Although Shiki could fly, that wasn't a major advantage against high-ranking Marine officers.
After all, while they couldn't fly freely like him, they could still move through the air using Geppo, one of the Six Powers.
At that moment, several shockwaves destroyed the flying ships, and Sengoku's golden figure burst through the debris, charging straight toward Shiki.
A gigantic golden palm descended toward him.
It looked as though Sengoku intended to crush Shiki with a single strike.
"Exorcise Evil!" Sengoku roared.
Shiki's face lit up with excitement.
In one swift motion, he drew the two swords at his waist.
Crossing them in front of himself, he blocked Sengoku's massive palm.
The two blades were Shiki's beloved weapons.
Oto and Kogarashi.
Although they weren't officially ranked among the Wazamono, they were still famous blades.
The moment their weapons collided, a violent clash of Haki erupted.
The surrounding air instantly became chaotic, waves of pressure exploding outward in every direction.
"Shiki! Why are you in the North Blue?!" Sengoku demanded as he pushed down with his palm, trying to force Shiki from the sky.
Shiki resisted the pressure and laughed wildly.
"I'm a pirate! I go wherever the hell I want! I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you!"
"Hmph. This sea doesn't belong to pirates," Sengoku snorted coldly.
As his words fell, another devastating shockwave burst from his hand.
Although Shiki managed to block it, the force still slammed him downward.
He was driven straight from the sky and smashed into the ground.
But Shiki seemed completely unconcerned.
Even after landing, his grin remained as arrogant as ever.
"Lion's Might: Earth Roll!"
At his command, the ground beneath his feet surged violently.
In an instant, it transformed into two enormous stone lions that leapt toward Sengoku in the air.
"Great Radiance: Exorcise Evil!"
Golden light exploded around Sengoku as another invisible shockwave burst forth.
The overwhelming force shattered the two lions instantly.
At the same time, Sengoku landed on the harbor ground.
The collapsing rubble filled the area with thick dust and debris, obscuring everything from sight.
But for fighters of Sengoku and Shiki's level, vision hardly mattered.
Observation Haki was the true sense used in battle.
As if sensing something, Sengoku's arm instantly hardened with Armament Haki.
He swung his arm sharply to the left.
Sure enough—
Shiki appeared there, both swords slashing down.
The blades struck Sengoku's arm, but the clash of their powerful Haki prevented any real injury.
The shockwave from their Haki collision blasted away the surrounding dust.
Both figures emerged clearly once again.
The battle erupted anew.
Meanwhile, on the Marine warship, the soldiers had begun assembling.
Everyone knew that a battle at this level was something ordinary Marines couldn't truly participate in.
But the Marines had their own rules.
Even if they were powerless to influence the outcome, they still had to be ready to act at any moment.
At the same time, witnessing such battles was a form of baptism.
If someone could face a battle like this and survive, it would benefit them in countless ways.
Within the Marine system, such experiences also counted as valuable merit and seniority.
They could affect future promotions.
After several days at sea, Diarmuid had fully recovered from his injuries.
Although he had not yet officially become a Marine Headquarters officer, by rank he was roughly equivalent to a Headquarters Major.
Now he stood on the deck with the other officers, prepared to fight if necessary.
Under Zephyr's command, the warship quickly advanced toward the devastated harbor.
Meanwhile, Sengoku seemed to be deliberately coordinating with Zephyr.
His relentless attacks forced Shiki back from the harbor, clearing a relatively safe zone for the warship.
When the warship finally docked, Zephyr gave the next command.
"All units prepare for battle. Aim the cannons at Shiki."
This was the first time Diarmuid had witnessed such a scene.
He felt slightly out of place.
He wasn't even sure what he was supposed to do.
But seeing that the other officers remained still, he simply followed their lead.
The Marines quickly carried out their duties.
Before long, the cannons were fully aimed.
Zephyr showed absolutely no concern about Sengoku being nearby.
As soon as the artillery was ready, he gave the order.
"Fire!"
The warship roared.
Several cannonballs blasted toward the battlefield where Sengoku and Shiki were fighting.
The explosions were tremendous.
Nearby buildings were torn apart as thick smoke and flames engulfed the area.
At the same time—
Zephyr vanished from the deck.
"So fast!" Diarmuid thought in shock.
He hadn't even seen how Zephyr moved.
One moment he was there.
The next moment he was gone.
Diarmuid guessed this must be Soru, one of the Six Powers.
Meanwhile, Zephyr had already burst straight into the smoke of the explosion.
Clearly, the bombardment had been meant to provide him with cover.
"Black Rhino!"
Zephyr's fist shot forward into the smoke.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out.
The shockwave from the collision of Haki instantly blew away the smoke.
Shiki stood there, one of his blades precisely blocking Zephyr's punch.
But it was obvious—
In terms of raw strength, Shiki seemed slightly inferior.
Zephyr's punch was pushing him back.
"Zehahaha! Zephyr, you bastard! Didn't you retire from the front lines? I heard you're just holding onto the title of Admiral these days!" Shiki sneered.
"I've got no interest in explaining myself to trash like you," Zephyr replied coldly.
As he spoke, he stepped forward and closed the distance instantly.
His body pressed close to Shiki's as his other hand shot forward.
Shiki clearly had no intention of fighting Zephyr at close range.
He lightly tapped the ground and withdrew his strength, allowing his body to float backward.
Shiki knew very well—
Zephyr hadn't become a Marine Admiral through empty reputation.
They had fought before.
Zephyr's strength was undeniable.
And unlike many powerful fighters, Zephyr had never eaten a Devil Fruit.
His power came entirely from his own physical strength.
In close combat, even Shiki had to admit—
He wasn't Zephyr's equal.
But before Shiki could even float three meters away—
A massive shockwave slammed into him.
He was blasted backward instantly.
The one who attacked was none other than Admiral Sengoku.
Normally, a one-on-one battle between fighters of their level could last for days.
But now there were two Admirals.
In terms of both power and coordination, Shiki was already at a disadvantage.
There was almost no chance he could win.
Of course, even for Sengoku and Zephyr, capturing Shiki wouldn't be easy.
For monsters like them, deciding a battle might take days and nights of fighting.
Shiki steadied himself in midair.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
His expression remained just as arrogant as ever.
"Zehahahahaha! Looks like the situation isn't very favorable for me…" Shiki laughed viciously.
Even as he said that, there wasn't the slightest hint of worry on his face.
Instead, Sengoku and Zephyr looked far more serious.
From the very beginning they had known that, working together, defeating Shiki wouldn't be difficult.
After all, they were two Admirals.
But capturing him?
That was another story.
The most troublesome thing about Shiki wasn't his strength—it was his ability.
As the user of the Float-Float Fruit, he held a massive advantage in battle.
If things went badly and he decided to flee, there were very few people in the world capable of catching him.
As for pursuing him across the sea—that was even more dangerous.
Anyone familiar with Shiki knew that chasing him on the ocean without absolute certainty was practically suicide.
It could easily end in total annihilation.
The reason was simple: Shiki could stir the sea at will and create massive tsunamis.
Still, Sengoku and Zephyr had already prepared themselves mentally.
Capturing Shiki wasn't absolutely necessary.
If they could disrupt whatever he was planning, that would already be a success.
Of course, they didn't even know what Shiki's goal was yet.
For now, the only option was to fight first.
Whether they solved the problem or not, confronting threats like this was inevitable.
That was Marine justice.
Soon enough, the three of them clashed again.
Their violent battle quickly destroyed the harbor and the nearby town of Minion Island.
Shiki didn't care whether innocent people were caught in the crossfire.
As for Sengoku and Zephyr…
In their eyes, no one on Minion Island was innocent.
So it didn't matter.
Meanwhile, aboard the warship, Diarmuid watched the battle with intense focus.
He was thrilled.
One day, I'll become just as strong as them! he swore inwardly.
Before today, he had never truly grasped what real power meant.
All he had were vague impressions based on his previous knowledge of the world.
But now that he had personally witnessed the clash of top-tier fighters, his blood was boiling.
However—
Just as he was lost in thought, something suddenly caught the corner of his eye.
His expression immediately shifted to shock.
What the hell—how much trouble can you cause!? Diarmuid cursed inwardly.
Because not far away, within the ruins of the harbor…
Rosinante was digging frantically through the rubble.
Looking closer, it seemed a person was buried underneath.
Only an arm was sticking out.
Rosinante was trying desperately to save them.
How the hell did he sneak off the warship?!
This is exactly why teaming up with a bleeding-heart idiot is dangerous! Diarmuid thought angrily.