Without the slightest hesitation, Rosha chose Option One and activated it immediately.
A brand-new surge of power loaded itself into his body. It was Armored Dragon Slayer Magic, a defensive attribute.
As the power of Armored Dragon Slayer Magic fused with him, Rosha felt his physical body growing tougher by the second, strengthening continuously with every passing moment.
An hour later, the loading process completed. With a thought, the system interface appeared before his eyes.
[Host: Rosha]
[Fire Dragon Slayer Magic Proficiency: 80% (Advanced). Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade unlocked. Dragon Force: undeveloped.]
[Armored Dragon Slayer Magic Proficiency: 10% (Beginner). Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Immovable Wisdom King learned at 70% proficiency. Dragon Force: undeveloped.]
"Bravo. Wonderful."
Seeing the ability panel expand from a single line to two, Rosha felt a surge of excitement well up inside him.
He clenched his right fist, flames coiling around it, and knocked it against his bare chest.
Clang.
The crisp sound of metal striking metal rang out clearly.
Although Armored Dragon Slayer Magic had only just been added and remained at the beginner level, the boost it gave Rosha was enormous. The most noticeable improvement was the sheer hardness of his body, which was only natural, as this Dragon Slayer Magic specialized in defense.
In the Fairy Tail world, this magic had belonged to Madmole, an elite of the Dragon Eaters guild Diabolos. By consuming dragon flesh, Madmole gained the defensive Armored Dragon Slayer power and became a Fifth Generation Dragon Slayer Mage.
During the Hundred Years Quest, Madmole had relied on this power to completely ignore Erza's slashes and even block Natsu's Fire Dragon King crushing blow without taking damage. That alone spoke volumes about how terrifying its defensive capabilities were.
Rosha could not help feeling an urge rise within him. He wanted to fight Kaido again and see whether, with his current physical defense, he could take Kaido's Thunder Bagua head-on.
Just as he was immersed in his joy, a sharp tearing sound suddenly came from behind him. The speed was terrifyingly fast, reaching him in an instant.
"Thunder Bagua!"
A young woman's shout rang out as a jet-black kanabo smashed into the back of Rosha's head. The tremendous force sent him flying, slamming him into the mountainside and embedding him into solid rock.
Clatter.
Fragments of stone rolled down.
Rosha stepped out from the rock face, rubbing the back of his head. He felt nothing at all.
Before gaining Armored Dragon Slayer power, taking that blow unguarded would have at least left him aching. Now, it barely registered.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
The sharp voice drew Rosha's attention.
He raised his head and looked toward the attacker standing not far away.
The ambusher wore a Hannya mask and had a tall, imposing figure. Her hair was a gradient of blue and white, and a pair of crimson oni horns curved from her head.
She wore a loose kimono with blue patterns on the upper half of her body, a purple-and-white shimenawa rope tied around her waist, and a red hakama skirt below. Wooden sandals rested on her feet.
In her hands was a jet-black kanabo, similar to Kaido's Hassaikai. Moments earlier, it had made intimate contact with the back of Rosha's head.
With a single glance, Rosha recognized her identity.
Yamato, the Oni Princess, Kaido's daughter.
"Well-known for her rebellious streak," Rosha thought to himself.
"This is what I should be asking you," Rosha replied calmly. "Why did you attack me?"
Behind the mask, Yamato's expression was solemn. Her instincts screamed that the man before her was dangerous, far more dangerous than she had imagined.
Earlier, she had sensed the terrifying aura Rosha was releasing near her home and had instinctively chosen to strike first, attacking him from behind.
Yet even with a full-powered blow, she had barely hurt him.
"Did Kaido send you to capture me?" Yamato asked after a brief silence.
"Kaido?" Rosha paused, then realized she was referring to her father.
He could not help laughing softly at the thought.
"What's so funny?" Yamato demanded sharply.
"Sorry, sorry. I just thought of something amusing," Rosha waved it off, then cleared his throat. "Yes. Kaido brought me here."
"So it really is like that." Yamato's voice hardened. "I will never surrender."
As she spoke, Yamato tightened her grip on her kanabo, A-Ken, and leapt lightly into the air.
"Hah!"
With a shout, she raised the weapon high overhead and swung it down mercilessly toward Rosha in a crushing strike from above.
Facing Yamato's full-powered attack, Rosha remained where he stood, neither dodging nor retreating.
Before gaining Armored Dragon Slayer power, he needed to evade attacks. Now that he had it, if he still dodged, then what was the point of this power?
At this moment, even if it were Kaido himself using a full Thunder Bagua, Rosha was confident he could take it head-on.
Boom.
Yamato's descending Thunder Bagua struck Rosha squarely on the forehead.
A violent shockwave exploded outward, whipping up snow into the air and shaking the surrounding mountains.
The ground beneath Rosha collapsed in three successive layers, forming a crater over ten meters wide. Cracks spread everywhere like a spiderweb.
"How is that possible…"
Seeing Rosha take her ultimate move with his head yet again, Yamato's pupils trembled. She was utterly stunned.
With her current strength, there were fewer than three people on this island who could take that attack without injury.
Even Jack, who had been promoted to one of the Three Calamities only months ago, had once been knocked flat by her strike, blood streaming from his head.
Yet this man, after being hit twice with her full power, was not even scratched.
What on earth was his head made of?
"Is that all you've got?" Rosha rubbed his slightly tingling forehead. "Did you skip meals or something?"
Yamato's face flushed beneath the mask. After a moment, she nodded. "Yeah. I haven't eaten in days."
As if to prove her point, her stomach let out a long, unmistakable growl.
"No wonder your hits lack force. Wait here." With that, Rosha turned and strode toward the coast.
Yamato frowned slightly. Logic told her that she was no match for Rosha and that she should take this chance to escape and relocate.
But in the end, curiosity won out over reason. Rosha was completely different from anyone Kaido had sent after her before. She decided to follow and see what he was planning.
Before long, Rosha and Yamato arrived one after the other at the rear coastline of Onigashima.
Unlike the calm waters at the front, the sea here churned violently, massive whirlpools forming everywhere.
Even so, compared to the stormy seas around Tenrou Island, this was nothing special. With that thought, Rosha dove straight into the swirling waters.
Ten minutes later, amid Yamato's startled cry, Rosha burst out from the center of a whirlpool, several enormous salmon clutched in his hands.
He returned to shore, uprooted a tree with ease, snapped it into sections, and then spat out a burst of flame to ignite it.
The scene completely stunned the white-haired girl in the distance.
Rosha could freely enter the sea to catch fish, which meant he was not a Devil Fruit user. But what ordinary human could breathe fire?
While Yamato was still frozen in shock, Rosha had already cleaned a three-meter-long salmon and set it over the flames to roast. Just as he prepared to handle the second fish, Yamato suddenly shouted.
"Wait. Hold on. You cannot grill it. Salmon should be eaten whole and raw. Sashimi is the only proper way to eat salmon."
Her voice was filled with urgency.
…