Chapter 181

The golden lion at this moment had vacant eyes, and he was struck by life's three great questions.

Who am I? Where am I?

What should I do? "Am I dreaming? Haha, I must be dreaming—how could my legs have grown back?

How could the rudder on my head possibly have disappeared again? And I've gained the ability to control flames and powerful self-healing.

If such power truly exists, how could I have been so easily defeated by someone? Damn it, I actually had this absurd dream."

Clearly, an old lion had been struck down, struck down hard by Luode.

He was defeated too quickly, even without resistance; in terms of Haki, his Observation Haki was only slightly stronger than Luode's.

Because of the increase in life level, Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, the old lion was far from being Luode's match—indeed, even Kaido in front of Luode was nothing to look at.

The immense destructive power of dark arts, the robust physique brought by life force—when the old lion faced Luode, the outcome was utter defeat, and he couldn't even block a few moves.

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering sound, a fruit awakening ability worthy of being called a natural disaster—before Luode's dark arts storm, it was nothing but delivering vegetables.

Luode let out a cold laugh, flicked his finger at the golden lion's skull, then aimed at the opponent's shiny bald head and delivered a blow.

"Damn! It hurts so much!"

"Knowing pain is good—knowing pain proves you're not dreaming. Old lion, face reality! Although reality is sometimes very cruel."

"Damn it, damn it, I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled—why, why!" Tears of unwillingness even flowed from the golden lion's eyes. He couldn't understand, couldn't make sense of it—why did this happen? Clearly, I've already restored all my power; clearly, my body has become even stronger.

I even gained the ability to control flames and all kinds of miraculous powers. So why? Why did I lose? Why did I lose? Clearly, I gained such immense power, yet I was so easily defeated by someone.

He couldn't understand, he couldn't understand!

So he thought all of this was fake, all of this was a nightmare—reality really is cruel, truly too cruel!

"It's not just you who can't accept this—Whitebeard also can't accept it. At first, Kaido couldn't accept it either, Charlotte Linlin even more so couldn't accept it, and I even took her down once." Luode said.

If it weren't for Kaido, Charlotte Linlin would already have been remade into a Death Knight by now—where would she still be leading her pirate crew and her children?

"My dream, my dream! Wah! Roger that bastard, Guan Yuet that bastard—none of them could make me submit."

"Looks like you're still not reconciled—how about I increase your power a bit more, and you fight me again?" Luode spoke.

"Damn! Are you humiliating me, kid? Kill me! Since I lost to you, it doesn't matter—I'm willing to follow pirate rules. From the day I set sail, I've had this resolve." The golden lion simply closed his eyes and spoke.

His pride, his ambition—as a man who once roamed the seas in the old era, he could never again accept submitting to others—so let this all end! "Death is not the end—Whitebeard, that guy, even if dead, would still serve me. If you choose to be like Whitebeard, no problem—I can fulfill your wish.

I turned Whitebeard into that kind of resurrected form, called a Death Knight—a undead form that needs no food, no water, has no sensation, just a walking corpse.

And all his abilities can be used; even he himself will gain the power to control death—except he'll only become my tool.

Since you, old lion, are so arrogant, I'll just take you down, then control you afterward!" Luode spoke.

You think choosing death means you're free? Choosing death still means you serve me—since I've taken a liking to you, you have no chance to escape.

"Damn! You, you bastard—hmph, are you spouting dangerous nonsense? I won't believe your ghost stories!" He didn't believe such evil and strange Devil Fruit abilities existed in this world.

"Truly, one won't shed tears until seeing the coffin. Then come with me—I'll give you a performance. There just happens to be a remnant from the old era who'd rather die than surrender." Luode finished speaking and tore open a portal.

He gave Kaido a glance—his old father-in-law directly grabbed the golden lion and Luode and left together.

"By the way, your boss will be back soon—after this, this place is my territory, and you're all my subordinates."

Before leaving, Luode, facing the portal side, issued his declaration to a group of the golden lion's underlings.

"Boss, boss was taken away—so should we still carry out our plan?"

"Do we, our Sky Pirate Crew, still exist?"

"Or should we just disband?"

"You idiot, what nonsense are you spouting?

Being able to take down the boss so easily—if you betray the other side, think about what consequences would follow? Let's just wait honestly!" A person in a white coat, resembling a scientist, spoke.

On the other side, in Wano Country, Sylvanas had already received Luode's message and rushed over from the Dark City.

"Here! This is the magic pen you had Kaelthas make—it can auto-draw, control various colors, but otherwise has no other use." Seeing Luode, Sylvanas pulled out a golden magic pen and tossed it to him.

The blood elf race, due to their long lifespans, invented many magical trinkets—like brooms that sweep themselves.

Stoves that cook food by themselves—these are all inventions of the blood elves. A magic pen that auto-draws? For Prince Kaelthas, it's nothing short of effortless.

When Kaelthas and company returned to Silvermoon City, Luode instructed them to prepare a magical magic pen, then send it here for his own use—since he had a disobedient little raccoon cat, he needed to recreate one.

"Alright! Then let's just take out those two Phantom Beast-type fruits right now!" Luode nodded, took over Sylvanas's magic paintbrush.

Then he took out some pure soul energy, even added some pure holy light soul energy inside, and turned this magic pen into a Homiz construct.

"Master, master, thank you, master."

"From today on, your name shall be Divine Brush Ma Liang—I'll give you a very miraculous Devil Fruit later, so you can turn into a little raccoon cat." The story of Divine Brush Ma Liang—I've read it since childhood! Now I also have a brush that can draw anything and make it real—so your name shall be Ma Liang!

"I understand, master—Ma Liang will obey your commands." The miraculous magic paintbrush, in Luode's presence, bounced up and down instantly.

"Who is this golden-haired old man? Where did you find him?" Sylvanas glanced at the golden lion in Luode's hand.

"Damn, I'm the golden lion—I'm not just some golden-haired old man." The golden lion, grabbed by Kaido, struggled and said.

"This golden-haired old man has two choices later: one, become my subordinate—normally; two, become my subordinate—in death's form." "This time I brought a set of Death Knight transformation tools—but it can't transform two." Sylvanas rolled her eyes. "You had me come over—you should've prepared a set of Death Knight transformation tools!" "No problem—just prepare another set."

"Mr. Golden Lion, later I'll perform a magic trick for you—after the trick ends, I expect you to give me a satisfactory answer."

The three arrived at a basement. A young, handsome man with red hair, looking about twenty, was being held here.

Beside him stood a towering Whitebeard—because of the other's special nature, Luode has always assigned Whitebeard to personally guard him here.

"You, you are Lone High Crimson? Didn't expect you old bastard to also be caught here—you, you how did you become young again?" The golden lion, grabbed by Kaido, looked at the red-haired man before him and spoke.

Didn't expect this bastard to also be arrested.

"Each other! Each other! Golden Lion, looks like you also capsized." Lone High Crimson lifted his head, glanced at the golden lion, and coldly snorted.

Regained youth—so what? Still can't beat Whitebeard—even this battle, I was completely crushed.

"I value your red-haired uncle greatly—you are my second Death Knight. I plan to form the Four Heavenly Knights as my personal guard.

Whitebeard is the first member, you are the second—regarding that old lion, he might be the third later, or might not—but it depends on his choice." Luode laughed and said.

The Lich King already made a set of Four Heavenly Knights—no reason I can't do the same here! After conquering Karazhan, the black knights that Sargeras once enslaved, those special Death Knight crafting methods—even the general Death Knight weapons—he obtained them as well.

"Alright, let's extract his Devil Fruit ability! Zoan-type, the Vampire Fruit is still very powerful."

Luode didn't waste any more words with the Proud Red, directly snapping his neck, then driving a peach wood stake through his heart.

After all, killing a vampire still requires following traditional methods.

Having ended the life of this legendary pirate, Luode and Sylvanas began to absorb and transmute his Devil Fruit ability.

The Vampire Devil Fruit ability was quickly transferred by the two into an ordinary fruit.

Luode, in front of the Golden Lion, extracted a Devil Fruit—a red Vampire Devil Fruit.

"This is our special ability—we can extract Devil Fruit abilities through certain means, so Old Lion, your Float-Float Fruit is quite excellent." Luode looked at the Golden Lion and spoke.

"Damn, damn it! In this world, there actually exists a way to extract Devil Fruit abilities—you, you want my Fruit?"

"And that's not all—the performance isn't over yet! Watch closely, old man."

"I said, even in death, you must serve me." Luode nodded at Sylvanas.

The Queen smiled, producing the Death Knight's transmutation item and tools, then began inscribing a six-pointed magic array on the ground.

Soon, a Death Magic Transmutation Array was completed; Sylvanas poured out a large amount of blood beside it, while also taking out Luode's collection from Karazhan—the methods for creating Black Knights.

They began setting up the Death Knight transmutation ritual.

"Alright, Luode, you can activate the array now—this time it shouldn't go wrong like last time, right?"

"Last time was because my strength was still too weak; this time the situation is completely different.

Come on! Death is not the end—Proud Red Count, Proud Red, rise! Rise and serve me!"

Luode chanted the bitter and obscure incantation, releasing his fel power; Sylvanas, on her side, also released a vast amount of death power, beginning to coordinate with Luode.

Fel magic, death magic, and shadow magic intertwined.

Proud Red reacted—his corpse began to deform, his originally pale skin turning into a death-black hue, slowly shifting toward Whitebeard's appearance.

At the same time, in the spiritual realm, Red Count stared in shock at Luode—he hadn't expected that after being killed, having his Devil Fruit ability extracted, he would still not be spared.

"You, you—what kind of being are you?"

"I am your master, your eternal master for all time—you only need to know this one thing: now come, sign the soul contract! You shall serve me."

The power of the Soul-Soul Fruit activated—demigod-level immense soul pressure instantly shattered Proud Red's strength; previously, Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki could have resisted himself.

But Proud Red doesn't have this—his Observation Haki is very strong.

But it also doesn't affect Luode anymore, and most importantly.

Even if you possess Conqueror's Haki, even stronger than Whitebeard's, facing me now, it's still a dead end.

The Death Soul Contract was quickly signed—Red Count's soul wrapped in black chains, his soul completely enslaved by Luode.

Using Sargaras's method to forge Black Knights, along with the Blood Death Knight transmutation method, Luode created a brand-new Death Knight.

Sylvanas also produced the Apocalypse Magic Sword Luode brought back from Karazhan, plus the pre-prepared Death Knight armor, letting Red Count don it.

"I shall serve you, my master!" the Death Knight Red Count, wielding the Apocalypse Magic Sword, expressionless, knelt before Luode.

"Good—from now on, you and Whitebeard will be my Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; I'll find two more companions for you."

At this moment, the Golden Lion's eyes bulged wide, his mouth gaping as if he could swallow a watermelon.

"So now it's your turn, Mr. Golden Lion—you choose: be killed by me, have your Devil Fruit ability extracted, become the third Apocalypse Horseman, and serve me after death.

Or become my direct subordinate, alive, serving me?"

"Cough cough! Captain, from now on, please guide me."

(End of Chapter)