Chapter 311 - 169

Chapter 169His gaze sharpened, and he moved like a carp swimming upstream, meeting the destructive black light descending from the sky. He fiercely crossed his twin swords and thrust them upwards.Float-Float Fruit: Super Severing Wave!Bang!A massive golden slash, infused with a strange floating power and no less in volume than the Hegemony black light, roared like a Golden Lionspreading its wings, colliding with the Hegemony!The moment the two destructive forces met, the first thing to erupt was a terrifying shockwave, visible to the naked eye, a mixture of black and gold, rapidly spreading outwards in a spherical shape.Wherever the shockwave passed, the rocks and soil on the ground were wiped away as if by an invisible giant hand, instantly turning into dust.Then, the tips of the Golden Lion's twin swords pressed firmly against the very front of Luffy's fist.The top-tier Armament Haki covering the twin swords, combined with the Float-Float Fruitpower, actually created a small vacuum distance, isolating the island-destroying impact.At the vacuum point where the two extreme forces met, space was severely distorted, gradually forming an extremely unstable, tiny black dot emanating destructive aura.Neither Luffy nor the Golden Lion retreated a single step.The next second, that tiny black dot suddenly expanded and erupted.A destructive energy, even more massive than all the previous impacts combined, swept wildly and indiscriminately in all directions, like a supernova explosion.Rumble rumble rumble!The violent tremors even reached the thousand sunny, which was suspended in the distance.The ship shook violently, as if it could be overturned at any moment by this invisible impact."Is it Luffy and the Golden Lion fighting?""We need to help, that's the Golden Lion!"Usopp clung tightly to the mast, his face pale with fright.Nami struggled to steady herself, looking up towards the center of the collision in the distance.She saw the pitch-black pillar of light connecting heaven and earth and the golden slash dissipate simultaneously, replaced by a destructive storm mixed with dust and energy.Even the residual shockwaves blowing over made the thousand sunny's hull groan under the strain."Luffy!""Has it already reached this level?" Sanji's expression was grim."With these battle fluctuations, the island really might be destroyed."Robin leaned against the ship's rail and said in a deep voice, "Let's go."Everyone's faces showed worry and shock, but when it came to helping Luffy, no one objected.Zoro's gaze sharply swept towards the other floating islands not far away, and the faintly visible figures belonging to the Golden Lion's subordinates.He put on his bandana, grinned, revealing his stark white teeth, bit the wado ichimonji in his mouth, and gripped yubashiri and sandai kitetsu tightly in his hands."Hey, we have our own responsibilities."Zoro's low voice rang out, "Let's clear the obstacles for Luffy here. Don't let those small fry under the Golden Lion disturb the Captain's fight."As a combatant and the second strongest member of the Straw Hat Crew, Zoro knew his duty, and he also knew very well that Luffy wouldn't want their help.Their Captain was always clear about his goals....At the center of the collision, the destructive energy storm slowly subsided.Luffy slowly descended from the air, having deactivated his "plus" state, and his breathing became a bit hurried.The clash between Hegemony and Super Severing Wave had consumed a large amount of his stamina and Haki.What was even more unbelievable was that a thin scratch appeared on his forehead, and a trickle of blood slowly flowed down.There was no direct contact with the Golden Lion's blade, yet he was still injured by the extremely sharp residual slash.Recalling countless battles with Dracule Mihawk in the pirate king training plan dream, this situation often occurred.Even if the blade was blocked, the attached sword energy and the intent of the slash could still cause damage from a distance.This was the terrifying aspect of top-tier great swordsmen; their slashes transcended mere physical contact.However, compared to being constantly covered in wounds by Hawkeye in the early stages of the dream, now only receiving such superficial injuries proved Luffy's immense progress in defending against great swordsmen's slashes.The wound was shallow, and in the blink of an eye, it quickly stopped bleeding and scabbed over thanks to Luffy's powerful life force and the passive talent of Life Return.The information Nika revealed earlier.He didn't eat a simple Gum-Gum Fruit, but a Zoan, Mythical Zoan, which also gave him a new understanding of his recovery ability.Such minor flesh wounds were nothing to worry about.He looked at the Golden Lion, who also revealed himself from the energy storm.The opponent's golden kimono and long hair showed obvious damage and wrinkles from the previous collision, looking somewhat disheveled, but he didn't seem to have suffered any substantial serious injuries."Old man, your legend isn't exaggerated, is it?" Luffy asked, almost making the Golden Lion go berserk again.This sentence, combined with Luffy's almost undamaged state and his own slightly disheveled appearance, was more damaging than any taunt in the Golden Lion's ears.This guy was practically stabbing a knife into his heart."Don't get too cocky, you brat!"The Golden Lion gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead, which had just calmed down, bulged again, and the anger in his eyes almost burst forth.Whoosh!He said no more, transforming into a golden lightning bolt, suddenly swooping down with such speed that he left afterimages in the air.At the same time, he swung his leg, kicking out not scattered sword energy, but a terrifying giant sword energy nearly a thousand meters long, as if it could split the sky. It suddenly tore through the sky, cutting through layers of clouds, and flew towards Luffy with an aura of destroying everything.Super Severing Wave!This time, Luffy acutely perceived that a more domineering power seemed to be attached to this sword energy.It wasn't just top-tier Armament Haki, but also an aura he was both familiar with and unfamiliar with."What kind of power is this?"Luffy frowned slightly, instinctively feeling threatened.He chose not to meet it head-on, instead using his speed to rapidly dodge."Gyahahahaha, you brat don't know, do you?!"The Golden Lion burst into triumphant laughter upon seeing Luffy dodge, his voice filled with the superiority of a seasoned powerhouse, "This is Conquerors Haki Infusion! It's the ultimate power that can only be unleashed by infusing one's Conqueror's Haki into an attack, just like Armament Haki!"He floated in mid-air, spreading his arms to declare his authority: "This is a power that only true peak powerhouses on the sea can master and use, and those who possess this power are few and far between!How about it, kid, do you feel the gap now?!"Chapter 246: Why? Because I have perseverance!"Conquerors Haki Infusion?"This was the first time Luffy had witnessed and personally experienced the application of this power.Undeniably, this power indeed caused him great trouble. The Golden Lion's attack was far more powerful than any previous slash, making him hesitant to meet it head-on.In fact, the Golden Lion was also a bit nervous inside.He did possess Conquerors Haki Infusion, which was a mark of a top-tier powerhouse.However, ever since that damned ship's rudder got stuck in his head, his mental state had been unstable from time to time, and he rarely used this advanced technique, which heavily consumed mental and willpower.He hadn't expected to be pushed to this point by a newcomer today.Luffy, instead of being surprised, was delighted.Indeed, fighting these strong individuals yielded many gains."So, that red lightning-like thing on your sword, that's how it's used? It feels really powerful!" Luffypraised the Golden Lion.He definitely had to learn this power!Seeing Luffy's expression as if he had learned something, the Golden Lion almost fainted from anger.Was this brat mocking him?!Luffy exhaled, the wind blowing his hair. It proved that the Golden Lion was a suitable training partner for him at the moment.He understood that to become stronger, one needed to constantly challenge powerful opponents.In his dreams, with strong individuals like the two Giant leaders, Hawkeye, and Aokiji, Luffy had fought them so many times that he had become desensitized, so he had no reverence for so-called legendary pirates.Just fight them.Maybe he could learn the so-called Conquerors Haki Infusion from the Golden Lion.With a hiss, Luffy's black and red stripes visibly became more vibrant."Gear Second Plus,"The black and red stripes erupted. As he stomped his foot on the ground, creating a dull thud and leaving a deep footprint in the stone, Luffy's body instantly appeared in front of the Golden Lion."Rocket Pistol!"Bang!The impact from his twin fists struck the Golden Lion, hitting him squarely.But just as he was about to follow up with a combo, the sound of an air blast echoed in Luffy's ears, and his Observation Haki wildly warned him. He tried hard to turn his head."If you want a legend to fall, then show your true strength, brat!"The Golden Lion had already appeared at his side, and his sword, imbued with Conqueror's Haki, slashed fiercely."Sky Slash!"Bang!The moment the sword swung, Luffy crossed his arms in front of him, and was sent flying a great distance by the massive sword energy.In the dust, Luffy's figure, skimming low, became visible. His body trembled slightly, clearly indicating that taking the slash imbued with Conquerors Haki Infusion head-on was not easy.He sank downwards with the momentum, deftly spun in mid-air, and finally landed in a half-kneel on the ground, his knees cracking the rock with fine lines."Hiss."Luffy grimaced, shaking his somewhat numb arm. His body swayed for a moment, and he even saw stars flashing before his eyes.Conquerors Haki Infusion—this power was indeed advanced and terrifying. It wasn't just physical destruction; it also carried a penetrating force that directly impacted the mind and will. That last strike almost knocked him out!Moreover, the warning tone from the pirate king training plan in his mind was still buzzing annoyingly, probably detecting that his body was overloaded, or perhaps urging him to study cultural subjects again."Shut up!"Luffy violently shook his head, "Go away!"Normally, to get stronger, he would indulge this inexplicable plan, but in such an exhilarating moment of battle against a top-tier powerhouse, talking about plans? Talking about studying?Get lost!Nothing was more important than enjoying the fight and defeating powerful enemies!plan: "..."It beeped twice and then fell silent.Even Luffy found it a bit amusing.This thing was like some expressionless maid, usually strict and demanding, but after being scolded, it would feel wronged and cry in some corner.However, when Luffy cursed, the Golden Lionnaturally assumed he was cursing him, and immediately got angry."Straw Hat, you dare to command me too?"The Golden Lion floated in the air, suppressing the throbbing pain in his mind from overusing Conquerors Haki Infusion, and sternly shouted towards the dust-filled area ahead, trying to maintain his dignity as a seasoned powerhouse with words, "I am the Golden Lion!""Yeah, yeah, yeah," Luffy replied perfunctorily.The Golden Lion almost choked.This feeling of being angry but unable to be fully angry was exactly like encountering Garp."Your vitality must have come from that bastard Garp too!"The Golden Lion looked at Luffy, who had almost instantly adjusted his breathing and stood up straight again. He couldn't help but grimace and rub his chest, which had been hit by Luffy earlier and was still throbbing with pain. "How can you still stand up like nothing happened?!"