Disdain.
Raw, unconcealed disdain, seeping from his very bones.
Who stood on this battlefield?
The future Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
The future World's Strongest Man, Edward Newgate.
The future Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp.
The current overlord of the seas, Rocks D. Xebec.
And Golden Lion, Kaido, Big Mom...
The most dazzling, insane, and lawless group of monsters of this era were almost all here.
Yet now, this man in the white mask mocked them with a single laugh.
"You bastard..."
Golden Lion Shiki's brows twisted into a knot, his golden hair stood on end from his owner's fury, and just as he was about to open his mouth, an invisible aura choked his throat.
Lucian gently pushed away the shocked Rocks in front of him, his movement light, yet his strength brooked no resistance.
Rocks stumbled half a step back, staring in astonishment at the back of this mysterious "brother."
All eyes, whether surprised, doubtful, or angry, were on him.
Because at this moment, he suddenly couldn't understand this brother he had just met!
Then Lucian calmly uttered three more words.
"That's you."
A simple statement!
What arrogance was this?!
What confidence?!
"Kid, you..."
Whitebeard's brows were locked in a frown; just as he was about to speak, he found himself unable to utter a single word.
Because Lucian had moved.
He didn't look back, no longer glancing at the group of monsters behind him who represented an entire era.
He simply walked alone towards Im, the King of the World, who was enveloped in the shell of Saint Saturn, in the distance.
His steps were slow, almost like a stroll.
One step.
His right foot fell.
*Buzz—!*
Centered on where his foot landed, countless intricate, profound golden patterns, shimmering with sacred light, appeared without warning on the scorched, shattered earth beneath him!
Golden light seeped from the patterns, dyeing the cracked, dark earth into a sacred domain.
Everyone present, their pupils constricted sharply!
What was this?!
It wasn't Haki, nor a Devil Fruit ability; it was a new, even more powerful force they had never witnessed before!
Lucian didn't stop, taking his second step.
*Boom!!!*
Dazzling golden flames, like a volcanic eruption, burst forth from his body!
These light-flames were not actual fire, but a tangible substance condensed from the purest energy and light, instantly enveloping his entire being. Wrapped in this radiance, his figure began to grow taller at a visible rate.
Two meters, three meters, four meters...
A terrifying aura, far surpassing his previous one, began to surge wildly!
"This... this is..."
The young Kaido's eyes widened, and at this moment, he was gripped by a fear that originated deep within his bloodline.
Before they could recover from their shock, Lucian took his third step.
*Thump!*
This step landed without a sound.
But a terrifying pressure swept out in all directions!
This pressure wasn't the will-targeting impact of Conqueror's Haki.
Instead, it was a purer, higher-dimensional suppression of "existence" itself!
"Ugh!"
Whitebeard, Rocks, Golden Lion, and the others, a hundred meters away, were actually forced to involuntarily retreat half a step by this pure storm of aura! The ground beneath their feet cracked inch by inch, barely able to dissipate the irresistible immense force!
Their eyes were filled with disbelief!
This... what kind of power was this?!
Just the aura from walking forced them back?!
What a joke!
They were Rocks, Whitebeard, Roger, Garp!
But the truth was right before their eyes, leaving no room for doubt.
Lucian's steps didn't stop.
Bathed in golden light-flames, he continued forward.
Piece by piece, golden armor shimmering with sacred radiance materialized on his body out of thin air.
With each piece of armor that appeared, his aura climbed a notch, and the sacred, majestic presence grew even denser.
*Buzz—!*
Behind him, a massive halo, formed from pure light, slowly unfurled!
Everyone present, except for Im, was now utterly speechless, astonished by this miraculous transformation.
They felt they were no longer overlords gazing down upon the sea.
But mortals looking up at a god.
The young Kaido, the man who would one day be known as the "Strongest Creature," now gazed up at Lucian's back and felt his own insignificance from the depths of his soul.
That feeling was like an ant looking up at a blazing star, the most primal awe and tremor from a fundamental difference in life forms!
Golden Lion Shiki's mouth hung open, the cigar he was chewing having fallen to the ground unnoticed.
The greed for souls in Big Mom's eyes was now completely replaced by terror.
'Th-this guy, wh-wh-what kind of monster is this?!'
Finally, under the gaze of everyone on the entire battlefield, Lucian walked to a very close position in front of Im and stopped.
The light dispersed.
The transformation was complete.
At this moment, he stood nearly five meters tall, his entire body covered in a majestic and magnificent Golden Sacred Armor. The armor's lines were fluid yet full of power, with visible golden energy flowing across it.
Behind him, the massive Sun Halo slowly rotated, emitting light and heat that distorted the surrounding space.
The entire God Valley battlefield was illuminated by his light as if it were daytime, dispelling all the darkness brought by Im.
The only thing unchanged was the simple, plain white mask on his face.
Sacred, majestic, powerful, yet because of this mask, an unfathomable mystery was added.
He simply stood there silently.
Without making any moves.
But the energy that emanated, his mere "existence" itself, made the great figures behind him feel a suffocating pressure.
Whitebeard, Roger, Garp, Rocks... everyone's gaze was fixed on that golden, god-like figure.
It seemed they had truly underestimated Lucian!
Because the energy Lucian was emitting at this moment... completely exceeded the scope of what they could understand as "powerful."
Just then, Lucian's voice came calmly from ahead.
He didn't turn back.
As if the group of sea overlords behind him, capable of overturning the world, weren't even worth a glance.
"You all, just watch closely from there."
Enjoy my power!
His tone was calm, yet carried a commanding air.
The stage now belonged to him.
At this moment, the noisy battlefield, the brutal slaughter, the legendary alliances, the fated showdowns... everything seemed to be merely a backdrop for Lucian.
In the center of the world's stage, only two figures remained.
One, a radiant golden Sun God.
The other, the King of the World who devoured all.
Lucian and Im's first confrontation officially began!