CHAPTER 173 HAOSHOKU

“…”

Looking at the floating island, Ross blinked and remained silent.

Golden Lion’s bounty was also very high. Although the bounty was eliminated after he got captured and put in Impel Down, He received another bounty after he escaped from the prison. Although it was not as high as before, it still reached 1.7 billion berries!

A bounty of 1.7 billion!

If he can defeat the Golden Lion then the proficiency points he will receive will be enough to make his strength improve by a lot, but the problem is that the strength of Golden Lion completely corresponds to this bounty!

After encountering Luffy, his defeat made no sense to Ross and he wasn’t mentioned. But Golden Lion was able to break into the Marine Headquarters and fight Garp and Sengoku at their peak before getting defeated and imprisoned, But their fight still destroyed nearly half of the Marine Headquarters.

Even if his legs were broken in the escape and his intelligence becomes abnormal, his strength will not have decline too much. At least it will remain at the level of a Marine Admiral.

“Not good.”

Ross meditated for a moment but still gave such an assessment that Golden Lion Shiki was not in his prey category for the time being.

But just as Ross’s ship continued to fly up and was about to be separated from Golden Lion’s island, a figure cut through the clouds and sped through.

“Somebody’s coming!”

“He’s fast.”

Laffitte and others were aware of the rushing figure and they were instantly alert and almost the next moment, the figure crossed an arc and landed on the deck of the ship.

“Hello, hahaha… It’s a great ability to fly a ship. Who’s your Captain? Golden Lion, who landed on the ship, grinned with his cigar in his mouth.

Although he did not unleash his Haoshoku Haki, he is a legendary pirate and his aura is very special and his momentum is also revealed in an instant and it got to a point where Kaku and others couldn’t even breath properly.

Looking at the uninvited Golden Lion, Ross stood there, his eyes calm.

“I’m the Captain. I’m sorry there’s no wine onboard to entertain you, Golden Lion.”

“…”

Golden Lion looked at Ross and slightly narrowed his eyes. Although he stayed in the sky, he was not ignorant of the current things at sea. Ross with a bounty of one billion Berries was enough to enter his eyes. When he saw Ross, he recognized him.

He thought it was a nameless person but he didn’t think that it was a pirate with a little fame. It was undoubtedly an unexpected pleasure for him and his solicitation was even more intense and Ross can call out his title. It seems that he is also not ignorant.

“You are called Ghost Hand Ross…hahahahaha, how about joining the Golden Lion Pirates?!”

After Golden Lion stared at Ross and looked into his eyes, he suddenly smirked and showed his, raising one hand and making a fist in front of his body. He said, “If you join me, the sea will be in our pocket sooner or later!”

Since he was imprisoned in Impel Down, his old subordinates are all scattered and now only a few of them follow him, Now in the state of loneliness, His subordinates are not battle-ready.

A pirate with the bounty of one billion berries, regardless of his strength or fame, is eligible to join his Golden Lion Pirates and he can become a sharp sword in his hand!

“I really do want to control the sea, but…”

Ross opened his eyes calmly and even with the momentum of Golden Lion, there was no movement or change. “I’m not interested in being someone else’s man,” he said.

“Hey.”

Hearing Ross’s neat refusal, Golden Lion suddenly snorted and put down his fist. He slightly raised his head and said: “Although I haven’t paid much attention to the sea for a long time, I still know a little bit. Do you think you can beat those Yonkō (Four Emperors) with your words?”

For Golden Lion, all the Yonkō (Four Emperors), except Whitebeard who is from his generation, others rose much later than he did and they naturally belonged to the younger generation in his eyes.

“How can I know if I don’t try?”

Ross calmly responded.

Golden Lion stared at Ross and suddenly looked up and laughed. A sound of ‘haha hahaha’ echoed in the clouds.

Meanwhile, a rage of chaos erupted from the Golden Lion and burst out in all directions.

Haoshoku…Haki!

Almost in an instant, the nearby clouds were severely affected, as if the whirlpools are being stirred up and as if the sky and the earth were fading!

This Haoshoku Haki is not something that the likes of Don Chinjao can compare. Fukuro and Kalifa fell down and are unconscious. Blueno is barely hanging on but his breathing is stagnant and his forehead is overflowing with cold sweat.

As for Kaku Jabra and Robin, they are all under great pressure.

Laffitte was the only one who could keep his expression fixed and Ross was still standing there with calm eyes.

“Haoshoku Haki…”

Feeling the subtle shock and oppression from the surface, Ross muttered in his heart, this is the second time he has experienced Haoshoku Haki.

Looking at Ross and others, Golden Lion gradually stopped laughing and his figure slowly floated up as he looked down at Ross.

“It’s good to have such courage, but it’s not enough. You don’t have enough strength. It’s just empty talk!”

Even Golden Lion himself is sure that he can’t beat Whitebeard alone and he is naturally scornful towards Ross’s arrogant attitude.

Nevertheless, he knows very well the mentality of a newcomer like Ross, who has just risen up. It’s normal to be arrogant for them who had just conquered the first half of the Grand Line. Only by realizing the difference between failure and the real strength can he curb that arrogance.

“Do you understand the gap, Ghost-Hand boy!”

He flew to a place about tens of meters away from the ship. His eyes became quiet and his legs were lifted up as he swept them violently. The famous swords that replaced his leg were suddenly burst with terrifying sword energy that cut towards the ship directly below him.

This sword energy is much stronger than that of the Vice-Admiral Ross met. The only thing that can match it in his impression is Hawkeye Mihawk, the world’s strongest swordsman!

Without a doubt.

Golden Lion is also a swordsman standing with the top sword masters of the World!

The purpose of this sword energy attack is not to destroy Ross and others, but just to destroy the ship, He is trying to make Ross feel the gap between the strong and let him surrender to him.

But.

Subjection to the strong or something, such a mentality from the beginning, does not exist in Ross’s mind, a person playing the game, will he submit to the NPC in the game?

The answer is no!

Whiz!

Almost at the moment of Golden Lion’s attacked, Ross flew into the air, his eyes calm and indifferent and he punched the coming sword energy.

With his power of distortion, he can’t knead it into a ball, but that doesn’t prevent Ross from breaking it with his power!

Bang!

The huge golden sword energy collided with Ross’s fist and as if a golden crescent was cutting steel quickly, golden lights were splashing around.

For about a second, the two forces stalled and the huge golden sword energy could not maintain its perfect arc. Distortion broke in the middle, rubbed the sides and fell into the clouds below and cut a white cloud into two sections.

Ross floats in the air and looks up at Golden Lion as he slowly retrieves his fist and his eyes are calm.

“Gaps are meant to be filled up.”

“Pop…”

Golden Lion was surprised that Ross was able to block his attack, but he still snorted. The stronger Ross is, the more he wants him to become a part of his crew.

He waved his legs again and kicked in the void one after another and instantly swept out seven or eight golden energy attack that falls down toward Ross like a gale of Rainstorm. He is not holding back anymore.

Although he intends to recruit Ross, Battle is Battle. If Ross is so easy to die, it means that Ross is not qualified to join his crew.