Outside the mountain peak.
Kouta waited for a while, but Shiki didn't reappear.
Unable to resist, he shouted toward the mountain, "Hey! Old man! Don't tell me you're hiding in there like a turtle!"
He could still sense the old man's aura, it hadn't weakened much.
Just a bit winded.
Could it really be that he was too old, and just a short fight with a younger guy had already worn him out?
At that moment, an overwhelming aura, far stronger than Kouta's own Conqueror's Haki—erupted from within the massive mountain.
"Eh!"
Feeling the surge, Kouta's brows furrowed.
"How the hell is that old man still able to release Conqueror's Haki?!"
Suddenly, the enormous mountain cracked open down the center, and a massive, crescent-shaped golden slash burst forth, hurtling toward Kouta.
Kouta quickly retaliated with a slash of his own.
Clang!
The two slashes collided and spiraled upward into the sky, vanishing into the clouds.
Shiki's wild golden hair whipped in the wind as he slowly ascended from the fissure in the mountain.
With his return, an even more terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki swept across the sky and sea.
Everyone on the sole floating island above them except for Indigo collapsed unconscious, their eyes rolled back from the sheer pressure.
Standing at the center of it all, Kouta felt the full brunt of the force.
"So this is what it feels like to be at the top of the world? Damn, that's terrifying."
He held firm against the pressure, releasing his own Conqueror's Haki in response.
Crack!
It sounded like space itself had shattered where their Haki clashed.
Purple lightning danced wildly through the air.
Enduring the mental strain, Kouta looked up at Shiki, hovering overhead, and his pupils shrank.
That crazy old man… he'd torn off the rudder from his own head.
No wonder he could unleash such a powerful Haki. This had to be his final burst of life force.
Shiki floated in the sky, lazily puffing on a cigarette.
Now that the rudder was gone, his spirit had visibly revived.
He casually ripped a piece of cloth from his shirt and clumsily wrapped the wound on his forehead to slow the bleeding.
His demeanor had changed entirely—no more rage or arrogance. Now he seemed calm.
At least, his aura had grown serene.
"…Did he lose his mind?"
Kouta narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering across his face.
A calm Shiki had never existed before.
Yet Shiki gazed down at him like one might admire a priceless gem, his eyes full of appreciation.
This man only respected the strong.
Being pushed to his limits by Kouta had already told him the truth—this was likely the end of his journey.
And if this was the end, why hesitate?
Of course he would go all out.
Even knowing that tearing the rudder from his head meant his life was ticking down by the second…
He refused to let this silver-haired brat think he was weak.
Because who was he?
He was Shiki the Golden Lion!
A signature, but oddly gentle, grin spread across his face. The malice was gone, replaced by a dignified pride.
"Jihahahaha! Kid, I acknowledge you. I, Shiki the Golden Lion, recognize you as a true warrior."
Kouta stared up at him, thoroughly confused.
"…Did tearing off the rudder make him go completely insane?"
His right hand rested on his blade, ready to draw. He shouted back:
"Old man, are you nuts or what? If you're not coming to me, then I'm coming to you!"
Shiki laughed heartily. "Come, kid! Let me show you what true top-tier strength of the sea looks like!"
With both hands gripping his swords, Shiki casually slashed toward Kouta.
"Slash Wave!"
A massive crescent-shaped golden slash, brighter and denser than before, hurtled through the air.
Kouta pushed off the ground with force, dashing forward in a blur to meet it head-on, drawing his blade as he went.
"Soru: Draw Slash!"
Boom!
His sword clashed with the golden arc in mid-air.
The power of the impact sent him sliding back dozens of meters before he finally came to a stop.
Gritting his teeth, Kouta channeled force through his arm, altering the direction of the slash as it soared skyward.
He looked up at Shiki, eyes wide.
"…He's strong."
This was nothing like before.
Shiki's earlier attacks were powerful, yes—but so were Kouta's.
If he had tried to counter this one with a flying slash instead of a direct block, it would've shattered instantly.
The difference in power was clear.
Sensing Kouta's astonishment, Shiki let out a hearty laugh.
"Jihahahaha!"
"Didn't you say you'd kill me, brat? Then hurry up and try!"
He'd long noticed that Kouta's strength came from his monstrous physique and peerless Observation Haki.
But those traits didn't mean much against a swordsman of his caliber.
And the kid's lack of real combat experience was obvious.
Though Kouta was growing quickly in the heat of battle, he had only just set sail. He was still green against an opponent like Shiki.
Kouta narrowed his gaze, sheathed his blade, then drew it again in one smooth motion.
"Iaido: Draw Slash!"
A massive silver-gray arc shot toward Shiki.
He knew Shiki's current slashes were on a different level now, but he still wanted to test the gap.
Shiki chuckled and shattered Kouta's slash with a single swing.
"Your slashes are too scattered, not focused enough."
He paused briefly, then continued:
"They need to be more refined. You rely too much on brute force. That kind of slash is crude. When you meet a true master, it'll be like your Haki—it'll shatter at first contact. You need to control your aura better, compress your energy, and only then release the flying slash."
Saying that, he raised his sword again.
"Slash Wave!"
A crescent-shaped golden slash surged forth.
This time, Kouta tried the method Shiki had just described, compressing and refining his energy before unleashing a massive silver-gray crescent slash.
To his surprise, his attack actually held up for a moment before being broken.
Looking down at Zankū in his hand, Kouta finally understood Shiki's condition.
From the moment he tore out the rudder, Shiki had accepted death.
Afterward, the old man must've had a few wild thoughts.
He wanted to leave something behind.
Maybe he'd seen potential in Kouta, or saw his pirate nature, and in his final moments, decided to cultivate one last powerful pirate for the world.
That's why he'd taught Kouta his ultimate slash.
At full strength, Shiki's Slash Wave could split the ocean across a hundred kilometers.
It was unimaginably powerful.
Something Kouta couldn't hope to achieve until now.
And this type of top-tier swordsman's technique couldn't be learned in a dojo like Isshin Dojo.
It required relentless battles with elite opponents to slowly grasp and refine your own unique style.
Like Shiki said, Kouta's slashes were just brute strength—crude and scattered.
Sure, they were devastating against weaklings, but against real powerhouses, they were useless.
His current slashes couldn't even cut through high-level Armament Haki defenses.
Now that he understood the old man's intentions, Kouta said nothing more.
He instantly appeared at Shiki's side and swung his blade.
Shiki burst into laughter. "Kid, your speed's good—but your reaction's still too slow!"
Red light flashed in his eyes as he launched a counter slash, striking Kouta cleanly.
He then twisted the blade slightly, slashing diagonally at the back of Kouta's sword.
It forced Kouta to freeze momentarily.
For warriors of their level, even a moment's pause could decide the outcome.
But Shiki didn't follow up. Instead, he looked at Kouta and shouted:
"Kid, Observation Haki isn't just about spreading it wide. You have to master subtlety. Once you can grasp it inch by inch, and have your blade move with your intent, only then will you truly be worthy of being called strong."
Kouta stood a short distance away, glaring at Shiki.
Snarling, he snapped, "Old man, did you suddenly fall in love with being a teacher or something?"
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