At Darren’s words, the corner of Golden Lion’s mouth curled into a mocking smirk—ready to sneer.
But the next moment, his brows furrowed.
Because of their eyes.
The gazes of those four Marine brats... had changed.
Kuzan was the first to strike. With a raised hand, he fired several gleaming white ice pillars straight at Golden Lion.
A wave of freezing air surged forward. A red gleam flickered in Golden Lion’s pupils—his Observation Haki instantly predicting the path of the attack.
"Jihahahaha! That kind of trick won’t work on me!!"
He shifted slightly to the right. The pillars of ice howled past, barely grazing his clothes.
But in the very next instant—Golden Lion’s grin froze.
With a cold shout from Kuzan, the passing ice pillars suddenly exploded into a flurry of glittering shards.
The ice crystals disintegrated into a sweeping wave of frost. The air visibly crystallized, covering Golden Lion’s body and garments in a layer of spreading frost.
A biting chill sank deep into his skin, invasive and relentless, slowing the flow of blood in his veins.
Golden Lion frowned. A spiraling cyclone of Armament Haki burst from his body, rapidly dispelling the cold that had seeped into his muscles.
At that moment, a streak of gold suddenly soared into the sky.
The dazzling light expanded violently in the dusky heavens—transforming night into blazing day.
Borsalino floated high above, arms outstretched, fingers pinched in an orchid formation. His body bathed entirely in golden radiance.
"Yasakani no Magatama!!"
With those words, a storm of searing light bullets rained down with devastating force.
Golden Lion’s brow lifted. Like a flying beast, he shot forward with incredible speed, weaving between the barrage of light.
But then—dozens of heavy cannons embedded in the battlefield suddenly shifted direction, opening fire wildly along his flight path.
With the sky raining down bullets of light, and all paths ahead sealed by cannon fire—Golden Lion grit his teeth. Abruptly, he halted in mid-air and swept both blades outward with a sharp gleam.
Dozens of golden slashes burst forth, tearing through everything in their path. The ferocious cutting force carved out a zone of vacuum, colliding with the barrage—and detonating in massive bursts of flame.
Flames roared skyward. The aftermath of the slashes swept across the earth, silently cleaving buildings and ground into pieces.
"Jihahahaha!! I thought you’d try something clever, but it’s still just cheap tricks!!"
Golden Lion’s figure flickered between firelight and smoke, laughing wildly:
"If that’s all you’ve got, then there won’t even be a second round!!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth—
A figure bathed in magma burst through the black smoke. At unimaginable speed, he appeared directly before Golden Lion.
Boiling crimson magma surged up his right arm, swelling like a volcano ready to erupt.
At the sight of him, a cold, cunning glint flickered in Golden Lion’s feral eyes.
These four Marine brats were stronger than expected. If he couldn’t finish them quickly—if Sengoku that bastard returned—he’d lose his chance.
Black-red lightning exploded around him once more, enveloping both blades.
"Jihahahaha!! You’re throwing your life away!!"
One blade swept down.
Infused with Conqueror’s Haki—an unstoppable strike!
To Sakazuki, it felt like the very world was fracturing under this blow. The space before him cracked like a shattered mirror—distorting and collapsing into chaos.
No question: if this strike landed cleanly, he’d be gravely injured—maybe even killed.
And yet—beneath his Marine cap, Sakazuki’s expression remained unchanged.
His eyes were as cold as ever—utterly unfazed by the incoming blade.
Golden Lion’s pupils shrank.
A chill of unease stabbed into his gut.
And then—something strange happened.
At the moment the blade tore through the air, it seemed to strike an invisible barrier. The air visibly warped, as if being ripped.
A strange, indescribable force clutched the sword—sapping its momentum. Golden Lion felt half the strength of his strike vanish.
Blue arcs of electricity flickered along Oto’s blade.
Out of the corner of his vision, he caught sight of the young Marine Commodore on the ground.
Darren stood with both hands raised. Sparks danced between his fingers. His teeth clenched tight—blood streamed from his nostrils and mouth.
He had pushed his Devil Fruit to its limit—utterly overdrawn his strength.
Magnetic Overload: Magnetic Manipulation!!
The blade finally struck.
Blood sprayed. The lightning-wrapped blade buried deep into Sakazuki’s chest—ripping through magma and flesh, cutting to the bone.
Sakazuki’s face turned deathly pale.
But a wicked gleam rose in his cold eyes, and a vicious smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.
His long-prepared fist lashed out with thunderous speed—like a volcanic eruption.
Magma roared from his arm—hurtling straight for Golden Lion’s head!
Golden Lion’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.
That strike radiated pure death.
More terrifyingly—in his Observation Haki, the aura of this Marine brat... had broken through something.
He had stepped into a new realm entirely!
Golden Lion’s Devil Fruit power burst forth—yanking his body violently backward.
The magma fist grazed his chest—nearly piercing through his neck!
The searing heat scorched skin and muscle, leaving a charred, bloody mess over his chest.
"Aaaaaghhh!! Damn magma brat!!"
Golden Lion roared in agony. Bloodshot eyes wide, he reversed his grip on his blade.
Kogarashi—his other sword—crackled with black-red lightning, raised to cleave Sakazuki in two.
Sakazuki’s voice came like a demon’s snarl.
As the words left his mouth—a flash of gold split the air.
Borsalino’s form flickered into view behind Golden Lion. Gripping the Ama no Murakumo, he slashed at the pirate’s lower back.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized—nearly identical in speed.
"Still think I’m too slow this time?"
Borsalino smiled lazily.