One Piece: King of the World-Chapter 343: First Meeting with Lord Shiki—Let’s Smile, Fujitora!

With Linlin's sudden appearance, the battlefield was thrown into further chaos. And right after her came Douglas Bullet.

As for the Red Earl, he had parted ways with the group immediately after escaping Impel Down. According to him, there were still some unresolved matters from years ago, and he had no interest in joining Shiki and the others in causing havoc.

Shiki and the others didn't have much of a relationship with Redfield, so they didn't bother trying to stop him.

Following Bullet came Shiryu, along with the Evil King, Avalo Pizarro, and several other notorious criminals.

It seemed almost every prisoner who had escaped from Impel Down had arrived at Marineford.

The moment Linlin caught sight of Claudius, her eyes blazed with fury. She let out a guttural roar. "Claudius!!! The humiliation you brought me... I'll make you pay for it today!!!"

Claudius sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke from his cigar. He didn't even bother responding to Linlin. Instead, he turned toward Garp, who stood nearby. "Garp, care to pick an opponent?" he asked casually.

Garp gave a helpless laugh. "Pick? This is war, kid. Who's got time for one-on-one duels? You grab whoever's nearby and start swinging."

"Fair point," Claudius agreed with a shrug.

With the arrival of Shiki and his band of escapees, the battlefield had briefly gone silent. But neither Sengoku nor Whitebeard called for a change in tactics. After a moment of hesitation, the fighting resumed with even greater intensity.

Shiki, meanwhile, didn't bother descending from the sky. He and his crew had scavenged all the artillery and ammunition from the massive prison ships and were now bombarding Marineford from above. While the shelling wasn't particularly damaging, it was an irritating nuisance for the Marines below.

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After deflecting another barrage of shells, Garp called out, "Claudius, this isn't working. Got a plan?"

"Why do you assume I have a backup plan?" Claudius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you're a cautious bastard. No way you'd go all-in against Whitebeard without something up your sleeve," Garp said bluntly.

Claudius blinked in surprise. "Garp the Wise. Never thought I'd live to see the day."

"Oi, what do you take me for?!" Garp growled.

Claudius chuckled and took another drag of his cigar. "You're not wrong, though. I'd intended to save my trump card for when Whitebeard tried to retreat, but...," he gestured toward the sky, "...it looks like our 'unexpected variable' arrived early."

"Wait... seriously?" Garp asked, stunned.

He'd been half-joking when he'd asked about a backup plan. Given how overwhelming Whitebeard's presence was, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to go all-in from the start. But now Claudius was claiming he still had more cards to play.

Claudius gave no further explanation. He simply snapped his fingers, and Lucci stepped forward with a Den Den Mushi in hand. Taking the receiver, Claudius spoke briefly into it. "Bring that bastard Shiki down. Formally join the battle. He's all yours."

He hung up without waiting for a response.

Garp stared at him. "You're joking. Who the hell can drag Shiki out of the sky? The man's untouchable up there."

Claudius merely smirked, keeping his eyes on Shiki's airborne warship. "Just watch, Garp. And remember who you're dealing with."

---

Elsewhere in Marineford...

The residential area of Marineford had been evacuated long before the battle began. Earthquakes and tsunamis had left the district in ruins. In the remains of a half-collapsed noodle shop, a solitary figure sat at a table, quietly finishing a bowl of noodles.

A sheathed sword rested beside him, along with a pair of dice and a recently disconnected Den Den Mushi.

Slurping the last of the noodles, the man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and muttered, "So much for a quiet standby... Guess it's time to get to work."

He grasped the hilt of his sword, a simple, unadorned cane-like weapon and stood.

With a flick of his wrist, he unsheathed the blade. The polished steel hummed through the air, tracing arcs of silver light in front of him. As the sword cut through empty space, a faint ripple of energy spread outward.

Then, with a soft click, the sword slid back into its sheath.

---

Back on the Battlefield...

High above Marineford, Shiki was still laughing. But his grin vanished as a sudden, crushing force slammed down upon him.

"What the—?!"

His body was yanked downward, his feet slamming into the deck of the warship hard enough to crack the wood.

"What the hell is this?!" Shiki roared.

Charlotte Linlin and the others were equally caught off guard. The invisible force pressed them flat against the deck, sending the massive warship into a steep dive.

The ship crashed into the frozen bay, splintering upon impact. Ice shards and debris exploded into the air, obscuring the scene in a thick cloud.

"Shiki!" Newgate muttered, squinting through the mist. "What the hell are you doing, you drunk bastard?!"

From within the cloud of ice and smoke, Shiki's furious voice rang out. "Who's there?! Show yourself!!!"

The sound of wooden clogs echoed across the ice.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

A tall, broad-shouldered man emerged from the mist. He wore a simple purple kimono with a dark sash, and he leaned lightly on a sheathed cane-sword. His expression was calm, his eyes closed, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Who are you?!" Shiki demanded.

The man inclined his head politely. "Fujitora... Issho. CP-X, at your service. A pleasure to meet you, Lord Shiki."

"CP-X?!" Shiki's expression twisted with hatred. "You bastards..."

His voice barely finished when Linlin lunged forward from the smoke. With a monstrous roar, she leaped high into the air and brought her fist down toward Fujitora.

Fujitora remained unfazed. His grip tightened on his cane-sword, ready to draw but before he could act, another figure flashed past him.

A smaller Marine, dwarfed by Linlin's hulking frame, intercepted the blow with a single punch.

BOOM!!!

The shockwave from the collision sent ice and debris flying in all directions. But to everyone's shock, Linlin was the one who was blasted backward. She crashed into the ice, skidding several meters before she managed to stop.

The Marine landed lightly in front of Fujitora. The Justice cape on his back fluttered as he straightened his posture.

Charlotte Linlin's face contorted in disbelief. "Garp?!"

Her voice carried a hint of fear.

She remembered him all too well, the Marine hero who had helped destroy the Rocks Pirates decades ago.