When the Flying Slash (Tobu Zangeki) was still one or two kilometers away from the largest building, it was unclear whether it had been detected by Observation Haki or by a surveillance Den Den Mushi—
—but suddenly, the earth outside the structure trembled violently.
The vibration spread across the entire island in an instant.
Ferocious beasts roared in panic and fled in all directions.
From the ground, an enormous lion's head made of earth rose violently upward.
It towered nearly two hundred meters tall.
The earthen lion opened its mouth wide and bit down on the incoming Flying Slash.
Boom!
The Flying Slash tried to carve through the lion's head.
Unfortunately, this was merely an exploratory strike—a test.
It did not possess enough cutting power to cleave straight through the condensed earth.
After a brief stalemate—
BOOM!
The Flying Slash detonated, exploding into countless wind blades.
In a mutual destruction, the earthen lion's head shattered into fragments, raining debris across the island.
"Jihahahaha—!"
Before anyone even appeared, a distinctive,狂傲 laugh echoed from the largest building, reverberating across the sky island.
A tall figure then flew out from the structure, hovering calmly above the remains of the shattered earth lion.
It was an old man with golden, mane-like hair that trailed all the way to the ground.
A broken steering wheel was embedded in the top of his skull.
He wore a traditional outfit:
an orange-trimmed red-and-black kimono bound by a dark green sash,
a golden chain at his waist,
and a yellow-striped, tattered haori draped over his shoulders.
Where his legs should have been—
were two famous swords, Oto and Kogarashi, serving as prosthetic limbs.
This man was:
Shiki the Golden Lion
—former cadre of Rocks D. Xebec,
one of the four legends of the previous era,
and the first man in history to escape Impel Down.
As captain of the Flying Pirates, Shiki's bounty had exceeded billions of Belly more than a decade ago.
Though the steering wheel lodged in his head had gradually disrupted his ability to use the three types of Haki—
and though he had lost both feet during his escape from Impel Down—
no one knew exactly how much weaker Shiki had become.
But one thing was certain.
The Float-Float Fruit alone ensured that every one of his movements still shook the world.
From that single exchange, El had already witnessed the terror of the Float-Float Fruit.
With nothing more than a gesture—or even a thought—
Shiki could liquefy the earth, shape it into living forms, and command it at will.
It was as though he bestowed will and divinity upon inanimate matter.
In truth, Shiki wielding the Float-Float Fruit was no different from a god.
In the theatrical timeline, he had casually overwhelmed the Straw Hat Pirates—who had just cleared Thriller Bark—without effort.
If not for the absolute narrative protection surrounding Luffy in that version—
the Straw Hats would have been annihilated in a single move.
"Nice slash, kid!"
Shiki's laughter echoed from every direction as his gaze locked onto El, who was flying toward him at high speed.
There was no anger on Shiki's face despite the attack on his base.
Instead—
there was appreciation, like that of a senior admiring a promising junior.
"For the first time in ten years," Shiki continued,
"someone found this place… and even dared to attack it."
"Tell me your name."
"I'll remember it."
"My name is El."
Using Razor (Kamisori), El closed the distance to within a hundred meters of Shiki.
He grinned politely and spoke with calm respect.
"Senior Shiki—please advise."
Shiki froze for a brief moment.
Then—
"Jihahahaha!"
His laughter rang out again.
"Knowing my name… and still daring to attack?"
"You really are an interesting brat."
His smile slowly twisted.
A cold, ferocious grin replaced it.
"So—"
"Tell me your purpose."
Shiki was one of the four legends of the previous era—
and the only one among them who truly embodied the essence of a pirate.
He possessed not only ambition and courage,
but also cruelty and ruthlessness.
For more than ten years, he had prepared a grand plan to swallow the world.
Even though he could relocate his base at will—
he would never allow anyone to leave here alive with knowledge of it.
Whether that meant imprisonment—
or death.
"Senior," El said calmly.
"I came here to kill you."
He raised his sword and pointed it directly at Shiki.
"I'll use your head—"
"—to climb the highest stage in the world."
To be precise—
El intended to take Shiki's Devil Fruit, bypassing countless detours and accelerating his ascent to the summit of this world.
But he did not voice that truth.
Reality was not a manga or anime.
After seeing Shiki in person, El knew one thing with absolute certainty:
This was not someone who could be defeated through miracles or plot twists.
If not for three full years of retreat—
If not for Shiki being severely weakened—
El would never have dared to face him alone.
Had Shiki still possessed his real legs—
Had he still been able to freely wield all three types of Haki—
Then the one standing here would not be El alone.
It would be El in full Asura Form.
Only by combining that form—
Only by leveraging the speed and amplification of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—
did El possess the confidence to challenge a fully intact Shiki.
The battle between eras—
was about to truly begin.
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