Amidst the billowing dust, a figure gradually emerged.
Normally, to avoid misunderstandings, Damon only covered part of his body with dragon scales. Now, using the pirate Dragon Ash as a cover, he had no such worries. His entire body was covered with blue dragon scales, with layers of scales the size of an adult's thumb forming a suit of armor, possessing considerable defensive power.
Aside from lacking dragon horns on his head and dragon wings on his back, Damon looked like a half-dragon.
Standing on the ground covered with gravel and pebbles, Damon suddenly raised his head, his black hair dancing wildly behind him, and a slightly provocative voice reached Admiral Borsalino's ears.
"That's it?"
Damon had prepared himself for a severe injury, but he never expected that the damage was less than he had anticipated.
This was partly because Damon possessed triple protection from Armament Haki, dragon scales, and dragon roar, and partly because Admiral Borsalino was proficient in Devil Fruit abilities but had no time to spend too much time on physical training.
Chief Instructor Zephyr once commented on Admiral Borsalino, saying that he relied too much on his Devil Fruit ability.
Clearly, Chief Instructor Zephyr's comment was accurate.
Of course, this was not the fault of Admiral Borsalino.
After all, once Admiral Borsalino truly mastered the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit, enabling him to freely turn at the speed of light and fight using light-speed movement, his combat power would leap to the top of the world.
Unfortunately, humanity had its limits.
Human eyes and thinking abilities were simply unable to keep up with the speed of light.
When a person traveled at the speed of light, their mind experienced a brief period of stagnation, rendering them unable to think.
This was why Admiral Borsalino deliberately revealed himself before launching a close-range attack.
Those familiar with Kaido of the Beasts knew that he once consumed a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, possessing the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Azure Dragon form. He was normally in human form, but when he used his Devil Fruit ability, he had both a beast form and a dragon form.
When Kaido of the Beasts maintained his monstrous form, his entire body was covered in dragon scales.
Although the dragon scales on Damon's body were of a different color, what coincidence could there be in this world?
When coincidences happened too often, they ceased to be coincidences and became inevitable.
"As expected, this person must have some deep connection with Kaido of the Beasts!"
"We must capture this person!"
Just as Admiral Borsalino was about to make his move, a scorching heat wave suddenly came from afar, along with a slightly mocking voice.
"Is this how a high-ranking general of the headquarters bullies people?"
Admiral Borsalino leaned back to dodge the blazing fist wind that swept in from the side.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tall, imposing figure blocking Damon's path.
"Oh my, I never expected that even you, the number one of the three great calamities, would come?"
Seeing the figure appear before him, Damon's lips curled up slightly.
This person was over three meters tall, dressed entirely in black armor, wearing a mask, goggles, and a helmet, completely concealing all physical characteristics of the Lunaria race.
The clothing had double rows of buttons, and the skull pattern engraved on the collar was eye-catching. The hands were wearing black gloves, and the body was adorned with unknown ornaments. It looked fierce, unyielding, and noble.
Flames encircled the back of the man's head, cascading down his back. A pair of jet-black wings on his back still retained the scorching heat of the flames. His eyes, piercing through his armor, fixed on the formidable enemy before him, and he said coldly:
"I'm protecting this person!"
"If the Navy doesn't want to fight the Beasts Pirates, please leave!"
This person naturally had the confidence to say these words, because he was King, the top commander of the Beasts Pirates, the King of the Three Disasters, and also Kaido's right-hand man. His bounty was as high as 1.39 billion Berries. He once ate a Zoan-type Devil Fruit and possessed the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Ancient Zoan type, Pteranodon form, and was also known as the Pteranodon Man.
King's real name was Arber, a descendant of the Lunarians who disappeared in a hidden history.
Legend had it that many years ago, the Lunarians were a rare race that lived on the Red Line. At that time, there was a kingdom of gods on the Red Line. The Lunarians were worshipped as gods by the people of that time because they were born with the ability to control the power of fire.
Unfortunately, times had changed. After the upheavals of eight hundred years ago and the century-long void, the Lunarians were no longer as prosperous as they once were. It was likely that King was the only known Lunarian in the world.
After receiving Kaido's orders, King rushed to the Sabaody Archipelago immediately.
Originally, he wanted to wait and see.
But when Damon revealed his form, which was covered in dragon scales, King couldn't sit still any longer.
"Young Master Yamato is nothing like the captain, neither in appearance nor in temperament."
"Could this person be the captain's real child?"
"Hiss!"
King gasped, feeling as if he had discovered a great secret.
Under the blue sky, atop the ruins.
One in black, one in yellow, the two men facing each other.
Both King and Admiral Borsalino were top-tier warriors on this sea. Their aura as powerful warriors rose steadily, and gusts of wind rippled beneath their feet, stirring up dust and debris. The already crumbling ruins collapsed and shattered into pieces of varying sizes.
Before setting off, Kaido of the Beasts did not explain the details of this mission, only instructing King to bring a pirate named Dragon Ash back to Wano Country. This led to a wonderful misunderstanding in King's mind, who mistook Damon's disguise as the pirate Dragon Ash for Kaido's child who had been abandoned by him.
Facing the relentless pressure from Admiral Borsalino, King showed no fear and drew the giant katana from his waist.
With a clang, a dark-colored katana flashed through the air, its tip angled towards the enemy. King's eyes gleamed with intense fighting spirit. With his back to Damon, he said in a deep voice:
"Young Master Dragon Ash, as long as I'm here, the Navy won't be able to touch a hair on your head!"
As soon as this statement came out, it was shocking!
King's words seemed to confirm Damon's identity!
A murderous glint flashed in the eyes behind the sunglasses. Admiral Borsalino rubbed his hands together, and with a forceful pull of his right hand, specks of light transformed into a long, slender sword of light.
"Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi!"
Quick as lightning!
The instant King finished speaking, Admiral Borsalino swiftly closed in on King and unleashed a sword strike.
The sword light was sharp, but the killing intent was restrained.
King showed no fear, his Armament Haki covering his entire body and the blade, with a blazing flame clinging to the edge, making the giant katana in his hand appear somewhat domineering.
The broad blade blocked King's path as if it had foreseen the future, keeping the sharp sword light of the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi at bay and preventing it from harming a single hair on King's head.
Observation Haki!
In the New World, the latter half of the Grand Line, anyone who didn't know Armament Haki was cannon fodder. Only by practicing Armament Haki could one have a place in the world. And if someone didn't know Observation Haki, they were essentially blind and would easily be at a disadvantage when fighting against opponents of the same level.
Observation Haki was one of the three types of Haki.
After practicing Observation Haki, one's five senses became acute, allowing them to perceive the aura and changes in Haki of surrounding beings, and to anticipate and avoid danger.
When one's mastery of Observation Haki reached a profound level, one could even foresee events that would occur in the future, thus achieving the effect of precognition.
Although he didn't possess Charlotte Katakuri's powerful Observation Haki that allowed him to foresee the future, King, as the top lieutenant of the Beasts Pirates, was still able to predict the enemy's next move.
Crimson flames began to spread from the back of his head, covering King's back and wings in a layer of scorching heat, as if an ancient god had descended to earth once more. His tall and imposing figure exuded a powerful sense of oppression. His eyes were fixed on Admiral Borsalino, who was standing close at hand, and he said coldly:
"Is the Navy determined to be an enemy of the Beasts Pirates?"
"Then let the horse come over!"
As scorching air filled the sky, two figures, one black and one yellow, appeared as afterimages, moving so fast that they were imperceptible to the naked eye.
To avoid revealing his true identity, Damon did not activate his Mangekyo Sharingan. Due to his lack of training in Observation Haki, his vision was only barely able to detect the two figures.
"As expected of one of the strongest warriors on this sea, Admiral Borsalino didn't even use his full strength when he attacked me just now, did he?"
The clash of swords echoed in the air.
The white clouds high in the sky were torn into pieces.
The scorching flames painted half the sky a coppery red, resembling fish-scale clouds dyed at dusk, exuding a somewhat oppressive heat.
The other half of the sky was ablaze with golden light, as if the blue sky had been plated with gold, bright enough to blind even the most discerning eyes. But in reality, it was fraught with danger. The crisscrossing flashes of light were incredibly powerful, enough to raze a small town to the ground!
Such a terrifying phenomenon naturally could not be hidden from the people on the island.
Tourists on the Sabaody Archipelago rushed to the docks, trying to escape this place of trouble and avoid being caught in the crossfire of this terrible battle.
On the three-masted sailing ship moored in the harbor, a group of sailors who were idly passing the time also looked up at the sky in astonishment.
Smoker, a cigar dangling from his lips, took a deep breath, the smoke filling his chest as if only then could he suppress the shock in his heart.
Shu, however, lacked such composure. His eyes widened as he gazed at the sky, exclaiming in surprise:
"What's going on?"
Drake crossed his arms over his chest, slightly raised his chin with the X-shaped scar on it, and his eyes narrowed into wild, beast-like vertical pupils.
Drake also gained his opportunity in Impel Down, earning the appreciation of Chief Warden Magellan.
Based on his merits, Chief Warden Magellan obtained a Devil Fruit from the Navy warehouse and bestowed it upon Drake.
Firstly, Drake's relentless fighting style greatly impressed Chief Warden Magellan. Secondly, Drake's father, Diez Barrels, was a close friend of Chief Warden Magellan, having enlisted in the same class. Out of consideration for their past friendship, Magellan was willing to help Drake. Thirdly, as Damon's friend, Chief Warden Magellan had already recognized Damon's limitless potential and naturally wanted to invest in him early to forge a positive relationship.
After Drake used the Devil Fruit, he possessed the Zoan type, the Ryu Ryu no Mi, the Ancient Zoan type, and the Allosaurus form.
Now, Drake's eyes were sharp enough that he could barely make out the battle far away on the horizon. He said in a deep voice:
"Admiral Kizaru is currently engaged in battle with the Beasts Pirates' top officer!"
"What!"
Shu was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat, and his speech became slurred. He stammered:
"Then what should we do?"
It was no wonder that Shu behaved this way. He knew his own limitations; he was only slightly better than an ordinary naval soldier. He was far inferior to geniuses like Smoker, let alone a prodigy like Damon. Since enlisting in the army, he had heard all sorts of rumors about the Beasts Pirates.
In the exaggerated rumors circulating among the people, King was a great demon who ate people without spitting out the bones!
Now that Admiral Kizaru was fighting King, if the aftershocks of their battle reached their side, their entire ship would likely be doomed.
Drake glanced at Shu with a hint of disdain, seemingly annoyed by his overreaction.
Immediately afterward, his gaze sharpened, and he said in a deep voice:
"What is it?"
Upon hearing this, everyone on the deck followed Drake's gaze.