Chapter 275: S-Class Challenge Task [Golden Lion]

"Jihahahaha!"

Hearing Adrian's words, the Golden Lion didn't get angry; instead, he burst into wild laughter.

"You want my Float-Float Fruit..."

With this question, an overwhelming and fierce aura suddenly erupted from the Golden Lion's body, causing even the clouds in the sky to disperse in all directions!

Conqueror's Haki!

"Kid, you've got some guts!"

The Golden Lion looked down at Adrian with a proud expression.

"In light of that powerful attack just now, you have the right to tell me your name!"

Faced with the oncoming Conqueror's Haki, Adrian remained calm, showing no change in his expression.

Having experienced the Conqueror's Haki of Sengoku, Whitebeard, and Charlotte Linlin firsthand, how could he be fazed by the mere Golden Lion's Haki?

Heh~

Adrian merely chuckled softly as the light sword in his right hand dissipated.

With a faint ripple, the cursed sword Nidai Kitetsu instantly emerged from the void and was gripped in his hand. Adrian swung his right arm, and a dazzling white sword aura shot through the air!

"Quite arrogant, aren't you, kid!"

"Looks like another nameless ghost will join the ranks under Oto and Kogarashi today!"

The Golden Lion sneered, lifting both feet, and the famous swords on his feet easily blocked Adrian's swift slash.

Adrian wasn't surprised by this.

Before Dracule Mihawk claimed the title of the world's greatest swordsman, there was only one person in the old era who could be called the world's greatest swordsman, and that was the Golden Lion Shiki!

Though he lost his legs and used swords as prosthetics, significantly weakening the power of his swordsmanship, kicks can't match the slashes made with hands.

Although, physically speaking legs are several time more powerful than arms since we have been putting pressure on them since the day we started to walk, but it can't do a lot of things. Like the nimbleness of hand, or the griping function, or the range of movement of wrist and shoulder.

Nonetheless, the Golden Lion Shiki's swordsmanship was at least at the level of a great swordsman, a level above Adrian's current skill.

But so what?

What of a great swordsman?

He's just a crippled beast that escaped from prison!

Adrian's eyes flashed red as he entered his ghost form and swiftly flew towards the Golden Lion.

A duel between swordsmen cannot be fought with just distant slashes!

Seeing his opponent not retreat but instead fly towards him, the Golden Lion's eyes flashed with satisfaction.

Despite his words, he was quite interested in recruiting this strange little monster who could unleash Charlotte Linlin's powerful attack with a human body!

Don't die so easily!

The Golden Lion's gaze turned cold. Floating in the air, his fur coat billowed without wind, and his right leg subtly pulled back.

Then, the Golden Lion kicked his right leg forcefully, sending a massive sword aura from the famous sword Ota on his right foot towards the ground!

"Slash Wave!" {斬波, Zanpa}

Adrian tilted his body, gracefully dodging the massive sword aura like a nimble butterfly.

At this moment, the system panel displayed an S-Class challenge task notification.

[You have triggered the S-Class challenge task [Golden Lion]!]

[...]

Ignoring the system message, Adrian continued flying towards the Golden Lion.

The Slash Wave didn't lose its power and struck the sea below, cutting through the sea for hundreds of meters, causing the waves to split and reveal the wet, sandy seabed below, reminiscent of a mythical sea-parting story.

In this short moment, Adrian had reached the Golden Lion.

Swoosh—

Adrian swung his right hand, and Nidai Kitetsu drew a chilling arc in the air, producing a piercing whistle as it slashed towards the Golden Lion's body.

The Golden Lion's figure rose several tens of centimeters. Lifting his left leg, he blocked the strike of the cursed sword, Kitetsu, with his sword, Kogarashi.

Adrian twisted his wrist slightly, causing Kitetsu to slide up the blade of Kogarashi, producing a string of dazzling sparks. The blade aimed straight at the Golden Lion's unmentionable area, seemingly intent on splitting him from the groin to the head.

Swish!

The Golden Lion's face darkened instantly. He leapt into the air, dodging Kitetsu's devious move, while his right foot, wielding Oto, aimed directly at Adrian's head, as if to pierce right through it!

Clang—

Adrian swiftly raised his sword, the blade of Kitetsu blocking the tip of Oto.

The Golden Lion's mouth curved slightly as Oto rebounded off Kitetsu. Using the recoil, he twisted his body in mid-air, raising his left foot again to slash Kogarashi straight at Adrian's neck.

Adrian bent his right hand slightly, retracting Kitetsu to block Kogarashi's edge once more.

The mirror-like blade of Kogarashi clearly reflected his eyes, filled with fighting spirit!

Adrian exerted force with his arm, knocking Kogarashi aside, and swung his sword upward again.

Clang!

Sparks flew in all directions in mid-air.

Adrian and the Golden Lion clashed fiercely, engaged in the most perilous close-quarters combat between swordsmen!

The Golden Lion's feet moved like lightning, kicking, stabbing, thrusting, and slashing with his two famous swords at incredible speeds, creating nearly imperceptible afterimages!

Adrian was equally relentless, his Kitetsu dancing through the air, successfully parrying every attack from the Golden Lion.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

A series of rapid metallic clashes echoed through the air.

This swift swordsmanship duel lasted for about five minutes.

Whoosh!

As the Golden Lion kicked out with Oto once more.

Adrian blocked the famous blade with a horizontal swing, then his right arm bulged slightly, as if suddenly growing in strength, significantly increasing the force applied to Kitetsu.

Dragon's Strength!

Caught off guard by the unexpected surge in power, the Golden Lion, Shiki, momentarily lost his balance. Even his follow-up attack with Kogarashi curved awkwardly in mid-air.

"Now's my chance!"

A red gleam flashed in Adrian's eyes as he slashed fiercely, sending a pale flying slash straight at Shiki!

But with his extensive experience, how could the Golden Lion be so easily bested?

Using the power of the Float-Float Fruit, his body swiftly shifted to the right, and leveraging the momentum, he lifted the tip of his left foot, sending out a powerful flying slash with Kogarashi in retaliation!

"Slash Wave!"

Facing the approaching flying slash, Adrian channeled his strength. A dense, black Armament Haki covered his forearm and climbed up to coat Kitetsu's blade with a resilient black shield.

Clang!

Adrian gripped Kitetsu's hilt with both hands and swung it downward, intercepting the flying slash.

When Kitetsu clashed with the flying slash, a series of white shockwaves erupted.

The two forces were deadlocked for a moment. Adrian's eyes narrowed as he increased the power in his arms even further.

With a soft "ping," the flying slash shattered into scattered wind blades, dissipating in the air.

"Kid! I've gauged your swordsmanship level!"

The Golden Lion stood proudly in the air.

"You're just one step away from being a Great Swordsman... Such talent, it's truly a pity!"

"To honor your potential, let the 'Flying Pirate' end your life!"

The Golden Lion extended his hand downward, clenched his fist!

"Lion Might: Sea Current Smash!"

{I mean, he did control water to trap Luffy and Billy in the water ball, which he cut then controlled and even showed manipulation.}