One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 218 The Golden Lion's Despair
"Arrogant?"

Xia Nuo chuckled softly, swirled the wine in her glass, and stared at the constantly colliding liquid inside:
"Hey, it's just a trip back to my hometown, and they're making fun of me like this? It's really giving me a headache. Oh well, say whatever you want... What, you have a problem with that?"

When it comes to the last few words.

He turned his head slightly and glanced at Aokiji.

hum!
A terrifying burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted instantly, like a mighty torrent, rushing towards Aokiji without leaking out at all.

Click!

The cup in Aokiji's hand and his sunglasses shattered at the same time.

"..."

Aokiji sat motionless, still looking as listless and lazy as ever, but the chill emanating from him suddenly stopped, and a bead of cold sweat slowly seeped from his forehead.

"Oh my, that's way too exaggerated."

He scratched his messy curly hair and said with a troubled expression:

"The quality of Conqueror's Haki can actually reach this level? Even if you called Garp, he probably wouldn't be able to compare with you at all."

"Don't compare that old man to me. Who do you think I am?"

Xia Nuo grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth:

"If you want to fight, just do it. I slept for several days while on the plane, and I'm really looking forward to stretching my muscles. My hands are itching to fight..."

By plane?
Aokiji was taken aback. How did they get to the East Sea?

"Can't fight."

He bluntly shook his head, "To be honest, I'm not very confident facing you alone. Of course, more importantly, the higher-ups don't really want our navy to go to war with you right now."

"Then what you just..."

"It was just a joke, don't take it to heart."

Aokiji shrugged and poured the two of them another glass of wine. "After all, it's rare to run into each other in the East Sea. We have to put on a show, otherwise it'll be embarrassing if word gets out."

Really.

Nobody expected this guy's growth rate to be this frightening.

In just one year, he no longer even had the right to put on airs in front of the other party.

Tsk, if only I had known...

When we first met in the food city, I pretended to be innocent for a while.

"Okay, let's get down to business."

Xia Nuo was too lazy to argue with this guy, so he downed the drink in his glass in one gulp. "What are you, a naval admiral, doing on this remote island?"

The East China Sea, a place considered the "weakest sea," has never seen a general-level figure set foot there in recent years.

"Oh dear, shouldn't I be the one asking you this first?"

Aokiji took off his sunglasses, looked at the object of his affection with a pained expression, and then carefully tucked it into his pocket. "But it seems there's no need to ask anymore. The mighty Emperor of the Sea, returning from the New World after traveling thousands of miles, clearly has the same goal as me..."

"It's a golden lion."

He looked at Xia Nuo and said, "You have a pretty good temper. Although I don't know exactly what happened on Whole Cake Island, the fact that you chased him all the way to the East Blue... tsk, that old man really messed with the wrong person this time."

Xia Nuo remained noncommittal. "When did the Navy's intelligence network become so efficient?"

"Just a coincidence."

Aokiji shook his head. "The Golden Lion's air fleet was on the Grand Line a while ago. Ten days ago, it was spotted by merchant ships from Reverse Mountain passing through the top of the Red Line and entering the East Blue."

"Before that, thanks to you few sea emperors, this old man, who was almost forgotten by the world, suddenly became the focus again. The royal families of the member kingdoms of the East Blue were terrified when they heard the news and jointly wrote to the World Government, so the higher-ups specially sent me here to investigate."

"You're quite efficient."

Xia Nuo glanced at the night sky outside the window, "The East China Sea is so big, yet you managed to find it."

"What do you mean?"

Aokiji frowned, feeling utterly bewildered. "Hey, hey, hey, don't tease me. I've been in the East Blue for a whole week and haven't found a single clue. Otherwise, why would I be here drinking alone... huh?"

He suddenly realized what was happening and pointed to the sky in astonishment:
"what do you mean?"

"That's right, the Golden Lion is right above this sea."

Xia Nuo snapped his fingers, signaling the bartender to come and collect the bill, and laughed heartily:

"Then it seems you won't have to drink your sorrows away. You're quite lucky to have run into me. Otherwise, your trip to the East China Sea would have been a waste."

He took out his wallet, paid the bill, and then pushed open the louvered door and strode out of the tavern.

Aokiji hurriedly followed behind.

"How about we team up?" Aokiji carefully chose his words. "That old man is a huge threat, and his Devil Fruit ability is also very troublesome. It's not that I'm worried you can't beat him—that's not going to happen—but if he wants to escape..."

"escape?"

Xia Nuo grinned, "That old man? No, don't worry!"

Previously on Whole Cake Island, the Golden Lion simply wanted to use the opportunity to regain his fame and had no intention of getting involved in the whole affair.

The situation is different now.

This is the Golden Lion's stronghold!
The Flying Fleet has fifty pirate crews and tens of thousands of soldiers. With so many subordinates who came because of its reputation, he attacked and the Golden Lion even ran away.

Then stop calling yourself some kind of overlord of the old era, or a hero who stands alongside Roger and Whitebeard!
Go sit at the same table as Moriah Baki!

"This is a feud between me and the Golden Lion. Don't interfere, or I'll beat you up too."

Xia Nuo exuded an imposing aura, opened her right hand and clenched it tightly, "Remember this well, Kuzan! But you're not exactly idle either!"

The world of the strong is a distant memory, and many details have become blurred.

For example, what are the lowly subordinates of the Golden Lion? What is the name of the tree used to drive away and defend against the ferocious beasts?

I don't remember any of it.

But one thing he was very clear about was that, in addition to pirates and ferocious beasts, a large number of villagers also lived in the Golden Lion's stronghold!

They were living a good life on Qinghai Lake, but their hometown was targeted by the Golden Lion and became its base. From then on, they and the island were sent to the sky, where they suffered endless hardships and oppression.

and so……

"Kuzan, your task is to take good care of those civilians for me. Even if the Golden Lion's subordinates come to interfere, you should be able to handle it easily with your abilities!"

After leaving this sentence behind.

Xia Nuo laughed loudly, stomped his right foot, and the ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked. His figure shot out like a rocket, using the Moon Step technique, heading straight for the top of the sky.

"..."

Aokiji looked up at the figure that was gradually disappearing into the sky, remained silent for a moment, and then shrugged.

Is protecting civilians the priority?
This guy... really.

He's clearly a pirate, at least in the eyes of the world, so why does he have to have this sense of responsibility? It makes it difficult for him, as a Marine, to refuse. Oh well.

He wasn't a particularly diligent person to begin with, so since someone else was taking on the most strenuous tasks for him, there was no need for him to compete for them.

This trip will just be a pure vacation to relax and unwind...

……

Swish!
As the altitude increased, the surrounding temperature dropped rapidly.

As Xia Nuo continued to pass through thick clouds, finally, after breaking through the last layer of cloud barrier, the view before her suddenly opened up.

The moonlight, like water, illuminated the vast island group suspended tens of thousands of meters in the air.

The central main island is majestic and magnificent, surrounded by more than a dozen small floating islands, like stars surrounding the moon. At the very center of the main island, a large cluster of brightly lit buildings can be seen.

It has an antique feel, just like a royal palace.

"Found it."

Xia Nuo slightly extended his Observation Haki and sensed that arrogant and unrestrained powerful aura. He opened his arms and laughed wildly:
"Shiki, get out here!"

The sound was loud and majestic, like rolling thunder, echoing throughout the night sky.

A hundred or so dark figures draped in cloaks suddenly emerged from all directions. Judging from their attire, they were all members of the Golden Lion's pirate crew, each wielding a weapon and looking fierce.

"How dare you! Who goes there!"

"How dare you trespass on Lord Shiki's territory! Are you prepared to pay with your life?!"

"I am Captain Sianon of the Iron Hook, with a bounty of seventy million Berries. State your name, you who are here!"

The leader was a three-meter-tall, burly man with a mohawk, holding two knives across his shoulders, his face contorted with rage as he raised his head.

"Hmm? It's a young kid, who came all this way just to..."

The sound stopped suddenly.

"you you……"

The burly man stared wide-eyed at the black-haired boy in the moonlight, his face filled with horror. The twin swords in his hands trembled involuntarily, and he could no longer maintain the position of resting them on his shoulders.

"There's no mistake, you, you are the world's greatest swordsman, the Emperor of the Sea with a bounty exceeding 3.2 billion Berries, Shano!!!"

Shano?

Upon hearing the name and seeing the undeniably familiar face, the other pirates instantly turned pale and gasped.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

Among ordinary people, there may be many who do not pay attention to this, but as fellow travelers who venture overseas, how could they not have heard of this most dazzling and resounding name in the past year, a name that no one can match!

Bang!

Some people dropped their weapons, some collapsed to their knees with their legs giving way, and some even turned to run away...

There is one thing in common.

No matter how much they admired the Golden Lion, no one could muster even the slightest thought of resistance when facing such a top-tier powerhouse standing atop the ocean!
"What a joke!"

The burly man with the mohawk managed to stand still, his face flushed as he roared furiously, but the large beads of sweat on his forehead and the trembling in his voice had already betrayed him:

"Someone like you...someone as important as you! Shouldn't you be in the New World? What are you doing here!"

"You're so noisy."

Xia Nuo frowned slightly and glanced at him. "I'm looking for the Golden Lion. I have no interest in wasting time with you nobodies."

boom!
Without him making any visible movements, his Conqueror's Haki had already erupted suddenly, sweeping across the land like a tsunami.

In an instant, the hundreds of pirates collapsed to the ground. The leader, a burly man with mohawks, barely managed to hold on for a second or two before finally fainting.

Xia Nuo landed gracefully, passed through the pirates on the ground, and strode towards the palace.

In the blink of an eye, the palace gates were within reach, but Xia Nuo suddenly stopped. He looked up at the terrace at the highest point of the palace.

There, a tall figure with long golden hair was looking down at him, the cigar in his mouth flickering in the night.

"Zehahaha... Here comes Kaido!"

Shiki the Golden Lion spread his arms wide, his arrogant laughter echoing through the night sky:

"I knew you wouldn't give up, after all, our grudges from back then haven't been completely settled yet! But you alone dared to chase me all the way from the New World to here, you're really not taking me seriously!"

"What Kaido!"

The deputy and chief scientist beside him, Indigo, roared with sharp teeth and punched the golden lion on the head, "Are you blind! Look closely, it's Shano, the world's number one swordsman Shano!"

is it?

The golden lion scratched its head blankly, stretched its head out over the railing, and looked closely.

"So it really was you, you little rascal!"

He exhaled a smoke ring and sneered, "If it were Kaido and Linlin chasing after me, I might be a little wary, but you?"

"Don't think you're on the same level as me just because of all the hype! You greenhorn brat, when I was a force to be reckoned with in the ocean, you were still playing in the mud! What, you didn't get a beating on Whole Cake Island, so you came all the way to the East China Sea looking for death?"

"There's no other way. The East China Sea is my hometown. I can't just sit by and watch it be destroyed in your hands."

Xia Nuo shook his head slightly and said leisurely, "A guy abandoned by the times can only spout nonsense about being old and condescending. But there is one thing you said that is quite right."

"What?" The Golden Lion's mouth stretched into a wide grin.

"We are indeed not on the same level."

Swish!
As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Nuo's figure vanished from the spot, leaving only a lingering shadow in the air.

What a great speed!

A flash of crimson light passed through the Golden Lion's eyes, but before he could react, an extremely powerful impact was already crashing towards him!

"Galaxy... Impact!"

Xia Nuo's fist was wrapped in black and red lightning as he unleashed a powerful punch!
A terrifying and violent circular shockwave swept out, instantly upturning the ground surrounding the entire palace and tearing it into countless fragments!

What is this move?

The golden lion's pupils shrank suddenly, and his wrinkled face trembled violently. Even though he tried to block with his twin swords, which had transformed into prosthetic limbs, he was still a step too late.

boom! ! !
The force of the fist passed through the gap between the two swords, pierced through the golden lion's chest, and the aftershocks surged, the momentum undiminished, directly shattering the royal palace behind it!
Boom!
At that moment, the entire giant floating island trembled violently.

Under the violent impact, the palace complex was unable to withstand the force and collapsed instantly, with bricks and tiles flying everywhere and dust billowing into the sky, obscuring the sun!
"cough!"

The golden lion spat out a mouthful of blood, its body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the ruins, smashing through dozens of broken walls along the way, and finally embedding itself in the ground, creating a bottomless crater!

"I thought it was going to be a tough battle."

Xia Nuo slowly withdrew his fist, stood in mid-air, looked down at the ruins below, and said with some disappointment:

"So you... really are that weak?"

　There will be one more update, it will be very late, you can read it tomorrow morning.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)