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

He believed he bore a more important mission, maintaining a delicate balance.

Therefore, Shanks cannot be here, risking everything for a meaningless, life-or-death battle because of an out-of-control Kaido.

Shanks' hesitation was itself an answer.

"Heh." Kaido sneered, his tone filled with undisguised mockery and disdain, before giving a final, deep look in the direction Whitebeard had vanished.

It let out a low, enigmatic dragon roar, fully transforming into a beast, its massive body churning the clouds.

Ignoring Shanks and the battlefield below, he turned and soared into the distant sky.

Seeing this, King the Wildfire immediately broke free from his opponent, transformed into a Pteranodon, and followed closely behind.

........

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Marineford battlefield.

"boom!"

Shiki the Golden Lion struggled to escape from the ruins created by Zephyr's "Black Arm" strike and Akainu's molten lava.

Covered in dust, his kimono was tattered and worn.

The protracted battle with two powerful naval figures was proving quite strenuous for this former legend.

So he swung "Deadwood" and "Cherry Blossom Ten" to unleash a wave of scorching lava, preparing to soar into the air once more.

However, their gazes were involuntarily drawn to the distant core battlefield, which had suddenly fallen into a deathly silence.

Then, he saw it.

I saw that towering body, standing with its head bowed, utterly lifeless.

He saw Gern, who was also covered in injuries and stood there in a daze, his face a complex mix of emotions.

"New...gate...?"

The golden lion's pupils contracted sharply, his grip on the twin swords loosened abruptly, and the arrogant expression on his face froze.

Instead, there was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and a hint of betrayal-like anger.

"Hey... Newgate!!!"

The roar, accompanied by a tremor that even the Golden Lion himself didn't realize, screamed, "You stubborn fool, you were just lying to me, weren't you?!"

He couldn't accept the reality before him.

Just a short time ago, he had personally witnessed that man's triumphant return to his peak.

Just moments ago, it was displaying the power to shake the sky and split the sea, as well as a pure and awe-inspiring domineering aura!

This is an absolute stance that even Shiki the Golden Lion had to admit belongs to "the strongest in the world"!

"You've already recovered to that state... how could you possibly lose?!"

He seemed to be questioning, or perhaps trying to convince himself, his gaze fixed on the white-bearded man's peaceful yet now cold face.

"With this brat from the navy, this brat from the navy..."

The golden lion's voice gradually faded.

"How could you possibly beat someone like you... how could you...."

The Golden Lion echoes its once undisputed title, as if trying to reclaim a point of reference from a bygone era.

"You are... the strongest..."

The last few words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying endless resentment and a sense of desolation at the complete end of an era.

He once rivaled Roger and clashed with Whitebeard; together they defined an era!

Even though he had been defeated and had been lying low for many years, deep down he still believed that only figures like Roger and Newgate could be considered equal to him!

But now, Roger has long since become a legend, and Newgate... has also fallen before him in this way.

Of the three legends of the old era, it seems that only he remains.

Despite the vast and chaotic battlefield, the Golden Lion appeared utterly alone, as if...

He was left all alone, standing before the torrent of the new era.

Suddenly, the golden lion's absent-minded whisper was interrupted by a roaring explosion of molten lava!

Akainu seized the opportunity when he was in a state of shock and attacked again!

"Ming dog!!"

"Get out of my way, you lava brat!!!"

The golden lion suddenly snapped back to his senses, and all the confusion and sorrow in his eyes were instantly replaced by raging fury!

Without even turning around, he swung his sword "Sakura Ten" in a backhand motion, unleashing a powerful golden slash that struck the Lava Fist with pinpoint accuracy!

"Boom!!" The lava and sword energy collided violently, exploding into a sky full of fire rain and streaks of light!

Akainu was so shocked by the angry blow that he slid back several steps, his eyes becoming even more sinister.

Using this recoil, Shiki ignored Akainu and Zephyr.

The target was in the distance, where Gern stood silently before the body of Whitebeard!

"Earthquake!!!!!"

He roared, flying at such speed that he left a trail of sonic booms in the air!

"The legendary era is far from over!!!"

He was making a frantic declaration, whether it was a shout to the world or an attempt to encourage himself, it was unclear.

"I'm still here!!!"

Kuki and Sakura crossed in front of him, frantically channeling their Conqueror's Haki into their twin swords.

"Stop your hypocrisy, you bastard!!!"

He saw the complex expression on Gern's face, but in his eyes, it became the victor's hypocritical pity and pretense!

The old era is over; there's no need for this kind of expression!

You either climb to the top by stepping over the corpses of legends, or you are burned by the afterglow of legends!

With a resolute determination to vindicate the old era and prove its own existence.

Shiki the Golden Lion, the last flying pirate of the legendary era.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, he launched his final and most frantic assault on the most powerful barrier of the new era!

The two swords crossed, unleashing a massive cross-shaped slash that seemed to sever the boundary between the old and new eras.

Tearing through the sky, carrying the will to shatter everything, it descended upon Gern!

"I, Golden Lion, am still here!!!"

Chapter 470 Your era has ended, Shiki.

Whitebeard's dying words resonated in Guern's chaotic mind.

Don't look back... times are constantly changing.

Yes, dwelling on the regret of not being able to fight to one's full potential is not the attitude one should have when striving for the top.

Choices are fleeting.

In an instant, all the confusion and resentment in Gern's eyes faded away.

That will and ambition that belonged to "Tianzhen"—to control everything—was rekindled, even more resolute than before!

He no longer looked at the white-bearded man's peaceful remains, sealing away those complex emotions completely.

"Buzz! Whoosh!"

With a flick of his right hand, the black sword Bahuang, which had fallen to the ground, emitted a submissive hum and transformed into a bolt of black lightning that flew into his palm.

At that very moment, the golden lion's cross-shaped slash was already upon its head!

Gern didn't even turn around completely, relying solely on his superhuman perception and speed.

The arm holding the Eight Desolations drew a simple reverse kasaya slash from bottom to top!

"Clang!!!!!"

The withered tree, the cherry blossoms, and the eight wildernesses clashed fiercely!

The three colors of purple, gold, and red, along with their domineering aura and energy, clashed violently!

The shockwave shaved down another layer of the already shattered ground!

Gern steadily parried the Golden Lion's all-out attack, raised his head, and calmly met the Golden Lion's bloodshot eyes.

Golden Lion stared intently at Gern's face, which had regained its composure and even carried a hint of indifference, and asked through gritted teeth.

"Gern...you've been waiting for this moment, haven't you?"

"Tell me, you bastard!"

He was a ruthless and powerful figure who had roamed the seas for decades. He might have been arrogant, but he was by no means stupid.

The war has progressed to this point, Whitebeard's demise, Gern's schemes, and his own current predicament...

When pieced together, a chilling truth has surfaced.

From the moment his legs and the ship's rudder were healed, Shiki the Golden Lion may have already become a key player on the opponent's chessboard.

A crucial piece used to bury the old era and crown the new one!

Guern neither denied nor admitted it.

He merely exerted a slight force with his wrist to deflect the intertwined swords, and said in a calm tone...

"I won't leave you alone, Golden Lion."

As he finished speaking, Gern slowly raised the Eight Directions sword, its tip pointing at Shiki, signifying the final fate of the old era:

"The remnants of a legendary era..."

"I will personally bury it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gern's Eight Desolations Blade shook, splitting the already ravaged Marineford in two, completely isolating it.

"Come on, Shiki."

"You are the one I prepared for this era..."

"One of the most magnificent burial goods."

"The most magnificent burial goods... Hehehehe... Good!!"

The golden lion, enraged to the point of despair, laughed, igniting its final burst of pride and madness.

"Then let me see if you're qualified!!!"

After saying that, he suddenly ripped off his tattered kimono, revealing the scar left by the knife that Gern had used to slash him years ago.

"If you can, just like back then, cut me down!! Navy brat."

"Lion, Thousand-Cut Valley, Chaos!"

The withered tree and cherry blossoms danced wildly, no longer a single slash, but an instantaneous burst of hundreds and thousands of crisscrossing golden flying slashes.

These strikes were not direct; instead, they came from all directions, up, down, left, and right, following all sorts of tricky and unpredictable trajectories, aiming to strangle and kill Gern!

But Gern's eyes remained cold.

He didn't even use any large-scale Devil Fruit abilities; he simply swung the Black Blade Eight Desolations in front of him.

Furthermore, as he walked, the Eight Desolations Blade vibrated at a high frequency, and each swing was executed with minimal force, using the smallest possible force to flick, deflect, and guide.

In an instant, all the incoming slashes were easily cut off.

Almost single-handedly, with just one person and one sword, he neutralized the raging storm of slashes!

"It's not over yet!!" the golden lion roared, plunging his twin swords down with a sudden burst of power!

"Floating Island - Fallen!"

Under the power of the Float-Float Fruit, several huge pieces of debris that originally belonged to Marineford Plaza appeared on the distant sea.