"ROAAAAR!"
"GROOOARGHH—!"
The roar of prehistoric behemoths echoed continuously above the city of Nakor. High in the air, a massive red dragon and a gargantuan black beast were locked in a savage struggle. Scales rained down like shrapnel, and crimson dragon blood sprayed across the sky. The carnage between these two monsters sent the citizens below into a state of frantic, terrified flight.
"A-a dragon?!"
"Are you kidding me? How could such a creature exist in this world?"
"Run! We're going to get caught in the crossfire!"
"Damn it! Why now of all times?!"
"Where is Commander Gorbo? Someone, alert Commander Gorbo at once!"
Panic consumed the city. Countless people scrambled toward the outskirts, desperate to escape the shockwaves produced by the two titans. The pirates of the Chris Pirates stationed in Nakor were filled with fury and alarm; if their captain or other officers were present, even a legendary beast like a dragon would have been driven from the city in an instant.
The Red Dragon unleashed a torrent of scorching, flame-like dragon breath at the black behemoth. The monster dodged, and the blast slammed into the outer city, over ten kilometers away, triggering a deafening, massive explosion.
Raging waves of fire billowed outward, toppling high-rises and flattening buildings like a scythe through wheat. The blast engulfed an area of thousands of square meters, claiming the lives of countless innocent people who were incinerated in an instant.
"ROAAAAR—!"
The black behemoth… no, it was Calamodus, roared in fury. It opened its maw and spat out a concentrated stream of searing fire, forming a projectile several meters in diameter that shot toward the Red Dragon like a scorching arrow.
The Red Dragon frantically flapped its wings, whipping up a gale to dive and evade. The beam of fire traced a searing path downward, striking the city streets like a pillar of flame hundreds of meters long, effortlessly melting the ground into a deep crater.
Calamodus swung its head, trailing the pillar of fire like a laser, chasing the dragon. It carved deep furrows into the earth; high-rises and buildings were sliced clean in two by the intense heat, which could melt iron and snap steel.
The Red Dragon spread its wings, its massive body banking through the air with the grace of a bird of prey. It suddenly surged toward Calamodus and slammed a razor-sharp claw into the beast's skull.
Calamodus didn't even grunt. The force of the blow sent its hundred-meter-long body hurtling downward like a meteor, crashing into the city center right beside the Palace Entertainment City.
A fifty-meter-tall building, along with several neighboring structures, was reduced to rubble upon impact. The massive shockwave kicked up a sky-high plume of dust that billowed outward in all directions.
"ROOOOAR—!"
The Red Dragon let out a roar, sounding almost excited, and dove down with jaws agape, aiming to tear into the head of its fallen foe.
Just as the dragon descended, Calamodus flicked its wings. With a muffled thud, it swiped the Red Dragon aside, creating a violent gust of wind that swept across the plaza.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—
The Red Dragon, possessed of an equally massive frame, was sent flying dozens of meters through the air. It plowed into several high-rises, shattering them into dust before being buried under a mountain of masonry, kicking up another massive cloud of dust that choked the air for a hundred meters.
Moments later, the Red Dragon shook its head and climbed out, debris sliding off its scales as dust filled the air once more.
"GROOOARGHH—!"
"ROAAAAR—!"
The two behemoths roared at one another, their combined sonic booms colliding to whip up a violent storm. Without hesitation, they lunged at each other once more, resuming their brutal, desperate slaughter.
It is easy to imagine the devastation: two hundred-meter-long titans rampaging through the center of a bustling metropolis. Every step they took leveled buildings, and their relentless battle only intensified the ruin. Scorching dragon breath ignited massive seas of fire, while the laser-like flames cut jagged, charred trenches across the city, canyons of destruction hundreds, even thousands of meters long, and dozens of meters deep.
Nakor was one of the most prosperous cities in the world, boasting the highest population density globally. Although the war against the Big Mom Pirates had significantly reduced the transient population, it still housed two or three million souls. In such a crowded city, the clash of these monsters left the masses with nowhere to run. Especially in the city center, the number of casualties resulting from the collision of these two beasts was beyond counting.
Yet, despite the intensity of the combat, the Palace Entertainment City in the heart of the district remained remarkably unscathed. Whether by miracle or design, both the Red Dragon and Calamodus seemed to be actively avoiding it.
"Quick, quick! Everyone, establish a defensive line here!"
"Where is the artillery? Get it set up at the entrance!"
"Notify Commander Gorbo! And send word to the Unzan Port as well!"
The pirates of the Second Division of the Chris Pirates gathered at the main gate of the Palace Entertainment City. Meanwhile, waves of the Kingdom's army arrived in droves, lugging rocket launchers, artillery, and heavy weaponry to fortify a perimeter outside the palace.
However, the main strength of the Chris Pirates and the vast majority of the Clifford Kingdom's military had been mobilized to Unzan Port. Nakor was now hollowed out; the meager force of ten thousand soldiers wouldn't even be enough to survive two breaths of that dragon's fire.
While this unfolded, behind the main tower of the Palace Entertainment City, a group of men in black suits took advantage of the chaos to scale walls and vault across rooftops. They soon arrived before an unassuming palace.
At the main gate, two lion statues made of metal lay in wait. But the occasional, erratic movement of their eyes betrayed them: these statues were alive.
Dozens of men in black suits swarmed the area. Some leapt into the air, walking on the wind, aiming for the roof; others bulged with muscle, charging toward the walls like tanks.
"ROAR!"
The two metal lion statues roared, stood up, and leapt into the air, snapping their jaws at the black-suited men above.
"Shigan!" (Finger Pistol)
"Rankyaku!" (Tempest Kick)
"Tekkai: Sai!" (Iron Body: Crush)
The men in black moved in unison, unleashing the Rokushiki techniques. With a deafening whistle of wind, they slammed into the metal lions, unleashing a torrent of raw power that battered the guardians back to the ground.
BOOM! CRASH!
At that moment, the palace walls were breached; the black-suited men smashed through, creating several man-sized holes.
"Who goes there?!"
"Intruders!"
The massive commotion alerted the guards within. A series of thunderous roars echoed through the halls.
A group of black-suited men stormed into the palace and found themselves in a sprawling hall filled with dozens of animated stone and metal sculptures. Standing among them were hulking, muscular warriors, each over three meters tall. They were all uniformly clad in black Offensive Exoskeleton Combat Suits, brandishing greatswords, giant axes, large-caliber firearms, and rocket launchers.
The leader, a massive brute with a face twisted in rage, drew a broadsword as wide as a palm and bellowed, "To dare to trespass here… slaughter them all!"
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