Compared to good words of persuasion, temptation of interests, or recognition of ideals and beliefs. Golden Lion prefers to use absolute strength to bend the other party's spine simply because this move is efficient and effective.
Just like Crocodile at this moment, the disastrous defeat he suffered at the hands of Whitebeard, even after more than 20 years, was still like a nightmare, deeply engraved in his heart.
Golden Lion doesn't mind becoming the nightmare in Gawain's heart.
"Whether it's your courage, combat power, or potential, you are qualified!"
Accompanied by his words, Shiki's Conqueror Haki was like a mountain pressing down on Gawain.
The whistling momentum caused a gust of wind in the surrounding area, and the surging seawater in the harbor was also rolled back in an instant.
The sky and earth changed color.
The fierceness, the extremeness, and the irresistible will of an overlord that runs deep in his bones reveal the invincible belief of the former legend.
Even though Golden Lion was old, its power was still as heavy as a thousand pounds!
Crack!
The ground beneath Gawain's feet suddenly cracked, and at that moment, he felt as if he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders.
He finally realized how powerful these top pirates who once dominated an era and were almost unstoppable were.
Apart from the three Ancient Weapons, they are a moving disaster!
"But... I refuse!"
Amid the violent Conqueror Haki of Golden Lion, Gawain's voice was almost completely drowned out.
Golden Lion and Crocodile, who were panting nearby, heard it clearly.
"Interesting."
Golden Lion was stunned for a moment, and a ferocious smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Originally, he thought that the Conqueror Haki he displayed was enough to make the young man in front of him realize the huge gap between them, which was like a chasm.
But now it seems that things are not developing in the direction he expected. He even sees a fiery desire to fight in Gawain's eyes.
"Still a tough guy?!"
"Then let me test your strength and see if it can back up your arrogance!"
As the sound landed, Golden Lion's figure disappeared from the air in an instant, and when he reappeared, he had already arrived in front of Gawain.
The two legs that were cut off when he escaped from Impel Down have now been connected to his two favorite swords, Oto and Kogarashi.
There are countless famous swords and knives in this world, some of which are not included in the so-called rankings, but they still cannot conceal their own power.
This is the case with Golden Lion's two swords.
It had fought with him for many years and was able to face off against Roger and Whitebeard's Supreme Grade swords head-on and still hold its own, which proved how powerful it was.
At this moment, the two swords were as black as ink, and they slashed towards Gawain's chest without hesitation...
Hiss!
Sparks flew everywhere.
The grim smile on Shiki's mouth also froze at this moment because the recoil feeling from his legs almost made him think he had hit steel.
Wrong!
Even a body made of steel would be cut in half by this slash!
"A defensive ability that even my Armament Haki can't cut through?!"
"Is this the special ability of that Mythical Zoan fruit?!"
Even though Golden Lion had already recognized the man in front of him the first time he saw Gawain as a Mythical Zoan fruit user, which was far rarer than the Logia Fruit. However, he had encountered Mythical Zoan fruit users before, but none of them had a physique as durable as Gawain.
A Mythical Zoan fruit that specialized in defense and the ability to fly...
Suppose the Beast Form is large enough, combined with the power of his Float-Float Fruit. In that case, it will be an aerial fortress capable of crushing any battleship.
They can come and go freely, are indestructible, and can control the earth, ocean currents, and everything around them.
Even Shiki couldn't help but imagine that kind of scene.
At this moment, Shiki's eyes suddenly lit up, even overshadowing the bright moon in the sky for a moment.
He's determined to get this guy!
But for this unruly newcomer, he has to break his spine first! The moment this thought flashed through Shiki's mind, an extremely sharp aura rushed towards him.
He noticed out of the corner of his eye a pitch-black sword slashing towards him, but what really concerned him was the light blue fluorescence on the blade!
"Something's wrong!"
"This kind of slash..."
Without any more time to think, Shiki immediately pulled away and retreated...
Swish!
A silver light streaked across the air, cutting the feather ornament behind Golden Lion in half and slowly falling.
At this moment, the whistling sea breeze and the Conqueror Haki emanating from Golden Lion had all stopped, and there were only two figures standing in the field staring at each other.
Gawain looked down at the white scratch on his chest. At this moment, he finally had a deep understanding of the defensive capabilities of the Battle Armor feature.
If Crocodile's strength was not enough to test the defensive capabilities of the Battle Armor, then the sudden slash from Golden Lion before was enough to explain the problem.
Apart from the top swordsmen, or someone as strong as Zephyr at his peak stage with his Armament Haki, or a Devil Fruit that focuses on breaking defense, the only ones who can break through the defense of the Battle Armor are probably Emperors, who represents the top combat power in this sea.
While thinking, Gawain's gaze fell on the sea in the distance. Seeing that Kalifa and the others had long disappeared, he felt relieved.
Even with his ability, he couldn't focus on protecting his crew during the upcoming battle.
Especially in Alabasta, where vitality is almost exhausted, Gawain sensed this as early as when he set foot on this island.
But with Crocodile's strength, it is impossible for the other party to make him so embarrassed that he has to rely on the ground's vitality to defeat him.
So he didn't care too much.
Golden Lion's appearance was completely unexpected, but it also gave Gawain another surprise.
The Conqueror's Haki that relies on will need to be tempered through battle after battle in order to go further.
The battle with King gave Gawain more than a thousand experience points. How much benefit can Golden Lion, whose combat power is far superior to King, bring?
Even if he can't win, with his comprehensive abilities, he will have no problem escaping!
When he thought of this, Gawain couldn't help but lick his lips with his tongue.
His sword, Guanze Masamune, sensed Gawain's will, and at this moment, it burst into an even more extreme buzzing sound!
"Come again!"
With a loud shout, Gawain turned from defense to offense.
He stepped hard on the stone slabs, leaving cracks on them. With the help of the Flash Step and Pussyfoot Maneuver, he burst into an extremely terrifying speed at this moment.
So much so that the sound only broke out when Gawain's slash approached Golden Lion!
Bang!
As the swords collided, the ground beneath their feet suddenly collapsed by nearly two meters.
Shock waves poured out in all directions; even the sea in the distance had high waves.
It's so strong that Crocodile, who had just recovered from his shock, almost couldn't stand still.
But at this moment, Crocodile could no longer care about anything else, and the only thing in his eyes was the two people wrestling in the distance.
"Why don't you run away!!"
Although he was defeated by Gawain in the previous battle, he had a basic understanding of Gawain's combat power.
Is he strong? Very strong!
Super fast speed, abnormal defense, and swordsmanship comparable to that of a great swordsman.
With the combination of these three, Gawain's combat power is almost firmly in the first tier, below the strongest people like the admirals and the four emperors.
But there is still an incomparable gap between him and the monster like Golden Lion.
Shiki's previous attack looked scary, but Crocodile knew how powerful those monsters were.
That attack was, at best, just a test.