade cutting through the air like lightning, carrying an overwhelming force.
Shiki scrambled, hastily raising his twin swords—Oto and Kogarashi—to block the strike.
Clang!
Metal clashed with a crisp ring. Shiki barely managed to intercept Shiro's strike, but the impact was so strong it sent him flying five or six meters. One of his swords slipped from his grip as he tumbled through the air.
Shiro's reflexes were lightning-fast. In a blink, he teleported and caught Oto, grinning at Shiki:
"Thanks for this, Golden Lion Shiki!"
Before the words even left his mouth, Shiro had vanished back onto the Oro Jackson.
Shiki froze for a moment, then bellowed in fury:
"You little brat! You better wait—I'll make you pay for this!"
His voice faded as his figure disappeared over the horizon.
Shiro stared at his new prize in excitement.
All this time, he had lacked a proper weapon. Now, with Shiki's renowned sword Oto, his attacks would gain tremendous power.
With Shiki fleeing in defeat, the crew erupted in cheers. Weapons were raised high, smiles bright across every face.
"Yeah! We did it! That so-called flying war fleet is history!"
Buggy danced with glee, his earlier fear completely gone.
Shanks exhaled, relaxing as he gripped his saber, a faint smile on his face.
Shiro exchanged a meaningful glance with Roger, both understanding each other without words.
"Shiro… now I believe you!"
Buggy gripped Shiro's hand excitedly.
"What?" Shiro asked, surprised.
"You said I had Conqueror's Luck!" Buggy's eyes sparkled. "That hurricane just now… it must've been my Conqueror's Luck at work!"
Shiro coughed awkwardly, smiling wryly.
"Well… maybe it was."
In truth, he felt it had more to do with Roger's Destined Child luck than Buggy's.
Two kilometers away, on a small green-caped boat, a man smiled quietly, watching the scene unfold.
"Dragon… the savior you spoke of, I found him. Today, I repay the debt."
With a gentle wind, he sped away from the At World Sea, leaving the waters calm once more.
T/N: Not sure who this is supposed to be, let me know if you know!
Back on the Oro Jackson, the ship cut through the rolling waves. Shiro's long fingers traced the edge of Oto, the blade singing as it was drawn.
He moved with fluid precision, each strike sharp and decisive. Golden sword trails illuminated the air, leaving streaks of brilliance behind.
The crew watched in awe. Even Bullet, who had been lounging idly on the mast, stirred at the display. Shiro's swordsmanship ignited his fighting spirit. He clenched his fists, knuckles cracking audibly, eager to face Shiro in combat.
A confident smile curled Shiro's lips. He was more than ready.
For three years, Shiro and Bullet had trained and sparred nearly every day. They knew each other's styles intimately—every move, every habit etched in memory.
So when they finally clashed, the battle escalated immediately to a white-hot intensity.
This time, wielding Oto, Shiro held a slight edge from the very start. His strikes were sharper, his defenses tighter, forcing Bullet to struggle to find openings.
The fight raged on for three grueling hours, both pushing themselves to the limit. Finally, Shiro seized a fleeting opportunity and knocked Bullet to the deck.
Bullet lay gasping, pride wounded but unbroken.
Shiro smiled knowingly. He already understood the next step in his growth—enhancing his weapon's power.
In combat, a well-chosen, powerful weapon could be decisive. For a swordsman, it was a second life. Its importance was unquestionable.
Shiro's thoughts drifted to the past, when he had tried to infuse ordinary weapons with his Paw Paw Fruit energy. The results had been disastrous—all the weapons shattered under the strain of his power.
Now, with Oto, hope sparked anew. He resolved to try again.
In the days to follow, whenever a crew member was injured or sick, Shiro would use his Fruit to extract the ailment as a pink energy orb. Then, he would focus on embedding the energy into Oto.
Yet, to his surprise, the orb recoiled the moment it approached the sword. It refused to enter, no matter how hard he tried.
Shiro frowned, puzzled.
"Why…? Was my thinking wrong? Can this energy not be placed into an inanimate object?"
He was stumped.
Just then, lively chatter arose on deck:
"Is this the Whole Cake Island? Look at all the cakes and desserts! Amazing!"
"Why did we even come here?"
"They say the Red Poneglyph for the final island is here, and Captain Roger wants…"
T/N: If you would like to read up to 20 chapters ahead for all my works, check out my P@treon: patreon.com/GhidorahWriter
Thanks for reading! Be sure to collect and vote for more chapters! A Bonus Chapter will be released once we hit 50 Powerstones!