The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

"I've come to you not to control you, nor to repeat the failure of Rocks..."

"It's because I want to see it too!!"

"Let's see just how far we can...stir up this so-called 'world'!!!"

"Join me, Golden Lion! Use your power to turn the sky upside down with me!"

Let's create a completely new order that belongs to us! That's what matches your ambition as the 'Flying Pirate'!

Instead of acting like a coward, hiding in the skies above the East China Sea, numbing yourself with false plans, and waiting to be completely buried by time!

I am not Rocks, I will be prepared for anything, I will not die, and I will not lose!!!

I want the real... world!!!

At this moment, what Gern displayed was no longer the majesty of a naval admiral, but a majesty comparable to or even surpassing that of Rocks.

A huge ambition to control and subvert the world!

He once again threw the choice to the golden lion, whose mind was in turmoil.

At this moment, Gern truly looked forward to utilizing the power of the Float Fruit!

He didn't want the fruit to be reborn, then to be searched for again, eaten by someone else again, and to start developing it all over again; he wanted it ready-made...

Unfortunately, this man was a golden lion, and a golden lion has always been a 'golden lion'...

Chapter 420 An Irresistible Temptation

Gern's words not only tore open the Golden Lion's ambitions that had been dormant for twenty years, but also...

It was more like a heavy hammer, slamming down on his already cracked pride.

His body, already supported by the two swords on his legs as prosthetics, staggered under the immense mental shock.

With a "bang," the golden lion slumped back onto the deck in a disheveled state.

He looked up at Gern, who stood before him, his body wreathed in dark purple, domineering lightning.

The setting sun cast a golden glow around his figure, making him appear incredibly powerful and...

A captivating allure that compels you to want to control everything.

"This man...this kind of charm..."

Involuntarily, the scene from many years ago, when he had confidently invited Roger to join forces, floated into the Golden Lion's mind.

If... if only I back then possessed the same captivating charisma as Gern now, enough to move people to their core and compel them to follow his ambition.

Will that bastard Roger agree?

"The world..."

This word, like a curse, echoed in his mind.

That being who truly defeated Rocks in God Valley, shattering his first genuine desire to submit to someone...

That colossal entity that symbolizes the world's supreme power...

Now, facing this man who is more promising, younger, and more charismatic than Locke…

"Can he... really do it?" Golden Lion sneered inwardly.

That passion, dormant for twenty years, was now being branded with a red-hot iron, and an indescribable impulse almost broke through the dam of reason!

For a fleeting moment, he almost blurted out, "Okay!"

But just as that reply was about to burst from his throat, his gaze involuntarily lowered.

He saw his empty trouser legs, and the famous swords "Sakura-ju" and "Kumo-ki," which replaced his feet and were coldly fixed to his leg bones.

These legs constantly remind him that he has long since lost the freedom to roam the skies.

Then he looked at his own hands, those hands that had once gripped a knife tightly, stirring up storms and waves, but now, because they hadn't truly held a weapon for twenty years...

A tide called "reality" instantly drowned out the newly ignited flame.

"I... am no longer the golden lion that conquered the sky..."

"He's not the same Flying Admiral who dared to abandon everything and storm Marine Headquarters alone anymore..."

The once arrogant spirit that looked down upon the world has now been replaced by a powerlessness that has been worn down by the passage of time.

"I'm old……"

"It's...weakened..."

Moreover, with Rocks dead, the Golden Lion could not possibly be subservient to anyone a second time, otherwise he would truly despise himself...

In other words, at this moment, the Golden Lion actually hoped that Gern and Rocks would start in the same era.

Because, perhaps... this man truly did have the qualities that made me, a young person then known as a 'yakuza,' choose to stand behind him...

And so, the burgeoning excitement and impulse, like a punctured balloon, quickly deflated and dissipated.

The golden lion slowly, almost in despair, lowered its once eternally proud head.

There was no answer, but the silent resignation and the slightly trembling shoulders said it all.

He backed down.

It's not that I'm unwilling, but rather... I can't.

"Shiki! What are you doing?!"

At this moment, Guern, unaware of his inner thoughts, suddenly rebuked him, causing the golden lion, who was immersed in self-doubt, to tremble.

Then, he looked up, a mocking smile on his face. "What am I doing? I'm old! Navy brat!"

He pointed to the ship's rudder protruding deep into his skull and pressing on his nerves, then patted the prosthetic limb made of a famous sword.

"And this...this...and these hands that haven't truly held a knife in twenty years! Hahaha!! What can I do?"

The laughter was filled with endless sorrow and resentment.

"To put it bluntly..." The Golden Lion's gaze became somewhat vacant.

"Right now, if you want to kill me, you wouldn't even need to use 30% of your strength, would you?"

Or rather... a pirate with a bit of skill who can venture into the latter half of the New World.

That would probably embarrass me, make me look utterly pathetic... wouldn't it?"

He seemed to be questioning Guern, or perhaps he was interrogating himself.

The immense gap between his former pride at the pinnacle and the current broken reality almost consumed him.

Seeing this former legend reveal such vulnerability and self-abandonment, Gern remained silent for a moment.

He offered no words of comfort or rebuttal, but instead slowly crouched down, bringing his gaze level with that of the golden lion sitting on the ground.

“Shiki,” Gern said in a low voice, “have you heard of… the ‘Op-Op Fruit’?”

"Hmm? The Operation Fruit." The Golden Lion's unfocused gaze sharpened slightly.

This man was definitely prepared.

“That’s right,” Gern continued calmly, “a Devil Fruit with surgical abilities that can be described as a ‘miracle of the world’.”

Its users are capable of performing any incredibly precise and miraculous surgery…

His gaze swept over the ship's wheel and legs on the golden lion's head.

"In other words, the guy who owns that fruit can easily remove this damn rudder from your head without damaging you in the slightest."

"It can also transplant a pair of new, intact bodies that belong to you, or... even stronger 'legs' for you."

"!!!"

As soon as Gern finished speaking, the Golden Lion's pupils, which had been dull and self-deprecating, suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints.

The muscles in his face froze instantly, and he almost stopped breathing for a moment!

He abruptly raised his head, staring incredulously at Guern, who was standing close at hand with a calm expression, trying to find any trace of a joke on his face.

The fruit of surgery?!

Take out the rudder?!

Leg transplant?!

This...how is this possible?! Such an overpowered Devil Fruit ability actually exists in the world?!

But if... if this were true...

No, this navy kid has no reason to lie to me!

In other words...

An indescribable surge of emotion, a mixture of intense longing, shock, and a flicker of hope rekindled from the ashes.

It instantly shattered the barrier of despair that the Golden Lion had just erected, and slammed into his heart!

No strong person can resist this temptation.

Especially since he, Golden Lion, was one of the only two young members of the Rocks quartet back then, and is only 7 years older than Kaido now.

Most importantly, as a man who once dominated the skies, he simply cannot refuse to return to his peak!

For a moment, the golden lion's slightly trembling hand clenched unconsciously, his nails almost digging into his palm, and at the same time, a new idea formed in his mind.

"Hey, kid in the navy, you've made a temptation I can't refuse, I just can't resist!!!"

Chapter 421 The Gay Golden Lion

"You little rascal, you've really presented a temptation that I... simply can't resist!"

“Of course,” Gern scoffed. “If I hadn’t been fully prepared, I wouldn’t have come to you again…”

Then you really need to worry about how many peals you, that legendary head, can still get from the Navy now.”

"Hehehehehe!!!" The golden lion burst into a hearty laugh.

He then stood up with the help of the two swords on his legs, which clattered together, his movements still relying on his prosthetics.

But his straight spine and his eyes, now shining with renewed brilliance, were different.

He skillfully pulled a well-preserved cigar from inside his clothes, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick white smoke ring.

"So, do you have any definite news about that 'surgical fruit' you mentioned?" His tone was impatient.

"If we have it, the two of us can just go and snatch it!"

With Lao Tzu and you together... wouldn't we be invincible if we joined forces?!

Watching the Golden Lion instantly regain his confidence and even begin to fantasize about being "invincible," Gern couldn't help but roll his eyes and inwardly complain.

"Damn it, my combined assets with the world's richest man make me the world's richest man!"

It's hard to say whether you old codger can even catch up to the current Imperial Vice-President after recovering your strength, let alone be invincible..."

Despite his complaints, Gern remained calm, waving his hand to interrupt the Golden Lion's reverie.

"Searching for a specific Devil Fruit aimlessly on the vast ocean is like looking for a needle in a haystack; it's not that easy."

Upon hearing this, the Golden Lion frowned, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

But Gern immediately changed the subject, a calculating smile playing on his lips.

"but……"

"Finding a user who has 'already eaten' the Op-Op Fruit would be much easier."

Golden Lion was taken aback at first, then immediately understood what Gern meant. His lips involuntarily stretched into a wide grin, and he drawled out his words.

Oh~~~~

He got it.

There's no need to search for that elusive fruit; just focus on the person who possesses this "miraculous" power!

Grab him, force him to perform the "rebirth" surgery he's been dreaming of!

Simple, direct, and efficient!