Chapter 65: Clash with the Golden Lion
Thankfully, after flying for a while, Luo Han finally exited the fog and arrived at the base of a towering mountain.
Looking around, Luo Han figured it was part of a mountain range—there was no end in sight. The elevation was hard to judge, since halfway up it was obscured by a different kind of mist—less dense than before, with better visibility.
Even so, from what he could see, the mountain already stood at two to three thousand meters high—who knew how tall it actually was?
Suddenly, a smile spread across Luo Han's face. Here, at last, he could hear animals again. The presence of life brought a wave of relief. No more fear of Xenomorphs.
He inhaled deeply. The natural, fresh air was invigorating.
Luo Han scanned the surroundings with his spiritual perception. No sign of Golden Lion. He must've gone over the mountain.
He flew toward the midpoint, and as he turned to look along the length of the range, he still couldn't see either end. Definitely a large island. I must've underestimated it earlier.
Whoosh! He didn't linger and quickly pierced through the mist to hover above the mountaintop.
But what he saw was unexpected. Instead of jagged, treacherous peaks, the entire mountaintop had been sliced flat—as if someone had cleanly sheared it off with a single blade. Though covered in towering trees, the straight line of the mountain ridge was unmistakable.
Luo Han pictured the scene: a peerless swordsman obsessed with symmetry arriving here, displeased by the uneven peaks—then unsheathing his blade and slicing the entire range level in a single strike.
That thought filled Luo Han with heroic excitement. He closed his eyes, raised his right hand to chest level, and formed a blade shape with his palm, swinging it forward with imagined grandeur.
Clang! A real slash echoed beside him!
Luo Han instinctively stepped to his right.
A gentle breeze swept across the mountaintop. Drip… drip… Blood trickled from Luo Han's left arm.
Damn it! Cold sweat broke out across his body. He trembled, clutching the chunk missing from his arm. He turned, eyes wide, to see Golden Lion flying in from the other side of the mountain.
So close… if I hadn't moved… His entire arm would've been gone.
A flood of fury welled up in Luo Han's chest, suffocating him.
He stared coldly at Golden Lion without saying a word.
"Heh… sharp reflexes," Golden Lion said with a chilling grin as he approached.
Luo Han furrowed his brow but didn't respond. Talking now was pointless—better to see what Golden Lion wanted.
Golden Lion's gaze sharpened. "Still silent? I'm just curious… what secret could you possibly hold that the World Government would send four CP0 agents just to capture you alive?"
Another one? First the government, now you? Luo Han thought bitterly. Fine. The government's strong and numerous—I get it. But you? Alone? You think you're enough to make me afraid? They couldn't kill me, and you think you will?
He looked at Golden Lion with open disdain. His silence cut sharper than words.
Golden Lion noticed. His face darkened.
"You arrogant brat. Think dodging one strike means anything? Don't be ridiculous!" he snarled, swinging two more slashes at Luo Han.
Clang! Clang! Luo Han smoothly ducked and sidestepped both.
Then he smirked at Golden Lion. If I hadn't been distracted earlier, you wouldn't have even grazed me.
"Impossible!" Golden Lion gaped. That close? That fast? He dodged both?!
"Nothing's impossible. Honestly, opponents like you are the easiest for me to deal with," Luo Han said coolly.
"Easiest, huh?! Let's see you dodge this!" Golden Lion roared.
He rose 20 meters above Luo Han, arms raised.
Thousand-Cut Ravine! he shouted.
Suddenly, hundreds of slash waves poured down like a storm.
Clang! Clang clang! Slashes rained around Luo Han, carving deep scars into the mountain below. Huge gorges formed across the ridge.
Yet Luo Han stood unmoved, eyes calm, watching Golden Lion above.
What kind of power is this? Golden Lion scowled. That kid hadn't moved once—and not a single slash had touched him.
"Heh… how's that, Golden Lion? I told you—you're exactly the kind of opponent I handle best. Especially when my Observation Haki outclasses yours."
Luo Han finally laughed aloud.
Golden Lion said nothing. But in his mind, he replayed the moment he struck—he'd felt invisible forces disrupting his arms, knocking his slashes slightly off-target. That brat's power had grown. His precision and speed had improved dramatically.
What an annoying ability… Golden Lion frowned, feeling like he was stuck in an awkward position.
Luo Han could tell. He grinned but stayed alert. Don't slip into daydreams again. That first attack was a real threat. Even if Golden Lion didn't intend to kill me—just take a limb and get answers—what's to stop him from finishing me off afterward? You don't leave threats alive.
"If you've come to your senses, I'll be going." Luo Han turned and flew toward the coastline, but he kept his spiritual perception fully active. No room for mistakes. Dying here would be so dumb.
Halfway across the sky, Luo Han glanced back. Golden Lion was still hovering in place.
Whew… Luo Han exhaled in relief. That was close.
Golden Lion's Observation Haki wasn't weak—but Luo Han's mind-enhanced perception had entered a state he called "Bullet Time."
Bullet Time was a result of amplifying his spiritual sensitivity through the Mind-Mind Fruit, slowing his perception of the world by hundreds or even thousands of times. This allowed him to interfere precisely, using psychokinesis to nudge Golden Lion's hands mid-swing, ensuring all slashes barely missed.
But this took a huge toll on his mind.
Most Devil Fruit users only burned stamina. Luo Han's powers devoured both stamina and mental strength. While physical exhaustion could be restored by eating, mental fatigue was far harder to recover.
Thankfully, his basic telekinesis didn't drain him much. Kyoka Suigetsu wasn't too taxing either. It was Bullet Time that was the real killer.
If Luo Han had relied on brute force in every battle, the government would have figured out he possessed the Mind-Mind Fruit long ago—bringing even more trouble.
Luckily, Golden Lion didn't know any of this. If the fight had dragged on for another ten minutes, Luo Han's mental reserves would've been depleted.
Thank god, Luo Han thought.
He relaxed his right hand and looked at his wounded left arm—it was already fully healed, the skin pale but smooth.
Good thing the Mind-Mind Fruit allows me to accelerate physical recovery. Otherwise, how would he explain this to Cole ?
With that, Luo Han flew back toward the coast.
(END CHAPTER)
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