Golden Lion was in an absolutely foul mood.
The airborne fleet he had painstakingly rebuilt, before it even had the chance to reestablish his fearsome reputation across the seas, had been wiped out by a single Admiral.
He couldn't accept such an outcome.
But reality was cruel.
It seemed as if everything that the old era prided itself on was vanishing at a visible pace.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
After twenty years in hiding, he should have returned to the world stage with a grand declaration, a perfect prelude to a year-long campaign that would make the entire world tremble before him.
Yet now, he had an ominous premonition—one that he was about to become nothing more than a stepping stone for the new era.
He refused to go out like Whitebeard.
No. He would carry the banner of the old era and shatter every cog in the machine that had begun to turn.
And so—
After cutting down the bothersome Marine elites, Golden Lion charged straight at Kizaru.
He needed a victory to reignite his momentum.
That meant—defeating Kizaru.
After dozens of fierce exchanges, neither side had gained the upper hand, but neither was Golden Lion being completely overpowered.
As long as it wasn't one-sided, he believed he could win.
However, just as their battle was reaching its peak, a sudden violent gust struck out of nowhere—like an invisible hand slamming down on him.
It not only shattered his balance but also tore apart the floating landmass he controlled.
Meanwhile, Kizaru had turned into light, avoiding the gale's force entirely while seamlessly landing a Light-Speed Kick on Golden Lion.
That was why he now found himself crashing down from the sky.
Landing right in front of Maude was purely coincidental.
Clang, clang—
Golden Lion's twin leg-blades struck the ground, producing a crisp metallic ring.
Before him stood Kizaru, still as unruffled as ever.
Behind him, Maude gazed at him with a hint of surprise in his eyes, though there was also a glimmer of intrigue.
Of all places to crash while fighting Kizaru, it had to be in front of the man who had defeated Whitebeard.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, Golden Lion swiftly accepted the reality of the situation.
One or two—it didn't matter.
As long as he could kill even one of them, he could rein in this rampaging new era.
The prospect of such a victory carried great significance for him.
"I'll wipe you both out!"
Golden Lion's fierce eyes burned with killing intent, his wild mane and beard flowing as if stirred by an invisible force, like a beast ready to tear apart its prey.
He shifted slightly, ensuring both Maude and Kizaru remained within his line of sight.
In response to Golden Lion's declaration, Kizaru merely rubbed his chin and lazily hummed, as if the words had gone in one ear and out the other.
Maude, on the other hand, let out a quiet sigh.
He had already decided to leave, yet just at that moment, a Golden Lion had to come crashing down.
It made him hesitate.
Not just because of Golden Lion's decades of experience with his Devil Fruit abilities, but also because of the Float-Float Fruit—a fruit of considerable strategic value to him.
However—
He was confident he could defeat Golden Lion.
But Kizaru was another story.
To match an Admiral's strength with his current power, he would need at least four stats at nine-star level.
Only then, combined with augmentations like Shadow's Asgard and Twin Fish Circulation, could he not only hold his own against an Admiral but also fight with certainty of victory.
Unfortunately, due to the limitations of his previous Hunter x Hunter world's power system…
No matter how detailed the information recorded in his Hunter's Notebook, the rewards gained after each successful hunt were never 100% of the target's power.
If that were the case, with his accumulated experience, he would have ascended to godlike strength the moment he took down Whitebeard.
If he had the power to back him up, he wouldn't need to rush his departure. The Float-Float Fruit, which could make the Thriller Bark soar through the sky, would have been within easy reach.
But now—
Taking down Golden Lion and seizing the Float-Float Fruit in front of Kizaru and Sengoku was practically impossible.
Knowing when to retreat was the wisest choice.
Maude didn't hesitate any further.
Losing the experience and the Float-Float Fruit was regrettable.
But—
Risking his life for something beyond his current grasp? That would be pure foolishness.
He remained calm, never allowing his rapid power growth to cloud his judgment.
Without sparing another glance at Golden Lion, he grabbed Law and vanished in a series of swift movements, weaving around both Golden Lion and Kizaru.
Though Maude had abandoned the opportunity to defeat Golden Lion and claim his fruit, Kizaru had no intention of letting him escape.
His peripheral vision caught sight of Maude's retreat.
In an instant, his body transformed into light, appearing before Maude in the blink of an eye.
"Now where do you think you're rushing off to~?"
Kizaru habitually rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger. As he twisted his waist, his right leg, glowing with yellow light, swung toward Maude's temple with a Light-Speed Kick.
It was an attack too fast for the naked eye to follow—an ability that, under Observation Haki, was nearly unbeatable.
But Maude wasn't some rookie Supernova who could be taken down with a single kick.
A crimson gleam flashed in his eyes as he suddenly leaned backward, letting Kizaru's attack sweep past his face.
At the same time, his Shusui glinted with a cold light, piercing straight through Kizaru's chest.
"Mm~~ such a fast blade~~ couldn't dodge in time, huh~~?"
Despite being impaled by the Haki-infused sword, Kizaru looked completely unfazed, even putting on an irritatingly smug expression.
As he spoke, he leisurely raised a finger, pointing it directly at Maude's face.
Beep, beep, beep—
A dangerous, star-like beam of light gathered at the tip of his finger.
"Room."
From within Maude's grasp, Law flicked his fingers, instantly expanding a domain that encompassed all three of them.
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, Maude and Law vanished, along with the Shusui that had impaled Kizaru.
The light beam fired from Kizaru's fingertip shot harmlessly into the distance.
Almost simultaneously, Maude reappeared behind Kizaru.
Emerging with his back turned, Maude twisted his waist sharply and delivered a vicious kick to Kizaru's lower back.
Boom!
A shockwave erupted.
Kizaru's body shuddered, a glimmer of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Faintly, he even heard Maude's low whisper—
"Is light faster than teleportation?"
And then—
Kizaru was sent flying.
Before crashing into the ground, he transformed into a beam of light, dispersing into the air.
While this didn't nullify the impact, it ensured he took no further damage.
Unfortunately for him, the trajectory of his light-form sent him straight toward Blackbeard's location.
"Hm?"
Blackbeard, who had just snapped a Marine's neck with his Haki-infused hand, suddenly sensed danger.
Before he could react, his vision was flooded with blinding yellow light.
Through the glare, he barely glimpsed Maude's extended leg.
Then—
Boom!
A force beyond imagination struck his massive belly, folding his burly frame like a shrimp and sending him spewing blood as he was launched through the air.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
The amplified agony of the impact forced a wretched scream from Blackbeard.
"I @#￥%@#￥!!!"
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