Chapter 60: Shiki: Let Me Be the One to Slay the Dragon
"Leave this to me!!!"
"Jihahahaha…"
Shiki the Golden Lion laughed wildly as he soared straight into the raging inferno, both hands gripping his brilliant twin sabers, glinting orange under the reflection of the flames.
As he streaked through the sky, the golden-striped coat on his body and the long golden hair flowing past his knees whipped wildly in the wind.
His expression was brimming with confidence and arrogance. With a cigar clamped between his teeth, he grinned and barked out two forceful words:
"Wave Slash!!"
Shiki crossed his two sabers, Oto and Kogarashi, forming an X in front of him. A dazzling burst of golden sword energy exploded from the blades, slicing through the air with a sharp roar.
Shing!
Shing!
The brilliant golden slashes, radiating the might of a Grandmaster Swordsman, bloomed within the raging flames, forcibly parting the fire as if slicing through solid matter.
Like a comet streaking through the sky, Shiki rocketed through the path carved by his slashes at breakneck speed.
His heart surged with excitement. In his sharp, black pupils, a madness and determination burned fiercely.
"Today, I, Shiki the Golden Lion, will achieve the legendary feat of slaying a dragon!!!"
"I will make the entire sea remember the name of the great pirate, Shiki the Golden Lion!"
In just a few heartbeats, Shiki had flown over a thousand meters, drawing ever closer to the dragon's massive head.
At that moment
In Ares' golden, amber-like vertical pupils, a bone-chilling crimson gleam suddenly flared. His mind, consumed by chaos, writhed in agony that no one else could understand.
Driven by primal instinct
His dragon claw, tipped with four razor-sharp talons, suddenly swept forward.
Rippp!
The sound was so sharp it was as if the sky itself had been torn open!
In an instant
Four massive, thirty-meter-long blue sword slashes materialized out of thin air!
The moment the dazzling slashes appeared, Shiki's pupils shrank violently as he blurted out in shock:
"Slashes?!!"
"Why does this dragon give me such a familiar feeling?!!"
Those sword slashes immediately reminded Shiki of a particular person Ares!
But the moment that thought surfaced, he quickly dismissed it.
Impossible. It couldn't be Ares. Ares wasn't even a Devil Fruit user!
The slashes closed in.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
In an instant, the strikes were already in front of Shiki!
The howling air and the terrifying sharpness left Shiki with no room for carelessness.
Buzz!
In a flash, both his arms and his twin sabers were hardened with Armament Haki.
The black, glossy blades reflected the blue light of the incoming slashes.
Shiki roared with unrestrained bravado:
"Jihahaha… Let's see just how powerful a dragon's slashes really are!!"
His twin sabers crossed in front of him in defense.
CLANG!!
…
The clash of steel resounded.
Shiki's wild grin vanished in an instant. His expression twisted in shock as the devastating force behind the four slashes slammed into his entire body.
"What?!!"
"How can it be this strong?!!"
His body plummeted from the sky like a falling meteor, smashing into the ground with a deafening boom!
The entire island shuddered violently.
His figure was quickly swallowed by a cloud of smoke and dust.
This scene left nearly everyone on the island utterly stunned. One by one, their eyes bulged from their sockets as if their jaws had unhinged.
The Commander of the Rocks Pirates Shiki the Golden Lion had been blasted away by the dragon's slashes!!!
This moment would be forever engraved in the memories of all who witnessed it impossible to forget.
Silver Axe was frozen in shock, clicking his tongue in disbelief:
"What a terrifying dragon!!! Even Shiki couldn't block it!!"
"Such overwhelming strength… where the hell did this monster come from?!!"
"Too strong!!!"
Shiki was one of the most formidable men on the seas, yet he was swatted away just like that.
If it had been him instead, Silver Axe imagined he would've been cleaved in half armor and all.
The thought sent an involuntary shiver down his spine.
He quickly turned his gaze toward Whitebeard and Captain Rocks. Only these two might be able to stop this colossal dragon now.
Whitebeard's eyes gleamed with excitement as he burst into hearty laughter:
"Kurararara… That idiot Shiki, he let his guard down!!"
He knew Shiki would be fine. The hit only cost him face nothing more.
Of course, Whitebeard wouldn't miss a chance to poke fun at Shiki.
But soon his expression hardened, his gaze locking onto the awe-inspiring, sky-dominating dragon. He spoke in a deep voice:
"Where did this monster come from? With this kind of strength, he's a powerhouse by any measure on the sea."
Sure, Shiki's carelessness played a role in him getting blown away, but there was no denying the dragon's overwhelming power.
Whether it was the scorching flames or the slashes unleashed by its claws, both had reached a terrifying level.
Nearby, Rocks furrowed his brows, a trace of puzzlement in his eyes.
"A dragon like this wouldn't just appear on Hive Island without cause. And a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user this strong… there's no way Shiki wouldn't recognize him."
"This is strange."
As he pondered, rumbling explosions shook the surroundings. People scattered in panic, their terrified screams filling the air.
Most of them were shouting one name "Linlin."
From their cries, Rocks quickly pieced together some critical information Charlotte Linlin's eating disorder had triggered again, and she had once more become the infamous "Natural Born Destroyer."
Rocks' expression darkened in irritation.
"Of all times, it had to be now. That woman Linlin!"
He turned toward Whitebeard and ordered:
"Newgate, go stop Linlin. I'll handle things here!"
They couldn't let this dragon run wild any longer. With power like this, the damage could rival a natural disaster. If left unchecked, Hive Island the stronghold of the Rocks Pirates would be reduced to rubble.
Whitebeard's eyes flickered with a hint of regret. He had wanted to fight this extraordinary, terrifying dragon himself.
A bit disappointed, he turned and started heading toward the chaos Linlin was causing, grumbling:
"Damn you, Linlin."
"You just ruined my chance for an epic fight with the dragon!"
Just as Whitebeard, bisento in hand, took a few steps away
A sudden change occurred in the sky!
The colossal azure dragon, with its crimson glowing eyes and ferocious aura, dove straight from the thunderclouds toward the ground!
Its trajectory
Was directly toward Whitebeard.
Specifically
Toward Charlotte Linlin's location!
Whitebeard halted, surprise flashing across his face as he watched the descending dragon.
"It's heading straight for Linlin?!"
"Does this Azure Dragon… have some kind of connection to Linlin?!"
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