On the other side, aboard the Lionhead Galleon—
The sudden appearance of Zoro and the others threw the ship into chaos, but it didn't take long for someone to organize a counterattack.
Although the Golden Lion didn't have many strong fighters on board, his crew was still sizable. Controlling such a massive sailing ship mostly relied on his Devil Fruit ability, but other tasks still required manpower.
So, as the crew members charged forward, their numbers quickly became apparent—at least a hundred of them.
"There are only four of them and a lion! We've got the advantage! Attack!"
Someone shouted, and the entire crew surged toward Zoro and the others.
"Yo! That won't do!"
Jango suddenly laughed and flung several circular saw blades into the crowd. The blades spun wildly before returning to his hands.
Although none of the saws actually hit anyone, dozens of crew members' eyes suddenly glazed over. A moment later, they turned on their own allies, raising their weapons against each other, throwing the scene into complete disarray.
"Hypnosis! Circular Saw Frenzy!"
Jango struck a dramatic pose, looking as confident as ever.
Both Zoro and Sanji were caught off guard.
"Jango... actually useful for once?"
Jango puffed up his chest proudly. "Of course! This Devil Fruit isn't just for show! I'm the master of hypnosis! Leave the small fry to me—you two go find the officers of this ship!"
Zoro and Sanji had no complaints.
They had no interest in dealing with weaklings—fighting stronger opponents was far more exciting.
Before long, Zoro came across a strange man in a white lab coat who was farting as he walked. It was Dr. Indigo, the scientist who assisted Golden Lion in researching the IQ plants. Although he carried a sword, his swordsmanship was mediocre—his real specialty lay in chemical attacks.
Even though he wasn't particularly strong, he was still a decent opponent for Zoro at the moment.
They exchanged more than a dozen blows before Dr. Indigo grew impatient. Raising his hand, he hurled green liquid spheres at Zoro.
"Juggling flames!"
Zoro scoffed.
The last guy who tried juggling tricks on him was one of Buggy's men—and now there was another one? It was starting to get old.
"Three-Sword Style! Oni Giri!"
With a single slash, he extinguished the flames.
"Three-Sword Style! 72-Pound Phoenix!"
A barrage of wind blades shot forward, cutting through the air toward Indigo.
Dr. Indigo kept dodging while hurling more juggling flames. Earlier, he had thrown green flames, but now he switched to purple ones, which burned at a much higher temperature.
However, Zoro didn't even bother dodging—he took the attacks head-on without hesitation.
He wasn't afraid of them at all.
"Three-Sword Style! Three Thousand Worlds!"
With a powerful slash, Zoro rushed straight through Dr. Indigo. The scientist froze in place as three deep wounds appeared on his chest, blood spilling out.
A moment later, he collapsed to the ground.
Zoro sheathed his swords and stood tall. "This guy was way too weak… Is he really one of Golden Lion's officers?"
He had every reason to be doubtful. Golden Lion himself was strong, but his subordinates? Not so much. It was nothing but a crew of weaklings beneath him—not worth worrying about at all.
Meanwhile, on the deck—
Jango continued hypnotizing the crew, making them turn on each other in utter chaos.
Luffy was having the time of his life, charging through enemies one after another. With each punch and pounce, more enemies were sent flying.
Above the ship, Usopp hovered at a higher altitude, sniping enemy crew members with pinpoint accuracy. Every shot hit its mark—his aim was flawless.
Nami wasn't falling behind either.
Though she had always been cautious, her strength was on a different level now.
When the enemy's attacks closed in on her, she didn't even bother dodging. Instead, she used her Slip-Slip Fruit ability, effortlessly avoiding all their strikes. Then, with a confident swing, she countered with her iron staff.
This staff was specially made by Carl—it enhanced Nami's strength and also incorporated some abilities from the Clima-Tact.
A gust of wind blew, followed by a crackle of electricity—Nami was like a demon in the eyes of the enemy crew.
Just then, a massive orangutan set its sights on her. Its eyes lit up with red hearts as it rushed toward her with a lovestruck expression.
Before it could even get close—
BAM!
Sanji's foot struck like lightning, sending the creature flying.
"You bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing to Nami-san?!"
Sanji was furious. As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of love, he immediately understood what that orangutan was thinking.
And for that reason alone—
It was unforgivable.
"Concassé!"
"Shoulder Shot!"
"Brisket Strike!"
"Veal Shoot!"
"Tenderizing Crush!"
Sanji's kicks rained down like a storm, each one faster than the last. The orangutan had no chance to resist. By the time Sanji was done, its face was completely distorted beyond recognition.
In his anger, Sanji's strength surged. The orangutan didn't even have a chance to fight back. After several minutes of relentless attacks, it finally collapsed in spectacular fashion, completely unconscious.
Before long, all the enemy grunts on the ship had been taken down, and the remaining crew members were rounded up.
Zoro frowned. "Are these guys really under Golden Lion? They're way too weak."
"Maybe it's because Golden Lion had to rebuild his fleet after escaping from Impel Down," Usopp speculated. "His crew might be weak, but he should still be strong. After all, that guy was once a legendary pirate—on the same level as the Pirate King and Whitebeard!"
Hearing this, the others, who weren't familiar with Golden Lion, immediately pressed Usopp for details.
Usopp quickly repeated what Carl had told them. The moment they learned of Golden Lion's true identity, everyone was shocked.
At the same time, the remaining enemy crew members, seeing their entire deck wiped out, were just as confused as Zoro. How could the subordinates of a legendary pirate be this weak?
Sanji took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled. "You're looking at it the wrong way. It's not that they're weak—it's that we're strong."
His words made everyone pause for a moment—then they all broke into smiles.
Sanji was right.
Even though they had yet to leave the East Blue, their strength was already far beyond the norm. The weakest among them was Luffy's pet lion, but even he was strong enough to rival lower-ranking Marine officers.
So in that case, wasn't it natural for them to defeat one of the so-called legendary pirates?
"Well then," Usopp stretched, "now we just have to wait for Luffy and Carl to finish up."
Meanwhile, high above the sea—
The battle between Luffy and Golden Lion raged on as the Straw Hats secured control of the Lionhead Galleon.
The two fighters clashed midair, their attacks creating massive shockwaves across the sea. Water erupted skyward with each collision, turning the battlefield into a breathtaking spectacle.
Carl followed behind them at a leisurely pace, standing atop his flying sword. In his hand, he held a camera.
Every time Luffy's punch connected with Golden Lion, Carl snapped a photo.
This was the perfect chance for the Straw Hats to make a name for themselves—so capturing these moments was a must. As for using his flying sword to discreetly assist Luffy? That was just a minor detail.
"Gomu Gomu no—Eagle Bazooka!"
"Shi Shi: Shiki !"
"Gear Third! Gomu Gomu no—Gigant Rifle!"
"Lion Majesty: Earth Coiling!"
Blow after blow, the two fighters exchanged attacks at a furious pace, shaking the very sky with their battle.
But… perhaps Golden Lion really had grown old.
Because more often than not, Luffy's punches were landing clean, forcing the legendary pirate to grimace in pain.
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