"Eh? That guy actually showed up?"
Enel, who had been observing from the higher sky, suddenly looked up in surprise, his gaze fixed in one direction.
At the same moment, a golden light flashed in the distant sky, eventually forming a figure. From afar, Borsalino watched the battle between Golden Lion and Rosinante unfold.
Although he only roughly knew the direction in which Rosinante and Golden Lion had gone, the sheer magnitude of the battle made it possible for Borsalino to locate them.
Of course, the "magnitude" here wasn't sound—the battlefield was shrouded by Heavenly Fading, which prevented any noise from escaping—but the overwhelming presence of the Haki itself acted as a signal.
Even from a distance, the intensity of their combat could be felt.
"Ah… so this is Heavenly Fading, huh? Golden Lion's getting completely dominated. How is anyone supposed to survive this? If I run into Rosinante, I'll definitely take the long way around!" Borsalino said with a teasing tone, yet there was an undeniable seriousness glinting in his eyes.
He carefully studied the Heavenly Fading zone. Suddenly, he raised his hand, focusing a beam of laser-like light at his fingertip.
But Borsalino didn't aim it at a person—it was pointed toward a vacant area within the Heavenly Fading domain.
The laser shot forth at incredible speed, piercing through a long stretch and entering the domain.
The moment it entered, it immediately began to collapse and dissipate, vanishing without a trace. It didn't create a ripple or impact—almost as if it had never existed.
"Gahaha!" Enel, taken aback, burst into laughter. His laugh was mischievous, brimming with schadenfreude. "Serves you right for showing off! Let's see how you try to act tough in front of His Majesty now!"
Borsalino, on the other hand, was left dumbfounded, his entire face frozen in disbelief before twisting into an ugly grimace.
This move might merely suppress ordinary Devil Fruit powers, but against abilities like his—or other sound- or element-based fruits—it was lethal.
He even wondered whether, inside this domain, his elemental form could survive, or whether he would simply be swallowed up by the Heavenly Fading itself.
Borsalino decided that if he ever encountered Rosinante again, he would take the long way around—there was no way he would enter this domain again, lest he die without even knowing why.
Rosinante was aware of Borsalino's presence, but at this moment he was fully focused on Golden Lion.
Even so, a high-speed powerhouse like Borsalino could not be completely ignored. Yet when Rosinante saw the laser dissipate instantly inside Heavenly Fading, he exhaled in relief and returned his full attention to Golden Lion.
Even Rosinante hadn't expected Heavenly Fading to suppress light so completely.
"Seems this domain has even more depth than I imagined… I might be able to develop it further," Rosinante thought, his eyes glinting sharply.
Don't underestimate me! Golden Lion's anger flared at seeing Rosinante distracted—this was an insult.
Golden Lion despised being underestimated more than anything else. Seeing Rosinante lost in thought made him even angrier. He unleashed a flurry of sword slashes toward Rosinante.
These slashes seemed almost alive, dancing cleverly through the air to strike their target.
Golden Lion's sword strikes were imbued with a kind of awareness. Rosinante had already seen this combination of swordsmanship and Devil Fruit power, a simplified version of Lion Might Sword Energy, yet no less deadly.
To minimize the weakening effect of Rosinante's domain, each of Golden Lion's sword slashes was exceptionally concentrated. The more condensed the strike, the less Rosinante's Heavenly Fading could diminish it.
By now, Golden Lion had been exhausted in both body and spirit. He knew that every ounce of energy spent was a disadvantage.
Yet every slash he launched carried the full intent to kill Rosinante. Despite their small size, each strike was a force capable of tearing sky and earth apart.