"What's wrong? Can't control the sand anymore? We're only getting started." Tesoro laughed, clearly enjoying himself. The entire royal palace now gleamed with dazzling gold, everything around them transformed into solid treasure.
The gold then turned liquid and surged forward, forming a massive golden giant. The giant towered high, radiating immense, violent power—far larger and stronger than Rosen's sand giant.
"What?! What is that?" The King and his men were horrified. The golden giant's oppressive presence was overwhelming.
Even Enel and Hathaway struggled to remain composed.
A mere Paramecia-type Gold-Gold Fruit… wielding such terrifying might.
Boom! Rosen didn't just stand by. He threw a punch from afar—an explosion echoed, sparks flashing across the golden surface.
It wasn't just massive; its defense was formidable.
"Golden Ocean!" Tesoro's giant stomped down, softening the golden ground. In the next instant, the floor liquefied, rising into colossal golden waves. Soldiers who couldn't react in time were instantly swallowed by the molten sea.
"Move, now!" Hathaway warned sharply. Though the golden tide surged toward Rosen, they were close enough to be at risk. Once engulfed by liquid gold, escape was nearly impossible.
The soldiers struggling within were quickly dragged under, devoured entirely.
"Infernal Sandstorm Dragon!" Rosen hurled ten spiraling sand tornadoes. Though there wasn't much sand on the ground, he could still gather particles from the air—just less effectively.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The golden ocean clashed against the sand tornadoes, briefly held back before crashing through with overwhelming force.
Moonwalk!
Rosen leapt high into the air, but from the golden sea shot out countless golden bands, writhing like vines, lashing toward him from every direction.
"Finger Gun: Torrent!" Rosen twisted midair, firing a barrage of high-speed strikes, shattering the golden tendrils. Yet for every one destroyed, more surged forth, even faster.
"Iron Body: Full Armament!" With nowhere to dodge the second wave, Rosen endured it head-on. The golden bands wrapped around him, whipping furiously, sparks flying from every impact.
He shattered the bindings with a burst of Haki.
"As expected of an admiral-level fighter—and an awakened user at that. Not easy to deal with." Rosen took the hits but avoided critical damage, analyzing how to counter an awakened ability like this.
Tesoro's awakened Gold-Gold Fruit had a natural advantage against Rosen, whose Sand-Sand Fruit relied heavily on terrain control.
"It's useless. Break as much as you like—whatever I desire, I can create infinitely. Awakening is an entirely new realm of power. You should feel honored to die by my hand."
Though Tesoro spoke lightly, his attacks were relentless. In a flash, lightning split the air and struck toward Rosen.
In his golden giant form, Tesoro could now discharge electricity—perhaps a byproduct of extreme heat or his control over electromagnetic energy.
As he claimed, his awakened power was truly extraordinary.
"Lightning?" Enel blinked. It wasn't as strong as his own, but still impressive.
"Uncle's losing ground," Natalie said worriedly.
"Hahaha! As expected of Lord Tesoro! Once Crocodile dies, none of you will escape!" The King shouted triumphantly as he, Raymond, Colson, and the elite royal troops desperately held off Hathaway's team.
But their resistance was crumbling. Hathaway severed one of the King's arms; if not for timely rescue, he'd already be dead.
"These two are monsters," Raymond muttered heavily. Tesoro and Crocodile's power far exceeded his expectations.
"He won't lose. But we need to win cleanly," Robin said, sprouting extra arms from the King's back to snap his neck—only for one of Colson's clones to slash at her with a blade, forcing her to retreat.
"Cover me!" Hathaway ordered, eyes fixed on the King. Prolonging this fight was dangerous; she would strike directly.
"Understood."
Hathaway dashed forward like a phantom. Wherever she passed, flashes of steel and blood followed—elite soldiers fell in a single stroke, cut down effortlessly.
"Stop her!" Raymond barked as countless attacks rained down on Hathaway.
"Don't even try. Thunder Dragons!" Enel struck his drum, summoning two enormous lightning dragons that roared forward, detonating and deflecting most incoming fire and artillery.
Though Hathaway was powerful, she was still human. Continuous bombardment would wear her down eventually.
"Bloom." Daz Bones transformed, his body becoming a mass of blades. Absorbing the fallen weapons into himself, his form turned fluid and metallic before punching forward.
Boom! A storm of razor-sharp fragments swept through, obliterating every obstacle in Hathaway's path.
At that moment, everyone worked together to clear the way for her advance.
"So strong!" Rosen's golden sand swirled around him, forming a spear. Covered in Haki, the sand compressed tighter, vibrating with violent energy.
As Tesoro's lightning descended, Rosen used Thunder Shadow to evade instantly.
He then bent low, hurling the spear through the storm. Gold conducts electricity—the lightning redirected along the sand spear, some of it dispersing harmlessly.
Hiss! The lightning-charged sand spear tore through the air, impossibly fast—too fast for Tesoro to dodge.
Boom!
It struck the golden giant dead center. Tesoro screamed as the colossus staggered back several steps, its chest blown open into a crater that bloomed like a golden flower.
"Damn you! Just die already—Golden Divine Fire!" In the giant's right eye, Haki condensed, superheating the gold until it erupted into a blinding energy beam.
"Can't block that," Rosen thought grimly. Though he had landed a hit, Tesoro's awakened powers had evolved beyond mere solid gold manipulation.
Fortunately, he had anticipated this. That beam could sink battleships dozens of kilometers away—no weaker than Kizaru's laser.
But unlike Kizaru's instant light, Tesoro's attack lacked speed.
As the Golden Divine Fire roared toward him, Rosen dodged at full power, kicking off the air—Moonwalk Jet!—and dove straight toward Tesoro.
Armament Haki coated both arms. His target: the golden giant's head. One decisive blow to shatter it completely.
"Not so fast!" Tesoro realized his intent immediately. If the head broke, it would collapse. The giant wasn't invincible—Rosen could destroy it.
Their fists collided—one massive, one small.
Boom!
The shockwave shattered everything around them, the explosion resounding through the sky.
Above, the missed Golden Divine Fire burst in the heavens like rolling thunder.
(End of Chapter)