Chapter 94: 92. Fight The Golden Lion! Big Big Wolf!
Tom and Spike stood still, watching the tumultuous water below. They were puzzled by Muscles' strange behavior.
Tom approached Spike and inquired, "What game is Muscles playing?"
Spike shook his head in confusion. He couldn't grasp why Muscles suddenly began diving after hitting his head.
But Tom and Spike remained engrossed in watching the spectacle unfold.
After observing Tom for a moment, Spike gestured towards the fireball and inquired, "Tom, can you still produce electricity?"
Tom blinked, glanced between the water polo match and himself, then shook his head vigorously.
It was quite a spectacle. Initially pursued by Muscles, now a another individual had emerged to shoulder the blame for him.
If you zap Muscles with electricity, wouldn't that be game over?
Spike wore a mischievous grin as he placed his hand on Tom's shoulder and went on, "Consider this, Tom. If Muscles was planning to beat you up, and you shock him, you'll still end up getting beaten."
"Looking at it that way, you're getting beaten whether you electrify him or not."
"But if you shock Muscles, isn't that like hitting the jackpot?"
"Tom, as long as you keep it quiet, and I keep it quiet, nobody will find out," Spike persisted, continuing his persuasion.
Under Spike's relentless persuasion, Tom's smile grew more confident.
Seeing Tom nod vigorously, he raised his hands and took aim at Muscles with a composed expression.
Just as Tom was about to unleash his electric shock, a voice interrupted from behind them, belonging to Al.
"You guys sure are gutsy!" Al exclaimed.
"Of course, I'm super brave... right?" Tom responded.
'Gulp~'
Spike gulped nervously, exchanged a quick glance with Tom, then his entire body tensed up!
The two of them turned their heads in awkward synchronization, sporting forced smiles.
"Hey hey~" Al interjected.
"Ahaha~Ahah~" Tom chuckled nervously.
"Quit playing dumb, you two," Al chided. "If I hadn't caught you sneaking around, I couldn't fathom how Muscles would've handled you both."
As Al finished speaking, Tom lifted his head proudly and replied with a serious expression, "We don't lose out on opportunities!"
Al fell silent for a moment, then gave the two restless fellows a firm shake. He instructed Spike to guide Tom in releasing the electricity stored in his body.
If Al hadn't intervened when he did, who knows what mischief these two jesters would have gotten into!
Thank goodness for Muscles; at least they can sort things out!
Observing Tom and Spike obediently finding a spot to discharge the lightning, Al ceased paying them much attention.
He then brandished a pan and stepped onto colorful auspicious clouds, heading straight for Shiki. "I heard you're plotting to capture my crew," he declared.
Faced with Al's inquiry, Shiki regarded the boy before him with a perplexed expression. "Are you the captain with a bounty of 100 Berries?"
Al remained silent, prompting Shiki to erupt into laughter.
Being the first captain in history whose bounty was lower than that of their crew had become a worldwide joke.
Moreover, it was only 100 Berries!
Yet, despite his laughter, Shiki never underestimated Al.
He knew full well that the reason for Al's low bounty was likely deliberate manipulation by the Marines!
Being able to lead a crew of monsters, Shiki didn't believe Al's strength would be lacking.
"Hey, kid, ever thought about joining my Flying Pirates?" he proposed. "With our powers combined, we could rule the skies!"
Observing Shiki's ambitious gaze, Al promptly declined without hesitation.
It was out of the question for him; he was a man of principles.
'I don't need anyone's help to conquer the seas or anything!'
'All I need to do is keep gaining EP and extracting power-ups to become stronger!'
Furthermore, the current Al was not weak in his own right, let alone needing a crew of monster-like members.
Observing Al's swift refusal, Shiki wasn't particularly surprised. A person with such strength was bound to have their own sense of pride.
"If that's how it's going to be, then so be it!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Shiki swiftly utilized the sword tied to his feet, slashing forth several waves of sword energy towards Al.
"Your crew is crucial for my research, so you must perish here today!" he declared in tandem with his attack.
Facing the sudden onslaught from Shiki , Al calmly raised his pan and remained steadfast in his position.
Unaware of the frying pan's power, Shiki assumed Al would stand there passively awaiting his demise, prompting a triumphant smile to spread across his face.
However, in the next instant, that smile abruptly vanished, replaced by an expression of disbelief.
Al waved the frying pan in his hand casually, effortlessly deflecting the sword slashes.
Just as Shiki was taken aback, Muscles also broke free from the water polo!
Shiki frowned slightly, realizing that the current situation was highly unfavorable for him.
He still hadn't gauged Al's true strength, but casually deflecting his sword slashes indicated formidable prowess.
Moreover, there was a mouse who had mastered Ryou to its utmost potential.
Just as Shiki contemplated his next move...
Al spoke suddenly, instructing Muscles to oversee Tom as he discharged the lightning stored in his body.
After all, leaving Spike in charge might lead to more trouble from those two.
Muscles hesitated briefly before nodding and stepping onto the battlefield without hesitation.
"Kid, it seems you've underestimated me!"
Shiki frowned slightly. While relieved that Muscles was overseeing Tom, Al's actions were undoubtedly a provocation!
Regarding Shiki's words, Al sighed helplessly and responded in a flat tone, "Yes, if it was three minutes ago, I indeed wouldn't stand a chance against you."
"But I'm sorry, times have changed."
Though the meaning of Al's latter sentence was lost on him, the tone irritated Shiki immensely.
With a cold snort, Shiki raised his hands...
The ground within a one-kilometer radius seemed to come alive, surging upwards to encircle Al tightly!
Shishi Odoshi: Chimaki! (Lion Menace: Earth Coiling)
With a deafening bang, the ascending ground transformed into airborne lions!
Their roars echoed through the sky, shaking the very air!
Even Nami and Carina, deep underground, couldn't help but gasp at the sound of the lions' roar.
"What in the world is happening up there?" Nami's brows furrowed tightly, a hint of concern evident on her face.
Carina stood nearby, shrugging with calmness. "Nami, why fret? If Captain Al and the crew are involved, it's sure to be under control."
"Of course, I have faith in Captain Al's abilities," Carina continued. "What concerns me is the possibility of excessive action causing damage to the treasure!"
Carina shot Nami a puzzled glance before sitting down with a sigh, summoning a barrier to fend off the plummeting boulders.
"I can't predict how long this brawl will go on," she muttered wearily. "I'm feeling rather dizzy already!"
Meanwhile, on Upper Yard...
Vivi and Robin gazed upwards at the tumultuous scene unfolding above them, exchanging murmurs.
"Yeah, it seems to be escalating up there," they observed.
"Robin-chan, do we really not have to intervene?" Vivi inquired, her tone tinged with concern.
Robin shook her head decisively. The rationale was simple: this battle was beyond their control.
As they glanced at the still-sleeping Merlin, Vivi let out a soft sigh and resumed practicing Armament Haki with Robin.
"Are you just too scared to jump in, little brat?"
"If this is all you've got, I must say I'm rather disappointed."
"Shihahahaha ~" Shiki chuckled arrogantly.
Al rolled his eyes in exasperation, regarding Shiki as though he were a fool.
If it weren't for the goal of acquiring EP, he would have simply absorbed the fruit ability, leaving Shiki in a precarious position.
Recalling how he had previously absorbed Enel's ability, Al couldn't help but feel a surge of nostalgia.
"This time, no matter what, I'll make up for the losses," Al declared resolutely.
As Al slowly closed his eyes, a brilliant white light erupted from his body.
"What's going on?" Shiki questioned, squinting as he observed Al with a perplexed expression.
Upon seeing the white light, Al opened his arms wide.
Around Al, a vast amount of black matter hovered, continuously being drawn towards his body.
Shiki refrained from attacking Al in this moment, equally intrigued by the unfolding spectacle.
In just ten seconds, as the white light diminished, a transformed Al stood before Shiki.
Al now sported a steel helmet resembling a lion's head, reminiscent of the figurehead on the Thousand Sunny's bow.
The helmet exuded an intimidating aura, casting an oppressive presence over the scene.
Shiki's attention was drawn to the belt around Al's waist, adorned with light blue gemstones.
"What's with the gemstone on your belt? I sense an immense power emanating from it!" Shiki inquired.
Al remained silent in response to Shiki question. Instead, he donned the mask attached to his helmet and spoke coldly, "You don't need to know what this is."
With that, Al levitated in the air, propelled by the mechanisms within the armor.
Following Al's command, the gemstone on his waist emitted a laser beam with a simple turn.
The lions surrounding Al were swiftly reduced to ashes under the intense rays of the laser.
Before Shiki could even react, Al brandished his frying pan in the air and let out a fierce cry, "Welcome back, Big Big Wolf!"
Shiki gaped in astonishment, utterly bewildered by Al's astounding display of power.
It was evident that the blue gem played a pivotal role in Al's newfound power.
"It's a remarkable artifact, but it's a shame it'll soon be mine!" Shiki declared, his eyes glinting with determination. This time, he intended to get serious. If he could obtain the gem adorning Al's waist, he would wield the formidable power it contained!
"When the time comes to bring down the World Government and East Blue, I'll receive another substantial boost!" Shiki proclaimed.
Zanpa (Slash Wave)
With those words, two fearsome sword auras emanated from his legs.
In an instant, Al vanished, only to reappear moments later, lying lifeless on the ground.
Yet, it wasn't the end of the story.
With two powerful slashes across the ground, the entire island was instantly cleaved in two!
Tom and Spike stared wide-eyed at the shocking sight before them, their jaws dropping in disbelief.
Muscles rested his chin in his hand, pondering whether he could withstand such a devastating blow.
Al, expressionless, retrieved a Western sword from his system backpack, then teleported once more, disappearing from sight.
Shiki frowned slightly, as if foreseeing what was to come, and hurled two sword auras towards the right!
As expected, Al materialized in the intended direction, but what Shiki failed to anticipate was...
While deflecting the two sword auras, Al swiftly counterattacked, swiftly dispatching his foe once more!
"Detestable!" Shiki growled in frustration, his snort echoing through the air as their attacks clashed.
"Little brat, you can't defeat me!" he declared defiantly. "I am the one destined to rule the world!"
"If I didn't have a frying pan on your head, you might have a point, but now, hehe!"
As they conversed, the two combatants were propelled backward by the shockwaves from their sword clash.
"Die!"
With a resounding roar, Shiki launched another assault, charging forward to deliver a decisive blow.
The sound of metal meeting metal echoed throughout the sky.
Gazing skyward, two distinct silhouettes danced and clashed in a fierce battle.
Vivi couldn't help but feel dizzy as she observed, muttering, "The speed is incredible. I can't distinguish which figure belongs to Captain Al!"
Robin narrowed her eyes, fixating on the shrinking islands in the sky, and exclaimed, "Indeed. It seems Captain Al has grown even stronger!"
Their astonishment was shared by more than just Robin and Vivi.
Even the crew of the Flying Pirates couldn't help but break out in a sweat witnessing the intensity of the battle.
It was the first time they had witnessed their captain engage in such a relentless exchange, even gaining the upper hand at times.
"Is that guy really only worth 100 Baileys?" one crew member questioned incredulously.
"Idiot, I told you before, the Marines manipulated his bounty!" another retorted.
"But you can't deny it. He's just a rookie pirate, yet he's holding his own against the legendary pirate Shiki-sama!"
"This... the opponent is indeed formidable, but Master Shiki will surely..."
Before he could finish his sentence, someone beside him shouted, "Run!"
Before anyone could react, a sword aura hurtled towards them from a distance.
The terrifying slash cleaved the entire castle in half in an instant!
Yet just when the group thought it was all over...
An even more astonishing surge of sword energy erupted from the depths of the island, cleaving it in two once more!
"Boy, your attack is impressive!" Shiki remarked.
"Why not consider joining forces with me? Just hand over your crew for research," he continued, his tone chillingly confident. "I promise to let you witness our conquest of the world firsthand!"
Gazing at the now bisected island behind him, Shiki's expression darkened, a hint of fanaticism tinging his cold tone.
Al remained stoic, showing no emotional reaction. Instead, he silently retrieved Tom's bullfighting red cloth from the system space.
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