Chapter 73: Phantom Beast Species, Azure Dragon, A Hasty Encounter

“Dragon, do you think you can stop this?” With a devilish grin, Xuan Ye was wreathed in flames, his entire body ablaze. In an instant, the sky changed—wind and cloud churned as a surge of fire rapidly swelled.

“Infinite Arrows.”

He twisted, spinning with the fire streaming from him like a torrent. Though Dragon moved to intercept, Xuan Ye withdrew, and the entire sky roared in upheaval. Endless blades, spears, swords, and halberds streaked through the heavens like a meteor shower, dazzling as they passed.

“Ivan, get out of here.” Dragon’s expression shifted as he barked a quick warning. Then, a surge of immense power erupted from him. In a heartbeat, the skies darkened, thunder rolled, lightning slashed—the onset of a storm, casting the world into chaos.

Blue light shimmered in the gloom. A creature clad in azure scales, crowned with a pair of mystical antlers, and bearing five razor-sharp claws stood upright like a man. White vapor curled from its maw as it lashed the earth with its massive tail.

“Rain.”

With that single word, the heavens convulsed. Black clouds blotted out the light, and countless raindrops, each as large as a barrel, plummeted like meteors.

“How interesting.” Xuan Ye hovered in the sky, gazing down at the blue-scaled humanoid dragon. With a flick of his finger, countless blades and weapons twisted and rose from the ground, whirling upward.

The air surged, thunder and lightning split the darkness, and golden rays pierced the clouds, painting the earth in a riot of color and brilliance.

In a flash, the blue light faded. Dragon floated in midair, locking eyes with Xuan Ye in equal measure.

“So, you truly possess a Mythical Zoan power,” Xuan Ye said, his gaze sharpening as he studied the drifting Dragon. For before him stood a being plucked straight from legend: the Azure Dragon.

“You’re right. I consumed the Zoan-type, Mythical Azure Dragon Fruit. But you’re no slouch yourself.” Dragon’s massive eyes betrayed no emotion as he continued, “Rumor has it you ate the Zoan-type, Ancient Firebird Fruit. But I don’t believe that. If I’m not mistaken, you’re a Mythical Zoan as well!”

Xuan Ye merely smiled wickedly, spreading his hands. “Don’t you find this world fascinating?” he asked Dragon.

Dragon frowned, puzzled.

“In my homeland, firebirds are especially fond of devouring dragons. So tell me—should I eat you?” Xuan Ye’s voice grew colder with every word, hardening into ice.

“Is that so? Then show me what arrogance the Navy’s top Skybird is truly made of!” Dragon’s fury finally boiled over; his patience with Xuan Ye had reached its end.

“No, no. When I entered the Academy, there was another monster—the one called Monkey D. Dragon.”

“What an honor.” Dragon’s eyes frosted over as he became a streak of blue light, closing the distance in a blink.

“And that’s why, today, I’ll grant you the honor of death.” Xuan Ye erupted, becoming a streak of flame and vanishing from sight.

With a thunderous crash, two claws—one pitch-black, one burning with blue light and the other with golden red—collided like two worlds in violent opposition.

Dragon’s brow furrowed; a supreme will burst from him, tearing through the clouds and sweeping away the storm with overwhelming force.

“Dragon, your Conqueror’s Haki is truly terrifying.” Xuan Ye’s eyes shone like twin suns, sparks dancing in their depths. From him too surged a dreadful will, so intense that the very sky split in two, thunder and lightning ripping the heavens asunder.

Dark red lightning coiled visibly around them. Waves of energy rippled from their feet, and the air above was never free from chaos.

“How can this be? Who is that man? He’s actually resisting Dragon’s Conqueror’s Haki!” Ivan stood on the ground, watching the apocalyptic sky with terror etched across his face. As he glanced at the devilish man, a cold shiver of fear ran through him.

Suddenly, Ivan was sent rolling, carving a long trench in the earth before collapsing amidst shattered stone.

“Chii chii… Enemy.” Clad in gold, glowing with a metallic sheen, a skinny monkey stood where Ivan had just been, its eyes glinting with savagery.

Rubble tumbled as Ivan spat blood, pain flickering across his face. Xuan Ye’s earlier blow had nearly crippled him—now, the monkey’s attack left his insides in chaos.

A violent aura crashed toward him; Ivan tensed, rolling instinctively as a furry foot slammed into the ground, leaving a spiderweb crater.

Quickly scrambling to his feet and wiping blood from his lips, Ivan stared in disbelief. His attacker was a monkey—a golden monkey—yet the beast’s savage presence was as oppressive as some ancient monster, unsettling his very soul.

The monkey vanished in a blur; in the next instant, a jet-black fist tore through the air, and even before it landed, Ivan could feel his face twisting from the force.

“This is too much!” Having been bullied by Xuan Ye and now suppressed by a monkey, Ivan’s fury only grew.

Without hesitation, in the blink of an eye, he gritted his teeth, raised his fists, and armored them with Haki, determined to meet the monkey’s attack head-on.

Even a clay figure has a temper, let alone the King of Kamabakka.

Explosions echoed as man and monkey clashed like wild beasts, locked in brutal combat.

Suddenly, golden light flared. Three heads, six arms—before Ivan could defend himself, he took two punches and a kick, his body shooting through the air like a meteor before he crashed back down, vomiting blood.

Lying on the ground, he struggled to rise, his mind in chaos as he stared at the bizarre creature charging him. For a moment, he could hardly believe his eyes.

“What is this monster? Three heads, six arms?”

He was battered from all directions, forced into a desperate defense. In mere moments, Ivan became like a lone boat on a stormy sea, battered and nearly capsized by the monkey’s relentless onslaught.

Above, the two Conqueror’s Hakis—one red, one blue—intertwined and clashed, the very air torn asunder, always merging and dividing.

Each blow landed with savage force. Their Conqueror’s, Armament, and Observation Hakis all operating at peak speed; their monstrous defenses and attacks made them resemble primordial beasts, flesh and blood flying, the battle soaked in gore.

Blood filled Xuan Ye’s eyes as he coughed up more, clutching at the blue five-clawed wound in his stomach before lashing out with a powerful kick.

The dull thud was deafening, as if striking solid diamond.

Dragon staggered back, his face flushed. Though he held the advantage, Xuan Ye proved a formidable foe indeed.

Sensing movement below, Dragon spread his hands, gathering energy before him. He opened his jaws and unleashed a torrent of blue dragon breath.

“Dragon’s Breath!”

Blue radiance shimmered, beautiful and deadly, annihilating everything in its path as it surged toward Xuan Ye.

Drawing a deep breath, feeling the pain within his body, Xuan Ye brought his hands together and then apart. A tiny flame appeared between them, growing larger and larger until it was a pillar of gold and white.

“Nether Flame Bloom.”

A meter-wide column of golden-white fire erupted, cutting the sky like a beam of celestial light, its searing heat incinerating all it touched.

The sky blazed blue and red, thunder roaring, as a pitch-black storm spread from horizon to horizon, laying waste to everything and plunging the world into darkness.

On the ground, the monkey was sent flying with a wail, as a bloodstained blue monster appeared, clutching Kuma, beside Ivan. It then shot into the sky and vanished over the horizon in a blink.

“Skybird, until we meet again. Next time, I hope the Revolutionary Army can lend you a hand.”

The monkey screeched in fury, eager to give chase.

“Don’t go after them. We need to leave—this island won’t last much longer.” Xuan Ye’s steps were heavy, his face bloodless and his breath weak as he stopped the monkey. His wounds were too severe; if not for the powerful recovery of his Zoan fruit, he would have collapsed long ago.

There was no doubt—had Dragon truly fought to kill, Xuan Ye would have died. But Dragon would have paid dearly: left at death’s door, with Ivan and Kuma also perishing. The monkey’s strength was formidable, and with Xuan Ye’s desperate counterattack, both sides could have been destroyed.

“Chii chii… One day I’ll make him pay.” The monkey, unwilling, could only help Xuan Ye from the crumbling island.

This time, it was all for nothing—their hands empty, their bodies battered. Even with Xuan Ye’s recovery, he would need five or six days to regain half his strength.

Yet Xuan Ye did not feel utterly defeated. Only he knew what he had gained from this encounter. It might not be clear now, but in the days to come, he would never regret what he did today.

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On the forums, it’s said that Dragon’s fruit is one of two: the Logia Wind-Wind Fruit or the Zoan-type, Mythical Azure Dragon Fruit. Perhaps there are others as well, but for this story, let’s say it’s the Azure Dragon Fruit.