“Forget about checking it.”
Arthur stepped aboard the Marine warship as it prepared to set sail.
Around him, the unconscious Marines scattered across the deck were gradually waking up.
“But, Sergeant…
the wound on your back is so deep I can see bone.”
The medic stared in horror at the slash across Arthur’s back, now sealed beneath a layer of ice.
Arthur waved him away.
“Scars are what make a man look good.”
“I’m not some little girl.”
He gripped his sword and looked up at the enormous Azure Dragon circling overhead.
“Besides…”
“The fight isn’t over yet.”
The sails were raised at full speed as the warship headed out to sea.
Dragon stood firmly at the bow, his eyes fixed on Kaido in the storm clouds.
“Prepare yourselves.”
“I can’t guarantee this ship won’t sink.”
On deck, Arthur removed his shredded shirt.
Bare-chested, sword in hand, he pointed the blade toward the sky.
Determination burned in his eyes.
His lean, sculpted physique looked almost carved from stone.
Standing 189 centimeters tall, he appeared to weigh barely over seventy kilograms.
Yet that seemingly slender frame contained strength far beyond what anyone could imagine.
“Co…
Cooper…”
Perched on Arthur’s head, Cooper trembled uncontrollably.
He had grown up alongside Arthur in the East Blue.
Never in his life had he seen a creature as enormous as the dragon before them.
Arthur smiled faintly.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“The worst that can happen is we die.”
“Isn’t this exactly why I’ve trained you so hard all these years?”
Cold mist continued to swirl around Arthur’s sword.
The frost became denser.
The icy vortex spun faster and faster.
It was as though the blade was accumulating power with every passing second.
Standing at the front of the ship, Dragon released his full aura as well.
Using the power of his Devil Fruit, he manipulated the raging winds over the open sea.
The ocean itself rose into the shape of an enormous storm dragon made of wind and seawater, ready to intercept Kaido’s attack.
Above the thunderclouds, Kaido—still in his Azure Dragon form—pursued the warship.
Another Bolo Breath was already gathering in his mouth.
He was furious.
“They’re out on the open sea, Kaido-san.”
Standing atop Kaido’s head, Alber raised his sword.
“Let’s finish them in one strike!”
A blazing flying slash shot toward the Marine warship.
“Monkey D.
Dragon!”
Kaido roared.
“Your old man beat me senseless back then!”
“Bolo Breath!”
A torrent of blazing dragon fire erupted from Kaido’s mouth.
Dragon swung one arm.
“And why does everyone my old man beat up come looking for me instead?”
The gigantic storm dragon surged forward.
It collided head-on with Kaido’s Bolo Breath.
Water and fire exploded violently.
Neither attack could overpower the other.
The two forces remained deadlocked.
Without taking his eyes off the clash, Dragon shouted behind him,
“Karasu!”
“Stop that Lunarian’s flying slash!”
Karasu grimaced.
“Colonel…”
“My Soot-Soot Fruit would ignite instantly against flames that hot.
.”
His Logia ability was naturally at a disadvantage against intense fire.
On top of that, the injuries he’d suffered only two days earlier still hadn’t fully healed. Get faster updates on g.com.
Dragon turned.
“In that case…”
Before he could finish—
Arthur had already vanished.
Using Soru (Shave) together with his silent movement technique, he shot straight toward Alber’s flaming slash.
“Arthur!”
Dragon called out in alarm.
Arthur only laughed.
“I’m going first!”
“This world’s battles are just too exciting!”
As he closed in, Alber manipulated the flying slash.
The flaming crescent transformed into a gigantic fire dragon that opened It’s jaws to swallow Arthur whole.
Arthur swung his sword.
“I don’t care what it takes…”
“I’m putting a hole through both of you.”
“You scared my eagle.”
The instant ice met fire—
The freezing aura erupting from Arthur’s sword completely extinguished the flaming dragon.
It froze into a massive ice sculpture before crashing into the sea below.
“So fast…”
Alber’s pupils shrank.
Arthur cut straight through the attack like a blur wrapped in icy mist.
In the blink of an eye—
He was already above Alber.
Both hands gripping his sword over his head, Arthur descended with a full-power slash.
“Quit covering my eyes…
Cooper!”
Cooper had wrapped both wings over Arthur’s face in terror.
The sight of the thousand-meter Azure Dragon had completely frightened him.
BOOM!
Alber blocked the strike.
Arthur exploded with every ounce of strength remaining in his body.
“Gh…!”
The immense force drove Kaido’s dragon body downward.
His Bolo Breath immediately dissipated.
Kaido shouted in frustration,
“What are you doing, Alber?!”
“You’re one of the legendary races!”
“Why is it taking so much effort to deal with a boy who’s younger than you?!”
“RAAAAH!”
Alber unleashed every ounce of hatred he carried toward the Marines and the World Government.
Flames exploded around him.
Arthur was instantly swallowed by an inferno.
At the same moment—
Without Bolo Breath to counter it, Dragon’s storm dragon slammed directly into Kaido’s face.
The colossal dragon reeled backward.
Dazed, Kaido’s enormous body plummeted toward the sea.
“Arthur…”
Even the scattered gale couldn’t extinguish the flames surrounding Alber.
With a powerful swing, he blasted Arthur backward.
Arthur regained his footing atop Kaido’s dragon back using Soru.
He stared at Alber.
The freezing aura surrounding his sword protected him from the flames.
“…Now I understand.”
“So this is why Kaido will one day be called the World’s Strongest Creature.”
Even Arthur couldn’t hide his amazement.
Standing atop Kaido’s dragon form…
Facing the future King the Wildfire, who was only one year older than himself…
The scene felt almost unreal.
“Kaido-san.”
Alber’s flames surged once again.
Five gigantic fire dragons formed around him.
“I’ll kill him right now.”
The blazing dragons rushed toward Arthur.
Perched on Arthur’s shoulders, Cooper suddenly noticed something.
Arthur’s body was trembling.
Exhaustion had finally caught up to him.
Arthur looked through the approaching sea of flames.
His eyes locked onto the enraged Alber.
Slowly…
He sheathed his sword.
“Stance.”
The moment he spoke—
Every ounce of strength in his body converged into a single point.
His aura exploded.
Using the last of his stamina, Arthur lowered his center of gravity.
“If this still can’t cut you…”
“I guess I’ll have to learn Haki.”
Everything became silent.
Then—
Arthur drew his sword.
He disappeared.
Like a flash of light, he pierced through Alber’s body in an instant.
The five fire dragons were split apart.
Each instantly froze into towering sculptures of ice before falling into the sea.
“Alber…?”
Kaido had regained consciousness.
Using Observation Haki, he had witnessed Arthur’s final attack.
Even he couldn’t immediately tell whether Alber had been injured.
Crack.
The sword Alber had used to block Arthur’s attack suddenly snapped cleanly in half.
A deep dent appeared across his chest.
It reached into the muscle beneath the skin—
Yet no blood flowed.
No wound opened.
He remained standing perfectly still.
The freezing aura spread across his chest before Alber forcibly dispersed it with his flames.
“My sword…”
“It broke?”
“…What just happened?”
“My chest…”
“It hurts.”
Alber looked over his shoulder.
Arthur stood behind him with sword in hand.
His blood-soaked body was cloaked in darkness.
For a brief instant…
He looked less like a human—
And more like a monster.
Only after turning completely around did Alber realize how much blood Arthur himself had lost.
“…That’s enough.”
Arthur’s expression remained calm.
His eyes, however, trembled from exhaustion.
“Let’s go, Cooper.”
Charging with his silent movement technique…
Then drawing and striking in one motion…
That was Arthur’s strongest sword technique.
Every beast he had ever faced in the forests had died to that single strike.
Yet even that…
Couldn’t cut through the man before him.
“Waorororo!”
Seeing Alber still standing without serious injury, Kaido laughed thunderously.
His respect for the Lunarian bloodline rose even higher.
He roared toward Alber,
“Finish him!”
“He looks calm…”
“But his body’s already at It’s limit.”
“One more attack…”
“And he won’t be getting back up.”