Ashura Doji never expected that the Kozuki family would send two warriors on par with—or even stronger than—the daimyos to attack Atama. In the past, whenever the Shogun's forces sent masters of this caliber, their first target was always Kuri Castle.
The Mt. Atama, Ashura family had previously fought to support Kuri Castle, successfully repelling suppression forces from both Hime and Udon. If all four daimyos led their samurai into battle, even the warriors of Kuri Castle would have no choice but to retreat, abandoning the castle temporarily. They would then wait for the enemy to withdraw before reclaiming it—a strategy that had always worked.
After all, the strongest warrior in Wano right now was Shimotsuki Toramaru, a man capable of overwhelming both Kuri Castle and Atama single-handedly. Even Ashura Donji admitted that he could not defeat Shimotsuki Toramaru.
"Hahahaha! A one-on-one fight to settle this? No problem!"
Shiki the Golden Lion had already assessed Ashura Donji strength. The man was close to the level of a great swordsman but had yet to cross that threshold. At most, he was on par with Daimyo Fugetsu Shinsawa—a warrior at the peak of swordsmanship but unable to take the final step into greatness.
Perhaps it was due to a lack of strong opponents to push their limits. If these warriors had spent time at sea, facing true life-and-death battles, they might have broken through. Without experiencing combat against higher-level foes, how could they possibly surpass their limits?
In Wano, only Shimotsuki Toramaru had reached the early stages of great swordsmanship, but his growth had stagnated due to the lack of worthy opponents. As the strongest in Wano, he had no rivals to challenge him.
It was likely that Wang Zhi of the Rocks Pirates, who had just stepped into the great swordsman realm, could defeat Toramaru. After all, Wang Zhi had far more battle experience, whereas Toramaru had lived a relatively stable life in Wano.
"Oi, Shiki, if you lose, you'll have to answer to Brook-sama."
Newgate didn't try to stop the battle-hungry Golden Lion but reminded him that conquering Atama was Brook's plan. A mere bet couldn't compromise the mission.
"Don't worry. He's just like Daimyo Fugetsu Shinsawa—he can't beat me!"
Shiki the Golden Lion was a proud warrior. When an opponent of similar strength challenged him, he could not refuse. That would go against his very nature.
"I, Ashura Donji, leader of Atama Bandti, officially challenge you to a one-on-one duel! If you win, I surrender. If you lose, leave immediately and never set foot in Atama again!"
Ashura Donji glared at the floating man before him, whose wild golden mane made him look like a lion king. His eyes burned with battle spirit.
"Hahahaha! Remember this—I am Shiki the Golden Lion, a combatant of the Hell Pirates! From this day forward, I will be your worst nightmare!"
Shiki bit down on his cigar, his golden hair flowing wildly in the wind. Since this was a duel, he had no intention of holding back. Swordsmanship alone wasn't the only measure of strength. Under his control, the very earth trembled—several massive mud lions took shape and came crashing down toward Ashura Donji.
From the sidelines, Kozuki Oden's eyes lit up. He remained calm, observing the battle with excitement. Meanwhile, the Oniwabanshu Samurai carefully recorded the fighting styles, abilities, and techniques of these outsiders.
Up on the cliffs, the bandits were tending to Ashura Pengnan, resetting his broken bones and dressing his wounds. Nearby, a four-year-old Ashura Doji watched his father fight, his tiny fists clenched in determination.
(TL: This is the real Ashura Doji in anime they have the same name of his father cause I got Lazy thinking names that fit him hahaha )
Not even his mother could hold him back. It was clear that Ashura Doji was no ordinary child—his strength was already remarkable for his age. Eventually, she had no choice but to redirect him toward his injured relative, hoping it would keep him occupied.
The young boy's eyes were wide with amazement as he watched the massive mud lions attacking his father. He clenched his fists, anger burning in his tiny frame, yet he still cheered for his father.
"Damn it! What kind of sorcery is this?!"
Ashura Donji gritted his teeth as he cut down the mud lions, but they simply reformed and attacked again. It was an endless cycle!
"A warrior's strength isn't just measured by swordsmanship!"
Shiki suddenly released a powerful Conqueror's Haki—a crushing wave of dominance swept over the battlefield. Instantly, countless onlookers collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Even young Ashura Doji managed to endure for several seconds before finally stumbling into his mother's arms, both of them fainting together.
Kozuki Oden, however, remained unaffected. His excitement only grew as he observed the duel. Watching from a distance, Newgate nodded approvingly.
"Brook's disciple is something else. That brat's got the potential for Conqueror's Haki."
"You… you actually have the legendary King's Aura?!"
Ashura Donji was shaken. This man—Shiki—not only possessed terrifying swordsmanship and mysterious sorcery, but he also wielded the power of Conqueror's Haki!
"Hahahaha! What do you think now? Ready to surrender? Our crew has several warriors with Conqueror's Haki! You can't stop us!"
Shiki laughed arrogantly, savoring the moment. It felt good to crush bumpkins like this. He could only imagine how Rocks must have felt back in the day!
"Several more?!"
Ashura Donji pupils shrank in horror. Even the Oniwa Samurai monitor, who had been recording everything, was frozen in shock.
Several people in this crew possessed Conqueror's Haki? Had they been hiding their true strength all along?
If this was true, then these outsiders were monsters. Wano hadn't seen a single Conqueror's Haki user in decades, yet this Golden Ship carried multiple warriors with the power of kings?!
What kind of terrifying force was this?
And they claimed to be refugees, fleeing from even greater battles in the outside world? Just how dangerous was the sea beyond Wano?!
The monitor paled. He immediately relayed this information back to the Shogun's Mansion.
If the world was this dangerous, then Kozuki Sukiyaki had made the right decision—Oden must never be allowed to leave Wano!
Meanwhile, Shiki was testing Ryuo Haki, seeing if he could properly apply it against Ashura Donji. He knew he was still behind Redfield, but at the very least, he had to surpass Newgate and Linlin. Otherwise, how could he stand a chance at becoming the strongest in the Hell Pirates?
Who would have thought that after ruling the seas as the Golden Lion, he would now struggle to be the strongest within his own crew?
Redfield, Newgate, Linlin… all of them were monsters.
At that moment, Brook and Linlin were flying toward Kuri City, enjoying themselves along the way. Alone together, the two had turned the journey into something like a honeymoon—climbing mountains, playing games, and even bathing in a mountain stream.
Brook even took the time to prepare a meal, acting as a chef while teaching the ever-hungry Linlin some common sense about the world.
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Ashura Doji felt the overwhelming aura from Golden Lion Shiki, and his expression shifted. That once indomitable spirit began to fade.
He was a swordsman—but also the leader of Atama. He bore the responsibility for the Ashura family and all the mountain bandits. If the enemy truly held the aura of a king, then his chances of victory were slim.
"Hahaha~ The agreement still stands! Today's a one-on-one match! Show me your true strength!!"
Both of Golden Lion Shiki's swords were covered in Armament Haki. He was trying to make the Haki flow—wanting to master Ryuo Haki as soon as possible.
"I hope you keep your word!!"
After sensing Shiki's Conqueror's Haki and the power of the Float-Float Fruit, Ashura Doji knew he couldn't win using swordsmanship alone.
But for the pride of a swordsman, he had to show this outsider just how strong he truly was—to at least earn some self-respect!
"Ashura Blade Style: Ten Thousand Cherry Blossoms Slash!"
Ashura Doji raised his blade overhead and spun it slowly, forming countless afterimages in the shape of a spiraling cone. Wind currents twisted violently, blowing with hurricane force. Trees snapped and cracked in every direction.
"There it is! Ashura's invincible slash!"
Dozens of bandits looked on with awe, cheering their boss's terrifying sword technique. Rumor had it this very move once injured the Fortune God of Kuri City—forcing a fragile peace between Kuri and Mt. Atama. Without it, the castle of Kuri would've tried to conquer them already.
Golden Lion Shiki narrowed his eyes as he watched Ashura Doji terrifying technique. The swirling winds had a slight impact on him, but compared to the chaos of the New World's weather, this was nothing.
"Lion Thousand Cut Valley!"
"Lion Imperial Scroll!"
Shiki slashed golden flying blades through the air while summoning four massive mud lions. They charged at Doji, their vicious roars terrifying the bandits so much they trembled and retreated in fear.
At the same time, Doji unleashed his sword strike—an unstoppable wave of sword energy tearing through the mud lions like a hot knife through butter.
Though the move destroyed most of Shiki's attacks, several slashes still landed. Blood trickled down Doji's side as he gasped for air. That single move drained a massive amount of stamina—but he still smiled.
Because for a moment… he saw fear flash across Golden Lion Shiki's face.
This was the move that had solidified Doji's rule under Kuri's wary watch. It was what made Doji the overlord of the region.
"Hahaha~ You're strong! I'm sure Lord Brook will admire you—if you agree to join us!!"
Golden Lion Shiki soared into the sky, narrowly dodging Doji's mighty slash. Had that strike landed directly, even he wouldn't have escaped unscathed.
But Doji would've been buried by the remaining mud lions, making it a double-edged exchange.
"Since you've burned through so much stamina, let's skip the long-range stuff. Let's settle this up close!"
Shiki dashed in, engaging Doji in a fierce melee. Both his blades were cloaked in Armament Haki, striking rapidly at the exhausted Bandit boss.
Ashura Doji fought back with everything he had, using his powerful Ryuo Haki and fierce swordsmanship to hold the upper hand. Not even Shiki could overpower him in a pure sword duel.
"His Ryuo Haki is even stronger than Nozomi's!"
Shiki constantly adjusted his sword patterns, evading whenever Doji gathered intense Ryuo to avoid damage to his twin famous swords—Oto and Kogarashi.
For hours, Golden Lion Shiki didn't use his Float-Float Fruit. He kept fighting purely with swords, and slowly… began to grasp the technique of flowing Armament Haki—Ryuo.
"You haven't mastered Ryuo yet?! You're using me to train?"
Ashura Doji's face darkened. So that's why Shiki never used Ryuo earlier. He was treating him like a sparring dummy.
"Hahaha~ Yeah, I'm here to learn Ryuo. And now that I've gotten the hang of it… your defeat is only a matter of time."
Golden Lion Shiki made no effort to hide it. He admitted it proudly—he was now the second among Brook's crew to master Ryuo, after Redfield.
"What a terrifying man..."
The more Doji fought, the more exhausted he became. His opponent only grew stronger. It was hellish—constant pressure, unrelenting attacks. Shiki wasn't backing down, and Doji couldn't afford to give up.
The battle would only end when one of them dropped.
"Uncle Shiki is insane! He hasn't even eaten and he's still going strong!"
Kozuki Oden chomped down on a rice ball, watching the fight with glowing eyes.
"I'm gonna be that strong one day… No—stronger than them!"
Elsewhere, Newgate watched Shiki's battle with awe, carefully studying how Ryuo worked. He even asked the Oniwa Samurai Captain about Ryuo techniques.
The captain didn't refuse. He shared everything he could. With guidance, Newgate's learning speed shot through the roof.
Although the captain's Ryuo wasn't particularly powerful, he had indeed mastered how to flow, release, and focus it for internal destruction.
In truth, Ryuo was simply a technique within Armament Haki. Not an advanced form—but a flow-based skill that allowed the user to destroy things from the inside.
If your Armament Haki was strong enough, you could just smash through an opponent from outside. But Ryuo was crucial for delicate tasks—like disabling bombs and collars without triggering them.
If one used basic Armament Haki to break bomb collars by force, the explosive would trigger, killing the hostage instantly.
But Ryuo could bypass the exterior and destroy the internal mechanism—saving lives.
Finally, Golden Lion Shiki—now fully grasping Ryuo—let out a roar and prepared to end the battle. His twin swords gleamed with flowing Haki.
With a fierce burst, he struck down Ashura Doji under the horrified eyes of the bandits.
Their leader—Ashura Doji —was blown back, hit the ground, and lost consciousness. The battle was over.
Ashura Pengnan immediately rushed to his brother's side, stepping in front of Shiki with a grim face.
He would not let anyone harm his family.
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