A surge of adrenaline exploded through Golden Lion as death closed in.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
He saw them—Sengoku and Garp—bearing down on him, fists cocked, almost close enough to touch.
He unleashed a burst of Conqueror's Haki, roaring defiance.
Both arms moved, swords flashing desperately left and right.
Faster! Faster! FASTER!
In this instant, he hated nothing more than his own sluggish speed.
CRACK! CRACK!
Two sickening snaps rang out.
Sengoku's and Garp's fists—one from the left, one from the right—slammed into his chest.
CRUNCH—
The impact rippled outward, a chain of bones shattering. The force radiated from the point of contact, fracturing every rib in his chest.
"GUAAAH!"
Blood spurted from Golden Lion's mouth, his face twisted in agony. But for a split second, he clenched his jaw shut, refusing to let go.
Adrenaline kept his mind razor-sharp. He fought back his body's instincts—if he coughed up all that blood, his strength would drain away and death would be certain.
Instead, he willed his Devil Fruit power into action.
He forced the splintered bones rushing toward his heart to freeze in place, shielding the vital organ. All of it happened in the blink of an eye, as his chest caved in.
Still grimacing, Golden Lion channeled Conqueror's Haki into both swords and slashed at Sengoku and Garp's chests.
But they were ready. Sengoku transformed, golden and immense; Garp braced himself, arms coated in Armament Haki.
SZZZT—
Their clashing Haki sent black-purple lightning crackling through the air. The shockwave whipped their cloaks like banners in a storm.
Golden Lion bellowed, pouring everything into his next attack:
"RAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Both swords came crashing down!
Twin golden slashes, each hundreds of meters long, erupted from his blades.
With the Float-Float Fruit, he could anchor himself midair, but Sengoku and Garp had nothing to brace against. Even with greater strength, the lack of footing sent them flying backward, driven by the force of the sword beams.
"Cough! Cough!!"
Golden Lion hacked up blood, his aura fading fast.
"Huff! Huff! HUFF!"
He gasped for breath, cold sweat pouring down his face. The aftershock of his adrenaline rush hit—his body felt hollow, dangerously weak.
He didn't dare linger.
He shot upward, fleeing with everything he had.
Far below, Sengoku and Garp smashed through the sword slashes and launched after him, feet exploding off the air with Moonwalk. Their speed, fueled by raw power, even outpaced Golden Lion's Devil Fruit flight.
They closed in fast.
Golden Lion didn't look back, but his Observation Haki screamed a warning—their presence was right behind him.
A savage glint flashed in his eyes.
He triggered his power.
The floating island above shattered and reshaped itself. Massive stone lions and pirate ships rained down toward his pursuers.
Countless pirates were swept up in the chaos, hurled earthward with the debris. Many plummeted helplessly toward the sea.
His heart ached at the loss of his painstakingly rebuilt fleet, but it didn't matter. If this could buy him even a moment—if he could survive—he'd have another chance.
Below, Sengoku watched the onslaught, frowning.
ROAR!
Several gigantic lion heads, wreathed in violent gales, barreled toward them, trying to crush them from above.
Sengoku transformed into a hundred-meter golden Buddha.
WOOM—
His massive palm, shrouded in translucent shockwaves, swept upward.
A pillar of energy tore through the sky, blasting apart the charging lion heads. Explosions ripped through the air.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM...
The shockwave slowed Sengoku for a heartbeat.
On the other side, Garp was all brute force.
He drew his right fist back, left elbow forward, feet hammering the air—Moonwalk at full throttle. His whole body gleamed with Armament Haki as he smashed through the lion heads.
BANG BANG BANG BANG...
Each monstrous head exploded under his assault. Garp's speed never faltered.
He grinned, closing in on the fleeing Golden Lion:
"SHIKI!!!"
Up ahead, Golden Lion felt the killing intent like a blade at his back.
No way to dodge…
He spun, tore off his fluttering cloak, and hurled it at Garp.
In a flash, Garp was only a few body lengths away.
The cloak whipped over Garp's face, momentarily blinding him. But at this range, with Observation Haki, it didn't matter.
Pitch-black Armament Haki flowed like liquid over Garp's right fist.
"DIE!!!"
He swung for Golden Lion's head.
The sense of doom in Golden Lion's mind grew unbearable.
He was locked in!
Garp's iron fist grew larger in his vision, filling his pupils as he shrank from the blow.
Closer. Closer. The wind from the punch ruffled his eyebrows.
Suddenly!
Golden Lion withdrew all his Devil Fruit power, focusing it on himself.
With a surge of buoyancy, he jerked upward—Garp's fist missed his head and hammered into his left shoulder.
BANG!
Blood sprayed as the shoulder detonated. His left arm, still gripping Oto, tumbled away toward the sea.
Ignoring the pain, Golden Lion used the impact to rocket backward, accelerating his escape. At the same time, he slammed his right hand down.
The cloak wrapped around Garp exploded with force, flinging Garp down toward the ocean like a meteor.
By the time Garp tore the cloak free, Golden Lion had vanished.
It all happened in a blink—too fast for anyone to react.
Even the pirates of Golden Lion's fleet barely had time to realize what was happening before the ships and island fragments, stripped of his power, began to plummet.
"HELP ME!!!"
"Damn it!"
"What's going on?!"
"Where's Boss Shiki?!"
"What the hell happened?!"
Nobody wanted to experience free fall from thousands of meters up.
A few powerful pirates managed to escape—stepping on air or using their Devil Fruit abilities. The rest were doomed.
The sky cleared, only a handful surviving.
But there was no joy in their hearts…
Because waiting for them below was the hundred-meter golden Buddha—
And the "Hero" Garp, the man who'd chased Roger across the world…
Cold sweat beaded on every brow.
Someone gulped, then suddenly screamed:
"RUN!!!"
Everyone scattered in a panic.
Sengoku's enormous Buddha face remained expressionless, translucent shockwaves gathering in his massive hands.
WOOM—
—
On Garp's side, Armament Haki flowed over both arms as he flashed a savage grin at the pirates.
BANG!
The air beneath his feet exploded—he shot forward like a thunderbolt, charging straight at the pirates.
—
On the sea below, the Marine fleet formed a tight line.
Sakazuki stood at the prow of the central warship, watching islands and pirates rain down from the sky.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
He clapped his hands together.
CLAP!
"Thousand-Handed Descent."
His body melted into magma, swelling and spreading across the fleet, coalescing into a magma giant sitting cross-legged atop all five warships.
The giant's face was demonic, yet its closed eyes radiated an eerie compassion. A thousand arms sprouted from its back, fists pointing forward.
Sakazuki stood atop the giant's head, arms crossed, his voice rumbling:
"Merciful Asura."
As the words faded, the magma giant's thousand arms ignited, burning with explosive force.
A thousand magma arms detached and regenerated endlessly, black smoke and heatwaves propelling them like rocket barrages.
The sky was blotted out.
A storm of firepower rained down on the falling pirates and shattered ships…
—
At the end of Sea Circle Calendar year 1491, Golden Lion attacked the Marine G3 base.
The Marines responded with five warships led by Vice Admiral Sakazuki, clashing in a great battle at Lana Waters.
Golden Lion's fleet was annihilated. Golden Lion himself escaped, one arm lost.
Marine Headquarters suffered zero casualties.
The world was thrown into an uproar.
And the name Sakazuki echoed across the Grand Line.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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