Chapter 115: The Gaze That Stills the Dragon
She gave orders for a long time, but the Pegasus under her seat remained motionless.
"Huh? Do you want a taste of the whip...?" Peacock began, then looked down. "Stronger? Why are you crying?"
She found that her mighty pegasus was so terrified that tears were streaming down its face. If it weren't for the controlling power of her Whip-Whip Fruit, it would have turned and fled long ago. The mental pressure between animals was far beyond human comprehension.
After being punched by Doll, the Red Dragon's massive eyeball swiveled. It locked onto her position, and flames once again gathered in its maw.
"Oh no, it's targeting me!" Doll realized. "Is this the test Vice Admiral Ian mentioned? Damn it! I won't give up so easily! Hey, you overgrown lizard, bring it on!"
Instead of retreating, Doll circled around behind the dragon. Firstly, such a massive creature likely had poor flexibility and agility, making it difficult for it to turn and attack her. Secondly, her teammates were all in front; she had to try to avoid them being caught in the crossfire.
Watching from a distance, Ian saw Doll's actions and smiled with a sense of approval. "Brave and considers her teammates. Her courage is commendable, but her Haki cultivation isn't mature enough yet. This dragon isn't that easy to deal with."
He knew that relying solely on physical attacks was difficult against the dragon's incredibly tough hide—even Luffy in Gear Second had struggled. To truly subdue it, one needed overwhelming force or a very specific approach.
Whoosh!
Another pillar of fire erupted. Doll, using the dragon's own tail as a stepping stone, ran nimbly up its back. "Let me see if the top of your head is just as hard! Soul Sound Chain Hand Cannon!"
Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Over a dozen Haki-infused punches bombarded the top of the dragon's head. The incredible force drove its head smashing into the ground.
Nami and Skylark, having recovered their wits, prepared to assist. Their initial fright had subsided, and they finally dared to face the creature.
Nami: "Is the dragon dead? It's not moving!"
Skylark: "Incredible! As expected of Commodore Doll, her martial arts are truly impressive!"
Boom!
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the dragon's head was wrenched from the ground with shocking speed. A large bump had formed on its head, but it was otherwise intact. As its head emerged, a cold, sharp edge locked onto its neck.
"Right Angle: Hundred-Type Pheasant Cutter!"
T-Bone stood directly in front of the dragon, having waited for this moment. Doll's attack had revealed one thing to him: the dragon's neck seemed to be a weaker point in its defense.
Slash!
Aiming precisely, T-Bone gathered his strength and struck. The Haki-imbued sword slash flew toward the dragon's neck.
Ssshhhk!
ROAR!
The sharp sword light flashed. A clear gash appeared on the dragon's neck, and blood instantly spurted out. Unfortunately, the slash still lacked the power to kill the beast; it only managed to wound and further enrage it.
Whoosh...! Whoosh...!
Stimulated by the severe pain, the dragon flapped its wings and took to the air. Its dozens-of-meters-long body blocked out the sunlight, and it was clearly about to go berserk.
"Damn it! Once it's in the air, it's hard to pin down!" Doll cursed. "Everyone, find cover! It's going to attack from the sky!"
Realizing the severity of the situation, she immediately shouted to the others on the ruins. Hiding was the best option to avoid being targeted, then they could find a way to deal with it once it landed.
What shocked Doll was that as she ran for cover, she saw Ian, riding Speed, heading directly toward the area where the dragon had taken off.
"Hey! Lieutenant General Ian!" she yelled. "What are you doing? Are you trying to attack it from the ground? It can breathe fire down on you from up there!"
Doll stopped and shouted to warn him.
"Speed, this new woman has a good heart, doesn't she?" Ian remarked, completely ignoring Doll's warning and instead asking Speed for her opinion. "Are you scared? Let's get a little closer to the big guy breathing fire."
"Maybe I've seen a lot on Onigashima, so I don't seem that scared," Speed replied, walking steadily forward. "Besides, with you here, Lieutenant General Ian, we can handle it anyway, right?"
To make a living on the seas, you really had to follow the right boss. With a powerful backer, there was no need to worry.
The dragon flying in the air noticed Ian's provocation and shifted its focus. An inexplicable fighting spirit locked onto it. Its wild instincts told it that this human held no fear of its existence.
ROAR!
Abandoning its fire attack, the dragon instead opened its bloody maw and swooped down directly toward Ian and Speed. Its giant wings stirred up a hurricane, whipping up the flames and debris burning on the ground. Ian's other subordinates in the rear were forced to dodge and take cover, unable to come to his aid in time.
"Madman! He's absolutely insane!" Doll exclaimed, completely unfamiliar with Ian's combat style. All she knew of him came from newspaper reports and colleagues' stories. "What kind of battle is this? He's just courting death!"
Even a Headquarters Vice Admiral facing a monster with such natural advantages shouldn't act so recklessly!
ROAR!
Facing the oncoming maw filled with sharp teeth, Ian merely raised his right hand slightly.
In that instant, the very air seemed to be bound by shackles.
The dragon's pupils constricted violently.
Its movement ceased completely.
Dragon and man stared into each other's eyes, frozen in a moment of profound stillness.
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