Vane's words stirred something in the Golden Lion. A man who once stood at the pinnacle of the world couldn't tolerate being mocked by a junior.
The Golden Lion was furious.
"Kid, don't get cocky!"
With a roar, the Golden Lion raised his hands, manipulating the earth. Another massive lion-shaped head formed, even larger than before, hurtling toward Vane. At the same time, he soared higher into the sky, the famous swords bound to his legs flashing as he unleashed another fierce golden slash. The brilliant arc cut through the air, targeting Vane directly.
Vane's ten golden magic circles moved in unison. A barrage of weapons burst forth, intercepting the Golden Lion's slash and neutralizing it. Immediately afterward, a new weapon shot out, once again aiming for the Golden Lion.
The newly conjured lion head didn't fare any better, shattered instantly by countless weapons fired from over a hundred golden magic circles floating behind Vane.
That was the terrifying aspect of The King's Treasure. It could endlessly launch weapons, and this was merely its simplest form of use.
"What the hell is this ability? Too bizarre!"
The Golden Lion gritted his teeth as he was bombarded by the relentless stream of weapons. He tried manipulating huge boulders as shields and used his swords to deflect the strikes, but Vane's weapons seemed inexhaustible, never giving him a moment's reprieve.
"Is this a Paramecia-type ability? How many powers does this kid have?"
The Golden Lion was bewildered. While dodging the endless hail of weapons, he darted around at high speed, trying to get close to Vane. By now, all of the golden magic circles had locked onto him, moving wherever he moved. It was like an unrelenting missile barrage, adjusting their aim based on his every motion.
"Is this so-called legendary pirate only good at running away?" Vane taunted with a mocking grin.
Truthfully, if the Golden Lion fought seriously, But by this point, the Golden Lion's pride had been wounded. The dignity of a legend couldn't be insulted.
The floating island was in ruins. What had once been a grand, luxurious city crafted by the Golden Lion's ability was now a shattered wasteland. Though everything hung suspended in midair by his powers, not a speck of dust escaped the area.
The Golden Lion relentlessly moved, slashing at the endless barrage with his feet, sending sword strikes in every direction, while also hurling chunks of stone at Vane.
It was futile.
Vane finally advanced, stepping forward, and the golden magic circles followed him like loyal soldiers.
At that moment, a huge surge of seawater rose from the ocean. Though not on the scale of a tsunami, it was as large as Vane's King's Treasure barrage.
The Golden Lion could control seawater to some extent, though nowhere near the level of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit or Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit, which could infuse homies into the sea itself and create towering tidal waves. His power was crude in comparison.
The column of seawater surged toward Vane from behind, rapidly closing in.
"Trying to use seawater to trap me?"
Vane had already reached the Golden Lion. Strictly speaking, Vane wasn't a typical Devil Fruit user. Even with powers like the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and the Life-Life Fruit, their side effects had been eliminated through his [Investment System] upgrades. He was never a normal Devil Fruit wielder.
Seawater posed no threat to him. The Golden Lion just wanted to trap him, believing, as anyone would, that seawater was a natural counter to Devil Fruit users.
"That's right, brat. No matter how many powers you've got, even two Devil Fruits won't save you from the sea."
The surge of seawater roared toward Vane, surrounding him like a towering wall.
Unfazed, Vane casually extended his right hand. Just as the mass of seawater was about to reach him, he unleashed his freezing ability, instantly turning the entire surge into a massive block of ice.
The frozen seawater hung suspended in midair. Vane then clenched his fist, the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit surging through him. A crisp crack sounded as the enormous block shattered under the pressure.
Vane wasn't concerned about the seawater — it wouldn't affect him. And there was no way he'd let the Golden Lion succeed in forcing him into a disadvantage.
"The hell is with this guy's abilities?" the Golden Lion muttered, his expression darkening.
He struggled to resist the ceaseless barrage of weapons and couldn't close the distance. The power and speed of Vane's attacks were immense, forcing him on the defensive.
Then, as a new wave of weapons launched, Vane abruptly stopped the barrage. In that instant, Vane appeared before the Golden Lion like a bolt of lightning. He punched him hard in the face — not with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, but with raw physical power.
The Golden Lion's face distorted under the force. His body, like a broken kite, shot downward uncontrollably, slamming toward the ocean's surface.
Vane didn't hesitate. He pursued, catching up in a flash, and landed a vicious kick to the Golden Lion's stomach, driving him further downward.
"Old man or not, I don't owe you any respect."
Vane looked down coldly at the disheveled Golden Lion. This time, the legendary pirate crashed hard into the sea. A towering spray of seawater shot up where his body struck.
Freeze.
Vane extended his hand again, using the Ice Teigu's power to instantly freeze a thousand-meter-wide section of the ocean.
The Golden Lion was trapped.
Vane had no sympathy for him. From the moment this battle began, the Golden Lion's defeat had been inevitable.
Of course, Vane had originally wanted to steal the Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit, but now wasn't the right time. Besides, the power of a Devil Fruit didn't always transfer directly; it required certain conditions. Vane hadn't yet fully deciphered how his [Investment System] processed Devil Fruits either.
"A bit of a shame," Vane muttered, standing calmly atop the frozen sea. "I wanted that fruit, but this old relic's past his time."
He watched carefully, noting that the floating island overhead hadn't collapsed yet — meaning the Golden Lion still clung to life, though weakened and soaked in seawater.
Vane contemplated what to do next. Killing the Golden Lion outright might be a waste.
Just then, his gaze drifted toward Esdeath and the others.
He only had a couple of people with him now. His power base was almost nonexistent.
A man aiming for dominance couldn't go far without building a terrifyingly strong crew.
"Recruit him."
That was Vane's decision. Not to bring the Golden Lion aboard his ship — but to make him part of his sphere of influence.
In short: to turn the legendary Golden Lion into one of his subordinates.
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