East Sea, Loguetown.
Viewed from high above, the entire island was in chaos, swarming with people.
Rows of Marine soldiers in white uniforms stood along the main thoroughfare, maintaining order.
The commander of the Loguetown Marine branch roared loudly:
"Quickly, quickly!"
"Pack anything easy to carry and hurry to the refugee ships at the port!"
"Don't linger! Don't linger!"
"Roger's enemy! The Great Pirate Golden Lion is about to attack!"
"Leave the island immediately!!!"
"Abandon all unnecessary items!"
"Hurry!"
Thanks to the Marine branch commander's usual prestige, and the reputation of Roger's enemy, the Great Pirate Golden Lion.
The islanders rushed towards several refugee ships at the port.
"Damn it! Don't push me!"
"I was here first!"
"Don't cut in line, you bastard!"
"Who cares about you!"
"Get out of the way! I'm getting on the ship first!"
"Bastard!!!"
On several refugee ships that had already departed in the distance.
A middle-aged man, who looked like a merchant, holding a child, finally found his wife and let out a sigh of relief:
"Thank goodness we made it. Are the children alright?"
His wife, who had a delicate and gentle appearance, held two children beside him:
"We're fine, just got stepped on a few times."
The middle-aged merchant sighed softly:
"It's good that you're okay. Preserving your lives is the most important thing."
His wife looked worried:
"When will this kind of life ever end?"
"Damn pirates, damn Roger, he can't rest even in death."
"All the cargo was left on the island. I don't know how much money we'll lose this time."
"If this continues, we won't last a year."
The middle-aged merchant was an optimist. He gently put an arm around his wife:
"It'll be alright. As long as our family is safe, that's all that matters."
"As long as we're alive, we'll always get back on our feet."
"At least we're still alive. The Sakas family, weren't they... because they were greedy for those valuables, they were attacked by pirates..."
His wife quickly interrupted:
"Alright, don't say any more. I know."
"It's just that I'm angry, sigh."
The merchant gently held his wife:
"It's alright, it's alright."
Suddenly, his wife felt her husband's body stiffen.
Looking up in the direction of her husband's gaze, she trembled uncontrollably, and everyone on the ship did the same.
Someone cried out:
"Those islands!!"
"It's the Golden Lion's power!!!"
----
Above Loguetown.
The Golden Lion, who had been non-stop traversing Reverse Mountain, was heading towards Loguetown with several islands.
Without mentioning the fear of those who discovered them.
The Golden Lion looked at the approaching islands and suddenly felt a lack of interest...
This island where Roger was executed was no different from any other island he had seen.
Seeing his arrival, everyone had fled. His Kenbunshoku Haki could clearly sense the panicked people on the island.
His heart had calmed down, as if he had seen through worldly affairs:
"This is the island that gave birth to a man like Roger."
"How boring..."
"Let's start here."
His indifferent voice was devoid of emotion.
He waved his remaining right hand downwards, and four island fragments, roughly the size of Loguetown, plunged down.
----
The citizens and soldiers on the island watched in terror as the islands descended.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, many collapsed to the ground, looking in despair at the massive dark shadows crashing down.
Fragments of their lives flashed through their minds like a revolving lantern.
Countless people closed their eyes in despair:
"Is this... the end..."
"We're going to die like this..."
Whoosh—
A sharp, piercing cry rang out in the ears of the despairing crowd.
A calm yet immensely reassuring voice resounded throughout the heavens and earth:
"Meigo!!!"
Accompanying the voice, a crimson meteor streaked across the sky.
It instantly pierced two islands, then the rapidly expanding magma of the islands exploded.
Boom—
The exploding magma formed two umbrella-shaped canopies.
They blocked the next two islands, enveloped them, and continued to fall downwards.
Boom—
With two more rumbling sounds, the two islands crashed down. Even with some distance, they stirred up monstrous waves.
The surging waves overturned countless people and destroyed numerous buildings.
But no one felt pain; they were all laughing madly:
"We... we... we survived!!!"
"Hahaha!!!"
"It's an Admiral! It's an Admiral!!!"
"We're alive!!"
"Hahaha!!!!"
The entire island went wild...
----
On the sea, at an altitude of a thousand meters.
All the islands stopped, and the Golden Lion stepped forward.
His golden cloak and long, flowing hair fluttered like a lion's mane.
He looked at Sakazuki, who was standing on a golden magma bird a hundred meters away, and said calmly:
"You're in my way, magma brat."
Seeing Sakazuki's arrival, the Golden Lion knew his journey would likely end here.
But... an old lion is still a lion.
The Golden Lion narrowed his eyes and looked indifferently at Sakazuki.
Sakazuki stood on the golden magma bird.
Hearing the Golden Lion's indifferent words, he chuckled:
"Have you accepted your fate of death, Golden Lion?"
Seeing Sakazuki's hateful smile, the Golden Lion took a deep puff of his cigar and slowly exhaled:
"Phew—"
"Quite sharp-tongued, magma brat."
"But..."
"Who dies is not yet decided."
Saying that, he drew the long sword at his waist with his remaining right hand and floated up.
Sakazuki flicked his right hand, and a magma longsword appeared, performing a flourish.
Coated in dark Haki and imbued with Conqueror's Haki:
"Your mouth is tough, but I wonder if your bones are as hard."
The Golden Lion grinned, staring at Sakazuki.
Sakazuki also grinned, staring at the Golden Lion opposite him:
"Heh..." x2
Two cold snorts.
A flash of gold and a streak of red collided rapidly in the sky.
Boom—
All the white clouds within sight began to rapidly recede and disappear in a circle centered on the two of them.
At the center of the clashing swords, wisps of black and purple lightning flickered.
After only a moment of stalemate, the Golden Lion was at a disadvantage. Sakazuki sneered:
"You're old..."
Seeing the blade gradually being pressed towards his neck, the Golden Lion had to admit it. He... took a deep breath:
"Then you try it, magma brat!"
With that, he unleashed a surge of power, pushing back, while simultaneously, the two swords that served as his feet slashed towards Sakazuki's chest.
Sakazuki instantly coated his entire body in Armament Haki, enduring the two slashes, his sword-wielding arm muscles bulging!
Whoosh—
The Golden Lion was sent flying backward, crashing into an island not far behind him.
Sakazuki's fiery red figure followed closely, charging forward.
Boom—
This island was directly shattered by magma, kicking up dust everywhere.
Screech—
Like the sound of tearing cloth, a sword light split the dust-filled air in two, as the Golden Lion shot towards the sky.
Sakazuki, standing on a piece of the shattered island, suddenly expanded and distorted.
A magma giant, five hundred meters in size, with a thousand arms on its back and a face like a demon, appeared.
It was large enough to stand on the fragment of the island:
"Sentō Tenshu!"
All thousand arms aimed at the Golden Lion ascending into the sky.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Innumerable arms detached from its body, their tails erupting with magma, charging towards the Golden Lion.
The entire sky was filled with magma, enveloping the Golden Lion.
Boom—
Suddenly, the magma exploded with a large hole. The Golden Lion had many magma clumps floating behind him, condensing into a lion's head tens of meters in size.
Coated in Haki and wielding a long sword, he charged down at Sakazuki.
From Sakazuki's perspective, it looked like a massive lion phantom emitting fierce sword energy was charging, and he chuckled:
"A cornered beast is still a beast."
The thousand arms of the magma giant suddenly transformed into magma, surging towards the two uppermost hands.
They formed a magma longsword hundreds of meters long, which the magma giant held in its hands.
Holding the sword with both hands and moving it behind him, he slashed fiercely at the charging massive lion phantom.
Whoosh—.
Boom!!!!!!!
Amidst the sound that seemed to split the sky and sea in two.
The two who had passed by each other stopped.
The massive lion phantom was split in half from the middle and disappeared.
The Golden Lion also had a bloodstain appearing from his brow, extending to his chin, and down to his chest.
He looked down at the wound on his chest, a moment of daze:
"I lost..."
"This much..." He suddenly calmed down.
He turned to look at Sakazuki, who was not far behind him:
"Magma brat."
"Do you think I'm worse than Roger?"
The magma longsword in Sakazuki's hand slowly melted back into his arm and disappeared:
"Both are sea trash. What are you comparing? Comparing who's more rotten."
The Golden Lion let out a soft chuckle, tightened his grip on his sword, and took a deep breath:
"Forget it, I didn't expect you to say anything nice."
"Magma brat."
"Try to block this move."
"Heh....."
As his voice faded, the Golden Lion's aura continuously rose, but his life was also continuously draining.
The scattered fragments of the ten shattered islands began to coalesce and reform.
They formed a super massive lion's head.
In front of this massive rock lion's head, the island of Loguetown below was only the size of the giant lion's eyes.
The Golden Lion panted heavily, sweat soaking his clothes and falling behind the massive lion's head, which he pushed forward with his hand.
This super massive lion's head, as if the sky was collapsing, pressed down on the falling Sakazuki:
"Block this move! Magma brat!!!"
"I am! The Golden! Lion!"
Roar—
A colossal roar erupted from the mouth of the rock lion, charging towards Sakazuki.
Sakazuki stomped his foot, charging diagonally upwards, his dark right arm wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, moving behind him to build power.
At the moment the two collided.
The Golden Lion's entire body's Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki were imbued into the front of the lion's head, faintly enveloping it.
Boom—！！！！
Like a collision of Mars and Earth.
The middle of the super massive lion's face began to collapse.
However, the weight of the land from the ten islands still pushed Sakazuki down towards the sea.
Sakazuki took a deep breath:
"As expected, it's no good. It's too heavy."
A dazzling red light suddenly erupted from his body.
"Magma Burst Ball."
Boom—
The magma exploded, forming a lava anti-air wall in the sky.
The intense impact caused the super massive lion's head to pause for a moment.
Sakazuki instantly reformed his body, now in his Red Lotus form, facing the center of the lion's face and delivering three consecutive punches.
The sharp force layered one upon another, breaking through the surface with a point.
His right arm's muscles bulged, and he struck again:
"Meigo!!!"
A crimson beam instantly pierced through the super massive lion's head, and the crimson magma pierced through the Golden Lion's chest behind it.
The entire super massive lion's head instantly disintegrated, and the Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki were withdrawn.
The Golden Lion looked at the large hole in his chest, opened his mouth, but uttered no sound.
It was over. In a daze, he sighed inwardly:
"How many times has it been..."
"My life... is truly a failure..."
"Roger..."
His eyes slowly closed. Despite his unwillingness, he sank into darkness.
As the islands fell towards the sea.
Whoosh—
A red light flew, and Sakazuki caught the Golden Lion.
Looking at the deceased Golden Lion, he said indifferently, casually twisting off his head:
"I still need you to establish my authority, old man."
"Make your one and only contribution to this world."