Chapter 335: The Fall of the Golden Lion

The fierce battle between the two raged on, but the chaos across the island had already been cleared away.

The members of the Golden Lion Pirates fought bravely, but in this sudden onslaught their strength was pathetically insufficient.

This was always the Golden Lion Pirates’ fatal flaw.

They only had one real powerhouse, and after suffering one heavy blow after another, there was no one left to step up.

Under the leadership of Perospero and Katakuri, the crew was crushed with overwhelming force—there wasn’t even a hint of resistance.

By the time Perospero finished cleaning up the battlefield, Golden Lion himself was battered and bloodied.

Wounds covered his body, each one a scar from battle, each proof of his unbreakable spirit and courage.

After all, the Golden Lion was nursing severe internal injuries without a chance to recover.

His breathing grew short and ragged. Every movement pulled at his wounds, sending stabbing pain through his body.

Lasting this long was nothing short of a testament to the world’s will favoring him.

The Golden Lion knew his strength was gone, but he still refused to yield.

A resolute light burned in his eyes, his heart overflowing with unyielding will.

“Karl, you may be powerful, but I won’t bow to you!”

“If you want to take me down, show me your true strength.”

The Golden Lion’s voice was weak but still carried fierce determination.

Karl looked at the Golden Lion, a flicker of respect flickering in his gaze.

He knew the Golden Lion was a worthy adversary. His courage and willpower deserved every bit of admiration.

Attacking the Golden Lion from the shadows might not be the most honorable thing, but in pursuit of his goals, who really got to judge what was right or wrong?

“Golden Lion, you truly are a powerful opponent. I won’t forget you.”

Karl’s voice was heavy with respect—the Golden Lion’s strength and bravery left a mark on him.

But to realize his grand ambitions, the Golden Lion would have to visit hell sooner than fate intended.

“I’ll see to it you get a grand funeral.”

Karl’s words left no doubt—seeing the Golden Lion so battered he could no longer stand, Karl knew the fight was over. It was time to close the chapter on the legend’s glory.

Karl’s expression turned grave. With a flick of his right hand, his halberd vanished and was stashed away in his System’s storage.

He moved with smooth efficiency, making the halberd’s disappearance seem as if it had never existed at all.

He brought both hands to his chest, and in a heartbeat a fist-sized black hole opened there, swelling in an instant to several meters wide.

A suffocating pressure radiated from the black hole, as if it could devour everything. Even the Golden Lion was pinned helpless in place.

The skin on the Golden Lion’s face fluttered under the overwhelming force, and surprise flickered in his eyes.

He could tell this was no ordinary move from Karl—this was a power he’d never witnessed before.

“Could this be the same energy wave that toppled Hachinosu with a single blow back then?” the Golden Lion wondered to himself.

“Doomsday Cannon!”

Karl roared, and a massive black beam of energy shot straight at the Golden Lion.

The beam crackled with destruction, powerful enough to shred anything in its path, zeroed in right on the Golden Lion.

Even as his body reeled with pain, the Golden Lion’s eyes still gleamed with defiance.

He knew dodging was impossible, but surrender was never an option.

“Come on, Karl!”

The Golden Lion let out a thunderous roar, conjuring Conqueror’s Haki around himself. It swirled around both swords, forming a shield against the Doomsday Cannon.

Two titanic forces collided in midair, unleashing a deafening crash.

The energy beam slammed into the defensive aura, casting blinding light and violent shockwaves that shattered everything nearby.

In the end, as light and shockwaves tore through the air, the Golden Lion’s form began to fade, his body swallowed whole by the column of energy.

When the radiance finally faded, a third of the Golden Lion’s body had been annihilated by the onslaught.

“Karl, so this is your real power?”

Bitterness and wonder colored the Golden Lion’s raspy voice, a swirl of emotion flickering in his eyes.

He barely managed one last parting word before the life drained from him.

His body crumpled slowly, collapsing at Karl’s feet.

With that, the Golden Lion left the stage of history for good.

He’d never again stir up chaos in the East Blue like in the original tale.

Without hesitation, Karl pulled a massive seastone cell from his System space, its airtight walls already stocked with a pile of fruit.

He knew the Golden Lion’s corpse still held the power of a Devil Fruit. He had to act fast—wait too long, and the Float-Float Fruit’s power would slip away.

Karl couldn’t predict when he’d next encounter a Devil Fruit user, so he’d long prepared this very setup to claim the fruit’s power right away.

He strode over and tossed the Golden Lion’s body into the cell.

Karl’s movements were swift and decisive—he understood this was his best chance to seize a Devil Fruit’s power.

If he delayed, the Float-Float Fruit might just reincarnate somewhere else in the New World. That was the last thing he wanted.

He shut the seastone cell tight, sealing away the Golden Lion’s corpse.

Karl stood outside the cell, eyes filled with anticipation.

“Golden Lion, your power will become mine.”

He spoke quietly, every word laced with resolve.

Karl knew the Golden Lion had wielded one of the most formidable Devil Fruits. Claiming it would elevate his own strength to new heights.

“Father, what about the survivors…?” Perospero approached Karl, lowering his voice now that the fight was done.

Even after massive losses, the Golden Lion Pirates still had over a thousand members left.

Once they had loyally followed the Golden Lion, but this battle left them devastated.

After the relentless slaughter, only about four hundred remained.

Sadly, these survivors couldn’t be folded into Karl’s Pirate Crew.

Too many had blood on their hands. Their pasts were soaked in violence and brutality.

Golden Lion had always recruited without discrimination.

As long as he took a liking to someone, they joined the Flying Pirates—meaning all types ended up in the mix.

Those people simply didn’t fit the standards of Karl’s Pirate Crew.

“Not one of them stays!”

Karl’s order was as cold as ice.

His eyes told the whole story—these survivors couldn’t become part of his crew. All they’d bring was chaos and trouble.

Perospero nodded. He understood his father’s decision.

Karl’s Pirate Crew enforced strict discipline and standards—they’d never take in criminals.

“Understood, Father.”

Perospero turned and set off to carry out Karl’s will. The battle was finished, but Karl’s Pirate Crew still had a long road ahead.

Karl stood there, a faint sadness passing through his eyes.

After all, the Golden Lion had once been a fellow officer aboard the same ship.

Even though he’d brought about the Golden Lion’s end with his own hands, Karl couldn’t help the pang of sorrow at a comrade’s fall.