Kapitel 262: Chapter 262: The True Battle Arrives – The Golden Lion Descends
"Hey, if I'm not mistaken—"
Bolkin, with his arms crossed, tilted his head toward Isuka beside him. "Isn't that the captain of the Fuzawa Pirates that we just took down a while ago?"
"No, to be exact, in the naval battle 14 days ago, we caught most of the Fuzawa Pirate crew, but their captain and a few officers managed to escape underwater."
The cold Marine beauty, Captain Isuka, with gloved fingers resting on the hilt of her sword, replied.
"No matter where they got their fleet from, our job is still to capture them again."
That's right,
In front of the Marine Fleet 2, stood the Feize Pirate Crew, who had just been wiped out half a month ago! If it weren't for their pirate flag and Captain Feize standing at the bow, Bolkin and the others might have doubted whether they had misremembered. But:
"Well, in that case, let's send them to Impel Down once again."
"Got it, Captain! Leave the weather to me."
"Alright."
Looking up at the sky, Nami opened the book in her hands, while controlling the wind to give a 'buff' to the Marine side and massaging her forehead.
Fighting pirates every day, although it's not unpleasant to do the same job as Bellemere, she still craves new adventures. Also, she didn't know what happened to Luffy and the others...
Thinking back to when they first set sail, her dream was to draw a map of the entire world. Technically, that dream was nearly 'complete,' since this ship already had maps of all the seas and the first half of the Grand Line!
If she could just finish the map of the 'New World'...
Could the Straw Hat Pirates' adventure end so soon?
Back then, when they first set sail from East Blue, they were filled with enthusiasm. Now, as they learned more about this world and the 'destination' of their dream, she was beginning to hesitate.
"What are you thinking about?"
Facing Roman, who was dressed in a Marine officer's coat, Nami shook her head.
"Just a bit of melancholy. Roman, look... our journey is more than halfway done..."
"Ha!"
"Huh?"
"More than halfway? You're dreaming! The dangers of the New World are far greater than the first half of the Grand Line! And—"
Who said this adventure could only be spent at sea? This world, this sky, is so vast! There are countless unknowns, but before that:
*Shing!*
Roman threw off his Marine coat and, with a swift step, landed on the deck.
"Soruppo!"
This was a fusion of Geppo and Soru techniques, allowing him to fly while also using Soru's speed! As Roman shot forward, dragging a sharp trail behind him, a long sword appeared in his hand! At the same time:
"Flying Swallow Spin!"
A figure, wearing a warrior's outfit, wooden clogs, and a samurai sword at their waist, suddenly shot from the enemy flagship!
The sound of the sword unsheathing echoed lightly as the samurai's blade was drawn! The wild katana, nearly two meters long, gleamed with a cold light! With a swift turn of his body, the centrifugal force increased, and the sword traced a beautiful arc through the air, striking at Roman.
Clang!
As the swords collided, a chilling wave of sword energy spread, and the two figures were forced to separate. Mid-air, Roman lightly tapped his foot, using Geppo to stabilize his stance in the air, while the samurai plunged toward the sea below with a loud crash.
"Flying Swallow Return!"
The samurai's figure darted across the surface of the sea like floating reeds, rising and falling with each step. Each landing appeared as light as a feather, but the massive water columns erupting behind him clearly showed the strength contained in their clash.
"Not bad, Marine."
Roman, hovering in the air, replied to the samurai standing on the water's surface.
"You're not bad either, wandering samurai."
"Heh, back then I was one of Lord's 'True Fighters.' If it weren't for offending that crazy 'Young Master,' I'd be a 'Sixth Son' by now!"
The samurai snorted coldly, unfurling his wild katana. Like a swallow, he skimmed over the ocean and suddenly swung upward at Roman in the sky.
"Secret Technique – Swallow's Return!"
Swish—
Three flying slashes struck Roman like lightning! The bright white blade light tore through the sea, a flash of lightning in the clouds that abruptly appeared before Roman's eyes! But—
"Is that all?"
Roman's sword moved!
The blade shone, and the wind and clouds parted as Roman's sword, infused with Haki, slashed downward with a powerful force, sending shockwaves through the air. The three slashes were forcefully suppressed, and even the sea was sliced open, leaving a hundred-meter-long scar!
Under the power of Roman's Haki, the sea momentarily couldn't close, creating the rare spectacle of "cutting water with a sword, splitting it into two." The samurai's expression changed:
"Ryuo?!"
—---
"How about it?"
In the high sky above the battlefield, behind a cloud of white mist, a massive ship floated in the air.
Although it looked like a ship, the "keel" of this vessel was actually an island. The bow was shaped like a massive lion's head—quite different from the cute, almost sunflower-like lion heads on the likes of the "Thousand Sunny." This one was a true king of beasts, with a flowing mane, exuding an aura of power and ferocity, as it seemed to roar into the sky.
If Roman were here, he would have noticed the flying pirate ship immediately.
But in the face of this self-proclaimed "True Fighter" samurai—likely from Wano Country—their wild katana emitted a cold, gleaming light! Moreover, the katana was wrapped with a formidable Haki, capable of cutting through gold and jade as if it were nothing. Though not as strong as Roman, the samurai was certainly no pushover.
Especially in this world, swordsmen were among the few capable of deciding a fight in just a few moves!
In the huge cabin of a pirate ship that looks like a small island in the sky, a man with golden hair that reached the floor, resembling a lion's mane, sat in the highest seat. His beard and hair were also golden, and he had a commanding presence, almost like the king of beasts.
He wore a loose samurai outfit, draped with a golden striped coat, and a ship's wheel was stuck in his head! What stood out even more were his legs, which were severed at the knees, replaced with two samurai swords.
'Golden Lion' Shiki!
If Roman were here, he'd immediately recognize this old pirate.
Yes, although this golden-haired man smoked a cigar and had the ambition and aura of a lion, roaring across the seas and dreaming of conquering the world, there was no denying that he had grown old!
As one of the great pirates of the same era as Roger and Whitebeard, the wrinkles around his eyes and forehead spoke of the passage of time.
"Can your team manage it?"
"Shiki..."
The weather experts in white coats exchanged uncertain looks. Not only was the weather in the Grand Line unpredictable, but the weather above the battlefield was also incredibly strange! It seemed to move along with the Marine fleet, as if—
As if invisible hands were controlling the winds, temperature, clouds, and lightning, making nature itself dance in her grasp.
They were just a group of researchers, not people with special abilities.
"Can you predict the opponent's next weather pattern?"
"This..."
They were just meteorologists, not mind readers—
Bang!
After the gunshot, the leader of the white-coated scientists no longer had to worry about these problems. Because:
Dead people don't think.
"Useless!"
This was the sad reality for scientists in this world: without any self-defense skills, they could be easily killed by pirates. Just like Archimedes, who was seriously planning great geometric designs but was killed with a sword by a Roman soldier.
"You're all useless!"
After killing the leader of his small sailing team with a single shot, the tall golden lion stood up and looked at the battle on the screen below. The weather that danced with the Marines was all because of one girl:
"Awesome!"
Without the need for a monitoring snail, the golden lion's observation Haki had already locked onto Nami, who was on the warship below. As Nami casually controlled the weather, she furrowed her brows.
"Hm?"
"This feeling…"
Roman had frequently used his observation Haki to 'ambush' Nami and help her get used to the feeling of being watched. So:
"Someone's watching me?"
Nami looked around, but saw nothing, and finally dismissed it as her own overthinking. Meanwhile, hidden in the massive pirate ship in the clouds:
"What a sharp little girl."
The golden lion nodded in approval. Ever since the "At Walt Sea Battle" 27 years ago, when he led a huge fleet to besiege Roger, only for a sudden storm and thunder to break out at the most critical moment, the "weather" had been a thorn in his side.
The large "Golden Lion Pirates" had been at a disadvantage and ultimately lost to Roger. Even the golden lion himself had had a ship's helm stabbed into his head. After that, "weather" became a major obsession for him.
"You're all useless compared to this little girl!"
The golden lion's cold gaze fell on the white-coated scientists, all surrounded by various instruments, causing them to shrink back in fear.
"Well, I'll go personally invite her to be a 'companion.'"
"I hope she doesn't refuse, hahahaha~~~!"
He laughed loudly as he left. Meanwhile:
"What's this?!"
A domineering presence fell from above, overwhelming Roman with a tense feeling, as if countless sharp blades were pressing against his back. Instinctively, he wanted to turn and face the danger—
"Secret Technique - Flying Swallow Slash!"
In an instant, the figure of the samurai, who could only walk on water before, flashed and flew up into the air like a swallow diving into a forest! Surrounded by countless spinning blade auras, he rushed toward Roman with a fierce and terrifying force!
The wild katana in his hand slashed down violently, sending a torrential wave of blade auras, dense and overwhelming like a storm of swarming swallows.
This strike gathered all his strength, fighting spirit, and killing intent—if it doesn't succeed, it will be the end!
The samurai almost 'saw' the Marine officer in front of him being torn apart by his strike. He had no doubt about the killing power of this slash!
Even a fortress would be shattered under this blow. He could clearly picture the young Marine's handsome face twisting in fear and anger before death—
Wait!
Anger?!
"Get lost—!!"
In a split second, feeling the looming threat from behind, Roman put all his energy into his next move. His sword suddenly shone with a white light! The sword's shadow was untraceable, impossible to spot from above or below, and when embraced, it was as if it didn't exist at all. The sword light flashed, and Roman wasted no time turning around and walking away.
The swirling blade auras disappeared in an instant. The renowned samurai from Wano Country, with trembling eyes and cold sweat pouring down, found that all his Haki, sword skills, and killing intent were wiped out in the blink of an eye! It was as if he stood naked in the freezing snow…
Wait, the chance!
After Roman cleanly broke his "Secret Technique – Flying Swallow Slash," the warrior immediately turned without hesitation. At that moment, he felt a momentary despair... but then, an overwhelming joy surged through him! His opponent had dared to turn his back, he would not let this chance slip by.
*Snap!*
The warrior lifted his leg, but his body suddenly swayed. His eyes shifted down to his foot:
It was no longer a foot but a mass of blood and flesh, each piece as small as a fingernail. With each step, they split further apart.
"I... I..."
As the warrior opened his mouth, deep cuts appeared on his cheeks and throat.
"I already—"
Before he could finish his words, his body shattered into countless pieces of blood and flesh the size of fingernails. He collapsed into nothing.
He was dead.
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