Ice.
As far as the eye can see, there is an endless, dead silence of white.
Thick lead-gray clouds press low, almost merging with the distant, undulating glaciers and frozen plains.
Kano Country—the Frozen Continent.
Back then, to develop Ice Release, the young Griffin ventured into this desolate, uninhabited ice field and nearly died.
If not for awakening the Sharingan at the last moment and spotting the Devil Fruit buried deep in the snow, he would surely have perished here.
…
With his current physical strength, the biting cold wind feels only refreshing and pleasant.
That feeling emerges again…
Whenever he comes here, an inexplicable sense of melancholy surges in Griffin's consciousness.
The image of the Snowfall White Wolf lying on the glacier, gradually merging with the surrounding whiteness, surfaces in his mind.
…
Griffin, who possesses cultivation systems from two worlds, knows this.
Haki, swordsmanship, and Body Technique—these powers are common to most extraordinary worlds. Haki, in essence, is a fusion of willpower and physical strength.
Only the Devil Fruit is a unique, special power exclusive to this world.
The whimsical Paramecia-type, a trial of imagination and wisdom.
The Logia-type, akin to a master of rules, is a ticket to "invincibility."
The most primal, most direct touch of the source of power—the Zoan-type—seeks the ultimate mystery of life.
…
They correspond respectively to imagination, nature, and the self—the three most fundamental forces.
There is no absolute strongest, only the most suitable, most thoroughly developed, and most compatible fruit for its user.
Even Luffy's much-criticized Nika Fruit Awakening—before him, many who ate the Gomu-Gomu Fruit failed to awaken it.
Luffy could awaken it because his actions resonated with the liberation will within the fruit.
Recounting his journey, he liberated many countries along the way, freeing his companions from their inner shackles.
Hmm…
He even incidentally liberated Impel Down as well.
Perhaps… what most people resent is not Luffy's fruit awakening, but the dislike of using a "destined fruit" to erase the hardships Luffy endured throughout his journey.
Denying Luffy's dream makes it seem as if he were merely a tool arranged to liberate the world.
…
…
Devil Fruits possess consciousness—at least the Zoan-type has been proven to have a consciousness that seeks a host.
So…
Griffin walked through the snow, pondering.
Perhaps it wasn't me who found the Snowfall White Wolf, but the Snowfall White Wolf who found me?
Awakening requires resonance between the eater and the fruit's consciousness.
What does the Snowfall White Wolf desire?
Ancient Zoan…
Long ago, there was no classification of Ancient Zoan and Mythical Zoan. Any biological Devil Fruit was simply categorized as Zoan-type.
The reason Ancient Zoan emerged is because the species had already gone extinct.
…
What does a non-existent race desire?
And for what reason did this fruit choose me?
Griffin walked slowly through the snow, not knowing how long he had been walking.
…
Gradually, the ends of his hair took on an icy blue hue.
The icy blue grew fainter, almost pure white.
The white gradually spread.
When his pure white long hair broke free from its tie and drifted in the cold wind, Griffin suddenly turned around.
…
Reflected in his icy blue beast-like pupils was a golden figure floating in the air.
Shiki!!
—
—
"Have you come seeking death?"
Griffin's voice was soft, his tone as casual as asking if Shiki had eaten.
Clang—
Shiki landed, the two Famous Swords replacing his feet touching the snowy ground.
"Gyahahaha!!"
His laughter shook the swirling wind and snow.
"I only found out later..."
"Uchiha Griffin, let's get reacquainted!"
"Born in Kano Country in the West Blue, the gangster—Shiki!!"
...
Before he became known across the seas as Golden Lion, this was Shiki's title.
His cool eyes showed no fluctuation of emotion. Griffin watched Shiki with utter calm.
After a long while, he asked again.
"So... have you made up your mind?"
...
Shiki grinned: "You sent people to find me, but haven't I been looking for you too..."
"Since Roger, no one has earned my recognition like this!"
"I desperately want to know... that power you awakened when you fell into the sea!"
Clang——————
A slash capable of splitting mountains and parting seas grazed past Griffin, cleaving into the glacier behind.
A massive iceberg collapsed with a thunderous roar!
"Hey..."
Bloodshot veins filled Shiki's eyes, a ferocious rage twisting his face.
"Brat! Are you saying I don't even have the strength to make you take this seriously?!"
"Show me those eyes!!"
"Bastard!!!"
...
...
Shiki had truly come to meet his death.
A man of his caliber would never make excuses to hide his defeat.
In that battle years ago, he acknowledged his loss—not to the whims of nature, but squarely to Griffin.
Defeated in a one-on-one duel...
In Shiki's worldview, there were only two choices.
Death or submission.
Having once stood at the pinnacle of the seas, Shiki could never submit to anyone again.
Then... death was the only option.
...
After his battle with Roger drastically weakened him, he severed his own feet to escape Impel Down.
Shiki knew all too well that he could no longer achieve his grand ambitions.
He could only sustain himself with the thought of 'taking revenge on the world.'
It was agonizing.
Like forcing a former sprint champion to accept the reality of being crippled.
...
He felt regret, not having died by Griffin's hand back then.
To witness the birth of a new era's powerhouse with his own life—what a magnificent end that would have been!
Instead, I survived by sheer luck...
How shameful!!
But... how fortunate!
That kid isn't like Roger—he didn't die!!
Let's resume the battle from years ago!
...
Shiki clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth: "Answer me..."
"I am Golden Lion!!"
"Don't look at me with such composure!! Don't stay silent!! You bastard!!!"
...
"No... my apologies."
Griffin slowly opened his coat, revealing an upper body like a work of art, threaded with faint red and white strands.
"My mind isn't sharp; my silence was me thinking of how to thank you."
...
"Those eyes are called the Mangekyou Sharingan, awakened after my battle with you. They are one of my strongest trump cards."
"But that power has limitations. Frequent use comes at a great cost."
"I originally intended to use them on you first. I've waited many years."
...
Griffin assumed a stance.
Not by growing fur, but his skin instantly transformed, covered in thick, elegant frost-white wolf hair.
"To show my respect, I will use another trump card. I promise it won't disappoint you."
"I also hope..."
"You can help me awaken once more."
"At the cost of your life!!"
...
Roar————
The body let out a low growl, rapidly expanding amidst the thunderous noise of shattering icebergs, until it became a frost-white behemoth nearly a hundred meters tall!!
The ice-blue eyes on the wolf's head, like two frozen moons, gazed from ancient times upon the boundless glaciers!
Wind and snow howled—
After centuries, this frozen land once again welcomed its sole ruler.
Snowfall White Wolf!!
...
Facing the colossal creature that filled his entire vision and the terrifying pressure that surged toward him,
Shiki laughed maniacally, his golden hair standing on end like a true lion's mane.
Swoosh—
He pulled out the ship's rudder deeply embedded in his brain, blood gushing wildly!
Roar!!!!!
Wind and snow converged into a lion's head larger than the giant wolf, its roar shaking the heavens!
...
Beast against beast, on the icy plains, the most primitive and brutal slaughter unfolded!
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