"Is this... Kaido's power?"
The dragon spoke in a human tongue, its voice booming like rolling thunder.
Crocodile could clearly feel the change.
Not only had he gained the Mythical Zoan ability, but his hidden injuries had completely healed.
The stump of his severed arm tingled with numbness—a sensation of cells rapidly regenerating and revitalizing.
Moreover, he could use the Azure Dragon's abilities instinctively, without any need for training.
The muscle memory was already there.
He threw his head back and let out a roar.
"Blast Breath!"
A beam of searing heat erupted from his maw. The pillar of fire instantly obliterated a distant mountain peak, turning rock into molten slag in a heartbeat.
Then, taking a deep breath, bluish-green energy gathered in his throat as streams of white airflow formed around his torso.
"Demolition Gust!"
Countless sharp wind blades shot from his mouth, shredding the ground into fragments.
The entire island trembled violently under his rampage, the few remaining peaks collapsing one after another under the relentless assault.
The yellow Sand Dragon weaved through the dust and smoke.
At times, he solidified to crash into the ground with the weight of a beast; other times, he dissolved into flowing sand to evade debris.
Crocodile was attempting to merge Kaido's fruit ability with his own Sand-Sand Fruit.
His body continuously transformed under the interplay of the two powers.
The sand-yellow dragon scales blended with the texture of flowing grit, creating an entirely new existence.
Power swelled within him endlessly.
Each breath was accompanied by intense energy fluctuations, and each swipe of his claws seemed capable of tearing the earth asunder.
"This power... is overwhelmingly strong!"
Crocodile's voice carried a note of genuine astonishment; he had never imagined he could possess such formidable physical strength.
His eyes sparkled with fanaticism and excitement, as if he could already see himself standing atop the world.
"Seems you've got good luck." Ron stood in a safe area, looking up at the writhing dragon in the sky.
"Succeeded on the first try."
Crocodile transformed back into human form and landed.
His golden hook remained—it hadn't regrown a new arm despite the Mythical Zoan enchantment—but the fatigue of his years was gone.
He curled his lips into a satisfied smile. "This overwhelming sense of power... it is simply magnificent."
"Hahahaha! Now this is exhilarating!"
Bullet's entire body boiled with fighting spirit.
Watching Crocodile, who had also successfully enchanted himself, his eyes blazed with intense battle fervor.
"Crocodile!" Bullet roared, his arm turning into magma once again as he swung it violently. "Come fight me! Let me see what your new abilities are really made of!"
Crocodile transformed back into a Dragon and flew up into the air.
The yellow Sand Dragon's whiskers trembled slightly as a deep voice emerged from his maw.
"Let's get one thing straight first—no Haki allowed."
He had to set the rules upfront.
His mastery of Haki was, admittedly, far inferior to that of a battle maniac like Bullet.
But Bullet clearly disagreed.
"Bullshit!" Bullet bellowed angrily, his entire body instantly coating in Armament Haki. "What kind of spar is it without Haki? I'm using it whether you like it or not!"
Before his words faded, the ground beneath his feet exploded.
He shot into the sky like a cannonball, his magma fist wrapped in blue-purple Haki, aimed straight at the Dragon's abdomen.
"This madman!"
Crocodile cursed under his breath, his Dragon body instantly turning into sand.
Bullet's fist passed through the intangible belly, only stirring up a cloud of flying dust.
"I'm not playing your game." The Dragon stepped on flame clouds, flying higher to create distance.
But how could Bullet let him off so easily?
"Meteor Volcano!"
His figure traced a blazing trajectory through the air. His feet turned into magma jets, propelling him like a massive molten rocket straight toward the Dragon.
He continuously adjusted his angle and direction mid-air, flexibly tracking his target.
"Stop running! If you're a man, fight me head-on!" Bullet laughed maniacally.
His fists rained down like a storm, each blow carrying immense power and Haki, tearing through the very sky.
Forced into a corner, Crocodile had no choice but to turn and fight!
BOOM!
The Dragon swung its tail, colliding violently with the magma fist.
A shockwave exploded in the air, distorting the surrounding atmosphere with its tremendous force.
But soon, Crocodile found himself at a disadvantage.
Bullet seized an opening.
His Haki-wrapped heavy punch landed squarely on the Dragon's face, sending the massive creature crashing down to the ground from mid-air.
As the dust settled, Crocodile reverted to his human form.
His face was bruised and swollen, yet he seemed completely unfazed.
Surprisingly, the bruises faded at a visible rate, returning to normal within just a few breaths.
Crocodile touched his cheek, a flash of pleasant surprise in his eyes.
"Interesting..." he murmured to himself, a hint of excitement in his voice.
This was the terrifying regenerative power of the Mythical Zoan!
Had it been before, taking so many heavy punches from Bullet would have long since knocked him unconscious.
But now, he felt an endless stream of vitality within him, as if his stamina would never run dry.
"Hahahaha!" Crocodile suddenly burst into loud laughter, his golden hook gleaming under the sunlight. "Bullet, though I may not match you in brute strength, when it comes to endurance, you're no match for me!"
With that, he charged forward proactively.
The dragon claw clashed once more with the magma fist.
The two fought from the sky to the ground, turning the entire battlefield upside down.
The earth trembled, rocks shattered, and the air was filled with a scorching heat.
Yet, both tacitly held back their full lethal force, avoiding large-scale destruction. It was more about familiarizing themselves with their newly acquired abilities than a life-and-death struggle.
With each exchange, they tried to find the other's weaknesses while continuously adapting to their own newfound power.
"Come on! Don't just talk the talk!" Bullet's magma arm swung fiercely, sending a massive magma pillar rushing toward Crocodile.
Crocodile nimbly dodged the attack while spewing a scorching Blast Breath from his mouth, attempting to suppress Bullet's assault.
"Haha, that move won't work on me!" Bullet roared, his body transforming into a stream of magma, chasing relentlessly.
A gleam of excitement flashed in Bullet's eyes.
"Then try this!" Crocodile's voice echoed through the air as his body instantly transformed into a flowing Sand Dragon.
With a fierce swipe of his dragon claw, sharp wind blades burst from his mouth, slicing the ground into fragments.
The two continued to clash in the air, each collision accompanied by powerful energy fluctuations, celebrating their rebirth as true monsters of the World.