"If you don't dare approach, then let me come to you!"
Aizen's voice cut through the chaos like a blade. With a light step forward, his figure vanished, reappearing in front of the Golden Lion with an explosive burst of speed.
**Bang! Bang! Bang!**
The impact of their clash reverberated across the battlefield, the force ripping through the air and tearing apart everything in the vicinity.
Pirates and Marines alike could do little more than watch, their eyes wide with disbelief. The ferocity of the close-range battle between the two left them stunned, struggling to follow the sheer speed of their movements.
**Too fast!**
Aizen's Shunpo made him almost untouchable, his movements far surpassing the Golden Lion's airborne agility. Even with his Devil Fruit powers, the Golden Lion found himself relying entirely on his Observation Haki to predict Aizen's attacks, desperately countering the young Vice Admiral's relentless assault.
"Damn brat!" the Golden Lion growled, his irritation mounting. "To think I'd be pushed this far by someone like you!"
It was a bitter pill to swallow. He had come here to assert his dominance, but the so-called 'new Marine genius' was proving to be anything but an easy target.
And then, it hit him.
His once-unassailable advantage in the air, granted by the Lion Fruit, was being turned against him. Against an opponent with Aizen's level of mastery over Shunpo, his aerial mobility wasn't just neutralized—it had become a liability.
Realizing this, the Golden Lion made a swift decision. With a thunderous crash, he landed on the ground, the sheer force of his descent causing the port to tremble and crack beneath his feet.
"So, you think you'll have better luck on the ground?" Aizen said, his voice calm and unshaken. "Interesting. But strength is strength, no matter where you stand."
Golden Lion's approach only drew a faint smirk from Aizen. He raised his hand slowly, his voice cutting through the chaotic battlefield as he began to chant.
**"The edge of a thousand spears, noble hands untouchable by darkness…"**
The words seemed to vibrate in the air, heavy with an unearthly power.
**"… Hadō 91: Senju Kōten Taihō!"**
The sky above seemed to erupt as countless orbs of brilliant white light appeared behind Aizen, glowing with an intensity that made the heavens seem to bow in reverence.
**Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!**
The orbs shot forth like a barrage of meteors, each one streaking across the battlefield with blinding speed, slamming into the ground with catastrophic force.
**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**
The once-stable port was reduced to a hellscape of fire and rubble. The ground trembled violently, the deafening explosions and the sheer intensity of the energy scorching the air. Smoke and ash rose in thick plumes, turning the battlefield into a swirling inferno of chaos.
Through the dust, the Golden Lion stood firm, his body coated in Armament Haki. His muscles tensed as he braced against the onslaught, veins bulging on his arms as he shielded his eyes with his torn robes.
When the dust finally began to settle, the landscape had been utterly transformed.
Massive craters marred the ground, and the once-proud port was barely recognizable, large chunks of it swallowed by the sea. Aizen hovered above, his white hair flowing in the wind, his gaze calm and unyielding as he looked down at the Golden Lion.
"Is this all the 'great' Golden Lion has to offer?" Aizen's voice was sharp, cutting deep into the wounded pride of his opponent. "The so-called ruler of the skies, reduced to this."
His tone was laced with disdain, though his calm composure didn't waver. Despite the ferocity of the battle, Aizen hadn't even activated his Kyōka Suigetsu. This was just a fraction of his strength.
Suddenly, a deep rumble shook the battlefield.
**Boom! Boom! Boom!**
The ground began to split and shift, as though something colossal was clawing its way to the surface.
**"Lion Majesty: Earth Coiling!"**
The roar of the Golden Lion's voice echoed across the island as the terrain erupted violently. Massive sections of the land were forced upward, forming into the shapes of three colossal lion heads. The monstrous structures loomed over the battlefield, their eyes glowing with an eerie light as they seemed to come alive.
**Roar!**
The lion heads bellowed with a deafening cry, the soundwaves creating devastating shockwaves that tore through the air.
Aizen narrowed his eyes, his smirk fading as his expression turned serious. The immense power radiating from the lion constructs was undeniable.
"Finally taking this seriously, are we?" Aizen murmured, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "So this is the real strength of the Golden Lion—one of the great legends of the seas."
He adjusted his grip on his blade, the air around him growing heavy as his Reiatsu surged. The battle was far from over, and now, both warriors would fight with everything they had.