Golden Lion froze, struck as though lightning had run him through. His face turned pale, his body staggering backward as a chill gripped his very soul.
Through countless battles against the fiercest foes, he had endured every torment—burned flesh, shattered bones, poison that gnawed at his insides. He had been crushed, broken, and bloodied more times than he could count.
But never—never—had he suffered a wound as grotesque as this.
The skull. The seat of will, nerve, and life itself. The body's most fragile sanctum.
And now, from that sacred place, jutted a ship's wheel.
Embedded. Unmovable.
For a moment, the Golden Lion, terror of the seas, was paralyzed.
Even more unsettling was the unnatural quiet of it. For such a wound, the blood was strangely little. His pain was sharp but survivable, dulled almost to a cruel equilibrium. His head throbbed, dizzying him, but death did not claim him.
His hand rose, trembling, to touch the wheel. The instant his fingers brushed the wood, an electric jolt of agony shot down his spine. His breath hissed through clenched teeth.
No… I can't pull it out.
It wasn't just stuck—it was keeping him alive. The thought of removing it clawed at his mind with nightmare possibilities.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Cannonfire shattered the trance. Explosions roared all around, waves bursting skyward, seawater crashing down like icy whips against his back.
Golden Lion blinked back into reality, his gaze snapping toward the distance. There—Roger's crew, scrambling aboard their ruined ship, still clinging to life. His teeth ground so hard he thought they might shatter.
"I have to retreat…" he muttered, hate twisting his voice.
Yes. His fleet was gone, his body broken. And now—ten Marine warships, Sengoku, Garp, Darren, those three monstrous brats… If he stayed, he would die here.
But as his body began to rise, wings of force carrying him upward—
Whoosh!
Two streaks tore through the storm—one black, one white—spiraling forward on a violent magnetic field. Their Haki-imbued edges screamed as they split the air, carving trenches into the sea itself.
Golden Lion's pupils contracted.
"You again, brat?!" His roar shook with fury.
He brought up Oto and Kogarashi, black with Armament Haki, and met the strike head-on.
CLANG!!
The air rang, shuddering as steel screamed against steel. Enma, the cursed blade, shivered and flew back, driven away.
"I won't let you go!" Golden Lion bellowed, stepping forward with murderous intent. His body crouched low, blades crossing in a lion's frenzy, golden hair whipping like a wild mane.
"Ghost Lion—Dual Blade Style… Wave Slash!!"
He lunged. A golden arc ripped the air as his twin Meito crashed down in perfect union.
BOOM!!
The sea erupted as their clash split the horizon. Kariumi, the hunting sea blade, screamed in protest—cracks spiderwebbing down its edge before it shattered in an explosion of fragments.
Golden Lion's lips peeled back in a savage grin.
"You think you can kill me with that pitiful swordplay?!"
His crimson eyes burned, feral and unyielding.
His swords descended in a storm of violence—
CLANG!
Kariumi exploded under the strike, sparks raining across the battlefield. And from the shattered edge of the clash, Golden Lion's own sword beams burst free—two titanic arcs of golden energy, ripping across a thousand meters of sea, howling toward the Marine flagship.
If they struck, the battleship would be split in two.
The force slammed into Darren, whipping his cloak wildly, yet his face remained calm. He exhaled smoke, eyes half-lidded, arms crossed.
And then—two figures flashed before him.
Sengoku's body swelled, golden radiance bursting from him, braided beard snapping in the gale. Beside him, Sakazuki's right arm transmuted into molten rock, magma dripping and hissing as black smoke poured upward.
Both glared forward with grim resolve.
"Great Buddha Impact!!"
"Great Eruption!!"
Golden light and crimson magma collided, weaving into a storm of brilliance.
BOOM!
BOOM!!
The sea shook as their combined might shattered the sword beams, sending smoke and fire into the sky.
Golden Lion snarled, lips curling into a feral smile.
"Jihahahaha! Enough games!"
With a roar of laughter, he burst upward, leaping to the heavens—
But light stopped him.
Blinding. Unforgiving.
"Oi oi, can't let you slip away that easily…"
The smug, singsong drawl cut through the storm.
Above, golden photons gathered, shaping into a towering figure of light.
Borsalino hovered, arms spread, his lazy smile mocking as his fingers shaped the attack.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
The sky rained golden death.
A storm of light orbs screamed down, each one detonating like a miniature sun.
"Tch! That meddling monkey!!" Golden Lion cursed, weaving desperately, explosions erupting all around him. Fire and smoke consumed the wreckage below.
The bombardment held him in place.
Long enough.
The Marine fleet broke through the veil of smoke, sails blazing with the word Justice, war drums thunderous as they bore down upon him.
"Don't even think of escaping, Golden Lion."
Darren's voice carried across the waves, cold as steel. He raised his chin, smoke curling from his lips.
"This storm…" His smile curved, cruel and deliberate. "I prepared it just for you."
A storm worth three billion berries…
What?!
Golden Lion's heart lurched as he heard Darren's words amidst the billowing smoke and flames. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot as he whirled around in disbelief, glaring at the arrogant Marine Vice Admiral.
"This... this is impossible!"
No one on this sea could control the weather like that! And even if someone could, they'd never be able to conjure a storm of that terrifying magnitude!
Darren exhaled slowly, the ember of his cigar glowing in the darkness.
"Did you really think," he said, his grin slicing across his face, "you were the only one who could call for reinforcements?"
To be continued...