Monkey D. Dragon

BOOM!

The blue, bear-paw-shaped air bubble, compressed to its absolute limit, suddenly expanded and struck toward Luo Ya with terrifying power.

This time, Luo Ya simply performed a single draw-and-slash. There was no flame on the blade, yet it emitted a sizzling, burning sound as it sliced through the air.

In an instant, the bubble was split in two. The severed bubble exploded behind Luo Ya, blasting two deep craters into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

The two men stood back-to-back, and Luo Ya sheathed his sword.

A fountain of blood erupted from Kuma. A charred, blackened wound stretched from his right waist to his left shoulder, exposing his bright red internal organs.

BANG! Kuma fell backward onto the ground, spitting out a large mouthful of blood. Within the charred wound, pale, tender flesh buds seemed to be constantly writhing, struggling in a desperate attempt to repair the damage.

Under normal circumstances, even with a wound like this, Kuma's Buccaneer Race lineage would have prevented him from losing his ability to fight so quickly.

However, the damage Ryujin Jakka inflicted upon the soul could not be healed by simple self-regeneration.

"Haha, well done, Black Flame Swordsman! Rebels deserve to be slaughtered without mercy!" Luo Ya had just caught his breath and lit a cigarette when he heard Hafiz shouting from not far away.

"Heh, in that case, the commission is complete," Luo Ya said, slowly exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"No problem. Keep him alive for now—don't let him die. Report to King Bekli immediately. We'll execute him in front of the whole country so they can see the consequences of rebellion."

"A man like you is driven by such trash. Perhaps this world is truly terminally ill," Kuma wheezed.

"Heh, aren't the Admirals of the Navy also lapdogs for the Celestial Dragons? Isn't it even easier for them to beat you?"

"That is different." Kuma finished speaking, word by word, and closed his eyes, seemingly resigned to his fate.

BANG! Hafiz kicked Kuma with his short legs, one blow after another, venting the fear he had harbored for days.

"Didn't you say you wanted a revolution? Didn't you say you wanted to stand up for those lowly commoners? Why are you lying on the ground motionless now? Huh?"

"By the way, our employment contract is now terminated, right?" Luo Ya asked, slowly drawing Ryujin Jakka from the side and looking at Hafiz with a cold sneer.

The scarlet gaze made Hafiz shiver. "Black Flame Swordsman, w-what do you mean by that?"

"The mission is finished, so your status has changed from employer to trash. My blade is truly hungry right now, and it's not picky about what it eats, heh."

Watching Luo Ya approach slowly with his sword in hand, Hafiz lay on the ground in terror, scrambling backward with his hands and feet.

"Y-you can't do this! This is a breach of contract! You've already accepted the payment!" Hafiz screamed, tears and snot streaming down his face.

SWISH! SWISH! Two flaming sword beams flashed. The two soldiers nearby, who were holding Den Den Mushi to report, were sliced in half, emitting a charred, burnt smell. Their colorful entrails spilled all over the ground.

Looking at the "four" corpses before him, yellow liquid began to leak from Hafiz's crotch.

"D-don't kill me! I have a Great Grade 21 Sword in my private collection at home. I have plenty of Berries, too. I'll give it all to you, just please spare me."

Kuma, witnessing this dramatic turn of events, was stunned, unable to comprehend how things had devolved into this.

Luo Ya walked up to Hafiz and swung his blade down. CLANG! With a sharp ring, a large, pitch-black hand caught Ryujin Jakka. The index and middle fingers were pressed together, as were the ring and little fingers, forming a strange gesture with the thumb.

Luo Ya pulled his blade back and retreated, noticing the newcomer wore a green cloak with the hood thrown back, and intricate tattoos crisscrossed his left face, stretching from his forehead to his chin.

"Dragon? Was that move just now the Dragon Claw Fist?" Luo Ya sheathed his sword and scratched his head.

"Let us handle this guy. After all, it doesn't sound very good if word gets out that you killed your employer," Dragon said, pointing at Hafiz.

"Heh, the famous sword in his house belongs to me."

"No problem. It's your spoils of war; we will find it."

"Your Dragon Claw Fist is interesting. Can I learn it?" Luo Ya asked, pointing at Dragon's right hand.

"Uh, you could learn it, but there's no time to teach you now. I can only give you the notes I kept while training. Would that be acceptable?" Dragon said, looking stunned.

"No problem. Send it to Oswaldo Island along with the sword. I'll be waiting for you there," Luo Ya nodded.

Hearing this, Dragon nodded and waved his hand, a gust of wind pinning Hafiz to the spot, unable to move.

Luo Ya watched, his eyes narrowing. There had been rumors that Dragon was a Storm-Storm Fruit user, though it was never confirmed before Luo Ya's own demise.

Looking at it now, the rumors weren't entirely without merit.

After restraining Hafiz, Dragon helped Kuma up. "Kuma, Ivankov will be here soon. Hold on a little longer."

Kuma nodded with a blank expression. Seeing this, Luo Ya asked in confusion, "Kuma, aren't you able to pop out injuries and fatigue? Why didn't I see you use it?"

One had to know that the Paw-Paw Fruit was called a "bugged" fruit precisely because Kuma had once demonstrated the ability to extract injuries and fatigue. On Thriller Bark, he had extracted all of Luffy's injuries and fatigue and transferred them to Zoro; by the next day, Luffy had fully recovered.

If Kuma had used this ability during the battle, the outcome might have been different.

Kuma glanced at Luo Ya upon hearing this, thinking to himself, You think I didn't want to use it? If I could have, I would have beaten you to death, you little brat.

"The extracted injuries and fatigue will return to the wounded person if no one volunteers to take them." Luo Ya realized with a start. No wonder he hadn't seen Kuma use it during their two days and two nights of fighting.

"Alright then, Dragon, I'm leaving. Don't forget my things." Luo Ya lit a cigarette and turned toward the docks.

Finally back on his ship, Luo Ya raised the anchor and set his course. Once everything was done, he drifted into a semi-conscious, exhausted sleep.

It was important to note that the Black Flame's repair of his body consumed Luo Ya's soul energy. During this protracted battle, he had repaired his shattered head no fewer than a dozen times.

Being able to hold on until he reached the ship was a testament to Luo Ya's iron will.