Chapter 68

Above the Frostmoon Village pier, a wildly arrogant, cocky, and thunderous roar suddenly exploded.

Almost in the next instant.

Barzab Seven’s figure materialized midair above the pier, gazing at the battle-worn silhouette ahead—standing atop the colossal ship’s helm, boots planted on two famed swords.

“Oh, Golden Lion.”

On the deck of the Morningstar Pirate Ship, the entire crew had already assembled; Mihawk and Tenghu also soared into the air, hovering one on each side of Seven.

The three mainstays were united.

Seeing this, Golden Lion showed no sign of unease; instead, he held a cigar between his lips, a smug smile playing on his lips as he sized up the younger man.

“White-hair brat…”

Golden Lion had intended to leverage his senior status, putting on airs to dominate the younger, but to his surprise, Seven drew his blade without a word.

“Guys, take him down.”

Not only did he show up this late, making a racket and disturbing our rest, but he spoke like some goddamn top-dog, the greatest on earth.

So what if he’s a legendary pirate.

If you’re asking for death, I’ll grant it.

Three flying slashes struck simultaneously, forcing Golden Lion back; then Seven launched a hyper-electromagnetic cannon to follow up.

A blinding beam of light poured down, illuminating the night sky above the pier.

Before Golden Lion could react, he was struck again by the hyper-electromagnetic cannon.

After two hyper-electromagnetic cannons, Golden Lion’s hair and clothing were reduced to ash; his eyes filled with deep confusion and shock.

What the hell?

At least let me finish speaking first.

Golden Lion felt insulted; he was just about to activate a technique with his legs when he suddenly felt a chilling draft—Seven and Mihawk had already launched their blades from both sides.

Normally, Mihawk would never fight unfairly, but tonight he had just fallen asleep when Golden Lion’s roar woke him.

His morning anger was thick enough to feel like a physical force.

Only Tenghu remained suspended in place; sensing the captain’s and Mihawk’s fury, he sheathed his sword, Gambler’s Fireline.

“Old man was a step too slow again.”

Why is it so hard to find someone to spar with?

In the South Blue, before Tenghu could even speak, Mihawk had already challenged the captain.

Even in the South Blue, when Marine Hero Garp arrived, he acted as if he hadn’t seen Tenghu at all, passing right by the Morningstar and attacking the captain.

Tonight, they were beaten to the punch again.

Tenghu sighed and slowly descended to the deck to calm Robin and the others who had been awakened.

“It’s fine.”

“Let the captain and Mihawk handle it.”

Jin Ni stared at the enemy being pushed back by the two captains far off in the distance, as if in a dream.

Back in the Valley of the Gods, when Golden Lion seized the treasure chest, how triumphant he had been—now he was being crushed by the two captains, with no chance to escape.

Even his clothes had been burned off by the captain—he was now a legendary pirate, bare-assed…

“White-hair brat…”

Golden Lion opened his mouth to try to de-escalate, but the words he spoke only made Seven’s assault fiercer.

“What the hell is ‘white’?”

“Do you even have the right to call me that? Think you’re still in your prime, old man?”

Though it looked like bullying with numbers and the young overpowering the old, it didn’t matter—against enemies who dared invade, no niceties were needed.

If you come, prepare to die.

You really think I’m nice? I’m a pirate—a pirate who kills without blinking.

Besides, a man who’s lost his dream suffers just by living. Better to let Golden Lion die now than suffer defeat at Luffy’s Level 3.

Once we find a way to obtain the Gura Gura no Mi, I’ll send Golden Lion down to join Roger.

Don’t want the captain to be lonely.

The violent commotion at the pier drew the attention of Shigure Kōzaburō and his son Shigure Kōshirō from the Frostmoon Village’s Ichinichi Dojo; the father and son watched the three combatants from afar, instinctively gripping their waist blades.

Three great swordsmen clashing—rare indeed.

Only Golden Lion was inexplicably naked, making the scene somewhat offensive to the eyes.

For every swordsman, this battle was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; whether they learned anything was secondary—what mattered was expanding their horizons.

Like a frog in a well, one never knows how vast the sky truly is.

One who has never witnessed the peak will never understand what true greatness looks like.

“Legendary pirate Golden Lion, captain of the Morningstar Pirates, Raijin Barzab Seven, vice-captain Hawk-Eye Zoro.”

“Why are they fighting?”

Shigure Kōzaburō stroked his beard.

“Perhaps it’s a continuation of the battle between the Flying Pirates and Roger’s crew—five years ago, they clashed fiercely in the Edow Sea…”

“Go warn the villagers not to come near.”

“Yes, Father.”

Shigure Kōshirō turned and left, gathering students from the Ichinichi Dojo to block the curious villagers.

This isn’t something to watch.

It’s both offensive to the eyes and deadly.

For the villagers of Frostmoon Village, even being grazed by the battle’s residual waves meant death or crippling injury.

Why have these people gathered in Frostmoon Village?

The New World is your battlefield.

CRACK~

The instant the two crimson-black Haki clashed, a force capable of splitting heaven and sea rippled outward like waves; villagers who hadn’t yet fled collapsed unconscious.

On the battlefield, though drenched in blood, Golden Lion grinned, blood streaming from his lips.

“Jehahaha~”

“Barzab, I recognize you—dare you fight me one-on-one?”

Golden Lion was just like that—admired strength, yet never stopped drawing his blade against the weaker.

Clearly a low-tier pirate.

Hearing this, Mihawk, upon Seven’s signal, sheathed his black blade Yoru and stepped back, leaving the field to the two.

“As you wish.”

All the thunderstorms in the sky converged upon Dream One Heart; Seven decided to use his strongest form to defeat Golden Lion and imprison him until a way was found to obtain the Gura Gura no Mi with one hundred percent certainty.

Still the same rule: if you come, prepare for death. Not killing you is already mercy.

Golden Lion used his legs as blades.

“Lion’s Might: Earth Roll.”

The ground before Seven suddenly erupted—a massive wave of earth surged forward like a tidal wave.

Golden Lion was no less than a legendary pirate alongside Roger and Whitebeard; even with the colossal ship helm atop his head and his legs severed, his power was no longer at its peak.

Yet the destruction he caused remained astonishing.

And now Golden Lion fought with a desperate, all-or-nothing intensity, showing not a trace of retreat—this allowed Seven to appreciate the true utility of the hyper-electromagnetic cannon.

Before the fight begins, burn off the opponent’s clothes.

Launch a psychological attack.

From this, it’s clear: Golden Lion’s strength was such that any Marine Vice-Admiral other than Garp would have been instantly obliterated by two hyper-electromagnetic cannons.

Yet Golden Lion suffered only minor injuries.

The massive earth wave was cleanly severed by two casual flying slashes from Seven; at the same time, Dream One Heart wrapped in Haki followed Seven’s flash-step to appear before Golden Lion.

“Shinpi!”

A flicker of surprise, nostalgia, and relief crossed Golden Lion’s face—since seeing Roger for the last time in Impel Down two years ago—

He had finally seen Roger’s Shinpi again.

But when the terrifying force of the blade flung him backward, Golden Lion’s fury turned to bitter laughter—he had been tricked.

“Didn’t Roger teach you?”

“You never inherited Roger’s will.”

“Jehahaha~”

Golden Lion admitted he had vastly underestimated Barzab and his Morningstar Pirates—but so what? He’d long since accepted death as part of the game.

Still, a quiet sadness filled his heart.

His lifetime of glory was ruined tonight—a legendary pirate, bare-assed.

He’d never have the face to show himself again.

Golden Lion could already imagine how delighted Whitebeard would be upon hearing this news.

These people must all be wiped out.