The Returning Giant Bird, Burn!

Dunn was doing something that no one else could imitate.

The flames on his body completely ignited the bird's nest beneath his feet.

Dead wood, withered grass, and feathers served as the perfect accelerants.

In just a moment, the fire spread across the entire nest, turning the burning structure at the top of the giant tree into something resembling a massive torch.

Standing amidst the flames, Dunn felt not the slightest heat, but rather a sense of profound comfort.

It felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, his entire body bathed in warmth.

Having just acquired this extraordinary power, Dunn was actually quite eager to study the capabilities of the Mera Mera no Mi.

However, now was definitely not the right time.

It would be better to wait until he reached the ground to ponder these things.

Yet, Dunn could already foresee that if he relied solely on the power of the Mera Mera no Mi, he might end up becoming another Ace.

Although Ace had become a renowned powerhouse on the seas by relying on the fruit's power, it was precisely his over-reliance on the Mera Mera no Mi—and his subsequent neglect of Haki development—that made him seem rather weak to some.

Of course, it might also have been a disadvantage of the "version" he was in.

Fruit abilities, Haki, swordsmanship, and physical prowess—if he had the chance, he would need to improve them all.

Standing within the burning flames, Dunn pondered these thoughts.

Especially Haki; one might not need to be the absolute best, but one could not afford to be completely incapable of using it.

He just didn't know if he, a transmigrator, would be able to learn such a technique.

After all, he was not a native of this world.

If he couldn't learn it, perhaps he would have to find a place in the Four Blues to lay low.

For a moment, Dunn's thoughts were in disarray.

That was until a cracking sound rang out, and Dunn caught a whiff of an incredibly enticing aroma—a scent so distinct amidst the smell of burning debris that it was impossible to ignore.

Instinctively, Dunn took a step, and the raging flames retracted, converging toward him.

Dunn's gaze fell upon the three bird eggs in the center of the nest.

The blue shells had been charred by the fire, and one of them had burst open, revealing the golden-brown, roasted egg white inside.

The alluring aroma lingered at the tip of his nose, making Dunn swallow hard as he stepped forward.

Dunn had been in this world for some time now, having eaten nothing but a Devil Fruit; and while he had consumed the entire fruit, it had simply dissolved the moment it hit his stomach.

Simply put, it didn't keep him full.

Therefore, walking up to the charred, burst-open giant egg, Dunn reached out to break away the carbonized shell and scooped up a piece of the egg white, which was golden-brown on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

With just one bite, Dunn felt that nothing he had ever eaten before could compare to this.

Not to mention the fact that he had just eaten a Devil Fruit earlier.

An indescribable sense of happiness welled up in his heart.

Being able to eat something delicious when starving—this feeling was truly blissful.

However, before he could take more than a few bites, Dunn heard a shrill bird cry echoing from afar, causing his body to jolt as he whipped his head toward the direction of the sound.

A large bird with vibrant, colorful feathers spread its wings and flew toward him.

The shrill cries continued to ring out incessantly.

Crap!

He had burned down someone's house and eaten their children; what would the outcome be?

Almost instinctively, Dunn wanted to find a place to hide.

But the giant bird's speed was too fast; in just a few breaths, it arrived above the nest like a supersonic fighter jet, accompanied by a terrifying, roaring wind.

Dunn also spotted the approaching giant bird.

With its magnificent, colorful feathers and wings spread wide above the nest, it gave Dunn the feeling of blotting out the sky.

The giant bird's head looked like that of a dinosaur, but with a beak attached.

BOOM!

The giant bird landed directly on the nest, seemingly indifferent to the fact that it was still burning.

Its massive eyes were filled with rage as it stared fixedly at Dunn, who was still holding a piece of egg white in his hand.

Done for!

That was the first thought that crossed Dunn's mind upon seeing the giant bird.

What the hell kind of freak is this!

That was his second thought.

The bird's appearance was truly a challenge to his common sense, but then he remembered this was the world of One Piece.

Oh, never mind then.

Even while being stared at by the giant bird's hateful eyes, Dunn couldn't help but let his mind wander.

Humans really are the type who won't shed a tear until they see their own coffin.

ROAR!

The giant bird suddenly opened its beak and let out a furious roar at Dunn.

In an instant, a gale carrying a fishy stench slammed into Dunn.

Before Dunn could even react to the foul odor, the bird's nest, which still had open flames smoldering within, was ignited once more by the violent wind with a loud whoosh.

The giant bird, perched within the nest, was startled by the sudden eruption of fire.

But immediately after, it became even more enraged; its long neck and head, acting like a massive flail, slammed heavily down onto the nest.

"Oh, what the—!"

Dunn hadn't expected this bird to be so reckless. Did it not care about its three chicks anymore?

Though, they were already cooked.

Dunn was sent flying along with the entire nest. The nest disintegrated in mid-air, and a large amount of glittering, golden objects were scattered in every direction along with it.

BOOM!

Flames surged around Dunn, igniting the falling dry branches and debris surrounding him.

In that very instant, a massive fireball over ten meters in diameter appeared in the sky.

The giant bird, having smashed its own nest, spread its wings and charged toward the fireball in the sky, carried by a gale.

The fireball was struck directly by the giant bird and exploded, scattering like fireworks across the sky.

Behind the burning giant bird, Dunn's body coalesced. He floated in the air, feeling his stamina draining away.

As expected, reforming his body after elementalization consumed stamina.

Having just used those burning materials to turn into a fireball, he could clearly feel the toll after being shattered by the giant bird.

How could he kill this bird?

Now that both sides were locked in a fight to the death, only one could survive to end this.

But killing a behemoth like this was no easy task.

Dunn had just formed this thought when he saw a massive beak lined with countless teeth snapping toward him.

Right.

Birds can twist their necks behind their backs.

That was the only thought Dunn had after being swallowed.

BOOM!

The moment it swallowed Dunn, flames erupted from the bird's beak like a jet; its mouth had become a flamethrower.

The giant bird, still in mid-air, let out a mournful cry and crashed onto the ground, struggling and rolling frantically.

The flames on its body set everything in the surrounding area ablaze as it rolled.

"Lads, did you see that? There must be treasure over there!"

Not far from the burning island, a pirate ship was charging toward it. The speaker was a pirate wielding a scimitar, who stood at the bow, shouting with an excited expression.

"Ooh!"

The pirates on the ship responded immediately.

They had seen the massive torch ignite on the island from afar, followed by the sky full of flames, and even from a distance, they had spotted countless golden specks falling under the sunlight.

It was definitely treasure.

Isn't that the whole reason for becoming a pirate and heading out to sea?

And so, the fearless pirates charged forward.

As for the angry giant bird that had flown back earlier, no one had seen it at all.

Then, as the pirate ship approached the island, the pirates on board were immediately captivated by the countless golden glimmers scattered across the beach.

Treasure!