A rift suddenly tore through the air currents above the island.
Enel's hovering figure shuddered violently, the electric currents wrapped around his body crackling into chaotic bursts. His golden staff nearly slipped from his grasp.
Gritting his teeth, he steadied himself, his silver-gray pupils locked onto the golden-haired figure whose wild mane danced in the wind.
The oppressive aura Golden Lion Shiki had just unleashed struck his lightning like a hammer, disrupting even the power of his Rumble-Rumble Fruit. The electric sparks at his fingertips flickered unsteadily, as if they might vanish at any moment.
For the past three days, he had observed this brutal battle from the detached perspective of a "god." Though he acknowledged the formidable strength of Bahr and the Golden Lion, his absolute confidence in the Rumble-Rumble Fruit had never wavered.
In his eyes, thunder was the most overwhelming force in the world—one that would inevitably leave these so-called "mortals" far behind.
But now, the golden Airwave erupting from Shiki's body swept across the heavens and earth like a tsunami, distorting the very fabric of Space itself. That overwhelming pressure, transcending mere physical attacks, was identical to what Bahr had casually mentioned—Conqueror's Haki!
"So that guy wasn't bluffing…" Enel's fingers unconsciously brushed his chin as he felt his heart pound uncontrollably for the first time.
He had always regarded the Rumble-Rumble Fruit as an invincible weapon—until now. The lingering golden ripples in the air crackled relentlessly, sending painful surges of electricity through his body, forcing him to admit that relying solely on his Devil Fruit powers wasn't enough.
As he stared at the Golden Lion's imposing figure in the sky, Enel's shock transformed into burning desire. That Conqueror's Haki, capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart, was clearly an even more domineering force than lightning itself!
Licking his lips, an unprecedented hunger surged within him. His voice trembled with barely contained excitement: "Conqueror's Haki… This is the power a god should wield!"
The electric currents around him coiled tighter, the crackling arcs of lightning now carrying a seriousness he had never shown before.
On the ground, Bahr stared at the Golden Lion, whose aura had skyrocketed, cold sweat trickling down his temples.
The Conqueror's Haki Shiki had unleashed when tearing off his ship's rudder was terrifying—it had shattered the earth beneath their feet into a spiderweb of cracks. The scattered debris hadn't even touched the ground before being pulverized by the golden Airwave.
What unsettled Bahr even more was Shiki's current state. His hunched back had straightened abruptly, and his once-clouded eyes now seethed with several times the previous bloodlust, as if a demon had crawled straight out of hell.
The crushing pressure bearing down on him like a tidal wave made it hard to breathe. For a fleeting moment, Bahr felt as if the old monster was about to unleash a strike capable of splitting the entire island in half.
"This… is the true 'Lion Demon.'" Bahr swallowed hard, his palms slick with sweat around the hilt of his sword.
As one of the great pirates who had once stood alongside Roger, Whitebeard, and Garp, Bahr had never underestimated Shiki's strength—even if he had been "defeated by plot" at the hands of the Straw Hat crew in the original story.
These old monsters who had fought their way through the era before the "Great Pirate Age" were no pushovers. Just the fact that Shiki had once held his own against Garp and Sengoku working together spoke volumes about his power.
Earlier, Bahr had seemingly dominated the fight, yet he had never been able to decisively defeat Shiki. He knew all too well that the ship's rudder embedded in Shiki's leg bones acted like shackles, severely limiting his true strength—which was why Bahr had chosen to back off while he was ahead.
But now…
"Kekekeke—" Golden Lion suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, the sound causing the clouds to tremble and churn.
With a fierce motion, he drew the famed swords "Cherry Ten" and "Withered Tree" from between his legs, sending two arcs of blood flying as he crossed the blades and pointed them at Bahr. "Brat, let's have another round with this old man!"
"Damn it… I didn't even steal your woman, is this really worth going all out?" Bahr's expression darkened as he couldn't help but curse inwardly.
He knew all too well—removing the ship's rudder had indeed unlocked the seal on Golden Lion's power, but it also meant the old lion's life was now on a countdown.
This current outburst was nothing more than a final surge of adrenaline, a last desperate struggle. Yet, this power faintly rivaled that of the "Lion Demon" in his prime.
Goddammit… this is what they call the ultimate sublimation!
Bahr watched as blood gushed from the hole in Golden Lion's skull and the wounds between his legs, staining his tattered clothes a glaring crimson in moments. For a second, he was at a loss for words.
Suddenly, he tightened his grip on Autumn Water and raised his head, locking eyes with Golden Lion. "Then let me give the 'Lion Demon' the most glorious funeral for his final performance!"
"Kekekeke…" Golden Lion laughed, his entire body drenched in blood as droplets trickled down his blades. "Come at me, brat!" he roared.
Bahr's eyes hardened as he swung Autumn Water, the blade erupting with a black glow several times brighter than before.
With a low shout—"Dimensional Slash!"—a crescent-shaped black slash tore through the air, larger than before, its edges twisting the surrounding air as if it could truly split the heavens in two.
"Kekekeke, now that's more like it!" Golden Lion brandished "Cherry Ten" and "Withered Tree," his wrists flicking as two golden slashes, infused with advanced Haki, shot forth like lightning.
These strikes, arriving faster than Bahr's Dimensional Slash, collided with it like meteors crashing to earth.
The black slash held for mere seconds before shattering like paper, torn apart instantly by the golden blades.
The resulting Airwave swept across the island like a tsunami, shattering trees as thick as bowls into splinters and sending debris flying. Even the distant lake was struck by the force, churning with vicious whirlpools.
"Whoosh!"
Bahr's figure blurred as he flashed behind Golden Lion, Autumn Water now sheathed in a dark purple Haki so dense it seemed tangible. He aimed a ruthless slash at the back of Golden Lion's neck.
The strike was swift and vicious, the blade slicing through the air with a sharp hiss, as if even the wind trembled in fear.
Yet Golden Lion seemed to have eyes on his back, twisting his body just in time to counter with a reverse slash of "Withered Tree."
"Clang!"
The two blades collided with a deafening crash, the force reverberating through Bahr's arm, numbing it instantly. His palm split open with a "snap," warm blood trickling down the back of the blade and dripping onto the rocks below.
"Brat, you're still too green!" Golden Lion sneered, twisting his wrist to send "Withered Tree" sweeping toward Bahr's side. The blade cut through the air with a piercing screech, as if it could slice through Space itself.
Gritting his teeth, Bahr swung Autumn Water to block. The clash sent sparks flying, the metallic clangs echoing across the island and rippling the distant sea.
He was forced to retreat repeatedly, each block sending waves of pain through his arms. The wound at the base of his thumb split wider, blood dripping down the hilt and staining Autumn Water's black scabbard crimson.
Yet Golden Lion was like an untiring beast, his twin swords weaving an impenetrable storm. Cherry Ten and Withered Tree alternated in ruthless slashes, each strike carrying the force to split mountains, leaving Bahr no choice but to endure.
"Clang!"
Autumn Water was knocked upward, the blade trembling violently in his grip. The base of his thumb split instantly as Golden Lion's Cherry Ten descended in a blinding golden arc, like a searing bolt of lightning. The sword's wind scraped against Bahr's face, as if his skin were about to tear.
Bahr's pupils contracted—he teleported ten meters away, only for his scalp to prickle the moment he landed. A golden slash followed like a shadow—Golden Lion had predicted his landing point!
In haste, Bahr raised his sword horizontally to block. The frigid slash crashed against Autumn Water's flat with the force of a tidal wave, hurling him backward. He slammed into the cliff with a "thud," debris embedding into his back, pain twisting his face.
Before he could steady himself, Golden Lion's sword wind arrived again—Cherry Ten cleaved downward in a golden flash, the air hissing as it split.
Bahr flickered to the side, Autumn Water slashing horizontally with dark-purple Haki, only for Golden Lion to twist his wrist and sweep Withered Tree across.
The blades clashed once more, a brutal force exploding through the steel. Bahr staggered back several steps, the cliff beneath him cracking like a spiderweb.
"Kid, can you still fight?" Golden Lion's voice was hoarse as a broken gong, yet carried undeniable authority. Blood foamed at the corners of his mouth.
Bahr shook his numb wrist, droplets of blood from his split thumb sliding down the blade onto the scorched rock. He grinned, teeth stained red. "Old man... you're practically drained of blood, yet still this stubborn?"
Golden Lion suddenly roared with laughter, the sound shaking loose pebbles from the cliff. Raising Cherry Ten, he pointed its tip at Bahr, his golden pupils burning with an undying battle spirit:
"As long as I draw breath... I am the Golden Lion!"
—So you're the Supreme of the Forbidden Zone, huh?