Weaving and Maneuvering, Nine Blades Wound the Enemy
"Rudder!"
"Dare to attack our partners, or you'll get away unscathed!"
As the flames of war spread to other places, the battle on the main battlefield also began after Luffy gave Golden Lion a 'nickname'.
Fists cleave mountains, kicks shatter rocks, blades tear the sky, and sword energy crisscrosses all directions!
As Roman, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji begin their battle against Golden Lion, every move they make is a terrifying attack that alters the terrain and affects the weather.
What is most important in combat?
The answer is distance!
"Everyone be careful—"
When facing a stronger opponent with greater numbers, the most important thing is to maintain formation and coordinate with each other. Otherwise, if the team gets separated and becomes disorganized, there's a constant risk of being picked off one by one by the enemy. Therefore:
Crackling sounds!
Hiss hiss hiss~~~
Roman and Luffy instantly entered 'Wind-Driven Lightning' and 'Gear Second' states respectively, greatly increasing their speed. They then leaped up and launched a fierce attack to entangle Golden Lion, preventing him from using his wide-range Devil Fruit ability.
"Gum-Gum Eagle Gun!"
"Paper Dance - 20x Vibration Sword!"
Faced with a fist that was so fast it was beyond the reach of the naked eye, and Roman's longsword wrapped in a blazing white light, the Golden Lion, hovering in the air, suddenly dodged to the side to avoid Luffy's attack, while at the same time kicking forward with his famous sword 'Sakura Ten' on his right leg.
Clang!
A violent shockwave shot out from where the two swords clashed, but since everyone present was a master, the gale that could blow a person away would at most make their clothes flutter! At the same time, a fast-moving figure appeared behind the Golden Lion.
"Top-grade minced meat!"
Sanji's fierce kick from behind landed with a bang, but the Golden Lion, who was holding Roman down with one leg, didn't even turn his head, but just flicked his fluffy, lion-mane-like hair behind him.
"Lion's Hair - Needle Jizo!"
BOOM!!!
Tsk—
As if he had kicked a mountain of hard blades, Sanji groaned and forcefully suppressed the excruciating pain in his leg! It was simply outrageous that the opponent's blond hair, combined with Armament Haki, could be made to resemble spiked armor.
"Cook!"
Luffy's powerful jumping ability and the high speed provided by Gear Second allow him to keep up with Golden Lion, while Sanji can also engage in aerial combat thanks to his "Spray Wind Shell." As for Roman, with his Geppo and wings, he is arguably the Straw Hat crew's most skilled aerial fighter.
But Zoro...
Brush,
Sanji, having failed in his attack, landed on the ground, raising one leg as a platform! Zoro, rushing over, immediately leaped onto his foot, and then:
"Air Force POWER SHOOT!"
This is Sanji's technique of kicking his companions high into the air. With this move, Zoro also gained the right to join the battle, flying towards Golden Lion like a cannonball, and then:
"Three-Sword Style: Hundred and Eight Calamity Phoenix!"
Zoro spun rapidly, his sword and man rotating in unison, transforming into a Big Saber wheel that slashed towards Golden Lion. The force of the blade grew stronger and stronger with each strike, the spinning motion becoming increasingly rapid. The resulting hurricane was deafening, scattering the swirling snowflakes everywhere! Trees within a radius of several hundred meters snapped and cracked, some even being uprooted and broken by the gale.
Three Famous Sword, carrying a chilling and Haki, spun and slashed towards him! Although they had not yet reached the level of 'Black Blade', they still made the Golden Lion's eyes narrow.
Clang!
With his other foot, he kicked out the famous sword 'Kareki', accurately blocking Zoro's three Famous Swords. At the same time, Golden Lion suddenly felt a long-lost stinging pain on the skin of his left foot!
After a deafening clash of swords, explosive bursts of sword energy and blade light, emitting a sharp, piercing sound like metal cutting, swept outwards. A stone wall and a dozen trees below the battlefield were torn to shreds like paper by the impact.
If Roman's sword is a blend of swordsmanship and Devil Fruit power, then Zoro's sword is simply a sword! Single-minded and solitary!
This swordsman is a bit tricky.
After exchanging a single blow, Golden Lion had a general understanding of the group.
The one wearing the Straw Hat was physically powerful and wielded the sword in a variety of styles; moreover, both of them used the Three Types of Haki quite skillfully, forcing Golden Lion to concentrate on dealing with them!
The other one is the fastest with kicking techniques and has Observation Haki, but his attack power is somewhat lacking...
This Three-Sword Style swordsman has the strongest attack! Fortunately, he doesn't have any aerial combat skills, so it seems we'll have to take him down one by one...
It's not that Zoro is stronger than Roman, but rather that Roman's two strongest abilities— the Tremor-Tremor Ability and Momo ability —are things that Golden Lion is extremely familiar with; he already knows exactly how to counter them. Forget catching him off guard, he can't even unleash their full power.
Zoro can't fly, so he needs Sanji's help to join the battle.
As for the Flying Slash? That skill is fine for beating noobs, but when it comes to real combat between experts, you still need to fight head-on with real swords and spears.
Brush--
The saying goes, "Of all martial arts, speed is the only way to break through defenses."
This principle applies especially when one person is surrounded by multiple attackers. As long as most people cannot keep up with the speed of the person being attacked, it is enough to prevent the opponent from taking advantage of their large numbers.
Just like when Roman dealt with the pirates on Jaya Island, after discovering that these young people had a solid foundation and Haki cultivation, making it difficult to defeat them quickly, Golden Lion began to roam around, waiting for an opportunity to break through.
A tall, golden figure seemed to fly through the air, fighting and retreating, while Roman, flapping his wings, Luffy with incredible Luffy, and Sanji, riding on his "Spray Wind Shell," launched a furious attack from behind! Poor Zoro could only run on the ground...
The mobility of the Float-Float Fruit was immediately apparent; everywhere, above and below ground, became Golden Lion's 'path.' This left the Straw Hat crew's four main fighters completely at his mercy!
"Golden Lion, you're a legendary pirate, yet you dare not face us head-on—"
Seeing that the four of them had been pulled into an opening by the opponent: mainly because Zoro's movement speed could not keep up with the high-speed maneuvers of the others, Roman launched a verbal attack in an attempt to 'pull the monster'.
"Have you no shame?"
"Hahaha, as long as I kill you all, no one will know what happened here."
However, Golden Lion was a true pirate through and through, and such mockery was utterly insignificant to him. Roman couldn't help but sigh to the heavens; shameless pirates weren't scary, what was scary was a pirate who was both strong and shameless.
"Gomu Gomu no Jet Rocket!"
The battle continued, but the distance between Roman, Luffy, Sanji and Zoro inevitably widened. Luffy, who used his high-speed leaping ability, caught up with his opponent once again. His hands, covered in Haki, seemed to transcend space and suddenly transformed into rocket launchers tens of meters long, blasting towards Golden Lion with layers of white air waves!
These fists were extraordinary in terms of power, speed, and Haki. Even a small hill would be shattered in front of Luffy's fists! Golden Lion didn't dare to be careless either. He activated his Observation Haki to the fullest and dodged the punch. At the same time, he raised one leg and the 'Sakura Ten' under his foot suddenly slashed at Luffy's arm that had missed its target from the side.
Clang!
However, Roman arrived right behind him, his longsword imbued with Haki blocking Golden Lion's attack and averting the crisis of Luffy's arm being cut off! Luffy's outstretched arm grabbed a tree in the distance, and he was suddenly propelled closer!
"Rubber Eagle Whip!"
Luffy's sweeping kick, Armament Haki Hardening, sent wisps of white air swirling around it, but Golden Lion simply leaped upwards, easily dodging Luffy's attack. This left everyone utterly speechless. Since that's the case:
'Let's just wait and see!'
Normally, Golden Lion uses his powers to dodge while the Straw Hat crew chases after him with all their might, Roman, Luffy, and the others would be the first to give out. But since the opponent is using such shameless hit-and-run tactics, then don't blame Roman:
Let's heal!
Splash splash~~~
"Paper Dance - Gate of Babylon!"
In the high-speed mobile battle, Roman waved his hand, and the papers flying out behind him began to form 'flying swords' that surged toward the Golden Lion!
These Haki golden longswords, under Roman's control, twisted and turned, creating a dazzling display of golden sword shadows that crisscrossed the battlefield like swimming fish, covering an area of hundreds of meters. They could be used for both offense and defense, making for a truly spectacular sight! In fact:
Outwardly strong but inwardly weak; only good at bullying weaker opponents.
Don't be fooled by the sight of the countless golden swords that transformed from flying papers hurtling towards the Golden Lion like shooting stars! Once separated from his body, the Haki on these swords rapidly diminishes. After all, Roman hasn't mastered the technique of 'externalizing' Haki; he's only barely maintaining the Haki on the swords through the connection between his Super Creation and his main body.
"Hahaha, this level of acrobatics can't hurt me!"
Roman ignored Golden Lion's provocation. He knew, of course, that these 'flying swords' couldn't harm Golden Lion, but they could certainly obstruct his vision and interfere with his senses. Therefore:
"Um?"
Amidst the swirling snowflakes, several golden swords landed on Luffy and his crew before transforming back into emerald green paper. As the life force within the paper flowed into their bodies, the three, who had been slightly out of breath, immediately regained their energy.
········
???
"You--!?"
The four of them tumbled and rolled across the island, leaving behind huge ruins!
The Golden Lion, already panting, suddenly realized that if they continued, he might be the one who couldn't hold on any longer. These young men seemed to have inexhaustible stamina; it seemed they had no choice but to:
"Lion's Might - Earth Strike!"
Roar, roar, roar!!
As the Golden Lion swung its claw in mid-air, the earth churned! A torrent of earth and rocks surged forth! Huge waves of mud and stone, tens of meters high, transformed into magnificent lions with bristling manes and whiskers! Then, they pounced fiercely towards Roman, Luffy, Sanji, and the others.
This move is very similar to the "Planetary Devastation" from the neighboring Naruto series. However, it's only similar— Golden Lion can only use his ability to control the soil to compress the Straw Hat crew's main force, but he can't create a terrifying gravitational pull out of thin air. Therefore:
"Shave!"
"Gum-Gum Jet Rocket!"
"Maximum airflow power—"
Three rapidly moving figures suddenly emerged from the massive, still-unclosed wave of mud emanating from the lion statue; however:
"Oh no, Zoro!"
At the same time, Golden Lion suddenly turned around and brushed past Roman and the other two, attacking Zoro who was caught in 'Lion's Might - Earth Roll'!
He knew that given the level of Armament Haki the swordsman had displayed, a single 'Lion's Roar - Earth Roll' wouldn't be enough to completely defeat him in a short time. —So, he would deliver the finishing blow!
In an instant, Roman, Luffy, Sanji all turned around to help, but their subconscious escape from 'Lion's Might - Earth Roll' had created distance between them, and they could only watch helplessly as the Golden Lion rapidly approached Zoro, who was buried in the mud.
"Zoro—!"
It's up to you now.
Boom!!
With a loud explosion, the flying papers forcefully pushed aside the soil, revealing an unharmed Zoro inside. Facing the charging Golden Lion, Zoro's fighting spirit soared like a raging storm, dark ghostly energy swirling around him, and a dangerous grin spread across his face.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time—"
He spun around and swung his sword!
In an instant, Zoro transformed into a whirlwind of countless sword lights, charging head-on towards Golden Lion!
This is the 'Whirlwind Slash' that most swordsmen use, killing enemies through high-speed spinning. But Zoro's execution is certainly not that simple!
With a single spin, Zoro's figure created numerous afterimages at high speed, resembling a spinning wheel. It looked as if he had transformed into someone with three heads and six arms.
But Roman, who arrived at the scene, knew that this was not an illusion, but that Zoro had truly become a three-headed, six-armed being!
Normally, an object needs to rotate 360 degrees to return to its original position, but Zoro defies the rules of space by rotating only 120 degrees to return to his original position.
With a single move, Zoro split himself and his weapons into three! The Sandai Kitetsu and Shusui he held in his hands, Wado Ichimonji, transformed into nine real weapons in a brief moment.
"Ghostly Aura - Nine-Sword Style - Asura - Piercing Might!"
Nine slashes spun and cut, the Haki of the blades capable of splitting mountains and cleaving seas was undeniable! The Golden Lion, completely unprepared for his attack—not only was his opponent unharmed, but he could also unleash such a terrifying attack—could only...
Pfft!
As the two figures passed each other, a splash of blood appeared on the golden lion's coat and hair.
Since the start of the war, Golden Lion has been injured!
And it was a deep knife wound that exposed the bone!
P. S.: Ahem, using a powerful attack to instantly kill the clown is such a waste. It's a prerequisite skill for taking down Kaido, so it should at least be used to take down Golden Lion!