Shiki's Fall

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"Boom!"

The sound echoed, causing the entire island to quiver as Brontes and Shiki clashed with monumental force.

Brontes, surrounded by surges of electricity, criticized Shiki's current power with disdain.

"You were once a worthy opponent for Whitebeard. Now, you wouldn't withstand a few of his attacks, let alone face me. You've aged, and your strength has diminished. It has come to this, so I'll offer you a peaceful end." Brontes said, as his body was shimmering with lightning.

"ZliZli!"

"Jihahahaha! You ignorant kid."

Shiki responded with a loud, mocking laugh, yet deep inside, a sinking fear took hold of him. He had come to realize that Brontes had been holding back his true power from the very beginning.

"No matter how much you deny it, the truth remains unchanged." Brontes responded, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Thor's Enhancement!" Then, almost in a whisper, Brontes invokedm

This technique marked the beginning of a transformation. The Armament Haki began to envelop his body, intertwining with his vibrant red tattoos. These marks transformed into fiery red dragon scales, encapsulating his body entirely, mirroring the tight, life-like scales of a dragon clinging to its flesh.

Shiki's eyes widened at the sight of the tattoos on Brontes for the first time - they triggered a sense of familiarity to him.

It took him a moment, but he remembered seeing the pictures of the battle between Whitebeard and Brontes. He hadn't seen the fight personally, but he knew from news that Brontes had sustained numerous injuries in his clash with Whitebeard, yet emerged without a scratch afterwards.

Shiki, once a formidable pirate who sailed alongside Kaido under the Rocks banner three decades ago, had also faced Kaido in battle.

However, Brontes's tattoos only brought a faint sense of recognition. While he sensed something familiar about them, he couldn't directly connect them to Kaido.

"Are you prepared? I'm going all out." Brontes said, as his muscles started coiling in readiness to bring Shiki to a respectable conclusion. With full force behind it, his next move would unleash one of his most potent attacks.

"Lightning Dragon Strike!"

"ZliZli!"

Brontes lunged ahead with remarkable speed, encased in crackling blue lightning that converged to form a colossal dragon's head around him.

This technique, similar to Kaido's Eight Trigrams, differed only in its colour. Kaido's was crimson, a result of his Haki mingling with scorching steam, while Brontes's embodied pure electricity. Essentially, his entire form was composed of electric energy.

"Roar! Rumble!"

The enormous dragon's visage surged towards Shiki, who watched as Brontes closed in without holding back.

Despite Shiki's efforts to dodge, the sheer velocity of Brontes left him unable to react in time. The speed was so immense that even with perception, evasion was useless.

"It's your time to meet your end, Shiki!" Brontes said loudly.

"Dream on!" Shiki retorted, his arms raised, imbued with Armament Haki shielding his torso.

"Crunch! Rumble!"

The lightning dragon's head engulfed Shiki entirely, piercing through his body with Roy's arm penetrating the gap in Shiki's defense.

"As I've said before, time has caught up with you. Ever since you forsook dual swords for dual feet, your pinnacle strength has diminished. Furthermore, even if your Float-Float ability awakened, it can't eclipse the sheer devastation of the Quake-Quake Fruit. Despite its power, the Float-Float power is much weaker in comparison when it comes to offense." Brontes said to the fading consciousness of Shiki.

"Twenty years of dedication... All for nothing..." Shiki attempted to utter words but only managed to cough up blood, his spirit crushed by Brontes.

Even a Logia Devil Fruit wielder like Ace fell when his heart was crushed by Sakazuki. Shiki, already injured and advanced in age, stood no chance.

"Remain in denial if you wish. Your era has ended. Your time has come. The new generation isn't meant for old-timers like yourself. I won't send you to Impel Down; you've become a legend there." Brontes said casually as he withdrew his arm from Shiki's chest.

"Roger!" Shiki suddenly shouted towards the sky.

"You... You basterd..."

Shiki's final words weren't aimed at Brontes but at his long-standing opponent, Roger.

Throughout his life, Shiki clashed with Roger numerous times, always meeting defeat and finally acknowledging Roger as the Pirate King.

It was Roger who brought both joy and sorrow to him. If only that fateful storm hadn't occurred, if only Roger had agreed to collaborate, perhaps Shiki's fate would have been different.

Had Roger shared the secrets of the Ancient Weapons with him, perhaps an uprising against the World Government could have been incited, altering his tragic demise.

Naturally, had Roger allied with the Golden Lion from the outset, they would have faced the combined might of the Marines and the World Government.

"Damn!"

Shiki's breath faded away entirely, his lifeless body slumping to the ground. With Shiki's passing, the power of the Float-Float Fruit vanished from existence.

The island relied on Shiki's fruit ability to remain airborne. However, with his demise, the fruit's energy vanished, causing the entire island to rapidly plummet from a height of five thousand meters.

"Ahh! Ahh!"

Piercing cries echoed from all corners of the falling island. Its descent was marked by continuous cracking and destruction as it hurtled towards the ground.

While the Flying Pirates were known for their villainous deeds, the island's inhabitants were innocent, and Brontes couldn't bear to witness their demise due to his actions that led to the destruction of their home.

Lacking Shiki's Float-Float Fruit ability, Brontes understood that halting the descent might entail destroying the island if he exerted too much force.

"ZliZli!"

Transforming into a lightning bolt, Brontes appeared beneath the island, which now hovered around five hundred meters above sea level. Luckily, there was a sizable deserted area below that could potentially support the plummeting island.

"300,000,000 V Thor!"

Brontes converted his body into a pure, electrifying force of 300,000,000 volts. In an instant, he expanded in size, transforming into a colossal figure resembling a lightning giant akin to Thor, robust and crackling with power.

"ZliZli!"

Brontes thrust both arms forward, endeavoring to propel the island and counteract its gravitational pull using his immense power.

"Stop!"

Brontes shouted, veins bulging on his arms, showcasing the formidable might at his disposal in order to resist the terrifying gravity.

"Boom!"

After landing, the island suffered casualties among its wildlife, while some animals perished.

Nonetheless, the inhabitants managed to survive, albeit with various injuries. In the end, Brontes succeeded in rescuing them just in time.

"Phew!"

Brontes exhaled deeply, a weight lifted off his shoulders as he surveyed the saved islanders.

He then turned his attention back to the island, pondering for a moment before retrieving a Den Den Mushi.

Quickly establishing a connection with another Den Mushi, a furious voice emanated from the receiver: "Where have you been? Your absence has caused a big trouble for us. You must remember your position as the Fleet Admiral!"

"I've encountered the Golden Lion." Brontes disclosed calmly.

"Shiki! Where is he now?!" Sengoku asked urgently.

...

At Marineford, in Sengoku's office, Garp stood by, his interest piqued upon hearing the conversation.

Deep lines furrowed his brow as he pondered the elusive whereabouts of this notorious pirate who had evaded capture for two decades post his flight from Impel Down.

The sudden revelation that Brontes had located him now was both astonishing and unsettling.

"You didn't let me finish. I've already taken care of him." Brontes interjected.

"What?!" Sengoku exclaimed in shock, while Garp rose from his seat in disbelief.

"Yes, I've killed him, just moments ago. As for how I found his whereabouts, it was purely coincidental; during my travels in the sky on my warship, I stumbled upon his island and saw to him." Brontes stated nonchalantly, as if it were a routine task. He then adopted a somber tone to continue:

"After killing Shiki, his devil fruit power vanished, causing the island to plummet to the ground. Fortunately, I managed to guide it to a safe landing spot. However, the island's inhabitants and Shiki's crew are also affected, currently unconscious. Sengoku-san, could you please arrange for a nearby base to handle the situation?" Brontes said in a calm voice.

"You've truly killed him. Good job, Brontes. After hiding away for two decades, he undoubtedly harbored sinister intentions." Sengoku replied with a sigh.

"Indeed, Shiki had been creating vicious creatures using a special plant to accelerate their evolution. These creatures mutated, boasting formidable combat skills, each rivaling pirates valued between 10 to 20 million berries. His plan was to unleash these creatures globally, sparking chaos." Brontes explained, offering a detailed account.

"I had a feeling Shiki wouldn't go quietly into the night. Now that you've killed him, it's for the best." Sengoku nodded in relief.

"Alright, I've given my report. I'll make my way back once I've wrapped up here. I assume things are turbulent in Mariejois." Brontes remarked with a light chuckle.

"You scoundrel, not planning to return, are you...," Sengoku trailed off as Brontes abruptly ended the call, disconnecting the Den Den Mushi.

"Hahaha! He cut you off." Garp next to him burst into laughter.

"Shut up, Garp! Go handle the situation. Shiki is dead; we must take care of the aftermath." Sengoku scolded Garp in frustration.