Golden Lion hadn't expected a young man to know so much about the old era.
But the moment he heard Carl mention taking his treasured swords, his expression darkened.
When had he ever been looked down upon like this?
Even Garp and Sengoku never dared to underestimate him! These brats were getting out of hand!
Just as he was about to teach them a lesson, he suddenly felt a strange fluctuation in the air.
"Huh? Conqueror's Haki?"
His sharp gaze immediately locked onto the kid in the straw hat.
This is East Blue!
A total newcomer… yet he's already awakened Conqueror's Haki?
Unbelievable!
Subconsciously, Golden Lion unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki in response. The two invisible forces clashed violently in midair, creating deafening explosions as black lightning crackled through the sky.
Usopp, witnessing this terrifying scene, nearly lost his footing.
Zoro's eyes widened as well—it was his first time witnessing a direct clash of Conqueror's Haki.
BOOM!
After a few seconds, both withdrew their Haki at the same time.
Golden Lion took an involuntary step back.
His expression turned grim. He hadn't expected his Conqueror's Haki to be overpowered by this rookie!
Tch! It's because of that damn rudder stuck in my head! That's the only reason!
Luffy pressed down on his straw hat. "That was just my way of saying hello."
Then he grinned. "Golden Lion… you're a legendary pirate, as famous as Roger and the Four Emperors, right? I wouldn't want my greeting to be too rude."
With a confident look, he declared, "The name's Monkey D. Luffy… Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates… and the man who'll become the Pirate King!"
For a moment, Golden Lion was stunned.
Then, he burst into laughter.
"Jihahahaha! You? The Pirate King?! You sure have a big mouth, brat!"
Luffy remained unfazed. "Did you just attack my crew?" His expression turned serious. "Then, as their captain, I can't just let that slide."
He clenched his fists. "So, what do you say? Wanna fight? I'd love to see just how strong a legendary pirate really is."
Golden Lion's grin twisted into a sneer.
"Jihahaha! Arrogant little punk! Since you're so eager to die, I'll be happy to teach you a lesson!"
He raised a hand and gestured.
Immediately, the entire island trembled beneath them.
Chunks of earth and rock tore free from the ground, rising into the air.
In a matter of seconds, they reshaped into five colossal lions, each one towering over the battlefield.
"Lion Majesty: Earth Coiling!"
With a deafening roar, the five massive lions charged straight at Carl and the others!
Nami and the others, still on the island, watched the scene unfold with wide eyes—practically popping out of their sockets.
Then, without hesitation, they turned and ran for their lives.
Meanwhile, Luffy inhaled deeply, pumping air through his body as steam-like pink smoke began rising from his skin.
Gear Second—activated.
Facing the five massive earth lions, his expression remained fearless.
"Gomu Gomu no… Jet Gatling!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In a flash, his pink-hued rubber fists slammed into the enormous creatures, pulverizing them into dust within seconds.
Luffy turned toward Carl, his face deadly serious.
"Mr. Carl, cover my flight—I want to take down Golden Lion with my own hands!"
Carl smirked.
"No problem, Luffy. Don't worry about flying—I've got that covered. Just focus on fighting seriously.
This is your first real battle since setting sail. Don't lose."
Luffy's lips curled into a determined grin.
"Don't worry, Teacher Carl! I will win!"
The sheer confidence radiating from Luffy made Carl, Zoro, and Usopp smile instinctively.
Carl raised his hand, and the giant black sword beneath his feet split into eight smaller floating blades, each sturdy enough for someone to step on.
He sent five of them downward, lifting Sanji, Nami, Jango, and Luffy into the air.
Then, he addressed the crew.
"Alright, listen up! The battle starts now."
"Our enemy today is a legendary pirate—a man who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Roger and Whitebeard!
I'll send you all to his flagship. The enemy crew is your responsibility—take them down."
Carl turned to Usopp.
"Usopp, tell Momoo to move the Merry farther out.
Luffy and I are taking care of Golden Lion.
This battle will solidify the name of the Straw Hat Pirates! So give it everything you've got!"
Running into Golden Lion was completely unexpected, but Carl wasn't worried at all.
In fact, he was thrilled.
Golden Lion was such a great guy!
Not only was he giving Luffy battle experience and fame, but he was also donating two Great Grade Swords to Zoro.
What a generous old man!
As for whether they could actually defeat Golden Lion? Carl wasn't the least bit concerned.
Even though this wasn't a movie timeline, Luffy was already stronger than in the original story.
A weakened Golden Lion?
No problem at all!
And if Luffy struggled?
Carl was right there as backup!
Hearing the name of such a legendary pirate, Nami and Jango initially panicked.
But seeing the unwavering confidence in Luffy, Carl, and the others, they quickly realized—
There's no turning back.
And most importantly—
There's nothing to fear.
Luffy and Carl had already proven they could fight a Marine Admiral.
The entire crew had grown stronger—they weren't the same rookies they used to be.
So why should they fear anyone?
Nami clenched her fists, her resolve returning.
Jango adjusted his hat and smirked.
"Alright!"
"Let's go!"
Carl controlled the floating black swords, swiftly sending Zoro and the others onto the lion-headed galleon above the clouds.
Meanwhile, Usopp descended toward the Merry.
Luffy, however, remained, locked in an intense standoff with Golden Lion.
Both of them stood firm, their expressions serious.
Not long after, Carl recalled the small black swords back to himself.
"Luffy, everyone's fine!" he reported.
Luffy nodded. "Good."
"Now, it's time for my battle!"
He clenched his fists, the sound of cracking knuckles echoing through the air—then, without hesitation, he lunged at Golden Lion, launching a Jet Pistol.
Golden Lion was no amateur.
His Observation Haki may have dulled over the years, but it hadn't disappeared entirely.
With ease, he dodged the rubber fist and retaliated with a few Slash Waves from the massive blades attached to his feet.
Luffy didn't flinch.
With a casual swing, his fist shattered the incoming air slashes, scattering them like harmless gusts of wind.
Thanks to Carl's floating black sword, Luffy maneuvered effortlessly through the air—his speed matching that of Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit ability.
But Luffy was faster.
He suddenly accelerated, unleashing a relentless Jet Gatling—his fists hammering toward Golden Lion like a storm of bullets.
Golden Lion barely managed to evade, countering with swift slashes from Sakura Ten and Deadwood, the Great Grade Swords attached to his feet.
But despite his efforts, he was on the defensive, forced to retreat under the ferocious assault.
However, Golden Lion was no stranger to tactical combat.
His eyes flickered toward Carl, who had been following Luffy closely throughout the fight.
With a sudden shift in stance, he changed his hand gesture.
Immediately—
The entire island below began to descend rapidly—right toward Carl!
Golden Lion smirked.
If I take out Carl, Luffy loses his flight.
And without the ability to maneuver in the sky—
He'll be at my mercy!
Air supremacy is everything.
It was a brilliant move—
Except for one small problem.
Golden Lion didn't know that Luffy could use Moonwalk.
And he definitely underestimated Carl.
Carl stared up at the massive island plummeting toward him.
He raised an eyebrow.
"…Seriously?"
Taking a deep breath, he drew Obsidian, his black blade gleaming ominously.
With one swift slash, a dark wave of energy cut through the sky—
And in the next instant—
The entire island split cleanly in half.
Golden Lion's pupils contracted in shock.
"What the—?!"
Carl stood unfazed, watching the two halves of the island crash downward on either side of him.
Meanwhile, Golden Lion's expression darkened.
This guy… doesn't he have the strength of a Great Swordsman?!
His mind raced, and a deep frustration settled in his chest.
He couldn't help but think of the Roger Pirates—the crew he hated the most.
Back then, Roger and Rayleigh had fought together, and even with his Float-Float Fruit, he had never been able to gain the upper hand against them.
Now, history was repeating itself.
Golden Lion gritted his teeth.
"Damn it…"
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