"Damn it!"
The moment he realized he had been played, the Golden Lion's face flushed red with fury.
As a legendary pirate who had stood at the pinnacle since his debut, when had he ever been toyed with using such mocking tricks?!
A vicious glint flashed through the Golden Lion's eyes as he bared his teeth and snarled coldly:
"Brat! You've successfully enraged me!"
"Don't think that just because you've grasped some strange power, you can act however you please and look down on the world!"
"When I ruled the seas, you weren't even born yet!!!"
Boom!!!
In his rage, the Golden Lion suddenly plunged the twin blades beneath his feet straight into the palace floor.
Even though he could not unleash Conqueror's Haki, the pressure radiating from his body at this moment was hardly inferior to Hancock's at all!
In an instant, the ground began to quake violently, and the entire palace shook as if it were about to collapse.
"Eh—eh—eh~ what's going on!?"
Just as Luffy was about to enter battle mode, he felt the trembling beneath his feet and immediately looked puzzled.
Red, however, calmly reassured him once more:
"Relax. It's just the power of the Float-Float Fruit."
As he finished speaking, he lifted his hand again.
A radiant glow brimming with vitality bloomed beneath Red's feet, spreading outward like rippling water.
Wherever the light passed, tender green grass rapidly sprouted across the ground.
Once covered by the grass, the trembling earth instantly stabilized and became steady again.
Grassy Terrain—not only did it restore stamina, it could also effectively negate any technique that caused ground vibrations.
Under the influence of the Float-Float Fruit, the entire palace seemed to come alive, twisting and rupturing in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, a ferocious giant lion formed of bricks and rubble roared as it charged straight toward Red and the others.
"As expected of a legendary pirate,"
Red said calmly, lifting his gaze toward the sky.
"Even at this age, you can't underestimate him."
Though the Golden Lion's strength was no longer what it once was, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse.
Even as a fallen king, his power was still firmly among the world's top tier—far beyond what Hancock could compare to now.
If not for the fact that he had appeared in a movie, there was no way he would have been so easily defeated by a Luffy who hadn't even mastered Haki yet.
It could only be said—
Timing and fate.
Even legends must eventually fade.
The thought passed in a flash.
Seeing Luffy beside him about to blow air into his hand, Red suddenly extended his arm and stopped him.
"I'll handle the Golden Lion. Luffy, you focus on Blackbeard!"
"Don't underestimate that guy—this time, we absolutely can't let him escape again!"
"Got it!"
Already used to following Red's lead, Luffy agreed without hesitation and immediately shifted his gaze, locking straight onto Blackbeard.
"You arrogant little brat!!!"
Seeing this, the Golden Lion's face twisted into something hideous as he roared at Red.
With the Straw Hat Pirates' bounties plastered all over the seas, he naturally knew that Luffy was the true captain of the crew.
And the captain was usually the strongest one!
Red's actions were practically declaring that, in his eyes, the Golden Lion was weaker than Blackbeard!
Even if that might very well be the truth—
He absolutely refused to accept it!
"Die!!!"
The Golden Lion let out a savage roar and sent the massive lion crashing straight toward Red.
Yet in the face of such a terrifying attack, Red merely raised his palm again and aimed it forward.
"Surf."
Two light, casual words left his lips.
In the next instant, surging azure energy poured forth from Red's body, forming a towering curtain of roaring waves before him.
The very next moment—
RUMMMMMBLE!!!
Before the stunned eyes of the Golden Lion and Hancock, the vast energy suddenly transformed into a colossal wave that shot skyward, tearing open the palace roof and sweeping all surrounding ruins into its torrent.
As Red's strength continued to grow, the Pokémon moves that once amounted to little more than minor tricks had become increasingly terrifying.
And Surf, already fearsome to begin with, had now evolved into a city-destroying technique!
"T-That's impossible!?"
The Golden Lion's expression changed dramatically at the sight of the towering wave.
Before he could react, the raging waters swallowed the stone lion whole.
Under the wave's impact, the lion shattered instantly, as if it had crashed into solid steel—crumbling from the front and scattering into debris that was swept far away by the flood.
The Golden Lion's strength was indeed nothing to scoff at.
But Red's power now surpassed it entirely!
"Tch!"
Seeing his attack rendered useless, the Golden Lion spat in irritation and immediately lifted himself into the air, evading the wave's advance.
Although the wave Red summoned didn't carry the same terrifying pressure as the real sea, he still had no desire to take that impact head-on.
"Hey! Senior Shiki!!! Don't forget about me—!!!"
Seeing the wave surging toward them, Blackbeard shouted loudly in panic.
Fortunately, the Golden Lion knew all too well how formidable the Straw Hat Pirates were and had no intention of fighting alone.
Before Blackbeard's shout even finished, a sudden sensation of weightlessness swept over him.
Under the Golden Lion's control, his massive body was swiftly lifted into the air.
The waves roared on.
After nullifying the Golden Lion's attack, Red didn't waste any more stamina. With a casual wave of his hand, he dispersed the raging waters.
Yet after this brief clash, the palace of the Amazon Lily Kingdom had already been completely destroyed, reduced to nothing but rubble.
Hancock stood there, stunned.
Whether it was the Golden Lion's methods or Red's techniques, both had far surpassed anything she could reasonably comprehend.
At this moment, Hancock finally understood why this man had been able to watch so calmly when she fought those two women earlier.
Had this pirate crew already become this powerful…?!
Just as Hancock was reeling from the shock of Red's strength—
Luffy, standing beside him, suddenly made his move.
Hiss—
Scalding steam erupted from his body, billowing into wisps of white vapor that drifted through the damp air.
"Gear Fourth—Warrior God Form!!!"
Once fully engaged, Luffy's expression turned deadly serious.
Gone was his earlier ease and carefree attitude. After calling out to Red, "I'm going in, Red!" he leapt high into the sky, charging straight toward the ascending Blackbeard.
"I'm counting on you!"
Compared to the Golden Lion, Red was undoubtedly more wary of Blackbeard's sheer luck and unpredictability.
After cautioning Luffy once more, he turned toward Hancock and said:
"Hancock, it's about time you left as well."
"The next fight isn't something you'll be able to help with…"
"Bastard! Don't underestimate me!"
Hancock snapped back angrily before Red could finish.
But Red simply waved his hand gently, suppressing her anger.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not doubting your strength."
"It's just that the next battle will likely take place high above Kuja Island."
"Aerial combat isn't your forte, is it?"
"Besides, as the ruler of Amazon Lily, you have more important things to do."
"Your people are still waiting for you to save them."
Red pointed toward the city beyond the palace.
Although he had already used Hyperspace Hole to send the elite members of the Kuja Pirates across the kingdom to assist, most of the invading pirates were powerful criminals from Impel Down.
Relying solely on the Kuja warriors was clearly not enough to handle such a crisis.
"..."
With Red's reminder, Hancock finally realized the heart of the issue.
After hesitating for several seconds, she clenched her fists and nodded firmly.
"I understand."
Though Hancock often presented herself as a tyrannical empress and frequently claimed that "no matter what I do, I'll be forgiven," that didn't mean she didn't care deeply about her country.
Once she made up her mind, she turned sharply and sprinted toward the city, her long, pale legs carrying her forward.
However, at that very moment—
High above, where Blackbeard and Luffy were facing off, Blackbeard suddenly let out a hoarse, grating laugh:
"Zehahahaha…!"
"I remember now!"
"That Akatsuki group that live-streamed the execution of the Celestial Dragons with Captain Ace not long ago—that was you guys, right?!"
"No wonder that executioner with three swords felt so strange!"
"That guy was the Three Sword Style brat from back then, wasn't he?!"
"Zehahahaha! What a reckless plan!"
"Knowing Captain Ace, there's no way he could've come up with something that meticulous!"
"So it was all your idea, wasn't it?!"
"Straw Hat Luffy! I'm starting to think we might get along pretty well!"
"How about we work together and take this world for ourselves!!!"
As unfocused as ever, Blackbeard once again extended an offer of cooperation before battle.
And Luffy's answer, of course, was immediate:
"Nope!"
"You're Ace's enemy! I'm not teaming up with an ugly bad guy like you!"
"And that plan was all Red's idea anyway—I'm just the one who punches the enemies away!"
Luffy replied nonchalantly, his aura instantly condensing as he launched a ferocious assault.
With his level continuing to rise, even without using items or entering a Facade-boosted burst state, he now possessed power that Blackbeard couldn't afford to ignore.
And having already fought Blackbeard once before, Luffy infused every punch with dense Fairy-type energy, overwhelming him completely!
Blackbeard, in turn, unleashed a terrifying aura of his own, stirring the winds and clouds as he clashed head-on with Luffy.
The battle was about to erupt.
Above Kuja Island, thunder flashed as violent shockwaves and deafening booms echoed endlessly.
Elsewhere, Red and the Golden Lion silently moved away from the palace ruins, flying toward a more distant stretch of sky.
Yet no one noticed—
Shortly after Blackbeard and Luffy's exchange ended, a lone figure stood atop a rocky cliff, letting wind and waves wash over her flawless form, her gaze fixed on the distance, unable to let go.
"The Celestial Dragon execution plan…"
"So it was his idea…?"
In the dim shadows, Hancock's gleaming eyes flickered with complex emotions.
Her hand clenched tightly, then loosened just as quickly, before she continued toward the city.
Only now, her steps were no longer as steady as before—
Rushed, yet unbalanced.
As though something deep in her heart had been violently stirred.
Unable to let go.
(End of Chapter)