Golden Lion Shiki was sitting on the throne of his palace. His golden hair, which reached the ground, was like a lion's mane, and even his sideburns and beard were golden, with his sideburns being exceptionally long.
Besides his golden hair, a steering wheel was embedded in his head, and he wore traditional Japanese clothing with alternating orange and yellow stripes.
He had cut off his own feet during his prison break from Impel Down, and now his legs were fitted with the two famous swords, 'cherry ten' and 'Withered Wood', making the Golden Lion look even more wild.
A subordinate rushed in to report: "Captain, many Marines have gathered below our island, and a ship has flown up."
Golden Lion Shiki glanced at the screen handed over by his subordinate: "Jihahaha, does the new generation of Marines also have ships that can fly into the sky?"
"Dr. Indigo, Scarlet, come with me. The sky over this sea can only belong to me, Shiki."
A clown in ridiculous clothes and a Masira walked over. Dr. Indigo's clown shoes made funny 'Puniu' 'Puniu' sounds as they stepped on the ground, and he twisted his body into several poses.
Shiki saw his movements and said: "You said you're a researcher and don't want to come along?"
Dr. Indigo nodded.
Shiki didn't force him: "Alright then, I'll pilot the Flying Pirate Ship to have a clash with them first, to let them understand that this sky is not something the Marine can encroach upon."
On the argo, Hera sensed the presence of a powerful individual and said to her companions: "Be careful, the Golden Lion has extremely strong control over this island. We should have been discovered already, get ready for battle."
As soon as Hera finished speaking, the unique laughter of the Golden Lion was heard: "Jihahaha, is it just a bunch of brats like you? Has the Marine run out of people?"
A pirate ship appeared in the sky, and the argo and the Flying Pirate Ship faced off in mid-air.
"Tch, you're just a big talker. I'm enough to deal with you," Hera retorted back at the Golden Lion.
The Golden Lion floated out of the Flying Pirate Ship: "Jihahaha, what an unpleasant brat. As a Marine, don't you know my fame? Since you've come to my door, then stay here. 'Slash Wave'!"
Two slashes were released from the famous blades on the Golden Lion's legs, cutting towards Hera on the argo.
"Let me handle it." Kuina drew the wado ichimonji, and two slashes met the Golden Lion's attack.
The four slashes converged in the air, but it was clear that Kuina's slashes were being suppressed. Then, an unwilling Kuina added two more slashes to completely cancel out the Golden Lion's Slash Wave.
Hera comforted her: "The Golden Lion is a long-famed swordsman after all; you still have a lot of room for growth."
Hera stepped on the air, using the techniques of Moonwalk to fly into the sky.
Hera and the Golden Lion looked at each other in the air, and between their gazes, it seemed as if substantial Haki was flowing out.
Hera suddenly laughed; her Observation Haki had already sensed that there was only one Masira on the Flying Pirate Ship: "Nami, give him a greeting and let him see the power of our argo."
The argo's giant cannon began to charge, and Nami's body was covered in sparks as the electricity from the entire ship gathered together: "Full Power: Railgun."
With Nami's roar, the light of the giant cannon gradually brightened. The Golden Lion's Observation Haki sensed this amazing energy, and he quickly maneuvered his Flying Pirate Ship.
He wanted to avoid it, but in his haste to fight, he hadn't brought his crew, and relying solely on his devil fruit control, the turning speed was too slow.
Even the Golden Lion didn't dare to take the energy contained in the dazzling light head-on. He manipulated the moisture in the clouds to condense into the shape of a lion's head, 'Lion's Majesty: Imperial Palace Earth Roll', to meet the argo's Railgun.
Before the moisture-condensed lion's head could even touch the main body of the Railgun, it was evaporated by the heat. Instantly, smoke filled the battlefield, and the Railgun unerringly hit the Flying Pirate Ship behind the Golden Lion. The large Masira staying on it didn't even have time to scream before being turned to ash.
The argo, having exhausted its energy, took the opportunity to land on the flying island. Hera quickly used 'Fourth Bullet' to restore the weakened Nami to her previous state, and while the Golden Lion hadn't noticed yet, she began to give instructions to everyone.
"There are many mutated animals on this island, but there is a type of tree whose toxin repels animals, though inhaling it for a long time will cause a person's body to gradually stiffen."
"Reiju, you're responsible for absorbing those toxic powders. Nami, Kuina, and Ain, go find the villagers on the island and have them prepare to evacuate. Leave none of the pirates gathered by the Golden Lion alive."
Hera thought about what else to note: "Additionally, the animals here are very ferocious, so be careful. There is also a scientist on this island; this person must be captured alive."
"Prioritize rescuing the villagers above all else. I will be the one to defeat the Golden Lion."
Kuina and the others nodded. The recovered Nami piloted the argo away to find the villagers Hera had mentioned.
The smoke in the air gradually dissipated. Golden Lion Shiki floated in the sky looking at his Flying Pirate Ship, which had now become nothingness; the power of the Railgun had even caused his ship to vaporize directly.
With bloodshot eyes, the Golden Lion looked at the argo and dove down, wanting to eliminate the culprit who destroyed his beloved pirate ship. However, his battle-hardened Observation Haki made him sense a threat from above.
With a backflip, the famous blade 'cherry ten' on his leg clashed with the Saikū in the hands of the suddenly appearing Hera. Caught off guard, the Golden Lion was even blasted to the ground by Hera, making a loud thud.
Hera twirled the Saikū in her hand: "Is this the famous Golden Lion? It doesn't look like much to me. Does your strength match your reputation?"
The dust cleared, and Golden Lion Shiki walked out. The vibration of the ground seemed to suggest that his current mood was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface.
The Golden Lion looked at Hera, and his gaze gradually became calm, followed by a change in his aura; his original arrogance completely disappeared.
But in Hera's perception, the current Golden Lion was far more dangerous than before. If the previous Golden Lion felt like a sickly old lion,
who was still fierce but whose aura revealed a sense of frailty from old age, now, the aura belonging to the lion was reawakened, and his presence became increasingly ferocious.
The dust behind him seemed to sense the Golden Lion's change, manifesting into a lion's head that roared at the sky.
The famous blades originally tied to the Golden Lion's legs slowly floated out. He gripped the hilts with his hands, and the swordsman's spirit was revealed: "Kid, you shouldn't have insulted my strength. Now, you have awakened the true Golden Lion."
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