"Finally… the Land of Wano."
Hunter gazed at the fluttering flag ahead and sighed. Without Little Sky, it would have been impossible to travel from Amazon Lily to Wano in half a day.
Normally, a pirate ship would take at least half a month to make the same journey, even a Marine warship would take that long.
The sea journey requires considering storms, whirlpools, and other hazards—but Little Sky didn't need to worry about any of that.
"Little Sky, head to the docks."
Hunter had given the Sky Dragon a nickname since its real name was too long. The dragon seemed perfectly content with it.
"Roar!" Little Sky let out a low roar and turned toward the docks.
Though called a country, Wano was essentially a small island, not much larger than Amazon Lily. The difference was that Amazon Lily was stronger.
Soon, Little Sky descended slowly from the air, arriving at Wano's docks.
The Wano docks stretched out flat, lined with ships. Only a dozen or so ships were docked, most of them merchant vessels. But among them, several ships stood out—massive, several times larger than typical ships, their flags waving prominently.
A symbol resembling a hoofprint.
This was the Celestial Dragons' emblem: the "Hoof of the Soaring Dragon."
"Little Sky, go to that ship." Hunter commanded.
The massive dragon lowered its body hundreds of meters, its enormous frame casting a shadow over the docks.
"What… what kind of creature is that?"
"It's a dragon…"
"What is it coming for?"
Those at the dock stared at the sky dragon like a divine being, their faces pale with fear. Some even collapsed to the ground, eyes wide with terror.
"Who is in charge of the Celestial Dragons?"
A voice suddenly echoed from Little Sky's body.
"I am!" A portly, round-faced man on one of the Celestial Dragons' ships shouted.
"Little Sky, go to that ship," Hunter said, pointing at the man.
"Roar!" Little Sky responded, lunging forward and landing on the Celestial Dragon ship in an instant.
The dragon lowered its head, Hunter scanning the surroundings from its crown. His gaze finally settled on the round-faced man.
"Are you the person in charge of the Celestial Dragons?"
"I am the transport leader, Haas." The man's eyes flickered with surprise. He hadn't expected someone so small to control a dragon of such immense size.
Originally, he had imagined a famous, notorious pirate—but the reality was a stark contrast. A hint of disdain crossed Haas's eyes.
Hunter could see it clearly, but his priority was rescuing Boa Hancock.
"Return the three girls you took from the Kuja Pirates a few days ago," Hunter said bluntly.
"So… you're here for the girls?"
Haas's mind was clear. Yes, they had taken the three girls, now locked in the ship's cabin. But there was no way they would hand them over.
"Those girls aren't here. You must be mistaken," Haas said impatiently, refusing to admit anything.
Anything that entered their ship was Celestial Dragon property. How could they surrender it?
Believing the Celestial Dragon name gave him confidence, Haas assumed Hunter wouldn't dare act.
But would that really work?
"Little Sky, kill him." Hunter didn't bother arguing. With so many Celestial Dragon members around, killing one would serve as a warning. He didn't believe the others would continue to resist.
Little Sky obeyed, striking Haas with a single swipe.
BANG.
Haas was obliterated, and red-and-white remnants splattered across the deck.
The crew's faces turned pale in horror. Some cowered, even wetting themselves on the deck. They hadn't expected anyone to dare attack them—after all, they were Celestial Dragons, symbols of the World Nobles.
Even pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions would not dare interfere with them.
"Next one," Hunter said calmly atop Little Sky.
After about three minutes of silence, he grew impatient. "I won't say it again. Who is the Celestial Dragon leader? If none, everyone will join Haas in death."
"I… I'm the vice-captain of this transport," a thin, trembling man stepped forward.
Hunter's gaze fell on him. "Hand over the three Kuja Pirates girls."
"I've already instructed my crew to do so," the thin man said, no longer daring to resist after witnessing Haas's fate.
Hunter smiled. "You're more cooperative than Haas. By the way, do you have any Devil Fruits on your ship?"
"Yes… yes… three Devil Fruits. They were tribute from several countries." The thin man's heart raced, too afraid to lie. He also resented Haas, seeing that Hunter now wanted Devil Fruits in addition to the girls.
Every tribute shipment came with a list. If the items were incorrect, responsibility fell on them. With Haas dead, the blame now rested on him.