Chapter 114: The Crimson Dragon of Punk Hazard
"But right now, I don't see the reason at all!" Doll insisted, frustration evident in her voice.
"I think it must have been a spur-of-the-moment decision. What an unwise judgment," she continued, ruthlessly criticizing her new leader. "Forget about supplies. The island is filled with poison gas, and there's not even a living thing in sight."
"A living thing?" Ian laughed, a sound full of expectation. "Hahahaha! I reckon one will appear soon enough. Don't you think the temperature here is noticeably higher than when we first arrived?"
At this moment, every movement on this not-so-large island was under his perception. He knew better than anyone what interesting developments were about to unfold.
"Yes, Lieutenant General Ian is right," Speed chimed in, trembling slightly. "I can clearly feel the temperature under my feet gradually rising. Could there be a volcano underground?"
Her strange ideas immediately affected the more timid members of the group.
"What?! A volcano?" Nami stared warily at the ground, her voice filled with horror. "With such a high temperature, won't it erupt at any moment?"
Skylark wrapped her arms around herself, her throat trembling. "I heard the climate on islands in the New World is very harsh. It wouldn't be surprising at all for a volcano to appear!"
Peacock, riding her majestic pegasus Stronger in the air, scoffed. "What are you two thinking? This was once a town built by the Navy's science team, wasn't it? Who would build a town on a volcano? That's outrageous!"
Her words did have a calming effect. Hearing this, Nami and Skylark patted their chests and breathed a sigh of relief.
Skylark: "Phew... Sister Peacock is right."
Nami: "Phew... yeah, that's right. Towns are for people to live in."
However... it was still too early to relax.
Just as the two finished speaking, a massive shadow emerged from behind a pile of ruins. In moments, Nami and Skylark's petite figures were completely engulfed by the darkness.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
The two girls turned around. It was fine if they hadn't looked; one glance was enough to scare them half to death.
"Ahhh!!"
"Ahhh!!"
Piercing screams echoed as Nami and Skylark scrambled forward in a panic.
Doll's forehead was beaded with sweat, her eyes darting around, deeply shocked. "Could this creature... really, truly exist?"
Peacock quickly drew her combat whip, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Hey, is this for real? Isn't this a fantastical creature from legends? Why... why does it actually exist? It doesn't look like a Devil Fruit user at all!"
Amidst the crowd's shock, a gigantic red figure fully revealed itself. Ian, standing nearly three meters tall himself, looked like a tiny reptile in comparison.
Boom!
Boom!
...
A giant monster crawled out from behind the ruins. Each time its feet landed, the entire town shook violently. It had the body of a lizard, with a pair of wings featuring distinct skeletal structures growing from its back. A row of vertical spikes ran from its head down its entire spine. Its body was crimson red, while its underbelly was white and yellow. Its tough skin was unscathed even as it ruthlessly crushed and crawled over the sharp debris of the ruins.
The colossal monster before them was none other than the legendary creature... a Western Red Dragon!
Hiss...
The red dragon drooled, its tongue flicking over its sharp fangs. Noticing the two girls running ahead, it raised its head and closed its maw.
Hmm...
Flames began to gather within the red dragon's mouth.
"Nami! Skylark! Look out!" Doll shouted a warning. "Is this big monster really attacking?"
Simultaneously, her capable figure leaped into action. Using the momentum, she vaulted over a ruined rooftop and landed beside the red dragon's head.
"Armament Haki, Hardening...!" she growled, her fist clenching. "Soul Sound Hand Cannon!"
In this emergency, Doll charged forward, aiming a powerful Haki-infused punch directly at the red dragon's jaw.
Thump!
At the same moment, a pillar of fire erupted from the red dragon's mouth, sweeping forward and devouring everything in its path. Thanks to Doll's punch, the direction of the fire column was altered. The scorching wave of heat spread across the ground, brushing past Nami and Skylark and burning everything further ahead.
"Ahhh!! The monster is breathing fire!"
"Ahhh!! The monster is breathing fire!"
Nami and Skylark threw their hands up in the air, screaming as tears streamed down their faces. The young women were suffering from a deep-seated fear of unknown creatures—a feeling entirely different from facing evil pirates.
"Damn it, no effect at all?" Doll muttered bitterly after landing, looking up at the red dragon's massive body. "This monster's physique is too tough!"
Not far away, Speed, though frightened, wasn't paralyzed with fear. Having been in the Beasts Pirates, she had seen all sorts of monstrous beings, including the true draconic form of Kaido, the 'King of the Beasts' himself. The red dragon before her was certainly intimidating, but not to the point of rendering her immobile.
"Lieutenant General Ian, should we... should we go help?" she asked, turning to Ian.
"Don't worry, let everyone have their fun," Ian replied calmly, rubbing Speed's equine belly. He pulled an apple from his pocket and took a loud, crunchy bite. Watching a show always required some snacks.
"Pegasus, fly over there," Peacock commanded, licking her lips with anticipation in her eyes. "Let me teach this big cutie a lesson!"
After gradually accepting the existence of "mythical beasts," Peacock was eager to see if she could use her whip to tame the red dragon as a new pet.
Only...
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