I Got It!

Caesar Clown was very unhappy.

Extremely unhappy!

There were two main things he was unhappy about.

In the short term, the existence of "Aiven Lindsey" was absolutely a new discovery shocking enough to rock the seas.

But Crocodile had cut in halfway and taken Lindsey away.

And to make matters worse, researching ancient stone tablets violated the laws of the World Government, so Caesar couldn't call for Navy backup.

He didn't dare to make a big scene, but he also couldn't beat the Sand Crocodile in a fight.

So Caesar could only watch helplessly as his "major discovery" was taken away by Crocodile.

That made him very unhappy!

And in the long term, Caesar was also very unhappy with Vegapunk, who had always been one step ahead of him.

What "World's Greatest Scientist"? This old man is the true genius!

These two kinds of "unhappiness" combined, giving Caesar a rather satisfying idea.

That was to activate one of the defensive measures Vegapunk had left on Punk Hazard—the Punk Dragon!

The so-called "Punk Dragon" was a dragon-type artificial biological weapon invented and created by Vegapunk.

A certain Celestial Dragon seemed to like it quite a bit, even giving it a name.

That kind of favoritism naturally made Caesar incredibly jealous!

So Caesar decided to use "unknown pirates invading Punk Hazard" as a pretext to activate the Punk Dragon and deal with Crocodile.

There were only two possible outcomes:

If the Punk Dragon defeated Crocodile, then Caesar could take the opportunity to recover "Aiven Lindsey";

And if Crocodile killed the Punk Dragon, then Caesar would report the incident as a misunderstanding, and conveniently cast serious doubt on Vegapunk's technical skill!

Killing multiple birds with one stone—perfect!

If Caesar could think of this angle, of course Crocodile could too.

Thus, the latter's face immediately darkened.

He didn't want to make an enemy of the World's Greatest Scientist;

But even less did he want to be used as a pawn!

So... run?

Crocodile thought this, intending to forcibly leave with Lindsey.

But when his gaze shifted, he found Lindsey staring at the dragon charging toward them, eyes gleaming.

This newly awakened "person" seemed to have a strong interest in everything before him.

So Crocodile's eyes narrowed slightly, and he came up with a counter-strategy.

He elementalized his body, flashed in an instant, and appeared before Caesar.

"Hehehe, you like experiments?"

He muttered a few words, then said darkly to Caesar beside him, "Then I'll use something of yours to test him out."

Caesar understood instantly.

Crocodile wanted to turn the tables and use the Punk Dragon to probe Aiven Lindsey's depths!

And both Crocodile and Caesar already knew that the other didn't dare to actually fight them.

So for these two, using each other was naturally the logical course of action.

Crocodile and Caesar stepped aside.

Leaving only Aiven Lindsey, tilting his head back, locking eyes with the Punk Dragon diving down from midair!

The dragon's roar came.

The thunderous sound ringing in his ears was so real, no longer the vague blur from before.

Lindsey especially liked this feeling.

The pressure of an enemy closing in made him feel his own heartbeat, as if grasping life itself.

"Hey!"

Lindsey turned his head and shouted at the two watching.

He pointed at the Punk Dragon in midair, excitedly asking, "If I break it, do I have to pay for it?"

This personality was a bit too cheerful for the situation.

Some people out on the sea might have loved it, but Crocodile and Caesar were both the brooding type, so they really had no interest in responding.

"Got it!"

Seeing the two stay silent, Lindsey didn't dwell on it. Instead, he slammed his fist into his palm with a sharp crack, grinning as he said, "Then I'll cut loose!"

He had too many ideas he wanted to test out.

And too many things he wanted to learn.

If he got the chance to fight a dragon, that was something he'd welcome with open arms!

"Come!"

Lindsey let out a low growl and activated his Devil Fruit Ability again.

Earth Demon Form!

Two demon horns sprouted from his forehead, and his body swelled several sizes larger. He spread his arms wide, crouched low toward the ground, and lifted his head to face the massive fire dragon diving straight at him.

"Roar!"

The dragon opened its gaping maw, and blazing flames spewed forth from between its sharp fangs.

Whoosh!

The dragon hadn't arrived yet, but the fire was already here.

Just as the flames were about to engulf Lindsey, he heaved his hands upward.

The surrounding soil ripped up from the ground, forming an "earth shield" that blocked the inferno!

The Earth Demon was a demon of the earth, wielding the power to control land and stone.

Lindsey had simulated countless ways to use it in his mind, but in the end, he was still just a little short.

Between "theory" and "practice" stood a towering wall!

That was why Lindsey, now that he had "freedom," was so deeply captivated by this precious "reality."

"Good, I've got it!"

Lindsey exclaimed excitedly. "So this is how you block fire!"

Relying on the power of his Earth Demon Form, he could raise sturdy shields of earth and stone to defend against the flames and heat.

Lindsey was immersed in the joy of turning theory into practice.

But when he turned his head, he noticed that Caesar and Crocodile's expressions were off.

There was a mix of shock and bewilderment.

"What's..."

Lindsey started to ask, but before he could finish, he already sensed the answer.

The Punk Dragon was still diving!

After the flames came the violent impact of its nearly hundred-meter-long body!

Boom!

Under the force of its weight and acceleration, the earth-and-stone shield was shattered in an instant, and Lindsey's figure was swallowed up by the massive Punk Dragon.

Crash...

Dust billowed everywhere as the Punk Dragon's body lifted its enormous head, roaring up at the sky.

"Roooar—!"

It had crushed the intruder and was now declaring its victory.

"Huh!? What the hell is he doing!"

Crocodile stared at the scene in disbelief.

A full-fledged Zoan Mythical Beast Type, taken down by an artificial dragon like that?

And judging by his performance, Crocodile spotted an obvious problem.

This man named Aiven Lindsey was severely lacking in real combat experience!

What kind of person was this?

He blocks the enemy's first move, then gets all happy, completely forgetting to guard against the follow-up!

"What a disappointment..."

Crocodile snorted coldly and was about to step forward to deal with the Punk Dragon himself.

But in the next second, from within the swirling dust, a figure leaped up, soaring high above the Punk Dragon.

It was Aiven Lindsey!

In Earth Demon Form, his body remained just as agile, while his single hand gripped a massive long-handled Earthstone Heavy Hammer.

The condensed earth was as hard as steel!

Aiming at the Punk Dragon's head, he swung down fiercely.

"Ha!"

Boom!

A dull impact rang out. The Punk Dragon couldn't dodge at all and took the blow solidly.

The monstrous strength of Earth Demon Form, channeled through the heavy hammer, was fully driven into the Punk Dragon's skull.

Its dragon eyes rolled back, foam spilling from its mouth.

A crater appeared on its head, and its colossal body crashed to the ground, dead beyond dead.

Thud!

Lindsey's figure landed steadily, stepping onto the massive dragon corpse.

Earth Demon Form gradually dissipated.

In his normal state, his perfectly muscled body bore not a single scratch.

Then, with one arm, he spun the two-handed heavy hammer in a circle and hoisted it onto his shoulder.

Patting the dust from his hair, a dark red light flickered deep in Lindsey's pupils, and a few fangs that hadn't yet retracted still lingered in his mouth.

It should have been a hideous and terrifying face, but because of Lindsey's simple, delighted expression, it took on a certain "purity"—making it all the more eerie!

He laughed excitedly:

"Haha, so this is how you kill a dragon!"

His gaze swept downward toward Crocodile and Caesar not far away.

Spitting out a faint trace of bloody foam, he looked bright and cheerful.

"Alright, I've got it now!"

"..."

As his words fell, both Crocodile and Caesar couldn't help but share the same question in their minds—

What exactly had they unleashed?

Second chapter's here! Asking for votes!