A few minutes ago.
Law stood on the rooftop of a nearby building. Though he was far enough not to be caught in the shockwaves of Golden Lion's attacks, the sheer power, like that of a god wiping out half a city in an instant, still filled him with a fear that shook him to his soul.
"This is… Golden Lion?!"
"This guy..."
Law was trembling, his body weakened by fear to the point of collapsing, and he barely remained standing by leaning on his sword.
But the scene before him was already seared into his heart like a nightmare.
"How can I defeat this guy?!"
Originally, Lucci's almost paranoid self-confidence in Gawain made him have an unnecessary expectation in his heart.
He expected that Golden Lion was also a person, and he expected that he might lose, even if it was just a slight decline.
But now, even Gawain, who had become an unbeatable figure in both Law's and Lucci's minds, was helpless in the face of Golden Lion.
He was suppressed by Golden Lion from beginning to end, and was hit hard again and again, and now he has completely fallen.
"Bepo..."
Law murmured while recalling the journey with his companions. He realized that he might not get enough power to avenge them in his lifetime.
Law didn't even know what the meaning of living was at this moment.
Perhaps the only thing that supported his belief was the will to kill Doflamingo and avenge Rosinante, as described by Golden Lion.
As for Golden Lion… he didn't dare to think about it anymore.
But at this moment, a breath that made Law's scalp tingle came from under the ruins.
He felt that the buildings under his feet were shaking gently, and it seemed that he also felt an emotion called fear at this moment.
"That guy… is not dead?"
Law was in disbelief, clinging desperately to the last glimmer of hope like a drowning man grabbing a lifebuoy: "He hasn't lost yet!"
At this moment, he realized that the one who most desperately didn't want Gawain to lose was, ironically, himself, an enemy.
If he could witness the fall of Golden Lion, Law would die here without regret!
Boom!
The ground began to tremble at this moment, and the smile on the face of Golden Lion in the sky froze at this moment.
"So it's not over yet?!"
Golden Lion lowered his gaze and looked at the ruins. Before he saw Gawain's figure, a Conqueror's Haki far more powerful than before rose from the ground.
But it was not an ordinary Conqueror's Haki, spreading around like a ball, but condensed into a stream, rushing towards him in the sky!
"Interesting!"
"Too interesting!"
"White Knight Gawain, I recognize you!"
"Jihahahaha!"
"You are qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with Roger. In this boring era, only you are interesting!"
The same Conqueror's Haki burst out from Golden Lion, and Gawain's Conqueror's Haki that rushed to the sky collided head-on.
Crack!
Scarlet lightning lit up the sky, dividing it evenly as both sides clashed with full might.
After a few seconds, the two Conqueror Haki collapsed at the same time, and the shockwaves swept the battlefield clear of debris, leaving open space for the final battle.
Now, whether it was Gawain and Golden Lion who were battling, or the spectators, Law, Akainu, or the Five Elders, all of them knew:
This was the final battle.
"From this moment on."
"It's round two!"
Da!
Gawain grasped the Guanze Masamune at his side.
This already extremely bloodthirsty sword became even more excited, and the edge even glowed red. Guanze Masamune's soul seemed to be burning at this moment.
It has been longing for such a battle since its birth, facing the strongest opponent with the strongest partner.
And Golden Lion hanging in the sky has such qualifications!
Buzz!
The blade rang.
In the next moment, it tore the air apart and burned everything as it slashed at Golden Lion flying in the sky!
Haki, swordsmanship, physique...
From rising up on a remote island in the East Blue to now, all of Gawain's growth, insight, and near-death battles were about to culminate in this moment.
He would crush Golden Lion and become the new… king!
"Gawain!"
Golden Lion in the sky had his hair and beard flying up.
He had wrinkles all over his face, and even had many age spots.
His body, made of flesh and blood, was already old.
While the decline of the body is an irreversible process, the decline of the spirit, rooted in will and conviction, happens in an instant, and can also be reignited in a single moment.
And now, Golden Lion's spirit was ablaze once more!
The corners of his mouth curled up, his bloodshot eyes glowed crimson, and even the blood surging from his heart seemed to boil.
This feeling, he knew it well. He had felt it once before, twenty years ago, when his body was still young and overflowing with vitality.
Golden Lion didn't know why Gawain's Conqueror's Haki had suddenly grown so much stronger, but he knew one thing: right now, he felt like he had returned to his prime.
An unyielding will, a warrior who rises again and again until he tears every enemy in sight to pieces… just like him!
Exactly like him!
"You're like Roger... No, you're you!"
Gawain was born in the East Blue with outstanding talent, and at a young age, he had the power to challenge the strongest.
Originally, in the heart of Golden Lion, Gawain was a substitute for Roger, a shadow to make up for his regret of defeat.
But the Gawain that Golden Lion saw at this moment was no longer anyone's shadow, but Gawain himself.
"You are not Roger's shadow, but White Knight Gawain!"
"You should have been born in our time and lived as my opponent, instead of playing house games with these boring guys in this boring era!"
"You are a natural pirate, I won't be wrong!"
"Jihahaha!"
His wild laughter stirred chaotic winds high in the sky, crashing toward the ground like a storm.
Several mutated animals that hadn't fled in time dropped to their knees on the spot.
But for them, this was only the beginning.
"Noisy!"
After an indifferent voice, Gawain held a sword in one hand and rushed towards Golden Lion from bottom to top.
He was like a spike that broke through the barrier, tearing a crack in the Conqueror Haki of Golden Lion.
The next moment.
Bang!
The swords clashed in the air, and the red lightning flashed in the night sky. The bloody and ferocious scene made the onlookers unable to look away.
Just because of this moment, whether it was Law who stood aside and risked his life to witness the battle of the strongest, or Aokiji who faced Big Mom, or Akainu who looked at everything expressionlessly on the sea in the distance, they all understood.
The final moment of this battle between the top strong men has arrived.
Would a new king ascend atop the corpses of legends from the old era, or would Golden Lion roar once more in this era?
The answer would be revealed in the next phase of this battle.
After the initial test of the two, what followed was a desperate fight, no mercy, no pretense, and no misguided sympathy.
Chopping off the opponent's head with a sword and piercing the opponent's heart with a sword is the best respect for him!
"Radiant Moon: Full Bloom!"
"Lion Might: Thousand Cuts of the Withered Sea!"
After another all-out collision, the two flew backwards, but in the next moment, they rushed towards their opponents again.
Gawain, who had been suppressed and beaten unilaterally by Golden Lion before, was now evenly matched with this man even on the field.
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