Just now, Yamato gave Golden Lion a sense of déjà vu. He had invited Roger several times to join him, but Roger had never accepted.
“History is written by the victors. Human history is a history of war, and anything that can be used will eventually become a weapon. Do you really raise those strange birds just to transport goods?!”
Golden Lion gripped the handles of his two swords tightly, shaking them to fling off the blood coating them. Blood continued to drip from the stumps of his legs.
For many years, his swords had become part of his legs. What he was doing now had almost the same effect as when he cut off his own legs long ago. However, as the muscles of his leg squirmed, the wounds stopped bleeding, while the edge of his swords was now coated with Haki.
“They are partners, companions we can trust on the battlefield. They are not the unfeeling tools you speak of!”
“Jihahaha! I haven’t felt like this in a really long time. You really are somewhat like that naive Roger. But no matter how nice you make it sound, it doesn’t change the fact that those strange birds are also your tools. You just treat them a bit better.
So, you and I are the same type of people. There is no difference!”
He twirled Kogarashi and Oto a few times, and no one knew if what he haven’t felt was this power or some other feeling.
“I’m not a ba*tard like you. You will never understand the bond between Pokémon and humans! It’s because of guys like you that many people see them as mere tools.”
“That’s why I have to destroy this place. I’m going to send every last one of you ba*tard flying!”
Golden Lion’s change did not make Yamato fearful. Instead, she swung her kanabo at him. Golden Lion’s two swords slashed in a cross pattern, their power far surpassing the previous attacks, forcing Yamato to retreat.
Shiki laughed again, “What I dislike the most are naive brats like you. You’re also trying to use force to get what you want!”
“Without this strength, your naive ideas are nothing but a joke. But brat, as a reward for helping me remember something, I’ll give you a chance.”
Shiki stopped attacking and let his swords float in the sky, then his hands touched the back of his head.
“This helm has been embedded in my head for a long time. My doctor said back then that removing it recklessly would likely result in death. But today, I’m going to take a gamble. What do you think will happen if I pull it out?”
He grabbed the helm on his head, and with a squelching sound and a splash of blood, he forcefully pulled the helm out of his head.
Boom!
Boom!
A few bolts of lightning flashed across the sky, clouds suddenly beginning to gather, and even the bored Kaido above the clouds became alert. With Golden Lion as the center, a powerful aura began to emanate out to the surroundings, the clouds in the sky forming an enormous ferocious lion.
“What…what did that guy…do?!”
Maria took several steps back, while the beasts caught in her web cowered like a turtle with its head in its shell. The sudden appearance of this aura completely exceeded her expectations.
Jack left two deep footprints on the ground, his expression changing as he looked at the battlefield.
Golden Lion floated motionless in the air, as if dead, but the still floating islands explained everything.
After a Devil Fruit user falls unconscious or dies, most abilities cease to function. Only in rare cases, like with the Love-Love Fruit, even killing the current user won’t lift the petrification, and the next user would also be powerless.
And Float-Float Fruit was not one of these. If something happened to Golden Lion, the islands would not continue floating.
“Jihahahaha!!! Brat, your luck is terrible! Looks like I won the bet!”
Blood flowed from his head, quickly soaking more than half of his shoulders, but Golden Lion was feeling amazing at the moment. For the first time in over ten years, he had regained control of his power.
After so many years, Golden Lion had finally crossed this life-or-death threshold using a violent method. Back then, he chose a conservative treatment, leaving the helm embedded in his head. But today, that blow made him suddenly realize something.
Rather than silently getting forgotten by the world, it was better to take one more gamble.
The odds were slim, but he won the bet.
He was still far from his prime, but once his wounds healed, he could announce to the world that the Golden Lion of old had returned.
“This is your misfortune, but also your luck, brat. I reluctantly acknowledge you as a worthy opponent. So, I’ll show you the power of a legendary pirate! Lion’s Might: Heaven’s Collapse!”
Under the influence of the Golden Lion’s power, the clouds in the sky compressed and condensed, forming a massive water lion that swiped its giant claw downward.
“Mahoroba!”
The water froze under the influence of Okuchi no Makami’s power, and then Yamato broke through the ice. Golden Lion was vastly different from the one a few days ago, yet she felt no fear.
“Lion: Scattering Valley! Give it your all, brat, or you won’t even have a chance to fight back!”
Each slash was several times stronger than before, fully integrating his Devil Fruit’s ability and swordsmanship, while both his attack and defense were enhanced with Haki. Facing such a Golden Lion, she felt a sense of helplessness similar to when facing Kaido.
Time slowly passed, and the scales of victory had completely tipped in Golden Lion’s favor.
Another sword slash struck, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound on Yamato’s shoulder. A giant lion made of rocks slammed down, creating a huge crater in the ground.
“Brat, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. If you surrender now, I can give you an opportunity, since you seem to be able to command those strange birds quite well…”
“Keep dreaming! Someone like you will never earn the recognition of Pokémon!”
“Tch, I knew it. Then take your naivety and disappear from this world.”
Yamato’s response seemed to be within his expectations; people like her would never surrender to him. The ferocious water lion again condensed and lunged towards the crater.
“Thunder… Bagua!”
Her left arm was heavily injured and temporarily useless, but even with just one hand, she wouldn’t sit and wait for death.
Golden Lion didn’t look back. In his view, Yamato in her current state couldn’t possibly withstand that attack. However, Kaido in the sky had returned to the clouds, sensing a vaguely familiar power.
In the crater, the lion formed from the stream had vanished, leaving only a large amount of steam.
Sensing something unusual, Golden Lion turned around and saw only a surge of lightning and Yamato shrouded in black within it.
“Girl, just this once, I’ll lend you my strength.”
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