Arrogant-Absolutely Arrogant / Ding! Your Golden Lion-Brand Teacher Is Now Online

Arrogant, utterly arrogant

"Jihahahaha!!"

Golden Lion laughed, then abruptly fell silent. With a savage grin, he said to Kuta, "Brat, you'd better take this fight seriously now. If you don't, don't blame me when you die!"

As he spoke, he suddenly rushed toward Kuta.

A red light flashed in Kuta's eyes as he narrowed the range of his Observation Haki, trying to keep it within their battlefield.

Sure enough, it felt completely different from letting it spread freely. He could feel his sword becoming easier to wield.

Without guidance from a top-tier fighter, these advanced applications of Haki were actually very difficult to discover.

Observation Haki spread naturally and was difficult to control. Most people could only release it or pull it back.

No one would even imagine that it could be controlled with such precision.

Clang!

Kuta blocked the strike and quickly drew his blade back, only for Golden Lion's second slash to come hurtling toward him.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!!!

Their positions had reversed. Now he was the one forced onto the defensive.

But he could feel that the old man was deliberately guiding his swordsmanship and refining his Haki.

He gave Golden Lion a look filled with complicated emotions.

Sensing Kuta's gaze, Golden Lion burst out laughing. "Jihahahaha! Brat, don't tell me you pity me!"

Then an overwhelming, savage aura suddenly erupted from him. "Who do you think I am?!"

"I'm the captain of the Flying Pirates, admiral of the Golden Lion Pirate Fleet—the Flying Pirate, Golden Lion Shiki!"

Facing Golden Lion's sudden onslaught, Kuta did his best to defend.

The clash of blades rang out endlessly across the island.

Every so often, a flying slash split the clouds overhead.

Their battle lasted a full day and two nights.

Only when the sun rose on the third day did the sounds of clashing blades gradually fade.

The island's once-towering mountains had now been all but flattened.

At the center of the island, inside an enormous crater that sloped gradually downward, Golden Lion and Kuta stared at each other, both breathing heavily.

Unlike Kuta, whose breathing remained fairly steady, Golden Lion's breaths now came in ragged bursts.

He was too exhausted.

The flame of his life was about to go out.

Only his astonishing willpower had kept him fighting Kuta this long.

Kuta looked at Golden Lion, complicated emotions flashing through his eyes. He had to admit that the old man really had become his master in the end.

Even though they had never

formally become master and disciple, that was what they were in practice.

He had no idea what was wrong with these top-tier fighters on the sea. Why did they all love teaching other people?

He wasn't King Luffy!

Had Golden Lion somehow realized he was the protagonist?

"Jihahahaha!!"

The sudden laughter broke Kuta's train of thought. Looking at Golden Lion laughing wildly, he joined in.

Fine, let him be my master!

If the man dared to teach him everything, why wouldn't he dare to learn?

Golden Lion watched Kuta with satisfaction. He was very pleased with the student he had met at death's door.

In just one day and two nights, Kuta had learned practically all his applications of swordsmanship and Haki.

He stopped laughing and smiled at Kuta. "Boy, I'll teach you one last move. Your use of Conqueror's Haki is too crude."

"I don't know how you managed to use Conqueror's Haki Coating."

"But your coating is still a far cry from the real thing."

Then an immensely powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him. He dropped the sword in his left hand and gripped the remaining blade with both hands.

Dense, purplish-black Haki surged from his body and spread in every direction.

Countless bolts of reddish-purple lightning appeared out of thin air around him.

Veins bulged on Golden Lion's forehead as he used every ounce of his strength to coat his sword with that Haki.

In his current condition, this final attack was almost beyond him.

Kuta watched Golden Lion quietly without interrupting.

He had achieved his Conqueror's Haki Coating by using his Space Domain and his mental power—which was practically omnipotent within the domain—to forcibly wrap it around his blade.

It was indeed stronger than Armament Haki, but only by a limited amount. It couldn't become the decisive blow that settled a battle.

Golden Lion raised his head, stared at Kuta, and continued.

"Conqueror's Haki is, simply put, a person's spirit. You can't strengthen it through training. You can only develop and control it by clashing your Conqueror's Haki against that of a truly powerful fighter who possesses it at the highest level."

"Once you can control your Conqueror's Haki as completely as you control your Armament Haki, coating will come naturally."

As he spoke, he swung with all his might toward Kuta, delivering the final sword strike of his life.

An enormous, crescent-shaped, purplish-black slash instantly crossed the distance between them, as though

it had truly cut through space itself. Countless spiderweb-like cracks appeared around the slash.

The cracks even spread across the entire island.

"Brat, if you really can't block it, then die with me!"

"Because the sea has no place for the weak."

"Jihahahaha..."

Kuta stood where he was, staring solemnly at the enormous slash bearing down on him. His silver hair streamed backward, and starlight swirled rapidly in his eyes. Several times, he considered drawing his sword to meet it, but each time he abandoned the idea.

He could sense that there was no way he could block Golden Lion's final, life-burning slash with his sword.

Its edge was so incomparably sharp that he felt even the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawk Eyes, might not be able to unleash a slash like this.

Unless Hawk Eyes also possessed Conqueror's Haki and could coat his blade with it.

With no other option, he watched the slash draw almost right up to his face.

He reluctantly realized that only his domain could truly withstand it.

Kuta raised his head, looked calmly at Golden Lion, and shouted, "Old man, let me show you my strongest power one last time, so you can die knowing the truth!"

Hearing his voice, Golden Lion stopped laughing. He forced his eyes wide open, dispelling the illusions clouding his vision.

By now, he was utterly spent. If his indomitable will hadn't been holding him up, he might have collapsed to the ground already.

He raised his head and saw his slash reach Kuta. With a bang, it seemed to strike an invisible wall, and the space around Kuta shattered like a mirror.

Just as he thought his slash would continue cutting forward,

the shattered space around Kuta suddenly restored itself at astonishing speed, like a broken mirror becoming whole again.

After a brief stalemate, his slash suddenly broke into two sections. The upper half continued toward the horizon, while the lower half stopped in front of Kuta.

As time passed, the lower half rapidly shrank until it vanished entirely before Kuta.

"Is that the same ability that absorbed the island earlier?"

"It really is incredible!"

"Jihahahaha!!!..."

His lips spread into a grin, and he laughed aloud, as though he had once again seen his old nemesis, Roger.

Someone from the East Blue again... once again, someone from the East Blue stopped me from reaching the pinnacle of the world!

"Roger..."

Golden Lion let out one final roar, then breathed his last.

Ding! Your Golden Lion teacher is now online

Just then, Kuta suddenly felt weightless as the island beneath his feet began plummeting toward the sea.

He knew Golden Lion was truly dead.

Incredible. He actually managed to shatter my domain.

If he hadn't noticed something was wrong and increased the number of spatial layers, Golden Lion's final strike really would have cut through his Space Domain.

It wouldn't have mattered even if it had, but after making such a bold claim, he had to maintain the image of his ability being invincible, didn't he?

Looking at Golden Lion, who remained standing even in death, Kuta's eyes flickered with complicated emotions and admiration.

Even an enemy had to admire this man's spirit.

Even if he was an utter villain, he was still a formidable villain worthy of his opponents' respect.

He ignored the massive island hurtling downward.

Drawing Zankū, he cut a deep pit into the ground beside Golden Lion with a single stroke.

He expanded his Space Domain around Golden Lion and used his ability to move him into the pit, along with his two swords, of course.

The earth around the pit gradually closed over it.

He didn't fill it completely, intending to let the Marines find it.

Otherwise, if the Marines couldn't find Golden Lion, they might dig up the entire place. They would still find him in the end.

He would leave a clue for the Marines to discover. Surely they wouldn't dig up the grave of an old man who was already dead!

Then he remained suspended in the air, letting the island fall.

As for the native villagers on the other island, he wasn't particularly worried. The island was large enough, and a layer of seawater surrounded it, so it couldn't sink into the sea.

He didn't clear out the ferocious beasts or the pirates there either. That was the Marines' job.

He took down his Wine Gourd and drank, gazing absently at the morning sun on the horizon.

He had gained so much from this battle. If he had relied solely on seeking out powerful opponents and drawing lessons from those fights,

it might have taken him years to grasp these advanced combat techniques in a flash of inspiration.

He shook his head and stopped dwelling on it.

He turned his gaze toward the distant sea.

Two days had already passed. The powerful fighters from Marine Headquarters should be arriving soon!

Should I stay for another fight?

He rubbed his chin and thought it over.

Forget it. The first person from Marine Headquarters who could get here would probably be one of the Three Admirals,

that yellow-skinned monkey, Kizaru.

That man relied on his Devil Fruit ability against opponents most of the time.

Besides, a fight with the Marines wouldn't reach the point of a battle to the death.

That meant he wouldn't be able to force that man, who always held back, to bring out his Haki and trade sword blows with him.

Staying to fight him would offer Kuta no benefit at all, and it would only wear him out.

Lying down and basking in the sun would be more pleasant than fighting him.

"Hmm! I'd better check Golden Lion's palace for treasure and Devil Fruits before the Marines arrive!"