At Stronghold, the battle between the Grey Kingdom and the Flying Sky Pirates had come to an end.
This battle was a decisive victory for the Grey Kingdom. Even so, they had suffered about ten thousand casualties.
Yet they had completely annihilated more than thirty thousand Flying Sky Pirates—a truly overwhelming victory.
Jack and the others were ecstatic. Defeating the Flying Sky Pirates was a tremendous honor for these pirates who had once roamed the New World.
The Flying Sky Pirates—once dominant across the New World—had been defeated. The sheer reality made them feel an immense pride and excitement.
At that moment, a streak of light, accompanied by lightning, descended from the sky.
Everyone looked up to see Rosinante approaching slowly, with Enel at his side.
But all eyes were drawn to the person Rosinante carried. Their attention was completely captured.
Though covered in blood, with both arms and legs severed, battered and broken, the golden hair and unmistakable face were instantly recognizable.
This was the pirate everyone from the Azure Sea knew: the ruler of the seas, the strongest pirate of the New World—Golden Lion.
Even Raelmann and his crew stared in disbelief.
Golden Lion… he was the Golden Lion!
Though he had disappeared from the public eye for two or three years, his reputation remained undiminished. For pirates like Raelmann, who had once roamed the New World, Golden Lion's status was almost godlike.
They had long suspected that Rosinante and the BloodSworn Guards might be able to defeat him.
Yet seeing Golden Lion's pitiful, beaten form in person left Raelmann and the others utterly shocked, their mouths agape.
"Captain… that's Golden Lion, right?" Bartley exclaimed.
"No doubt. I remember this face… the nightmare of every New World pirate. I never imagined he'd be defeated by the Captain!" Hermie said.
"Golden Lion… haha, the former ruler of the seas now looks so pitiful," Doflamingo remarked.
"You have to be careful dealing with this guy. He almost trapped us just now. If he had escaped, the Grey Kingdom would have faced a massive problem later," Rosinante said.
"Looks like your fight is over!" Rosinante surveyed the surroundings.
"This time, the Grey Kingdom has achieved a decisive victory. Every Flying Sky Pirate is wiped out, except Emperor Croc Bori. His Devil Fruit is strong, but we've already bound him with Seastone chains," Raelmann said excitedly.
"Bind him with Seastone chains as well!" Rosinante commanded.
"Is that necessary? His arms and legs are gone. What more can he do?" Doflamingo asked skeptically.
"He is Golden Lion. What he's capable of will exceed your expectations," Rosinante replied.
A crew member rushed to fetch the Seastone chains to bind Golden Lion.
But at that moment, Golden Lion's eyes snapped open!
"Not so fast, viper!" he roared.
Instantly, the massive floating island began plummeting toward the ground at an incredible speed.
The sudden turn of events sent everyone into a panic.
The island's rapid descent caused many to be thrown off, unable to keep pace with the fall.
Others turned pale at the sight—after all, they were five thousand meters above the ground. Falling from this height could mean certain death.
"Kehehe! Rosinante, this is my revenge! Just wait, I'll come back for you!" Golden Lion laughed coldly as he launched himself through the air, addressing Rosinante.
But Rosinante had no time to pay attention to Golden Lion's departure. If the floating island hit the ground, the Grey Kingdom itself could be destroyed along with him.
"Gravitational Silence!" Rosinante slammed his palm onto the ground.
A tremendous wave of Silent Force erupted from him, attempting to halt the island. Still, it was difficult to stop its downward momentum.
The island's fall was driven not just by gravity, but also by Golden Lion's strength and the force of the drop.
Yet as Rosinante's Silent Force continued to surge forth, the descent gradually slowed.
"Hmph, stop this!" Rosinante growled. A wave of Eternal Silent Will radiated from him.
As the Eternal Silent Will manifested, the surrounding world seemed to instantly lose all color.