To be honest, Michael hadn't originally planned to intervene.
His initial plan was to let Joy Boy handle the Lunarian Race members who had arrived in Alabasta.
For the current Joy Boy, it shouldn't have been too difficult a task.
But when these Lunarians actually appeared before Michael, he finally realized something…
He had underestimated the depth of the Ancient Kingdom's power.
Among the garrison forces stationed at the kingdom's remote borders, there was actually someone who had reached the level of a top-tier commander—an Admiral or Emperor-level fighter.
Whether through his Observation Haki or the Voice of All Things, the feedback Michael received confirmed that this old man possessed physical and Haki strength comparable to his teacher, Zephyr.
On top of that, he also had the innate traits of the Lunarian Race. While Joy Boy wouldn't lose to him, defeating him was out of the question.
And that was under the assumption of a one-on-one fight.
In reality, the other four Lunarians, though not as strong as Bordor, were roughly on par with King, the last surviving descendant of the Lunarian Race over eight hundred years later—known as the "Calamity."
In other words, the Lunarians who had come to Alabasta already had a high-tier combat force equivalent to a standard Emperor-level crew.
But…
That was all.
Michael had defeated Admiral or Emperor-level fighters before—more than one or two.
Yet this time, it brought him a different kind of excitement.
His previous opponents, no matter how strong, were ones he had a deep understanding of—especially with his memories from his past life, knowing their strengths and weaknesses.
But this Admiral-level Bordor? Aside from his Lunarian traits, everything about him was unknown to Michael.
That unfamiliarity gave Michael a thrill unlike anything he'd felt before.
Bordor frowned slightly as he observed the faint excitement and anticipation in Michael's expression.
Though he was one of the Lunarian Race's elite warriors, he was already quite old.
Age didn't diminish his strength…
But it did bring hesitation.
Despite his confidence in his own power, facing the most wanted and dangerous criminal of recent years still made him somewhat uneasy.
After all, in the current era of the Ancient Kingdom, Michael was nothing short of a legend—
For better or worse.
Such a reputation naturally made Bordor wary.
But… soon, he had no time left for doubts.
Because with a powerful flap of his six holy and magnificent Wings, Michael transformed into a streak of light, charging straight at him.
A seasoned warrior like Bordor knew that letting his mind wander now would be suicidal.
So he gripped his battle-worn longsword with both hands and rushed forward to meet Michael.
The moment their blades clashed, an overwhelming force surged into Bordor's arms.
This seemingly unremarkable man… possessed strength that made his hands ache from the impact.
This feeling of battling a formidable foe... it's been a long time!
A hint of excitement flickered at the corner of Borde's lips.
The two clashed repeatedly in midair, pure strength and speed colliding against each other.
But as time passed, Borde realized with horror that his opponent showed absolutely no signs of fatigue!
Every sword strike directed at him carried exactly the same force.
In other words, besides possessing unfathomable stamina, he also had perfect control over his strength.
Just from these initial probing exchanges, Borde already knew...
If he continued fighting this young man in a conventional manner, defeat was inevitable.
And so...
The demonic power within him quietly surged forth.
Infusing into his next slash.
This near-sneak attack yielded significant results.
Michael suddenly frowned before being sent flying backward, crashing into the city wall not far away.
The air still rippled with invisible waves from the "tremors."
But Borde didn't relax for even a moment—his next, even stronger attack was already chasing after his opponent.
From his rapidly vibrating longsword, a Flying Slash laced with countless ripples shot forth.
"Starlight Rune Blade · Divine Song!"
Flowing Haki erupted violently, the spiraling slash instantly shredding the tremor-infused Flying Slash.
Its momentum unbroken, it continued toward Borde.
Borde's eyes narrowed sharply as his wings flapped desperately, barely managing to dodge.
Yet the spiraling slash still left a bloody gash along his cheek.
Keep in mind—this was while his flames were still active, in a state of heightened defensive capability!
His gaze instinctively flicked toward the slash soaring into the sky, and in that split second, Michael was already standing before him again.
"Never would've guessed... you're a Paramecia-type Tremor-Tremor Fruit user..." Michael's expression was indescribably complex.
"But I have to say, compared to the man I knew... your mastery of this fruit is downright pitiful."
"If he knew the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was being used like this, he'd probably be furious."
He even sighed while saying this.
To Borde, this was nothing short of blatant humiliation.
But Michael's eyes...
Were utterly sincere.
After all, in Whitebeard's hands, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit could strike the world itself, freely causing tremors in the sky, earth, sea, and atmosphere...
Even among Paramecia fruits powerful enough to be called "natural disasters," it firmly held the top spot.
And in his youth, Whitebeard could summon tsunamis across the seas through sheer emotional outbursts!
Blackbeard could also make all of Hachinosu Island tremble with his laughter.
But this Borde before him...
Only knew how to blend the power of "tremors" into his Flying Slashes?
While the destructive force was impressive, it...
Was ultimately a misguided path.
"You insolent bastard of unknown lineage! How dare you look at me like that!"
Though Borde had maintained composure earlier, as a member of the Lunarian Race, he absolutely couldn't tolerate his opponent gazing at him with such eyes!
"Bastard?" Michael arched an eyebrow. "You wouldn't be presuming that just because I have three pairs of wings, I must be some mixed-blood between the Lunarian Race and another species, would you? You people are truly... arrogantly foolish."
Borde's furious eyes locked onto Michael as he commanded.
"Attack! We absolutely cannot let this man leave alive!"
With that, four other elite warriors of the Lunarian Race surrounded Michael midair.
Michael's eyes narrowed as his Conqueror's Haki erupted violently, its overwhelming power dimming even the stars themselves.
"Let's finish you quickly... For someone like you to possess this fruit is nothing short of an insult to that old man Whitebeard!"
"Paradise Lost·Golden Lion!"
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