Anchoring well away from the floating islands of Merveille, I sent Kahfu to gather intelligence. As expected, several pirate ships were moored there, and among them, we confirmed the flag of the Golden Lion.
Initially, we couldn't spot Shiki himself. I reported the discovery of the remnants to Headquarters, and they ordered us to maintain our position and confirm Shiki's presence. After several days of silent reconnaissance, I finally saw him.
"Heh... found you, Golden Lion."
The photo was grainy, but there was no mistaking that golden mane of hair and the steering wheel lodged in his skull.
I reported to Headquarters immediately. Reinforcements were dispatched, but the Independent Company was ordered to move in first and pin him down until backup arrived.
They knew if Shiki took to the skies, catching him would be impossible.
I convened my officers to draft the plan. Our primary targets were Shiki and his constant companion, the scientist with clown-like makeup—Dr. Indigo. They regularly patrolled the islands together.
Our strategy was to surround them: two platoons led by Lieutenant Pasqua would neutralize Dr. Indigo, while I—the company's heavy hitter—would take on Shiki.
Two other platoons would act as mobile units to intercept any pirate ambushes.
We landed under the cover of night to avoid detection, checking our gear and setting traps in absolute silence.
The Clash on the Floating Island
"Sticky Bullets! FIRE!!"
The ambush was perfect. We had them surrounded. Large bazookas barked, launching high-viscosity adhesive rounds from all directions.
Shiki dodged them all with effortless grace. Dr. Indigo was clipped by a few, but mostly managed to evade.
Not that I expected Sticky Bullets to catch the Golden Lion.
"Black Shells! FIRE!!"
Specialized iron-net warheads converged on Dr. Indigo. As he became tangled, we hammered him with more adhesive rounds—an excessive amount, really—until he was a motionless lump. We finished the job by binding him in steel cables.
"Jihaha! You certainly did your homework to find me here," Shiki laughed, his eyes glinting. "But coming at me with just this... aren't you underestimating me a bit? Eh?"
"It's been a while, Golden Lion. And don't get it twisted—these guys are here for your subordinates. I'm the only one who's taking you on."
"Oh, I remember your face... My right leg still stings from where you cut it. Don't worry, I'll be giving you a matching set soon enough."
He tapped his left leg—now a blade—against the ground with a rhythmic clack-clack.
"No need to be so considerate," I retorted. "Having only one prosthetic must feel unbalanced. I'll do you a favor and take the left one off at the same height."
"JIHAHAHAHA! You've got guts, brat! Let's settle this once and for all!!"
Shiki drew his sword in a blur of motion.
"I'm bringing you in, Shiki!!" I roared, drawing the White-Tailed Mace from my back.
I opened with a flurry, hurling explosive slugs as a distraction before bringing the White-Tailed Mace down in a massive overhead strike.
"TAKE THIS!"
"Such a predictable move...!" Shiki raised his right-hand sword to parry it with a smirk, but his expression instantly changed. "Urgh?! What is this weight...!"
His feet were driven deep into the earth, and his legendary blade let out an ominous groan under the pressure.
"I don't care how famous your sword is! No blade stays un-notched when it tries to stop ten tons of solid alloy!!"
"Tch, what monstrous strength... But weight means nothing before my power!"
Shiki tried to parry the mace aside, reaching out with his left hand to touch the weapon and strip it of its gravity.
"Nngh! Is this... Sea Prism Stone!?"
"Bingo! Last time you touched my gear, I was useless. I've learned my lesson!!"
Since he had touched the Sea Prism section, his ability failed to trigger on the mace. He barely managed to duck under my follow-up thrust, then slammed his hands onto the ground.
"Lion's Earth Mound (Shishi Chigura)!!"
The earth surged upward, forming a massive lion's head that swallowed me whole in its rocky maw. Shiki spread his arms and then slammed them together. "CRUSH HIM!!"
"Guh... RAAAGH!!!"
The moment I was engulfed, I flexed every densified muscle in my body. I let out a burst of raw physical pressure, exploding outward and shattering the packed earth that tried to grind me down.
"Oi, oi, brat... what kind of freakish body do you have?" Shiki muttered, momentarily pausing in genuine surprise. "That pressure should have turned you into a meat slurry."
"Heh, I've been working out! Here comes the next round!!"
I raised my right arm, unleashing a stream of machine-gun fire from my gauntlet. Shiki flicked his wrist, raising a wall of earth to catch the bullets.
"I saw that one coming! Lion's Rain (Shishi Shigure)!!"
A torrential storm of rocks and earth clods flew toward me like shrapnel. I crossed my arms to guard, but it was a feint.
"Got you!! Lion's Pine Shigaraki!!"
Massive earth lions lunged at me from my left, right, and rear simultaneously.
"Tch! Not yet!!"
I hurled every explosive slug I had at the lions on my flanks and leaped into the air to avoid the one behind me.
"Slash Wave (Zanpa)!!"
Shiki unleashed a cross-shaped flying slash from his leg-sword and his arm-sword. I quickly pivoted my shoulder plates to deflect the blades, preparing to fire my needle gun, but...
"NOT DONE YET! Lion's Thousand Slicing Valley!!"
He unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of flying slashes, forcing me into a purely defensive stance. I couldn't find an opening to fire back.
"JIHAHA! Is the front all you're worried about!?"
I was still airborne, and the earth lions from earlier were converging on my landing point, ready to tear me apart. I braced my opposite shoulder plate.
"Safety off! DISCHARGE!!"
I fired a massive warhead. With a deafening boom, the explosion vaporized the lions and leveled the surrounding terrain. It was the MH6, a new warhead filled with highly flammable gas. I could only carry one because of its size, but it did the job.
"Impressive power... but this is the end!"
Shiki raised both hands toward the sky. I looked up and saw several gargantuan rock masses floating ominously above us.
"Garp mentioned it, brat. You're from the East Blue, aren't you?"
"What of it, Golden Lion?"
"JIHAHAHAHA! Nothing much. It's just impressive for a man from the weakest sea. Farewell, Don Krieg! This is the finish! Lion's Peony (Karajishi Botan)!!"
He swung his hands down. In response, the massive island fragments began to rain down upon me like the hammer of God.
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