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Chapter 257: The Lion's Ambition and the Azure Dragon's Roar
Meanwhile, high in the atmosphere, a golden streak of light pierced through the clouds. Golden Lion Shiki didn't slow down until the silhouette of Marineford had completely vanished.
Pfft!
He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his ruddy complexion turning ashen. The arrogant, invincible posture he had maintained shattered instantly.
"Cough, cough... Dammit... that hurts..." Shiki clutched his chest, gasping for air. His crimson Mangekyo Sharingan faded, reverting to ordinary black pupils due to the strain on his ocular power.
Though he had escaped at the last moment, the fist-to-flesh exchanges with that old bastard Garp had rattled his organs. Coupled with Kizaru's devastating Dust Release strike, if it weren't for the White Zetsu cells granting him cockroach-like vitality, he would likely be heading back to Impel Down for a second stint.
"That damn Garp... that damn Borsalino..." Shiki cursed under his breath, using his gravity powers to drift like a fallen leaf to conserve energy. "Those two bastards... they've become so strong."
As much as he hated to admit it, Shiki knew the truth. If they had fought to the death today, he would have lost. Garp was a walking glitch—invincible in close quarters and capable of shattering space from a distance. And Kizaru? He used to just be fast; now, his attacks carried the molecular disintegration of Dust Release. One direct hit and there wouldn't even be ashes left.
"No, no... I was just careless this time. A lack of intel cost me dearly."
Shiki pulled a cigar from his coat, his hands trembling as he lit it. The pungent smoke calmed his nerves.
"It's not that I'm weak. It's that those two bastards have entered the dungeon more times than I have!"
Shiki began a frantic session of mental gymnastics to salvage his bruised ego. Garp must have been grinding in there for months. Kizaru too. I've only been in once! Just once! And I fought both of them to a standstill! What does that mean? It means my talent is a hundred times greater than theirs!
The more he thought about it, the more logical it seemed. His mood miraculously improved.
"Exactly! That's it! The potential of these eyes hasn't even been fully tapped yet." Shiki touched his eyelids. Beyond the Mangekyo lay the Eternal Mangekyo... and even the Rinnegan that Dragon had obtained.
"As long as I enter the dungeon a few more times... evolve these eyes to the limit... then Garp, Kizaru, even Imu... I'll crush them all with one hand!"
The fire of ambition reignited in his eyes—a mix of greed for power and a thirst for revenge. He sat up straight. Despite the pain, his spirit was soaring. If he couldn't win by skill, he would win by 'paying'! Didn't Blake say it himself? As long as the money is right, even the Emperors can be toppled!
"Jiehahihihi! Garp! Just you wait! Consider yourself lucky this time. Once I finish my 'advanced studies' in Foosha Village... the next time we meet, I'll grind your old face into the dirt!"
While Shiki was dreaming of revenge, a fortress-like warship was breaking the waves below. A massive skull with bull horns fluttered on the sails: the Mammoth, flagship of the Beasts Pirates.
On the deck, a man as massive as a small mountain sat cross-legged beside a giant sake gourd. His upper body was bare, his bulging muscles adorned with purple dragon-scale tattoos. His wild black hair spilled over his shoulders, and two massive horns pointed toward the heavens. This was the 'Strongest Creature in the World,' Kaido of the Beasts!
Gulp, gulp...
Kaido lifted the gourd, which was larger than a normal man, and drained it. Sake spilled from his lips, soaking his thick beard.
Hic!
Kaido let out a thunderous belch and smashed the empty gourd onto the deck. Boom! The reinforced wood splintered under the impact.
"Boring... This is too boring!!!" Kaido suddenly roared, his voice echoing like thunder across the sea. Sea Kings in the depths shivered and dove further down in fear.
"King! Are we at Foosha Village yet?! I can't wait to see this 'god' for myself! I hope he's more durable than that old man Whitebeard!"
Kaido's eyes flashed with a manic desire for destruction. Ever since the newspapers reported a man in the East Blue who could crush the moon, he hadn't been able to sit still. Suicide? Boring! If he was going to die, it had to be at the hands of a world-shattering powerhouse. That was a death worth having!
King, standing nearby, adjusted his mask. "Lord Kaido, at our current speed, it will take at least two days. Furthermore..." King looked up, his gaze piercing the clouds. As a survivor of the Lunarian race, his environmental perception was beyond human. "Something big just passed overhead."
"Hmm?" Kaido's drunken gaze sharpened. He followed King's line of sight.
High above the clouds, a massive floating island was streaking toward the East Blue, leaving a long trail of vapor in its wake. Even from this distance, the unbridled, arrogant aura of its master pricked at Kaido's skin like needles.
"Wororororo!" Kaido let out a dark laugh. "That annoying ability... that musty stench of the old era... If I'm not mistaken, that's that old bastard Shiki, isn't it?"
Kaido stood up, his terrifying presence causing the low-level pirates around him to collapse. "I heard he escaped Impel Down only to get thrashed in Foosha Village. How pathetic. I didn't think he was still alive."
Kaido cracked his neck. He grabbed his spiked club, Hassaikai, his eyes swirling with battle intent. He was bored out of his mind anyway. Since they had crossed paths, why not offer a greeting?
"Lads! Watch closely! Let's see how many pounds of flesh this relic of the old era has left!"
Before his voice finished echoing, a deafening dragon roar tore through the air. Kaido's body expanded and elongated. Azure scales covered his skin, and four claws tore at the atmosphere. In the blink of an eye, a blue dragon hundreds of meters long coiled above the Mammoth.
Surrounded by flame clouds and crackling lightning, the Azure Dragon Kaido roared, "SHIKI!!!"
With a massive sweep of his tail, Kaido broke the sound barrier and surged toward the golden speck in the high heavens.
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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