"Damn it!"
Golden Lion roared repeatedly, and when he was furious and unwilling to give up, the rudder above his head once again gave him waves of pain that drove him almost crazy.
He covered his head with one hand and looked at Indigo with gritted teeth: "Is there really no way to take this thing off?"
"At least it's not possible with our current technology. Even the most advanced medical technology in the world that I know of can't find a cure."
Indigo looked at the rudder above Golden Lion's head and sighed: "I have searched through medical books and cases in recent decades and have not found another similar case of a person who survived after a blown-off ship rudder was inserted into their brain."
"When something like this happens, it can only be called a punishment from god."
"God?"
Golden Lion's mouth was grinning, and the pain in his head made his expression unusually ferocious at this moment: "If you are talking about those pigs in Mary Geoise, then I have to punish them!"
"Since medicine can't do it, let's take a gamble!"
Between his words, Golden Lion grabbed the rudder above his head, and a hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes.
If the battle with Sengoku and Garp twenty years ago merely made him realize that the rudder embedded in his brain had caused his combat power to decline, it was still within an acceptable range.
Then, the battle with Gawain last night was already unacceptable to him.
Only those who have experienced it know how terrifying it is to witness your own strength decline.
Golden Lion had witnessed the fall of countless powerful men, including some who were almost invincible in the world, like Rocks and Roger, but none of them fell in this way.
Rather than lingering in a corner, he prefers a sensational, grand ending even if he falls before the finish line.
"Let's see if my luck is still as bad as it was twenty years ago!"
The next moment, Indigo and the others realized what Golden Lion was going to do and rushed forward, but they were directly bounced away by the Conqueror Haki, which erupted from his body.
Just as Golden Lion was about to forcibly remove the rudder above his head, a panicked voice reached everyone's ears.
"I have a solution!"
"I know someone who can help you with this!"
Golden Lion paused, and hope rekindled in his heart. After all, if there was no other choice, who would be willing to gamble their life on that slight possibility?
He turned around and saw Spandine hurried over, and the latter spoke without a pause: "More than a decade ago, a Devil Fruit leaked out of Mary Geoise. It was called the Op-Op fruit."
"According to the records within the CP organization, that devil fruit can even remove the heart while keeping the main body alive and can even do things like personality swapping."
"There will be no problem in taking off the rudder above your head."
Now, Spandine has placed everything he has on Golden Lion, so naturally, he doesn't want Golden Lion to fall.
After all, if that happens, what awaits him will be endless pursuit by the World Government.
"Oh..."
Golden Lion was stunned for a moment, raised his hand, and touched the rudder above his head, and his anger calmed down in an instant: "Where is that devil fruit?"
"Have no idea."
Spandine shook his head and continued.
"But what I know is that this devil fruit was once fought over by the World Government, the Marines, and Doflamingo more than a decade ago."
"Its final whereabouts are unknown, but it is definitely not in the hands of the World Government or the Marines."
"It's on Doflamingo?"
"No."
Spandine denied it.
"According to our intelligence, no one within the Donquixote Family has similar abilities. But there was something that picked my interest afterward."
"Not long after the fight, two people from the Donquixote Family disappeared."
"One is Doflamingo's younger brother and the other is a boy suffering from Amber Lead Syndrome."
"The former is confirmed dead, and the young man's name is... Trafalgar Law!"
… … ...
At the sea area near Nanohana city, a pirate ship was anchored near an island. All the crew members gathered on the deck, looking back at the battlefield in the distance.
At this moment, several hours have passed since the battle.
The surrounding seas gradually calmed down, the wind and waves subsided, and everything was smoothed out by the sea.
Only the uneasy hearts of the people became more chaotic.
At this moment, both Crocodile and Golden Lion had already left.
Kalifa immediately suppressed her inner anxiety and led everyone back to Nanohana city.
When they entered Nanohana city again, all they saw was a ruin. The criss-crossing cuts almost cut the place into pieces.
The once neat and tall buildings had been torn to pieces in the recent battle.
Only at this moment did they realize the intensity of the battle.
"Who won?"
Fukurou swallowed. Even though he was a prisoner on this ship, he didn't want Gawain to be defeated here.
After all, during this period of time, Gawain did not cause them much trouble because of Lucci.
Secondly, once Golden Lion intervenes in the internal affairs of the Alabasta kingdom, the danger level of the entire incident will be directly raised to the highest level.
He had never experienced the era of Golden Lion, but from the files recorded within the CP organization, he was able to get a glimpse of Golden Lion's terrifying combat power.
The sword strike just now made this horror come true.
No one answered Fukurou's question.
Vivi stood at the bow without saying a word, her lips almost bitten until they bled.
If she still had some hope when Crocodile attacked Gawain, then when Golden Lion appeared here, all she had was despair.
If Gawain, the only one who can fight against all this, falls here, then this country…
Vivi didn't think further, nor did she dare to think further. She didn't even dare to ask Kalifa.
Even though she was less than fourteen years old, it was obvious that Kalifa had feelings for Gawain that went beyond friendship.
If Gawain really died in the hands of Golden Lion this time, the person who would suffer the most on the ship would definitely be Kalifa.
"The captain... will win."
Kalifa murmured, but her eyes were already red.
That was Golden Lion! He was the strongest man who had dominated an era and whose opponents included the World Government, the Marines, the King of the Pirates, and even Whitebeard, who is now known as the strongest man in the world!
Who dares to say that they can win against such a person?
"Sister Kalifa..."
Vivi was stunned, and then she heard a few soft sounds under the moonlight. It was Kalifa's tears falling to the ground.
Everyone was speechless for a moment, but they had only one thought in their minds.
Such power... even a monster like White Knight Gawain can't resist it, right?
No!
Even if he wants to keep his life, he can't do it, right?
"Bru bru—"
At this time, the sudden ringing of a Den Den Mushi broke the deathly silence.
Kalifa came to her senses and hurriedly took out the Den Den Mushi from her arms.
After the call was connected, a familiar voice was heard.
"I'm out of the battlefield; where are you guys?"
Kalifa was stunned for a moment and almost lost her grip on the Den Den Mushi in her hand. She was so excited that she spoke incoherently: "Captain, I... I... I am willing to marry you. Ah, no, we are in Raven, no, in Nanohana city!"
Gawain on the other end of the Den Den Mushi fell silent for a moment, and after a long pause, a somewhat helpless voice came back: "You have returned to Nanohana city, right?"
"Ah... Yes!"
Kalifa suddenly realized what she had said and felt her face getting hot. She didn't even dare to look back at everyone.
But she heard a murmur of discussion behind her, and the meaningful gazes she received made her scalp tingle.
She turned her back to everyone, pretending to be cool and aloof. After realizing that Gawain was fine, she hurried back to the cabin.
But at this moment, she suddenly realized that she, who had said she wanted to make Gawain fall in love, seemed to have been the first to fall in love.