OPTC Chapter 267 : I Am the Golden Lion!
The Wind King's Barrier works by wrapping the sword in air that alters how light bends, making the blade invisible to the naked eye.
As for the Wind King's Hammer, it releases that compressed air for long-range attacks. The sudden burst of air—or rather, high-pressure wind—possesses immense destructive force.
And because the wind is expelled, Artoria's sword is no longer invisible.
Facing the Wind King's Hammer, the Golden Lion finally saw, for the first time today, the sword with a blue hilt and a golden-glowing blade.
Then came the pain. Intense, searing pain.
Even though he realized something was wrong and tried to dodge in time, even though he coated himself in Armament Haki, the blow still pierced his waist, leaving a bloody wound.
Using the momentum from the wind, the Golden Lion was blown far back. He pressed one hand to his wound, using his Float-Float Fruit ability to help stop the bleeding, while his other hand curled to direct Daft-Green toward Ye Yan.
Those trees not only emitted poisonous gas, but their bark and leaves were also toxic. Even skin contact could infect someone with the Daft disease—only the I.Q. plant could produce an antidote.
The Golden Lion didn't care if he accidentally hurt Indigo. Although his goal was to save him, he held nothing back. If a man was caught by the enemy, he should be prepared to die.
In his view, it was better to kill Indigo himself than let his dreams end in enemy hands, and then fight to the death with his foes.
Dozens of giant trees merged into one massive surge, crashing toward Ye Yan. The sheer pressure wasn't any less than that of the earlier earth mound.
Ye Yan had just knocked Indigo unconscious when he realized he'd become the target. "You start off with this kind of attack, huh?"
Tom stepped in front of Ye Yan, pulling out a chainsaw. "Trees? Easy—just cut them down."
"Tom, don't!" Zhang Da Ye grabbed him. "Those trees are toxic—if you hack them, the debris will fly everywhere and poison us!"
Shark Chili said, "Let me handle this! Dual Super Transformation Mode!"
The shark giant stood before them, transforming instantly. Raising his left hand, he shouted, "Shark Cannon!"
A golden beam shot from the shark head on his left arm, striking the rushing trees. Dozens of trunks exploded midair.
Then the shark giant raised his right arm, spinning the shark fin blade rapidly. "Shark Fin Tornado!"
A scientifically impossible tornado swept up everything—trunks, leaves, debris—and hurled them straight toward the Golden Lion's palace.
Apparently, Shark Chili believed in fighting fire with fire.
The Golden Lion's forehead veins bulged at the sight, but he didn't stop moving. As everyone focused on the flying trees, he manipulated the ground's stones and earth into a lion, which leapt up and tossed Indigo toward the palace. He didn't even care if the man broke every bone on impact.
After that, the Golden Lion tried to fly straight at Zhang Da Ye's group, but Artoria intercepted him again, forcing him into another duel.
Zhang Da Ye smirked. "Looks like that clown's pretty important to him. Even injured, he still makes time to save him."
Rui Meng Meng asked, "So what do we do? Go after him?"
Zhang Da Ye shook his head. "No need. Let's not push him into rage mode. It'll be harder to beat him then. You guys block his view while I contact the Navy."
...
"Out of my way, girl!" the Golden Lion roared, slashing several flying blades toward the Flag Demons trying to catch Artoria.
But ever since Lu Dashan's injury, the Flag Demons had gotten smarter—they dodged more efficiently and coordinated better with Artoria.
They couldn't make her walk on air, but their teamwork was close to perfect—like fighting atop moving posts that could think and react for her.
"If I'm in your way, then defeat me first," said Artoria, cloaking her sword once more in the Wind King's Barrier. Now the Golden Lion had to worry about her blade's length and her deadly Wind King's Hammer.
"Don't get cocky! I'm the Golden Lion!" he roared, stirring the island into a storm. Sand and stones whirled through the air, darkening the sky.
Before, the twilight gloom still allowed some visibility. But now, with the raging dust storm, no one could see. The group crowded near the shark giant's legs for cover, reminding Shark Chili not to move—one misstep and they'd all be flattened.
Zhang Da Ye squinted through the sand and felt around until he grabbed something bony. "Hey, Brook? What are you doing here?"
"I didn't want to get sand in my eyes! Though I don't have any eyes, yohohoho~!"
That made Zhang Da Ye even more curious. If sand went through Brook's skull holes, what would he even see?
Brook stiffened. "I have a feeling you're thinking something rude, Da Ye-san."
"Not at all," Zhang Da Ye denied quickly, then pointed ahead. "Tom, that's clever."
Tom strutted over proudly with a welder's face shield on, like nothing happened. But when he lifted it, it was filled with sand. He shook his head, tilted his ears, and dumped a stream of sand from them.
"Okay, I take that back," Zhang Da Ye sighed. "I wonder how Artoria's doing. With no visibility, her instincts and perception should still beat his Observation Haki, right?"
In reality, Artoria was struggling again. She could fight blind just fine, but the Flag Demons couldn't see at all.
Even Jin Erpeng, with his sharpest eyes, didn't have x-ray vision. Ma Lao Wu, with the best nose, could only smell dust.
Their coordination was ruined, and the fight slipped back into a deadlock. The Golden Lion held the aerial advantage, but his waist wound was severe. Artoria, meanwhile, only had minor scratches.
They clashed for another hour—steel ringing, golden slashes tearing through the air.
Both had new wounds now. Artoria was breathing harder, but the Golden Lion seemed to grow more exhilarated the longer they fought.
"Jihahahaha! It's been years since I met an opponent like you!" he shouted, diving from the sky, twin swords striking down.
"You're strong," said Artoria, dodging and countering. "But I despise lions like you!"
The Golden Lion's blades darkened—black, almost purple—and he swung with killing intent.
Artoria's Wind King's Barrier faded, revealing her golden blade. As she moved, the sword shone brighter and brighter.
"Haaah!"
"Raaah!"
Three swords—two black, one gold—collided. The shockwave cleared the sky of all dust.
After a brief deadlock, both leapt back, then clashed again and again.
By now, the Golden Lion stopped controlling sand and fought solely with his swords.
They battled from the island's edge to the sea, and from the sea to the palace itself.
When they demolished the third building, Zhang Da Ye finally received a message from Vice Admiral Gion.
"Reinforcements will arrive in ten minutes."
"Finally. So we can either fight or retreat now?"
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."
Zhang Da Ye and the others regrouped near Artoria. He signaled her—it was time to end this.
Artoria nodded.
"I'll give you one last chance!" the Golden Lion floated back up, arms crossed. "Join me—be my right and left hands!"
Despite his madness, his confidence exuded the air of a king.
Zhang Da Ye answered for everyone. "We'll give you one last chance too—become our bounty!"
"Your answer's the same, huh?" the Golden Lion's eyes swept over them. Every person, cat, and creature stood firm with weapons drawn. "Then die here! Lion—Thousand Cut Valley!"
The moment he lifted his leg, everyone braced for impact—except Zhang Da Ye, who quietly pulled out a gadget.
As soon as he did, the Golden Lion faltered midair, nearly pulling a muscle.
Brook and Tom, startled, accidentally drove their swords through Zhang Da Ye's coat, making his heart pound wildly like Tom's exaggerated cartoon chest.
[Tom's U-Shaped Magnet: Quality guaranteed! Unmatched magnetic pull! Warning: Use at your own risk.]
Brook's cane-sword and Tom's rapier were both made of steel. The instant Zhang Da Ye activated the magnet, both weapons flew toward it—Tom included.
They pierced Zhang Da Ye's coat, crossing tightly against the magnet's poles.
Thankfully, Artoria's and Rui Meng Meng's swords—and Ye Yan's Spirit Gong and Spirit Hammer—weren't made of steel, so they were unaffected.
"Thank god Shark Chili's gear isn't metal…" Zhang Da Ye muttered. Maybe he should've asked him to retract the shark giant first.
"Da Ye (Boss! Sir! Bro! Mister! Hey!) you okay?" everyone called out, while Tom tugged helplessly at his sword.
"I'm fine! Just get him down—ow! Tom! Stop pulling, I'm bleeding!"
Tom panicked, rummaging in his bag for a first aid kit—but ended up throwing out a pile of iron tools: a gun, hammer, iron, all of which smacked Zhang Da Ye one after another.
"Stop! Or I'll pass out before you even bandage me!" Zhang Da Ye groaned. He'd survived the whole fight without injury, only to get wrecked by his own cat.
"A magnet? You've got to be kidding me," the Golden Lion growled. His prosthetic swords, Mukuro and Sakura Ten, were still partly steel, and now they trembled, drawn by magnetic force.
Sparks of magnetic energy crackled between the U-shaped magnet and his blades, pulling him downward.
Now even floating took effort. His swords dragged him down like anchors.
He vaguely remembered magnets and iron attracted each other equally—but why was this brat fine while he was struggling? Could this kid be a Magnet-Magnet Fruit user?
Before he could act, Artoria and Rui Meng Meng launched from the shark giant's shoulders, both swords cutting down.
"Don't mock me!" the Golden Lion roared, unable to move. Covering his body in Armament Haki, he crossed his arms to block.
This wasn't a duel—it was life or death. Artoria didn't hesitate to strike together with her allies.
Boom!
Golden and white slashes struck the Golden Lion's arms. The impact shattered his guard, slamming him to the ground. The island quaked, dust exploding skyward.
Crack!
A bloodied hand clawed its way from the crater's edge. The Golden Lion dragged himself out—his clothes tattered, his long golden hair disheveled and stained red and gray. Blood soaked his chest; his jaw dripped crimson. His arms hung limp, and even the ship's rudder lodged in his head was broken.
"Ji… ha… haha…" He could barely laugh. "I won't die here… my plan's not done… I am… the Golden Lion!"
He rose into the air again, the magnet still pulling on his swords. But this time, he grinned wickedly.
Squelch. Squelch.
He ripped both swords from his legs, blood gushing down. His empty pant legs fluttered in the wind—ghastly and tragic.
Ten years since I last held swords with my own hands… He glared at the trembling blades. "You are my weapons—don't you dare defy your master!"
The swords stilled. From his wrists to the blades, they turned pitch-black, black lightning dancing around them.
"I am the Golden Lion! The man destined to rule these seas! Anyone who stands in my way—will die!"
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