One Piece: I'm not Roger

"Golden Lion, you old relic, you're nothing but a leftover from a past era. I heard you were captured by the Marines not long ago. Looks like they're still incompetent, letting someone like you escape again. But judging by how you look now, how much strength do you even have left? You still dare to interfere in my affairs? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

Kaido's blunt words tightened the atmosphere instantly.

Golden Lion Shiki's expression darkened. Back in his prime, when he ruled the New World, only Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, Monkey D. Garp, and Sengoku could truly stand against him. Even Charlotte Linlin and Wang Zhi had never reached that level in his eyes.

And yet now, the same Kaido who had once been nothing more than a subordinate on Rocks' ship was speaking to him like this.

Even knowing his current strength was a shadow of what it once was, Shiki's pride refused to let him retreat.

"Lion's Majesty, Earth Roll."

The ground trembled violently.

Thousands of meters of land were torn apart and lifted into the air, reshaping into enormous lion heads made of earth. They roared as they surged toward Kaido, their sheer mass and motion causing distant pirates to stumble and lose their footing.

It was an attack meant to crush entire armies.

But the one standing in front of it was Kaido.

With a single swing of his kanabo, lightning surged outward. The lion heads shattered instantly, crumbling into debris before they could even reach him.

To Kaido, the attack barely registered as a threat.

Without hesitation, he leaned forward and charged. His massive body surged ahead with overwhelming pressure, and his kanabo came crashing down toward Shiki's head.

"Die, Old Lion."

Shiki narrowly evaded the blow using his Float-Float Fruit ability. The wind pressure from the swing tore through his hair as the weapon struck the ground behind him, splitting the terrain open with a massive crack.

"Lion's Majesty, Imperial Earth Roll."

Rocks and seawater rose once more, forming dozens of massive lion heads, each towering several meters high. They surrounded Kaido and lunged simultaneously, filling the sky as they descended.

Kaido's expression didn't change.

"Is this all you've got left?"

The lions collapsed under his counterattacks, destroyed with only a few swings of his weapon.

Unlike Kaido's overwhelming confidence, Shiki avoided direct confrontation. Even without Conqueror's Haki coating the strikes, the sheer force behind Kaido's attacks was more than his aged body could endure.

The battle turned into a relentless pursuit.

With the Float-Float Fruit, Shiki maneuvered through the air, while Kaido followed with raw destructive power, tearing apart everything in his path. The ground below was reduced to ruins.

Kaido eventually took to the sky using Flame Clouds, closing the distance and forcing another clash moments later.

"Slicing Wave."

"Whistling Arrow."

Shiki's sword energy surged forward, but it was crushed instantly by the overwhelming force of Kaido's attack. Forced into close range, Shiki swung again, trying to block the remaining power.

A sharp metallic clash echoed.

The impact sent Shiki flying. His body tore through two buildings before finally crashing to a stop.

Kaido didn't pursue immediately. Instead, he waited until Shiki rose again, limping, before speaking with open contempt.

"Shiki, you've become pathetic. The swordsmanship you once relied on is gone, and you can't even use Conqueror's Haki or Armament Haki anymore. All you have left is your Devil Fruit. You're nothing but a hollow shell."

This time, Shiki didn't react with anger.

He had already accepted reality.

"Zehahaha, you've got a loud mouth, Kaido. I may be old, but a lion's pride isn't something a beast like you can trample on. Take a good look at the gift I prepared."

As Shiki clenched his fist, the sky darkened again.

A massive island, nearly a thousand meters wide, descended from above. Friction with the air caused its surface to ignite, turning it into a blazing meteor aimed directly at Kaido.

The sight made countless pirates tense.

If that island struck the battlefield, the destruction would be unimaginable.

Kaido responded immediately, transforming back into his dragon form.

"Golden Lion, is this really your best? Heat Breath."

The massive dragon coiled its body and released a devastating blast of fire. The Dragon Flame pierced straight through the falling island, tearing it apart mid-air. The flaming debris disintegrated before it could reach the sea.

Watching this, Ace frowned slightly.

Kaido's flames were also fire, yet they carried a level of destructive force her own attacks couldn't match. The difference was undeniable.

Shiki descended slowly, hovering just above the ground.

His breathing grew heavy.

"It seems... this is my limit."

Only a few minutes of combat had left him exhausted. Age had caught up to him, and his body could no longer sustain intense battles.

The ship's rudder embedded in his head had fused with his flesh over the years. Now, it constantly interfered with his mind, preventing him from using Haki properly.

Perhaps his time had truly passed.

As that thought lingered, five figures stepped forward and stood beside him.

Shiki looked at them with slight surprise.

So, he would be fighting alongside Roger's allies after all.

The ones who stepped forward were Diamond Jozu, Fire Fist Ace, Blamenco of the 6th Division, Blenheim of the 9th Division, and the Ice Witch Whitey Bay.

Each of them possessed strength comparable to a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. Among them, Jozu and Ace were clearly on the level of the strongest commanders in the New World.

The rest of the fighters remained behind. They understood their limits. Entering this battle would only get in the way.

Ace adjusted his hat and spoke.

"I don't know why you're helping us, Golden Lion, but we're not going to stand by and watch. Let us fight alongside you."

Before he could continue, Shiki suddenly appeared right in front of him, his face close as he examined him carefully.

His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"I remember the reports saying Roger's child was a son. Why are you like this now? Did I misremember, or did Roger have twins? Kid, are you really Ace?"

A vein pulsed on Ace's forehead, but he forced himself to stay composed.

"I am Ace. This appearance is temporary. I am a man."

"I see. So my memory hasn't failed yet. Then the problem is on your side. Still, looking like this, are you sure about that?"

Ace fell silent.

He had no proper response.

Before the conversation could continue, Kaido's presence suddenly surged.

An overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from his body, shooting into the sky and sweeping across the battlefield. The pressure was suffocating, forcing many weaker pirates to collapse unconscious on the spot.

Ace reacted instantly.

His own Conqueror's Haki erupted outward, clashing against Kaido's and resisting the oppressive force.

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