"Golden Lion,"
Shiro slid Tetanus Fang slowly back into its sheath, his movements calm and deliberate — his tone brimming with quiet confidence, even laced with faint disdain.
"Don't think you're still the same man who once rivaled Roger. At your current strength… you're no longer my match."
"What?! You brat!"
Golden Lion Shiki's fury exploded. He gripped Kogarashi tightly, his twin swords trembling with raw power as waves of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, twisting the very air around him.
"You're looking for death!"
But before he could strike—
"Hold it, Golden Lion."
Shiro raised a hand calmly, his voice steady as he gestured toward the nearby figure leaning against the castle wall — arms crossed, cloak billowing in the wind, eyes sharp and cold beneath the brim of his wide black hat.
It was Dracule Mihawk.
"I never said I'd fight you myself," Shiro said, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I've found you a different opponent. Beat him first—then you can try me. How about it?"
Shiki paused mid-stride, glancing over. His gaze fell upon the swordsman — clad in a black coat, carrying a long, curved blade on his back that gleamed with a cold, obsidian light.
"Hmph… that guy?" Shiki sneered. "Some no-name upstart? Don't make me laugh. Even if the two of you came at me together, I wouldn't flinch!"
"Go, Mihawk."
At Shiro's command, Mihawk's golden eyes flashed. Without a word, he drew the Black Blade Yoru, its edge singing as it cut through the air with a cold metallic cry.
In an instant, Mihawk leapt — boots tapping lightly against the stone as he closed the distance in a heartbeat, blade already aimed for Shiki's throat.
"Tch. If you want to fight me, then come—up there!"
Shiki scoffed, his voice booming.
"Down here's too cramped for the likes of me!"
As he spoke, his Float-Float Fruit power ignited. His body lifted skyward, gliding toward the colossal floating island he'd brought with him — a massive mass of rock and soil, still scarred and shattered from his earlier technique, Lion's Majesty: Imperial Sweep.
The terrain looked like the back of a slumbering beast.
Mihawk frowned slightly. He might've been the world's finest swordsman-to-be, but flight wasn't one of his talents. His sharp gaze turned toward Shiro, silently questioning.
Shiro chuckled. In the next instant, he flashed to Mihawk's side — and before the swordsman could react, pressed his open palm lightly against his back.
BOOM!
A surge of power launched Mihawk straight upward, arcing through the sky toward the floating island.
Shiro followed, appearing moments later on the island's edge, settling himself casually atop a jagged rock to watch the coming duel unfold.
At the island's center, Shiki hovered in the air, grinning as he studied the swordsman before him. Though the mockery in his eyes hadn't fully faded, caution now glimmered beneath it.
Anyone recommended by Shiro wasn't to be underestimated.
Taking a deep breath, Shiki let his Conqueror's Haki surge again — a storm of kingly will bursting outward, shaking the stones beneath his feet. The very earth seemed to tremble in submission.
Mihawk didn't flinch. His expression remained calm, his golden eyes narrowing as his own Haki flared in answer — sharp, condensed, refined like a blade drawn from its sheath.
The two invisible forces clashed in the air between them with a resounding hum that made the sky itself shiver. The island quaked. Stones cracked. The clouds above warped into spiraling patterns.
The standoff lasted nearly thirty seconds before Shiki finally let out a slow, gruff laugh. The arrogance had vanished from his voice.
"Heh… didn't expect you to have the will of a king, kid. Tell me—what's your ambition?"
Mihawk's answer was instant, his tone cold and resolute.
"To become… the World's Greatest Swordsman."
Shiki's grin widened, eyes gleaming with genuine excitement.
"Good! That's the spirit!"
"In that case—let's see just how far your sword can go, boy who would be king of blades!"
He thrust a palm toward the ground.
The entire island trembled violently as his Float-Float power merged with the land itself. The terrain writhed like a living beast, rising and twisting around Mihawk.
"Lion's Threat!!"
Four colossal lion heads burst from the island — one each from north, south, east, and west. Their maws gaped wide, fangs formed of jagged rock, roaring as they lunged inwards to crush Mihawk between them.
But Mihawk's gaze remained unshaken. His stance never wavered.
Slowly, he lifted Yoru with one hand, the blade's black sheen catching the light. Every motion carried deadly grace — deliberate, composed, absolute.
Then—
SHWING!
He swung.
A single, perfect arc of emerald sword aura erupted outward, slicing through the air with a shriek like tearing steel.
"BOOOOOM!!"
The four stone lions froze mid-charge — then split cleanly down the middle before shattering into rubble, collapsing into dust that billowed across the island.
Shiki's eyes went wide — then, to Mihawk's surprise, the old pirate threw back his head and laughed.
"Gyahahahaha!! Magnificent!! Absolutely magnificent! So this is the sword of the man aiming for the title of World's Greatest!"
His grin turned feral, the thrill of battle burning in his golden eyes.
"You're no brat after all…"
Shiki reached for his waist — and with a flourish, drew both of his swords.
T/N: If you would like to read up to 20 chapters ahead for all my works, check out my P@treon: patreon.com/GhidorahWriter
Thanks for reading! Be sure to collect and vote for more chapters! A Bonus Chapter will be released once we hit 25 Powerstones!