Brontes vs Shiki (Part I)

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"Boom!"

A violent explosion echoed, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the battlefield.

The sea below mirrored the chaos above, waves crashing and swirling in response to the cataclysmic clash. Everyone, from the lowliest deckhand to the most seasoned veteran, watched in awe as the burst of lightning in the sky marked the collision of two formidable forces.

The strike of Shiki, the Golden Lion, and Brontes's Thor Spear neutralized each other in mid-air, creating a spectacle of electric arcs that lingered, painting the sky with their deadly dance.

"ZliZli! ZliZli!"

The sound of crackling electricity filled the air, a symphony of power and destruction.

Shiki, the Golden Lion, revealed a smile, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. Although Brontes was a Logia devil fruit user, Shiki was a legend, a man who had once stood at the peak of the sea. To him, mere lightning was a challenge to be met, not a threat to be feared.

"Borsalino!" Brontes called out, his voice cutting through the cacophony of battle.

He stepped forward, his spear gleaming ominously in the lightning-lit darkness, ready to charge.

"I knew it would come to this." Borsalino replied, his tone laced with a mix of resignation and anticipation.

"Well, it seems we can't avoid a fight now. We can't run away anymore."

Pirate ships, like dark specters of doom, were closing in from all directions, forming a siege around the warship. The air was thick with tension, the sea churning with anticipation. The stage was set for a battle of epic proportions.

With Zed holding the fort, Brontes's plan was simple. He and Borsalino, both swift and destructive in the air, would first target Shiki's ship. This was the sea, and Shiki, despite his formidable power, had limited resources to exploit.

Brontes wasn't sure how strong Shiki was at this time, after awakening the Float-Float Fruit. He had appeared in the anime version and had been defeated by Luffy, but as the plot progressed, it became clear how absurd the anime version was. The reality was far more complex, far more dangerous.

The aged Whitebeard had terrifying combat power. Even without his legs, Shiki, who used two swords in place of his feet, was not someone Luffy and his crew could defeat. It was a sobering reminder of the harsh realities of their world.

It could only be said that Shiki had too many useless subordinates, and his combat power was greatly underestimated. A man who once stood at the peak with Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger could not be defeated by a newcomer like Luffy.

Looking at Shiki standing on the pirate ship, Brontes had only one feeling: Powerful! He couldn't face him head-on, it felt like facing Zed.

The same sense of overwhelming power, the same aura of invincibility.

Zed was a man who had never consumed a Devil Fruit, yet he could stand toe-to-toe with three Logia Fruit users, battling them with nothing but his raw physical strength. His power was a testament to his indomitable will and relentless training. Even when his adversaries unleashed their full might, they found themselves outmatched by Zed's sheer force.

Months of ceaseless combat had honed Brontes's abilities to a razor's edge. His strength had surged, his control over his powers had improved, and his confidence had grown. Yet, when he faced Shiki, a sense of trepidation still lingered. He knew he was not yet ready to withstand a hundred moves against the formidable pirate.

"Thor!"

Brontes roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. His body erupted in a brilliant display of blue electricity, swirling around him like a tempest. He transformed into a living embodiment of lightning, his spear crackling with the same energy, becoming an extension of his electrified form.

"Always the showman, isn't he?" Borsalino remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Then his body began to glow, radiating a light so bright it was almost blinding. In a flash, he was gone, reappearing in the sky, ready to join the fray.

"Damn it! They're always one step ahead!" Sakazuki grumbled, his teeth gritted in frustration.

He longed to join his comrades in the sky, but his magma-based powers were less effective in aerial combat. He was more suited to defending the ship from the onslaught of enemy pirates.

Despite his Moonwalk technique, Sakazuki couldn't match the freedom and flexibility that Borsalino and Brontes enjoyed in the air.

"Leave the aerial combat to them. The rest of you, prepare for battle!" Zed commanded, his gaze shifting from the two figures in the sky to the rookies on the ship. His voice was firm, his tone resolute.

"Yes, sir!" The rookies responded in unison, their eyes filled with determination.

They might have envied the two who had transformed into light and lightning, but they knew their duty was to face the enemies before them.

"Two brats against me? Zed, you overestimate them!" Shiki sneered, his eyes fixed on the charging Brontes and Borsalino. His arrogance was palpable, his confidence unshaken.

"Do you think you're the only ones who can fly? You want to sink my ship? Come and try, brats!" Shiki roared, leaping off his pirate ship and heading straight for Brontes.

"I've been waiting for you." Brontes retorted, his voice calm and steady.

He didn't waste words on idle threats. Instead, he let his power speak for him. The lightning around his body exploded, his form swelling violently, transforming into a massive ball of electricity. The air around him crackled with energy, filled with the electric glow of his power.

"ZliZli!!! Rumble!"

"This..." Shiki's voice trailed off, his eyes widening in surprise as he was engulfed by Brontes's violent burst of lightning. The sheer force of the attack was unexpected, a testament to Brontes's growing power.

Yet, even as the lightning raged around him, Shiki began to laugh. His body twitched under the onslaught, but he remained unscathed, hovering in the air, his gaze fixed on Brontes with a mocking smile.

"Is that all the power your lightning has?" He taunted, his laughter echoing across the battlefield.

Ignoring the remnants of Brontes's attack, Shiki charged forward, his two famed Sakura swords in hand. With a swift, fierce slash, he cut through Brontes's lightning form, splitting the energy in two. The force of his attack was so powerful it seemed as if the sky itself was about to crack open.

"Compared to Linlin, your lightning power is about the same, but it's useless against me!" Shiki crowed, his voice filled with arrogance. His strength was far superior to Brontes's, and this slash was a clear demonstration of his prowess as one of the top swordsmen in the New World.

"Thor Spear!"

Brontes retaliated, his body shrinking back to its original size, yet still maintaining the Thor state. His Observation Haki and Armament Haki were still in their nascent stages, not yet mature enough to rely on against a formidable opponent like Shiki. His only option was to elementalize his entire body, rendering himself invincible.

"ZliZli!!! ZliZli!!!"

The spear in his hand merged with the lightning, becoming one with the electric energy. With a rapid thrust, thunder roared, echoing across the battlefield. Three spearheads, formed entirely of lightning, charged at Shiki. Each one was as large as a giant's arm, their sharp tips reminiscent of a plasma cannon.

"Interesting…" Shiki murmured, his previously contemptuous gaze replaced by a serious one. It was a rare expression for him, one that indicated he was finally acknowledging Brontes as an interesting opponent.

"Golden Lion, Cross Slash!"

Shiki gripped the handles of his two swords, crossing them together before slashing out fiercely. Two intersecting slashes erupted from his blades, meeting the three advancing lightning spearheads head-on.

"ZliZli!!! Boom!!!"

The sky echoed with a violent roar, the sound so powerful that even the sea below fell silent, only to stir up huge waves moments later.

"I can't just stand by, or that guy will give me big trouble after dealing with Brontes." Borsalino observed from above, his fist raised, his gaze fixed on the ship below. He knew he had to intervene, to tip the scales in their favor.

"Try the taste of being hit by light." He muttered, a determined glint in his eyes. The battle was far from over, and he was ready to make his move.