East Blue, Land of Many Talents

Although he had long known that the technology tree in the pirate world was a complete mess, he still could not help wondering how something like this was powered. There were no buttons at all, yet the crab device on Jango's back could move on its own!

Ling Donglai caught the crab claw attack barehanded. With a slight exertion of force, he snapped off the pair of claws, then dodged Jango's ordinary attacks.

Ling Donglai curiously examined the enormous crab claw in his hand. The broken section contained intricate mechanical components. This thing really was a machine.

"Damn it! You've actually got some skill. No wonder you dared come looking for trouble with me, Jango!"

Jango took several steps back. It was the first time he had seen someone snap those enormous crab claws apart with their bare hands. But it did not matter—he still had ranged weapons!

Three pairs of crab legs extended from Jango's back, each ending in a round opening.

Bang!

The three pairs of crab legs instantly sprayed pale pink, strange mucus at Ling Donglai. Since Ling Donglai could even catch bullets, he naturally dodged with ease.

When he looked up again, Jango had already run far away.

"Boss, why are you running? Can't you beat him?" the other pirate grunts asked their captain, scratching their heads.

"Stop him, you useless trash!" Jango grabbed the pirate who had struck a sore spot and hurled him straight at Ling Donglai.

"Bastard! I, Jango, am a pirate bound for the Grand Line. How could I possibly lose here? I haven't lost yet!" Jango ran toward the base cave with all his strength.

"Too weak." Compared with Arlong, who had been a punching bag, these people could not even withstand the force of one of his punches.

A dense mass of pirates rushed forward. Ling Donglai did not dare be careless either. If he actually got slashed, who knew whether he would get tetanus or something.

He directly activated Current Drive. In an instant, his hair shot straight upward, taking on a Super Saiyan hairstyle. Electricity coursed through him, and the visual effects were maxed out.

With just a touch, the pirates were sent flying as though they had been struck by galloping warhorses, crashing into and knocking down others behind them.

After Ling Donglai, wrapped in electricity from head to toe, had knocked down only half of them, the remaining pirates hurriedly scattered like birds and beasts.

Their boss had already run, and so many of them still could not beat him. Why would they not run?

Even in ancient armies, losing half their numbers would shatter morale, much less these disorganized pirates.

As soon as he entered the pirate base's cave, Ling Donglai saw many villagers who had been dragged here for hard labor staring at him blankly, while others were locked in cages.

"So they had the villagers build a large ship. They have not even finished the keel yet. It seems this ship is meant to be sturdy and practical enough to sail into the Grand Line."

After glancing at the work in the villagers' hands, Ling Donglai understood.

Jango said, "Kuhahahaha! I didn't expect you to dare chase me here. Anyone who gets in the way of my journey to the Grand Line must die!"

Standing in the cave that led out of the island, he let out a whistle, and the ground began to shake violently.

A gigantic sea beast—the Sea Dragon Ling Donglai had seen before—rose to the surface in response to the summons.

That Sea Dragon had actually been tamed by Jango. It seemed Jango's pirate ship was designed to be pulled by sea beasts. No wonder its construction was so slow, with only half the keel completed.

"You think that Sea Dragon can stand against me?" Ling Donglai sneered, then drew the revolver at his waist and repeatedly fired at Jango. After emptying the chamber, one bullet hit Jango in the left arm.

His marksmanship was still little more than tracing the outline of a human body. He could only rely on luck to land a hit.

"Kill him for me!" Jango cried out in pain and ordered the Sea Dragon.

Roar!

The Sea Dragon clearly remembered Ling Donglai, the strange human who had stepped on it and shocked it with electricity. It climbed ashore, smashed through the rock, stretched its long neck into the cave entrance, and bit toward Ling Donglai.

"I'll kill as many sea beasts like this as come!" Ling Donglai reached out and pressed directly against the sea beast's teeth.

Other than Sea Kings, which posed some degree of threat, no Devil Fruit user feared sea beasts. Even well-trained ordinary people would not fear them. Their danger lay in their ability to destroy ships. Once they came ashore...

Ling Donglai punched out one of the Sea Dragon's teeth, then forcibly clamped its upper and lower jaws together before landing another punch on its head.

The Sea Dragon could not get back up!

"What other tricks do you have?" Ling Donglai stood atop the Sea Dragon's head and looked at Jango.

"D-Don't kill me! I know where to find a great treasure of the sea that can grant any wish. As long as you spare me, I'm willing to tell you the secret!"

Jango dropped onto the ground on his backside. He had never imagined that a human could defeat a gigantic sea beast.

"Tell me. At least it'll give me a laugh. I've never heard of anything that grants any wish." Ling Donglai gradually approached Jango.

"It's in the East Blue! As long as you open the Navel of the Sea, you can find the East Blue Great Treasure and fulfill any wish you have!" Jango's body trembled uncontrollably as pale yellow liquid flowed out.

"Never heard of it. Not interested!" Ling Donglai reached for Jango.

When Jango saw that hand, brimming with explosive muscular power, reaching toward him, he truly pissed himself. Those hands could really beat a gigantic sea beast to death!

Beating him would be as easy as snapping a matchstick.

Yet the pain he expected never came. Jango suddenly felt lighter behind his back as Ling Donglai, with obvious disgust, violently tore off the crab exoskeleton device on his back.

"How does this thing move according to your commands?" Ling Donglai fiddled with the mechanical device and asked Jango curiously.

"It's simple. I installed a thought sensor that can detect my thoughts, but now... you've torn it apart..." Jango hurriedly explained in order to save his life.

"Thoughts? Brainwaves?" Ling Donglai froze. Did technology this advanced actually exist? This was the East Blue!

Ah, right. This was the East Blue from One Piece. Then it was fine.

As Roger the Pirate King's final resting place, it was perfectly normal for the East Blue to produce so many talented people.

Before this, the Lord of the Coast had bitten off one of Red-Hair's arms in a single bite, while the Black Cat Pirates' captain possessed the secret technique Shakushi, whose power rivaled the Six Powers—though its direction was uncontrollable.

Later, the Axe Emperor successfully ambushed Marine hero Garp and even made Garp bleed with a chop.

So it seemed there was nothing wrong with the East Blue producing a pirate capable of creating a brainwave sensor.

"Can you still make thought sensors?" Ling Donglai asked Jango.

"Y-Yes, of course. As long as there are enough materials," Jango answered haltingly.

"What a shame. It's advanced technology, but it doesn't seem to have much other use." Ling Donglai stroked his chin and tossed aside the crab exoskeleton device, which had been ruined during its violent removal.

"My brain is very good! I can make other equipment too. Please spare my life!" Jango knelt on the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face.