The earth surged in massive waves, the sky trembled, and the clouds shattered under the impact.
Caught in the crushing shockwave, a dozen warships from the North Blue Fleet rocked violently in the air. Their engines roared at full throttle, barely holding formation as they resisted the overwhelming force.
Marines were thrown around the decks, faces pale with terror. They clung desperately to masts and other fixtures to avoid being swept away.
Many of the weaker ones collapsed where they stood, eyes rolling back as they fainted.
Momonga's expression was as grim as it could get. Under the weight of Shiki's terrifying aura, blue lightning began to crackle unconsciously around his body—signs of involuntary elementalization.
This was... one of the strongest Conqueror's Haki in the world today!
The presence of a lion that roared across the seas!
And yet, it wasn't over.
Under the horrified gazes of the Marines, Shiki's long-restrained Conqueror's Haki erupted with full force—his body bursting into countless jets of blood.
The Seastone bullets embedded deep in his flesh were violently expelled under the pressure of his unleashed will!
They tore through the air in the raging wind, slicing through streaks of blood and slamming into the ground, rocks, and fallen trees—each impact carving fresh craters into the landscape.
"Jihahahahaha!!! This is it!!"
Shiki's scorched, blood-matted golden hair flew wildly as he roared with laughter.
Fresh blood streamed down the ruined surface of his skin.
It leaked from his eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth, his body slowly lifting into the air—like a fiend rising from hell.
And without a single motion from him, the island's terrain began to shudder.
Massive chunks of land split apart and rose.
Boulders and trees were torn from the earth, floating into the sky.
Everything—living or dead—was swept upward by a tsunami-like force, pulled into a chaotic vortex above.
They converged into a colossal lion that looked like it would tear through the Torikago itself!
"Daren! He's going all in!!"
Momonga's heart seized at the sight. An overwhelming sense of danger exploded in his chest as he roared without thinking.
"Get back!!"
Yes—no need for Observation Haki.
Just by sight alone, Momonga could tell... Shiki was on his last legs!
His flesh was disintegrating. His organs were failing rapidly. With his body already riddled with wounds—and that massive, gaping hole left by the ship's wheel—there was no need to engage him directly. As long as they retreated and avoided this final attack, victory would be theirs.
Shiki was finished!
A temporary retreat to avoid his last strike... That was the smart move.
But Daren's response made Momonga's blood freeze. His pupils dilated, streaked with red.
On the ground, the Vice Admiral stood unmoving.
He slowly raised his head.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure from the legendary Great Pirate towering atop his monstrous lion, Daren made a move that stunned everyone.
He lowered his stance, pushing his right hand forward and pulling his left hand back.
His ten fingers bent and clenched together—forming a fierce, three-fingered dragon claw!
Jet-black Armament Haki surged like flowing water, coiling tightly around the claw and staining it with darkness.
Like a dragon coiling in wait... ready to strike!
This was... an offensive stance!
Facing the overwhelming presence of the Great Pirate...
Facing the lion's final roar...
Daren made his choice.
...
At that moment, the personal "panel" data that had been steadily rising since the Edd War finally shifted again—
Armament Haki +0.91
Armament Haki: 70 [Internal Destruction]
Conqueror's Haki +2.11
Conqueror's Haki: 70
Daren burst into wild laughter, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.
A surging aura transformed into a crimson vortex, swirling around him—struggling to hold up a fragile barrier against Shiki's hurricane of Haki.
"Come on!! Shiki!!"
His grin was fierce, his eyes defiant!
Shiki's body trembled.
A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.
"You're not running, Daren?"
Daren grinned wide.
"You're one of the greatest pirates of this era. You deserve to fall by my hand..."
He stepped forward.
ROAR!!
A majestic, thunderous dragon cry seemed to echo across the heavens and earth.
The secret technique of Ryusoken...
Under the stunned eyes of Momonga and the other Marines—
The aura Daren released surged like flowing water.
Blackened Armament Haki flowed with it.
Crimson Conqueror's Haki flared wildly.
And now, infused with his unwavering will, that power began to shift—
A colossal, crimson dragon's phantom took shape in the air, coiling around him, enveloping him completely.
"I'll send you off properly!"
Shiki froze—then threw his head back in laughter.
"Jihahahaha!!"
"Good!!"
He looked down at the Vice Admiral wrapped in the blood-red dragon's aura.
The hatred, anger, contempt—all gone from his eyes.
What remained was the respect shared between two warriors, clashing to the death.
Shiki laughed freely, blood spraying from his ruined body.
"Strength, potential, talent... cunning, vision, strategy... You've surpassed your generation—maybe even this entire era!"
"Daren, you brat, I acknowledge you!"
"If I die here today... I'll accept it!"
Shiki gripped both swords tightly, blood pouring down his legs as he stomped.
The towering lion beneath him shattered into pieces beneath his feet.
Black and red lightning coiled wildly around him.
The two world-renowned Meito—Oto and Kogarashi—crossed before him, then dove with explosive force!
His aura surged wildly.
His life force plummeted.
As the lion crashed down like a meteor, the raging storm of black and red lightning consumed his figure.
Even the air trembled, the scene before them distorted by pressure.
A meteor-strike finale!!
Black-red lightning lanced out like flares, burning away what little life remained.
And in that last burst of power, it formed—
A golden lion's phantom roared into being!
The twin blades infused with Conqueror's Haki—Were its deadliest fangs!
...
"What is this...?"
Daren suddenly looked up.
"The final blow!"
He stepped forward!
The blood-red dragon around him began to spark.
And under the lion's roar...
It raised its head with a snarl!!
Both struck at once!
...
In the breathless silence of a stunned world—
The flying lion dived, roaring like mad.
The soaring dragon howled skyward.
And in the air—
They collided with a deafening explosion!
Endless light and shadow erupted.
Reality twisted—splintered—collapsed...
And through that chaos...
They could almost see—
Two crazed silhouettes, lunging straight through each other!
"Lion Demon: Fangs!"
"Dragon's Breath!"
A moment of total stillness—
Then blinding light swallowed the world.
BOOM!!
An unparalleled shockwave ripped through the island.
Everything crumbled.
Shattered.
Tore apart.
And the storm surged outward—Blasting through the air for dozens of kilometers.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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