The powerful attack that shattered one of his arms would definitely be excruciating for Golden Lion Shiki. Rowen could clearly feel that at the moment he sent Golden Lion Shiki flying, the opponent's skull also creaked under immense strain.
"You little devil!!!"
As the words fell, a roar suddenly echoed in the distant sky and an invisible pressure enveloped Rowen, causing his pupils to contract.
Haoshoku Haki!!
Once again humiliated by Rowen, Golden Lion Shiki's anger had reached its limit. Following closely behind was that terrifying Haoshoku characteristic of a true pirate!
This Haoshoku was not as dominant as Red Hair's, nor as brutal as Kaido's, this was an ambition that roared across the Four Seas, aspiring to conquer the world!
However... could Golden Lion Shiki's Haoshoku spread so far? This was a distance of over ten thousand meters!
Rowen frowned in thought and he suddenly sensed a warning.
No!
He's nearby!
Rowen abruptly looked up, and in the sky over a kilometer high, Pirate Ships were forcibly pieced together by Golden Lion Shiki, resembling a meteorite, and descending towards him.
The pirates on board who had not left the battle were ignored by him. Their corpses and wreckage were interspersed amidst the wooden debris, making this pile of debris appear particularly grim and bloody.
The rapidly descending spherical wreckage turned the air into a quasi-substantial wall, causing the ground to collapse. If this Aerolite were to crash down, Rowen had no doubt it could destroy an entire island.
"What a ruthless method!"
Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) was not omnipotent. It was only a power of perception, and even with the Thunder-Lightning Human enhancing it, it merely allowed Rowen to hear from a greater distance.
The punch just now sent countless ocean creatures flying with Golden Lion Shiki. Various heartbeats, bone friction, and Sound Explosions blended together. Because it was too intense, this passage had turned into a rare vacuum zone in Rowen's Kenbunshoku Haki perception.
Meanwhile, Golden Lion Shiki took advantage of the opportunity to move back without notice. He hid within a Pirate Ship, using others as cover. If it weren't for him killing the others to gather attention and make himself conspicuous with this "Sky-Bursting Meteor," Rowen wouldn't have been able to detect him before the attack.
"A true Savage, but it's none of my business!"
The bones in his arm were rapidly healing in just a few breaths. The shattered sleeve couldn't be restored, but there wasn't a trace of injury on his body. Rowen raised his hand and the meteoric spears shot straight out.
Bang... Rumble!!!
The enormous Aerolite was pierced through by the thunder, breaking into several huge ruins. Then, two beams of light cut through the ruins, and a golden figure shot out from behind the wreckage.
Golden Lion Shiki didn't care about the shattered Aerolite. He merely used it as a shield to draw near Rowen.
At this moment, he stood high above with both feet touching down. He swung, creating blossoms of Sword Energy.
Slash Whirlpool!
Kogarashi and Oto kicked outwards and the raging wind got mixed with Sword Energy. It rolled up a long dragon in a manner similar to Zoro's Three Thousand Worlds, and rushed down toward Rowen with a mighty wave.
Through the fleeting scene, Rowen could see the miserable state of Golden Lion Shiki at this moment.
Just as he had anticipated, Golden Lion Shiki, who had failed to face the attack head-on, met a miserable end. His face changed and it seemed to "shrink" a bit.
Moreover, the ship's wheel lodged in the back of his head was squeezed out during the process of his skull changing form. His golden hair was dyed red by blood, appearing fierce and wicked, adding a touch of ferocity.
Pulling out the ship's wheel was life-threatening, but it didn't mean certain death... Rowen hadn't expected that without the ship's wheel, Golden Lion Shiki would become even more fierce. He had wanted to find an opportunity to strike the ship's wheel, directly smashing his brain pulp. Now, there was no chance.
Sss! Sss! Sss!
Every wisp of air was like a blade and Rowen didn't want to engage with the opponent in a meat grinder. He immediately burst backward, evading the densely packed vortex of air blades.
The Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit) granted him unparalleled agility, making it so that there was no one in the world who could pose a threat to him with ranged attacks alone.
Not even the Super Electromagnetic Cannon!
Unless Vegapunk could replace the metal head of the Electromagnetic Cannon with Seastone.
"Don't run!!"
Golden Lion Shiki seethed with anger as he utilized the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi (Float-Float Fruit) to its fullest potential. Surprisingly, his speed managed to keep up with Rowen.
The air around him burst forth with successive black thunderbolts, creating a phenomenon known as the "King's Proof," where Haoshoku Haki was so formidable that it could interfere with reality.
Bang!!
Rowen seized the opportunity and unleashed a thunderbolt, but he soon realized that his lightning was inexplicably slowed down as it approached Golden Lion Shiki.
The thunder that could have posed a threat to Golden Lion Shiki was cut apart by the Longblade in this fleeting moment. Following this, Golden Lion Shiki's momentum surged as he kicked with both feet.
Zanpa - Slash Wave!
Hiss! Hiss!
Evading the assault of these two sword beams, Rowen's heart sank.
"Is this the effect of Haoshoku Haki?!"
Haoshoku Haki was recognized as the "Qualification of a King" not only for its "mowing down" attribute. This unique Haki, which couldn't be trained in isolation, was a derivative of mental power. The stronger one's conviction in oneself, the stronger their Haki. Moreover, their overall capabilities could also enhance Haoshoku Haki.
Being referred to as the "Qualification of a King" wasn't because a person possessed Haoshoku Haki. It was because a person bestowed upon it the name "Haoshoku."
Simultaneously, when a person's Haoshoku Haki grew powerful enough to interfere with reality, even though it remained a power of the mind, it had become an established fact within reality.
An existence in reality could thus exert an influence on reality, just like a true overlord, not allowing lightning to approach.
"How intriguing... let me try again!"
Discovering the special application of Haoshoku, Rowen's lips curled upwards. His body, which had been charging forward, instantly came to a halt. He turned around, assuming a bow stance and thrusting his fist...
Thunderlight Penetration Cannon!
This was his original intention. If one compared the various abilities of the elderly Golden Lion Shiki to a value of 10, Rowen would at most be a 9. Now, with Golden Lion Shiki suffering a massive hemorrhage due to the loss of the ship's wheel at the back of his head, Rowen wouldn't pass up on such a perfect opportunity for a counterattack.
"You Bastard!!"
Golden Lion Shiki hadn't expected that Rowen's escape was just a feint. Faced with this utterly destructive Thunderlight, he had no time to gather strength to cut it open. He could only quickly tilt his head back and simultaneously control the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi (Float-Float Fruit) to plummet rapidly.
Whoosh!
The Thunderlight flew past almost at point-blank range. Golden Lion Shiki could even smell the burnt odor of his own skin. His bloodstained golden hair emitted thick smoke, ignited by this wave of surprise attack.
"So, Haoshoku Haki isn't invincible! And to think I had prepared a contingency..."
Suddenly, Rowen's voice rang out behind Golden Lion Shiki.
Although Haoshoku Haki could interfere with reality, it wasn't an invincible ability. A powerful attack could still break through the Haoshoku defense enveloping Golden Lion Shiki, and as fellow Haoshoku users, they could directly ignore this layer of defense. Each move was a genuine injury.
Screech! Screech! Screech!
"When did you...?!"
Golden Lion Shiki's eyes widened suddenly and he turned his head in disbelief. Before him was destructive thunder, and behind him was Rowen in person. At this moment, he was caught in between, with no way to escape!
Chidori Spear!!!
The thumb-thick electric spear instantly pierced through Golden Lion Shiki's chest. He only managed to avoid his vital points, but his lungs were pierced by the Thunderlight.
Fortunately, at this moment, the Thunderlight Penetration Cannon had already disappeared. Golden Lion Shiki's facial hair bristled as he stood up, executing a sidekick.
While others' kicking techniques were blunt strikes, his kicking technique was a slashing strike!
Swish!
The famous blade Oto swept through the air, only cutting through Rowen's Elementalization. Rowen anticipated that Golden Lion Shiki would brazenly endure the pain of having his lungs pierced and strike back.
Avoiding a close-range strike from a great sword hero was not so easy, so he simply Elementalized his form, allowing Golden Lion Shiki to cut him in half at the waist.
However, a blow that didn't connect as anticipated was still within Golden Lion Shiki's expectations. As Oto descended, Shiki raised Kogarashi and swung down once more.
Slash Body!
Clang!!
In the void, flames splattered in all directions as Golden Lion Shiki's face twitched, and a furious roar escaped his bloodstained teeth.
"It's impossible!!!"
His slashing strike, the one he considered invincible and essential to his existence, was actually blocked by Rowen, who raised his fist, and reinforced it with Tekkai and Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)!
Although this left Rowen with a deep wound on his wrist, extending from the gap between his middle and ring fingers, failing to sever his opponent was a disgrace for a great sword hero!
"Hehehe... How much strength do you have left now, Golden Lion!!"
Rowen's face was filled with a wicked grin as he spoke. With his self-healing ability, he never worried about such minor injuries. From the beginning of the battle until now, the only significant blow he dealt to Golden Lion Shiki was the punch that broke through his confident counter.
However, the loss of the ship's wheel and the current pierced lung inflicted on Golden Lion Shiki were injuries just as severe as the skull form change.
In this state, if Golden Lion Shiki could still unleash one hundred percent of his power, Rowen would have to reevaluate their relationship and confirm whether they were truly of the same lineage.
Yes, they were of the same lineage!
Then again, Rowen no longer considered himself entirely human!
(End of this chapter)