Roar~
A resounding dragon's cry seemed to echo through the heavens, reverberating across the sky.
Having consumed the high-quality Heat Breath of the Azure Dragon, Luo Xia, overflowing with immense power, took the initiative to attack.
Whoosh~
Flames erupted from the palms of his hands, growing increasingly violent and generating powerful propulsion that sent Luo Xia soaring into the sky in an instant.
Unlike Dragon Slayer Magic attuned to the sky or lightning, Fire Dragon Slayer Magic did not inherently possess flight capabilities—but that didn't mean it was entirely impossible.
In the world of Fairy Tail, the Fire Dragon Slayer Wizard Natsu often relied on the assistance of the little blue cat Happy to fly.
Luo Xia had no cat, so he had to develop and master flight on his own.
First, he needed to construct a vivid mental image—rocket ignition, Iron Man's Mark armor taking off, or even the Tenth Generation Vongola Boss Sawada Tsunayoshi from the world of Hitman Reborn. After years of training, Luo Xia had mastered the ability to accelerate and fly using flame propulsion.
In just a few breaths, Luo Xia rocketed hundreds of meters into the sky with his flame-powered acceleration, closing the distance to the stunned Azure Dragon. Excess flames surged from his body, forming a pair of nearly solid Flame Dragon Wings behind him.
Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!!!
With a dive, Luo Xia slammed his blazing dragon wings into the massive body of Azure Dragon Kaido. Scorching flames instantly engulfed the dragon's entire form, as if setting it ablaze. Even the "Strongest Creature on Land, Sea, and Air" couldn't help but shriek in pain as his hundreds-of-meters-long draconic body writhed, stirring the winds and clouds.
But it didn't end there.
Luo Xia leaped onto the dragon's back, his flame-wreathed fists raining down like a storm.
Crimson Lotus Fire Dragon Fist!!!
Ora ora ora ora~
Every punch carried Luo Xia's full strength, enough to split mountains and crack the earth.
Coupled with the violent fire element infused into his strikes, even the Azure Dragon's scales couldn't withstand the relentless barrage.
Crack!
Boom!
Scales harder than steel were shattered and pierced by Luo Xia's fists.
Before the dragon's blood could splatter far, it was instantly vaporized by the intense heat of the flames, leaving behind the faint scent of roasted dragon meat.
The previous two burns had only made Kaido feel scalded, causing no real damage. But now, Luo Xia had shattered the dragon's scales, delivering direct flame-infused strikes to the flesh beneath—inflicting true damage.
The colossal Azure Dragon thrashed wildly, trying to shake Luo Xia off, but it was futile. Clinging to him like a stubborn plaster, Luo Xia shattered scale after scale, searing the flesh beneath.
Finally—
BOOM!!!
With an earth-shaking crash, the Azure Dragon plummeted from the sky, smashing into the forest below and kicking up a massive dust cloud.
Luo Xia's assault didn't stop. He threw another punch—only to hit empty air this time, his flaming fist slamming into the ground instead.
"Urororororo~"
From within the swirling dust dozens of meters away came a deep, rumbling laugh.
The hundreds-of-meters-long Azure Dragon had vanished.
In its place stood a towering figure, seven meters tall.
Wild, scorched hair draped over his shoulders, with a pair of exaggeratedly long horns protruding from either side of his head. His beard, resembling dragon whiskers, hung down to his waist.
Clad in a purple fur-lined cape, a sacred rope tied around his waist, his bare right abdomen bore an X-shaped scar. His front and back were both marked with burn scars.
The Strongest Creature on Land, Sea, and Air—Beast Kaido… Human Form!!!
Compared to the overwhelming size of his dragon form, Kaido's human form was relatively… petite.
However, Luo Xia wouldn't let his guard down even slightly. His nerves were stretched taut, his focus razor-sharp.
Kaido in his human form was ten times more dangerous than his dragon form.
As everyone knew, Kaido's dragon form was also known as his "punching bag mode"—beaten by Gear Fourth Luffy, slashed by the Nine Red Scabbards, pummeled by the Worst Generation...
But when Kaido shed his draconic body and returned to human form, the situation changed instantly. Even someone as strong as the Fifth Emperor, 1.5 billion berry Luffy in Gear Fourth, had his kingly ambitions crushed with a single swing of the club.
With Luffy's precedent, Luo Xia naturally had no intention of following in his footsteps.
Kaido's Spiked Club Eight Precepts struck the ground with a dull thud.
"Wororororo! A Dragon Slayer Wizard, huh? Without even Armament Haki, just brute strength and flames alone managed to make me feel pain. You've got some skill, you little native brat," Kaido grinned, acknowledging Luo Xia's strength.
"You've been calling me 'little native brat' this whole time. I'm the master of this island. Underestimate me, and I'll kill you!"
If this had been ten years ago when he first arrived, Luo Xia would've probably collapsed in terror at the mere sight of the Azure Dragon, unable to speak. But now was different.
Even facing one of the strongest beings at the pinnacle of this world's power hierarchy, Luo Xia showed not an ounce of fear. He countered with unyielding defiance, his entire being radiating a wild, untamed aura.
"Wororororo! What a cocky bastard. I'm starting to like you more and more," Kaido rumbled with laughter.
"I like you too," Luo Xia grinned back.
Dragon Slayer Magic was born to oppose dragons.
As a Dragon Slayer Wizard, one of Luo Xia's self-imposed goals was to slay a dragon.
In this world, the only known dragon was Kaido. Luo Xia wanted to test himself.
At the same time, he wanted to see where he stood in the hierarchy of the pirate world after ten years of mastering Fire Dragon Slayer Magic.
If he succeeded in slaying Kaido, he'd be at the absolute peak—the first tier. In this pirate world, he'd never have to "eat beef" again.
Even if he failed, as long as he could hold his own briefly and survive against an Emperor, that would still place him near the top of the second tier.
As long as he wasn't instantly one-shot by that club, Luo Xia could accept any outcome.
"Wororororo! You ready? The real fight starts now!" Kaido moved.
Crackle—
Black-red lightning erupted from his body, coiling around the pitch-black spiked club.
Kaido tightened his grip on Eight Precepts, veins bulging along his arm as explosive power surged through his body, concentrating in his right arm.
"Here it comes!!!"
Luo Xia's expression turned grave. Every muscle in his body tensed instantly, his eyes locked unblinkingly on Kaido.
Whoosh!
Kaido's massive frame vanished from dozens of meters away, the ground shattering beneath him.
In the next instant, he was right in front of Luo Xia.
THUNDER... BAGUA!!!
The Spiked Club Eight Precepts, wreathed in Conqueror's Haki lightning, loomed larger and larger in Luo Xia's vision.
The very atmosphere groaned under the overwhelming force of this strike, scattering and fleeing in all directions.
The weight behind this swing could easily obliterate a mountain.
Its speed surpassed what human eyes could perceive.
By the time you saw it, it was already too late to dodge.
Before Kaido of the Beasts could land this strike, his animal instincts moved faster than thought, flipping him mid-air.
In that split second, Luo Xia and Kaido crossed paths.
Drip~
Drip~
Crimson blood trailed down Luo Xia's forehead, sliding along his cheek before finally dripping to the ground.