"One Piece: Sign-In at the Start to Get Ryūjin Jakka"

Shiki's eyes were locked onto the dense jungle ahead.

An unprecedented sense of tension surged in his chest.

"Who's there?!"

The moment his voice rang out, his right leg lashed out like a whip.

Without mercy, he sent a flying slash hurtling toward the jungle.

In the blink of an eye, the slash tore through the air, growing larger as it traveled. With a single strike, it split the jungle in half—then continued onward, cleaving through the buildings behind it!

"What if I said I was just passing by? Would you believe me?"

Roya adjusted his cloak, floating effortlessly in the air thanks to the Rooster Talisman's power, easily dodging Shiki's attack.

Shiki's eyes narrowed as he stared at the hovering figure before him. A flicker of shock passed through his gaze.

"Heh heh heh…" Shiki grinned, baring his teeth. "Tell me what Devil Fruit ability you're using, and maybe I'll believe you."

This mysterious man floating in front of him… for some reason, Shiki felt an inexplicable sense of threat.

Was it Roya's eerie presence? Or just his own instincts?

Whatever it was, Shiki hated it.

Because he was Shiki the Golden Lion!

A legendary pirate who once ruled the skies!

How could he possibly feel fear from some unknown stranger?!

Roya's hidden eyes beneath his hood remained calm as he replied indifferently, "My ability is simple—I can levitate and manipulate objects at will."

The moment those words left his mouth, Shiki's fury erupted.

"GYAHAHAHA! You bastard… you're mocking me, aren't you?! How the hell can your ability be the same as mine?! The Fuwa Fuwa no Mi is mine alone! There can't be two identical Devil Fruits in this world!"

"Lion's Roar: Earth Roll!"

Shiki slammed his hands onto the ground, using his levitation powers to tear the earth apart. Massive chunks of soil morphed into roaring lion heads, charging toward Roya with crushing force.

"You claim your power is like mine? Then let's see whose is stronger!"

Five earthen lion heads, propelled by raging winds, surged forward.

Faced with such a ferocious assault, Roya merely tugged his cloak tighter. Then, mimicking Shiki, he pressed a hand against the ground.

A faint blue glow shimmered—the Rooster Talisman's power activated.

The earth beneath him rose, twisting and shaping into a dragon's head, far more intricate and lifelike than Shiki's lions.

Shiki's pupils shrank.

"Impossible!"

BOOM!

CRASH—!

KABOOOM!

Roya's dragon head roared forward, obliterating four of the lion heads before clashing with the fifth in a mutual destruction.

Dust and debris filled the air.

Shiki refused to accept this outcome.

How could some stranger wield a power nearly identical to his own?!

"You bastard… you've really pissed me off now! Fine, let me show you—"

Before he could finish, the distant boom of cannon fire interrupted him.

Both men turned.

Black cannonballs rained down on Verge Island, exploding upon impact and leaving craters in their wake.

Shiki's forehead glistened with sweat as he spotted ten battleships on the horizon.

"Damn Marines… they sent ten ships just for me?!"

His eyes then landed on two familiar figures—Sengoku and Garp.

Roya chuckled beside him. "Don't flatter yourself. Those ships aren't just here for you. I'd say half the credit is mine."

"Half? What the hell did you do before I broke out?!"

"Just small things. Stole something the Navy treasures… then annihilated a Buster Call with a single sword strike."

"Annihilated a Buster Call?! GYAHAHAHA!" Shiki laughed mockingly. "You've got some nerve! Even I couldn't pull that off!"

Then, his tone shifted. "Still, if you're bold enough to say that, you must have some skill. How about joining my Golden Lion Pirates? I'll make you my vice-captain! With our combined strength, escaping these Marines will be child's play! And with the IQ plants on this island, we can conquer the world—achieve what even Roger failed to do!"

Roya wasn't interested. "Pass. I'm just passing through. Besides… you're too weak. Relying on external power instead of your own strength? That's the mark of a true weakling."

With that, he turned to leave.

He was only here to check in—no need to get involved in a pointless battle.

But his words struck Shiki like a blade to the heart.

The freshly escaped pirate king snapped.

"You… dare call me weak?! ME?!"

Shiki's face twisted with rage.

"FINE! Let's see just how strong you really are!"

"Slash Wave!"

This time, he swung the legendary sword "Shigure" on his foot, unleashing a colossal slash—ten times larger than before!

The sheer scale of the attack was overwhelming. Even the approaching Marines froze in shock.

On the battleship, Sengoku turned to Garp.

"What the hell? They're fighting each other now?!"

Garp scratched his head, equally baffled.

They had feared Roya and Shiki might team up, but now…

Sengoku's eyes gleamed.

"A fight between the snipe and the clam… means profit for the fisherman! All units, prepare to attack! This time, we're capturing both of them!"