Under the night sky, the pattering rain poured down, hitting the leaves of the big trees, making a rapid tapping sound.
At the street corner of the alley, pirates, with ferocious and crazed laughter on their faces, brandished various low-quality but deadly weapons, roaring as they charged at Hanafuda.
Hanafuda let out a hearty laugh; his wild nature meant he was not surprised but rather delighted by this scene. Adrenaline surged as he swung his chain hammer and held his black scythe, leading his subordinates to meet the enemy.
The chain hammer was covered in iron spikes, and as he swung it, it made a whooshing sound. A graze would easily tear away flesh, while a direct hit would collapse the chest and shatter internal organs.
In just a few breaths, dozens of people lay in pools of blood, their deaths gruesome.
The enemies, who had initially been determined to win and filled with a surging desire for slaughter, seemed to have had a bucket of cold water poured over them, stunned from head to toe.
Seeing Hanafuda, covered in blood and sporting a sinister smile, the people panicked, and an aura of fear spread through the crowd.
Someone suddenly yelled "Devil!" and frantically dropped their weapon, fleeing without a backward glance.
The tense atmosphere was instantly broken, people's psychological defenses collapsed, and they scattered in all directions!
Hanafuda smiled playfully, walking towards the enemy Captain, who was slumped on the ground, both shocked and terrified.
The former arrogance was long gone; in the face of Hanafuda's absolute power, he realized everything was futile.
He tremblingly raised his head, only to see Hanafuda grab him by his hair.
Under Hanafuda's playful, excited, and cruel gaze, the black scythe in his hand flashed, and the head was separated from the body.
Hanafuda grabbed the bloody head; the muscle memory retained by the body still caused it to twitch violently, and fresh blood continuously gushed from the neck.
"Boss Hanafuda, I found it!"
A pirate minion excitedly ran over, holding a treasure box with a surface of checkered gold edges.
Hanafuda took the treasure box, opened it, and inside lay a Devil Fruit with strange green patterns.
"There's no mistake, it's a Zoan, Ancient Zoan, Tyrannosaurus Rex form."
Hanafuda's eyes lit up. Zoan Devil Fruits are known as the strongest in close combat, granting the user a powerful physique and unparalleled strength.
Aside from the Mythical Zoan, which is even rarer than Logia, the Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit is considered the strongest among Zoan types.
And among Ancient Zoan types, the Tyrannosaurus Rex is the most powerful.
It is the overlord among Ancient Zoan!
Hanafuda took a bite, and after suppressing the urge to vomit, his body began to stretch out. Small green protrusions, similar to keratin, appeared on his skin, sharp barbs were embedded along his spine, and his dark brown pupils transformed into pale golden eyes.
In Hanafuda's vision, his subordinates looked as small as toy figures.
His subordinates were shocked: "Eh? Boss Hanafuda turned into a giant lizard!"
"Idiot, this is the Ancient Zoan, Tyrannosaurus Rex form!"
Hanafuda immediately snapped, then glanced at his reflection by the water's edge.
A wide mouth, a flat, massive head still covered by a nose guard mask, sharp fangs, short but unusually flexible claws, a body covered in a layer of keratin-like spiky scales, and the barbs on his spine gleamed with a cold light.
He looked like a standing lizard, with exceptionally sharp, protruding spikes on his back.
"Is this a Tyrannosaurus Rex? I feel power surging within me, Roar!!!"
Hanafuda opened his mouth and roared violently, his fangs covered in viscous drool. The terrifying roar transformed into a dreadful sound wave, making his subordinates' heads buzz.
"So powerful!!"
His subordinates screamed in excitement, seemingly happier than if they had eaten a Devil Fruit themselves.
Hanafuda grinned, his greenish facial skin faintly reddening, and said haughtily, "Even if you say that, I won't be happy, hahaha!"
Hanafuda then tried to transform into his human-beast form. His body, which was nearly twenty meters long, rapidly shrunk. Hanafuda, who had been crawling on the ground, gradually stood up as he shrank.
Under the stunned gaze of his subordinates, Hanafuda transformed into a nearly five-meter-tall figure with rough, earthy green skin, covered in bumps and hollows. His spine was filled with dense barbs, and a huge tail extended from his spine, also embedded with sharp barbs.
In his human-beast form, his forelimbs were no longer short and thick but instead exceptionally strong and powerful.
Hanafuda's breath was hot and heavy, his dark fingernails like steel blades, and a gentle clench of his palm felt as if he could easily crush a human skull.
"This power feels quite good..."
Hanafuda was delighted, his pale golden pupils gleaming.
"Minions, clean up the battlefield, load all the treasures and goods onto the ship, and tell Granger to prepare ingredients immediately! We're having a feast tonight!"
"Oh!!"
The minions were exhilarated, letting out enthusiastic cheers.
Hanafuda grinned, slowly returning to his human form, and led his subordinates towards the large ship.
Suddenly, a mass of electromagnetic storm rapidly approached. A chilling cold wind blew, making people shiver uncontrollably and their hair stand on end.
The towering trees swayed wildly, rustling loudly.
Hanafuda paused, looking up at the sky.
Dense thunderclouds, like a black sea, blotted out the sky and the sun, obscuring the full moon. Grand Island was plunged into boundless darkness.
At this moment, everyone on Grand Island felt an incredibly chilling aura. They looked up at the sky above, their pupils trembling violently.
"Hanafuda, I've finally found you."
The voice was like thunder, echoing across the entire island. Purple lightning flashed, faintly revealing a colossal figure moving through the thunderclouds.
Kaido poked his head out of the thunderclouds, staring at Hanafuda, whose expression was grim, on the island below.
The strong wind stirred up dust on the island, and his clothes flapped. Hanafuda was incredibly shocked: "This form... is it Kaido of the Beasts?!"
"Kaido of the Beasts, that great pirate with a bounty of 2 billion Berries!?"
People were greatly alarmed, looking in fear at the hundreds-of-meters-long azure dragon before them.
A faint, smug hum came from above. Kaido's blood-red eyes gleamed, and his large, tooth-filled mouth curved slightly upwards: "It seems you know me, so I don't need to introduce myself. Hanafuda, join my crew, and let's conquer this world together!"
Hanafuda was furious: "What kind of joke is that! I will never pledge allegiance to anyone!"
"Is that so... Still the same as I remember. In that case, I'll just have to let you witness the world's strongest combat power!"
Kaido had anticipated this. In his previous life, he had fought Hanafuda several times, always ending in a draw. Later, Hanafuda was impressed by Kaido's might and became his friend.
But in this life, they met several years earlier, and Hanafuda was just barely twenty years old.
"Irrelevant people, please exit first!"
Kaido's eyes narrowed, and Conqueror's Haki swept across the entire island, instantly knocking out everyone except Hanafuda. Even Hanafuda felt a prickling sensation on his back and trembled all over under this Conqueror's Haki.
A black cloud pillar descended straight down with a loud crash, making the ground shake.
The black clouds dispersed, and Kaido, wearing a blue shirt and carrying a kanabo, appeared in front of Hanafuda.
His bangs floated casually, a black sash was wrapped around his waist, and a sake flask hung on his left side.
Kaido grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, which to Hanafuda seemed like a taunt and a provocation.
"You bastard, what did you do to my subordinates!?"
Hanafuda's eyes were bloodshot, spitting fire with rage, his teeth grinding audibly.
"This is my pirate game... Hanafuda, give it your all, come at me!"
...Revised, please bear with me.