Seeing the majestic Slifer the Sky Dragon before him, Hunter was overwhelmed with excitement. With such a mighty being at his side, survival no longer seemed like an issue.
Hunter signaled for the dragon to lower its head. Slifer obediently dipped down, allowing Hunter to climb onto its massive crown and settle onto its back, gripping tightly for support.
With his dragon summoned, Hunter's next priority was to leave and scout the area. Up until now, he still had no idea where exactly he was—only that he had landed somewhere in the world of One Piece.
Just as Hunter prepared to set off, a black speck appeared in the distance. Before long, a giant bird with the appearance of an eagle flapped toward him.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
The bird's cries betrayed its fear—an instinctive dread at the sight of Slifer.
Hunter's eyes lit up. This was the very beast that had captured him and dumped him in that nest. He hadn't even planned to hunt it down, but since it came knocking… all the better.
"Slifer, summon a Thunder Blast. Kill it." Hunter commanded coldly.
The dragon let out a deep roar, its lower jaw parting slightly. A pale sphere crackling with lightning condensed in an instant.
With a boom, the Thunder Blast shot forth, streaking through the air before slamming into the bird.
BOOM!
The explosion shattered the beast to pieces.
"ROOOAR!" Slifer bellowed triumphantly, its voice reverberating across the entire island.
Hunter winced, covering his ears and patting the dragon's scales. "Alright, alright—I get it, you're strong. No need to scream my ears off."
Meanwhile, not far away in the forest, a group of women dressed in Amazon Lily's traditional battle garb stiffened at the sound of the dragon's roar.
"Captain, the sound came from the east," a young warrior reported to the older woman leading them.
The captain inhaled deeply, her gaze fixed in the direction of the disturbance. "Let's go investigate."
"Yes!"
The group swiftly regrouped and dashed into the eastern woods.
Ten minutes later, they halted in stunned silence as a colossal serpentine form coiled across the sky.
"Captain… what is that thing?" one of the younger warriors stammered.
The captain's expression stiffened, her voice trembling as she replied uncertainly: "It should be… a dragon."
"Dragon?!"
The others gasped, their faces pale as they gazed in awe and fear at the towering beast above.
Dragons were universally recognized as symbols of overwhelming strength. Even the serpents entwined around the warriors' bodies cowered, lowering their heads instinctively. The bloodline pressure radiating from Slifer made them tremble in fear.
"ROOOAR." Slifer rumbled lowly to Hunter.
Hunter followed the dragon's gaze and spotted movement below. His heart leapt. People! Finally, I thought this place was deserted.
"Take us down," Hunter ordered.
The dragon glided lower, wings beating steadily as it descended toward the Amazon Lily warriors.
"Captain, it's coming this way!" a girl of fifteen or sixteen whispered, her voice shaking.
"Stay calm," the captain ordered, though her trembling betrayed her own fear.
Slifer landed with a thunderous crash, lowering its head slightly. Perched atop its crown, Hunter looked down at the startled women.
"Excuse me," Hunter called out. "Can you tell me where I am?"
The captain froze. She had assumed this fearsome dragon was a wild, unclaimed beast. After all, who could possibly tame such a monster? But no—the truth was even more shocking. It had a master. And that master… was just a boy barely in his teens.
What kind of person is this child, to subdue such a creature?
Hunter furrowed his brows slightly at their silence. Clearly, Slifer's presence had rattled them.
"I asked—where am I?" he repeated.
The captain jolted back to her senses. "This… this is Amazon Lily."
"Amazon Lily, huh?" Hunter rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He remembered enough to know this was a land that did not welcome men.
Sure enough, the captain quickly regained her composure, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Who are you? Amazon Lily does not welcome men."
Hunter scratched his head awkwardly. "If I said I just fell out of the sky, would you believe me?"
The captain's wariness didn't waver. Instead, she pressed further. "Then why are you here? What is your purpose?"
Hunter spread his hands helplessly. "No purpose at all."
"You expect us to believe that?" the captain shot back coldly. With a dragon at his side, how could he possibly claim to have no ulterior motives?
Hunter smirked faintly. "If I had bad intentions, do you really think you'd still be standing here talking to me?"
It wasn't arrogance—it was simply fact. These warriors weren't weak, but against Slifer, even a single Thunder Blast would annihilate them.
The authority of a sky-ruling dragon was not something to be questioned.