Chapter 397 - 236

Chapter 236: War Begins!"Kyahahahaha—"Golden Lion didn't look at the wolfing faces at the table. His gaze pierced through the high window, directly reaching the desert thousands of meters below, sleeping under the Moonlight."My dear beasts."The voice wasn't loud, but it brought the chewing and swallowing in the hall to an abrupt halt. Oily faces looked up, their eyes devoid of loyalty, only the long-caged hunger.Golden Lion slowly turned around, the candlelight dancing in his pupils like two cold stars."Below,""There are ten million lambs waiting to be slaughtered.""The royal catacombs are deep enough to bury you scoundrels a hundred times over.""The temple's pillars are thick; after hanging all the defenders, there should still be a few sections left.""I don't want gold."He took a step forward, his famous sword entering a puddle of spilled wine, splashing dark red liquid."Nor do I want women."Another step, crushing a porcelain plate."I only want one thing—"He stopped in the middle of the long table, propped his hands on the greasy surface, and leaned forward.The ship's rudder, which seemed ridiculous in the eyes of the world, cast a grotesque shadow in the flickering candlelight, enveloping the pale faces of the nearest pirates."Blood."One word, ground out from between his teeth."Blood to flow like rivers, blood to cover the dunes, blood to make every rain taste of rust.""I want mothers unable to staunch their children's wounds; I want defenders kneeling in pools of blood, searching for their severed hands; I want the royal white flag soaked crimson, too heavy to raise!"His voice suddenly rose, exploding:"Do you understand? You mongrels fit only for gnawing bones—""I want Alabasta—""Exterminated!"Dead silence.Then a howl erupted from a corner.It was excitement, something more primal awakened, the shiver a hyena emits from deep within its throat upon smelling carrion.Second, third... howls merged into a chorus.The cold glint of drawn swords cut through the murky air. Someone buried their face in a blood-stained tablecloth, inhaling deeply; someone else cut their palm with a short knife and licked the oozing blood drops.Golden Lion watched expressionlessly.He knew what these things were!Scum fished out of major prisons;Butchers who had been on black market bounty lists for over a decade;A plague even other pirate crews despised.He had fed them meat and strong liquor for three months, just to squeeze the last bit of humanity from their bones.He turned and walked towards the giant window.The floating island began to tilt, and miscellaneous items in the hall slid to one side, the sound of breaking cups and plates incessant.Golden Lion grinned."Go."He said softly, like a master unleashing a dog."Bring hell—""Down to the human world."..."Rep... Report! This is bad!!"A pirate stumbled and crashed through the heavy, carved doors of the banquet hall, his face a mixture of horror and disbelief, as if he had just escaped a nightmare."Shiki-sama, th-there are eleven people who broke in! They're heading this way..."Before he could finish!"Swish!"The gilded door of the left corridor was neatly split in two by a Emerald green sword energy, the cut as smooth as a mirror.The moment Zoro sheathed his sword, the broken door panels crashed to the ground.Almost simultaneously—"Bang!!!"The right wall was completely kicked away by a brutal force, bricks and dust cascading like a waterfall.Sanji slowly retracted his right leg, the spark of his cigarette flickering in the dust.Dead silence.The movements of hundreds of pirates in the banquet hall froze.Wine glasses held mid-air, chunks of meat half-torn, fists about to be thrown.Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two openings and the silhouettes gradually becoming clear through the swirling dust.On the left, the Three-Sword Style Swordsman, the Long-Nosed Sniper, the Silver-Haired Woman, the Reindeer Doctor, and the World Diva appeared in succession.On the right, the Black Leg Chef, the Archaeologist, the Skeleton Musician, the Cat Burglar Navigator, and the Spotted Hat Doctorstepped out steadily, their gazes like torches sweeping across the entire hall.They stood on either side, leaving a passage in the center.Tap... tap... tap... The sound of slipper heels tapping on the marble floor was unhurried, each tap like a beat in the pause of a heartbeat.A figure emerged from the deepest part of the dust.Wearing a straw hat, a black coat over a bright red suit, its hem gently fluttering in the silent airflow.He stopped at the end of the passage, standing before everyone."Golden Lion..."Luffy looked up, his eyes under the shadow of his straw hat bright as stars, a clean, sharp curve forming on his lips."We finally meet."After a brief silence, a terrified commotion erupted among the pirates."Str... straw hat?!""That straw hat Kid?! Monkey D. Luffy!!""Impossible... How could a Four Emperors appear in a place like this?!""The emperor of the sea... the 'Fourth Emperor' who reigns over the New World..."Gasps, shouts, and the clatter of weapons dropping to the floor mixed together.Many instinctively retreated, cold sweat instantly soaking their clothes.The smiling face on that bounty poster now brought not amusement, but a tangible, suffocating sense of oppression.At the end of the long table, Golden Lion Shikislowly put down his golden wine glass.The soft clink of the glass bottom touching the table was unusually clear amidst the chaos.He didn't look at his discomposed subordinates, his gaze passing over the flickering candlelight and swirling dust, falling directly on Luffy."The newly appointed emperor of the sea..."He repeated softly, as if savoring something. Then, a cold curve spread across his lips."Interesting!!"The voice wasn't loud, but it instantly froze the commotion in the entire hall like a cold current."Not even knocking on the door!!"Golden Lion leaned slightly forward, elbows propped on the table, fingers interlocked beneath his chin.The ship's rudder above his head cast a distorted shadow in the candlelight."These youngsters nowadays..."He narrowed his eyes, and something accumulated for decades began to awaken in the depths of his pupils."Are they so eager..."His tone suddenly changed!"—to die?!"Conqueror's Haki erupted with a roar!A tangible pressure exploded from Golden Lion, the air whimpering under the strain, the nearest long tables shattering in response, cups and dishes turning to powder! Dozens of pirates collapsed to the ground, eyes rolling back, without even a scream, and thick glass windows were covered in spiderweb cracks, while most of the hall's candles were extinguished!Dozens of pirates collapsed to the ground, eyes rolling back, without even a scream, and thick glass windows were covered in spiderweb cracks, while most of the hall's candles were extinguished!In the darkness, only the Haki's electrical arcs danced wildly.However,The group of eleven stood in the eye of the storm, unmoving.Luffy raised a hand, gently pressing the brim of his straw hat. His body sank slightly, and his wide grin was exceptionally clear in the darkness."Then let's see..."He said softly, then... boom!!!A crimson-golden Conqueror's Haki rose like the morning sun, crashing fiercely against the dark red torrent!Two wills clashed and tore at each other in mid-air!Electricity sparked in the void, dark red and crimson-golden lightning intertwining and exploding, illuminating the dim hall like the heart of a thunderstorm.Floor tiles were ripped up in sections, ceiling frescoes peeled off inch by inch, and the entire space trembled violently in the clash of two distinct 'royal authorities'!"What a pity."Luffy's voice cut through the roar of Haki.He shook his head, his eyes unwavering, filled only with clear certainty."Your opponent..."The crimson-golden lightning suddenly surged, pushing aside, tearing, and dispelling the dark red Haki with overwhelming force!"...is not me!"Before the echo faded, Luffy spread his arms, embracing Uta and Nami's slender waists.A silvery-white light suddenly flared, and space rippled like water.The next second, the three figures vanished into thin air.Only the unsettled hall remained, a mess everywhere, and... Golden Lion, slowly rising from the end of the long table.He stared at the spot where Luffy disappeared, the last trace of amusement completely fading from his eyes, replaced by bottomless chill."Very well.""Then let this old man see...""If your new-era ships are tough enough!"Before his words finished,"Boom!!!"The ceiling of the banquet hall exploded!Golden Lion Shiki's figure shot up like a cannonball, solid rock and magnificent crystal chandeliers behind him turning into a shower of debris, cascading down like a waterfall.He hovered a hundred meters in the air, nothing beneath his feet, treading on air solely by the power of his Float-Float Fruit.A fierce wind suddenly rose, making his golden cloak flap wildly, his golden mane appearing like burning flames against the lightning.A Conqueror's Haki far more ferocious and concentrated than the clash inside the hall exploded from him!The dark red energy wave swept across the entire floating island like a tangible tsunami.Clouds in the sky were violently torn apart and shredded, electric snakes danced wildly, and thunder roared deafeningly.Every plant on the island bowed down, buildings trembled and groaned, and even pirates with weaker strength, though far away, felt their hearts gripped by an invisible giant hand, almost suffocating."Kyahahahaha—!!"His wild laughter echoed through heaven and earth, overpowering the thunder, carrying the unique, arrogant brutality and pride of an old-era overlord, as well as an undisguised excitement after being provoked."Let this old man see with his own eyes,"He looked down from above, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, piercing through the smoke and chaos, as if to pinpoint the vanished straw hat figure,"What makes you, a mere brat, worthy of being called... the [emperor of the sea]!!"He bit the last word with extreme emphasis, like a crashing thunderbolt.Before his laughter faded, he didn't even glance below, merely spitting out a cold command:"You—.."The voice wasn't loud, yet it precisely pierced through the fierce wind and thunder, slamming into the ears of every pirate below."Deal with those annoying brats."There were no extra words, but the immense killing intent emanating from his words, almost solidifying into reality, made the pirates below, who had been panicked by the appearance of the Straw Hat Pirates, tremble violently.Immediately, a more primal emotion quickly took over."Yes!! Boss Shiki!!!"Hundreds of pirates roared in unison, their shouts briefly overpowering the wind.They gripped their blood-stained swords, cocked their flintlocks, and the last trace of hesitation in their eyes was replaced by greed and cruelty.Yes, if they couldn't defeat a Four Emperors, could they still not deal with the Four Emperors' subordinates?This thought, like poison, made their blood boil."Tsk tsk," Zoro's right eye swept over the group of pirates with menacing gazes, a sneering curve forming on his lips,"To be looked down upon by a bunch of small fries... it really doesn't feel good."On the other side, Golden Lion's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, had already locked onto a higher point.That uniquely shaped lion-headed pirate ship, the sunny, hovering above the side of the floating island.A flicker of surprise and intense interest crossed his eyes."A flying ship... not a Devil Fruit ability."He muttered to himself, as if he had discovered a rare treasure, a hint of curiosity and greed flashing in his brutal pupils,"Interesting..."He leaned slightly, and the air beneath his feet emitted a faint crackle, as if he was about to dart towards the sunny in the next instant.However,Just a thousandth of a second before his center of gravity was about to shift!"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!!!"A piercing and violent electrical roar exploded without warning extremely close behind him!Golden Lion's brutal pupils suddenly constricted, and the light of Observation Haki flashed through his eyes instantly!The next moment—A black leather shoe, wreathed in leaping blue-white lightning, kicked out violently from the void behind him with terrifying, sound barrier-shattering speed!The lightning was scorching, blinding, as if even the air was ionized and charred!"Hey!""You, with your status,"In Golden Lion's rapidly dilating pupils, the lightning reflected Sanji's fierce eyes, burning like golden flames."—are not worthy of disturbing our Captain!!!!""Diable Jambe: Grill: Lightning Star!!"