Roya flapped his wings desperately, the strong wind pushing him forward with all its might, as his speed pushed past its limits.
There was no other way but to break through his limits, as Marcus Mars, one of the Five Elder Stars, was right behind him.
How could he, of all people, be worthy of having one of the Five Elders personally come after him?
Weren't there still plenty of monsters left on the island?
What Roya didn't realize was that even for the Five Elder Stars—figures standing at the top of the world—the Natural Mercury Fruit and the Demonic Sword, Sea of Blood, one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords, were priceless treasures.
Besides, wasn't this just about dealing with a little brat? How long could that take?
As he flew forward, Roya glanced back.
No, his speed still wasn't enough—the distance was closing fast!
How could that giant bird move so fast despite its massive size?
Was that even reasonable?
No! He had to think of something.
Roya turned his gaze toward the distant coast.
He could already see it. If he reached the sea, he could escape!
The problem was—how to buy himself enough time!
Behind him, the strange bird opened its beak wide, a fiery glow building in its throat.
But Roya suddenly twisted around mid-flight.
"You're trying to breathe fire, huh?"
Boom!!
Flames exploded inside the monstrous bird's mouth, the blast backfiring. In an instant, the raging fire engulfed Marcus Mars, turning him into a blazing fireball.
"Ha!"
Roya smirked, brimming with confidence, and sped ahead without hesitation.
As long as there was an environment to exploit, he could create disasters at will!
The next instant, the fireball burst apart. The strange bird emerged, its body now wreathed in invisible waves of energy, and continued its pursuit.
"Advanced Armament Haki?"
Roya gritted his teeth.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy to stop a monster like this.
"Brat!"
The strange bird didn't breathe fire again. This time, something far more terrifying washed over him.
Conqueror's Haki!
And not just any Haki—it was far stronger than Kaido's!
The overwhelming pressure made Roya's body tremble violently.
"Roar!!"
Roya bellowed with all his strength.
From deep within, a terrifying tiger's roar erupted, shaking the air. The sound waves merged with his own Conqueror's Haki, forming a unique, forceful shockwave.
If anything, it resembled the strange, maddened shrieks Aunt Linlin would unleash when enraged. The fusion of his roar with Haki produced an effect far greater than either alone.
But it was still nowhere near enough to counter the sheer force of a Five Elder's Haki.
All Roya could do was endure under Marcus Mars' crushing will.
But it was enough!
The Five Elder's Conqueror's Haki couldn't halt Roya's flight.
"Haki of a Conqueror?"
Marcus Mars was slightly surprised.
This kid was only seven years old!
If he truly grew up, could he become another Rocks?
"Die!"
The strange bird roared, releasing its next attack.
This time, what came out wasn't fire but an invisible shockwave, black lightning crackling around it!
Roya's instincts screamed—he was about to die.
Damn! An advanced Haki shockwave!
Even without contact, this attack would tear his body apart!
He twisted violently, narrowly avoiding the deadly blast. The turbulent wind from his movement propelled him even faster.
In a flash, Roya narrowly skimmed past the shockwave.
"Whoa!"
The Black Tiger form bared its fangs. "My tail!"
Half of his tail had been torn clean off.
Roya instantly realized that simply trying to run wouldn't work.
If he kept dodging like this, the bird would catch him sooner or later!
Just like now—because of that split-second dodge, the distance had shrunk to barely two hundred meters!
He had to fight back!
Take the initiative!
As he sped forward, Roya inhaled sharply.
Massive amounts of dark energy, invisible to ordinary eyes, flooded into his body like a raging whirlpool.
It wouldn't make him instantly stronger, but the surge of dark energy still brought a noticeable boost.
For one thing, his torn tail began regenerating rapidly. It wasn't on the level of the Five Elders' immortality, but the healing was impressive.
Then—
"Come on! Storm!"
A howling gale erupted, engulfing Marcus Mars. Razor-sharp wind blades slashed at the massive bird, slowing its advance.
"Thunder!"
Dark storm clouds gathered overhead, and lightning bolts rained down, striking Marcus without mercy.
"Meteorite!!"
The storm clouds shattered, and colossal meteorites—each over ten meters wide—fell one after another.
Roya gasped for breath as he maintained his assault.
If he stopped for even a moment, the strain of overusing his abilities would tear him apart.
But as long as he breathed in enough dark energy, his stamina seemed endless.
"What's with this kid's powers?"
Marcus Mars' feathers had turned pitch-black, his overwhelming Haki shielding him from the storm of blades and lightning.
The elder frowned. The powers of the Azure Dragon Fruit weren't this versatile, were they?
But the more troublesome this brat was, the less they could let him escape!
The bird's massive frame moved with frightening agility, weaving between falling meteorites.
But then—
"Volcano!"
Roya shouted.
Boom!!
The surfaces of the falling meteorites suddenly cracked open, spewing molten magma in all directions.
Caught off guard, Marcus Mars was splattered directly.
"Urgh!"
The force of the volcanic eruptions, combined with the searing magma, made even the mighty elder groan in pain.
Then—BANG!
One meteorite smashed into the strange bird's back, the impact slamming it down.
Roya didn't miss the chance—he bolted at full speed.
Almost there!
The sea was so close now!
"Hmm?"
Roya, who had been glancing back, froze.
The strange bird was no longer behind him.
Did it give up?
Boom!!
A deafening roar came from the shoreline ahead.
Roya's eyes widened.
A massive magic circle had formed on the coast, thick smoke billowing up.
It teleported ahead of me?!
How dirty!
But teleportation took time, didn't it?
Too bad, old man—I win!
Roya dropped altitude, charging straight at the magic circle.
"Collapse!"
The ground at the shore caved in, and the area with the magic circle crumbled into a deep pit.
Just as Roya arrived, a distorted shadow emerged from the circle.
"You're in trouble now, Elder!"
Roya grinned. "How about a bath?"
Boom!
The cliffside collapsed, seawater rushing into the pit.
The moment Marcus opened his eyes, he found himself submerged.
Damn brat!
The magic circle fizzled out instantly, the shadow vanishing.
"What a shame."
Roya clicked his tongue.
He almost earned the achievement of killing a Five Elder alone.
Looking back—
The strange bird flapped its wings again, soaring upward.
But it was too late.
"Goodbye, Five Elder Stars!"
Roya smirked and dove into the sea without hesitation.
Splash!
Waves surged as he disappeared beneath the water.
By the time the strange bird arrived, the sea was calm again. Roya was nowhere to be seen.
"What's that kid planning?"
Marcus Mars frowned.
He didn't believe the boy had drowned.
Was someone waiting to pick him up?
Troublesome brat. He had escaped—with both the cursed fruit and the legendary sword.
Under the sea—
Roya blew bubbles leisurely.
The current carried him swiftly.
And since he wasn't a Devil Fruit user, he could swim!
This time… he had finally escaped!
*Be sure to send powerstones and add this book to your Library.*