"Intentional punch!"
This punch is the result of 8 years of hard work.
Since Oran acquired the training method for the Deliberate Strike Fist from Sett through a legitimate deal, this was the first move Lyliana practiced.
Even with the addition of Haki, which slightly altered her intentional punch and allowed her to charge it up by consuming Haki, Lyriana never unleashed a full-power punch.
The training targets couldn't do that, and neither could the enemies she encountered, especially after she ate the Devil Fruit; there were very few enemies who could allow her to enter her dragon-human form.
In a sense, this was all Orlan's fault.
There is no shortage of strong people on the sea, but under Oran's nepotism policy, he has relatively friendly relations with most of the guys who can be called monsters.
Those who can cultivate to this level are no longer hotheads. Apart from pure battle maniacs like Wald or Barrett, they also consider the issue of interests.
This resulted in few opportunities for combat, and the Great Pirate Era had only recently begun; there weren't many hotheads on the seas before.
To witness Lyriana's full-power deliberate punch, one must first be able to break through her triple defense of Iron Balloon talent, Armament Haki, and Dragon Scales.
And Barrett meets this condition.
A 22-year-old beating an 11-year-old—given the age difference, even the strongest talent needs time to develop.
Aside from monsters like Roger and Whitebeard, Barrett, who could fight Rayleigh to a draw in his prime, was by no means weak.
boom!
A domineering aura flowed through Lyliana's body, eventually merging with her heroic spirit and coalescing into her fist.
Barrett had grabbed Leliana's arm earlier, and in terms of wingspan, Leliana was no less than Barrett.
Barrett can hit Leriana, and Leriana can hit Barrett in return.
The world seemed to enter a brief period of tranquility. Barrett could see clearly that golden energy was gathering in Lyriana's hand and then being released.
A pebble, propelled by the previous fight, flew up along the path of Lyliana's punch and blocked the wind from striking her.
As that power was released, the pebble began to crumble, disintegrate, and vanish, eventually turning into ashes.
The pebble was just a minor incident; the powerful punch ultimately struck Barrett's chest with unstoppable force. Just like the internal destruction technique he had used to attack Lyriana, this punch also pierced through his Haki, causing considerable damage to his body.
"You have quite a few strange things about you."
That punch was definitely not Haki, or rather, it wasn't just Haki. After fighting for so many years, Barrett knew Armament Haki better than anyone.
This tactic was unlike anything he had ever used against any of his past opponents.
"It's not over yet, Elbaf Flame Dragon Spear!"
After the powerful punch, Leriana and Barrett widened the distance again, giving Leriana a chance to recharge.
Flames on her body began to gather on the knuckles of her right fist, and with Lyliana's second straight punch, the roaring fire dragon flew out of her hand.
The limestone island was parted in the middle, but that was not enough to defeat Barrett. This was Lyliana's first time engaging in combat with monsters, and such battles were far from over.
"I take back what I said before. You are not one of those weaklings. You have the right to be killed by me as a strong person. You, bound by chains, will ultimately fail!"
Barrett charged out into the sea of fire, but what awaited him was not Lyriana, but Shiki's twin swords.
"asshole."
Seeing his opponent change again, Barrett became somewhat resentful. He hadn't finished a single battle from beginning to end.
He was extremely annoyed that his opponent would suddenly switch opponents halfway through each game.
"Whatever, it's all the same. I'm going to crush you all!"
[Lion's Might and Thunder Lion Dance]
Shiki's blond hair flew up behind him. In terms of electrical conductivity, gold is the third most conductive metal, after silver and copper.
This unique head of golden hair was created by fusing other substances with the Gluttony Fruit.
Although there are silver and bronze versions, none of them have the same overall effect as this unique blonde hair.
Humans need to use a special technique like giving up their life to manipulate hair, but it's not that complicated for Shiki. As the golden hair and Barrett's body came into contact, a terrifying current was released from the golden lion's body and spread along the hair to Barrett's body.
At the same time, the biometal in Shiki's body also became more active under the stimulation of the electric current, generating even greater power than before.
"Dad, look, I told you, I can protect you."
Leliana's battle was over, but she kept clutching her stomach. Barrett's punch had really hurt her; it was the clearest she had felt pain in all these years.
However, Lyliana had no regrets; on the contrary, she was very happy, as the strength she had been training was finally putting to good use.
"That's right, you're the best, but you can't be careless. That guy has just gotten serious and is very dangerous for you if he continues to fight."
"Yes, I know. These people are stronger than I thought."
Some things can't be explained in words; you only gain a clear understanding when you actually experience it. The battle between Barrett and Lyriana served roughly that purpose.
Awakening Conqueror's Haki and seeing the power of others has already exceeded Oran's expectations.
"Okay, take care of the wound, then you can rest well."
Oran took out a basket of bandages and started wrapping Leliana's wounds.
"Dad, I'm not that badly hurt. I'll be fine if I eat some good food."
Barrett's effective damage was limited to that one punch. Although the internal damage caused considerable impact, Oran's actions were clearly an overreaction.
"No, no, no, you're badly injured, at least not today."
"ah?"
"The navy ships are arriving soon, and your father needs to prepare for a performance."
Ginny gave Lyriana the answer, and only then did Lyriana notice that there were many more warships around.
The reason she withdrew from the battle and let Shiki take over again was simple: the navy ships had arrived.
The product this time is Shiki, and now that the audience is in place, it's time to put it on display.
Why did you pretend to be seriously injured?
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. For the sake of peace on the sea and for the smooth implementation of the navy's plans, someone did everything in their power to help the navy delay Barrett's progress.
If you don't sell your misery at this time, you won't have a chance to sell it.
Not long ago, ten large warships had spread out in a line around the limestone island and were gradually approaching it.
The sun has begun to set above the horizon, its blood-red reflection shimmering on the sea.
The sunlight was blocked by the naval warships, leaving several long, blurry shadows on the sea.
"Report to General Sengoku! We have arrived at the waters of Limestone Island. A battle is currently taking place on the island, and Dr. Sidirier's war mechs have been discovered near the coastline."
On the main ship, a messenger approached Sengoku and reported the intelligence that had occurred earlier.
"Sidil, huh? That puts him in a difficult position. Full speed ahead, help alleviate the pressure on him as quickly as possible—that's our navy's mission."
Sengoku was not only the leader of this Buster Call, but also a participant.
"Call them and tell them to evacuate to the other side of the island as soon as possible; we're about to start shelling."
Buzz!
At that moment, a terrifying aura erupted from the limestone island; it was a clash of Conqueror's Haki between Lyriana and Barrett.
Unlike Armament Haki, which can enhance various attributes through training, Conqueror's Haki is very special.
Conqueror's Haki cannot be improved through training; it is only enhanced when the user's aura is strengthened.
Many people unleash their strongest form of Conqueror's Haki the moment they awaken it, which is a manifestation of their inner spirit.
Therefore, even though she had just awakened, Lyliana's Conqueror's Haki was enough to rival Barrett's. In the clash, the two auras fought fiercely and eventually surged into the sky together.
Unfortunately, there were no clouds on Limestone Island today, otherwise we might have seen some different scenery.
"Conqueror's Haki? One is Barrett? Then who is the other?"
Sengoku also possessed Conqueror's Haki, and he could naturally recognize the aftershocks of their clash. It seemed the situation on the island was more complex than he had imagined.
Regardless, this proves that Barrett is still on the island and hasn't arrived too late.
[Lion's Might - Earth Sweep!]
[Lion's Might, Chikiri Valley! ]
A lion made of rocks and soil rose from the ground, and golden waves flew wildly. Looking at the strange situation on the island, two drops of sweat rolled down Sengoku's forehead.
The pirate he was in charge of was none other than Shiki the Golden Lion, and Sengoku knew Shiki's characteristics all too well.
At this point, Sengoku even considered sending someone to Impel Down to inquire whether Shiki had escaped.
"Borsalino, go to the island and check on the situation. Go quickly and come back soon."
"You really know how to give orders, Sengoku-sho. That island ahead looks quite dangerous."
Despite saying he didn't want to move, Kizaru still came to the ship's side after receiving the order.
"Eight-foot mirror."
After several refractions of light, Borsalino arrived above the limestone island, taking in the entire battle unfold before him.
"How terrifying. Hey, General Sengoku, the situation has been confirmed. It's Golden Lion who's fighting Barrett right now."
When it comes to serious matters, Kizaru is quite reliable; at least he hasn't done anything like using a Den Den Mushi to make phone calls to others.
"Borsalino, do you know what you're saying?"
"I know very well that thing really does look like a golden lion. Our Dr. Siddirell gave us a big surprise without saying a word."
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