Dunn was doing something that no ordinary human could ever hope to imitate.
The flames erupting from his body had completely ignited the bird's nest beneath his feet. The dry wood, withered grass, and massive feathers served as the perfect accelerant.
In mere moments, the fire surged across the entire structure. Perched at the very peak of the colossal tree, the burning nest looked like a gargantuan torch lighting up the sky.
Standing in the center of the inferno, Dunn didn't feel the slightest bit of heat. Instead, he felt incredibly comfortable—as if he were soaking in a hot spring, a gentle warmth permeating his entire being.
Having just obtained this transcendent power, Dunn truly wanted to stay and study the limits of the Flame-Flame Fruit. However, he knew all too well that now was not the time. He needed to get down to the ground before he could start pondering the intricacies of his new abilities.
Still, a thought crossed his mind: if he relied solely on the fruit's power, he might end up like Ace.
Though Ace had become a world-renowned powerhouse, his over-reliance on the fruit at the expense of developing Haki made him seem weak in the eyes of some—or perhaps he had simply been a victim of the "power creep" in later chapters.
Fruit abilities, Haki, swordsmanship, and physical conditioning... if I get the chance, I must improve them all, Dunn thought as he stood amidst the roaring flames.
Haki, in particular, was essential. You didn't have to be the best at it, but you absolutely had to know how to use it. He just didn't know if a transmigrator like himself could learn such a technique.
After all, he wasn't a native of this world. If he couldn't learn it, his only option might be to find a quiet spot in one of the four seas and live a low-profile life.
His thoughts were a mess of possibilities until a sharp crack rang out. Suddenly, a mouth-watering aroma wafted through the air, cutting clearly through the acrid scent of burning debris.
Instinctively, Dunn took a step forward. The raging fire began to pull back, converging toward him, as his gaze fell upon the three eggs in the center of the nest.
The blue shells were charred black, and one had burst open from the heat, revealing a perfectly roasted, golden-brown egg white inside.
The tempting fragrance tickled his nose, making Dunn swallow hard. He hadn't eaten anything since arriving in this world except for the Devil Fruit, and while he had consumed the whole thing, it had seemingly dissolved into energy the moment it hit his stomach. To put it simply, it didn't satisfy hunger.
He walked over to the charred, burst egg, peeled back a piece of the blackened shell, and scooped out a chunk of the egg white—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
With just one bite, Dunn felt that nothing he had ever eaten in his previous life could compare. Considering the foul taste of the Devil Fruit he had just endured, this was pure bliss. An indescribable sense of happiness welled up in his heart.
There's nothing like a good meal when you're starving, he thought.
However, before he could take another bite, a shrill, piercing bird cry echoed from the distance. His body jolted, and he whipped his head toward the source of the sound.
A giant bird with vibrant, multicolored plumage was streaking toward him, its wings spread wide as it let out one mournful shriek after another.
Crap!
He had burned down its house and cooked its children. What kind of reaction was he expecting?
Instinctively, Dunn looked for a place to hide, but the giant bird was too fast. In just a few breaths, it arrived above the nest like a supersonic fighter jet, bringing with it a terrifying roar of wind.
Dunn looked up. The bird's plumage was breathtakingly beautiful, but as it spread its wings over the nest, it felt like it was blotting out the sun. Its head looked like a dinosaur's skull fitted with a sharp beak.
BOOM!
The giant bird slammed down into the nest, seemingly indifferent to the fact that it was still on fire. Its massive eyes were filled with pure, unadulterated rage as it locked onto Dunn, who was still holding a piece of egg white in his hand.
I'm dead, was Dunn's first thought.
Man, that thing is weird looking, was his second.
The bird's design definitely challenged his common sense, but then he remembered—this was the world of One Piece.
Oh, right. Never mind then.
Even under the murderous glare of the giant bird, Dunn couldn't help but let his mind wander. Humans really were the type to not realize the gravity of a situation until the coffin was in sight.
ROAR!
The giant bird opened its maw and shrieked at Dunn. A blast of wind reeking of fish slammed into him. Before he could even react to the stench, the embers of the nest caught the wind and exploded into a fresh inferno.
The giant bird was startled by the sudden surge of flames, but that only fueled its fury. Its long neck whipped around like a massive flail, and its head slammed down onto the nest with the force of a wrecking ball.
"Whoa—Holy sh—!"
Dunn hadn't expected the bird to be this reckless. Don't you want your kids back?! Even if they are medium-rare?
Dunn and the entire nest were sent flying. The nest disintegrated in mid-air, scattering a hoard of glittering, golden objects in every direction.
FWOOSH!
Flames erupted around Dunn, igniting the falling branches and debris surrounding him. In an instant, a massive fireball over ten meters in diameter formed in the sky.
The giant bird, having destroyed its own home, spread its wings and dove through the wind, slamming into the fireball. The sphere of flame shattered upon impact, exploding into a shower of sparks like a massive firework display.
Behind the bird, Dunn's body reformed. He drifted in the air, feeling his stamina begin to drain. As he suspected, reforming his body after elementalization consumed physical energy. He could feel it clearly after the bird had smashed his fireball form to pieces.
How do I kill this thing?
It was a fight to the death now; only one of them was walking away from this. But killing a behemoth of this scale was no easy task.
Just as the thought formed, a massive beak lined with countless jagged teeth lunged at him.
Oh, right. Birds can turn their necks all the way around.
That was Dunn's final thought before he was swallowed whole.
BOOM!
The moment it swallowed Dunn, fire erupted from the bird's mouth like a localized explosion. Its throat became a literal flamethrower.
The giant bird let out a piteous wail as it plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground and thrashing in agony.
As it rolled, the flames clinging to its body set everything in the vicinity ablaze.
"Men, do you see that? There must be treasure over there!"
Not far from the burning island, a pirate ship was charging toward the shore. A pirate brandishing a cutlass stood at the bow, shouting with excitement.
"YEAH!" the crew roared in response.
They had seen the massive "torch" ignite on the island from miles away, followed by the explosion of fire and countless golden glints falling through the air like rain under the sunlight.
It had to be treasure. Why else would anyone go to sea as a pirate?
Driven by greed and a total lack of fear, the pirates raced toward the island. None of them had noticed the enraged giant bird flying back earlier.
As the ship neared the coast, the pirates were instantly mesmerized by the countless golden reflections scattered across the beach.
Treasure!
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