"If I ask for Smoothie and Pudding, would you give them to me in marriage? If not, then I'll settle for your blood instead. Otherwise, forget about getting your hands on those Pluton blueprints from that God Knight's hands today. Our Kiryuu Corps and Dragon's Revolutionary Army have already withdrawn, and that bastard Kaido will likely retreat after taking a beating. But once the God Knights and Akainu arrive, you and Shiki will have no choice but to flee."
Souta Kiryuu descended from the sky, his body erupting with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, slamming down toward Aokiji Kuzan. He wanted to see if he could draw blood from this man. After all, even Diamond Jozu once made Kuzan bleed at Marineford.
But Kuzan wasn't careless. The moment he saw Souta's charged strike, he had already shifted into his elemental state, transforming into ice shards and evading the devastating blow.
"Boom!"
The ground caved into a massive crater from the impact. Souta, now in his half-dragon form, didn't press the attack. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, waiting for her answer.
"I've heard your draconic powers came from Kaido. Are you after my abilities now as well?" Big Mom glared at Souta, her face twisted with disdain. Whether it was her Sweet Commander Smoothie or her three-eyed daughter Pudding, she would never hand them over to him. As for her blood—it was absolutely out of the question.
He was already far too strong: a body enhanced with rare genetics, armed with draconic abilities, and wielding fire, lightning, poison, and wind. Giving him her steel-like body or the Soul-Soul Fruit's power would only create a monster more terrifying than Kaido himself. That would block her own path to becoming Pirate King.
Still, she wanted those technologies. How did Souta gain access to such advanced science? She found herself longing to snatch his scientists away.
"Human-made Devil Fruits can only mimic Zoan types. If you won't cooperate, then so be it!"
Souta faded into invisibility, abandoning the clash with Big Mom and heading for another battlefield. He wasn't sure how long Kaido could hold off both Red-Haired Shanks and Akainu. He couldn't waste time here. As much as it pained him to forgo Linlin's steel body or Soul-Soul powers, he had to move on.
The moment he reappeared, Souta dropped into the battle between Momousagi Gion and Smoothie.
The Press-Press Fruit isn't the strongest, but it could still be useful as a strategic reserve…
With a sudden strike, he ambushed Smoothie. The towering beauty of a swordswoman was caught off guard, sent flying into the rubble by his overwhelming strength.
Momousagi immediately leapt back dozens of meters, eyes locked on Souta—the most infamous criminal alive, the man who dared kill a Celestial Dragon.
But Souta ignored the navy's female officer. He charged Smoothie again.
"Souta! You dare lay a hand on my daughter?!"
From afar, Big Mom's furious voice boomed as she saw Smoothie struck down. Torn, she cast a quick glance at Payne Saint and abandoned her chase for the blueprints to rush to her daughter's aid.
"Clang!"
From the rubble, Smoothie slashed out with her blade, the sword aura slicing through buildings like tofu. But Souta caught the blade with his Haki-wrapped dragon claws, gripping it tight.
"Relax, beauty. Just a little blood, you won't die."
His massive dragon tail wrapped around Smoothie's body, while his claw pierced her shoulder, drawing a stream of blood. Souta quickly filled a vial with it.
Before Big Mom could close the distance, he grinned, tossing Smoothie back toward her mother to stall her. In the next instant, he vanished again into invisibility.
"Souta, are you declaring war on the Big Mom Pirates?!"
Linlin caught Smoothie, her monstrous voice thundering with Conqueror's Haki, shaking the battlefield. Her children and officers all paused, wary of the lurking dragon-man.
"What a shame the Book-Book Fruit user isn't here. But your eldest son and his Candy-Candy Fruit will do nicely."
Souta lunged toward Charlotte Perospero, the eldest son, valued at 700 million berries, both a formidable fighter and Linlin's strategist.
"Damn it!"
"Candy Wall! Candy Armor!"
Perospero's tongue lolled as he screamed in fear, conjuring sturdy candy walls and covering himself in hardened candy armor imbued with Haki.
"Crack!"
Souta smashed through a candy wall with a single punch and followed with another devastating blow straight into Perospero's face. His candy armor shattered instantly, his features twisting grotesquely.
"Boom!"
"Urghhh!"
Perospero slammed back into his own candy barrier, spitting blood as his eyes rolled white.
"Perfect. Saves me from making another cut."
Souta sneered, hoisting Perospero upside down, collecting his dripping blood into another special vial.
"Souta!! I'll kill you for this!!!"
"Everyone, stop fighting! Group together!"
Big Mom, riding on Zeus, shouted furiously, rallying her children and officers to regroup to avoid being ambushed.
"I'd advise you to stop screaming threats—unless you want me to snap his neck right now!"
Souta held Perospero aloft, shifting into full dragon form as he ascended into the sky. He sneered down at Linlin, gripping tighter until Perospero's bones creaked audibly.
His Conqueror's Haki erupted in waves, matching her glare without fear.
"I only wanted a bit of your blood. With that, I could've helped you seize Pluton's designs, even formed an alliance. But you gave me no respect. If we can't be allies, then you're my enemy."
Linlin's face twisted with rage as she watched her eldest son dangling helplessly in Souta's claws. Her killing intent could no longer be contained.
"Release him!!" she roared.
"What nonsense. Your blood or your son—choose."
Souta taunted, tightening his grip. He cursed inwardly, regretting not taking Smoothie as leverage as well.
"You want to fight us to the bitter end?" Linlin's deranged glare bore into him. She had no intention of compromising. After all, she had stolen her own children's lifespans before. To her, they were never as precious as outsiders believed.
...
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