"Fellow Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit users, both of the rare flying type," King mused. "I wonder which is stronger: your Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle, or my Pteranodon?"
King was the user of the Pteranodon fruit, while Little Oars Jr. was the user of the Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle fruit. One was a dragon, the other a prehistoric beast that preyed on dragons. They were natural enemies since ancient times, a primal killing intent ingrained in their very bones. Now that they had met, a victor had to be decided.
Aboard the Giant, Little Oars Jr. stood on the deck with more than a dozen other giants, looking down at the island below. Every one of them wore a grim, solemn expression.
"The blood of Riki, Sam, and the others will not have been shed in vain," Oars's deep voice rumbled, laced with a potent killing intent. "We must take back the territory that is rightfully ours."
"Don't worry, Captain. The Giant Corps will be invincible," Dorry said, gripping his massive sword with an air of complete confidence.
"Captain, someone's coming up," Brogy said suddenly.
Oars leaned over the railing. A massive, black pteranodon was shooting up from the ground, its wings wreathed in flames. It was incredibly fast and ferocious.
"The Beasts Pirates' top All-Star, King the Wildfire," Oars said, his expression hardening. "Good. Let's see just how powerful your Ancient Zoan Pteranodon fruit really is." He leaped from the warship, his body instantly transforming into a massive, brown-black Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle as he dove.
The two behemoths collided in mid-air. A deafening crash echoed across the sky, and a massive, circular shockwave of wind blasted outwards. Black lightning crackled between the two giant beasts.
They broke apart for a moment before charging at each other again, eagle talons and dragon claws clashing wildly. The black lightning grew even more frenzied as they chased and struck at each other across the sky.
BOOM!
The black pteranodon was suddenly knocked downwards, crashing into the earth like a black fireball. A hundred-meter section of the ground instantly exploded, the powerful impact obliterating the forest and buildings below.
The Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle immediately dove after it, shooting like a bolt of lightning into the newly formed crater. The impact widened the crater again, shattering the earth three or four more times in quick succession and doubling or tripling its size.
At the bottom of the pit, the Pteranodon's claws were clamped firmly around the Giant Eagle's beak, preventing the sharp tip from piercing its body.
The Pteranodon immediately struck with its own sharp beak, aiming for the Giant Eagle's eye. Oars managed to shut his eye just in time, coating it with Armament Haki, but the beak still pierced through, and blood began to flow.
Not to be outdone, Oars thrust his talons downwards, striking King's abdomen. The Armament Haki on King's stomach began to crack under the immense pressure.
With a loud roar, King pushed Oars away. Oars spun in the air before immediately diving back down for another attack.
Another violent collision sent King tumbling across the ground, crashing through all the buildings in his path.
King climbed out of the rubble, shifting from his full beast form to his hybrid form. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
"The bloodline of a Majin combined with an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit... truly domineering."
In a contest of pure strength, King was at a complete disadvantage.
He immediately decided against another head-on clash and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. A brutal, ferocious aura erupted from the scabbard as he drew the blade and slashed at the incoming Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle, knocking it back.
Oars was sent sliding across the ground, crashing through everything in his path and clearing a large area.
His body also changed, shifting into his hybrid form.
"Captain, catch!" A giant broadsword fell from the sky. Oars caught it, and the blade instantly grew searing hot, radiating a terrifying heat.
Oars's face was impassive, his cold eyes fixed on King.
"Leave this island, or I will cut you down."
King's eyes narrowed, a sharp glint within them. He was one of the strongest fighters in the New World. Besides the Emperors themselves, no one had ever dared to speak to him like that.
"Majin Oars, you're not worthy of killing me. If you want this island, let's see if you have what it takes," King said, flames erupting along his own longsword as a savage, sharp intent shot forth.
He was not only an Ancient Zoan user but also a powerful master swordsman.
"Then let's fight," Oars snarled, striding forward. The giant, superheated blade in his hand ignited as it cut through the air, the slash so powerful it seemed to shatter the very atmosphere.
King met the attack with his own swift slash. The two blades collided with a deafening, ear-splitting shriek that rattled the brain. A shockwave of fire and force blasted outwards.
"Such strength!" King's expression changed. The ground beneath his feet was being crushed by the immense pressure.
He vanished in an instant. The giant, flaming sword slammed into the ground, carving a massive trench dozens of meters long.
Oars's expression changed. He suddenly looked up at a spot in the sky where King had reappeared in a flash. A slash of flaming sword energy shot down, aimed at Oars's head.
Oars threw a punch, his giant fist coated in Armament Haki, and blew the flaming slash apart.
The next moment, King was upon him, his sword slashing down on Oars's fist. The terrifying blow shattered his Armament Haki, knocking him back. Blood sprayed from his fist, only to be instantly vaporized by the flames.
Oars swung his own sword with his right hand, but King dodged it with a flash of movement.
A deep, searing gash was left on Oars's left fist.
"Your strength is impressive, but your massive size makes you slow. That is your fatal weakness," King said, landing on the ground with a taunting voice.
"That's why I don't plan on having a sword fight with you," Oars said. He stabbed his giant sword into the ground and charged at King, transforming back into the Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle as he ran. With a powerful beat of his massive wings, he kicked up a storm of dust and sand, his huge, black talons reaching for King.
King immediately slashed at the talons. Sparks flew, and black lightning erupted, expanding to fill a space dozens of meters wide.
The sheer force of the blow knocked King back.
Oars knew that his large size and slow speed were his greatest weaknesses. Against a top-tier opponent, he could easily be worn down. But in his full Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle form, his speed increased exponentially, compensating for that weakness.
"A troublesome opponent," King said, his expression grave.
Oars charged again. King unleashed a dense barrage of flaming sword slashes. Oars beat his wings, creating a storm that buffeted the flaming slashes, and then tore through the rest with his talons.
The two of them fought with a wild frenzy, every clash creating a world-shaking storm.
"King the Wildfire is not an easy opponent," Dorry said in a low voice. "We need to quickly deal with the rest of the Beasts Pirates and then go support the captain."
"Right!" Brogy nodded. The giant warship descended toward the ground. Dorry and Brogy led the way, leaping from the ship. More than a dozen giants landed on the island and charged into the town.