The battle raged on, each side matched, but overall, Zenkichi held the advantage.
The air between them crackled with residual energy as they separated once again. The lingering force was terrifying—had it not been contained in this space, even the smallest trace would have been enough to destroy the earth itself.
"You are strong… stronger than I imagined," the dragon man said, his sharp eyes fixed on Zenkichi.
At first, he had believed he was overestimating his opponent. After all, he had personally witnessed Zenkichi defeat the Wolf God, and so he placed him above that level. Yet in truth, no matter how high he set his expectations, the reality still surpassed them. It was only in this direct clash that he finally grasped the depth of Zenkichi's power… how utterly terrifying it was.
"You're strong as well," Zenkichi replied calmly.
Their brief exchange had already proven that this opponent was no ordinary fighter. Zenkichi hadn't been able to dispatch him instantly. On the contrary, the fight had been fierce, exhilarating even.
But this was not the same Zenkichi who had once struggled against the Wolf God.
Now he had inherited Saitama's unmatched strength, his combat power elevated to an entirely different level. The fact that his foe could push him even slightly under these circumstances meant the dragon man's power was considerable. Compared to the Wolf God, his strength was not only greater but perhaps on an entirely different tier.
This opponent was far closer to the realm of the Heavenly Father than the Wolf God had ever been—already standing on the same level as the Ancient One.
What Zenkichi did not know, however, was that the Ancient One herself was already preparing to transcend that realm. She had taken her first steps into the Heavenly Father domain, and in only a few years, she would emerge as a true powerhouse of that level.
"Reveal to me the method of your growth," the dragon man demanded, his tone calculated. "We could study it together."
He had chosen to negotiate, realizing that Zenkichi's strength was not something he could simply crush.
Zenkichi's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. "Let's set aside the fact that such a thing doesn't even exist. Even if it did, why should I hand it over to you?"
To him, the demand was laughable. No matter how powerful the dragon man was, only a fool would willingly surrender their greatest secret.
"It's not up to you!" the dragon man snapped, his voice edged with fury.
He had thought his concession would be understood, perhaps even respected. Instead, Zenkichi's rejection felt like mockery. Stepping forward, his body began to blaze with power as he unleashed his full strength.
He wanted to fight again.
And truly, it was inevitable. For countless years he had stagnated in this realm, unable to push further. Now, before him stood someone who had ascended in an impossibly short time, mastering strength on par with his own. How could he not covet that? How could he not hunger for it?
"Do you know why I chose this beach as our battlefield?" the dragon man asked, his voice rumbling with growing menace. "Because here, close to the ocean, my strength increases by fifty percent. After all, I am a dragon. Now, witness my true form!"
In an instant, his body began to shift. His human shell shattered away as scales rippled across his skin. His frame stretched upward, expanding from just under two meters to well over a hundred.
Before Zenkichi loomed the legendary beast of the West—an immense, majestic dragon, a living catastrophe in the shape of a colossal beast.
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