For Golden Lion, life has been filled with many setbacks. The title of “loser” doesn’t mean much to him because he indeed lost; even if luck played a part, the result of the Edd War couldn’t be reversed.
But for a former great pirate, the loss of strength is something he cannot accept.
External injuries and a plummeting state of mind caused his Haki to gradually disappear, leaving him reliant solely on his swordsmanship and Devil Fruit ability.
A Devil Fruit user almost always embodies the collective desires of a group, with various abilities clashing on the sea.
The extent to which a devil fruit’s ability can be utilized depends heavily on the user, and in this aspect, Golden Lion is among the best.
Relying on his devil fruit’s ability, he can unleash his own natural disasters. However, this cannot change the fact that he can no longer use Haki like he used to.
“You brat… your words are really infuriating!”
A large amount of water rose from the surrounding streams, and the soil and rocks that made up the island split and recombined under the influence of the Float-Float Fruit, assembling into a gigantic lion-shaped mountain, with a fierce lion’s head forming at the peak, baring its fangs at Yamato.
Even without Haki, his Slicing Wave was enough to split mountains and seas, and with the help of his ability, the entire island began to show signs of disintegration.
Corviknight had already distanced themselves from the battlefield, seeking refuge to avoid being caught in the chaos of the disaster.
…
Elsewhere, with a loud crash, the buildings at the center of the island began to collapse. Jack, transformed into a behemoth, rampaged through the buildings like a monster.
If Golden Lion saw this, he would undoubtedly intervene, but Yamato’s taunting was too effective, attracting all his hatred on Yamato.
Numerous beasts were captured by Maria’s Electroweb, and Scarlet and Indigo couldn’t stop Jack, leading to this outcome. While Golden Lion and Yamato were still entangled in battle, they had already achieved their goal of destruction.
When they looked in Yamato’s direction, they saw enormous lions of various shapes flying in the sky and Slicing Waves. Occasionally, blasts of frigid Ice Breath would shoot out, transforming the area into a Winter Island landscape.
The splashed water droplets froze into snowflakes and fell back on the battlefield.
“Is Yamato injured?”
“Just superficial wounds from the slashes. After all, she’s facing a great pirate. Besides Boss Kaido, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone able to hurt Yamato.”
A crimson scar was visible on Yamato’s white arm. Despite the distance, it was clearly visible to Jack and Maria.
Yamato’s physique had long reached monstrous levels. Even without using any moves, her skin alone could withstand many attacks. Not to mention, she was fighting at full strength.
You might doubt her intelligence at times, but you cannot question her combat instincts. Few can completely break through her defenses now.
Within the Beasts Pirates, there are a few who could achieve this, but only Kaido is ruthless enough to do so.
“A great pirate?”
“Golden Lion Shiki, captain of the Flying Pirates, a monster from the same era as Boss Kaido… no, as Whitebeard. Of course, I remember.”
Seeing Maria’s somewhat doubtful look, Jack explained himself, contrasting sharply with how he responded when Yamato asked him.
Maria genuinely didn’t remember who the Golden Lion was, whereas Jack was just trying to better respond to Yamato and incidentally anger Golden Lion.
“Yamato… is she okay?”
Maria had no intention of intervening. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help, but she knew that in battles of this level, her involvement wouldn’t make much difference.
In the absence of a clear one-on-one duel, they wouldn’t hesitate to gang up, but even then, they had to consider the level. Even a weakened camel is still bigger than a horse, and a monster like Golden Lion, even at his low point, is not someone they can trifle with.
Rushing into the fight would only cause chaos and trouble for Yamato. Waiting was the best course of action.
“Neither of us is good at agile aerial combat. Trust her. If she can’t handle it, all we can do is call for reinforcements.”
To be precise, Yamato wasn’t particularly skilled at aerial combat either, but she was much better than the two of them.
“Then it will be too late, won’t it?”
“It’s strange, I sent a message to Onigashima asking for help earlier, but there’s been no response. Something must have delayed them.”
The two sat calmly amidst the ruins, observing the battle in the distance. They failed to notice that, higher in the clouds, Kaido in his Human-Dragon Form had been hovering for a long time.
With Kaido nearby, Onigashima naturally wouldn’t respond to the message asking for help. However, Kaido wasn’t satisfied with the battle below. It wasn’t Yamato he was displeased with, but Golden Lion.
“Shiki, you… you’ve grown old too.”
…
The sun rose and set and three days passed without notice, and the balance of the battle kept shifting back and forth.
On the first day, Golden Lion was full of rage, unleashing catastrophic attacks with every move. His powerful slashes left several bottomless chasms on the island.
But Yamato, like an indestructible cockroach, always managed to emerge from the gaps in his attacks.
On the second day, Golden Lion’s attacks became more precise and efficient. He realized that if the fight dragged on, he would be the one exhausted first. Their overall stamina was similar, but the difference in their recovery ability was vast.
Wounds that would take days to heal for an average person healed in mere minutes for Yamato. The injuries left by Kogarashi and Oto visibly mended themselves.
On the third day, Golden Lion began to feel tired, but his opponent still seemed completely fine.
The last time he experienced something similar was when he fought Garp and Sengoku simultaneously. It wasn’t that Yamato had reached that level, but Golden Lion was no longer what he used to be. As the battle continued, he felt pain where the ship’s helm was embedded in his head.
“Thunder Bagua!”
Yamato didn’t know why Golden Lion suddenly stopped. She had no intention of showing respect for the elderly, and took advantage of his pause, striking his head directly with Takeru 7.0.
…
“Brat, are you doing all this because of that bird? You have such power, yet you’re willing to risk your life for a crow?”
Amidst the dust, Golden Lion leaned against the rubble; it was difficult for him to take on the blow just now. He couldn’t understand why his opponent was fighting so hard.
Yamato hadn’t come out unscathed over these three days. His dual swords had hit vital spots several times. If it weren’t for Yamato’s monstrous physique, she would have been defeated long ago.
“You’ll never understand. Someone like you, who disregards life, will always be a loser! Hallowed Glacier Slash!”
Yamato leaped high, her kanabo enveloped in Haki and Ice Breath and smashed it down. But this time, the kanabo didn’t hit Golden Lion.
Kogarashi and Oto were floating in the air, dripping with blood. Their blades were pitch black, and a thick layer of Haki had once again appeared on the swords after a decade, stopping Yamato’s attack in mid-air.
This was an advanced application of Armament Haki, allowing them to block attacks from a distance.
“Brat, the second round is just beginning!”
Golden Lion’s hair and beard fluttered wildly, his arrogance even greater than before. His eyes now carried a long-lost vigor. That strike had completely awakened him…
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