Chapter 96: Must Try
At the same time, at the junction between the port and the jungle, two men quickly ran toward the harbor.
"Boss Dur, we've struck it rich this time! This is a dragon egg. If we put it up for auction at Sabaody, it'll definitely fetch an enormous price!"
One of the young men carrying a large package said excitedly in a hushed voice.
"Keep it down, Paige. We're not out of danger yet. Let's talk once we're aboard the ship."
Dur's expression was serious.
"Yes, yes."
Paige chuckled, and a hint of ruthlessness suddenly flashed in his eyes. He suggested:
"How about we sabotage some pirate ships later and let them fight the dragon to the death? When the black dragon leaves the port, we can come back to clean up the battlefield—that's another source of income."
Dur was slightly startled and looked at Paige in surprise. This was quite devious.
But it had to be said, it was incredibly tempting!
After all, they were all pirates, and attacking each other and scheming against one another was common practice.
"Let's go all out. If the black dragon causes enough casualties, we'll completely capture this port and take everyone as slaves."
"With this victory, our bounties can rise to another level. By recruiting more crew at Sabaody, we can conquer the New World and become Pirate King!"
Dur added.
Paige was immediately impressed. "Boss is still the best!"
For a moment, the two of them seemed to see a bright future beckoning to them.
ROAAAAR!
At this moment, a deafening roar suddenly rang out from the distance, instantly sweeping in all directions and startling the entire port.
Everyone rushed outside, then looked in that direction with confusion and alarm.
Dur and Paige's expressions suddenly changed, and they quickly quickened their pace, running toward the beach.
In the shadows, watching the two quickly depart, a seemingly invisible figure in black gave a hoarse laugh. Turning its gaze toward Rhodes' direction, it whispered in a voice like a death chant:
"Slay the dragon! The moment you slay it, you'll die."
"Ending at the height of your glory—that's worthy of the billion-beri bounty."
In the barbecue courtyard.
After Rhodes and Vivi reached an understanding, they approached the grill, gazing longingly at the golden, tender, mysterious beast meat.
A unique aroma filled the air, seemingly awakening humanity's instinctive desire for food.
Gulp.
Rhodes swallowed involuntarily, his eyes widening.
Vivi wasn't much better off.
Although she was a princess who had access to the finest cuisine in the kingdom, this was proof that the same ingredients, when prepared by different chefs, could taste completely different.
While there wasn't any flashy technique involved, Yukiko seemed able to bring out the flavors of the food to their absolute peak.
Just as the meat was nearly cooked, a dragon's roar filled with anger and majesty suddenly erupted.
GROAAAAAR!
This roar from a creature at the top of the food chain startled Yukiko so much that her spatula trembled, nearly dropping the barbecue.
"Eh? Wait here for a moment."
Rhodes said, somewhat annoyed. He then lightly leaped onto the rooftop and peered into the distance.
He saw a massive black dragon approaching from afar. Its body, roughly twenty meters long, resembled a colossal fighter jet. Its scales gleamed with a cold metallic sheen. Its two horns pierced toward the heavens, and its claws glinted with a chilling light.
Its sharp, icy vertical pupils, glowing red, surveyed the human port below.
It was clearly a Western-style dragon.
It flapped its massive wings, stirring up powerful gusts that sent humans within the port stumbling and struggling to keep their footing.
Rhodes could clearly see a glint of human-like intelligence in the Western dragon's eyes. It seemed that, like the massive Sea Kings, this black dragon possessed human-level intelligence.
Suddenly, the black dragon's gaze fixed, apparently locking onto a specific direction, ready to dive down.
But as it turned out, humans never lacked those who overestimated their own abilities.
The moment the black dragon appeared, many people's minds were filled with two words:
"Dragon slaying!"
Bang, bang, bang!
For a moment, gunfire erupted frantically as countless portable cannons blasted toward the sky.
These were artillery pieces similar to bazookas in design, incredibly powerful and capable of demolishing buildings.
But their impact on the black dragon only caused it to pause slightly, failing to even leave a scratch on its scales.
"Foolish."
Rhodes sighed, then watched as the black dragon dove toward the harbor, unleashing devastating attacks without restraint. Its immensely powerful body was its most formidable weapon.
Like a living bulldozer, it shattered houses, buildings, and even the warriors eager to become dragon slayers.
"It doesn't seem particularly strong—its aura feels somewhat weak."
Rhodes observed for a moment and came to this conclusion, but he wasn't in a hurry to act.
Western dragons were still dragons. No matter which world they existed in, dragons represented ultimate power and majesty, and should never be underestimated.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and his Observation Haki, which had been active, detected a strange aura very similar to the black dragon in the distance.
Then, he spotted two figures rushing out of a nearby alley.
The package carried by one of them was the source of that aura.
"A baby dragon, or a dragon egg?"
"It should be a dragon egg."
Rhodes quickly pieced together the situation.
A dragon egg, if hatched and properly raised, would make an excellent battle companion. Becoming a legendary dragon rider would be incredibly impressive.
But...
He wondered what it would taste like.
Rhodes touched his chin thoughtfully. He had eaten chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, and ostrich eggs, but never a dragon egg.
"Hmm, I must try it."
Whoosh!
A flash of movement.
Paige, still running, suddenly felt a lightness behind him. The package containing the dragon egg had vanished.
"Who is it?!"
Paige stopped and spun around.
He saw a young man in white clothing, examining the half-meter-wide dragon egg in his hands, licking his lips as if considering how to prepare it.
"You bastard! That's my egg!"
Paige roared in fury. Before Dur could stop him, he charged forward, brandishing his greatsword with a fierce whistling sound and a surge of violent energy.
While successfully stealing a dragon egg from a dragon's lair certainly involved considerable luck and planning, both men were clearly skilled fighters.
Seeing this, Dur drew his sword and followed.
How could someone only seventeen or eighteen years old be so powerful?
"Like insects."
Rhodes ignored their attacks. With a casual wave of his hand, two silver serpents of crackling lightning energy rushed forward ferociously.
Dur and Paige didn't even have time to react before they were struck mid-charge.
Bzzzzt!
Lightning flashed, electrical arcs surged through the air.
Amidst their agonized screams, both men quickly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground, smoke rising from their bodies.
This level of opponent wasn't even worthy of Rhodes drawing his sword.
(End of Chapter)
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