Chapter 254: End
KRAKABOOOOOM!
A massive bolt of lightning transformed into a pillar of pure electrical energy, striking Golden Lion almost instantaneously at point-blank range.
Simultaneously, Oto had already pierced toward Rhodes—but because Rhodes desperately twisted his body at the last possible instant, the blade only grazed his side, leaving a deep, bloody gash.
BANG!
Both combatants staggered backward violently, their expressions grim with pain and determination.
Neither had sustained minor injuries.
Rhodes appeared to have merely been grazed, but the residual force had already damaged his internal organs significantly. This injury ranked only slightly less severe than when Whitebeard's fist had struck him during the Paramount War.
Golden Lion was equally devastated. To ensure his blade connected with Rhodes, he'd deliberately accepted a direct lightning strike. Now his entire body screamed in excruciating agony, black smoke billowed from his mouth and nostrils, and crackling electrical arcs danced across his tattered clothing.
"Damn brat!"
Golden Lion coughed violently, blood constantly spilling from the corner of his mouth. Observing Rhodes charging forward despite his grievous injuries, a glint of pure madness flashed through Shiki's eyes.
For pirates—especially a legendary pirate like him who'd once stood at the world's absolute pinnacle—this kind of life-or-death struggle was something he'd experienced countless times throughout his career.
He'd fought the Pirate King Roger himself on numerous occasions, yet no one had ever managed to kill him!
BOOM! BOOM!
Golden Lion's severe injuries significantly compromised his combat performance. With each clash against Rhodes, he felt waves of stinging pain radiating throughout his entire body.
While not suffering catastrophic organ failure like Whitebeard had, Shiki had lost both legs, sustained that devastating head injury during his Impel Down escape, and accumulated numerous chronic internal injuries over decades.
During their continued exchange, he coughed up blood uncontrollably.
Rhodes, too, felt waves of tearing pain within his body with each violent collision. The wound on his waist—barely healed from previous battles—had been torn open again, and his internal organs, affected by the residual impact forces, frequently throbbed with sharp agony.
"This isn't looking good..."
Jinbe muttered anxiously, watching the aerial battle with mounting concern.
As their duel had progressed, the battlefield had long since moved away from the temple—now taking place hundreds of meters away in open sky.
Jinbe couldn't utilize Geppo, so forcing his way there would accomplish nothing except potentially becoming collateral damage.
BOOM! BOOM!
Explosive impacts echoed continuously through the air as wind and clouds churned violently.
Rhodes and Golden Lion clashed ferociously, their injuries steadily worsening, making it genuinely difficult to predict who would collapse first if this pattern continued.
Rhodes had initially calculated he could outlast Golden Lion through superior stamina reserves.
However, he'd discovered a harsh reality—in genuine life-or-death battles, stamina calculations became unreliable.
Golden Lion's fighting spirit was incredibly indomitable. He would relentlessly push himself beyond all reasonable limits. Perhaps if the battle extended for half a day or an entire day, Rhodes might eventually claim victory.
But the far more likely outcome was that Rhodes would sustain crippling injuries—or that they would both perish simultaneously!
As the battle continued and their physical conditions steadily declined, Rhodes' speed and reaction time deteriorated proportionally. If he failed to evade Golden Lion's strikes, death would follow immediately.
His Armament Haki remained his weakest attribute—he absolutely couldn't withstand direct attacks from a Great Swordsman of Shiki's caliber.
Puru-puru-puru...
Just then, the distinctive ringing of a Den Den Mushi suddenly emanated from Golden Lion's coat.
This unexpected sound made both Rhodes and Golden Lion pause momentarily, breaking their deadly rhythm.
"Huff... huff..."
Rhodes panted heavily, yet his eyes remained remarkably calm and focused.
This mental clarity existed because he'd already utilized his faith power to reinforce his willpower, ensuring his resolve remained absolutely constant and preventing his injuries from clouding his judgment. His earlier rapid recovery from the Conqueror's Haki disruption had also stemmed from this enhancement.
However, his physical body was beginning to fail him catastrophically. His physique wasn't particularly robust to begin with, and he could feel multiple muscle tears and bone fractures—the inevitable result of repeated extreme overexertion.
Continuing this battle might eventually kill Shiki, but Rhodes would likely pay a price requiring months to recover from—possibly even half a year, even with Law's exceptional surgical skills.
Such an outcome would be extraordinarily unwise.
He remained young, possessed the faith power system, and enjoyed a limitless future with tremendous room for growth.
Shiki, conversely, was in irreversible decline.
"Koff!"
Shiki coughed up more blood, his tactical mind cooling slightly. He recognized that continuing this battle would likely result in mutual destruction—or even worse, Rhodes surviving while he perished!
Shiki absolutely couldn't accept such an outcome.
Roger and Whitebeard were gone. Sengoku was retiring. He was practically the only remaining legend from the previous era still actively pursuing dominance.
Golden Lion—still yearning to reclaim his place atop the seas—was naturally unwilling to perish alongside this youngster.
Tense silence fell between them.
Golden Lion finally answered the Den Den Mushi.
The moment the connection established, an anxious voice burst through:
"Lord Shiki! Where are you?! You need to return immediately! A massive storm system is approaching!"
The Fuwa Fuwa no Mi allowed islands to float permanently in the sky, but Shiki's concentration was required to maintain stability. A catastrophic storm could easily disrupt his focus, causing the floating islands to crash.
"..."
Golden Lion didn't respond to his subordinate immediately. Instead, he raised his head, staring intently at Rhodes with a complex expression, before finally speaking:
"Thunder God Swordsman... I'll remember you."
It had to be acknowledged—Rhodes' displayed strength was genuinely astonishing.
If Shiki were still in his absolute prime, he might have been able to suppress Rhodes decisively. But now? He was utterly powerless to guarantee victory.
"Next time we meet, I will slay you."
Rhodes looked directly at Golden Lion and spoke with perfect calm, as if stating an inevitable future fact.
"Hmph."
Golden Lion scoffed disdainfully and turned to depart.
He clearly dismissed Rhodes' declaration entirely.
At their power level, improving strength was extraordinarily difficult. Besides, Golden Lion was a Fuwa Fuwa no Mi user—if he genuinely wanted to escape, virtually no one in this world could stop him!
WHOOOOSH!
Golden Lion accelerated to incredible velocity, rapidly disappearing from sight as he flew toward the horizon.
Meanwhile, Rhodes took a deep, steadying breath and slowly descended back to the temple grounds, immediately feeling overwhelming dizziness and tearing sensations throughout his entire body.
This represented his first genuine life-or-death battle against a peak-tier opponent.
Before this encounter, Kizaru had barely tried during their brief clash.
Garp had only defended, never launching serious attacks.
Whitebeard's strikes were too catastrophically powerful, ending confrontations quickly.
As for Jozu and the division commanders, they'd been far inferior to Rhodes and were easily suppressed, never genuinely threatening his life.
"So this is what battling peak-level opponents truly entails..."
Rhodes exhaled slowly, his heart heavy with newfound understanding.
This had been merely the elderly, weakened Golden Lion who'd lost both legs and suffered permanent injuries. If Rhodes were to genuinely face one of the current Four Emperors, he probably wouldn't stand any realistic chance.
The present three Yonko were absolute monsters—not like Whitebeard during the Paramount War, who'd been catastrophically weakened in all aspects except his devastating attack power. These were the true pinnacle of Sea Emperors!
They'd reached extremes in every relevant parameter, and each possessed unique overwhelming advantages.
"That's right... if they weren't this monstrously strong, the Marines would have eliminated them long ago."
Rhodes smiled faintly, suppressing these contemplations.
He wasn't arrogant, but neither was he inferior. For someone his age, his strength was already genuinely astonishing.
"How badly are you hurt?"
Jinbe quickly produced specialized topical medicine and offered it to Rhodes. "This is a secret medicinal salve from Ryugu Palace on Fish-Man Island. It's extraordinarily effective—you should apply it immediately."
Rhodes accepted it gratefully and applied the ointment to his wound. Sharp, burning pain immediately shot through the injury site, but his expression remained completely unchanged—not even a furrow of his brow.
Several moments later, the initial pain subsided, replaced by a tingling, itchy sensation. Rhodes recognized this as clear indication the wound was actively healing.
"Thank you, Jinbe."
"No need for thanks."
Jinbe shook his head, already feeling disappointed that he hadn't been able to assist Rhodes during the actual battle.
"The effectiveness is quite remarkable. Can this medicine be mass-produced?"
Rhodes asked with genuine interest. He could feel warmth spreading not only through the wound site but throughout other injured areas of his body—clear signs of accelerated recovery.
This recovery medicine was only marginally less effective than the specialized treatment Crocus had provided him previously.
"Unfortunately, no."
Jinbe shook his head with regret. "The ingredients are extraordinarily rare. Most can only be harvested from deep-sea volcanic vents and abyssal crevices—environments that are incredibly dangerous even for fish-men."
Rhodes nodded in understanding. He'd only inquired casually anyway.
(End of Chapter)
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