章 53: Shiki vs Kanata

Two weeks had passed, filled with preparations. The opportune arrival of a storm near Water Seven allowed Kanata to adjust her ship's course, aiming to reach the island by noon. The wind whipped around the ship, but the skies remained clear, a brilliant blue peeking through the clouds.

"A-are you really going to fight the 'Golden Lion' head-on? Isn't it too late to back out?" George stammered.

"Give it up. We're already in his sights, this close." Kanata silenced his worry.

Water Seven was within sight. There was no way they could retreat now. Kanata kept a watchful eye on the island as they circled it, waiting for Shiki to make his appearance. Soon enough, he arrived with a fleet of his underlings.

"Connect the Den Den Mushi."

"Aye, aye!" Scotch quickly set up the communication device, using the number they had obtained earlier.

They were buying time before the Marines arrived, but Kanata also felt it wouldn't hurt to exchange words with their future adversary.

"So you really did come, not running away this time."

"No reason to flee. I simply decided to crush you if you chased after us," Kanata replied calmly.

"Jihahahaha! You've got quite a spirit! I'd like to see if your words are backed by equal strength."

Shiki commanded a fleet of twelve galleons, each carrying a sizable crew. He was at the helm of the flagship, surrounded by four pirate captains. Kanata's vessel, in contrast, was a single galleon with only thirty souls on board. The disparity in their strength was undeniable.

"This is my final offer. Will you become my subordinate? Being Octavia's daughter, your strength is practically guaranteed. Join my side, and we'll conquer the world!"

"I have absolutely no interest in joining your ranks. And if you want someone to join you, there's a proper way to ask."

"A proper way, you say?"

"You should say 'Please become my subordinate.'"

Kanata's words echoed through the Den Den Mushi, followed by a loud burst of laughter. Scotch and David could be seen sweating, while Kuro and Junshi grinned.

Suddenly, Shiki's laughter died down.

"So, you're saying you'll die here, then!?!"

"You're the one who'll vanish here. Tremble, freeze, and shatter into oblivion."

With a violent clatter, she hung up the Den Den Mushi. Kanata and Shiki leaped from their ships, hurtling through the air in unison. Shiki brandished his two swords, 'Oto' and 'Kogarashi,' while Kanata held her weapon – an unnamed spear forged from the tooth of a giant sea king.

As dark clouds gathered overhead, they collided with full force, their initial clash shattering the sky and churning the sea, a thunderous declaration of war.

A jolt of energy rippled through the air, a palpable shock wave that reached the Marines positioned some distance away.

"It seems they've started. Hey! Get the ships between them and Water Seven!" Garp barked orders to his crew.

First, they would position themselves between the Golden Lion Pirates and Water Seven, cutting off their escape route and ensuring the safety of the citizens. Then, they would move to attack Shiki's underlings.

Garp rolled his shoulders, grabbed a cannonball, aimed, and unleashed a powerful throw.

"Fist, Bone – Meteorite!"

The cannonball, far more potent than any fired from a cannon, slammed into one of the pirate ships. Black smoke billowed as the vessel caught fire, slowly sinking beneath the waves.

"Buwahahahaha! Even his underlings are a bunch of weaklings! Get me a thousand cannonballs!" Garp laughed.

"Admiral Garp, please don't get too carried away. Officially, our purpose is to protect the citizens from the conflict between the 'Golden Lion' and the 'Witch.'" One of his subordinates spoke.

Garp crossed his arms, his expression turning sour. He understood that showing too much favoritism would lead to problems later. It was the World Government's standpoint.

"They're using pirates, yet they claim not to be working with them. Well, it's not entirely true, I guess…"

It was a relationship of mutual benefit. If either side felt disadvantaged, it would collapse.

Garp didn't care what happened to the pirates, but he had a certain concern for Kanata's crew, where Dragon was.

A certain concern, nonetheless.

"Admiral Garp, Vice Admiral Tsuru is calling," Berg reported, approaching Garp with a Den Den Mushi in hand.

Garp lowered the cannonball he was holding and answered the call.

"What is it, Tsuru-chan?"

"This storm… seems to be more than just a regular storm, you know? You're probably fine, but I thought I should let you know just in case."

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"They say Water Seven experiences high tides every year around this time. They call it 'Aqua Laguna,' a massive storm."

It was a familiar occurrence for the residents, but anyone who underestimated it would face certain death. Sailing out to sea during high tide was suicide in itself. They could easily be swallowed whole by the waves, including their ships.

"I see… But it'll be fine, I think. The 'Witch' is an Ice Devil Fruit user, right?"

Shiki could fly with his ability. While the storm would restrict his movements, he wouldn't be swallowed by the tsunami.

The ones in danger were Garp and his crew, but he was confident they could handle a mere tsunami.

It was getting darker, and Garp wanted to sink Shiki's underlings as soon as possible and retreat.

"What do you think about the battle between the 'Golden Lion' and the 'Witch,' Tsuru-chan?"

"The 'Witch' is strong, but I don't think Shiki is falling behind… Depending on the storm's scale, they could be evenly matched."

"You're probably right…"

Kanata would lose if they clashed head-on, relying on pure strength. But she had chosen advantageous conditions, forcing a stalemate.

She was a formidable opponent, Garp thought, a prodigy, inheriting her fighting spirit from her mother.

"Like mother, like daughter…"

"You seem to be quite invested in this. Hurry up and sink those pirates before you get swept away by the tsunami."

"Oh, you're worried about me? Then I better get to work."

Garp ended the call and ordered his crew to prepare cannonballs, determined to finish the job.

"I guess there's no talking sense into him," one of his men sighed, resigned to their fate. They had been warned to stop him, but they didn't want to get swept away by the tsunami either, so they chose to remain silent.

Garp sank all the remaining pirate ships just as the tsunami began to engulf the island.

Kanata and Shiki clashed in the sky, their movements rapid and unpredictable. The weather worsened as the storm grew in intensity, hampering Shiki's movements.

(…Shiki's ability is 'Levitation.' It's only natural that he'd struggle to control it with such strong winds.)

Kanata, in contrast, was using 'Moonwalk' from the Six Styles, allowing her to move swiftly through the air. It required constant motion, but she wasn't as affected by the winds as Shiki.

But even with that advantage, Shiki remained a formidable opponent.

"You chose a stormy day, but it doesn't make much difference when it comes to killing just one person. You think you can beat me in the air?"

Shiki's voice was steady, unfazed by the raging storm.

He lit a cigar, infused his blades with Armament Haki, and swung toward Kanata's neck. She blocked his attack with her spear, also imbued with Armament Haki.

It was impossible to win in the air. Yet, Shiki's ability prevented Kanata from attacking him on the ground.

As she contemplated her next move, she was forced back and sent tumbling towards the sea.

"You're a Devil Fruit user. Falling into the sea means the end—What?!"

The sea froze as Kanata plummeted, a large swathe of water turning into ice. The waves, frozen mid-movement, revealed an unharmed Kanata.

Shiki descended, lowering his altitude to bring Kanata into the range of his blades. He let out a sigh.

"An Ice ability… A Logia type Devil Fruit. You two are a real pain."

"I have a chance on the sea. Don't underestimate me."

Shiki grinned, swung his sword, and aimed a deadly strike at Kanata, who stood at a distance. Even a Logia user would suffer a fatal wound from a blade infused with Armament Haki.

Kanata shattered into ice shards, disappearing as the strike connected.

Then, a multitude of massive ice pillars rose from the sea.

"Trying to blind me?" Shiki asked.

She couldn't escape his Observation Haki. He sensed Kanata moving through the ice, a mere whisper of movement amidst the freezing seas.

He raised his sword, slashing through an ice pillar, revealing Kanata.

"Cutting Wave!"

He swung his swords, unleashing a barrage of slashing attacks towards Kanata. She barely dodged them by using the ice pillars as stepping stones to close the distance.

Spinning, she moved above Shiki, crossing her swords to block his attacks. With the momentum of her spin, she slammed her spear downward at Shiki.

A powerful jolt of energy erupted, sending Shiki flying towards the sea.

He regained his balance at the last moment, hovering above the surface as he unleashed a powerful attack.

"Lion's Roar – Palace Roll!"

The waves he sliced through twisted into the shape of lions, charging towards Kanata.

She froze them instantly, shattering them with a kick.

With that, Shiki closed the distance and aimed a final blow, determined to finish her.

"Lion's Severing Valley!"

He unleashed a flurry of attacks, each strike potent enough to shatter ice. Kanata, though injured, managed to deflect and dodge the barrage.

She landed, froze the water, and took a moment to catch her breath, analyzing the situation. Shiki, seemingly dissatisfied with his attack, let out a sigh.

"So you won't die. I want you as my subordinate, frankly."

"Give it up. I have no intention of joining your ranks."

The rain, fierce and relentless during the fight, turned into snow. The temperature dropped, the wind whipped with even greater force.

Shiki glanced at the sinking ships of his underlings, then at Garp, who was throwing cannonballs like shooting stars.

"You've got the Navy on your side. They're saying you crushed all of my men… It seems you managed to persuade that old fool Garp."

"He wants to kill you too. He wants your head before mine."

"Hah, what a joke. Don't dream about winning against me just because of the storm."

Shiki, a pirate who dominated the 'New World', wouldn't be easily defeated, even in these unfavorable conditions.

A colossal tsunami, capable of swallowing entire ships, was approaching from afar.

Shiki, with a casual gesture, lifted his flagship into the air, allowing it to sway with the wind, but safe from the wave.

"Don't get cocky, little girl. Your mother was a monster, but we weren't weak enough to fall easily. We lived in different times."

"How ridiculous. You're saying you're stronger because you've been through hardships? Standing here, unable to take down a single opponent, you're just making a fool of yourself."

The tsunami barreled towards them, but Kanata remained unfazed.

If they stayed, she, along with her crew, would be swallowed. But as the wave reached the point of no return, Kanata moved.

"Niflheim, Silver World—!"

The colossal tsunami froze, instantly transformed into a wall of ice. Kanata's ability could affect anything within her range, even waves stretching to the horizon.

"──Fenriswolf, Devouring Wolf!"

In the blink of an eye, a massive ice wolf emerged from the frozen tsunami, its jaws opening wide to engulf Shiki.

The wolf, cleaved in two by a single strike, crumbled as Kanata moved through its icy body, reaching Shiki.

Her spear slammed towards his throat. Shiki dodged, narrowly avoiding the attack, and countered with a devastating strike.

The battle continued with both sides pushing their limits. The storm intensified.

Whoosh!

"Damn, this wind is getting ridiculous…"

Shiki struggled to maintain his balance in the relentless storm. The wind was too strong, affecting the power of his attacks. He saw the frozen waves, shattered in places by their clash. Having come this far, Shiki was not unscathed either, and he had some scratches here and there.

"You're strong… I might get swept away at this rate."

Kanata was injured as well, though not gravely. She was bleeding, but it didn't hinder her movements. Still, she couldn't afford to linger.

(…I'll need to take care of this little girl before dealing with that old fool Garp. But I don't want to expend too much energy.)

He needed to escape after taking down Kanata, but the storm would impede his movements. Being targeted by Garp's cannonballs would be a nuisance as well.

It was time to retreat.

As he noticed Kanata's gaze shift away from him, she lowered her spear, ready for an attack.

"You're looking away… Quite confident, I see."

Kanata stared at Shiki, infusing her spear with Armament Haki.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck Shiki. An explosive sound ripped through the air, scorching Shiki's body.

Shiki was scorched, a victim of the storm. It was inevitable for someone hovering in the air, but the timing of the lightning was impeccable.

"──'Country's Might'!"

Seizing the opportunity, Kanata unleashed her most powerful attack.

Not missing this opportunity, Kanata launches a powerful blow to kill Shiki. The blow landed with devastating force, tearing through his shoulder and abdomen.

"G-gr-gr…!"

Despite the burn from the lightning strike and the deep wound, Shiki remained afloat. He stared at Kanata with burning rage.

"You… You did this?!"

"You're talking about the lightning? That was a coincidence. I don't control lightning."

It was truly, purely accidental.

Shiki, spitting blood, regained his composure and assessed the situation. Though he felt foolish, the attack had been a near-fatal blow. He had a high chance of falling if he continued fighting. Retreat was the best option.

It was humiliating to retreat from a battle he had started, but dying here, in such a pathetic way, would be even more humiliating.

"Damn it, I have no choice but to retreat."

The blow had landed while he was momentarily stunned. Even with Armament Haki, the wound was deep. His strength was fading, making it difficult to fly. But he still had enough energy to escape.

He could evade Garp's cannonballs with the strength of the winds.

"I'm leaving, but I'll be waiting for you in the 'New World.'"

He promised to return with his full fleet and deliver a decisive blow.

But this was a chance, an opportunity to finish Shiki, while he was wounded, with his fleet and subordinates gone. Kanata had no intention of letting him escape so easily.

"You can't win in a one-on-one, so you resort to numbers? That's the thinking of a loser."

"Whatever you say. I'm not going to die here."

Shiki, aboard his flagship, soared into the sky. Kanata leaped into the air, hot on his heels. Despite his injuries, he was still able to maintain his speed, buying time for his escape.

Finally, he reached a distance she couldn't cover. Kanata realized it was impossible to catch up and lowered her spear, turning back to her ship.