Boom!
A blinding crimson ray erupted from the Tyrannosaurus rex's mouth in an instant!
The entire field of vision was instantly filled with red, and a terrifying high temperature rushed forward. Wherever the ray passed, the air instantly distorted and evaporated.
Xiano hadn't expected this at all.
With his hands still gripping the dragon's tail, he had no time to dodge. Instead, he directly raised the tail to block, while Armament Haki instantly covered his entire arms.
Sizzle—!
The crimson ray struck the dragon's tail, causing the scales to instantly carbonize and crack, revealing the vertebrae inside. A charred smell accompanied by billowing white smoke spread everywhere.
"Roar!"
The Tyrannosaurus rex roared in pain, its thick tail thrashing and struggling wildly.
Meanwhile, Xiano's arms were also sizzling from the residual heat. Although Armament Haki blocked most of the damage, his arms were still scorched red and glowing.
So hot!
Xiano winced in pain, glancing at his arms, where large patches of skin had peeled off like paint.
This feeling was all too familiar.
The temperature and lethality of Hanafuda's attack were actually comparable to Akainu's Magma Blast at close range!
Wait, is this even fair?
You're a Tyrannosaurus rex—how can you breathe fire?!
If he hadn't reacted quickly and used the tail to block most of the damage, his arms would have been reduced to bare bones by now, with the flesh almost completely melted!
"You like breathing fire, huh?!"
Xiano was furious. The veins on his arms bulged as he continued to firmly grip the dragon's tail, no matter how hard Hanafuda struggled.
In the next moment, Xiano exerted his strength, lifting the entire Tyrannosaurus rex overhead. Instead of slamming it back and forth, he began spinning it in the air like a helicopter's rotor blade—
He could clearly feel it.
After unleashing that ray, Hanafuda's aura had weakened significantly. And now, under the torment of rapid spinning, it was visibly deteriorating even further.
Whoosh!
The speed of rotation increased rapidly, surpassing a hundred spins in an instant.
Hanafuda's furious roars gradually turned into intermittent wails amidst the high-speed spinning. Its already battered tail was now on the verge of being torn off by Xiano.
"Go up!"
Boom!!!
The Tyrannosaurus rex was suddenly released. Under the combined forces of centrifugal force and inertia, its massive body, as large as a hill, was flung high into the air!
Fifty meters, a hundred meters—the height kept increasing—
Xiano glanced upward.
Then, in the next moment, he slightly bent his knees, causing the ground to explode as he shot into the air like a Cannonball!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In a few flashes, his figure instantly caught up to the Tyrannosaurus rex above. His right leg was raised high, and pitch-black Armament Haki surged from his ankle, instantly covering his entire calf.
"You like breathing fire? Then why don't you do it again?"
Xiano sneered as he bent his knees and descended, his right leg descending like a battle axe!
"Storm Leg·Ripple Meteor!"
Boom—!!!
The kick landed heavily on the Tyrannosaurus rex's abdomen, and a visible ring of shockwaves exploded outward.
The scales on the Tyrannosaurus rex's chest and abdomen instantly caved in and shattered, and its internal organs were nearly displaced by the terrifying impact.
Hanafuda's eyes turned blood red from the pain. It suddenly twisted its head to bite, but Xiano blocked it with Iron Body. The sharp teeth scraped against his Armament Haki-covered shoulder, producing a shower of sparks.
"No strength to breathe fire, but still enough to bite, huh?!"
Xiano's smile grew increasingly ferocious. "But such tactics can no longer threaten me!"
It was time!
He pulled his right fist back, and a terrifying aura swirled and gathered around it. The muscles in his entire arm bulged and expanded, veins protruding like coiled serpents.
The final strike!
"Elbaf's Spear—"
Hearing the sudden low shout beside his ear, Hanafuda looked up in disbelief.
No way!
This guy… how could he know this move, just like Big Brother Kaido?!!!
"Might Nation!!!"
Boom!
Hanafuda had no time to react. The surging force of the punch was already unleashed entirely toward his abdomen.
"Roar!!!"
Amid the piercing scream, the Tyrannosaurus's limbs went limp, and its body plummeted downward at a speed faster than it had risen.
Boom—!!!
The massive body of the Tyrannosaurus crashed into the desert like a meteor, the terrifying impact instantly sending a tidal wave of sand into the air.
The entire desert seemed to explode like a small mushroom cloud, the violent shockwave spreading in a ring, with yellow sand surging skyward, blotting out the sun.
Whoosh!
The sand within a radius of several kilometers collapsed wildly, forming a giant crater hundreds of meters in diameter. The sand at the edges cascaded inward like a waterfall.
At the center of the crater, scorching heat continuously rose, distorting the air. As the dust settled, the Tyrannosaurus's body had reverted to its human form.
Hanafuda, covered in blood, lay sprawled at the center of the crater.
His chest was deeply caved in, his arms twisted at unnatural angles, and he continued to vomit blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.
"Cough… cough…"
After a long while, Hanafuda mustered all his strength to barely lift his upper body.
In his blurred vision, a tall figure was walking toward him, stepping over the waves of sand, looking down at him from above.
"You see, I said I wanted to end this, so it should have ended. You just wouldn't believe me."
Hanafuda strained to open his eyes, finally getting a clear look at the other person.
The black-haired youth, now drenched in blood, his arms burned and torn by the intense heat, exuded an even more ferocious aura than at the start of the battle.
Those pitch-black eyes still burned with a fighting spirit that sent shivers down his spine.
Clearly, the other still had a last reserve of strength.
In other words.
Whether it was strength, speed, martial arts skill… or even the physical prowess he prided himself on, the other was superior to him in every way.
"I'm outmatched…"
Hanafuda completely gave up any last resistance, lying back down with a bitter laugh:
"Today's just my unlucky day. I picked a fine day to come to Alabasta to settle debts, only to run into a monster like you… Forget it, no point in talking. Just get it over with."
"Don't worry, I'll make it quick."
Xiano said solemnly.
"Thanks."
Hanafuda grinned, closed his eyes, and quietly awaited his death.
Xiano drew the katana from his back, stepped forward, his expression calm.
This was the charm of the sea.
Those who roamed here, regardless of their allegiance, whether noble or vile, steadfast or destructive.
Those who had made a name for themselves, who considered themselves heroes, when faced with the fate of death, all had a bit of pride and backbone, having long prepared themselves for this moment.
Of course, occasionally, there were a few shameless exceptions.
But Hanafuda, clearly, was not among them.
...…
A few minutes later.
Xiano, covered in blood, stepped out of the sand pit and arrived at the riverbank.
The entire Sandora River was eerily quiet.
Whether it was the residents of the oasis city on the opposite bank or the sailors and merchants on the merchant ships, all of them were wide-eyed, staring intently at the figure of the black-haired youth.
"Did… did he win?"
Someone stammered.
The next second—
"He won!!!"
The entire riverbank erupted in deafening cheers!
"He's so strong! That was a former Warlord of the Sea with a bounty of 500 million Berries! And he was defeated so quickly!"
"Hanafuda is dead! The Hanafuda Pirates are finished! We're saved!"
"Lord Xiano! Lord Xiano!"
The sailors on the merchant ships waved their hats excitedly, and some even knelt on the deck, kowtowing heavily toward the riverbank.
"Thank you! Thank you for saving us!"
"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to escape. We would have all died here!"
"Long live the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates!"
"Idiot! Didn't you hear Lord Xiano say it himself earlier? It's the Adventure Crew!"
"Oh, right, right! Long live the Falling Stars Adventure Crew!!!"
The cheers swept across the riverbank like a tidal wave, and some even jumped into the river, swimming desperately toward the shore, hoping to get a closer look at the young hero.
However, not everyone reacted this way.
On the opposite side of the riverbank, Xiano clearly noticed.
Many of the local residents of Alabasta still looked at him with wariness and fear, and even a hint of hatred.
He had just defeated Hanafuda, who was about to go on a killing spree, and saved them, yet this was their reaction?
Xiano shrugged, having expected this.
After all, this was Alabasta, the nation where the last national hero, Crocodile, had recently died at his hands.
Crocodile had been active in Alabasta for many years, actively hunting pirates and building a good reputation. Naturally, he had his loyal followers among the locals.
And the scene of his battle with Hanafuda, in the eyes of these people, was probably just seen as a case of bad guys fighting each other.
Xiano didn't mind this.
This was the result of the people being deceived and manipulated by the mastermind behind the scenes. The truth would eventually come to light.
No.
To be precise, the day of truth seemed to be today.
As if sensing something, he turned his head to the left.
There, on the riverbank, besides his own companions, another group of people had been waiting for him.
The blue-haired girl at the front looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old, staring unblinkingly in his direction. When she saw him look over, she immediately became excited, waving her arms frantically:
"Lord Xiano, over here, over here!"
Vivi?
Xiano raised an eyebrow slightly. Earlier, Hanafuda had been shouting so loudly that everyone on the riverbank had heard him clearly, so he already knew that Vivi would be coming on behalf of the royal family.
However, her reaction… seemed a bit strange.
This was their first meeting, wasn't it?
Why did she act like a starstruck fan finally meeting her idol?
——————
Xiano's confusion was soon answered.
After the two parties met and briefly introduced themselves, Vivi immediately latched onto him.
She popped up from the left one moment, then blocked his path from the right the next, bombarding him with endless questions.
"Lord Xiano! You're so young, only a few years older than me! Can I call you big brother?"
"Big Brother Xiano, how are you so strong? You can even toss around a T-Rex like it's nothing, that's amazing!"
"Big Brother Xiano, what should I do to become as strong as you? Can you teach me?"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't walk so fast, Big Brother Xiano! You haven't answered my questions yet!"
"..."
Xiano was getting a headache from the little chatterbox. He'd rather fight Hanafuda again than endure this kind of torment.
He couldn't help but turn to the captain of the royal guard who was accompanying them.
"Uh, sir, your name is Igaram, right? Is your princess always like this?"
"Well, no, Lord Xiano..."
Igaram wiped his sweat and chuckled awkwardly, "Although Princess Vivi is still young, she's usually very mature, strong, and responsible. This time, when the king fell ill, she knew the dangers but still took it upon herself to shoulder the mission..."
"Then why..."
"Perhaps it's because the princess was too worried along the way, fearing that the people near the port might have already fallen victim to Hanafuda."
Igaram shrugged, "However, after arriving with extreme tension, what she saw was the scene of Hanafuda being completely subdued by you..."
"So, her tightly wound body suddenly relaxed, and she instinctively turned her relief into admiration and respect for you."
Igaram understood his princess's feelings well.
In fact, he had gone through a similar emotional journey.
Compared to Princess Vivi, who hadn't been exposed to much outside information, he had long heard about the terrifying reputation of Hanafuda, one of the Warlords of the Sea.
That was someone who had made a fearsome name for himself even in the New World, and yet?
When they arrived here, filled with anxiety, they saw the massive and terrifying T-Rex on the other side of the river being tossed around like a toy, almost completely defenseless.
In no time at all, it was utterly defeated.
The crisis looming over the country had vanished into thin air.
And the one who accomplished this was a young man who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, with a handsome and refined appearance.
After witnessing such a shocking scene, who wouldn't feel a sense of awe and admiration?
Even a middle-aged man like him couldn't suppress his excitement and felt like clearing his throat to sing a song in praise!
"La, la, la—"
Listening to the deep tenor voice beside him, Xiano's headache worsened, and he couldn't help but rub his temples.
Right, he almost forgot that this uncle was an opera enthusiast, the kind who couldn't go a day without singing a few lines even when he was undercover in Baroque Works in the original timeline.
However, after Igaram's explanation, he more or less understood.
Vivi was still young, and under the continuous fluctuations of her emotions, she was easily influenced by the hero worship effect, the suspension bridge effect, the Tyndall effect, the Pythagorean theorem, or whatever.
In the end, the moment she saw him, she turned into this starry-eyed fangirl.
"Speaking of which, you all are quite bold, aren't you? To approach me actively for such a reason?"
Xiano shook his head, "Don't forget, I'm also a Pirate with a bounty of 540 million Berries. Your national hero, Crocodile, was also killed by me."
"Someone like you, who has defeated a Warlord of the Sea twice in a row, possesses immense strength. If you truly harbored any ill intentions toward our country, no matter how much we guarded against it, what would it matter?"
Igaram stopped clearing his throat and spoke solemnly:
"Moreover, after this interaction and conversation, your words and actions, your way of handling things, have proven that our judgment was correct, haven't they?"
"You, who are willing to step in and help when you see injustice, who saved so many merchant ships and local residents in one go, are definitely not the kind of vicious villain described in the newspapers!"
"Rather than trembling in fear and being on guard, it's better to speak openly and treat each other with sincerity. This is the way of hospitality that we, the people of Alabasta who grew up in the desert, believe in!"
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