Just as Golden Lion manipulated the seawater to strike the Jackson, a deafening thunderclap ripped through the sky, followed immediately by a torrential downpour.
Both sides froze, caught off guard.
Before anyone could react, massive water spouts erupted from the sea, ripping through the Flying Pirates' fleet.
Entire ships were sucked in and shredded into debris within moments.
This was no ordinary storm; its sheer destructive force was extraordinary.
Even the lion heads of condensed seawater under Golden Lion's command were scattered by the gale.
The Golden Lion himself was slammed mid-air by a towering wave, crashing through a ship's deck.
With Golden Lion temporarily neutralized, the Flying Pirates fleet crumbled under the storm's wrath.
Ships were smashed to pieces, and countless pirates were buried beneath the churning sea.
Meanwhile, the Jackson, carrying the Roger Pirates, fared much better.
Though it rocked perilously, it sustained minimal damage.
The storm seemed a divine intervention, providing the Jackson a chance to escape.
The shattered Flying Pirates left a massive gap in the encirclement, allowing the Jackson to glide forward, propelled by the gale, and vanish from sight.
The chaos continued.
Many pirates on Golden Lion's ships collapsed, kneeling and shouting prayers into the storm.
Golden Lion himself was dragged from the wreckage by his subordinates, soaked and weakened.
Without their help, he could not have lifted himself.
Shaking off the seawater, he surveyed the devastation and his expression darkened with fury.
Half his fleet lay in ruins, yet the Roger Pirates had entirely vanished.
"This is unfair! Damn heavens, why are you doing this to me!" he roared, forcing himself into the air despite the soaking rain and fatigue.
Another powerful gust struck him mid-air.
The deck beneath could not withstand it; planks splintered, and debris flew violently.
Before Golden Lion could regain balance, a broken rudder struck his head, knocking him unconscious.
The remaining pirates panicked.
They rushed to aid their captain, only to witness a dark vortex forming from thin air: Lloyd's silhouette appeared.
Seeing him, their morale faltered further, and the Golden Lion collapsed to the deck.
One pirate pointed shakily.
"Navy!"
Weapons were raised, but the terror in their hearts paralyzed them.
Nobody dared to attack.
Lloyd ignored them, his gaze fixed on the half-conscious Golden Lion and the surrounding ships.
A cold, wicked smile curved his lips.
One pirate tried to act, raising his sword and charging.
A simple hand swipe from Lloyd decapitated him instantly.
The blood was absorbed into the surrounding darkness.
A tide of inky blackness surged from Lloyd's feet, engulfing the remaining pirates on the ship.
Within moments, only Golden Lion lay alive on the deck.
Rain poured heavily.
Lloyd extended a hand, lifting the Golden Lion by the neck.
The captain groggily opened his eyes, only to see Lloyd's expressionless face.
"You… Navy… you dare…" he stammered, trembling.
Without a word, Lloyd withdrew his hand from Golden Lion's chest.
Despite his vital organs being damaged, the captain of Golden Lion's caliber did not die immediately; he could still tremble and attempt a final struggle.
But Lloyd was unyielding.
A dark vortex appeared at his hand, twisting Golden Lion's neck like a pretzel.
Gurgling, he finally succumbed.
A hero of his generation had fallen, defeated at Lloyd's hands.
The surrounding pirate crews were too busy salvaging their wrecked ships to notice their captain's death.
Lloyd's hand, still clutching the Golden Lion, absorbed the Float-Float Fruit and transferred it into a melon within the Dark Bible.
He also confiscated Golden Lion's twin legendary swords, Sakuragi and Kogarasumaru.
A final gesture of distorted gravity severed Golden Lion's head from his body.
A nearby pirate ship approached.
Pirates leapt off, shouting in horror,
"Hey! How is Captain Shiki… what?!"
Blood dripped under Lloyd's feet, the severed head still oozing red.
The pirates dropped their weapons, paralyzed by fear.
Lloyd remained unmoved.
He raised his other hand, strands of darkness coalescing into a small black orb.
Another clap of thunder streaked across the sky, illuminating Lloyd's indifferent expression as it flickered between shadow and light.
The remaining pirates attempted to reach him, but the orb rose into the air.
Lloyd's form distorted and vanished, his final whisper resonating over the battlefield:
"Dark · Chibaku Tensei."
The storm subsided, leaving only devastation in its wake.
The once-mighty Golden Lion and his Flying Pirates had been obliterated by the cold, calculated ruthlessness of the Navy's Black Dragon.
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