Somewhere in the New World.
With a deafening boom, a floating island high in the sky trembled violently.
Large cracks appeared, and countless rocks cascaded down, crashing into the sea and creating massive columns of water.
"Impossible!!"
A roar filled with the fury of a lion king echoed through the sky, accompanied by dark red shockwaves that tore apart the surrounding clouds.
"Boss... Boss..."
In the banquet hall of the floating island.
Hundreds of pirates who had joined the Flying Pirates less than three years ago watched in terror as a deep, almost bottomless slash mark split the grand hall in two. They scrambled frantically to either side.
On the stage, Shiki, the "Golden Lion," gripped his famed sword, Shigure, tightly, consumed by overwhelming rage.
His anger was so intense that he panted heavily, his eyes blood-red.
The pain from the helm embedded in his head throbbed faintly.
Just moments ago, he had slashed the newspaper on the table into dust. "Roger! Roger was a man I acknowledged!"
"How could he... how could he have been captured by those useless Marines? How could it be—!"
Shiki roared again.
At the same time, an overwhelming Conqueror's Haki burst from his body.
Instantly, large numbers of people fainted, their eyes rolling back.
In the blink of an eye, only a handful of people remained standing, swaying unsteadily.
But Shiki paid no attention to his subordinates. Wielding his twin swords, he transformed into a golden blur and charged out of the hall.
Ignoring the shouts of his officers behind him, he flew away from the floating island at incredible speed.
About five minutes later, Shiki's figure vanished.
Just as the officers were left in confusion, the ground beneath them began to shake violently.
Their faces turned pale in an instant.
Soon, the entire floating island plummeted like a massive meteor.
With a thunderous crash, it created terrifying waves and sank into the depths of the sea. From this moment on, the Flying Pirates, who had dominated the seas for nearly fifteen years, were no more!
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"What? Shiki, the 'Golden Lion,' is coming to attack us?"
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Admiral Sengoku, who had just sat down, sprang up from the sofa upon hearing Fleet Admiral Kong's words.
Even Garp, who was sitting across from him eating rice crackers, paused.
"Yes, this is the latest news from the Five Elders. We need to prepare as quickly as possible!"
Fleet Admiral Kong, with his distinctive 'mountain' of white hair, looked extremely serious.
"If that's the case, Shiki must have read today's newspaper and is heading here. Calculating the distance and the speed of the floating island, he should arrive by tomorrow morning?"
Sengoku voiced his thoughts.
But Fleet Admiral Kong shook his head. "No, the Five Elders said he would come alone!"
"Alone?" Garp raised an eyebrow.
"How dare he?" Sengoku was equally shocked and puzzled, pressing further, "How did the Five Elders know this?"
"I'm not sure. They didn't say, but it's not hard to guess," Fleet Admiral Kong sighed.
"There's a Cipher Pol agent within the Flying Pirates!"
Sengoku immediately connected the dots. "It must be this spy who saw Shiki leave alone and then sent the intel, which is why it's so accurate."
"Mm," Fleet Admiral Kong nodded.
For a moment, the two of them fell silent, and the atmosphere in the office grew still.
The espionage capabilities of Cipher Pol were truly terrifying, making them increasingly wary and vigilant.
At this moment, Garp spoke up with a serious expression.
"So, what should we do next?"
Even someone as carefree as him understood the severity of Shiki the Golden Lion's impending attack.
"If he comes alone, he'll definitely be faster. He could arrive tonight—no, even before tonight!" Sengoku said gravely.
"Then we'll just wait and capture him when he arrives!" Garp clenched his right fist.
"No."
Sengoku shook his head, his gaze meeting Fleet Admiral Kong's. "We can't make Marineford the battlefield. It would cause massive destruction and casualties. But we can't be too far from here either, since Shiki's target is this place."
Fleet Admiral Kong nodded in agreement as he pondered, then asked, "Do you have any ideas? Let's hear them."
Sengoku slowly sat back on the sofa, his brow furrowed as he began to think deeply.
Around Marineford, there were only three islands: Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Sabaody Archipelago.
Clearly, none of these places could serve as a battlefield.
But if there were no islands, would he and Garp have to fight at sea? That would mean an aerial battle.
This would give Shiki the Golden Lion, a user of the Float-Float Fruit, a significant advantage.
"What if we empty out a few warships and gather them together in the waters outside Marineford?"
Fleet Admiral Kong proposed a solution.
"That could work, but a few ships might not be enough. Even if Garp and I join forces, taking down Shiki won't be easy. We'd need at least ten ships."
Time passed bit by bit, and the golden sun in the blue sky began to slowly descend.
Before long, it had turned into a sunset, casting a golden glow across the sea.
The sky gradually showed traces of night.
Suddenly, on the horizon in the direction of the New World, five Marine warships appeared, floating high in the air.
The decks of each ship were littered with the corpses of Marines.
Among them were a few officers wearing the Justice coats.
An extremely thick scent of blood filled the air around the five ships.
From time to time, long-cold blood dripped from the hulls into the waves below.
Like demonic ships from the abyss, they swiftly skimmed across the sea.
Shiki the Golden Lion sat cross-legged on the lookout platform of one of the warships.
His furious eyes were fixed on the faint shadow of an island that had come into view.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford, was here!
He slowly stood up, his grip on his twin swords tightening.
But as the distance rapidly closed, Shiki's pupils suddenly contracted.
Though his eyes hadn't seen anything yet, his Observation Haki had already sensed two incredibly powerful and all-too-familiar auras.
This filled Shiki's heart with confusion and surprise.
About twenty minutes later.
The two sides had closed the distance enough to see each other clearly.
Shiki finally saw two burly men, clad in white Justice coats with black suits underneath.
They seemed to be standing on the calm sea surface?
"Sengoku! Garp!"
The five floating warships gradually slowed down.
"Golden Lion" Shiki gritted his teeth as he uttered their names, his eyes filled with undisguised malice and killing intent.
At the same time, he had already noticed what lay beneath their feet—ice.
A vast frozen expanse that had solidified the entire sea surface near Marineford! It was clear that the Marines had come prepared. "You've finally arrived. I've been waiting here for two hours, and I'm going to give you a good beating later!"
Garp flexed his thick neck and muscular arms, grinning fiercely as he looked up at Shiki.
"Shiki, think carefully. If you make a move today, you won't be leaving here alive."
Sengoku, standing on the cold ice, spoke with a grim expression.
Shiki was furious upon hearing this.
He had already made up his mind when he decided to attack.
He needed answers! "Tell me!"
"How did you worthless Marines manage to capture Roger?!"
"Bring him here! If he's to be killed, it must be by my hand. He's a man I acknowledge!"
Sengoku and Garp remained silent in response.
How could this be?
It seemed as though Shiki was completely delusional.
The two exchanged a glance, then, in perfect sync, tore off their Justice coats and tossed them aside, stepping slowly toward Shiki.
Meanwhile.
The five massive blood-stained warships, under the roar of the "Golden Lion," came crashing down like a tidal wave.
"Give Roger back to me!"
At the edge of Marineford's plaza.
Kuzan, clad in black and purple, sat slumped on the ground, panting heavily as he wearily watched the fierce battle unfolding in the distance.