Chapter 74 : Old Rooster, What King Are You Now?

As the Going Merry sailed away, Carl no longer held back.

Standing on his flying sword, he unleashed a relentless barrage of slashes at the Golden Lion. Each strike was swift yet precise, with crackling arcs of electricity coursing through the blade, forcing the Golden Lion to avoid direct contact.

However, the Golden Lion had been infamous for decades—he wouldn't be intimidated by such tricks.

Using the power of the Lion Fruit, he maneuvered through the air at incredible speed, dodging Carl's attacks with ease.

His dual-saber technique, honed over years of battle, sent out powerful flying slashes, keeping Carl at bay.

In less than two minutes, the two had exchanged countless blows, their fight growing fiercer as they sped across the sky. Explosions erupted in the air and sea, and even the dark clouds above were split apart from the intensity of their battle.

But the Golden Lion was no longer in his prime. His body was old and weakened, and the wounds from when he lost his legs in battle had never fully healed. Keeping up with Carl's pace was beginning to take its toll.

Still, he was a legendary pirate—there was no way he would admit defeat so easily!

Gritting his teeth, he stubbornly held his ground, but his breathing grew ragged, and his body began to feel the strain.

Carl, on the other hand, showed no mercy. He unleashed his full strength, each strike carrying the refined essence of years of training. Now was the time to turn all that effort into real battle experience.

And the more he fought, the more comfortable he became.

"Damn it! Lion—Government Earth Coiling!"

Seizing an opportunity, the Golden Lion reached toward the sea. Under his control, the ocean surged upward, forming massive lion-shaped waves that lunged at Carl.

But Carl didn't even flinch—he cut through the sea lions with a single swing of his sword.

Of course, the Golden Lion knew this attack wouldn't work. It was just a distraction.

"Shishi: Senjindani!"

A storm of slashes rained down, covering the entire area in a dense barrage of attacks.

Carl miscalculated and took several hits—his body was instantly covered in deep cuts, blood flowing down his skin.

"That's all you've got, old rooster?"

Carl didn't even react to his injuries. The massive sword he was standing on suddenly split into eight smaller black swords, surrounding the Golden Lion from all directions.

Carl leaped onto one of them and pointed a finger at his opponent.

Immediately, the seven other swords shot forward, stabbing at the Golden Lion simultaneously!

The Golden Lion tried to dodge, but the sheer number and speed of the attacks made it impossible to evade them all.

In moments, his body was riddled with fresh wounds, and he looked utterly battered.

Furious, the Golden Lion glared at Carl and made a sudden dash toward higher altitudes.

Carl had been waiting for this moment.

"Hakoku—Lightning Slash!"

A powerful shockwave blasted upwards, striking the Golden Lion head-on.

Blood gushed from his mouth, but he used the force of the attack to propel himself even higher.

"Tch! What a tough old bastard!"

Carl clicked his tongue in annoyance and continued his pursuit.

The Golden Lion kept ascending—higher and higher, almost reaching the edge of the atmosphere.

Then, Carl spotted a massive black shadow falling from above.

He squinted and realized—it was another island!

The Golden Lion must have hidden it in the sky, keeping it in reserve for a moment like this.

And now, he was dropping it right on top of Carl!

This island was even larger and thicker than the last one, leaving Carl no way to dodge.

So, he prepared another attack.

"Hakoku—Lightning Slash!"

His blade released another devastating energy wave, slicing through the island and shattering it into pieces.

"Jiehahahaha! Stupid Carl! You fell right into my trap!"

The Golden Lion's mocking laughter echoed through the sky as he suddenly clenched his fists.

The shattered remains of the island rushed together, closing in around Carl like a gigantic meat grinder!

Even though they were called "rubble," each chunk of debris was ten times the size of a person, if not more.

And under the Golden Lion's full control, they trapped Carl in place, crushing him from all sides!

"Tch—Damn, that hurts!"

Carl struggled, blood dripping from his mouth, but a gleam of excitement flashed in his eyes.

He hadn't felt pain like this in a long time!

His entire body erupted with Armament Haki, and with a powerful burst of strength, he shattered the massive boulders restraining him.

Emerging from the rubble, he locked eyes with the Golden Lion—only to see a sinister grin on the old pirate's face.

"Oh no—!"

A bad feeling surged through Carl's mind.

The next moment—a tidal wave of seawater crashed over him!

The Golden Lion had hidden a huge reservoir of seawater on the island… and now, he had unleashed it in a sneak attack!

Carl had been caught off guard!

The instant he was submerged, his Devil Fruit powers vanished.

The floating black swords lost control and plummeted from the sky.

"Jiehahahaha! This is what happens when you go against me!"

The Golden Lion roared with laughter.

"Boy, you're strong—I'll give you that.

I almost fell into your hands.

But in the end, all that matters is the final result, not the process.

And this time—you lost!"

With that, he raised his foot and unleashed another attack.

"Lion—Thousand Slice Valley!"

A barrage of razor-sharp slashes tore through the seawater, slicing straight into Carl's defenseless body.

Blood exploded into the water.

The seawater was completely dyed red.

Carl held his breath, forcing one eye open despite the pain. Though his Devil Fruit powers were useless, he hadn't trained with Seastone cuffs for nothing.

He could still use Haki!

However, ordinary Haki wouldn't be enough to break free from the ocean's grip.

Carl's gaze sharpened—and suddenly, a powerful force erupted from his brow, sending violent ripples through the seawater.

"W-What?! This is... Conqueror's Haki?!"

Golden Lion's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You have Conqueror's Haki—and it's this strong?! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! A mere second-in-command of the Straw Hats could never possess such Haki!"

When Conqueror's Haki reaches a certain level, it can physically affect objects.

Carl's Haki was so overwhelming that it shook the very sea around him!

In an instant, the pressure shattered the water's grip, and Carl launched himself upward with Moonwalk.

Though he looked battered and bloodied, his presence radiated absolute dominance—as if he had been born a king.

Above him, his falling flying sword suddenly reversed course, as if summoned by its master. It flew back to Carl, allowing him to stand atop it once more.

"You still don't understand."

Carl exhaled, regaining his composure.

"I was never the Straw Hats' second-in-command. I am their teacher."

He raised a hand, gesturing toward the distant horizon.

"The captain seeks to become Pirate King. The swordsman wishes to be the world's greatest. As their teacher... if I didn't have Conqueror's Haki, how could I ever hope to guide them?"

Golden Lion's expression darkened.

"Oh? Then tell me—what kind of king do you wish to become?"

Hearing this, Carl suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha! That's where you're wrong, old man!"

His eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Do you really believe that everyone who possesses Conqueror's Haki must aspire to be a king?"

He tilted his head mockingly.

"You, Golden Lion, have Conqueror's Haki as well—but tell me, what kind of king are you now?"

Carl's smirk widened.

"The King of Broken Legs? Or maybe... the Rooster King?"

Golden Lion's entire body tensed.

His face twisted with rage.

Of all the insults in the world—this was the one he despised the most!

His broken legs. His ridiculous hair. His humiliation.

"You little bastard! YOU WANNA DIE?!"

Golden Lion erupted with fury, unleashing his full power.

The massive chunks of rubble, which had been falling toward the sea, suddenly halted in midair.

Under his control, they merged together, forming an enormous pride of stone lions—each one baring its fangs as they rushed toward Carl in a frenzy!

"Lion—Government Earth Coiling!!"

But Carl simply sneered.

With a mere thought, the seven small black swords arranged themselves into a distinct formation before his eyes, their edges crackling with electricity.

He gripped his obsidian blade, arcs of lightning dancing along its surface.

"Heh. The principle behind an electromagnetic railgun is simple—"

His smirk deepened.

"Electromagnetic energy, plus an electromagnetic track.

Now, let's see how you handle a taste of high-tech, you old rooster!"

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