"This is really strange, why can't we find those people?" Zoro said, looking around in confusion. "Did we come to the wrong place?"
But that can't be right—this is Punk Hazard, just as mentioned in the Den Den Mushi earlier.
"Maybe they're on the other side of the island," Meiser guessed.
After saying that, Meiser thought for a moment, then turned to Merry and asked, "Merry, do you hear anything?"
Although the environment here is quite unusual, if she uses her wind ability, Merry might be able to hear something.
Thinking this, a glimmer of anticipation appeared in Meiser's eyes.
Merry, who had been lost in thought, was taken aback by the question and replied, "I wasn't using my ability to listen just now."
"Let me try now."
With that, Merry began to use her ability to listen to the sounds around her.
But as soon as she activated it, she sensed something was wrong.
"This sound..." Merry suddenly looked up toward the side and shouted, "There's a wild beast around us!"
"It's behind those rocks!"
Hearing Merry's words, the others also grew alert.
A wild beast?
Could there really be a living wild beast in a place like this?
That truly is surprising.
"Merry..." Usopp gulped and said, "Are you sure you didn't mishear?"
"Normally, a place like this shouldn't..."
Before he could finish his sentence, an enormous dragon appeared on the rocks beside them.
Seeing this, Usopp was completely stunned.
"A dragon?!"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Why would a giant dragon, a creature that exists only in fantasy, appear here?!
This is totally unscientific, damn it!!
"A dragon actually appeared?" Luffy also stared in shock at the red dragon and said, "Is this real or not?"
"Isn't this supposed to be a creature that only exists in fantasy?!" Zoro gripped the hilt of his sword and said, "Why is it here?"
This doesn't make sense.
"Although I don't know how it happened, it's definitely standing right in front of us," Meiser said, his Sharingan activated as he stared intently at the giant dragon. "It's not an illusion."
He was certain of that.
Hearing Meiser's words, Nico Robin's eyes grew serious as she said, "Could it be a Devil Fruit Ability User?"
Since Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits exist in this world, Nico Robin suspected that the dragon might be a human who had eaten such a fruit.
"That's possible!" Merry said.
She had been thinking the same thing.
"An Ability User who ate a dragon fruit?" Luffy's eyes sparkled as he said, "So cool!"
With that, Luffy excitedly ran toward the dragon, clearly intending to say something to it.
Seeing this, Meiser quickly called out, "Hey, Luffy!"
"This guy isn't an Ability User."
"Huh?"
Luffy was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?"
Nico Robin also looked at Meiser with some surprise. If it wasn't an Ability User, then what could it be?
Surely such a creature couldn't actually exist, right?
"Devil Fruit Ability Users carry a strange energy within them," Meiser explained. "But this guy doesn't have any."
His Sharingan could detect the unique energy emitted by Ability Users, and since the creature before them lacked it, Meiser concluded it was purely an animal.
"Strange energy..."
Usopp's eyes flashed with astonishment upon hearing this. "You saw it with your eyes?"
"Yes."
Hearing this, Usopp immediately wore an expression of sudden understanding—no wonder Meiser could perceive that strange energy.
"So, it's just a pure beast then," Zoro remarked.
"Exactly."
Zoro lowered his head in thought, considering whether to strike the creature down now.
Meanwhile, Luffy excitedly ran toward the giant dragon, clearly intending to tame it.
But before he could reach it, a man's voice rang out.
"Who are you?"
"?!"
The sudden voice left Luffy frozen in place.
Seizing the moment while Luffy was stunned, the giant dragon lunged forward and snapped its jaws at him.
Seeing this, Meiser immediately rushed to Luffy's side, grabbed his arm, and pulled him out of the dragon's attack range.
Then, Meiser opened his Shark Mouth and roared, "What the hell are you spacing out for?!"
To stand there obediently right in front of it, waiting to be bitten...
Is this guy an idiot?!
"Hey, Meiser!"
Luffy excitedly pointed at the dragon. "That thing just spoke!"
"Spoke?"
Meiser was momentarily stunned, then said in disbelief, "Could this thing really be a legendary dragon?"
If that were the case, then the ability to speak human language wouldn't be so strange.
"Meiser, could you have been mistaken?" Usopp suggested. "Maybe it really is an Ability User or something."
"Impossible."
Meiser shook his head. "I'm one hundred percent certain this thing isn't an Ability User."
He was absolutely sure about that.
"So that means..." Usopp gulped and said, "This thing really is a legendary creature?!"
As if realizing something, Usopp's face gradually turned pale.
Facing a legendary creature like this... how were they supposed to fight it?
"Then why can it talk?" Luffy asked, puzzled.
Nico Robin thought for a moment before replying, "Perhaps this legendary creature simply has the ability to speak human language."
After all... it was a legendary creature, wasn't it?
"A legendary creature, huh..."
"Hey, Luffy."
Meiser looked up at Luffy and asked, "Are you sure that thing spoke just now?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't I hear it?"
As he spoke, a flicker of confusion flashed in Meiser's eyes—he hadn't heard any human voice at all earlier.
Hearing Meiser's words, Zoro and the others also showed signs of doubt in their eyes. They hadn't heard the voice Luffy mentioned either.
"Did none of you hear that?" Luffy asked in confusion. "He clearly spoke just now."
"No."
Usopp shook his head and said, "We only heard this giant dragon's roar, not any human voice."
Hearing Usopp's words, Luffy grew even more puzzled.
But it was definitely there...
"Merry, did you hear anything?" Luffy asked.
"I didn't either."
Merry said, "I shut off my ability the moment I saw it."
So she hadn't heard any strange sounds either.
"Could I have misheard?" Luffy wondered aloud.
At that moment, the dragon ahead opened its mouth toward Meiser and the others, gradually gathering scorching flames within.
Seeing this, the expressions of Meiser and his companions immediately changed.
"This thing breathes fire!" Meiser shouted.
As soon as he spoke, Meiser grabbed Merry and Nico Robin, leaping to the side and out of the dragon's direct line of attack.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro, alerted by Meiser's warning, grabbed Usopp and dashed to the other side.
The next moment...
"BOOM!!"
Incredibly terrifying flames erupted from the dragon's mouth, blasting directly toward the spot where they had just been standing.
The terrifying force instantly blasted a massive crater into the ground!
"It... it breathes fire?!"
Usopp, still clutched in Luffy's hand, went numb at the sight.
"It seems this creature truly is a fantasy being," Nico Robin remarked.
Zoro thought for a moment upon hearing this, then turned to Meiser and said, "Meiser, I recall you mentioning before that you encountered a special Ability User in Mary Geoise."
"You mean that Kirin?"
"Right." Zoro nodded. "Could this creature possibly be a Nightmare Creature created by that person?"
At these words, Usopp and the others also realized.
Indeed, this is World Government territory!
So it's possible that person could be here.
"No, you're overthinking it." Meiser, having set down Nico Robin and Merry, shook his head. "This isn't that person's ability."
The Nightmare Creatures created by that person are composed of special energy, whereas this strange dragon has a flesh-and-blood body, so they can't be the same.
He was quite certain of this.
"So it's not after all..." Zoro frowned.
Seems he had overthought it.
"Hey, forget about whether it's that guy or not for now." Usopp pointed at the dragon charging toward them and shouted, "The priority is dealing with this thing first!"
With such a massive size... getting bitten even once would mean certain death!
Seeing this, Zoro decisively stopped pondering, then drew the Personal Sword at his waist and said, "Then let's cut this thing down first."
"Come at me, you bastard!"
"Three Sword Style: Extreme Lake Hunt!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zoro shot forward, slashing directly at the dragon's fangs!
"CLANG!"
"BOOM!!"
The long blade clashing with the sharp fangs instantly produced a terrifying Shockwave, sending Merry flying backward!
"Ah!"
"Merry!"
"I'm fine!"
After steadying herself mid-air, Merry glanced down at the dragon and said, "Damn stupid dragon!"
"Wind Impact!"
"Whoosh~"
"BOOM!!"
An incredibly terrifying Wind Impact struck the dragon, sending it staggering uncontrollably before it crashed to the ground.
"BOOM!!"
Seizing the opportunity, Zoro put distance between himself and the dragon.
Then, Zoro looked up at the dragon and said, "Truly fearsome hardness and strength."
To think it could withstand his slashes head-on...
Should I expect nothing less from a creature of fantasy?
With that thought, Zoro prepared to attack this creature with an even stronger technique.
But before he could act, a man's voice rang out.
"I sense your presence!"
"Huh?"
Zoro was momentarily stunned. Had the dragon spoken?
"Hey, the dragon really talked!" Merry exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the dragon. "I heard it!"
"I heard it too..."
The others also showed expressions of surprise, clearly not expecting this massive creature to actually speak human language.
"It seems this creature really is the kind of magical being that can speak human words," Meiser said, gazing at the dragon before them.
To think such a being existed in this world...
He was growing more and more excited about the adventures to come!
"Magical creature?" Usopp exclaimed, turning to Meiser. "You mean this thing can use magic?"
"Most likely."
Meiser stared at the dragon as it flapped its wings and took to the air. "The flames it breathed earlier might have been Dragon Magic, unique to dragonkind."
"Dragon Magic... gulp..."
Usopp, watching the dragon in the sky, instinctively swallowed hard. What kind of opponent were they facing?
"A magic dragon, huh..."
Zoro, also staring at the dragon in the sky, grinned. "Heh, interesting!"
I wonder how it would feel to cut this thing.
"A magic dragon or something..." Luffy's eyes sparkled. "So cool!"
"Hey, is now really the time for admiration?" Usopp shouted with a shark-like expression. "This thing is trying to kill us!"
If Luffy had been even a second slower earlier, he would have been burned to a crisp by those flames, damn it!!
"But it's just so cool!"
Usopp: ...
Suddenly feeling utterly exhausted.
"Hey, everyone, it looks like it's about to attack again!" Merry pointed at the dragon in the sky.
As she spoke, Merry began gathering the power of the wind, intending to bring the massive creature down with her own attack.
But before she could act, that unfamiliar male voice was heard again.
"Are you lot allies of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea?!"
"Huh?"
Merry was taken aback. What Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea?
"This thing mentioned the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea?" Usopp said in disbelief. "Is it someone's pet raised by one of them?"
Hearing this, Meiser shook his head. "No, from its words, it's clear this creature isn't a pet of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea."
If it were truly a pet raised by one of them, it wouldn't speak like that.
"So, does that mean it has a grudge against one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea?" Zoro said.
"That's possible," Meiser nodded.
With that, Meiser mentally ran through the names of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea one by one.
He just didn't know which one this creature had a feud with.
Nico Robin frowned and said, "Could there be a Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea nearby?"
"That's not impossible," Meiser nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing their conversation, Usopp's expression immediately turned somewhat grim.
Did they have a bit too much fate with the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea?
Then, as if remembering something, he said, "Could it be that the emergency signal earlier was caused by a Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
"We can't rule out that possibility," Nico Robin nodded.
Hearing this, Usopp's expression grew even more troubled.
He really didn't want to encounter a Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea again!
Just then, the giant dragon in the sky opened its mouth, clearly intending to unleash another Dragon Breath on the people below.
Seeing this, Zoro's expression changed.
"We'll deal with the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea later. Right now, our priority is to take care of this guy!" Zoro shouted.
At the same moment he spoke, the dragon in the air spewed flames.
Seeing this, Merry shouted, "Leave it to me!"
"Wind Wall!"
"Hum~"
In the next moment, a massive wind barrier, visible to the naked eye, appeared before everyone, forcefully blocking the terrifyingly powerful flame breath!
"Boom!!"
"Roar?"
The dragon, realizing its attack had been blocked, immediately halted its assault and looked down at the Wind Wall with a puzzled expression, clearly not expecting something below to withstand its attack.
"Well done, Merry!" Usopp exclaimed excitedly.
He hadn't expected Merry's wind to block the opponent's flames... That was truly impressive!
"Hehe~"
Praised, Merry broke into a happy smile and said, "I'm pretty impressive too."
With that, Merry dispelled the Wind Wall above her head, revealing the dragon in the sky once more.
Then, Merry placed her hands on her hips and looked up at the dragon, saying, "See, dragon? Your attacks are useless against me!"
As she spoke, Merry proudly raised her head.
Upon hearing Merry's words, the dragon in the sky immediately fixed its gaze on her, a hint of confusion appearing in its eyes.
It wondered how this tiny creature, not even the size of its tooth, could accomplish such a feat.
Could humans... really do something like this?!
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