The clash between Wind Splitter and Cherry Ten and Withered Tree sent shockwaves through the clouds.
Ryan maneuvered through the sky, stepping on pale golden Flame Clouds, his dark purple sword aura wrapped in a Dragon Roar as it tore through the air. Golden Lion hovered mid-air, the blades at his severed legs gleaming with black Haki, each swing carrying enough force to split rocks and part seas.
Sword energy grazed Ryan's Scales, carving deep gashes hundreds of meters long into the floating island's cliffs.
"One Sword Style: Mountain Breaker!"
Ryan's Flame Clouds surged beneath his feet as Wind Splitter slashed diagonally, trailing a dark purple arc. The sword energy cleanly sheared off the peak of a small mountain, sending rubble cascading into the sea like a storm, the resulting waves large enough to swallow small warships.
Golden Lion shifted slightly, dodging the rain of debris. Suddenly, Cherry Ten at his severed leg lashed out, sending a Wave Slash skimming across the sea's surface, splitting apart a newly closed trench and exposing the cold, sunlit reefs beneath.
The battle raged from the skies to the sea, from night to day.
Day One
The two clashed between floating islands and clouds.
Golden Lion manipulated massive boulders and towering waves, hurling them relentlessly. Ryan met them head-on, stepping on Flame Clouds as Wind Splitter cleaved through each obstacle.
Severed mountain peaks plunged into the ocean, sending water spires piercing the sky. The sea was carved with dozens of trenches, the widest capable of accommodating a three-masted ship.
Golden Lion's breathing remained steady, his blades moving effortlessly. Only occasionally did his gaze flicker with wariness as he observed Ryan.
This brat's raw strength and endurance far exceeded his expectations.
Day Two
By dawn, the boulders Golden Lion controlled had halved in size.
He no longer summoned tidal waves, instead relying on floating debris for movement. His Wave Slashes slowed by nearly twenty percent. In one direct clash, Wind Splitter's impact numbed his severed leg, and Withered Tree's blade trembled slightly.
Golden Lion retreated several meters with his levitation, wiping sweat from his brow.
Ryan's Scales bore dozens of wounds, yet his eyes burned fiercer than ever. His swordplay grew wilder—One Sword Style: Mountain Collapse shattered a three-layered rock barrier with sheer force.
Day Three
The sea breeze carried the thick scent of blood.
Golden Lion abandoned large-scale manipulation entirely, only occasionally flinging fist-sized debris to disrupt Ryan.
His hovering altitude dropped steadily. His blade swings lost their sharpness, his breathing grew ragged.
Ryan pressed forward relentlessly. His left arm, transformed by Dragon Transformation, raked dark purple Haki-clad claws across Golden Lion's shoulder armor, leaving three deep, bone-exposing gashes.
By moonlight, Golden Lion suddenly halted, hovering beside a millstone-sized boulder, his blades lowering slowly.
Day Four
At the first light of dawn staining the sea red, Golden Lion stared at Ryan and let out a low chuckle.
Cherry Ten and Withered Tree crossed into an X, their black Haki dense as ink, yet unable to mask the heaving of his chest.
"Enough of these tricks," he rasped, voice rough as sandpaper, yet still laced with pride. "Today, we settle this with blades."
Ryan stood on pale golden Flame Clouds, only a sheen of sweat on his brow. His breathing was heavy but steady, his grip on Wind Splitter unshaken.
He glanced at Golden Lion's heaving chest and smirked. "Old man, already out of breath? Weren't you full of energy just now?"
Honestly, he hadn't expected Golden Lion to last this long. If anyone said he hadn't held back against that Straw Hat brat, they were—
Golden Lion didn't respond. His hovering height dropped further as his blades shifted into an offensive stance. He no longer manipulated objects, letting even the debris beneath him fall into the sea.
"Shing—!"
Golden Lion shot forward like an arrow, Cherry Ten thrusting for Ryan's heart while Withered Tree swept at his legs. The blades' paths remained complementary, but their speed had dulled.
Decades of swordsmanship were now his last resort—every feint carried a desperate edge.
What followed was pure skill and Haki.
Ryan's pupils narrowed. His Flame Clouds exploded beneath him as Wind Splitter carved a dark purple arc, meeting the attack with overwhelming force.
"Clang—!"
The moment the blades collided, a shockwave of intertwined Haki erupted, flattening the sea for miles around. Floating debris shattered into dust, raining into the depths.
Golden Lion was sent flying back, his blades vibrating violently. He clutched his chest, coughing violently, a trickle of blood escaping his lips.
Ryan pursued relentlessly, Wind Splitter aimed at Golden Lion's throat. "What's wrong? Can't take it anymore? Where's that bravado now, old man? Looks like you've gone soft!"
Youth overpowered experience—especially when enhanced by Ryan's Artificial Dragon Fruit and Ferocious Medicine-boosted body. A war of attrition? He welcomed it.
He'd grind him down to nothing.
Golden Lion wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze sharp yet conflicted, pouring his remaining strength into his blades. "Arrogant whelp…"
"Arrogant?" Ryan laughed, his strikes growing fiercer. "After what you did to me—treating me like an experiment—you call this arrogance?"
Wind Splitter cleaved forward, dark purple Haki trembling the very air. "Today, I'll show you what it means for the new generation to surpass the old!"
Golden Lion gritted his teeth, each parry numbing his arms. The wounds at his severed legs reopened, blood staining his blades.
His movements slowed, his techniques unraveling. He could only block on instinct.
Seizing the moment, Ryan's left arm Dragonized, dark purple Haki-claw slashing for Golden Lion's face while Wind Splitter swept low—a vicious, calculated assault.
"Die!"
Golden Lion barely raised his blades in time, but the claw still grazed his cheek, drawing blood.
He was sent reeling back, hovering unsteadily, his chest heaving violently. The fire in his eyes dimmed, replaced by exhaustion.
Ryan paused, panting as sweat dripped onto Wind Splitter. "What's wrong? Not fighting back anymore? Where's your pride, old man?"
Golden Lion didn't answer. His grip slackened, as if he lacked even the strength to lift his blades. The dawn light washed over him, his golden mane dulled, robbed of its former luster.
The clash of steel ceased. Only the crashing waves and falling mountains remained, the split sea still refusing to close.
After four days and nights, the battle seemed to have reached its end.