At Gern's offer to recruit him, Golden Lion Shiki froze for a moment.
Then he erupted into a fit of hysterical laughter!
"Jihahahaha... hahahahahaha!!!"
For a moment, his laughter brimmed with mockery, defiance, and a trace of wounded arrogance.
He laughed so hard he rocked back and forth, even shedding tears. Only after a struggle did he stop, fixing his tear-filled eyes on Gern.
"Now... I finally understand a little why that bastard Roger turned down my invitation back then!!"
With that, Golden Lion's gaze sharpened. With all the dignity and defiance of a legendary pirate, he met Gern's eyes without flinching.
"Because now that I'm facing you... Gern!"
"I'm turning you down too!!"
"So what kind of outrageous joke are you trying to pull, you Marine brat!!"
Golden Lion growled, his immense presence beginning to surge out of control.
"Who do you think you are?! You think your strength gives you the right to control me?!"
"I... am Golden Lion Shiki!!"
Hummm!!!
As his words fell, golden Conqueror's Haki Pressure erupted with a roar, crashing head-on into the invisible pressure still lingering around Gern!
The two supreme forces of Haki did not simply collide and cancel each other out. Instead, they ground against each other in the air!
At the same time, Golden Lion's floor-length golden mane whipped wildly without a breeze. He rose to his feet, and though his legs were prosthetic, his straight back and imperious gaze
still offered a glimpse of the peerless bearing the Admiral of the Flying Pirates had possessed all those years ago.
Then he thrust out a finger, nearly jabbing Gern in the nose, his voice leaving no room for doubt.
"That's right! You're strong! So strong that even I have to admit this era has your name carved into it!"
"But!!"