On the shattered remains of the pirate bar, the crowd came back to life fast.
"Holy hell — Wang Zhi, John, Silver Axe, and Shiki are all here?!"
"Wait… why's Romu standing opposite Shiki? Don't tell me—"
"He's fighting again?!"
"Who won earlier? I blacked out…"
"Same!"
"Forget that — look at this! I'm betting Shiki wins. Total stomp!"
"Bullshit — I'm betting Romu!"
"Open the book! Shiki on the left, Romu on the right!"
The pirates, barely recovered from the Haki clash, were already howling with excitement. Some even started taking bets.
Nearby, Wang Zhi and the others caught the chatter.
Wang Zhi frowned. "Someone's betting on Romu? Seriously?"
John spun a revolver lazily. "Idiots gambling away their lives."
Silver Axe's armored bulk shifted. "Who cares? I'll bet Shiki ends it in five minutes."
Wang Zhi smirked. "Make it ten. He'll probably toy with the kid first."
Despite their rivalries, they agreed on one thing:
Shiki was stronger.
The only question was how long he wanted the fight to last.
As for recruiting Romu… that interest was fading. In their eyes, the boy had just picked a fight he couldn't win.
Off to the side, Newgate didn't join the betting. He strolled back to the giant flower Romu had summoned, lay down comfortably, and muttered:
"Wonder what Shiki's face is gonna look like…"
The standoff
At the center of the island, under hundreds of watching eyes, Romu and Shiki faced each other across several dozen meters.
"Cocky brat," Shiki said, arms folded. He was smiling — but killing intent leaked through the grin. "Last chance. Walk away if you want to live."
"Less talk," Romu replied evenly.
Shiki laughed — that sharp, feral cackle.
"Gya-ha-ha…"
Romu looked relaxed, but his blood was already roaring. He was fully in combat mode.
This was Shiki — the Flying Pirate, the man who once stood against Garp and Sengoku at the same time.
"Kid," Shiki sneered, eyes flashing red. "Hope your fists are as hard as your mouth."
Steel flashed.
Without anyone seeing when it happened, Shiki had already drawn Oto and Kogarashi. Moonlight glinted off the twin blades.
His cloak lifted on a wind that didn't exist.
He crossed his arms—
And slashed.
"Flying Slash!"
Two golden arcs ripped through the night straight at Romu.
Fast! Romu's eyes sharpened.
"Wood Wall!"
The ground burst apart.
Dark-green timber twisted and locked together into a barrier in front of him.
Half a heartbeat later—
The golden slashes struck.
BOOM!
The blast thundered across the island. Smoke swallowed the battlefield.
A sudden gale tore the haze away.
Splintered wood littered the ground.
Romu stood untouched.
Shiki wasn't surprised — his grin only widened, eyes burning with excitement.
He spun his swords once.
Then—
He vanished into gold.
Shiki became a streak of light, launching at Romu with momentum far sharper than his earlier slash.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
The speed cracked the air itself.
The watching pirates gaped — they couldn't even track his movement.
From afar, Wang Zhi shook his head. "Those slashes were just warm-up. Now he's serious."
"No playing around," John added. "Straight to the kill."
"Fight's over," Silver Axe said flatly.
They'd already written Romu's obituary.
Newgate said nothing. His eyes stayed locked on Romu.
Romu clicked his tongue softly.
"Going for speed, huh?"
His pupils flashed — excitement, not fear.
A surge of force exploded from him. His clothes snapped in the pressure wave.
Then black-and-red energy flared across his body—
Flowing like armor.
He stepped forward.
CRACK!
Solid rock shattered under his foot.
Armament Haki — Flowing Sakura.
And the real fight began.
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