Chapter 100: Shock
The black sphere floated higher, merging into the storm clouds.
The surviving members of the Flying Pirates, hardened as they were, felt a deep, primal fear radiating from it.
Yet their attention was torn between the ominous sphere in the sky and the scene before them—the headless body lying motionless on the deck.
Their captain.
The Golden Lion, Shiki.
"CAPTAIN SHIKI!!!"
A heart-wrenching cry rang out, breaking the stunned silence.
Dozens of pirates rushed forward, disbelief plastered across their faces. Their captain, who had once stood at the pinnacle of the sea, had fallen. But before they could fully grasp the weight of the situation—
The air changed.
Above them, the black sphere suddenly distorted. A terrifying gravitational force burst forth, ripping through the storm clouds and pulling them inward.
The rain ceased instantly.
For a brief, eerie moment, the world was silent.
Sunlight pierced through the dispersing storm, casting an unnatural glow over the battlefield.
The pirates below gawked, eyes wide in terror, as the black sphere expanded, growing several times its original size.
It loomed over them like a second sun.
One of the pirates, barely able to comprehend what he was seeing, murmured,
"…What is that?"
His words barely left his lips before the sea itself revolted.
Torrents of water erupted from the surface, spiraling upward, sucked toward the black sphere.
Then—
The Flying Pirates screamed.
Every ship, every crew member—none could resist the pull of the abyss.
The gravitational force yanked them into the air, dragging them toward their impending doom.
Many tried to resist, clawing at the decks, gripping railings, but it was useless. Their bodies rose against their will, pulled into the sky like helpless debris.
On their ascent, jagged fragments of ships flew upward at alarming speeds. Pirates were impaled midair, their bodies punctured before they could even cry out.
The sphere continued to devour.
First, countless ship remnants swirled around it, forming its outer shell.
Then, the pirates were drawn in—trapped like insects in amber.
Finally, the seawater wrapped around it, solidifying its layered, monstrous form.
A massive, blackened celestial body hung in the sky.
The sea below regained its eerie stillness.
If not for the floating sphere—a tomb containing what remained of the Flying Pirates—one might have thought there had never been a battle at all.
The Flying Pirates were no more.
###
Carl returned to the warship.
The Navy officers aboard were frozen in place, eyes wide in absolute disbelief.
Even **Sengoku the Buddha** and **Garp**—both veterans of countless battles—were momentarily stunned.
But their shock wasn't directed at Carl.
It was the **head** he carried in his hand.
Bloodied and disheveled, but unmistakable.
The wild golden hair, now matted with blood. The fierce eyes, forever frozen in unwillingness.
The head of **Shiki the Golden Lion.**
A heavy silence fell upon the warship.
Sengoku swallowed hard, stepping forward with measured steps. His voice, usually so firm, was barely above a whisper.
"Carl… is this… Shiki?"
Carl smirked slightly, lifting the head higher so the Admiral could see it more clearly.
There was no doubt.
Sengoku felt his throat go dry. He didn't know what to say.
Garp, ever blunt, pushed forward and stared at the head closely.
Then, with wide eyes, he blurted out, **"Unbelievable! Shiki is really dead!"**
His outburst shattered the silence.
The entire warship erupted.
Gasps. Exclamations. Mutters of disbelief.
Shiki—**one of the most powerful pirates in the world**—was **dead**.
Sengoku took several deep breaths, forcing himself to remain composed.
He turned to Carl, his voice firm but cautious.
"Carl… did Roger…?"
He already knew the answer.
From the state of Shiki's death—cold, ruthless—it wasn't Roger's style.
Carl casually tossed Shiki's head to the deck and replied,
"I killed him. Lucky shot. Barely made it out."
The understatement was almost laughable.
Carl then recounted the battle in brief.
Sengoku listened, eyes flickering between Shiki's corpse and Carl's calm expression.
It was **almost cruel**, the way fate had played this hand.
The same storm that **saved Roger** had **doomed Shiki**.
One escaped, unscathed. The other was left to be crushed by fate—then finished off by Carl.
Perhaps Shiki had **flown too close to the sun**. He had chosen to hover **above** the tsunami instead of navigating through it. He had underestimated the chaos, only to be struck down by a **freak accident**—a piece of broken rudder.
And Carl?
Carl simply seized the opportunity.
**Decisively. Mercilessly.**
Garp, meanwhile, seemed relieved. He had caught something crucial—
**Roger had escaped.**
That meant there was still a chance to **chase him down**.
But for now, the greater shock was **Shiki's death**.
For the Navy, it was **a historic victory**.
Shiki's death would **shake the world**.
The officers on the warship erupted into cheers.
Sengoku, too, was visibly moved. He placed a firm hand on Carl's shoulder and declared,
"Well done, Carl! I'm glad you came along!"
Carl smiled. "As a Vice Admiral, this is my duty."
His words were steady. Unshaken.
It was almost *unnerving* to see an **eighteen-year-old Vice Admiral** speak with such **calm authority**.
Most would have been overwhelmed by the weight of what they had just done.
But Carl?
It was as if **killing Shiki was just another mission.**
Sengoku was growing increasingly fond of Carl. If it were up to him, he'd promote him to **Admiral** on the spot.
After all, not just anyone could **defeat the Golden Lion** and survive.
The Flying Pirates might not have been the strongest crew, but **Shiki himself** was a **monster**.
That made Carl's feat **all the more terrifying.**
Sengoku's expression darkened slightly as he thought of something.
"Carl… the Flying Pirates. There were a lot of them. They're dangerous. Where did the survivors flee?"
Carl responded flatly,
"There's no need to chase them."
Sengoku frowned. "What do you mean?"
Carl gestured toward the sky.
"We should inspect the battlefield. You'll understand soon."
###
When they arrived at the battlefield—
The sea was still.
Unnaturally so.
The warship's crew scanned the waters, expecting wreckage, bodies, **something.**
But there was **nothing**.
It was as if the battle had **never happened**.
Some began to wonder if they had the wrong location.
Then—
Carl pointed **upward**.
Their gazes followed his finger.
And then, for the second time that day—
**Sengoku and Garp were speechless.**
Above them, suspended in the sky—
**A massive, layered sphere.**
A tomb of ships, pirates, and sea.
The last remnants of the Flying Pirates—**sealed away in a prison of darkness.**
The sea below was calm.
Because the **battle had already ended.**