Chapter 167: Face the Golden Lion, and the Battle Begins!
"Captain, that is…"
"The island is flying in the sky. It matches the intel perfectly."
"The Flying Pirates—Golden Lion's crew—are here."
Najenda narrowed her eyes, watching the enormous floating island approach. A powerful aura radiated from it, charging directly toward them.
All around, news birds flapped their wings, rapidly fleeing from the area.
None of them wanted to get caught in the clash between two titanic pirate crews.
"Everyone—prepare for battle!" Ryuunosuke's voice rang out.
"Life Return!"
He pressed a hand to his stomach. In an instant, his body was restored to peak condition—his strength, fully replenished.
All around him, his crew stood tall, eyes fixed on the floating island steadily approaching. A crazed battle hunger lit up their expressions.
"Finally! We get to fight alongside the captain!"
"Hell yeah, my blood's boiling!"
"This is the first time we get to battle beside Captain and the Division captains!"
"I'm so pumped, I could charge in and start slicing right now!"
The handymen—especially the newer ones—buzzed with excitement. Even those who had joined earlier had never been on the frontlines with Ryuunosuke himself. To fight beside the captain was a rare honor.
Their anticipation was no less intense than the newcomers'.
"The First Division—Night Raid—reporting and ready for battle!"
"The Second Division—Phantom Troupe—locked and loaded!"
"Second Handymen Division—Captain Hawkins and all members ready! The enemy's already marked for death!"
One by one, the divisions formed ranks behind Ryuunosuke.
"Let's go."
Clap!
"Tengai Shinsei!"
Ryuunosuke clapped his hands together. The Rinnegan flared open—otherworldly and ominous.
He activated his technique.
The Floating Fruit, huh? Come down from the sky then.
Far above, the Golden Lion stared down at them, a mocking grin on his face.
From his high vantage point, the Dragon Hunter Pirates looked like mere ants. They weren't even on the same playing field—or so he thought.
"Captain… up there! Something's—"
"Shut it. Don't embarrass yourself."
Bang!
Golden Lion casually pulled his pistol and shot the panicking pirate.
"Captain! There's something in the sky!"
Now others were pointing as well, eyes wide in horror.
Golden Lion had noticed Ryuunosuke clapping moments ago, but brushed it off as some dramatic flair. Just theatrics before a fight.
But when he looked up—he froze.
A meteorite!?
And not just any meteorite—an enormous one, plummeting from the heavens.
What kind of monster could summon that!?
The thought flashed through Golden Lion's mind. But he wasn't one to be cowed so easily.
He flew upward without hesitation, meeting the meteorite head-on.
With a roar, he activated his Devil Fruit ability.
"A mere rock? Just a toy in the hands of the great Golden Lion!"
He caught the massive meteorite with one hand, intending to send it flying—but—
BOOM!
A second meteorite crashed into the first, slamming it down with brutal force.
Golden Lion's power didn't activate on impact—it had to be deliberately used. Caught off guard, the meteorite he held was knocked downward, nearly driving the ship's rudder lodged in his head straight into his skull.
Buzz!
Just in time, he regained control and covered both meteorites in his power.
"Not bad," Ryuunosuke said calmly. "Golden Lion Shiki—if you don't come down now, you'll just be target practice in the sky."
He added, "Also, I'll be taking that island ship of yours."
Golden Lion's Observation Haki caught every word.
As much as he hated to admit it, remaining airborne made him a sitting duck.
Boom…
Left with no better option, the Flying Pirates descended, merging their island ship with Benkejes Island.
Golden Lion hurled the meteorites downward, imbuing them with his Floating Fruit's power mid-air.
The giant rocks hurtled toward the Dragon Hunter Pirates like falling gods.
"Gunado! Time to show off!"
"Slice: Severance!"
Urzi leapt into the sky, silver threads forming between his fingers. He whipped them forward—cutting fruit powers slicing through stone like paper.
Sizzle…
The meteorite shattered into pieces.
"Explode: Bomb Grasshoppers!"
Gunado tossed a swarm of mechanical grasshoppers into the air. They zipped into the fresh cuts in the broken meteorite—
BOOM!
A massive explosion tore it apart, the fragments raining down like confetti. The second meteorite met the same fate.
The battlefield between the Flying Pirates and Dragon Hunter Pirates was now clear—leveled and ready for war.
"The legendary pirate from the old era… Shiki the Golden Lion."
Ryuunosuke stood firm, watching the enemy float just above his island ship.
"Tell me, what's in the East Blue that's worth all this trouble?"
He didn't buy the idea that this was just about Roger. If Golden Lion wanted revenge, he wouldn't have waited all these years.
There had to be another reason.
"A dead man doesn't need to know."
Golden Lion grinned.
"But… I'll make an exception. Based on how you fought just now—I, Golden Lion, acknowledge you."
"Jihahahahaha!"
With a burst of laughter, he slashed out with a sword wave using his foot.
"Isshin-ryu: Flowing Water!"
Kuina stepped forward.
The sword in her hand, Wind Breath, shimmered as she unleashed her technique.
A strange ripple flowed through the air—the slash that could cut the sea was absorbed, swallowed whole by her technique.
It didn't even change direction.
It simply vanished.
Water nourishes all things without conflict. The best flows like water—soft, but able to wear down stone.
The tolerance of flowing water was immense—even a sword slash could be dissolved by it.
"Dragon Hunter Pirates combat unit—Kuina. I'll be your opponent."
She raised her sword with calm confidence.
BOOM BOOM BOOM…
Suddenly, a volley of shells exploded around them.
The island ship, now grounded, had become a heavily fortified stronghold.
Huff…
A black figure appeared in front—Chrollo, captain of the Second Division.
He flicked his hand, and the black cloth he carried swallowed every single shell in an instant.
"Chrollo, Second Division. I heard you've got a lot of good stuff on your ship, Shiki…"
He tilted his head slightly, smiling.
"Mind handing some of it over?"
Before anyone could respond, Chrollo vanished—reappearing in a flash aboard the enemy's ship.
Moments later, their own shells were returned, whistling back through the air toward the Flying Pirates.
Ryuunosuke hadn't even made a serious move yet—but already, just a few members of his crew had shaken Golden Lion to the core.
Is this what the new age of pirates looks like?
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