Chapter 99: Shiki's Death
A deafening thunderclap split the sky.
The Golden Lion was in the midst of manipulating seawater, attacking the Oro Jackson with reckless abandon, when the storm arrived. A torrential downpour followed instantly, drenching the battlefield.
Both sides of the fight faltered.
Before anyone could react, several towering waterspouts erupted from the ocean. With terrifying force, they swept up dozens of ships from the Flying Pirates' fleet, shredding them into fragments.
This was no ordinary storm.
Golden Lion, floating in the air, was struck head-on by a monstrous wave. The impact hurled him into the deck of a nearby ship, shattering it beneath him.
The Flying Pirates were thrown into chaos. Without their captain at the helm, they had no means of resisting the natural disaster.
The sea, once an ally to the Golden Lion, now became his executioner. Ships capsized one after another, the pirates aboard dragged into the depths.
Compared to the Flying Pirates' devastation, the Oro Jackson fared significantly better. Though the ship was caught in the violent currents, it suffered no direct damage.
It was almost as if the storm had been sent by the heavens themselves—to rescue Roger's crew.
The powerful winds blew a gap into the Flying Pirates' encirclement, and the Oro Jackson was carried away, vanishing into the horizon.
The Golden Lion's fleet, however, was left in ruins.
Many pirates, overwhelmed by despair, collapsed onto the decks, sobbing.
Golden Lion was eventually pulled from the wreckage by his men. He was drenched, shivering, and visibly weakened—his strength momentarily drained by the sea. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have needed their help.
He staggered to his feet, shaking the water from his clothes, and surveyed the wreckage around him. His expression darkened instantly.
Half of his fleet was gone.
And the worst part? Roger had escaped.
Golden Lion's face contorted with rage. Ignoring his soaked condition, he forced himself into the air and roared at the heavens,
"This isn't fair! Damn it—God! Why would you do this to me?!"
His voice, filled with fury and frustration, echoed across the battlefield.
A powerful gust of wind howled through the storm, slamming into him mid-air.
Golden Lion wobbled.
Then, just as he steadied himself—
*Crack!*
A broken rudder, ripped free from a destroyed ship, flew through the air and smashed into his skull.
His body stiffened. His eyes rolled back.
The legendary Golden Lion lost consciousness instantly.
His men scrambled to catch him, dragging him to safety.
Suddenly—
A dark vortex materialized in midair.
Carl stepped out from the swirling darkness.
The pirates holding Golden Lion recoiled in terror. Their grip weakened, and their unconscious captain dropped with a heavy thud.
One pirate pointed at Carl, voice trembling.
"N-Navy!"
The others drew their weapons instinctively, but their spirits had already been broken. None dared to attack.
Carl didn't even spare them a glance. His gaze settled on the fallen Golden Lion, then drifted over the remaining pirate ships.
A slow, sinister smile formed on his lips.
The temperature seemed to drop.
One pirate, desperate to prove his courage, let out a war cry and charged forward.
Carl moved in a blur.
*Slash!*
The pirate's head hit the deck before his body did. Blood sprayed across the rain-soaked wood.
Carl's hands, stained red, absorbed the blood into the surrounding darkness.
Then, he raised his gaze.
A tide of inky blackness surged from beneath his feet, devouring everything in its path.
The remaining pirates had no chance to scream before they were swallowed whole.
Only Golden Lion remained.
Carl stepped forward and reached down, lifting the unconscious pirate by the throat.
Golden Lion stirred, his eyelids fluttering. Slowly, his dazed eyes focused on Carl's face.
*Schlk!*
Golden Lion's body jolted violently. His pupils dilated in shock.
He lowered his gaze.
Carl's hand was buried in his chest.
Golden Lion's lips trembled. He coughed up blood.
"N-Navy… you dare…"
Carl pulled his hand back, unfazed.
Despite having his heart destroyed, Golden Lion refused to die instantly. His immense vitality kept him conscious, his fingers twitching as if trying to fight back.
Carl tilted his head, amused.
A swirling vortex of darkness formed in his palm.
*Snap!*
Golden Lion's neck twisted unnaturally, snapping like a dry branch. His eyes lost their light.
The infamous Golden Lion—one of the most feared pirates of his generation—was dead.
And not in some glorious battle.
Not in a dramatic clash of titans.
He had been hunted down and executed like a wounded beast.
The pirates on nearby ships, too busy escaping the storm, had no idea their captain had fallen.
Carl, expression unreadable, stretched out his bloodied hand.
A dark energy pulsed through his fingers.
The Float-Float Fruit, now without a host, was drawn into his grasp.
A cantaloupe inside his **Dark Bible** absorbed the Devil Fruit's essence.
Golden Lion's legendary swords, **Oto** and **Kogarashi**, dissolved into darkness, also joining the **Dark Bible**'s collection.
Carl glanced down at Golden Lion's corpse one last time.
Then—
*Crack!*
A burst of twisted gravity separated the pirate's head from his body.
At that moment, a nearby ship approached, carrying reinforcements. A group of pirates leapt onto the deck, shouting.
"Captain Shiki—!"
They stopped mid-sentence.
Their captain's severed head lay in a pool of his own blood.
Drip. Drip.
Scarlet droplets fell from Carl's fingertips.
The pirates' faces drained of color.
Weapons clattered to the deck as fear gripped them.
Then, the darkness surged forward.
The last thing they saw was the abyss swallowing them whole.
Carl stood alone.
Raising one hand, he conjured a small black sphere. Wisps of darkness coiled around it.
Above, lightning streaked across the stormy sky, illuminating Carl's impassive face.
The remaining pirate ships, sensing danger, hesitated—
Too late.
Carl's voice, barely a whisper, cut through the chaos.
**"Dark… Chibaku Tensei."**
The storm raged on.