One Piece: sign-in to Ryujin Jakka

The blinding light slowly faded. Only then did the deafening explosion ring out.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!

The seething hot sword aura unleashed by Roman was magnified in Shiki's widening pupils. There was no escape now. No defense. No more tricks left to play.

BANG!!!

Another deafening explosion rang out following a direct hit.

The sword energy struck Golden Lion Shiki head-on.

Countless Marine soldiers stood frozen in disbelief.

Was this... really happening?

The fearsome legendary pirate who once soared in the sky above the seas, who challenged the Pirate King himself, was defeated in a single slash?

So cleanly, so decisively by this mysterious man!

"That's impossible!"

"That's the Golden Lion!"

"The flying pirate was taken down... just like that?!"

They could barely make out Shiki's figure amidst the raging flames. His form twisted, writhing in the heat. But not a sound came from him. No screams. No cries.

Only the relentless crackling of fire consuming flesh and pride.

What kind of agony was he enduring? They didn't dare imagine.

If it were them, they would've long since turned to ashes, utterly annihilated.

As the flames gradually died out, the charred figure of Golden Lion Shiki finally came into view.

Burnt. Blackened. Charred beyond recognition.

His once-flowing, majestic golden hair was gone. His aura of nobility—reduced to cinders.

Yet, even in such a state...

Shiki moved.

He raised a hand.

Slowly. Painfully. But indubitably.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

"He can still move, how does he even have the energy to?!"

"How?! He's... he's still alive?"

"What kind of monstrous willpower is this?!"

Roman, floating above, watched in silence.

He knew Shiki had no strength left to fight. His body was finished.

But his spirit remained unbroken.

A true warrior's heart.

Roman drifted closer, his voice soft and low, only for Shiki to hear.

"I take back what I said before... I admit it. You are strong."

Then, without another word, he turned his back.

The Rooster Talisman activated.

In a blink, his figure vanished into thin air.

Gone—like the wind over the sea.

Shiki bit down hard. Blood pooled between his teeth.

Roman's words echoed in his mind.

And in that moment, he remembered the very words he had once hurled at Gol D. Roger.

"You bastard... I'll defeat you one day!"

But this time... there was no strength left to hold on.

Shiki's body gave out.

His eyes closed.

And like a corrupted angel, he plummeted from the sky, crashing into the earth with a thundering impact.

Dust and silence followed.

Only then did Sengoku and the others come to their senses.

Still in his giant golden Buddha form, the Fleet Admiral's eyes were still locked on the sky where Roman had disappeared.

His massive golden hands clenched into fists.

"Damn it... he escaped again!"

He exhaled sharply, dismissing his Buddha form, then barked out orders.

"Restrain Shiki immediately with Seastone cuffs! Return him to Level Six of Impel Down—Eternal Hell!"

The surrounding Marines snapped into action.

Once the chaos settled, Sengoku turned to his old comrade, the ever-carefree Garp.

Still smiling, as always.

"Only half the mission's complete, and you're still grinning? What's on your mind?"

Garp rubbed his chin.

"I didn't expect that guy to have not just unparalleled firepower and swordsmanship, but also abilities like Shiki's... and maybe even the Ope Ope no Mi."

He exhaled, his smile fading.

"I don't know how he's doing all this... but one thing's for sure—the seas are about to descend into chaos."

Sengoku's face darkened.

"Yeah... that man has ruined our operations again and again. Damn him!"

Defeating Golden Lion Shiki—fresh out of prison—with a single strike?

Even in a weakened state, fresh out of prison, his legs crippled and swordsmanship skills rusted; Shiki's powers had evolved.

And yet, he had been reduced to ashes in an instant.

Roman's threat level had risen once again in Sengoku's mind.

Meanwhile…

Roman soared across the sky, heading straight for the Holy Land—Mary Geoise.

A new mission had just been issued by the system.

[Ding! New Sign-In Task: Mary Geoise. Reward: Random top-tier Devil Fruit (No Side Effects). Time Limit: 3 Days.]

Using the Rooster Talisman, he traveled at high speed.

But even so, the travel speed wasn't fast enough.

"Tch... too slow."

He needed a shortcut.

Just like Shiki once used floating islands to dominate the skies, so would he.

Hours later, over the Grand Line, he spotted a small, uninhabited island.

Perfect.

Landing, Roman activated the talisman to its full power.

A brilliant blue glow engulfed the land.

And slowly, the island began to rise.

The ocean roared in protest as waves crashed and swirled around the ascending landmass.

A floating island—his private airship.

With his new ride, Roman resumed his flight toward Mary Geoise, Red Line.

The Holy Land stood atop the Red Line, between the two halves of the Grand Line. The domain of the Celestial Dragons. Guarded by elite forces. Patrolled by top-tier secret intelligence agents.

Infiltrating it was paramount to suicide.

But Roman had a plan.

Three days later.

On the last day, Roman stood atop his floating island, now hovering above Mary Geoise.

It was night.

The sky was thick with clouds—no stars, no moonlight.

Just as he'd hoped.

The island blended perfectly into the darkness. Undetectable.

Roman stood at the edge, looking down at the glowing capital of the world.

Below—chaos.

Fires blazed. Alarms rang.

"Heh... looks like I came at the right time."

He adjusted his hood against the blowing wind, remembering the rebellion by Fisher Tiger in the story.

Once, Fisher Tiger had climbed the Red Line with his bare hands and freed thousands of slaves.

This riot below... might just be a repeat of history.

And naturally, the perfect cover to infiltrate.

Without hesitation, Roman leapt off the island.

The cold wind lashed against his cloak.

As he plummeted toward the Holy Land, the distant lights of Marineford flared on the horizon.

Warships were already sailing towards the commotion.

"What a beautiful mess," he whispered.

Blending into the shadows, Roman landed undetected—right in the heart of Mary Geoise.