Dunn: They're after me?

The thousand-plus pounds of plump sea fish weren't much of a burden for Dunn.

Keeping his Armament Haki and Observation Haki active, he walked into Isshin Dojo and came face-to-face with Dragon's group and Koushiro, who had come to see them off.

Then they saw Dunn. Dragon, Ivankov, and Koushiro all froze.

Their eyes fixed on Dunn, moving over his wet hair and clothes before finally settling on the sea fish he was carrying.

"Dunn, did you buy that in the village? I didn't expect there to be such fresh sea fish this early in the morning."

Koushiro hesitated before speaking.

"Oh, I owed this gentleman a favor from yesterday, so I thought I'd catch a sea fish this morning to treat him. But are you all leaving?"

Dunn replied cheerfully.

He'd gone into the sea and caught it himself?

Koushiro and Dragon exchanged puzzled glances.

"You can go into the sea?"

Ivankov was stunned.

As a Devil Fruit User himself, he knew that touching seawater left a person utterly weak. Even someone with a powerful physique would find it hard to resist that weakness.

But the previous night, both Dragon and Koushiro had said that Dunn was a Devil Fruit User.

So what in the world was going on?

Dragon was confused too.

When he'd helped Dunn draw out his Armament Haki the previous night, he'd clearly sensed that Dunn seemed to be trying to turn into an element, but hadn't succeeded—or rather, he'd given up.

At the time, Dragon had been almost certain that Dunn was a Devil Fruit User, and very likely a Logia.

So the sight of Dunn returning from the sea with a fish had left all three of them frozen in place.

"What a huge fish!"

Zoro's startled cry rang out from outside the dojo.

After finishing his morning training, he'd returned to find Dunn carrying the giant fish and couldn't help exclaiming.

That cry brought Koushiro and the others back to their senses.

Dunn's appearance challenged everything they thought they knew.

"Then I'll gladly accept, young Dunn. I'm hungry too."

Coming to his senses, Dragon waved the others away, then smiled at Dunn.

The others silently left, unsure what their leader was up to.

After that, Koushiro personally took charge of the cooking, while Zoro, Kuina, and Dunn helped out. Before long, the entire fish had become a lavish seafood feast.

"So you're not a Devil Fruit User?"

While Zoro wolfed down the food and the others savored the meal in silence, Ivankov couldn't hold back any longer and asked outright.

Dunn looked at Ivankov and smiled.

"You mean Devil Fruits? Who told you I was a Devil Fruit User?"

Dunn's words made everyone stop eating—everyone except Zoro, of course.

"Devil Fruits? You mean those legendary treasures of the sea?"

Kuina asked, puzzled. She actually knew about Devil Fruits.

"That's right, treasures of the sea. Even the cheapest Zoan costs more than a hundred million Belly."

Dunn answered Kuina.

Kuina's eyes widened.

Dragon had been studying Dunn closely. At his words, he recalled what had happened the previous night and furrowed his brow slightly.

Was Dunn from a special race?

A special race with the ability to wield fire?

As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon knew that many unusual races existed in this world.

If there was a race born with the ability to wield fire, could it be the Lunarians?

That race of gods from eight hundred years ago?

Dragon wondered.

If Dunn belonged to that race of gods, the subtle way he looked at others—or his attitude toward them—would make sense.

But that race had been gone for a long time, and the World Government was hunting down its surviving members.

Still, Dunn showed none of the features said to belong to that race.

White hair, wings on his back, and flames burning behind him.

He had none of them.

Everyone except Zoro, who was still stuffing himself, stared at Dunn.

"I'm definitely not a Devil Fruit User."

As Dunn spoke, he raised his hand. With a bang, his entire right hand turned into blazing flames, like a torch.

And you're still saying you're not... a Devil Fruit User?

Everyone stopped moving, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.

"Looks like you've got some secrets, young Dunn."

Dragon nodded, then lowered his head and asked no more.

"How is that possible? If you're not a Devil Fruit User, how can you create fire?"

Ivankov felt his brain trembling.

"Do you have to be a Devil Fruit User to create fire? If you travel around the New World more, you might see plenty of people who can wield fire without being Devil Fruit Users."

"The New World?"

Ivankov stared at him wide-eyed.

Of course he knew about it. It was the pirates' Paradise.

"Awesome!"

Zoro's voice rang out suddenly.

With his mouth stuffed full, Zoro struggled to deliver his verdict.

Kuina's eyes were sparkling.

"Come to think of it, Zoan abilities can greatly enhance your physique."

As Dunn spoke, he looked at Koushiro.

Koushiro was still affected by Dunn's ability to control fire. At those words, he looked toward his daughter, Kuina.

Sure enough, Kuina seemed to want to say something after hearing Dunn.

"That's true, though Devil Fruits are hard to find."

Koushiro was silent for a moment before agreeing with Dunn.

"If I hear anything, I'll keep an eye out for you."

Dragon spoke up, clearly understanding the situation now.

Dragon, Ivankov, and Koushiro were all baffled by Dunn's secret, but none of them pressed him about it.

The ship slowly pulled away from the dock.

Ivankov watched the group standing at the dock, his gaze lingering on Dunn for a long time. Only when the figures had blurred into the distance did he turn to Dragon.

"Chief, that Dunn...?"

"I'm puzzled too. His ability looks a lot like a Devil Fruit ability, but I don't know why seawater doesn't affect him."

Dragon shook his head.

If Dunn's physique were so powerful that even seawater couldn't affect him, that still made no sense.

If he really had a physique that powerful, Dragon would have sensed it.

When he'd helped draw out Dunn's Armament Haki the previous night, he'd tested his strength. Dunn's physique was indeed powerful—Dragon at the same age wouldn't have matched him.

But it wasn't powerful enough to let him ignore the effects of seawater.

And he'd kept his Armament Haki active the entire time.

That kid was strange.

Dragon looked away and turned back toward the cabin.

"That kid... I can't figure him out."

Shimotsuki Village.

On the way back to Isshin Dojo, Dunn lowered his head slightly, thinking over what Dragon had told him privately before leaving.

Marine Vice Admiral Garp had returned to the East Blue earlier, and apparently the reason was a Pirate Hunter in the East Blue who was suspected of having a fire-related ability.

Are they after me?