A deafening roar echoed as the blade slash directly struck the ground, carving a massive gash into it and sending countless fragments of rock flying.
Elsewhere, Trafalgar Law slowly rose from the ground and subconsciously let out a breath.
He had nearly been hit!
Looking up once more, blade flashes still filled the heavens; the slashes that had pushed him to his limit were terrifyingly numerous up there.
!!!
Law parted his lips slightly as if to speak, his gaze fixed intently on the terrifying battle before him.
It was his first time witnessing a fight between top-tier powerhouses from this distance, and from start to finish, his only feeling was overwhelming awe.
Yet within that awe, there also stirred a deep excitement and thrill.
He had finally seen Kyle's true strength.
As he thought, the gap between himself and the world's top fighters remained vast, but that very fact only stoked his competitive spirit.
A glimmer of aspiration shone in Law's eyes.
One day, he would become a powerhouse like that too!
High in the sky, the battle between Kyle and Golden Lion had reached its climax.
Wave after wave of immensely powerful attacks were unleashed between them.
Having realized that Golden Lion had mastered both Conqueror's Haki defense and infusion, Kyle had subtly shifted his strategy, relying more on swordsmanship against Golden Lion while using his Devil Fruit ability as support.
He was, of course, keenly interested in mastering these two techniques himself; acquiring them would undoubtedly give his strength another significant boost.
And it was through extreme live combat that Haki could reach the next level!
That was something Silvers Rayleigh, the mentor of mediocrity, had once said.
At Marine Headquarters, Zephyr couldn't provide him with that kind of pressure; Garp could, but they were both marines, and Garp treated him like a grandson, making it difficult to fight to such a fever pitch.
Although Wang Zhi's strength had been considerable, he hadn't mastered those advanced techniques, so Kyle hadn't seen any point in dragging out their fight.
But now, Golden Lion was perfect—not at his peak, but strong enough for Kyle's purposes, and he wielded both advanced Conqueror's Haki skills.
Wasn't this the ideal chance for him to 'learn'?
In the original story, Luffy grew stronger so quickly by constantly learning and springing back up in battle.
Now, it was his turn to give it a try!
Kyle's focus was razor-sharp; his eyes held nothing but his opponent, Golden Lion.
With every clash, every collision, he meticulously observed how Golden Lion deployed his Haki.
Another indeterminate stretch of time passed. The audience below had grown, each spectator staring wide-eyed at the combatants, exclaiming in awe from time to time.
In the heavens, the countless interlacing sword auras dissipated. Kyle and Golden Lion faced each other, labored breathing audible from both.
Yet it was clear that Golden Lion's breaths were heavier and more ragged.
A smile crept onto Kyle's face. "Golden Lion, age has become your critical weakness!"
Both Conqueror's Haki infusion and defense were techniques that heavily drained stamina and Haki—defense especially consumed an extraordinary amount.
Given Golden Lion's current state, he simply couldn't sustain them for long.
The accumulated years and his various old wounds had taken a severe toll on him.
But Kyle wasn't about to give Golden Lion a moment to catch his breath. He had already grasped something during their fight; he needed to strike while the iron was hot, or the opportunity would slip away.
Kyle pressed forward again, bringing his sword down fiercely on Golden Lion.
"Damned brat!"
Golden Lion cursed under his breath. Faced with Kyle's assault, he could only raise his own blade to meet it.
Blade auras once again burst forth across the sky. After yet another lengthy exchange, Kyle's eyes suddenly sharpened mid-strike, a brilliant gleam flashing within his pupils.
He swung his sword once more.
Golden Lion parried as before, but the instant their blades connected, his expression drastically shifted.
Kyle's Purple Lightning forced aside Golden Lion and slashed directly into his chest.
Shriek!!
The sound of tearing flesh rang out as another gash burst open, blood arcing through the air. Golden Lion's body was knocked from the sky, plummeting like a meteor toward the ground below.
Boom!!
A tremendous crash resounded. The earth instantly erupted into a massive crater as a powerful shockwave blasted outward.
Centered on Golden Lion's impact point, the ground fractured in a web-like pattern, countless rocks spraying outward while a plume of dust and debris surged forth.
The entire floating island trembled from the impact.
Kyle hovered in the sky, not immediately pursuing. Instead, he slowly raised Purple Lightning.
Crackling black and crimson lightning flickered around the blade.
Conqueror's Haki infusion!!
Kyle couldn't suppress the smile spreading across his face.
It was worth it—fighting Golden Lion for so long, enduring numerous injuries. Though none of the wounds were deep, if not for his determination to master Conqueror's Haki infusion, he could have relied on his fruit's range to kite endlessly and avoided most of this damage.
But judging by the outcome, it had all been worthwhile.
Conqueror's Haki infusion—the technique Teacher Kaido had claimed only top-tier fighters could master—was finally his.
It certainly hadn't been easy!
Four years had passed since he first awakened Conqueror's Haki, which was considerably slower than Luffy in the original story, who had mastered infusion just two years after his own awakening.
What was the reason?
Mm! He lacked a good teacher!!
In the original, Luffy's strength only made that triple jump after encountering Teacher Kaido.
Now, he too had Teacher Golden's guidance. While his teaching ability might not match Teacher Kaido's, at least it had helped him grasp Conqueror's Haki infusion, hadn't it?
But now, Teacher Golden had outlived his usefulness.
First, despite not having lost consciousness after that last strike, his presence had weakened considerably.
Having the ship's helm that had been lodged in his skull for over a decade and two swords embedded in his flesh removed—that couldn't be without consequence. Earlier, the rekindled fighting spirit upon their removal had temporarily propped him up, preventing any immediate ill effects.
Simply put, it was an adrenaline surge.
Now that time had passed, the adrenaline's effect had naturally faded. Teacher Golden's strength was nearly spent.
Furthermore, while he had gained some insight into Conqueror's Haki infusion during the battle, he remained completely clueless about using Conqueror's Haki defensively.
Given Teacher Golden's current condition, he clearly couldn't help him master Conqueror's Haki defense any further.
Thus, this battle had reached its conclusion.
Kyle gripped his sword with both hands and raised it.
Violent, savage lightning erupted from the blade, twisting bolts rampaging across the heavens.
Then, with a single fierce swing, a colossal lightning-edged blade slash descended…
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