Back when Shiki arrogantly ordered everyone to retreat so he could show off alone on the battlefield, Brian had already predicted the miserable state Shiki would end up in.
To be precise, it wasn't just him - even Whitebeard and Charlotte Linlin who left alongside him could somewhat foresee this outcome.
The three Navy admirals were nearly equal in strength to Shiki. Three against one, with CP0 waiting in the wings from the Navy's rear, and reinforcements from headquarters undoubtedly already on their way. How could Shiki possibly take them on alone? It was pure suicide!
Having read the original story, Brian understood better than anyone how terrifying this generation of the Navy's top three were. Even decades earlier, their strength remained overwhelmingly powerful. Especially with that unpredictable mad dog Garp among them - he belonged to the top tier of monsters. Shiki stood no chance against these opponents.
Only someone as recklessly hot-headed as Shiki at that moment would be foolish enough to attempt such a solo fight. A one-on-three? You must have lost your mind~
Yet none of the three had chosen to warn the heated Shiki at that critical moment. Not because of anything else - even as fellow senior officers, their relationship wasn't that close. To be blunt, the four of them were competitors. If Shiki managed to get himself killed here, the first to laugh would actually be Charlotte Linlin, who had shared numerous intimate nights with him.
Joking aside, for Linlin, Shiki had already lost most of his value. As a top-tier "public transport" who had experienced hundreds of partners, she had long grown tired of weaklings like Shiki. The only one who truly held her favor now was Kaido - that young, strong, and vigorous brute. At this time, Kaido was still willing to put real effort into pleasing Linlin.
As for whatever slight affection remained from her past encounters with Shiki? To Linlin, it meant nothing. She wouldn't even want to bear children with someone who held no value to her.
After Linlin, Whitebeard and Brian would form the second wave of laughter. Having one less competitor benefited them greatly. Brian particularly understood that within less than a year, the God Valley Battle would begin, marking the disintegration of the Rocks Pirates.
In summary, if Shiki truly died or got captured, aside from his most loyal subordinates, probably only Captain Rocks would feel any sorrow. With the God Valley plan approaching, Rocks couldn't even bear to lose Silver Axe, let alone someone several tiers higher like Shiki.
If his "capable subordinate" Old Gold really died, Rocks might even shed some crocodile tears in front of everyone. But once alone, he would definitely curse Shiki for being useless and dying at the worst possible time. His carefully planned scheme years in the making was finally within reach, yet Shiki had to go and get himself killed from sheer hot-headedness at this critical moment. Wasn't this deliberately making Rocks' straightforward plan hit obstacles from both ends?
So the question remained: Since Brian had clearly stood by and allowed Shiki to walk to his doom...
Why did he choose to intervene and save the Golden Lion's life at this precise moment?
The implications ran far deeper than they appeared.
For Brian, rescuing the Golden Lion at this juncture—especially after capturing so many iconic photographs—meant he could proudly declare: "This secret will sustain me for a lifetime at your expense, Shiki!"
But such considerations were for later. Only by first preserving Shiki's life could anything else be discussed.
A few seconds later, Brian finally set down the Den Den Mushi in his hand. The numerous high-resolution photos were more than sufficient.
The destructive energy brewing within the magic circle beneath his feet had reached its peak. The small gray lotus had fully solidified, hovering steadily at the center of the array. A gentle breeze caused it to sway slightly, sending cracks rippling through the surrounding space.
In truth, Brian had arrived at the scene the moment Shiki was first sent flying like a ball. This meant he had witnessed nearly the entirety of the Golden Lion's miserable ordeal—including his attempt to flee after causing chaos on the warship, only to be blocked by Garp.
However, upon arriving, Brian had remained silent and concealed. Deliberately suppressing his presence while hovering thousands of meters in the air, he had gone unnoticed as the four combatants below focused entirely on their fierce clash. This allowed him to quietly accumulate power for his ultimate move undetected.
It was only now, with his technique fully formed, that he revealed himself.
Brian was no reckless fool like the Golden Lion. Without thorough preparation, he would never foolishly take on the Navy's top three alone.
The delicate lotus below had drained over half of Brian's energy, making it one of his most powerful killing techniques. The horrified expressions on the faces of Garp and the others below upon seeing the lotus take shape were proof enough.
"Hey now, this is no joke... If that thing hits us, we're dead for sure," Zephyr muttered, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he stared at the technique above.
Sengoku, standing beside him, shared the sentiment. His perception of Brian deepened once again: This man is a madman—a madman with terrifying power.
"This is absurd. Beast Brian continues to defy all my expectations," Sengoku thought. "And he's completely disregarding his fellow crewmate, the Golden Lion Shiki, who's right below? Madness... sheer madness."
"Enough gawking, you two! Get ready now!" Garp barked, his rage momentarily eclipsed by clarity. He then noticed a critical problem: "If this attack lands, even Tsuru's nearby warships will be caught in the blast. Damn it, is he trying to wipe out the entire Navy fleet?!"
Garp's Armament Haki surged like flowing water, encasing his entire body in an instant and transforming him into a "black iron man." Zephyr followed suit, covering himself fully in Armament Haki. Sengoku assumed the form of the colossal Great Buddha, his body gleaming with interwoven black and gold Haki.
The three stood ready, bracing for the "terror bomb" Brian was about to drop.
"Retreat! Withdraw from these waters immediately!" Tsuru commanded her adjutant, her expression grave. As the only remaining Vice Admiral in the fleet, she alone could steer them to safety.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
The eight surviving warships surged forward at full speed, racing toward the distant horizon. Only by putting vast distance between themselves and this sea could they hope to survive.
Whoosh~
Swish~
Right at that moment.
A brown figure flashed through the air beneath Sengoku and the other two.
When they looked again, the previously teetering Shiki had vanished without a trace.
"Damn it."
"Those damned Beasts."
Sengoku cursed fiercely at the sight.
The hard-won prize had slipped away once more.
Now it would be even harder to explain upon their return.
But they had no time to divert their attention to prevent the enemy from taking Shiki away.
The lotus above, carrying terrifying power, was already descending toward them.