The searing heat burning across his back made Golden Lion grit his teeth.
This yellow-cloaked brat... he really had gotten faster!
A wild, unthinkable notion flashed through his mind—
Could it be... this cunning brat had also stepped into that realm!?
But there was no time to dwell.
If he brought his blade down, he could undoubtedly gravely wound—or even kill—the magma brat. But he’d be skewered by that devious yellow one from behind.
No hesitation. In that instant, Golden Lion made his choice.
He twisted mid-swing, reversing his grip to block Borsalino’s descending Ama no Murakumo.
Borsalino’s mouth curved into a slow, intrigued grin.
And then—his entire vision was consumed by blinding gold.
A burst of radiant light erupted from Borsalino’s body, dazzling him into momentary blindness. His vision vanished. Tears streamed from his reddened eyes.
"AAAAHHH!! Damn you all!!"
Roaring in fury, Golden Lion thrashed wildly, his golden mane flying like wildfire.
A storm of overwhelming Conqueror’s Haki exploded from his body—crashing down upon all of Marineford like a tidal wave.
Hellish winds howled across the land. Black-red lightning tore through the skies, flickering into and out of existence.
The ground collapsed in waves, as if struck by a tsunami. Cracks spread in all directions—gaping like maws to the abyss.
Sakazuki and Borsalino, the closest to the blast, grunted under the impact. Their bodies rippled as if turning to magma and light, and they were blown back—forcing distance between them.
Darren stood on the trembling earth, gasping for breath. One arm raised to block the oncoming shockwave, his eyes narrowed with solemn intensity.
Golden Lion—he truly was one of the sea’s apex legends.
Swordsmanship. Haki. Physical strength. Tactical judgment. Combat instincts. All of it—near flawless.
Even with intense training, even with mastery of Observation Haki, the loss of vision in combat triggered panic in most humans.
But Golden Lion didn’t falter.
Even blinded, in the instant of mortal danger—he reacted on instinct and pure will, releasing Haki strong enough to drive back two of Marine HQ’s strongest.
"Still... the tide has turned."
A grin tugged at Darren’s lips. His gaze shifted forward.
There—Kuzan landed hard on one knee. His hand slammed to the ground, eyes glinting cold and merciless.
Without a sound, everything ahead turned to pure white.
If one were to view from above, they’d see a wave of frost erupting outward from Kuzan—spreading faster than thought.
Fire, rubble, falling forts, bullets in midair—all of it froze solid in seconds.
Everything in view turned to unyielding ice.
The frozen crystals surged against Golden Lion’s raging Haki, spiraling upward—and then sealed his entire body in a cocoon of frost.
Blood vessels burst in Kuzan’s eyes as he growled.
Blood flowed from his mouth, nose, ears—even his eyes. His veins bulged on his forehead and hands. He had pushed his Devil Fruit to the brink.
The ice spiraled, layered, and piled atop itself—until a towering mountain of crystalline blue stood a hundred meters tall.
Inside—Golden Lion, frozen mid-roar, body wreathed in black-red lightning, was encased in lifelike detail—like a demon trapped in sculpture.
"That’s HQ’s monster for you..."
Voices trembled in awe across the battlefield.
A sharp sound echoed from within the ice.
Hairline fractures crept across the mountain’s surface, spreading rapidly.
In less than two seconds, the entire structure was riddled with jagged cracks.
Black-red lightning arced from the gaps.
Kuzan, his arms turned to frozen pillars, stared in horror. He was at his limit.
Golden Lion—still alive—was breaking free through sheer force of will.
But Darren had already moved.
He stood tall, eyes wide, arms spread.
Blue arcs of electricity surged across his skin—magnetic energy spiraling into a field of invisible force.
The entire island of Marineford trembled—shuddering beneath an unseen force.
Blood streamed from Darren’s mouth. His eyes bled tears of red.
The magnetic field ignited.
Massive steel cannons.
Twisted girders wrenched from ruins.
Countless broken swords scattered across the battlefield—
All of it—every metal object—was drawn upward by an invisible hand.
The sky blackened as the swarm rose—like a plague of locusts.
They spiraled around the frozen figure, converging with terrifying speed.
One, two, ten, hundreds...
Twisting. Wrapping. Pressing.
They rose into the air—fusing.
In the dead silence that followed, a vast sphere of black metal hung in the sky.
Thirty meters wide. A miniature dark moon.
Cold. Heavy. Inescapable.
Darren whispered hoarsely, blood dripping from his lips.
With a single gesture, he clenched his fist.
Blue lightning raced across the sphere’s surface.
Metal plates shifted, slammed together, compressed—
The entire ball trembled as it sealed shut.
A sizzling hum rose from deep within.
Bright red droplets seeped from the cracks—dripping slowly into the air.