Chapter 445 - 284

Chapter 285: Slaying the Dragon!!"Mmm—!"Yamato held a tall glass filled with a gradient orange-gold specialty drink, garnished with a lemon slice and a small paper umbrella.She took a large gulp, and her eyes instantly lit up."Sanji-san's special 'Aurora Sparkling Drink'! It's ice-cold and fruity, so delicious!""...The crushed ice inside gives it such a great texture!"She swirled the clinking ice cubes in her glass. The slight regret she felt earlier about not being able to go ashore and explore with Luffy and the others had been completely dispelled by this refreshing treat."I hope those single-celled organisms don't cause some world-shattering trouble on the island..."Nami leaned against the ship's railing, peering worriedly at the burning island through a telescope held in one hand.Her other hand unconsciously stirred the same drink in her glass."Nami-san~ Yamato-san~!"Sanji spun across the deck like a whirlwind, holding a silver tray with pink hearts floating in his eyes."Your satisfaction is my greatest reward!""I still have some Skypiea specialty fruits I just bought in the storage. Would you beautiful ladies like me to mix a glass of 'Dreamy Coral Light' for you?""I guarantee it will bring pleasure from your tongue to your soul~"...On the other side,several figures in green hazmat suits were silently approaching, using the shadow cast by the sunny."Listen up,"the leader whispered through the internal comms,"While their attention is on the island, sneak up from the stern's shadow zone. Spray 'Sleeping Mist Type II' immediately. Use a full dose to ensure everyone is put to sleep.""Then sail the ship away. Be fast, be quiet. Understood?""Understood," came several muffled responses.The submarine quietly surfaced and stabilized next to the sunny's hull.One person poked their head out of the top hatch and carefully hooked a telescopic alloy ladder onto the railing."Quick, the ladder is set. Move quiet—""You guys seem to be having a nice chat, huh?"A loud voice with a distinct mechanical synthesized quality suddenly came from above their heads."Do you want me to help steady the ladder? It'll be easier for you to climb up that way.""Oh sure, thanks..."The team member who subconsciously responded slammed on the brakes mid-sentence.The group all looked up at once.They saw Franky squatting on the railing, his thick steel arms resting on his knees. His mechanical face, always fixed in a wide grin, was looking right at them, his blue pompadour swaying slightly in the breeze."Enemy attack!!"Instantly, the two fastest reactors in the hazmat squad whipped out compressed gas guns from their backs, aiming the barrels at Franky above."Don't move! Drop your weapons... er, put your hands up!"Franky tilted his head. The armor plates on his shoulders slid open silently, and dark muzzles locked onto the small submarine and the hazmat squad below.He split his signature wide mouth, revealing shiny metal teeth:"Wow~ What super~ enthusiastic new friends! Giving such a big 'welcome gift' as soon as you arrive?"The hazmat squad members looked at each other.The next second—Clang! Clang!The two gas guns were thrown onto the submarine's deck without hesitation.Everyone in hazmat suits simultaneously and extremely quickly raised their hands high above their heads in a synchronized movement, showing excellent training... "So... you are people from the Donquixote Family?!"The air suddenly became thick and cold.Law's knuckles as he gripped the hilt of 'kikoku' made a faint creaking sound, the blood draining from them until they were pale.The long blade seemed to sense the undercurrents surging in its master's heart and began to vibrate slightly."...Donquixote Doflamingo."Law's voice was terrifyingly low. Under the shadow of his hood, his eyes were like a volcano on the verge of eruption."Th-That's right!"The lackey didn't seem to realize the Reaper's scythe was already hanging over his head and continued to bluster, trying to hide behind that blood-stained 'flag'."We are Lord Doflamingo's subordinates! If you're smart, let us go! Otherwise, when Lord Joker finds out...""Otherwise?"Law interrupted him.The corner of his mouth even twitched, but there was no hint of a smile, only a near-cruel coldness.Law didn't need to listen anymore.The air felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.The next instant—"Swish!!!"There were no extra preparatory movements; one couldn't even see how he drew his sword.Only a fleeting arc of ghostly blue light remained in the field of vision, like the silent sigh of a death god, gracefully slicing through the air and through the bodies of those lackeys.Time resumed its flow.The expressions on the lackeys' faces were frozen in confusion and a hint of fear that hadn't yet spread.Their bodies slowly shifted and separated along an absolutely smooth cut!!Law slowly sheathed his sword.He didn't even look at the fallen bodies, as if he had merely brushed away a few specks of dust.The volcano in his chest was still roaring. Caesar Clown was here, Doflamingo's subordinates were here... the evils on this island were so deeply intertwined with that man."I'm going to check the laboratory."As soon as he spoke, without waiting for his companions to respond, the five fingers of Law's left hand spread open!!Hum!A hemispherical, light blue transparent force field suddenly expanded with him at the center, quickly swelling to envelop the surrounding ruins and air."ROOM!"In a whisper, Law's figure vanished into thin air from the center of the force field, leaving only blue light particles slowly dissipating in the air and a cold silence on the ground."Sigh—"Sanji sighed and stubbed out his nearly finished cigarette on the railing.He hadn't expected that Torao, who always had a cold face and liked making plans, would have such an uncontrollably furious side.But Sanji completely understood!!When an enemy's name and shadow suddenly crash into one's vision, how many people can maintain absolute rationality?If it were him, if he heard news of 'Germa' or that man right now, his fire kicks would probably have already scorched the entire island.He shook his head, tossing aside his chaotic thoughts, and put back on that attentive smile as he turned to the ladies on deck:"Nami-chan~ Yamato-chan~ Would you like to try the Cherry Tart I just made? It goes perfectly with the drinks from earlier!"...Punk Hazard, Burning Sky"Woah—!!!"Excited shouts tore through the scorching air.Luffy stood on the head of the Red Dragon, his arms spread wide, feeling every muscular vibration of the giant beast beneath him and the hot air currents whipped up by its flapping wings."Aha~!"He laughed triumphantly,"Now, I guess I'm a dragon rider too, right?!"—Roar!!!He was answered by a roar full of humiliation and fury.The Red Dragon twisted its neck frantically, performing a series of high-difficulty maneuvers in the air—high-speed spirals, vertical dives, and even inverted rolls—trying to shake off the tiny but damn 'ant' on its back.However, it was all in vain.Luffy's feet were like they had taken root. His body performed various exaggerated stretches and deformations along with the dragon's rolls, and he even jumped up and down on its head from time to time, completely treating this legendary creature as a novel amusement park ride.On the scorched earth below, Zoro crossed his arms and looked up at the absurd scene in the sky, his eye twitching."Hey, Luffy,"He raised his voice, piercing through the wind and the dragon's roars,"How long are you going to play?! We didn't come here for sightseeing..."Before he could finish—"Gurgle gurgle..."An unusually loud stomach growl, like the beating of drums, descended from the sky and was clearly heard below.Luffy's movements stopped.He looked down, patted his flat stomach, and then looked at the massive creature beneath his feet. His gaze changed instantly.From the excitement of playing, it turned into the light of pure desire a hunter has when seeing top-tier ingredients. He even subconsciously wiped the corner of his mouth."Sorry about that!"He shouted at the Red Dragon, his tone actually carrying a hint of sincere apology,"I'm hungry!"With that, he kicked off, his rubber body drawing a parabola in the air as he landed lightly toward the ground.The pressure suddenly vanished. The Red Dragonwas stunned for a moment, then the overwhelming rage of being toyed with and despised completely consumed its remaining sanity."Roar—!!!"The dragon's cry shook the heavens. It suddenly turned its body, its massive wings flapping with all their might as it dived toward where Luffy was falling!At the same time, it opened its maw, large enough to swallow a small boat. Deep in its throat, a dark red light intensified rapidly.Suffocating energy fluctuations climbed sharply. The light condensed and compressed, finally forming a violently spinning dark red energy ball in its mouth!Below, Zoro watched the dragon shadow covering the sky and the energy ball radiating an aura of extinction. His expression didn't flicker in the slightest.He even slowly closed his eyes.The noisy world was instantly shut out.The sound of the wind, the crackling of the fire, the dragon's roar, the humming of the energy gathering... all external noise receded like a tide.In its place was another kind of'sound'.He 'heard' the faint pulse of the earth beneath his feet, 'heard' the trajectory of the heat flowing through the air, and 'heard' the heartbeats of his companions in the distance, whether tense or excited.And the clearest of all was the 'breathing' of the sword in his hand!!All Things Breathing, all within his grasp.Body and sword as one, the sword moves with the heart.Zoro's heartbeat gradually synchronized with the 'breathing' of his blade.At that moment, the Red Dragon in the sky finally reached the critical point of its long-premeditated breath of destruction!"Roar—!!!"A dark red pillar of light erupted from its mouth!Facing this overwhelming dragon breath, enough to melt steel, Zoro simply opened his eyes calmly.His right hand casually rested on the hilt of the wado ichimonji at his waist.With a flick of his wrist, his thumb lightly pushed the tsuba!!"Clang—!"A sword's cry, clear as a dragon's roar, rang out.A slender yet extremely concentrated blue slash line soared silently from bottom to top.The next moment.The torrent of dragon breath, along with the mountain-like body of the Red Dragon behind it, was silently... split in two along an absolutely smooth, straight cut.The severed energy of the dragon breath instantly lost control, dissipating and exploding to both sides, turning into a rain of fire falling from the sky.And the giant dragon's body, cut in half, froze in the air for a second. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and one could even see the organs still pulsing and the blood slowly flowing inside.Then, the two halves of the carcass crashed down to either side under the force of gravity."Boom!!!!"The earth shook, and dust mixed with sparks soared into the sky.Zoro slowly sheathed his sword with a crisp 'click'.Luffy landed steadily, looked at the massive remains of the Red Dragon on the ground, then at Zoro, his eyes sparkling:"Zoro! Great job! Now we can have a real feast!"Zoro turned his face away:"...Hurry up and call that curly-browed cook over to handle it. This thing doesn't look like it'll be easy to grill."