Chapter 36: Direct Conflict!
In the Grand Line secret realm, Merveille, Golden Lion Shiki floated directly above his base, looking at a corner of a distant island.
A giant mammoth was confronting an enormous bear with exceptionally long arms.
The two animals, after staring at each other for a long while, each snorted a puff of hot air and then walked away separately.
Shiki, witnessing this scene, had a somewhat gloomy expression. The evolutionary effect of the IQ plant was decent, but it lacked the kind of ferocity he needed. He had to urge the Doctor to speed up the research progress.
Thinking of this, Shiki's body slowly descended, preparing to go find the Doctor for a "heart-to-heart talk" and let him know the burning urgency in his heart.
But just as he had descended halfway, Shiki stopped. Turning around, Shiki's eyes looked towards the back of his base island.
Two seconds later, a figure leaped out from the edge of a floating cliff, landing on the ground not far from the cliff.
Looking at the upturned face, Shiki's eyes showed some surprise.
"Isn't this that red-nosed coward from Roger's ship? How did you find this place?" Shiki flew directly in front of the person and said condescendingly.
"Phew, I didn't expect the renowned Pirate Fleet Admiral, Golden Lion Shiki, to still remember an insignificant person like me. I'm truly honored!" Buggy replied, looking up.
"Brat, what are you doing here? If you're thinking of defecting to me, then get lost. I wouldn't accept a coward like you. Scram far away before I lose my temper," Shiki stared at Buggy, his eyes unreadable.
"Hahahahaha, old man, even if I wanted to leave, I reckon you wouldn't let me go, right? Speaking of which, I made this trip specifically to find you. How could I leave without achieving my goal?" Buggy laughed loudly.
"Oh? It's been over ten years. I didn't expect the little brat from Roger's ship to have toughened up so much. Tell me, how did you find me, and what is your purpose?" Shiki glanced at Buggy with slight surprise and asked nonchalantly.
Despite Shiki's outwardly casual attitude, he was internally vigilant.
It wasn't that Shiki wanted to think highly of Buggy, but he had to. His base was nearly five hundred meters above sea level. Without considerable strength and certain skills or abilities, one couldn't get up here. Moreover, he couldn't have misheard the booming sound from earlier; it was too familiar – the sound produced when using [Moon Walk] from the Rokushiki.
Adding to that his not-weak aura, although he really didn't want to admit it, the little brat who only knew how to cry on Roger's ship over a decade ago could no longer be underestimated.
"How I found you, I won't tell. The only thing I can tell you is my purpose. Old man, the World Government is currently recruiting the Royal Shichibukai. I wonder if you've heard this news?" With a somewhat malicious smile, Buggy stared at Shiki and said.
"What does the World Government recruiting the Royal Shichibukai have to do with me? What, you want to apply?" As Shiki said this, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his aura began to rise.
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I come looking for you? The title of Royal Shichibukai can't be obtained just by being a former apprentice on the Pirate King's ship; it requires strength to speak. I thought about it carefully and decided that you are my best ticket. If I bring you, an escapee from the Great Underwater Prison, to Judicial Island, I think the World Government people will definitely be very happy to give me the title of Royal Shichibukai, don't you agree?"
"Agree your granny's head!"
With a furious roar, Shiki delivered two consecutive kicks, and two flying slashes instantly shot towards Buggy's head.
With a "swoosh," Buggy disappeared from his original spot. In the next second, he appeared below and behind Shiki. Pushing off forcefully with his feet, Buggy soared into the air, swinging both fists as he smashed towards Shiki.
"Courting death!" Instantly turning around, Shiki looked at the charging Buggy with a disdainful sneer on his lips. His right leg slashed fiercely in the direction of Buggy's attack.
A huge slash shot out, reaching Buggy in less than a second. It then passed through Buggy's body without any obstruction, cutting Buggy in half.
Huh!
Shiki was genuinely a bit surprised to see Buggy so easily cut in half. After all, judging by the aura Buggy exuded when he first arrived, he definitely shouldn't have been this weak.
Something's fishy!
Shiki, who had fought countless experts in the previous pirate era, had a wealth of experience that Buggy, a combat rookie, couldn't compare to. No detail in battle could escape Shiki's notice.
Naturally, the fact that Buggy's body was cut open without a single trace of blood was immediately caught by Shiki.
His body descended slightly, his fists turning black. Shiki, with a playful smile, looked at Buggy flying towards him, whose eyes were currently trying hard to roll upwards.
"Petty tricks!"
Boom!
In the next second, two black fists collided.
After an invisible shockwave spread out, the two figures quickly separated and then faced each other in mid-air.
"As expected of an expert from the same era as Captain Roger. It seems I was too naive to think I could succeed with a sneak attack using my abilities," Buggy stared at Shiki, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
"Brat, when I was fighting Roger, you were still suckling somewhere, who knows where! Although your ability surprised me a little, you're still too green to think you can sneak attack me with just that." Shiki was very confident in his combat experience.
"The Chop-Chop Fruit ability just means I'm not afraid of being cut; it's indeed not as convenient as your Float-Float Fruit ability. But it just so happens to be a counter to swordsmen like you who use blades. Otherwise, how would I dare to come looking for trouble with you?" After speaking, Buggy pushed off with his feet in mid-air, his blackened hands swinging fists as he charged towards Shiki.
"You suicidal brat! If you're looking for death, I'll grant it to you!" Fury surged, and Shiki's aura climbed again. His blackened fists directly clashed with the charging Buggy.
A ten-second exchange of fast punches. Although Buggy took five punches from Shiki, and his face, no longer black, bore obvious bruises, Shiki wasn't much better off. He had also been hit by two of Buggy's punches, but they were blocked by his Armament Haki, so outwardly he appeared unharmed.
As soon as the two separated, Buggy paused in mid-air, then once again threw himself forward, launching a fierce assault of punches and kicks at Shiki.
Having roamed the world for decades, Shiki could swear he had never fought such a frustrating battle.
Yes, Shiki, currently exchanging blows with Buggy, felt extremely frustrated. The reason was simple: he effectively had fists but no legs.
Logically speaking, his twin swords, which replaced his legs, should have been stronger than legs in terms of both offense and pressure. But that was against others; against Buggy, who was completely unafraid of being cut, he was truly helpless.
(End of this chapter)