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"The sea...! It's a tsunami!!!"
"Good God, run... run for your lives!"
Screams of terror echoed across Marineford as countless Marines fled toward higher ground.
Anyone would feel their soul tremble with fear facing the colossal water tornado ahead, with surging waves towering hundreds of meters high and spiraling and dancing through the air.
"This… this is a walking natural disaster!" A Marine cried out, his voice cracking as he shook with despair.
Garp and Sengoku skidded to a halt, their expressions turning grave as they took in the terrifying scene before them.
One of the reasons the Three Great Pirates became legends was precisely because of this: two of them possessed destructive power on the level of natural disasters, while the third wielded unimaginable strength and combat prowess.
"Roar!"
A thunderous growl shook the air as the massive golden lion finally surged forward, prowling toward the heart of Marineford. Shiki's intent was now unmistakable: he meant to wipe Marine Headquarters off the map entirely.
"Jihahahaha!"
Wild laughter reverberated through the Marine Headquarters, the swirling winds and surging clouds amplifying the madness of the scene. Even the air itself seemed thick with despair and the stench of impending doom, leaving countless Marines trembling in their boots.
"Kojin!"
"I acknowledge your strength!"
"But what does it matter? Only Roger is worthy to be my opponent!"
Golden Lion Shiki roared, his silhouette tearing through the void. He crossed a thousand meters in a heartbeat, the twin blades in his hands swinging with violent precision.
"Lion · Thousand Slice Valley!"
A dense barrage of sword energy sliced through the rain, converging on Kojin in a deadly, intertwined assault.
Kojin's body flickered. With his movements reduced to the bare minimum, he evaded the strikes by a hair's breadth. Those he couldn't dodge simply passed through him as he shifted into his elemental form. His body was split into more than a dozen pieces by the golden slashes, only to knit back together a second later amidst a crackle of lightning.
Then, he faced Shiki head-on as he charged right up to him.
"Jihahahaha! In this era, only the three of us stand at the pinnacle of the world! A brat who's barely weaned like you doesn't even qualify to stand in my shadow!"
The laughter rang in his ears, but Kojin's expression remained unchanged. He didn't care about words meant to elevate oneself by belittling others.
Thunderlight flashed in his right hand, forming a lightning blade. He then slashed downward without hesitation.
"Clang!"
The clash of metal echoed as Kojin firmly blocked Golden Lion's strike.
"Sword techniques? You actually know how to use a blade?!"
Golden Lion spoke in a low voice; as his pupils contracted, he sensed the overwhelming power emanating from Kojin's lightning blade.
"I know a little," Kojin replied calmly.
Then, he retreated, and Golden Lion did the same.
In a flash of lightning, the two collided once more.
The collision of their blades sent shockwaves rippling outward. The aftereffects of the blade shockwave sliced through the Marineford buildings below, causing widespread collapse.
At that moment, Kojin had no way to stop the tsunami that was engulfing Marine Headquarters.
Within the lightning-charged domain, he saw Zephyr, Sengoku, and Garp rushing toward the battlefield. Kuzan had already intervened, freezing vast swathes of seawater into ice.
Amid the repeated clashes, Kojin relied on the power of his domain to perceive every tremor in Golden Lion's body. The gaping hole in Shiki's right chest shook violently, intensifying his pain, but he still fought.
"As expected of one of the Three Great Legends!" After dozens of collisions, Kojin spoke with genuine admiration.
He knew that his attributes were now nearly at their peak. Yet his opponent, despite suffering grievous wounds, continued to engage him in brutal clashes again and again.
A moment later...
"Give up and surrender, Shiki! This is where your rampage ends today!"
Kojin said in a deep voice.
"What nonsense is this?" Golden Lion Shiki snarled, his eyes narrowing. "You think a wretch like you can make me admit defeat willingly?"
The twin blades in his hands swung once more, condensing an incomparably terrifying power.
This time, however, Kojin retreated, refusing to engage him in close combat.
"You know your body's condition better than anyone!" Kojin taunted. "You're already nearing your limit!"
Hearing this, Golden Lion Shiki's heart sank. "You little brat!"
Then, he saw Kojin raise his right hand and extend a finger.
"Two hundred million volts - Discharge!"
Blue arcs of electricity surged forth in an instant, reaching Shiki in the blink of an eye.
The terrifying speed forced Shiki to dodge frantically. The lightning grazed his ear, shooting past him into the distance.
But Kojin's attack was far from over; in fact, it had only just begun.
He tapped his fingers repeatedly, and bolts of lightning transformed into dense beams of electricity that enveloped nearly a thousand meters ahead. They fired toward Shiki in a relentless barrage.
"Damn it!" Shiki cursed, his expression darkening.
He shifted his body repeatedly, yet couldn't evade the relentless lightning strikes. After all, he already had a gaping hole in his chest, was enduring excruciating pain, and had just endured a high-intensity collision with Kojin.
Fighting a man who commanded lightning and engaging in such high-frequency, high-speed combat constantly drained his mental focus and immense stamina.
"Bang!"
Shiki's body shuddered violently, and a numbing sensation spread through him and slowed his movements.
Then came another lightning strike, followed by another, and another.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Countless bolts of lightning struck Shiki's body in rapid succession, causing him to tremble violently.
Below, vast expanses of seawater had been frozen by Kuzan. Two figures stood on the highest peak, gazing at the scene unfolding in the sky with heavy and complicated expressions on their faces.
"The Thunder Thunder Fruit has always been known as the strongest among Logia. Sengoku sighed. "Kojin actually ate that fruit?"
"It seems we won't need to intervene after all!" Garp said, his tense frown relaxing into a grin as he watched the aerial battle.
"Your disciple may have already reached your level," Sengoku murmured.
"Hahahaha!" Garp roared with laughter. "That's my disciple, after all!"
But just then, their gazes sharpened once more, and all their attention locked onto the two figures clashing in the sky.
Kojin's body suddenly vanished, reappearing instantly above Shiki's head.
His right hand spread wide, a blinding blue light erupting from his palm as a massive Thunder Pillar materialized.
"Eight hundred million volts - Heavenly Punishment!"
"Bang!"
The blinding light once again illuminated the skies above Marineford.
The Thunder Pillar, nearly piercing the heavens, engulfed Shiki entirely, subjecting him to an unimaginable divine baptism.
When the light finally faded, Golden Lion Shiki lifted his head and opened his eyes, black smoke rising from his body.
"You damn brat!"
Kojin's expression remained cold and indifferent. His large hand, clad in Seastone gloves, instantly gripped Shiki's head.
In that instant, the Golden Lion Shiki, who had just been about to resist, had a drastic change of expression as his entire body went limp.
"You Bastard!"
"Seastone?! It's Seastone!"
In the next instant, Kojin exerted force with his right hand, pressing down with tremendous force.
"To the seabed... Fall."
Like a cannon shell, Golden Lion Shiki was slammed downward, crashing through the newly frozen ice.
Not far away, Kuzan slowly raised his head, shock plainly written across his face.
As the icy wind swept across Marineford, the entire fortress erupted in cheers.
Vice-Admiral Kojin had achieved another astonishing feat, following his capture of Roger: He had decisively defeated and captured Golden Lion Shiki in a direct confrontation!
With a flash of lightning, Kojin appeared on the ice, gazing down at the unconscious Shiki lying there. He slowly exhaled.
One versus one.
Golden Lion Shiki was utterly defeated!
(End of Chapter)