Chapter 46: A Little Experiment

"Ahem... where did this strong guy come from?"

Golden Lion has already determined that Luo Ning is a formidable opponent, despite needing only one blow. He was unable to react at all to the punch that hammered him like this, rendering him incapable of defending with Armament Haki.

One could only say that Golden Lion's own strength had regressed significantly, and Luo Ning himself did not exert his full power, resulting in this outcome. Luo Ning doubted that if he exerted all his strength, he would directly kill Golden Lion.

"C-captain..."

Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Golden Lion planned to control the surrounding islands to unleash a powerful move.

However, before he could release the attack, Luo Ning appeared in front of him again and punched him once more. This punch tore a hole straight through Golden Lion's abdomen.

"How is this possible!"

Golden Lion was utterly bewildered. He was completely unable to react to Luo Ning's speed and strength.

Luo Ning's strength was simply too much for him. At full power, it only took seconds to defeat the current Golden Lion. The Golden Lion at his peak might have been more challenging to handle, but the current Golden Lion was truly no match for him.

Severely wounded with a hole in his abdomen, the Golden Lion possessed no further strength to resist. Such a grave injury was simply unbearable for him in his current weakened state.

The islands suspended in the air began to tremble, the tremors intensifying with each passing moment. It seemed the Golden Lion's ability was nearing its end.

"Don't sleep yet, old man! I still need you to try something!" Luo Ning intended to use the Golden Lion as a test subject. While logic dictated that Freedom Points couldn't be repeatedly obtained from the same person, there were potential loopholes. What if the subject grew stronger?

Luo Ning, lacking prior experience, planned to experiment with the Golden Lion. Years of silence had taken their toll. Age, the rudder on his head, and his constantly weakening legs hindered his combat prowess.

In a head-on confrontation, the current Golden Lion outmatched a Vice Admiral. However, if he employed his ability for hit-and-run tactics, only Kizaru could pose a significant threat. Imagine the devastation if the Golden Lion merely hoisted the island to a great height before letting it plummet – a terrifying prospect.

The island's freefall alone would cause catastrophic damage.

Therefore, while questions lingered regarding the current Golden Lion's ability to overpower Momousagi in a direct clash, his mastery over his power could still elevate him to the ranks of the sea's top combatants.

Luo Ning found the Golden Lion's current Flight Fruit ability useless to him, suppressing the mighty beast's strength to this weakened state. Determined to help, Luo Ning aimed to heal the Golden Lion, not to restore it to its peak, but to at least regain some of its former power.

While the Golden Lion's name held prestige, the points it provided were now eclipsed by those of Aokiji. This discrepancy stemmed from the Golden Lion's powerful ability. Otherwise, with its base physical fitness, it wouldn't have accrued so much freedom.

Luo Ning unleashed the power of fantasy, and the gaping wound on the Golden Lion's body began to mend rapidly. Gritting his teeth, Luo Ning then removed the swords embedded his legs and the rudder lodged in his head. Both the rudder and the blades had become deeply embedded over time, causing the Golden Lion immense pain.

However, as each item was extracted, the holes in Golden Lion's head sealed, and his legs gradually regenerated. Witnessing this, Luo Ning couldn't help but admire The Visionary's ability. It was truly heaven-defying.

This power could even directly create life. But in Luo Ning's opinion, the most awe-inspiring aspect was the healing. While The Visionary's ability wasn't permanent, the injuries would be fully healed by the time the fantasy ended.

Therefore, even if the fantasy were interrupted, Golden Lion would be unharmed. In Luo Ning's eyes, this ability was truly remarkable.

Even regenerating severed limbs was child's play for Luo Ning. As long as the person wasn't dead, he could regenerate their body no matter how mangled, but there was no way to bring someone back from true death.

Luo Ning could create life, but the created life was tethered to his imagination, essentially a new being. Once his illusion dissipated, the created life would vanish entirely.

Therefore, Luo Ning was currently powerless to save someone who had truly died.

At this point, Golden Lion's head had healed and his legs had regrown. However, regaining his long-unused Haki wouldn't be so simple.

While his strength had improved somewhat, Luo Ning still considered him far from his full potential.

"Recovered... I'm completely recovered? Who are you? Why did you save me?"

Golden Lion's tone shifted. He couldn't comprehend Luo Ning's motives. Just moments ago, he was on the brink of death, yet this man had saved him. This bizarre healing method was simply unbelievable.