Chapter 47: A Second Time
"Don't get me wrong, I cured you just to test it, and I'll still send you back to Impel down"
Luo Ning's indifferent words caused a shift in Golden Lion's expression. Was this a mockery? Was he, the Golden Lion, being looked down upon?
Having defeated him, Luo Ning then proceeded to heal all his injuries. What could this imply? It meant that Luo Ning considered Golden Lion's previous self beneath him, a mere test subject. Now, Luo Ning had cured him, all for the purpose of defeating a stronger Golden Lion.
When had Golden Lion ever faced such humiliation? Back then, even whenhe was captured, it was due to his direct assault on Marine Headquarters. The Marines took three days to subdue him, at the cost of half the Headquarters being destroyed. Yet, what happened in the end? Didn't Golden Lion escape from Impel Down?
Golden Lion prided himself immensely. Even Roger, the Pirate King, never dared claim to surpass him. With such an elevated and arrogant disposition, Luo Ning's words naturally pierced his defenses at this very moment.
"Who do you think I am?!" roared Golden Lion.
Golden Lion's eyes burned red. He erupted in Armament Haki, but Luo Ning couldn't be bothered to comment on its weakness.
While Golden Lion's Haki wasn't at its absolute worst, it certainly wasn't impressive. Armament Haki is tied to physical condition, after all.
Golden Lion hadn't used Haki earlier because of the lack of time. Now, however, he coated his entire body with it.
BOOM!
In the next instant, Luo Ning's fist slammed into him again. This time, Luo Ning held nothing back, unleashing his terrifying physical strength and strange, unimaginable power.
Golden Lion's body became a meteor, plummeting from the sky. He didn't even have time to react before a jolt of searing pain ripped through him. Though Armament Haki blocked some of the force, most of it hit him squarely.
He couldn't even attempt to use his devil fruit power to stop his fall. He plummeted all the way down, his newly healed body sustaining severe injuries once more. Many of his bones shattered under the impact.
"No! I'm gonna fall into the sea!" Golden Lion's face turned green. Seawater is a devil fruit user's worst enemy. He was being pummeled from a ten-thousand-meter height. The impact of this strange power was unstoppable. Once he fell into the seawater, his devil fruit power would be rendered useless.
But he couldn't resist the force. It was simply too strong. Golden Lion crashed into the sea like a meteor.
"Ugh... did I overdo it?" Luo Ning muttered, slightly speechless. While Golden Lion hadn't blocked his last punch, he still had the strength to fight. Now, though, plummeting into the sea meant defeat for Golden Lion.
Even powerful figures like the Emperors wouldn't fare well in seawater, let alone a weakened Golden Lion. The moment Golden Lion hit the water, Luo Ning received another free point, though not a significant one. It likely represented the portion of Golden Lion's recovered power.
So, the experiment yielded results. Luo Ning had defeated Golden Lion at varying strengths. The free points gained increased with the strength and number of enemies defeated. It wasn't much, but a start nonetheless.
With Golden Lion in the sea, the islands he controlled spiraled out of control, teetering on the brink of collapse. Reacting quickly, Luo Ning fished Golden Lion out. Leaving those massive islands to fall from such a height would be catastrophic.
Before they could plummet into the sea, Luo Ning shattered the islands directly, reducing them to rubble scattered across the ocean. Allowing those dozens of islands to fall would have been disastrous.
Finally, Golden Lion was once again restrained with seastone chains binding his hands, feet, and neck, completely immobilized.
This is the current standard restraint method used by Impel Down for powerful prisoners. No wonder, who could have predicted Golden Lion would sever his own legs to escape that formidable prison? Back then, few believed he would resort to such a drastic measure.
For a strong person, their limbs hold immense importance. Even someone like Garp would see his strength significantly reduced if he were to lose a hand. Since Golden Lion's escape, all powerful individuals imprisoned in Impel Down are restrained with various chains, with a focus on their hands rather than their legs. After all, breaking your hands is considerably more difficult.
"To think this old man would be captured by the Marines a second time, and at the hands of a rookie who doesn't even know my history!" Golden Lion glared at Luo Ning. He knew escape was impossible this time. Everything on the island was destroyed, leaving him no time to rebuild. Despair settled in his heart.
"Hold on," Luo Ning interjected, shaking his head. "I'm not a Marine, nor am I here to arrest you on their behalf."