Clash

The weather was cold, and snowflakes fell from the distant clouds, carried by the cold wind, and landed on the sea, where they quickly melted.

Not far away, beneath the low-hanging clouds, lies an island.

The island is covered in white snow and has huge mountains, the highest of which is five thousand meters high.

"Is that Drum Island?"

Alken stood on the ship's railing, wearing a cotton-padded coat, and looked into the distance as he spoke.

"Didn't you say you weren't afraid of the cold? Why are you wearing clothes all of a sudden?" Mr. Christmas, with a long gun tucked into his waistband, said with a smile.

"What's it to you?"

Alken said irritably, then added, "You weren't on this mission, were you? Why did you come along?"

"If Heckle is going, how can I not go?"

Mr. Christmas looked towards Heckle, who was standing with Zala in the distance, gazing at the distant island.

"I never imagined we'd be establishing a country on Drum Island," Alken said. "But it's too cold; it's not a good place."

"Who can argue with that? You can't hold a gun without gloves, but it's difficult to operate with gloves on." Mr. Christmas waved his right hand.

"However, only the four of us came."

Alken looked around and said, "The president originally planned to send three people, but it seems he didn't take it seriously."

Mr. Christmas shrank back and said, "I regret sneaking off here. I should have stayed in the casino."

"Attention everyone, we're almost there."

At that moment, a voice rang out in the distance, and four warships had approached the coast of Drum Island.

Who are you?

As they drew closer, figures suddenly appeared on the shore, holding long spears and aiming them at the four warships.

Is there any security force?

Zala stood there, looking somewhat surprised, then waved her hand and said, "Stop the ship, dock, agents take control of the artillery."

The four warships stopped at the shore, and Zala, Alken, Mr. Christmas, and Heckle boarded them.

"Who exactly are you people?"

A burly figure emerged from behind the crowd, tall and carrying a peculiar blade on his back.

"Are you Wapol's subordinates?" Zala asked coldly, looking at the other party.

"Wapol? No."

The man stared at Zala and said, "Wapol abandoned his people and fled to the sea."

"He escaped?"

Zala asked, somewhat surprised, "So who rules this country now?"

"Nobody's here."

The man shook his head and said, "After Wapol left, the country lost its identity."

"But Captain Dalton is now in charge of leading us in rebuilding the Drum Kingdom," a militiaman shouted.

"Dalton?" Zala looked at the man in the farthest distance, somewhat surprised that he had already come out.

Mr.0 told himself that Dalton should be imprisoned in the castle, and that he was very important.

Dalton said coldly, "I'm only leading you temporarily. Next, we plan to elect a suitable person to be king. Tell me your identities and why you've come to this country."

Zala smiled and said, "My name is Zala. I am the queen of the Calm Belt Volcano Kingdom. After my country was destroyed, I came to the Grand Line. I heard that there is a country here called Drum Kingdom, where the people are oppressed. So I came here to save you and restore the glory of the Volcano Kingdom."

"What?"

Hearing this, those around him were somewhat surprised, while Dalton frowned and asked, "The Volcano Kingdom? You mean you want to occupy our country and establish a new nation on this land?"

"That's right."

Zala nodded and said, "I have been searching for a suitable country, and finally learned that this country is ruled by Wapol, so I came here."

Dalton said softly, "But Wapol is already gone."

"But you do not have a king yet."

Dalton said with a smile, "And I am just the one who can lead you to strength."

"Are you kidding me? How could we possibly let you become king?"

"Wapol has just been driven out, how could he possibly sell out the country to you?" the surrounding militiamen shouted.

"What if we refuse?" Dalton squinted at Zala.

Zala shrugged and said, "Then we have no choice but to go to war. We've been adrift at sea for far too long and can't hold on any longer. We must find a country to reclaim our homeland, and we're willing to pay any price to achieve that goal."

"Fighting?"

The surrounding militiamen gripped their guns and shouted, "We will not let anyone take this country again. Give up!"

"Get out of this country!" a militiaman shouted, raising his gun and aiming it at Zala.

"Bang."

The next moment, a gunshot rang out, and the militiaman's hand was hit. In pain, the gun fell to the ground.

"Don't point your guns at our Queen," Mr. Christmas said coldly, blowing on the muzzle of his gun.

"Didn't I tell you not to hurt them?" Zala said softly when she saw this.

Mr. Christmas whispered, "It was so cold. I was going to shoot him, but my hand trembled and I missed."

Zala looked somewhat helpless upon hearing this, but the shot fired on Mr. Christmas had enraged the militia.

"How dare you fire a gun?"

"They even injured our people."

The surrounding militiamen were furious, all raising their weapons. The burly man also gripped his weapon and said, "Do you really want to fight?"

"You were the ones who pointed your guns at me."

Zala said coldly, "Put down your guns, or I will have no choice but to attack you."

"You can give it a try."

Dalton suddenly grew to enormous size, transforming into a giant black bull, wielding a huge round blade, and staring intently at them.

The surrounding militiamen pointed their guns at them, ready to fight at any moment.

"Devil Fruit User?"

Seeing this change, Zala thought of Dalton's information and said, "If a battle breaks out, many people will die. For example, these cannons behind us, once they open fire, how many of you will survive?"

As Zala spoke, the cannons slowly turned their muzzles and aimed them at the shore.

These four warships each had four cannons on each side, aimed at the shore. Once they opened fire, the militia would be no match for them.

"It is you who want to invade our country," Dalton shouted.

"Don't put it so harshly. I have a suggestion, I wonder if you'd be willing to accept it," Zala asked, looking at them.

Dalton asked, "What proposal?"

Zala laughed and said, "It's simple. You send four people, and we send four people. We'll fight each other in pairs. If you can win one match, we'll leave. But if you can't win a single match, then you'll hand this country over to us, and you'll assist us in governing it. How about that?"

"This..." Upon hearing this, some of the people were tempted.

What do you guys think?

Dalton hesitated for a moment, looked behind him, and couldn't help but ask.

"This method is good. The enemy has artillery, and we are suffering too many combat losses."

"They've won as long as they win one game."

Some of the militiamen around were tempted, but Dalton said, "But they lost, so we have to let them into the country."

"Didn't they say that Captain Dalton could also participate in governing the country?"

"Who knows if they'll honor the agreement?" some people objected.

Dalton said, "But we have no other choice, though perhaps only I am strong enough."

"So, have you made up your mind yet?" Zala asked, yawning.

Dalton said, "I can agree to that, but is it acceptable for me to fight alone?"

"You're going to fight alone?"

Zala was somewhat surprised and frowned as she asked, "You mean you're going to fight all four of us by yourself? Just once?"

"That's right."

Dalton said, "You will leave here once I win a single victory."

"That's not fair to you."

Zala looked at the other person with some surprise, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

Dalton said, "But I'm the only one with enough fighting power."

"Then let's change our fighting style," Zala said with a smile.

"What are you going to do?" Dalton asked, puzzled.

Zala said, "It's unfair to make you fight us continuously. We don't need this kind of fighting, so let's change it. If you fight us and get injured, our doctors will treat you. Once you've recovered, you can have a second round. This will continue until all four rounds are finished."

"This..."

Dalton and the surrounding militia were somewhat surprised; this method worked entirely in their favor, forcing Dalton to fight four times.

Dalton looked at Zala and asked, "Do you have a doctor on your ship?"

"Certainly."

Zala nodded and said, "Before we came, we heard that Wapol had taken all the doctors with him, so we brought five doctors who can treat the residents here."

Hearing this, the militiamen's hostility eased slightly, and the conditions they proposed were entirely in their favor.

Dalton glanced at the people behind him and said, "This method is not in your best interest; it's like giving us four chances. But this is our country, so I intend to agree."

"Good."

Zala looked at Dalton and said, "Then you can choose your opponent, or you can choose me."

"Let's start with the men."

Dalton looked at Heckle and Alken and said, "I'll challenge one of them first."

"I'll do it."

Alken jumped out and said, "Let me test your strength."

"Can this be your opponent?" Zala asked Dalton.

"Can."

Dalton gripped the blade of his knife tightly, then asked, "Do you need to prepare anything?"

"Unnecessary."

Alken immediately said, throwing his cotton coat aside, taking off his shirt to reveal his bare chest, and then saying, "Come on, let's start now."

"Be careful, I'll do my best."

Dalton remained in his orc form, gripping his massive oval sword as he lunged at Alken.

boom.

The enormous blade slashed down at Alken, crashing down with a deafening roar in the cold wind.

Faced with the enormous blade, Alken swayed and dodged to the right.

He had boxing experience, so he was very agile and physically gifted. With a flick of his toes, he could quickly move to the right.

Bang.

Then Alken slammed heavily to the ground.

I slipped and fell.

Swoosh.

The massive blade slashed straight down, aiming to cleave towards Alken's body.

Dalton didn't intend to kill him, but he wanted to at least leave him with some injuries.

But when he got close to Alken, Alken threw a punch while lying down.

This punch wasn't aimed at Dalton, but at the huge oval-bladed longsword in his hand, striking directly at the side of the blade.

Bang.

A huge explosion rang out, and a tremendous force appeared on the side of the blade, causing it to be ejected to one side.

"What's this?"

The sudden surge of power caught Dalton off guard, and he nearly dropped his longsword. He gathered his strength in his arms, gripped the sword, and with a spin, attacked Alken once more.

Bang.

At this moment, Alken's right hand exploded again, and the enormous explosive force sent Alken flying.

He straightened up, facing the swirling longsword, and two more explosions occurred beneath his feet.

Bang.

Alken leaped into the air, the blade slicing across his feet.

Dalton missed his first strike and immediately turned his blade to slash again.

But at that moment, Alken suddenly exhaled.

boom.

A massive explosion rang out, and the Shockwave swept towards Dalton.

"Not good."

Dalton shielded himself with his left hand, blocking the explosion, but the clothes on his arm were torn to shreds.

While in mid-air, Alken's feet exploded again, propelling him into the air once more. He then turned around, his feet exploding once more, and he charged towards Dalton at high speed, simultaneously throwing a punch.

boom.

Dalton raised his longsword just in time, Alken's fist slammed into it, causing an explosion.

"Ugh."

Dalton was knocked back a step by the force of the impact. Just as he felt the pressure ease, Alken landed and threw another punch.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

Alken's fists transformed into a gust of wind, relentlessly attacking Dalton, each punch generating a massive explosion.

His punching speed is very fast; as a boxer, he could throw more than ten punches per second, and the force is enormous, each punch weighing a thousand pounds. Combined with the explosive power, his power is unparalleled.

In just a moment, Alken unleashed more than a dozen punches.

But the next moment, a smile appeared on his lips, and suddenly a small explosion occurred from his elbow, accelerating the speed of his punch.

"Explosion Fist".

Boom, boom, boom, boom...

An even faster fist appeared, turning into countless afterimages, and struck Dalton's blade.

Dalton gripped the longsword tightly, trying to hold on, but with a crash, the blade shattered.

boom.

Alken's fist landed on Dalton's forehead, but no explosion occurred.

"I lost."

Upon seeing this, Dalton stood up dejectedly, his face somewhat ashen.

That's incredible.

Despite not being skilled in fighting in snowy conditions, the opponent still possesses formidable combat power.

"Your strength is too weak; I haven't had enough fun yet."

Alken shook his head, then huddled up and ran to his clothes, shouting, "I'm freezing! I'm freezing!"

"We won the first match, right?" Zala asked with a smile.

"You've won."

Dalton looked at them with a somewhat surprised expression. Alken was very strong; his body could generate explosions, making him much stronger than himself.

I don't know how strong the other three are. If they are also that strong, then I am no match for them.

But if that's the case, they wouldn't have any ability to resist.

Dalton thought for a moment and said, "Let's have a second round."

"Aren't you going to rest for a bit?" Zala asked curiously.

"I didn't expend too much energy."

Dalton waved his arm and said, "We can still fight."

Zala frowned and said, "But your weapon is broken. Without a weapon, your combat power will be greatly reduced."

"It doesn't matter. That guy wasn't carrying any weapons. We can fight."

Dalton looked at Heckle.

Zala nodded and said, "Then Heckle, you go and fight."

"Okay." Heckle walked toward Dalton and stood in front of Dalton.

"Bring it on."

Heckle took off his coat, revealing his martial arts uniform, and stood in front of Dalton.

"Careful."

Dalton bent his knees and sprang forward, instantly appearing in front of Heckle and throwing a punch.

Facing his fist, Heckle raised his arm and blocked Dalton's punch.

"It has great power."

Heckle felt a tremendous force coming from him, and his arm sank slightly, but with his effort, he firmly held onto Dalton's arm.

The next moment, Heckle threw a right punch, aiming straight for Heckle's face.

Faced with this attack, Dalton blocked it with his left fist.

Bang, bang, bang.

The two exchanged blows, punching and kicking each other, having a great time.

Dalton has better physical attributes, greater strength, and is quite fast, but his fighting skills are slightly weaker.

Heckle is skilled in combat techniques and possesses great skill. He can block Dalton's attacks, but he is being overwhelmed by his opponent.

"Lord Dalton is going to win!" The militiamen exclaimed excitedly upon seeing this.

However, from a distance, Alken said with a smile, "Without using his signature Steel Fist or his Devil Fruit ability, Heckle's strength has improved considerably to be able to fight the opponent for so long."

Zala nodded and said, "But he must win as soon as possible because his opponent's stamina and resilience far surpass his."

When Zoan Devil Fruit users transform into beastmen, their vitality, endurance, and physical strength all increase, especially the Bison form of the Ox-Ox Fruit.

In terms of strength, Heckle can withstand it through training and skill.

However, their endurance and physical strength are far from sufficient.

boom.

Heckle punched Dalton in the head, causing Dalton's head to sway slightly. The next moment, Dalton's fist struck Heckle in the abdomen.

Bang.

Heckle's body trembled, but the next moment, Dalton's fist came down again.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

Heckle was completely outmatched, only able to defend and unable to retaliate, and even so, he was hit several times.

"We're going to win!" the militiamen shouted excitedly.

"This Heckle..."

Zala frowned and said coldly, "Stop playing around."

"Play?"

Upon hearing this word, Dalton's expression hardened, and Heckle shook his head helplessly, bulging his right arm and throwing a punch.

"Steel Fist".

Faced with this punch, Dalton dared not be careless and raised his arm to block it, but as soon as he made contact, he felt a huge force coming from it.

boom.

Dalton was sent flying backwards, crashing to the ground a great distance away, his arm seemingly broken.

"It's over."

Heckle shook his head.

Dalton gritted his teeth and said, "Are you also Devil Fruit User?"

"I am indeed Devil Fruit User."

Heckle said, Dalton's expression softened. Heckle then added, "But I didn't use Devil Fruit abilities just now."

"What?"

Dalton looked on in surprise, staring at his opponent in disbelief. It was truly unbelievable that his opponent possessed such power without even using his Devil Fruit ability.

However, for Heckle, dealing with Dalton was not a challenge at all.

His punching power has improved significantly since two years ago, and now smashing boulders is a relatively simple matter for him.

Over the past two years, everyone has been improving, but aside from Devil Fruit abilities, within Baroque Works, not counting the president, Mr. 1, and his partner, I am the strongest. My speed may be slightly inferior, but my strength far surpasses theirs.

If Devil Fruit abilities are taken into account, Heckle doesn't believe he would lose to anyone.

Even in his half-orc form, Dalton's strength was still very limited.

"Give him a check-up."

Zala clapped her hands, and a doctor immediately came forward to examine him, then said, "His arm is broken and he needs treatment."

"Yeah?"

"It takes a long time for bones to heal," Zala said with distress. "This is going to be a problem."

Dalton straightened up and said through gritted teeth, "You promised me."

"Of course I won't break my promise."

Zala waved her hand and said, "Treat him, and treat the person who injured the back of his hand earlier as well."

"Yes."

After the doctor agreed, he looked at Dalton and the militiaman and said, "Come with us into the cabin. There's a fully equipped operating room there."

"This..."

The wounded militiaman hesitated, but Dalton considered their fighting strength, sighed, and said, "Let's go."

The two followed the doctor toward the warship, while Zala looked at the remaining people and said, "And you, whatever you do, make some rooms for us."

"What, what are you going to do?"

"A militiaman said, trembling with fear."

Zala said irritably, "Of course we're staying here. Otherwise, are you expecting us to live on the ship?"

"Let them stay; we can't stop them," an old man said, and the others stopped trying to stop them.

"Heckle, you stay here with Mr. Christmas. Alken and I will take the men into the village."

Zala gave the order, and then, accompanied by her guards and two doctors, followed the villagers into the village.

The militiamen stared intently at them, but one of them couldn't help but say, "You said you brought a doctor. I wonder if he could take a look at my daughter?"

"Hey, Old Jon, what are you doing?" another person couldn't help but shout.

Jon said, "My daughter has had a fever for two days, and I don't know when Kureha will come to our village."

"Sure."

Zala nodded and said, "The doctor can go back with you in a bit."

Jon sighed and asked, "How much money do we need to prepare?"

"I won't take your money."

Zala waved her hand, then her eyes lit up, and she said, "In my country, medical care is free; the government takes care of it."

"Really?"

One of the militiamen immediately asked expectantly, but remembering Zala's purpose in coming, he immediately lowered his head, though he still secretly glanced at Zala.

"Of course it's true."

Zala said with a smile, "Whether now or in the future, there will be no charge for treatment."

After this will be our own country, so free medical care is a given, and it can also win people's hearts.

I'm so smart.

Zala looked at the villagers whose attitudes had changed and thought to herself with a smug smile.