Following Vivi's whistle, Karoo, the loyal duck who had been hiding in the shadows trembling with fear, sprinted out with eyes full of terror.
No one could tell how long Shiki the Golden Lion would toy with Smoker, but Vivi had calculated for a one-minute window—hopefully, Smoker could hold out that long.
Even though Karoo was operating under system influence, the duck could still make noise.
With frantic cries of "Quack! Gua-gua-gua!" echoing through the battlefield, Karoo charged in, flapping wildly.
Shiki, in the middle of deciding whether to lop off Smoker's left or right arm, froze at the sight. The gaudy duck, wearing flashy attire and a jarring red Christmas hat, dumbfounded the seasoned pirate. The stance he had just assumed was broken, and he murmured, blinking in confusion, "Eh? A... chicken? What's a chicken doing here? Wait, am I a chicken too? A chicken?"
Perfect timing.
Vivi's heart leapt with joy. She whistled again. The sharpshooter Van Augur, waiting for the signal, pulled the trigger—the bullet sailing like venom towards the helm embedded in Shiki's head.
Karoo's bizarre costume and jarring cries added to the confusion. Vivi's reflexes were swift, and Van Augur's aim was impeccable. Though their cooperation had not been rehearsed, it was executed with flawless synchronicity—true battle rhythm. Yet even so, their moment was stolen... by a wildcard.
Just as Karoo charged out, while Shiki was still staring in disbelief at the "chicken," a man who had pushed past fear and surrendered to reckless resolve made his move—Monka.
He didn't care about cooperating with Smoker or aligning with Vivi's strategy. All he saw was Shiki, his enemy, and an opening.
With a defiant bellow, Monka raised his axe and slammed it full force into Shiki's chest.
"Pfft!" Blood jetted skyward. Shiki, with his high-level swordsmanship, immense Haki, and control over the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, was undeniably a monster among pirates. But even monsters bleed. Caught off guard and unarmored, not even his muscular body could completely withstand the blow.
The deep gash ran diagonally from Shiki's left shoulder to his right ribs. Monka's desperate charge had hit its mark—but it also disrupted Vivi's plan.
At the very instant Van Augur's bullet reached Shiki, the pain snapped him out of his daze. With acute Observation Haki, he sensed the bullet's trajectory just in time to twist, avoiding a fatal blow.
Infuriated, Shiki's golden eyes blazed with fury. How could a no-name like Monka injure him, the legendary pirate who once challenged Gol D. Roger and Sengoku?
With a furious snarl, he kicked downward, activating his unique sword-style technique while floating into the air. Both legs—replaced by his famous Oto and Kogarashi swords—slashed out repeatedly.
A flash of gold erupted.
"Lion. Senku Zesshou—Thousand Cuts of the Lion Valley!"
It was a storm of flying slashes. The golden arcs zipped in all directions. Vivi weaved frantically to avoid them. Walls shattered, iron gates crumbled, trees split from every angle. Nothing was safe.
She caught sight of Karoo flapping near the fringes of the chaos, still quacking as if mocking the madness. Shiki, distracted by the "chicken," had subconsciously excluded the duck from his wide-range assault. Vivi, however, couldn't dodge as easily. If the interface shielding her failed even once—she would be shredded.
Karoo wasn't just a tool—he was her friend.
"Damn you! Die, all of you! DIE FOR ME!!" Shiki's roar shook the ruined castle, his Lion Valley assault showing no signs of ceasing. Each golden wave of energy wrecked more of the battlefield.
Even over the sound of destruction, his wheezing could be heard. The golden lion was panting heavily, clearly strained. Continuous use of his large-scale technique—fueled by both his Haki and devil fruit—was taking its toll. Blood still dripped from the new wound across his chest, and the old rudder lodged in his skull seemed to throb in tandem.
"Don't just sit there!" Vivi barked. "You have to break his rhythm! Counterattack! Use Tekkai and then Shigan! Move now!"
Smoker gritted his teeth. He wanted to shout, I can only use Soru, damn it! I don't know the rest of the Rokushiki yet! But this wasn't the time to complain. He still had to shield both Tashigi and Monka while dodging the deadly rain of golden slashes.
"Come at me if you dare!" he roared defiantly.
Vivi was overwhelmed. She could tell that Shiki wouldn't stop until his stamina ran dry—or until he destroyed everything.
"I'll do it myself!!"
That damn Monka had ruined everything. But instead of retreating, Vivi let her fury erupt. Her rage, held back for too long, exploded—no longer suppressed but weaponized. She let it swell, let it consume, and released.
Shiki's breathing slowed. His aged body couldn't keep pace. He narrowed his eyes.
"You brat… Do you think this old lion can't handle Conqueror's Haki too? I've crushed better than you—"
But he paused mid-boast.
"…Guguga? Wait… I can't feel it anymore?"
The rudder piercing his brain pressed harder against the nerves. He'd intended to respond with his own Conqueror's Haki, but now… nothing came.
The force of will known as Haoshoku Haki—the kind that could dominate the weak, crack the skies, and suppress kings—depended on the spirit. The strength of the mind, resolve, and clarity of purpose.
Even among those who awaken it—just 1 in several million—few could ever master it. It doesn't grow with training. You are what you are.
Katakuri, a commander nearing 50, had Haki on par with Dragon's son, Luffy. Age didn't guarantee progress.
Vivi, in her youthful prime and with her spirit aflame, now pressed Shiki down with sheer force of will.
In his prime, Shiki would've laughed it off. But his soul had taken too many hits. Years of loss. Defeat. Isolation. His "will" had fractured.
And so, at that critical moment, when he tried to summon his Haoshoku Haki—
He couldn't.