As Golden Lion was still reeling from the sudden loss of color in the world, Rosinante had already closed the distance, swinging his sword toward him.
"Clang!" Golden Lion raised his twin blades to block. Sparks flew from the collision, but his expression quickly darkened.
The strike forced Golden Lion's body downward.
Not only was his Devil Fruit ability suppressed—operating at only about seventy percent—but even his physical strength and attacks were restrained, with the power behind each strike significantly weakened.
Damn it… Golden Lion thought furiously. What kind of overpowered ability is this?!
Yet in this colorless domain, even speaking was impossible. All sound vanished—only Rosinante could speak freely.
"Die!" Rosinante pressed his sword forward, forcing Golden Lion's blades to strain under the pressure. The sword slowly descended toward Golden Lion's neck.
At the critical moment, Golden Lion dashed a blade downward from below his feet.
"Clang!" The strike from Golden Lion collided with Rosinante's arm, but thanks to his advanced Observation Haki, Rosinante had anticipated the move. He immediately reinforced his arm with Armament Haki and blocked the attack.
Though Golden Lion's strike failed, it bought him a brief moment to recover. With his left hand, he thrust a blade viciously toward Rosinante.
In a flash, Rosinante vanished, becoming pure light—truly disappearing without a trace.
This was not a metaphor—he had genuinely vanished from Golden Lion's perception.
Shocked, Golden Lion felt a new sense of danger descending from above.
Having spent half his life battling in the New World, Golden Lion recognized the familiar pulse of imminent peril. Every time, this instinct had saved him from deadly situations. He trusted it completely.
However, he had underestimated the suppressive effect of the colorless domain.
The pressure of the Eternal Silent Will dulled his reflexes. His body could no longer utilize its full strength, with some portion seemingly dormant under the domain's influence. His Devil Fruit abilities were even more severely affected.
"Swish!" A flash of sword light cut through the air, and blood spattered.
An attack that he would normally have easily dodged caught him off guard under the domain's influence. The slash struck heavily, slicing into Golden Lion's body.
Even against steel, Rosinante's sword, honed to a lethal sharpness, could effortlessly cut. Against Golden Lion, it only managed to carve a long wound, but enough to spray blood across the battlefield. His Armament Haki had mitigated the damage, but the force was undeniable.
"What a pity… I thought this strike would finish you outright!" Rosinante remarked coolly.
Golden Lion's grim expression was not from embarrassment at being cut—but from the unexpected variables during the strike. A creeping sense of unease began to grow within him.
The suppression within this domain was far too great. Continuing the fight like this was impossible.
Thinking this, Golden Lion immediately surged backward, retreating toward the edge of the colorless zone.
"Clang!" As he sped backward, a blinding light shot forward with incredible velocity. In an instant, it reached Golden Lion, who, startled, raised his twin blades and collided with it once again.
"No way you leave as you please. Today, Golden Lion, this is your grave," Rosinante said coldly, his eyes unyielding.