Gold Lion's main goal in attacking Wano was to seize the Mutant Cells and Senzu Beans — not to settle a prolonged duel with Kaido. After trading a few blows, Shiki realized Kaido wasn't the same kid he once bullied: to truly beat Kaido would take days and nights of fighting. Shiki didn't have that kind of time. His troops and beasts were being slaughtered; in short order many would be dead, and then even Shiki himself would have to retreat.
So although Shiki still put on a swagger, he was worried inside. Just then he saw a young man and woman step up, walking on air. Shiki didn't recognize them at first, but his intel said Kaido had a daughter and that the revolutionary Mutant Cells and Senzu Beans were inventions of Kaido's young son-in-law — a young inventor named Luo Xing. Seeing the pair approaching, Shiki's face lit up: the inventor had been delivered right to him. Kidnap Luo Xing and he'd have access to Mutant Cells and Senzu production forever. That's why Shiki dashed toward Luo Xing without hesitation.
Kaido tore apart Shiki's "Lion Earth Vortex" with a dragon-tornado and saw Shiki move toward Luo Xing. He became furious. Right now, of all people in the Beast Pirates, the most important to Kaido was his son-in-law Luo Xing — more important than even Jin or Yamato. Kaido would not tolerate anyone threatening Luo Xing.
The great dragon's roar shook the sky. Kaido launched a massive tail sweep; the dragon tail struck Shiki, sending him flying. Shiki just laughed. "Hahaha — Kaido, you're so impatient. That youth must be your son-in-law, the inventor Luo Xing who made the Mutant Cells and Senzu Beans!"
Kaido's dragon eyes burned. "Shiki — you won't face me straight-up?" he thundered.
Shiki cackled: "I can fight you any time, but my dream is world conquest! Kaido, hand over your son-in-law."
"Dream on!" Kaido snapped. The dragon opened its maw and gathered fire: "Hot Breath!" A scorching pillar of flame blasted forth. Shiki split the fire with a huge cutting wave: "Slash Wave!" He didn't even look — he dashed at Luo Xing and snarled, "Get on my ship, kid!"
An odd feeling rose in Luo Xing. He was used to inviting others onto his ship — usually pretty women like the Empress — but he'd never been told that before. Yamato urged him to retreat: "Husband, let's go! Shiki and Kaido are too dangerous!"
From afar Kaido shouted: "You both get down — I'll handle this!"
Luo Xing did not move. He patted Yamato's shoulder and said seriously: "Only by facing real opponents can we know our own measure. Yamato — you wanted freedom, to sail the world. If we flee from every strong enemy, that isn't freedom."
"Father-in-law Kaido — our true enemy is the World Government that's ruled for eight hundred years. If we can't even deal with one Shiki, we'll be hiding in Wano forever."
Those calm, resolute words stunned Yamato and Kaido. Yamato's eyes shone with admiration and resolve. She declared, "Husband, you're right — we won't retreat. Even if we die, we'll die together."
Kaido suddenly laughed out loud, a booming sound. "Luo Xing, honestly — compared to your inventions, I like your bearing even more! You remind me of old Rocks!"
"Right, Shiki?" Kaido asked.
Shiki, too, had been struck by Luo Xing's bearing. He stopped, and for the first time looked at Luo Xing with a solemn, heavy gaze. "Kid — you…"
Shiki didn't finish. In his eyes, Luo Xing didn't resemble Rocks but had something of Roger. Luo Xing calmly drew his sword, Yanmó (Enma/Enma-like blade). The blade trembled with an eager singing — as if, at this moment, it recognized a wielder whose presence exceeded that of its previous master, Kōzuki Oden.
"Want to test my measure?" Luo Xing asked the sword. "Alright — let's try."
A vast, overwhelming aura rose from Luo Xing; the sky darkened and clouds swirled. Shiki's pupils shrank. "This is… Haki powerful enough to change the heavens!" he thought.
Luo Xing poured both Conqueror's Haki and high-level Armament Haki into Yanmó. Black-purple currents flowed along the blade, like an armored shroud. Even Kaido's scales seemed to bristle.
"Oden once used Yanmó — and now it's in my son-in-law's hands. Fate's joke indeed," Kaido muttered.
Under Kaido and Shiki's watchful eyes, Luo Xing raised the sword and struck down.
"Purgatory·Shura!" he cried.
A pitch-black blade-light from hell shot toward Shiki at overwhelming speed. Shiki's eyes widened; his Observation Haki warned him to dodge, lest he be seriously wounded. But as a legendary pirate he could not simply avoid a youngster's attack — it would be dishonorable.
"I'm the Gold Lion!" Shiki roared. He forced his Haki into the wooden leg-blades Sakura-Jū and Karekigai as Armament Haki: "Lion Slash Waves!" Two enormous cross-shaped slash waves surged at Luo Xing's Purgatory·Shura.
They collided with a grinding crack. Shiki's cross slashes shattered like glass — and in the instant the black blade-light cleared, Shiki was struck. A thin bloody scar appeared on his chest — a wound that would never vanish.
Shiki stood stunned, then threw his head back and laughed. "Since the days of Roger, Garp, Sengoku, it's the first time someone's ever wounded me!" He shouted with a fierce grin, "Kid — I recognize you!"
"Now then, let's duel!" he challenged.
Luo Xing panted slightly — that strike had drained almost all of his Haki. He smiled faintly at Shiki's praise: "It's an honor to be recognized by you, Gold Lion. But this isn't a duel — this is life-or-death war. Today, Shiki, you die here."
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/ZoroTL442