Just then, a sudden sensation of weightlessness hit. The small island beneath Kouta's feet began to rapidly plummet into the sea.
He knew then—Shiki the Golden Lion was truly dead.
"Incredible. He actually managed to crack my domain."
If Kouta hadn't reacted quickly and increased the number of spatial layers, his Spatial Domain might really have been torn apart by that final slash.
Even if it had been, it wouldn't have been a fatal issue. But after boasting that his ability was invincible, he had to maintain that godlike image, didn't he?
Looking at Shiki, who remained standing even in death, Kouta's eyes flashed with complicated emotions—and a hint of admiration.
That kind of willpower, even in an enemy, was something worthy of respect.
Even if this guy had been an outright villain, he was still the kind of villain who earned reverence from his enemies—a true tyrant of the seas.
He ignored the giant island still falling.
Drawing Zankū, he slashed a deep pit into the ground beside Shiki.
Expanding his Spatial Domain, he enveloped Shiki, relocating his body—and both of his swords—into the pit.
The soil around the hole slowly folded inward, sealing it.
He didn't fill it completely, intending for the Marines to find it.
If the Marines couldn't locate Shiki's remains, they might dig up the entire area. Eventually, they would find him anyway.
So, Kouta left a clue for them to discover. That way, they'd know the man was truly dead, and they wouldn't desecrate the grave of an old warrior.
Then, he hovered in midair and let the island continue its descent.
As for the original villagers on the other island, he wasn't too worried. The floating island was huge, and with seawater encasing its base, it wouldn't sink completely.
He didn't bother cleaning up the wild beasts or the pirates. That was a job for the Marines.
Taking off his gourd, he took a swig of wine and gazed into the dawn light rising on the horizon.
This battle had brought him tremendous growth. Had he relied only on himself to seek out powerful opponents and slowly accumulate experience, he might have needed years before a single flash of insight could grant him these advanced combat skills.
He shook his head and let the thought go.
His gaze shifted to the distant sea.
Two days had passed. By now, the Marine Headquarters' top fighters should be on their way.
"Should I stay and have one last fight?"
He stroked his chin, thinking.
But ultimately, he decided against it. The fastest one to arrive would probably be that yellow-skinned monkey—Borsalino, the Admiral Kizaru.
That guy mostly relied on his Devil Fruit powers in battle.
And with the Marines, it wouldn't turn into a fight to the death.
Which meant he'd have no way of forcing that lazy bastard to reveal his full strength or use Haki in a true clash of blades.
Staying to fight someone like that wouldn't benefit him at all—and it'd be exhausting too.
Honestly, he'd rather lie on the deck and sunbathe than bother with someone like Kizaru.
"Yeah, better to check out Shiki's palace before the Marines arrive. Might be some treasure or a Devil Fruit lying around!"
After all, the old man had drifted around the world for twenty years. He had to have a few things stashed away. Who knows—there might really be a Devil Fruit.
And hey, they had shared a teacher-student bond, hadn't they?
It's only natural for the student to inherit the master's treasure.
"Yeah… that's fair."
…
Staring at the enormous white waves surging toward the horizon, Kouta's eyes sparkled with awe.
Awe at the vastness of the sea, and at this man-made spectacle. This kind of scene—only a world like One Piece, where immense power converged—could create it.
Sipping his wine, Kouta laughed aloud and looked down at the now-calm island below, then flew swiftly toward Shiki's main palace.
Bathed in the morning light, he looked like a god descending from the heavens.
Effortless, graceful—and arrogant.
He paid no mind to the terrified pirates scrambling across the island. As he passed the harbor, he sank all their ships into the sea.
Of course,
if any unlucky pirate happened to cross his path… well, tough luck.
His eyes flashed red. He directly honed in on Indigo, Shiki's right-hand man, who was currently hiding inside the palace.
This guy was the strongest among the pirates left behind—so he was the easiest to locate.
In the corridor leading from the palace's interior to the main gate—
Amidst a series of bizarre "phooosh phooosh" sounds like someone passing gas—
Indigo was hurrying out alongside a group of random pirate captains.
He was running so fast his whole body trembled, arms flailing awkwardly side to side—utterly ridiculous.
Don't be fooled by his ridiculous looks and behavior. Even his walk was comical, but deep down, this man was as ruthless as they came—a mad scientist in every sense.
His specialty was concocting all sorts of chemical potions and fighting using chemical elements.
He called this combat style "Chemical Magic."
In truth, it was little more than flashy chemical explosions—aka "Circus Magic."
Back when Shiki erupted with Conqueror's Haki, Indigo knew something had gone terribly wrong.
Not only was he Shiki's second-in-command, he was also his personal physician.
He knew better than anyone how unstable Shiki's mind had been ever since that ship's rudder got lodged in his head.
If it hadn't been for that rudder and the toll of aging, would a proud man like Shiki have ever stooped to studying something like "IQ" enhancement drugs?
No. It was because his power had waned after escaping Impel Down, and he realized his ambition no longer matched his strength—so he made that desperate choice.
And knowing Shiki like he did, Indigo was sure of one thing: when facing that silver-haired brat, even if Shiki couldn't win, he'd never run.
The only way Shiki would use Conqueror's Haki was if he had already pulled that damn rudder out of his head.
And if the rudder was gone, that meant Shiki was at death's door, burning the last of his life.
Never in a million years did Indigo expect that silver-haired brat to go that far.
To not only corner Shiki, but destroy a plan twenty years in the making.
At first, Indigo had waited in the medical wing for Shiki to return.
After all, if he'd removed the rudder, no one should have been able to defeat him.
Indigo believed Shiki would soon crush that silver-haired kid.
But when he waited and waited, and Shiki still didn't return—
Panic set in.
And as time dragged on, that panic only grew.
Especially when the island began to fall. That's when he realized—Shiki hadn't just lost, he was dead.
That panic turned into full-blown terror.
He scrambled to gather the random pirate captains in the palace and made a break for it.
If that silver-haired devil came now, they were all doomed.
All he could do was pray.
"Please don't come, please don't come, please don't come…"
But fate had a way of playing cruel jokes.
The more you pray for something to not happen, the more likely it is that it will.
And sure enough.
Before he could finish the thought, the very person he feared most had arrived.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 350 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!
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