Chapter 257: Wright vs. Shiki
Shiki's expression darkened.
The East Blue—again, the East Blue!
The East Blue produced Roger, then Garp, and now, Wright!
"The weakest sea," huh? Was that supposed to be a joke?!
"You know about my plan!"
"What did you do to my most trusted lieutenant?!"
"Don't misunderstand. He… went quickly."
Wright shrugged. "How I learned about your plan doesn't matter. What matters is that the East Blue seems to have a special connection with you, doesn't it?"
"Stop indulging in those unrealistic fantasies. Now that we've crossed blades today..."
"Whether it's for my homeland, the East Blue, or as a Marine protecting the world's safety..."
The blazing holy fire of "Ashes" pointed directly at the Golden Lion. Wright's expression grew solemn:
"One of us will never fly again!"
"It's been a long time since I've seen such an audacious young man!"
Shiki threw back his head and laughed, then unleashed a flurry of attacks with his sword-like legs:
"But have you forgotten how terrifying I am after all these years in hiding?!"
"I am the Golden Lion!"
"Lion: Thousand Cut Valley!"
The technique was the same, but this time, the slashes were significantly stronger!
As a legendary pirate, Shiki mastered precise control over his strength, using it as a tool of intimidation. The nature of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi was proof of this—it wasn't just raw power but strategic dominance.
If Wright had the same ability, he wouldn't waste time lifting earth into lion-shaped formations and roaring theatrically. He'd simply smash it into his opponent's face! The fact that some of these grand figures indulged in such theatrics… truly excessive!
Of course, Holy Light effects were a different matter. If an actor played it up, was that really excessive?
Shiki's swordsmanship had that same characteristic—meticulous control.
An attack might look the same, but its effects could vary drastically. Countering with equal force was risky—it could lead straight into his trap.
With Haki-infused blades, Wright chose not to engage in an aerial clash of slashes. Instead, he closed the distance and blocked Shiki's strikes directly with his long sword!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Successive slashes were shattered by Wright's counters. Fighting in close quarters allowed him to adapt to Shiki's unpredictable swordplay.
For a moment, Shiki's relentless assault resembled an unending river, while Wright remained unmoved, adopting a steadfast defense, neutralizing the Golden Lion's attacks from every direction!
"As expected of a legendary swordsman..."
But Wright knew that prolonged defense would eventually lead to an opening. Once he had familiarized himself with Shiki's attack patterns, he summoned a wall of Holy Light to block for an instant—then burst forward at lightspeed!
"Divine Judgment!"
Wright's figure instantly appeared at Shiki's side, well within striking range!
"Heh!"
Clang!
Shiki's Observation Haki was formidable—his body lifted instantly, and his right-leg sword intercepted the attack just in time!
"Urgh..."
Shiki frowned. The sheer force of the close-range slash made it difficult for him to parry. After all, wielding a sword with one's legs wasn't the same as gripping it with one's hands.
This was why he primarily relied on the overwhelming capabilities of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi and long-range aerial slashes—rarely engaging in direct close-quarters combat.
Ever since his escape from Impel Down, Shiki had crushed opponents effortlessly with these methods.
But now, against a true great swordsman, he could feel his disadvantage in direct swordplay!
Blades clashed, and Haki-infused slashes erupted into violent shockwaves. In Shiki's ambitious eyes, a sudden flame of determination ignited.
"Kid…"
"You really remind me of myself back in the day!"
Boom!
A massive spike of rock erupted from below, forcing Wright back. Shiki roared with laughter:
"Gehahahaha!"
"Back then, I failed to defeat Roger. If I can't even take down a brat from the East Blue today…"
"What right do I have to rule the world?!"
Whoosh!
Wright prepared himself, eyes widening suddenly. He swung his blade swiftly!
"Twin Dragons!"
With Shiki's battle cry, two brilliant golden slashes surged forward like roaring dragons, already upon Wright!
Clang!
BOOM!
The sheer impact of the Haki clash made Wright twitch. Shiki was still at a distance—
But something felt off…
"What the hell… is this sword control?!"
Wright's eye twitched as he saw "Oto" and "Kogarashi"—Shiki's famed twin swords—no longer attached to his legs but floating mid-air, wreathed in powerful Haki, attacking independently!
"The Kuja's archery techniques allow Haki-infused arrows to cause devastating ranged destruction… but Shiki…"
"Is this guy a damn sword saint?!"
"Gehahahaha!"
"It's been years, kid! You're the first to push me this far!"
"Lion: Rampage!"
Shiki's hands moved like a butterfly weaving through flowers, executing an intricate and mesmerizing sword dance. "Oto" and "Kogarashi" swirled in dazzling formations, forcing Wright into an increasingly precarious position!
With the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, Shiki's lack of legs had no impact on his aerial combat.
And now, with his twin swords freed from his legs, his swordsmanship had reached new heights!
Clang! Clang!
Even with his Observation Haki at full power, Wright couldn't avoid every strike from Shiki's near-unique style of sword control.
But the Haki infused in the twin blades had its limits. Eventually, as their energy dwindled, Wright managed to knock them aside. Shiki gestured, and the swords flew back into his hands.
"Damn… After losing his legs, that old bastard spent years perfecting this technique to an absurd level!"
Shiki ran his hands over his blades, re-coating them with Armament Haki. Laughing wildly, he raised his hand, and the shattered battlefield responded.
RUMBLE!
Massive chunks of earth rose, fusing into a colossal blade hundreds of meters long!
"Ha!"
With a thunderous shout, Shiki infused the massive blade with an overwhelming surge of Haki, its sheer pressure crashing down upon Wright!
"Kid! Take this!"
The blade descended like a falling sky—its speed and size rendering evasion impossible!
"Ashes: Awakening!"
"Ashes" transformed into a massive twenty-meter golden-red greatsword as Wright met Shiki's attack head-on.
"Ultimate Technique: Divine Void Slash!"
BOOOOOM!!!
The deafening explosion split the sky. The clash of massive weapons and pure Haki sent shockwaves across the battlefield, illuminating the darkened heavens like a second sun!
Shiki lunged forward, striking the base of his earth-sword with both palms:
"Not bad, kid! Let's go again!"
"Holy Light Wings: Ignition!"
Golden flames erupted from Wright's back, and with a battle cry, "Ashes" cleaved Shiki's giant sword in two!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As fragments of the colossal sword rained down, Wright's Observation Haki locked onto Shiki's stunned figure.
"Ten Thousand Blades: Twin Dragons!"
Shiki's lips curled into a smirk as he forcefully clasped his arms together. The shattered fragments of the massive swords that had just fallen transformed at an astonishing speed—tens of thousands of stone and earth-forged blades materialized, surrounding Wright at the center!
And yet...
"That old bastard!"
In a flash of realization, Wright noticed something alarming—the two swords that had been floating at Shiki's side moments ago had vanished!
In the blink of an eye, the storm of ten thousand blades was unleashed. Amidst the relentless barrage, two golden sword slashes streaked through, converging on Wright with devastating force!
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Author's Note: Shiki's power here will be significantly stronger than what was shown in the movie. This is how I believe the Golden Lion should be portrayed in terms of strength.
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