Shiki's hoarse voice rose again.
"This thing is even bigger than the floating islands I spent years building! It's beyond anything I ever imagined!"
Beside him, Bullet looked unbearably pleased with himself. He threw one thick arm around Shiki's shoulders and gave him a heavy pat, as if showing off a personal achievement.
"Pretty impressive, isn't it? Don't underestimate this monster. Yesterday, we used it to drive back Uranus itself! Just thinking about that battle still gets my blood pumping!"
Shiki seemed to have entered another world entirely and did not hear a word Bullet said.
His attention had been completely captured by Pluton, his eyes burning with almost obsessive fascination.
He slowly approached the warship, every step solemn enough to resemble part of a sacred ceremony.
"Those lines… so smooth and elegant, like something carved by a master artist. And this material… It carries an ancient presence. There's no way anything from this era could have created it."
The power of the Float-Float Fruit stirred around Shiki, and his body rose as lightly as a feather before drifting toward the awe-inspiring vessel.
As he reached the hull, his movements became unusually gentle.
Like a pilgrim touching the symbol of his faith, he carefully placed one hand against the ship and slowly ran his fingers along its cold, solid surface.
"An Ancient Weapon from eight hundred years ago… It truly exists. I always thought it was nothing more than a legend, yet here it is, right in front of me."
His fingers trembled against the hull, betraying a mixture of excitement, reverence, and overwhelming shock.
"This hardness is beyond anything I understand. Even one of my full-power slashes probably couldn't leave so much as a scratch."
Sunlight filtered through the thick clouds, coating Pluton's hull in a faint golden halo.
Amid that silent yet charged atmosphere, Ron appeared soundlessly at the bow like a ghost.
Standing tall with a calm, steady gaze, he raised one hand toward Shiki.
"Would you like to see the inside?"
Though his voice was quiet, it carried clearly through the howling sea wind.
Shiki seemed half asleep as he stepped onto the bridge, like a traveler wandering through a dream he never wanted to end.
The moment his gaze fell upon the main control panel, he was immediately drawn to the ancient script glowing across its surface.
The symbols pulsed softly in the darkness as though alive, each one whispering stories from a distant and forgotten age.
Shiki's entire body jerked.
Then he began trembling uncontrollably, the emotion rising from the deepest part of his soul.
"Jihahahaha!"
He threw back his head and laughed wildly, his voice overflowing with joy and emotion.
Large tears rolled from his eyes without warning, running down his cheeks before splashing against the deck.
His voice turned hoarse.
"The thing Roger never got to see… the thing Whitebeard never lived long enough to witness… and I'm the one who gets to stand here!"
Every word carried the weight of decades of longing and obsession, as though all his years of searching had finally found meaning.
He spun around, his eyes burning with a feverish light bright enough to set the world ablaze.
Throwing both arms wide, he looked ready to embrace the entire sea.
"What is Mary Geoise compared to this?! What is Uranus?!"
The powers once considered untouchable and absolute now seemed worthless in his eyes.
Then he roared toward the distant heavens with all his strength.
"Roger! Can you see this?! This is what a real ship of dreams looks like!"
His voice pierced the clouds, startling a flock of seabirds into flight.
As though responding to the passion in his heart, Pluton released a deep, powerful hum.
Golden patterns came alive across the hull, flowing like dragons and bathing the ancient warship in even greater mystery and majesty.
The light illuminated the surrounding sea—and the blazing dream that had never died inside Shiki.
Golden Lion Shiki had once stood shoulder to shoulder with the Pirate King.
In his prime, he had shone across the seas like a brilliant star, his reputation great enough to rival the man who reached the very summit of piracy.
Yet now, after surviving countless battles and storms, the legendary pirate looked almost like an innocent child.
Tears of excitement mixed with unrestrained laughter across his face as he stared at the ancient weapon in complete fascination.
Pluton's overwhelming grandeur had utterly won him over.
Shiki continued running one rough, powerful hand gently across the colossal, freezing hull when a thunderous laugh suddenly erupted from high above on the bridge.
"Wororororo! So you're still alive, you mangy old lion!"
The arrogant laughter rolled into the sky.
Kaido's enormous dragon-man form slowly stepped out from the shadows.
The gourd hanging at his waist swayed with every stride, producing faint knocks as though providing music for his entrance.
"I've got some good news for you—"
Kaido tilted his head back, pride and arrogance filling his gaze.
"I'm the one who went through all the trouble of digging this Pluton out of Wano! The only reason you get to lay eyes on this beauty today is because of me, so you'd better show some gratitude!"
His boast struck Shiki like a challenge beaten out on war drums.
Shiki's entire body instantly tensed.
Like a lion whose pride had just been trampled, he whirled around with his hair practically standing on end.
"Kaido?!"
...
Shiki's hands moved in a blur, and both swords flew from their sheaths with a flash of freezing steel, their blades reflecting his rage-twisted face.
"Kaido?! You old bastard!"
His furious roar overflowed with years of resentment.
The fighting spirit blazing in his eyes was fierce enough to consume everything before him.
The Float-Float Fruit activated instantly.
The ground around him shook violently as dust billowed into the air, while his long mane whipped wildly despite the absence of wind.
More than a dozen enormous boulders tore free from the earth and rose around him, circling his body in a spectacular yet deadly formation.
Shiki clenched his teeth.
"Perfect. I'll settle both our old grudge and this new one at the same time! Let's see how you handle my awakened power!"
Every word came through gritted teeth, filled with merciless resolve.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, a commanding voice cut through the hostility.
"Stop, Shiki!"
It was Ron.
His voice rang like a great bell, forcing a measure of reason into the confrontation.
Marco hurried forward as well, worry filling his eyes. He spread his hands in a placating gesture and called out,
"Calm down! We're all on the same side now! Everyone take a breath before this gets out of hand!"
His firm voice tried to disperse the hostility hanging over the deck.