one piece: gene extraction and fusion system-Chapter 255: The Roar of the Lion Falls

"It's useless, Golden Lion."

Mio spoke calmly as he turned his right palm upward. A glowing circle of light appeared, rapidly expanding until it covered the entire floating island.

The moment the light settled, Mio vanished, dodging the Golden Lion's slash. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind him, his fist clenched and brimming with energy. His punch exploded forward, swirling with tightly woven force.

The Golden Lion didn't hesitate. Twisting his body mid-air, he kicked out. The weaponized blade replacing his leg gleamed as it hardened with Armament Haki, clashing directly with Mio's punch.

A powerful shockwave erupted from the collision.

But then, the Golden Lion's body flew backward. His pupils constricted in surprise.

"What a strong power!!"

He was visibly shaken. This level of strength was beyond what he had anticipated.

Yet even as he was forced back, the Golden Lion quickly stabilized in midair. With a sweep of his right arm, the sea surrounding the island surged skyward, twisting unnaturally before forming into a massive, airborne lion that charged through the air toward Mio, roaring with elemental force.

"Awakening..." Mio murmured. But he didn't appear surprised.

The Floating-Float Fruit normally required physical contact to manipulate matter. However, the Golden Lion clearly no longer needed that. His control over the fruit had reached the point of awakening.

Mio's eyes narrowed as he raised his right hand.

Buzz.

A wave of Devil Fruit power surged out of him. In an instant, a towering skeletal giant materialized, wrapping around Mio protectively like a demonic armor.

The giant's fist flew forward with tremendous force.

The water-formed lion shattered upon impact.

The sea water rained back down.

But the Golden Lion—once one of the most feared pirates on the sea—seized that moment. He rushed through the falling water and appeared right in front of Mio, unleashing a slash with a sweeping kick. At the same time, he waved his hand again. The terrain behind Mio deformed and rose up unnaturally, forming yet another massive lion that roared and struck from behind.

"Golden Lion, has your strength declined to this extent?" Mio shouted with calm authority. He controlled the giant skeleton to clench both fists and smash forward, shattering the incoming slash.

He then turned and punched backward—destroying the second lion in the same instant.

Mio's eyes remained fixed on the Golden Lion with unwavering calm.

He could feel it now, clearly. The Golden Lion's power had significantly waned. His fruit ability remained formidable, but his physical strength, speed, and reflexes had all diminished.

He was no longer at the same level as Whitebeard.

Even with sharp combat instincts, his body couldn't keep up with what it once was.

"Hmph." The Golden Lion's face darkened at those words, but he offered no rebuttal. He knew his condition better than anyone. He had carried a rudder embedded in his skull for years, and with both legs lost, there was no way for him to return to his prime.

Still, he grinned.

"Black Crow, I recognize your strength—but it's not enough to beat me!"

"Lion's Power: Earth Roll!"

The Golden Lion roared as he clenched his right hand into a fist.

RUMBLE!

The ground beneath them trembled violently.

Huge boulders ripped free from the earth, levitating into the sky. Below, dozens of lions condensed from soil and rock charged toward Mio in a synchronized stampede.

"Then I'll keep going—until I defeat you," Mio replied without a hint of fear.

He shot into the sky with his skeletal giant, dodging the rushing lions. But the Golden Lion anticipated this. With a wave of his hand, the rocks floating in the sky converged toward Mio. On their way, they combined, forming an enormous stone mass—one as big as a hill—that hurtled toward him.

"Golden Lion, do you think this will work?" Mio grinned, clenched his fist, and smashed the stone with a single devastating punch.

It shattered like glass.

"Of course I know it won't. So—what about this!?"

The Golden Lion's grin twisted into a predator's sneer. His ability activated once again.

Below them, dark clouds rumbled and surged upward. With the Golden Lion's command, they condensed and swirled, forming a titanic lion made entirely of thunderclouds and lightning. It roared with fury, each rumble of thunder echoing like cannon fire.

"Your ability is strange... but how long can you keep running?"

The Golden Lion's voice cut through the storm.

Massive stones floated around the battlefield, forming a siege in the sky. Along with them, stone lions began gathering in midair, circling Mio.

"Interesting. Laying a trap?" Mio muttered, quickly analyzing the situation.

Wherever he dodged, the rocks and lions would follow. If he tried to strike the Thunder Lion, the others would attack him from all angles. The Golden Lion himself was circling, watching for an opening.

Truly worthy of once standing alongside Roger and Whitebeard.

His strength may have declined, but his combat sense had not dulled.

And in his hands, the Floating-Float Fruit was terrifying.

But Mio had no plans of playing into his rhythm.

"Golden Lion, you underestimate me too much," Mio sneered.

Suddenly, the power of his Devil Fruit flared again. Dark energy wrapped around the giant skeleton. Behind it, two pairs of wings formed—wings shaped like enormous demonic hands, claws curling menacingly.

Once fully formed, Mio didn't hesitate.

He focused on the Thunder Lion and threw a powerful punch with his skeletal giant.

ZIIIIZZZZ!!!

The Thunder Lion exploded in a wave of violent lightning, sparks dancing through the sky.

But Mio was untouched.

His entire skeletal armor was coated in Armament Haki, nullifying the damage.

As Mio's strike landed, the stone lions and massive boulders surrounding him finally acted, lunging in with thunderous momentum.

But the four demonic wings behind Mio extended and clenched into fists. With a series of booming punches, they shattered every approaching boulder and stone lion, one after another.

From below, the Golden Lion watched with growing surprise—but he didn't slow down.

He shot forward, aiming directly behind Mio, and launched a full-power kick.

"Lion! Beast King!"

A devastating slash erupted from his leg, roaring with the phantom of a lion. The sound alone shook the entire floating island—deafening, overwhelming.

This attack—this "Beast King" slash—was the Golden Lion's ultimate strike.

A move capable of slicing an entire island in half.

And it was aimed directly at Mio.