Whitebeard

Riding nothing but a wooden plank, he could actually fly through the air as fast as a spacecraft. Only now did Ye Chen understand how terrifying Golden Lion's power was. Any object he touched could be made to fly at his whim—even islands were no exception!

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

Golden Lion stood tall and straight, his golden hair whipping wildly in the wind. Ye Chen could clearly feel the terrifying pressure radiating from him.

Ordinary people probably would not even have the courage to stand before him and speak.

"Ghost, are you interested in joining my Flying Pirates?"

After flying through the air for a while, Golden Lion suddenly turned around and fixed Ye Chen with a burning gaze.

Being imprisoned in Impel Down by Sengoku and Garp working together was an unbearable humiliation for Golden Lion. Naturally, he would not be willing to let things end there.

However, Golden Lion was not reckless. He always planned before acting, and without foolproof preparations, he would never easily take risks.

The last time he had stormed Impel Down alone had merely been an exception. After all, Roger, the Pirate King he respected most, had suddenly been captured. The shock had driven Golden Lion to lose his reason.

Ye Chen gritted his teeth and shook his head hard. "The deal between us is over. From now on, we'll go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other. I still have to find my friends. Sorry, but I won't join your pirate crew."

"Hmm?"

Golden Lion's eyes shifted, and his face turned exceptionally sinister. Two sharp, icy glints suddenly shot from his fierce tiger-like eyes.

That oppressive killing intent surged wildly toward Ye Chen like a raging tide.

Although outsiders could not see what was happening, Ye Chen's body kept retreating. It was as if the surrounding air itself was under Golden Lion's control, and Ye Chen's internal organs were on the verge of being crushed apart.

"Cough, cough..." Before long, Ye Chen coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Olvia was completely unaffected. Even within such a tiny space, Golden Lion could manipulate and unleash his killing intent as he pleased. His strength was truly terrifying, almost monstrous.

"Ye Chen..."

Olvia hurriedly stepped in front of Ye Chen to shield him, but Ye Chen waved a hand and moved her behind him.

Glaring angrily at Golden Lion, Ye Chen gritted his teeth unwillingly. "Is this how you treat me? Fine, then kill me if you can. Even if you beat me to death, I still won't join you."

Ye Chen had unconsciously used Conqueror's Haki in Freezing Hell. Golden Lion had intended to keep him close and use him as a pawn in the future, but he had not expected this six-year-old Ghost to refuse to submit.

Golden Lion burst into wild laughter, then withdrew his killing intent and became calm once more.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I said that as long as you helped me steal Oto and Kogarashi, I would take you out of Impel Down with me. Even if you ultimately failed to steal those two swords, I would not break my word. I, Golden Lion, rarely promise anyone anything, but once I do, I will fulfill it. Thanks to you, I was able to keep both my legs. Forget it. I'll give these two swords to you."

Golden Lion's sudden change left Ye Chen somewhat unable to believe it. He stared wide-eyed at the two famous swords Golden Lion held out to him.

Ye Chen did not know what had happened to Golden Lion. He could easily have killed him with a single slash.

"Take them. No matter what, my two legs are worth these two swords. I don't like owing anyone anything, especially Ghost."

As he spoke, Golden Lion pointed at Olvia. "I never agreed to bring this woman out with us. Making you kneel was only meant to make you understand that if you want something, you must pay a price!"

Seeing that Golden Lion did not seem to be joking, Ye Chen froze for a moment before taking Oto and Kogarashi. He straightened up and respectfully bowed to Golden Lion. However, when he raised his head again, Ye Chen still stubbornly gritted his teeth. "This settles everything between us completely. But since you didn't kill me, I'll still come looking for you sooner or later!"

"Ha ha... You? I'll be waiting for that day."

Golden Lion smiled disdainfully. He did not take Ye Chen's words to heart at all.

It was not that Ye Chen was petty, nor was he deliberately looking for trouble.

If someone showed him kindness, he would remember it deeply.

But if someone humiliated him or wronged him by an inch, he would repay them tenfold. Before crossing over in his previous life, when had Ye Chen ever been bullied? Although Olvia had been rescued, and this kneeling did not amount to much, Golden Lion had made him kneel on purpose.

Golden Lion had made him understand that one had to pay a price for anything gained. Ye Chen had principles of his own as well; he would never simply let this go.

The current Golden Lion did not regard Ye Chen as a threat at all. Even though Ye Chen possessed the qualities of a king, Golden Lion still did not think much of him.

Yet twenty years later, when Golden Lion attempted to retaliate against the World Government and set his sights on East Blue, he would pay the price for what he did today!

If someone wronged me by an inch, I will repay them tenfold. That was Ye Chen's principle in life!

"Hmm?"

Whitebeard was sitting grandly aboard his ship when he suddenly sensed a strange disturbance in the airflow above his head.

Whitebeard hurriedly looked up. His huge, bell-like eyes immediately gleamed sharply, and even the chiseled muscles on his massive body began to twitch with powerful force.

"Zehahahaha..."

Amid a cold and eerie laugh, the wooden plank carrying Golden Lion flew over from afar. Before the captains aboard Whitebeard's ship could react, the enormous door plank landed on the Moby Dick with a loud bang.

"Golden Lion?"

Seeing Golden Lion suddenly appear on the deck, Marco and the others faced him as if confronting a great enemy. They instinctively clenched their fists and closed in around Golden Lion together.

"Gurararara... I was wondering who it was. All of you, stand down. It's only Golden Lion. Don't make such a fuss."

Whitebeard waved a hand casually. Watching Golden Lion walk toward him, he grinned broadly and laughed heartily.

"Ah?"

Others might not understand the weight of those words, but Ye Chen understood it all too well.

Golden Lion was so powerful that he could practically destroy heaven and earth, yet this huge man with a white beard did not seem to care about him at all.

What kind of world was this? Could there really be many terrifying monsters as strong as Golden Lion?

Ye Chen's heart churned like stormy seas, and he was utterly shocked!

Still, this Whitebeard was truly enormous. He was at least ** meters tall. The muscles on his chest alone were huge and hard as stone, and his presence was not the slightest bit weaker than Golden Lion's.

Yet this man's expression was gentle, his features kind and amiable. Compared with Golden Lion's domineering arrogance, they were simply complete opposites.

Although he did not know Whitebeard, Ye Chen somehow felt a sense of warmth from him.