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Chapter 90: The Flying Admiral! Golden Lion Attacks!
As Kizaru's words fell, Garp's pupils shrank. Even Dragon's calm face finally showed a subtle change.
"Holy f*ck..." Blake's scalp tingled. He stared at Kizaru's sleazy expression, his mind reeling. How could words like that come out of this guy's mouth? This sly bastard was the most clear-headed person in the room. A single sentence had just exposed the ultimate paradox of all revolutions: the hero who slays the dragon eventually becomes the dragon. It was a fate that countless worlds seemed unable to escape. Perhaps eight hundred years ago, when the ancestors of the Celestial Dragons overthrew the Great Kingdom, they too had been the heroes and hope of their era.
Kizaru watched the silent Dragon, his smile widening. He retracted his finger, the light at its tip slowly fading, as if the tense atmosphere from moments ago had just been a joke.
"Maa, don't look at me like that."
He spread his hands, his obnoxious drawl returning. "Besides, this mission didn't come from the World Government."
"It was Fleet Admiral Sengoku's order, you know."
Kizaru sighed, glancing at Blake with wary eyes. "The Fleet Admiral... he's very scared."
"Scared that a guy as dangerous as you... will get his hands on... some power from here that we can't understand or control."
"If that happens, the world won't just be 'corrupt' anymore."
Kizaru looked at Dragon, his lazy expression hiding an unprecedented seriousness. "It will be... complete chaos."
...
The reef fell silent once more. Only the sound of the waves lapping, over and over, seemed to speak of some unchanging law.
Finally, Dragon slowly raised his head. His eyes, which had wavered, were now clear and firm, like the sky washed clean after a storm.
"So," his voice was soft, but it cut through the still air like a sharp knife. "Just because of an uncertain, feared future... we should tolerate this present, which is already rotting and festering?"
Dragon took a step forward. His green cloak stirred, and an invisible wind began to howl around him. "I cannot do that."
It wasn't a question. It was his answer.
"Ara ra... this is just... getting more and more troublesome." Kizaru sighed dramatically, scratching his curly hair. "Honestly, I really don't want to fight you, Dragon-san."
As he spoke, his eyes darted slyly to Garp, who had been silent. "Speaking of which, Mr. Garp~"
Kizaru's tone became sleazy and lazy, trying to stir up trouble. "This is your son, isn't he? He's being so disobedient. Shouldn't you, as his father, be the one to discipline him?"
He lazily pointed at Dragon. "Look at him, so rebellious. Isn't it time for a 'Fist of Love'?"
However, he wasn't finished, when: "BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"
A deafening laugh exploded, seeming to shatter the clouds. Garp crossed his arms, laughing so hard he doubled over. The force made the reef groan.
"Borsalino, what the hell are you talking about!"
The laughter stopped. Garp snapped his head around, picked his ear, and didn't even bother to look at Kizaru. "I didn't receive any orders from that old bastard Sengoku."
He shrugged. "This is your mission. I'm just a retired old man here in the East Blue on vacation, visiting my grandson."
The subtext was obvious: You want me to help you beat up my son? You must be dreaming! I'm already doing you a favor by not beating you up!
Kizaru's sleazy smile froze. He hadn't really expected Garp to help, but the blunt refusal still made him wince. This is... such a pain. I just wanted a vacation.
Kizaru sighed inwardly. His lazy expression slowly faded. A terrifying aura, befitting the Navy's highest power, began to rise. "Ara ra..."
He drew out his words. "Since Mr. Garp is unwilling to discipline his son, I suppose an outsider like me will have to do it."
"Dragon-san, will you come with me, or... shall I invite you for tea at Impel Down?"
His voice hadn't even faded, and light was already gathering at his fingertip.
On the other side, the wind around Dragon intensified, pressing down on the sea. His calm eyes finally held a cold killing intent. "You can try."
On the reef, a battle was imminent. Garp crossed his arms, watching with interest, looking like he just wanted to see the world burn.
However, in the silence, the sky, without warning, went dark. It wasn't clouds. A vast, suffocating shadow... swallowed the sky, covering all of Foosha Village. The air was sucked away. An indescribable pressure... fell from above.
"Hm?" Blake's smile faded. He looked up.
Garp's expression vanished, replaced by a grave look.
Kizaru pushed up his sunglasses, his laziness gone, his eyes sharp.
And Dragon's calm eyes... now held a storm.
The three looked up. In the dim sky, a massive island was floating. Below it were rocks, soil, and even upside-down forests. It wasn't an illusion. It was a real... floating island!
A legendary name flashed in Garp's and Kizaru's minds.
"That old bastard..." Garp's voice was low, his fist clenching. "Golden Lion... Shiki!"
"Jihahahahahaha!"
A wild laugh, like thunder, crashed down from the sky. It was a laugh filled with an unparalleled, arrogant tyranny, as if nothing in the world mattered.