Zephyr was kind, and maybe a bit stubborn, but he would never give up his goal just because someone threatened his men.
He was a Marine Admiral, with his own sense of justice. Every Marine had it. If he gave up the Shikon Jewel fragment because of a few words from Shiki, the Marines who died for him would never rest in peace!
"Double Lion Slash!"
Hearing Zephyr's answer, Shiki quickly countered. Two huge golden lions crossed in the sky, their roars shaking the entire sea. Zephyr, of course, felt no fear. He stared at those massive lion heads and charged into an intense battle with the Golden Lion.
The fight grew fiercer and fiercer as both Zephyr and Shiki went all out.
All their attention was on each other. Down below, the Marines had almost stopped firing cannons because Shiki's pirate crew had jumped onto the warships, starting a brutal battle.
Against the remnants of the Rocks Pirates, Zephyr's Marines could never win, no matter how brave they were. There were only two Vice Admirals among these ships—how could they stand against the officers of Shiki's fleet?
But even with this huge gap in power, they didn't back down. Even knowing they weren't a match, they still fired their guns and swung their blades, holding off the Golden Lion Pirates for quite a while.
When the fight between Zephyr and Shiki reached its peak, the Marines below were finally wiped out. Looking at the battle above, one senior officer said, "Should we go help the boss?"
If they joined in, it should end quickly, right?
"The boss can handle it. We'll just watch." Another leaned against the cabin wall, calm. Their crew hadn't been together that long, and for now, he didn't want to risk angering the World Government over a Shikon Jewel that clearly wouldn't end up his.
"You're too cautious. Don't forget how Captain Rocks failed." A big man stepped forward from the crowd and said in a deep voice, "If we keep this up, even if we rule for a while, we'll end up like Captain Rocks sooner or later."
He was clearly an old member from the Rocks era. After the Rocks Pirates broke up, he followed Shiki to form this crew. Watching Shiki and Zephyr fight reminded him of the old battle between Rocks and Roger.
"Hmph, you can all stay down here and watch." He snorted coldly, stomped hard on the deck, and shot into the sky like a cannonball, heading straight for Zephyr and Shiki's battlefield.
"Die, Zephyr!" he roared, and at the same time Shiki swung his strongest slash at Zephyr.
"Lion Might: Sky Sword Style!"
Both swords swung down, splitting the sky itself. The thick clouds parted, and from the distance came the howl of a huge sword strike.
Zephyr was now caught in a pincer attack. He clenched his teeth, his entire body covered in Armament Haki, his arms shining black as he forced himself to block Shiki's massive slash.
As for the big guy coming from below, no matter how strong he was, he wasn't stronger than Shiki. Taking one hit from him was better than being killed by Shiki's blade.
Zephyr was ready to die. He knew Marines couldn't send backup in time, and even if he jumped into the sea, it was useless—Shiki could make the water float. There was no way to escape the range of his ability in time.
Right now, he had almost no chance of surviving, but he still couldn't die—not yet. He still carried the Shikon Jewel fragment, and he would never hand it over to a monster like Shiki!
He bet everything on…
His sense of justice!
He let out a furious roar. Even if he had to die and sink with the Shikon Jewel shard into the sea, he would never let Shiki get it. But right at that moment…
Something in the distance began to shine as it drew closer.
The huge man charging upward saw Zephyr ready to defend against Shiki's strike with all his strength. He was secretly delighted, preparing to land a heavy blow on Zephyr. But suddenly, the distant sky grew blindingly bright, like a flash of thunder…
A beam of light shot closer and closer. The giant man only saw that searing lightning grow larger and larger in his eyes. The next moment, a streak of blue light cut across his body…
Huh?
What just happened?
His eyes still showed confusion, but the next moment he felt his strength draining away. He looked down and saw his own legs still connected to his waist—but they weren't beneath him.
They were… in front of him?
"Uh…"
A violent pain shot through his body. That streak of lightning had sliced him in an instant, as sharp as the keenest blade, cutting him clean in half.
Then all his strength vanished. His body, which had been rushing upward, lost all power and began to fall from the sky.
Falling, he could no longer see the clash between Zephyr and Shiki above. All he could see was the ocean below, and the shock and fear on the faces of those people looking up. A bolt of lightning struck down from the heavens, hitting the Marine warship that pirates had seized.
That's… him?
A towering figure, wreathed in endless lightning, crashed down onto the warship like thunder from the sky. The moment he landed, the whole ship tilted from the sheer force.
He looked at that figure's outline. It felt somewhat familiar, but by now he could hardly recognize anything—because he was already on the verge of death.
His vision was swallowed by darkness. Being cut in half like this, even a top officer could not survive.
"It really is the perfect time to take a Shikon Jewel shard… but what if…"
From below came a voice that rumbled like thunder, echoing across heaven and earth. It reached the ears of the pirates on the ship, and even those of Shiki and Zephyr battling above.
"I don't allow it?"
Boom!
In an instant, the entire sky turned dark. The clouds that Shiki had torn apart pulled back together, growing pitch black. Faint bolts of lightning spread through them. A vast power surged from the Thunder God's body, resonating with the storm above, filling the world with crushing pressure.
Rumble…
Thunder rolled across the heavens. Wherever the sound spread, over ninety-nine percent of Shiki's pirates foamed at the mouth and collapsed on the spot. The few that remained standing still wavered, struggling to keep their footing.
This is…
Conqueror's Haki!
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