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

The 60-meter-high steel structure was reached by Gern in just three leaps.

In an instant, the sea breeze tore at the cloak of justice, Gern's black hair danced wildly in the wind, and his right hand was already on the hilt of the Black Blade Eight Desolations.

"Liberation." The deep voice fell, and the bandages wrapped around the blade snapped inch by inch, revealing a jet-black blade that reflected no light whatsoever in the sunlight.

Fine white vibrating particles were wrapped around the blade, and the air was distorted by the high-frequency vibrations.

“There’s no mistake…” Gern looked up, his gaze piercing through the clouds, locking onto the calm sky, his right hand gripping the knife as he raised it.

The force field formed by the extremely compressed vibrating particles caused the steel watchtower beneath their feet to suddenly dent into a perfect circle.

With a deafening roar, Gern's figure broke the sound barrier in an instant.

At the same time, as its body soared into the sky, it gradually elementalized, transforming into countless leaping white particles.

Only the black blade remained a physical object, tracing a jet-black path through the particle stream.

.......

Seven hundred meters above the clouds!

In Gern's pupils, three colossal warships that blotted out the sky and countless boulders were reflected.

The ship was disintegrating, and thousands of rocks, cannons, and building debris were falling toward the G-3 base like meteorites.

"Sure enough, they lifted the object high into the air and then disassembled it to use as a weapon..."

That's quite a generous gesture... the Golden Lion!!

Chapter 45 Golden Lion Shiki

"We can't afford to miss this." A cold glint flashed in Gern's eyes, and he suddenly exerted his strength.

With double acceleration, the blade of the Black Blade Eight Desolations suddenly flashed with a dazzling white light.

At the same time, the muscles in his arm were taut to the extreme, and Armament Haki spread from his right hand toward the tip of the blade as if it were alive.

It resonates with the vibrating particles inherent in the blade, leaving spiderweb-like spatial cracks in the air.

"Heavenly Tremor - Cross Slash..."

Horizontal slash! Vertical cleave!

The Black Blade Eight Desolations drew two sharp, intersecting slashes in the air, leaving trails of destruction in its wake.

Space seemed to be torn apart, and pale vibrating particles formed a huge cross-shaped shock wave that shot straight into the sky!

"Heaven-Severing Slash!!!" Two intersecting slashes tore through the sky.

The horizontal, cleaving waves were pale white, neatly splitting the clouds in two wherever they passed.

The cross-shaped slash compresses the air along its path to an extreme degree, creating a vacuum channel.

"Crack!" The sound of the sky shattering echoed across the heavens.

The three giant ships simultaneously began to disintegrate from their centers, their thick planks, sturdy masts, and heavy gun turrets crumbling away...

All structures were shattered into regular cubic fragments the instant they came into contact with the slash.

Slag, steel, and fragments of sails flew everywhere, like a devastating natural disaster!

However, the wreckage is still falling!

At the same time, Gern's body began to fall.

The wind howled past my ears, and my black hair danced wildly in the air.

"It's not over yet..." Gern suddenly twisted his waist during his fall, his left hand with five fingers spread open, pointing towards the sky.

Countless pale particles condensed from the palm of his hand, forming a small ring.

And with a push from Gern's palm, it instantly expanded into a massive circular shockwave.

The space inside the ring was violently distorted, as if even light was shattered.

"Heavenly Tremor - Starfall!"

"Boom!!" The shockwave from the ring's eruption spread out in a spherical shape.

All the falling debris was pulverized the moment it came into contact with the shockwave!

Wood shattered, steel twisted, and the entire sky was cleared of a vacuum by the spreading white shockwave!

Below, the naval personnel at G-3 base stared in disbelief at the scene, even forgetting to breathe.

As Sakazuki looked up, he saw that the falling debris disintegrated like fragile sandcastles the moment it came into contact with the shockwave!

"Is this... your ability, Gren?" Sakazuki's fists clenched involuntarily.

Lava seeped through his fingers, but he forcefully suppressed it back.

Putting aside the Devil Fruit's abilities, at this moment, Akainu realized with unprecedented clarity.

At least in terms of his mastery of Observation Haki, he was indeed inferior to Gern.

At the same time, Gern landed lightly on a tilted pole, slightly bending one knee to cushion the impact.

The black blade, Eight Desolations, pointed diagonally at the ground, and the vibrating particles on its edge had not yet dissipated.

"Sakazuki, a formidable guy is here!!"

“I told you so…” Gern looked up at a certain spot above the clouds, his Observation Haki locking onto that location.

"Golden Lion Shiki!!!"

"Hehehehe!!" The moment Gern finished speaking, amidst his arrogant laughter, the clouds dispersed, and a golden figure stood in the air under the sunlight.

Upon seeing the golden lion appear, even Sakazuki's pupils instinctively contracted.

Especially at the moment that man drew his twin swords, the Magma-Magma Fruit power within him began to boil uncontrollably!

"Kid, you're more interesting than I thought!" Shiki laughed, his Conqueror's Haki cascading down like a tsunami.

Sakazuki only broke out in a cold sweat, while Gern felt nothing at all from Shiki's Conqueror's Haki.

After all, compared to the Conqueror's Haki baptism of Rocks and Roger in God Valley, or Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki... Shiki's intimidation is really not enough.

In an instant, the entire navy at G-3 base was stunned, leaving only Sakazuki and Gern standing there!

Golden Lion Shiki, descend!

.......

Shiki the Golden Lion hovered in mid-air, his sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed on Gern, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips.

Her long, golden hair danced in the wind like a living thing, each movement carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.

“It really is the exact same ability…” Shiki’s voice was deep and hoarse, “and it’s a Logia type.”

At the base, Gern could feel his back was soaked with cold sweat.

Unlike the tension or excitement he felt when facing other enemies, he felt a shiver that came from an instinct.

It's like the instinctive reaction of prey when it's being targeted by a top predator.

And his left hand unconsciously clenched, the vibrating particles silently gathered in his palm, emitting a faint buzzing sound.

“Shiki.” Sakazuki’s voice was accompanied by the explosive sound of boiling magma.

He deliberately positioned himself half a step diagonally in front of Gern, a position that allowed for a coordinated attack while also giving Gern space to fight.

In particular, Akainu noticed the subtle movement of Gern adjusting his breathing, clearly indicating that he needed to adjust after that slash.

The Golden Lion didn't even glance at Sakazuki; his gaze remained fixed on Gern.

That look in his eyes was like a scrutiny.

“Kid,” the Golden Lion suddenly spoke, his voice carrying an unquestionable command, “release Dog, then kneel down and apologize to me.”

Otherwise…” He slowly raised his right hand and gently tapped with his index finger.

"Boom!" A watchtower in the distance suddenly rose from the ground, twisted and compressed in mid-air, and finally turned into a pile of scrap metal that crashed into the center of the base square, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"This base will become even more desolate than that pile of scrap metal."

Upon hearing the Golden Lion's words, Gern instinctively looked at Sakazuki.

They noticed that this usually tough man also had a serious expression, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

That makes sense, since even if the two of them joined forces, they would barely be able to defeat the Golden Lion.

Akainu isn't a brainless idiot...

“Shiki, you can give it a try.” Gern took a deep breath, held the Black Blade Eight Desolations horizontally in front of his chest, and the vibrating particles on the blade began to vibrate at a high frequency, distorting the surrounding air.

Upon hearing Gern's boast, a hint of admiration flashed in Sakazuki's eyes.

The magma fist immediately expanded to twice its original size, radiating astonishing heat.

He practically forced out the words through gritted teeth, "Justice...cannot be insulted!"

The golden lion paused for a moment, then burst into wild laughter.

The Conqueror's Haki contained in that laughter impacted the surroundings as if it were a tangible force, causing the glass windows of the base to shatter one after another.

"Hahaha! Funny! So funny!" The Golden Lion wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes.

"Two brats who don't even have Conqueror's Haki dare to spout nonsense in front of me?" His smile suddenly vanished, replaced by a chilling killing intent.

“You have no idea who is standing in front of you.”

Before he could finish speaking, the Golden Lion suddenly waved his hand, and the two famous swords, "Sakura Ten" and "Dead Wood," flew out and hovered beside him, their blades pointing directly at Gern and Sakazuki.

"I'll ask you one last time," the Golden Lion's voice was as cold as ice, "Release them, or die?"

Sakazuki had already turned into scalding lava, and the crimson lava dripped onto the ground, scorching black pits into the steel floor.

His eyes were cold and hard as iron, and his voice was deep and hoarse: "Golden Lion, this is the Navy's territory, not a place for you to run wild!"

Gern didn't speak, but simply lowered his body slightly, his black blade, Eight Desolations, pointing diagonally at the ground, the vibrating particles on its blade dancing silently.

His gaze was fixed on the golden lion, rather than uttering threats...

What we should do now is unleash our full Observation Haki to capture every subtle movement of the opponent.

"So..." The Golden Lion looked down at the two of them, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Do you want me to... kill you all here?"

Chapter 46 An Unwinnable Battle

The golden lion's arrogant laughter echoed over the G-3 base...

The absolute confidence and tangible pressure of the world's top experts represent the phrase "absolutely invincible".

This is the Golden Lion at his peak, unscathed—arrogant, conceited, and unruly! A top-tier pirate hero!!

“Ha.” Sakazuki didn’t answer; he showed his choice through his actions.

A torrent of magma shot out from his hand, heading straight for the golden lion.

At the same time, Gern also moved, suddenly wielding the Eight Directions, a shockwave tearing the earth apart and spreading towards the Golden Lion at an astonishing speed.

"Oh? So..." Faced with the combined attack of the two, the Golden Lion merely smiled contemptuously.

"You've made a choice that will lead to your deaths!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Golden Lion snapped his fingers lightly, and the entire ground suddenly tilted, causing Sakazuki's magma and Gern's shockwaves to deviate from their intended paths.

"Too slow." The Golden Lion's voice suddenly came from behind Gern. "And...too weak."

"When?!" Before Gern could even turn around, he felt a sharp pain in his back.

The golden lion's wooden clogs kicked him hard in the spine.

"Bang!" In an instant, Gern flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing through three walls before coming to a stop.

"Gern!" Sakazuki roared as he charged toward the Golden Lion, his magma-filled fist slamming down with devastating force.

Faced with the fruit that deals the highest single-target damage, Shiki calmly raised Sakura Ten, and the blade collided with the magma, producing a crisp metallic clang.

Even more shockingly, Sakazuki's magma was cleaved open without harming the Golden Lion in the slightest.

“Lava brat,” Shiki sneered, a cigar dangling from his lips. “You’re nowhere near as good as Sengoku.”