"Huff..."
"Huff..."
"!!!"
Kaya was completely drained.
The whole 'battle' lasted a full two hours.
The first ten minutes of warm-up shattered her defenses instantly, and when Jin said, "You're bleeding," she completely collapsed.
After that… she was totally conquered!
"Kaya."
"The Straw Hats came back to bother me again. Once we drive them off, we'll set sail immediately."
As he spoke, Jin couldn't help being shocked by his own ability entries — [Speed Burst] and [Sit-Ups] made him practically invincible!
"..."
Kaya looked at Jin with dazed eyes and gave a weak nod.
She was honestly a little afraid of him now — he was terrifying.
Just a while ago, he was moving so fast he was practically leaving afterimages, and even now she still felt like she was a machine gun — going off nonstop.
She didn't say much.
Under the ridiculous effects of [Sit-Ups], she didn't even dare look Jin in the eye.
After resting for a bit, she prepared to follow him to meet the Straw Hats.
However...
"Jin, what are you doing... Kyaa!!!"
Shortcut — through the window!
...
ROAR—!!!
Under the midday sun,
With sweltering heat in the air, a deafening beastly roar echoed across the island.
Jin, with Kaya clinging to his back, suddenly began to grow rapidly before everyone's eyes.
Wings sprouted, scales and dorsal spines lined his back.
In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a divine beast that blotted out the sun — Yinglong!
If he was going to drive someone off, he might as well go big.
Jin ignored the dumbfounded Straw Hats below.
His dragon scales bristled, and destructive lightning storms surged around him! The sea roared, waves rose a thousand meters high! Flames filled the sky, strange fire that looked like it could scorch the world!
Reverse Scale Divine Punishment! Rivers Return to the Sea! Solar Blaze!
He was now fully in control of Yinglong form's three-element attacks.
"Ahhh… what is that!?"
"Jin! That's Jin's aura!"
"Nani!? That guy's actually a monster!?"
In an instant, the entire Straw Hat crew was stunned. Even the villagers of Syrup Village screamed and ran in terror.
In the sky above,
The enormous Yinglong stood on clouds, looking down coldly at the Straw Hats.
"Oi oi! You're telling me that's Jin!? Stop joking!" Usopp shouted, his face turning red with fear, his legs trembling at the giant beast.
"Daaamn!" Luffy's eyes widened with excitement. "I'm sure of it — that's Jin!"
"OIOIOI, this is way too dangerous," Zoro instinctively gripped his swords, watching Jin warily.
Nami stood frozen, mouth open wide.
Her eyes were filled with shock, cold sweat pouring down her back.
She couldn't believe it — the warm, gentle boy she'd just met was actually such a terrifying monster!
But the next moment, her gaze lit up.
"If it's him, then maybe the Arlong situation in Cocoyasi Village…"
But as soon as she thought that, a violent image flashed through her mind, and her eyes dimmed. She muttered, "No, it's impossible. Those people can't be beaten by sheer size or spectacle alone."
Luffy yelled for Jin, Zoro looked grim, and Usopp kept hiding further back.
Meanwhile, in the air,
Kaya clung tightly to Jin's neck, terrified, hugging his head.
"Don't, Jin! You'll destroy the whole village — please stop!"
Hearing her, Jin halted immediately and retracted his powers, reverting to human form.
Golden light veiled the sky as his wings unfurled, silver hair blowing in the wind.
His wings gently flapped, keeping him and Kaya floating mid-air.
Even as a god-slaying mythical beast, under the sunlight, he looked almost peaceful.
"You little dummy."
Jin smiled, pulling Kaya into his arms, giving her a light kiss on the lips. "I just wanted to scare them. Who said anything about destroying the village?"
Kaya blushed from the kiss and softly hugged his neck. "I was just afraid you'd lose control… You were so scary just now."
"It's okay." Jin cradled her firmly and looked down. "If we're going to set sail, we still need a navigator. And conveniently, one's right here."
"When I drag her onto the ship, make sure you two get along."
With those words, Jin descended from the sky, holding Kaya steadily in his arms.
Before the Straw Hats could react, an overwhelming aura burst from Jin.
In an instant, red-black lightning filled the air!
Invisible pressure spread across the entire island — Conqueror's Haki!
"Thud! Thud!"
All the fleeing villagers dropped to the ground. Usopp rolled over, fainted, eyes white.
The sudden shift stunned everyone.
"Usopp!!"
Luffy shouted.
"That was just his aura!? Is he even human?" Zoro gritted his teeth, gripping his sword even tighter.
Nami clutched her mouth in disbelief, watching Jin calmly approach.
It was still that face that could mesmerize the world… but now, it felt completely unfamiliar.
Come to think of it — no one had ever figured out how strong he really was.
"They're still conscious? These two have strong willpower."
Nami hadn't passed out because Jin intentionally spared her, but Zoro and Luffy — yeah, they were tough.
Tch. As expected of the main characters.
Tap, tap, tap...
Wherever Jin walked, the ground cracked like spiderwebs.
The pressure grew stronger as he neared — Zoro and Luffy's minds blanked out, and they collapsed to their knees.
"Luffy. No offense, but you might need to find a new navigator..."
Jin walked past him with a faint smile and headed for the orange-haired girl.
"Hey! I haven't agreed to let you leave the crew!"
Luffy, still kneeling, grabbed Jin's wrist and suddenly shouted:
"Jin, you're my crewmate..."
"Without you, I can't become the Pirate King!!"
Jin: "..."
[End of Chapter]