"Huff—huff—"
Heavy and rapid breathing made it seem as though his chest cavity had become an old, worn-out bellows. Each intake of air only fanned the flames of fury burning within him.
"Why? Why can you still move?!"
The Slave King of the Underworld was now half-crouched atop the airborne 'Sand King', his bloodshot eyes locked fiercely on Dragon in the distance. His rage had reached its breaking point, leaving him hysterical.
His appearance had drastically changed. Half of the golden mask on his face had shattered, his white robe was stained crimson with blood, and the right hand gripping his golden scepter trembled uncontrollably.
King Taklama remembered it clearly—over the past three days, relying on the Sand King's power and his own superior Haki, he had knocked Dragon down three times.
Yet each time, just when he thought the fight was over and that he was about to claim a Logia user as a new slave, this bastard would inexplicably open his eyes, stand up, and launch another assault.
Once, the green-ring collar had been less than a metre away from Dragon's neck!
And that wasn't even the worst part—why did this guy unleash a new wave of strength every time he got back up, growing even more difficult to handle?
"Cough, cough… I told you—justice will always triumph over evil. Your fate is already sealed. I will personally drag you to Impel Down."
Floating within the world of wind, his body still in an elemental state, Dragon forced out each word with great effort. At that moment, he truly looked wretched—so much so that one could barely stand to look at him.
His coat of justice was mostly shredded. The green suit he had worn beneath it had completely vanished. His bare chest was covered in bruises and welts, his face pale, soaked in cold sweat. He looked as though he might lose consciousness at any moment.
Yet from time to time, arcs of dark green lightning flickered across his body. His gaze remained clear and unwavering—burning with resolve.
"Stop spouting that righteous bullshit about justice and evil!" King Taklama snapped. "You think I care about any of that?"
"First time you hit the ground—you awakened Conqueror's Haki!"
"Second time—you got back up, and your Armament Haki matched mine!"
"And now, this third time—you actually awakened your damn Devil Fruit powers?!"
The Slave King of the underworld roared furiously as he glared at the sky, now filled with swirling green gales. His entire body trembled with rage.
"Will you just give it a rest already?!"
Uncontainable envy. Burning jealousy. Bitter, violent hatred.
Faced with King Taklama's maddened roars and accusations, Dragon's lips curved upward ever so slightly. A faint smile broke through his previously expressionless face.
"This," he said, "is finally a fair fight… don't you think?"
[Whoooooooosh—]
As soon as he spoke, from within the endless hurricane winds, a magnificent green dragon slowly emerged—its lifelike scales glinting with power. With a thunderous roar, it raised its majestic serpentine body and soared, staring down at the Sand King from above.
...
Outside the island, the arrival of the dog-headed warship had already been detected by Rear Admiral Ivan, who promptly stepped forward alone using Geppo to pay his respects to Vice Admiral Garp.
Now, he stood beside Rear Admiral Bogard, listening with a stunned expression as the latter explained the situation regarding Dragon. Suddenly, Ivan looked up at the sky above the island.
"The Devil Fruit… has awakened?"
"My god, didn't he just awaken Conqueror's Haki recently?!"
"Yeah," Bogard replied, "I've heard that awakening a Devil Fruit has nothing to do with strength and depends entirely on fate or some sort of 'opportunity'... but for Rear Admiral Dragon to achieve it in just over a year? That's insane."
Even Bogard, normally a man of few words, couldn't help clicking his tongue in wonder. Then he turned to Garp and chuckled. "Shouldn't we be saying—'As expected of your son'?"
But Garp only shook his head. "The Devil Fruit awakening is indeed unexpected, but that's not the key point. That alone isn't enough to defeat the 'Slave King'."
"What do you mean?" asked Ivan, puzzled.
"The key," Garp said, folding his arms and continuing as he sensed the changes in Dragon's Haki, "is that the boy's heart is transforming."
"Until now, that kid's heart had been clouded by the filth of the Celestial Dragons and all kinds of darkness—filled with distress, rage, resentment, hesitation, and internal struggle. And when he tried to defect from the plan, he was caught red-handed."
"To be honest, if he'd stayed like that, his Haki would've continued weakening—he might've even lost the ability to use it altogether. Because his heart would no longer be firm."
"Haki comes from the power of the heart—it's the embodiment of willpower. Only with a strong enough will can one wield Haki. And how strong that will becomes depends entirely on the strength of one's inner self."
Hearing this, Ivan's face went pale as he internally panicked. What the hell is this guy saying?! Who badmouths the Celestial Dragons out loud like that? Isn't that a death wish?!
But Bogard didn't seem to mind at all. With his head slightly lowered, he pondered aloud, "So you're saying that Rear Admiral Dragon's heart is growing stronger through battle—and that's the real reason he keeps coming back from the brink of death."
"No," Garp corrected him again, shaking his head.
"The change in his heart is only what strengthens his Haki—that's the key to defeating powerful foes. But it's not what's allowed him to endure this long."
"Then what is?" Bogard asked.
"The potential of his body," Garp answered calmly, uttering those five words without hesitation.
"While Haki originates from the heart, it ultimately becomes something tangible—power is still, at its core, physical. It's energy. Stamina. Vitality."
"From a young age, that brat went through my 'training of love.' By the time he was ten, he had already turned Life Return into instinct."
"Right now, his control over his body is far beyond that of most masters of Life Return. Even you, Bogard. Combined with the tremendous vitality stored within him, that is what allows him to keep getting back up!"
Upon hearing this, Bogard once again fell silent, raising his eyes to watch the clash between hurricane and sandstorm in the distance. Ivan, too, finally understood, a look of realization dawning on his face.
"So it's his superhuman stamina that's buying time for his Haki to keep growing stronger. If Rear Admiral Dragon is going to defeat King Taklama, then both are absolutely essential!"
Garp nodded, grinning. "Exactly. Whether it's Conqueror's Haki or a Devil Fruit awakening—sure, they look impressive and grand."
"But even if he's a Logia user now, that kid's greatest strength is still the martial arts I taught him since he was small. That's what sets him apart from the likes of Sakazuki."
Then, the Navy hero broke into a proud, wide smile and declared, "Just watch. This battle will be decided in at most one more day—maybe even just half a day. Dragon can still hold out for two days. That 'Slave King' sure can't."
Still, there were things he didn't say aloud.
This battle would be the most important one in Dragon's life.
Defeating King Taklama, the so-called 'Slave King', with his own hands and rescuing hundreds of thousands of innocent slaves would be enough to purge the negative emotions in his heart and solidify the justice he stood for.
In terms of strength, this battle would place him on par with Sakazuki and Borsalino—perhaps even slightly above them.
At that moment, a Navy soldier ran over quickly. After saluting, he reported loudly, "Vice Admiral Garp! The Fleet Admiral has ordered you to return to Marineford immediately—there's an important mission awaiting your execution!"
"Oh?"
Garp raised an eyebrow as he turned around. Rear Admiral Bogard, standing beside him, began wondering what this could be about—after all, it was rare for the Fleet Admiral to issue personal orders.
...
Meanwhile, in the Grand Line—deep beneath the sea, in Impel Down.
Magellan, now serving as Deputy Warden, was currently accompanying Warden Columbus through an unremarkable floor of the prison.
There was nothing here. Just a dim, ordinary space.
However, a group of workers claiming to be from the Construction Division were currently using tape measures to record various dimensions. Apparently, this floor was slated to become a research institute.
"There's actually such a large space between the fifth and sixth levels, and we never knew about it?" Magellan looked around in disbelief.
Warden Columbus gave a wry smile. "I didn't know either. If CIPHER POL hadn't informed me, I probably would've gone my whole career without ever realizing that there's something like a 'Level 5.5' in this place we've lived in our entire lives."
Not far away, Senior Administrator Coulson from the Administrative Department was accompanying a researcher in a white lab coat, inspecting the area.
"Professor Fritz, following the restructuring of the Science Force, the Biochemical Research Institute will be established here. This will be the central hub for all research, experimentation, and storage of materials and products related to biochemical studies."
"If your research requires human experimentation, you can apply to the warden here to obtain criminal test subjects. Similarly, if there's any leakage of biochemical weapons, please notify them immediately. I trust Deputy Warden Magellan will handle it properly—he is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user who wields the powers of the Venom-Venom Fruit."
As he spoke, Coulson pointed in Magellan's direction. Professor Fritz nodded enthusiastically in response, repeatedly saying "Excellent, excellent, excellent."
To him, this place was the perfect secret research base—he honestly couldn't think of a safer, more hidden location, or one with a greater abundance of human test materials.
"One more thing: the first priority of the Biochemical Research Institute will be to develop a viable biochemical method to cure Amber Lead Syndrome. You'll be given access to all related data shortly. As for patients, they will be transferred here once construction is complete."