The next day—
The Marines announced to the entire world the execution date of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
One week later.
Location: Loguetown, East Blue.
Shamrock volunteered to oversee and guard the town personally.
Saint Figarland Garling did not object.
After witnessing Shamrock's strength the day before, he no longer had any reason to interfere.
He simply nodded—
And allowed him to go.
A World Government vessel cut across the sea.
Shamrock stood alone at the bow, gazing into the sky.
Dark clouds pressed low over the ocean, suffocating and heavy. The humid wind carried the sharp scent of salt and rain.
"…A storm is coming."
Behind him, a World Government Special Agent approached silently and bowed.
"Shamrock, everything is prepared. We can depart at any time."
Shamrock didn't turn.
He simply nodded.
The ship set sail.
Its destination—
The small town that would soon be etched into history:
Loguetown.
Just as Shamrock had predicted—
The sky split open.
Rain poured down in torrents, like a river descending from the heavens.
Meanwhile—
At Marine Headquarters, Marineford—
A figure like a raging beast crashed violently into the fortress.
"Out of my way, you worthless trash!!"
The roar shook the battlefield.
Shiki the Golden Lion had lost all reason.
His twin blades became a storm of destruction, cutting down every Marine who dared approach.
He advanced relentlessly—
From the outer perimeter…
Toward the plaza.
But the weaker his enemies—
The more his fury burned.
Blood mixed with rain.
It spread across the ground, staining every step he took.
Eventually—
No one was left standing.
Shiki stopped at the edge of the corpse-strewn plaza.
His chest rose and fell violently as he stared down at the bodies around him.
Rain hammered against his face—
But it could not extinguish the inferno within.
He threw his head back and roared at the dark sky.
"Roger…!!"
"How could a man like you… fall to these worthless fools?!"
Far out at sea—
Shamrock's vessel passed the waters near Marineford.
Even from a distance—
The scent of blood and killing intent drifted across the waves.
On the lookout platform, a Special Agent lowered his telescope, his voice tense.
"…The situation at Marineford is critical."
He quickly relayed everything he had seen.
Silence.
"…Wait here."
Shamrock's voice was calm.
Before anyone could react—
A massive five-pointed star array ignited beneath his feet.
Lightning roared.
Flames erupted.
The two forces intertwined violently, crackling as if tearing reality apart.
A blinding flash burst forth—
Space itself seemed to distort.
And in the next instant—
Shamrock vanished.
On deck, the Special Agents staggered backward, their faces filled with shock.
They had witnessed countless strange abilities before—
But nothing like this.
At that exact moment—
Back in Marineford—
Shiki's instincts screamed.
His body tensed instantly.
An overwhelming, unfamiliar Haki—
Was closing in on him.
Fast.
Direct.
He snapped his head upward.
His single eye gleamed with ferocity.
"…What is this?"
Not far ahead—
The air twisted.
Lightning split the sky.
Flames roared into existence.
The same five-pointed array tore open reality.
The falling rain was blasted away by the sheer force of its arrival.
And within that storm of thunder and fire—
A figure stepped forward.
Shamrock.
His youthful face reflected in Shiki's eye.
"…A brat?" Shiki frowned, a flicker of surprise crossing his expression.
"That Haki… came from him?"
Around them, the surviving Marines stared in shock.
They instantly recognized the attire—
The unmistakable uniform of a Divine Knight.
Confusion spread through their ranks.
Since when…
Did a Celestial Dragon stand on the frontlines?
But before they could process it—
Shamrock spoke.
"Marines."
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Yet it carried across the entire battlefield.
"Stand down."
The words fell like a command—
Not a suggestion.
And for a brief moment—
Even the storm…
Seemed to pause.
"…What?"
The leading Marine general stared at Shamrock, his voice trembling.
"Sir… what did you just say?"
It wasn't just him.
Every Marine present wore the same expression—
A mixture of shock… and disbelief.
Celestial Dragons protecting Marines?
That was as absurd as the ocean flowing backward—
Or the Red Line collapsing.
Shamrock's single sentence had just shaken the very foundation of their understanding of the world.
But Shiki the Golden Lion gave them no time to process it.
"Shut up!!"
A violent killing intent surged.
Shiki's figure shot forward like a cannonball, crashing back into the battlefield.
BANG!!
A dark blur intercepted him.
Shamrock.
His blade rose.
Pitch-black Armament Haki coated the steel as he blocked both of Shiki's legendary swords head-on.
"Interesting…" Shiki grinned, a savage light igniting in his eye."Then I'll use you to christen my blades first!"
His twin swords turned black as well—
Haki coating them completely.
BOOM!!CLANG!!BOOM!!!
Their clash exploded like thunder.
They moved—
Faster than the eye could follow.
To the surrounding Marines, they were nothing more than two flickering shadows colliding again and again.
Shockwaves tore through the battlefield.
Buildings split apart like paper.
Stone shattered.
Dust and debris rained down like a storm.
"We… we can't even interfere!"
"Hurry! Call Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp and Admiral Sengoku!"
"If anything happens to that Sir, we're finished!"
The general who had been saved clenched his fists, his voice shaking uncontrollably.
"Brat! Is that all you've got?!"
Shiki's attacks grew fiercer.
His twin blades unleashed a storm of slashes, each one heavier than the last.
Shamrock was forced backward—
Step by step.
As expected…
This is the monster who once fought Roger to a standstill…
I'm still not ready to face someone like him head-on.
BANG!!
Another devastating strike.
Shamrock was blasted backward, his feet carving two deep trenches into the ground.
"It's time to end this!!"
Shiki leapt into the air.
Then—
Dove.
This strike—
Felt like it could split the sky itself.
A sharp sense of danger pierced Shamrock's mind.
Even with Immortality—
Taking this head-on would be disastrous.
He exhaled slowly.
No more holding back.
Black Armament Haki surged across his blade—
From hilt…
To tip.
At the same time—
A violent burst of power erupted from his body.
Dark-red lightning.
Haoshoku Haki.
It wrapped around his sword.
Crackling.
Unstable.
Dominant.
CLANG!!!
The two weapons collided again—
But this time—
There was no metallic ring.
Only—
The roar of the sky being torn apart.
Dark-red lightning exploded outward.
The ground beneath them shattered instantly—
Cracks spreading dozens of meters in every direction.
"…Conqueror's Haki coating?!"
Shiki's pupils shrank.
For the first time—
The casual confidence on his face disappeared.
He stared at Shamrock.
At that youthful face—
Still carrying traces of adolescence.
Conqueror's Haki—
One in a million.
And beyond that—
The ability to coat it—
Something only a handful of monsters in the world could achieve.
And this kid…
This kid has already reached that level?
For the first time—
Shiki felt it.
Shock.
The burning rage within him wavered.
Cooled—
Just slightly.
I can't afford to drag this out…
The thought surfaced instinctively.
Shamrock caught it.
That fleeting hesitation.
That subtle intent to retreat.
A cold smirk formed on his lips.
"Trying to run?"
His voice was calm.
Mocking.
"That's not how a pirate who once ruled the New World should behave."
Shiki's face darkened instantly.
Then—
He laughed.
A laugh filled with fury.
"Heh…"
"I was going to spare you."
His grin widened, turning feral.
"But I've changed my mind."
"It's not too late to kill you before I leave."
His aura exploded outward once more—
Even more violent than before.
"Let me show you…"
"My true power!!"