Chapter 320: Griffin, Gryphon!

A lion's body with an eagle's head—a Griffin.

In his beastly form, White Lion Guliang adeptly controlled the enormous wings sprouting from his back—an instinctive mastery.

"Skyward Lion Flight!"

The white Griffin gently flapped its wings, its robust body maneuvering nimbly in mid-air, deftly evading the wide-ranging assault of Adrian's Mighty Nation.

The lingering force of Mighty Nation continued its descent toward the vast ocean.

Splash—

An explosive blast echoed from the water's surface, creating a colossal crater half a hundred meters in diameter. White-capped waves surged outward, their frothy spray dancing in the aftermath.

"Is this one of Charlotte Linlin's moves?" Guliang's sharp eyes remained fixed on Adrian. Speaking like a human, its beak-like mouth didn't hinder its speech; instead, its facial expressions appeared eerily lifelike.

As captain of the White Lion Pirates, Guliang had clashed with various pirate factions, including Charlotte Linlin's Big Mom Pirates. Their continued control over the Edd War Sea attested to their strength.

Adrian had no interest in explaining the origin of his abilities to his opponent.

Observing the majestic white Griffin, he felt a mix of admiration and calm resolve.

The Griffin's flight capability and high speed diminished the threat posed by Mighty Nation.

Adrian's mind raced, trying to find a more suitable attack strategy.

With a wave of his right arm, a congregation of ethereal white ghosts materialized from thin air, swiftly forming a massive circular arena.

White Ghost: Misty Theater!

In the next moment, faint azure light blossomed throughout the Misty Theater, and a torrential barrage of ethereal energy cannons erupted.

The grand blue hue nearly consumed the entire sky!

"Griffin Wing Soar!"

Facing such a formidable attack, Guliang remained vigilant. His crimson eyes tracked the assault's trajectory using his Color of Observation Haki. Simultaneously, his massive wings beat rapidly, weaving through the dense rain of ethereal energy.

Adrian calmly anticipated Guliang's movements, manipulating the Misty Theater to continually assail his opponent.

He'd faced speed-based opponents before—like Borsalino, who could unleash rapid light beam attacks while on the move. But compared to Borsalino's versatility, Guliang's abilities were limited.

Under the relentless barrage of ethereal energy, Guliang continued to soar through the sky.

Initially caught off guard by Adrian's preemptive interceptions, Guliang soon adapted, becoming more proficient at evading.

And so, they continued—Adrian firing, Guliang dodging—for about half an hour.

Guliang showed no signs of fatigue, maintaining an energetic demeanor. Even during each evasive maneuver, it continued to announce the names of its moves.

Adrian remained composed, his expression relaxed.

While zoan-type Devil Fruit abilities enhanced physical attributes and base resistance, the use of ethereal abilities consumed mental energy.

Adrian's intelligence attribute had surpassed 2,000 points—an almost legendary number in ordinary eyes.

As for energy, Adrian feared no one!

This time, accumulating trial points differed from his previous battle with Borsalino.

If he could keep this up for several days, Adrian would find it even more enjoyable.

Unbeknownst to them, half a day had slipped away.

White Lion Guliang, who had been evading all this time, seemed to find it somewhat dull. With a powerful flap of his enormous wings, he simultaneously dodged the ethereal energy cannons while closing the gap between him and the White Ghost.

Guliang had initially planned to rely on his Zoan-type Devil Fruit ability to outlast the White Ghost, but Adrian's endurance seemed even more formidable!

Guliang didn't want the battle to devolve into a tedious endurance match.

So, he decided to engage in close combat!

Whoosh—

Once again, the white Griffin soared, closing the distance.

Adrian, who had been firing cannons for a while, secretly hoped that Guliang would use some new flashy move. He pretended not to notice, waiting for Guliang's approach.

When the gap between them narrowed to about ten meters:

Guliang's robust limbs pushed against the air, wings flapping to increase his speed.

"Furious Lion Charge!"

Another lion-themed move, huh? And its just a charge?

Adrian couldn't help but roll his eyes internally. He raised his right hand, conjuring a sapphire-blue light ball, then switched to single-shot mode.

Thunk!

The muffled sound of the ethereal energy cannon transformed into a vast azure beam, hurtling toward Guliang.

At such close range, even a skilled flyer like the white Griffin couldn't easily dodge Adrian's lightning-fast attack.

Guliang's eyes flashed with determination. He instantly shifted into a half-beast form, his right hand—resembling a lion's paw—clenching into a fist. Dark, intense Armament Haki enveloped it as he unleashed his strike.

"Lion Meteor Fist!"

Two equally mighty forces collided in mid-air, erupting into a terrifying explosion. Invisible shockwaves rippled outward, even dispersing the thick clouds above.

But Guliang was no ordinary fighter; he was nearing the hundred-level threshold.

His seemingly simple Lion Meteor Fist directly countered the ethereal energy cannon, dispersing it.

In the next moment, Guliang flew to Adrian's side.

He raised both fists, the furry claws now covered in deep black Armament Haki. Guliang delivered a rapid succession of punches, each strike creating explosive bursts in the air. Thanks to the Zoan-type Devil Fruit, his punching speed exceeded even the speed of light, causing sonic booms all around!

"Lion Meteor Barrage!"

Adrian's right palm materialized a pale-white spiritual pressure sword. His eyes glowed crimson as he deftly parried Guliang's assault, breaking through the Lion Meteor Barrage.

As they grappled, the previously dormant Misty Theater flickered with faint blue light once more.

A fierce barrage of ethereal energy cannons converged from all directions, precisely striking Guliang's body!

Guliang staggered, and even his rapid Lion Meteor Barrage slowed momentarily.

In this lightning-paced battle, that half-beat delay could tip the balance to one side.

Adrian's eyes glowed red. His spiritual pressure sword broke through the Lion Meteor Barrage, striking Guliang's chest head-on!

Guliang was sent hurtling downward, flying hundreds of meters before finally steadying himself mid-air with a flap of his wings, just a couple of meter away from the ocean surface.

Examining him closely, a visible bone-deep wound marred his chest, yet the surrounding flesh continued to regenerate—a testament to the ancient zoan's potent healing abilities.

Guliang coughed up blood but casually wiped his mouth. Then, he drew the Western-style sword from his waist, pointing it at Adrian.

"White Ghost, your swordsmanship isn't half bad! Let's continue our little spar!"

Adrian had been ready to press his advantage, but when he saw Guliang's sword, he hesitated.

"Gryphon?"