It seemed that they had now reached a saturation point.
To significantly advance the progress of the Immortal Body, one would have to fight an opponent of equal or greater strength than El.
The Golden Lion might just be the perfect — and free — way to gain that experience.
Not only could El earn valuable battle experience without worrying about his safety, but more importantly… he wanted to see the true extent of his current strength — to know exactly what level he had reached.
"Boom!!!"
On Rocks' massive ship, a huge ladder suddenly extended and connected to the pirate ship where El was standing.
Step by step, El ascended toward the Rocks Pirates' ship.
As he glanced around at the many familiar faces he had once seen only in the original story, El couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
To join the Rocks Pirates and fight alongside these legendary figures — what an incredible decision it was.
"Ready, brat? No… I should say, are you ready, El?" the Golden Lion asked with a grin, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Bring it on."
El drew the blade from his waist and gripped it firmly, his expression solemn.
Since setting sail a year ago, El had devoted himself to the sword.
Even back then, he had already learned to hear the breath of all things and had grasped the profound meaning of cutting through iron.
Now, after a year of continuous training and battle, his swordsmanship had evolved to the point where he could unleash flying slashes.
However, his current mastery still placed him at the level of a Sword Master — far inferior to the Golden Lion Shiki, a Great Swordsman.
But El firmly believed that this battle — this exchange of blades — would allow him to learn immensely.
Not for any other reason than this simple truth… he was a swordsmanship genius.
"Hehehe… You've got guts. I'm starting to take quite an interest in you," the Golden Lion said, grinning as he saw El's unwavering determination and his complete lack of fear in the face of his overwhelming aura.
"Ching!!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Golden Lion drew one of his Great Grade Swords — Oto and Kogarashi. The air trembled, the sound of steel slicing through it sharp enough to make one's skin crawl.
"A black blade?"
El raised an eyebrow as he noticed that the Golden Lion's sword was coated in a deep, obsidian sheen.
It wasn't that Shiki had wrapped it in Armament Haki at that moment — no.
The sword had turned black permanently, forged through countless life-and-death battles until its very metal was dyed with indelible Haki.
This was what was known as a Black Blade.
"Then, you shall have the first strike, El," the Golden Lion said, raising his sword with one hand and gesturing for El to begin.
Though Shiki was a master of dual greatswords, he didn't intend to use both against El.
He felt that doing so would simply be too one-sided — too much of a bully.
Upon hearing this, El's expression hardened.
A thick layer of Armament Haki spread across his arm and blade, gleaming faintly as his fighting spirit erupted like a rising storm.
Even when facing a formidable opponent like the Golden Lion, El dared not be careless—even in a simple sparring match.
From the very start, he immediately cloaked his entire body in Armament Haki, readying himself for an all-out battle.
"Tread!!!"
El gathered power in his legs and stomped against the deck, launching himself toward the Golden Lion at his maximum speed.
"Clang!!!"
The two blades met with a sharp metallic crash.
Sparks burst out, and the air around them trembled under the force of their clash.
A terrifying aura radiated from both fighters, pressing down on the surroundings.
It's much stronger than I expected, El thought to himself.
Though this was his first time crossing swords with the Golden Lion, he didn't hold back in the slightest.
Every strike he delivered carried his full strength and mastery of swordsmanship, infused with Armament Haki.
Even so, the Golden Lion's twin swords stood firm—unyielding as a mountain—effortlessly parrying El's attacks.
As expected, the gap between a skilled swordsman and a great swordsman was still vast.
After all, El had only been at sea for a single year.
The Golden Lion, on the other hand, had ruled the seas for more than a decade.
That difference in experience and strength was something El could accept.
"Oh? Interesting. You're not weak at all," the Golden Lion remarked with a hint of surprise, his sharp gaze fixed on El.
Through that brief exchange, he could clearly sense the immense power surging within the young man's body.
"Ta-da!!!"
The two separated briefly before clashing again. Their blades met in rapid succession—
a flurry of crisp, ringing impacts accompanied by dazzling bursts of sparks.
Within moments, they had exchanged dozens of blows.
Waves of pressure rippled outward from each strike, warping the air itself.
Despite the Golden Lion holding back considerably, El wasn't being overwhelmed.
As they fought, El carefully studied every movement of the Golden Lion's swordsmanship,
searching for the tiniest flaw in his technique.
But even after hundreds of exchanges, he found nothing.
As expected of a great swordsman, Shiki's blade work was flawless—refined and disciplined to perfection.
Still… difficult didn't mean impossible.
"Whoosh!!!"
Suddenly, El's sword glimmered. Using Observation Haki, he slipped past Shiki's next attack, sidestepping with precise timing.
In that same instant, his blade shot forward, thrusting toward the Golden Lion's chest.
Because Shiki had been holding back and fighting casually, he failed to react in time.
"Slash!!!"
El's blade tore across the Golden Lion's chest, carving a shallow wound that began to bleed.
Crimson liquid dripped down, staining the pirate's chest and coat.
"How… how is this possible?! That guy actually wounded Captain Shiki!"
"Are you kidding me?! Even against top-tier Marines, Captain Shiki almost never gets injured! And now he's been cut by this kid?!"
"Sure, Captain Shiki was holding back, but still… this guy's a monster! He actually found a flaw in the swordsmanship of a great swordsman!"
"Who just said he wouldn't last five moves? He's way past that—he even injured Captain Shiki!"
The crew aboard the ship could only stare in disbelief.
Who was the Golden Lion?
One of the most extraordinary swordsmen sailing the seas—
a terrifying powerhouse of the Rocks Pirates, whose swordsmanship had long since reached its peak.
Even when he was deliberately restraining himself, to find the slightest opening in his technique was nearly impossible.
And yet El had done it—he had found that imperceptible flaw… and struck true.
It was an astonishing feat—one that left even the Golden Lion's crew speechless.
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