"Was this how it ended?"
As he watched the blood swords grow larger in his vision, Golden Lion's face remained unusually calm, without a trace of fear.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl at that moment, and long-buried memories surfaced uncontrollably in his mind.
His youth as a gangster in the Kingdom of Ye, throwing his weight around and doing whatever he pleased;
His defeat in a brutal Davy Back Fight after setting out to sea, and his joining the Rocks Pirates; following his captain to the legendary Elbaf; building the Rocks Pirates' base on Hachinosu;
And the battle at God Valley, which had changed countless lives...
"No, this would be far too pathetic!"
Golden Lion abruptly snapped back to his senses, a flicker of defiance and resolve flashing through his eyes.
"I still have one last trick left. Even if I die, I'll only die after giving it everything I've got!"
His dimmed eyes suddenly blazed with unprecedented brilliance, a chilling ferocity flashing in their depths.
He planted Oto in the ground again, steeled himself, and reached up with a trembling hand to seize the half-wheel that had been lodged in his head for years. Then he yanked it out!
Blood mixed with brain matter instantly gushed out, staining his face and chest. As though nothing had happened, Golden Lion casually tossed the sticky half-wheel onto the ground.
His aura skyrocketed, and terrifying Conqueror's Haki erupted from within him, like a lion roaring its dominance over the world.
Under the pressure of that Conqueror's Haki, the giant beasts across the floating island rolled their eyes back and foamed at the mouth, their limbs going limp as they collapsed unconscious.
Conqueror's Haki condensed into tangible armor over Golden Lion's body. Unlike the coating Shanks had previously shown Lucas, which