The Shikon Jewel—King Riku knew it would bring bloodshed across the seas, but he didn't expect it to reach Dressrosa so soon.
"No, I can sense it. The shard is here. You can't fool me!"
Little Demon Dragon lifted off his black hood, showing his frightening face. He stretched out his fingers, and a massive fireball appeared in his palm.
After fusing with the jewel shards, his flames had grown far stronger—no longer just the small sparks from the anime that could barely burn wood. The huge fireball in his hand now was enough to make everyone in the palace nervous.
Could the enemy be a Logia-type Devil Fruit user? But his form looked more like a Zoan. And earlier, he said he was…
A demon?
"If you insist on causing trouble, then Dressrosa won't just let you do as you like!" King Riku shouted. He could feel Little Demon Dragon's power, but if the demon wanted to rule the country with force, then he would have to walk over their corpses first!
The jewel shards—he had heard of them, but truly didn't have one. Since the enemy demanded it, there was nothing they could do. But as king, he could not humble himself further. To bow to some unknown monster would shame the nation beyond repair.
"You still don't understand what you're facing." Little Demon Dragon sneered, then hurled the massive fireball forward. At the same time, the guards opened fire, and sword-wielding men charged at him.
Boom!
The fireball blasted the guards back and exploded against the floor behind them. Flames spread wildly, and in the blink of an eye the whole palace became a sea of fire.
"Stop!"
This time it was King Riku himself who rushed forward, long sword in hand. Compared to his guards, he was indeed a capable fighter, but nothing more.
A royal might train hard, but without countless life-or-death battles like pirates, they could never grow strong quickly. Training alone couldn't compare—like how Luffy's two years of practice wasn't the same as fighting Kaido head-on.
Only battles on the edge of life and death could forge real strength. Royals rarely experienced that, so they were never truly powerful. At least now, King Riku's sword swing was easily dodged by Little Demon Dragon.
He wasn't as fast as with the Rabbit Talisman, but since he shared the same origin as Shendu, the shards pushed his growth. One day, he might fully awaken into Shendu himself—without needing magic energy or talismans, only his own evolution.
Gunshots filled the palace, but Little Demon Dragon's body was too fast to track. Flames poured from his mouth again, making the inferno burn hotter. King Riku swung once more, but before his blade could fall, Little Demon Dragon grabbed his throat and lifted him into the air.
"Stop! Let go of Father!"
"Release the King!"
The people cried out in fury, but none dared to act rashly. More rushed in from outside, but no one attacked—King Riku's life hung in Little Demon Dragon's grasp.
"Well then… I'll give you one last chance. Tell me where the shard is, and I'll spare you and your country. Otherwise, I'll kill you, and turn this entire nation into your grave."
King Riku's heart trembled. He hadn't expected himself and his guards to be defeated so quickly. His only hope now was the Marines stationed in Dressrosa—that they would notice the fire and send reinforcements.
"I truly don't have the shard. If I did, I would've already given it to the World Government to offset the Heavenly Tribute. This kingdom is poor—if a shard could replace the tribute, I wouldn't hesitate."
Gripped tightly in Little Demon Dragon's hand, the king met his eyes. Under the crushing pressure, he finally said, "If you don't believe me, search wherever you want. I'll take you anywhere."
"Hm?" Little Demon Dragon frowned. With a sudden motion, he flung King Riku aside. The impact smashed a dent into a pillar.
"Your Majesty!"
The crowd roared, but before they could fire, a sharp sound split the air. A figure shot forward like lightning, weaving through the guards, and punched straight at Little Demon Dragon!
Little Demon Dragon's pupils shrank. He quickly crossed his arms to block. The blow slammed into him, driving his feet across the palace floor and carving two long grooves. He crashed into a pillar near the king, smashing it to rubble.
"You… who are you supposed to be?"
Boom…
Amid the rubble of the fallen pillars, flames were still burning. Suddenly, a hand shot out, and the body of the Demon Little Demon Dragon leapt free. He stood once more inside the palace, his stance a bit lowered, blood still on his face—he was clearly injured.
But his face remained vicious. He glared at the man who had suddenly appeared in the palace, wearing a Marine coat, with purple hair. It was none other than Marine Admiral Zephyr!
"That's what I should be asking you. To think you'd dare attack a World Government member nation—come with me." Zephyr cracked his neck as he looked at the Demon Little Demon Dragon. His heart skipped. A being that clearly wasn't human—he'd seen something like this before, the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Still, he couldn't be sure what exactly this thing was. Maybe it was just someone with a Zoan Devil Fruit. Either way, the most important thing was to capture him.
"That shard of the Shikon Jewel… it's on you, isn't it?" Flames burst out from the Demon Little Demon Dragon's body as he stared at Zephyr. He had to admit, this body's strength was still lacking compared to the top fighters.
Even an admiral couldn't easily one-shot someone worth four or five hundred million. Garp had to use tricks to beat Walden, and even against Chinjao he had to train his fists on a mountain beforehand. Still, Zephyr's punch earlier had left him badly hurt.
But thanks to the shard's self-healing power, his wounds quickly recovered.
"Shikon Jewel shard?"
Zephyr frowned, about to ask more, when the Demon Little Demon Dragon suddenly turned and bolted outside. The flames on his body spread out, sweeping toward the surrounding crowd.
"Next time we meet, until this country hands over the Shikon Jewel, I'll be watching you all!"
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