Red-Leg Zeff

Although Nangong Yan did not know the name of this supreme-grade blade, now that it was in his hands, its former name no longer mattered.

Nangong Yan gave the supreme-grade blade a new name: Eastern Emperor!

After tallying his gains in the Kamui Dimension and eating something, Nangong Yan used Kamui once more to teleport to the edge of the Sabaody Archipelago.

After staying in the Sabaody Archipelago for several days, Nangong Yan silently boarded a pirate ship bound for the New World. Hidden aboard the ship, he passed through Fish-Man Island and reached the depths of the sea, entering the New World.

Now that he had arrived in the New World, Nangong Yan no longer needed to act so cautiously. Compared to the Sabaody Archipelago, the Marines and the World Government had far less influence in the New World.

Nangong Yan had secretly observed the pirate crew aboard the ship. They were not particularly formidable, so he no longer intended to conceal himself and stepped directly onto the pirate ship's deck.

The moment Nangong Yan appeared, he drew the attention of the pirates on deck. His bounty had long since spread across the entire world. Moreover, this pirate ship had just left the Sabaody Archipelago, where the incident had occurred and was still being heatedly discussed. How could they not recognize him?

"Captain, get out here! That kid with the one-billion bounty is on our ship!" roared a bald, bucktoothed pirate wielding a musket and a dagger.

That shout alerted the pirates in the rooms below. Clattering sounds rang out as an unknown number of pirates rushed toward the deck.

Now that he had Eastern Emperor, Nangong Yan could not be bothered using the inferior Evilbane. A crisp blade cry rang out as Eastern Emperor left its sheath, its icy blade light flashing across the ship.

Nangong Yan turned into a blur. Countless beasts seemed to surge across the snow-bright blade—tigers roared, apes shrieked—and a savage, razor-sharp aura rushed forward.

The sharpness of a supreme-grade blade was terrifying. Eastern Emperor swept through the muskets and blades in the pirates' hands as if cutting tofu. With the slightest touch, they broke cleanly in two.

After a year of relentless training and the enhancement of his Mythical Zoan Fruit, Nangong Yan's physique was countless times stronger than these pirates'.

Blood splattered as his figure moved like a ghost. Every flash of chilling blade light took another life. The thirteen or fourteen pirates on deck collapsed to the ground in just a few breaths.

At that moment, pirates from below deck flooded upward. Out on the endless sea, Nangong Yan did not want to use the Golden Crow Fruit's power. If he burned the ship, traveling afterward would become troublesome.

Sword Secret Art: Crescent Moon!

A mournful, crescent-shaped sword aura over fifteen meters long sliced through the air toward the charging pirates. The pirates were terrified and hurriedly dodged, but those directly in its path were not so fortunate. They could only raise their weapons, hoping to block the sword aura.

Unfortunately, the sword aura unleashed by a supreme-grade blade was even sharper than one unleashed by a great-grade blade. Ordinary pirates could not withstand it. Weapons shattered, and the frost-like aura swept through their bodies. Four pirates developed bloody lines from their brows to their abdomens, blood spraying like mist as they died instantly.

Just as Nangong Yan was about to wipe out the pirates and leave only the navigator behind, the weather in the New World suddenly changed. Hailstones as thick as an adult's fist began falling from the sky, hammering down with loud crackles.

At the same time, a pirate ship sped over from the distance. Forty or fifty pirates stood on its deck, ignoring the terrible weather of the New World. At their head stood a man in a dark red cloak. His hair and beard were both golden, his beard split into two braids. His features were sharply defined, and his expression was stern and serious.

"Hehe, Captain, we're running low on food and water. There's a fledgling ship from Paradise right there—perfect for replenishing our supplies," said a pirate in a chef's hat excitedly, gripping a thick longsword.

"You're right. Pull alongside them and give them a good plundering, hahaha!" The captain waved his hand and decisively gave the order.

Sensing something unusual, Nangong Yan glanced sideways and spotted the pirate ship rapidly approaching.

The sight of another pirate ship immediately changed Nangong Yan's mind. Blazing Solar True Flame erupted from his body. He threw a punch, and the pale golden flames transformed into a pale golden fire dragon over fifteen meters long, claws bared and fangs exposed. Carrying terrifying heat, it flew toward the pirates crowding onto the deck. Wherever the fire dragon passed, the hail melted away soundlessly.

Flame Dragon Annihilation!

Boom! The flame dragon struck the center of the deck, and its violent power erupted like more than twenty high-explosive grenades detonating at once. Scorching waves of fire surged in all directions. More than a dozen pirates were blasted to death, while the remaining pirates suffered severe burns and no longer dared attack, scrambling to hide.

By then, the other pirate ship had drawn close, and agile pirates leaped onto the deck one after another.

Nangong Yan stepped through the air and landed atop the ship's highest mast, watching an extraordinary-looking man leap onto the deck.

Nangong Yan raised a brow and murmured, "Red-Leg Zeff? I never expected the first 'old acquaintance' I'd encounter after entering the New World to be him."

As if sensing Nangong Yan's gaze, Red-Leg Zeff looked up and met his eyes. It was as though sparks collided in the air, and Red-Leg Zeff instantly recognized Nangong Yan.

Whoosh! Red-Leg Zeff stomped hard on the deck, turning into an afterimage and arriving before Nangong Yan in an instant. He kicked out, shattering the air and whipping up waves of force as his foot shot straight toward Nangong Yan's cheek.

Nangong Yan crouched. Red-Leg Zeff's fierce, domineering kick smashed into the mast, and the mast—thick enough to require two people to wrap their arms around it—snapped in half with a crack. Missing his first strike, Red-Leg Zeff immediately changed moves, twisting slightly in midair as his other leg blasted toward Nangong Yan's chest.

Nangong Yan's expression did not change. He raised Eastern Emperor before his chest, and a crisp metallic clang rang out as if steel had collided with steel. A circular shockwave spread outward, sending both men flying back.

Nangong Yan's arms transformed into a pair of golden wings, allowing him to hover steadily in the air. Solar True Flame rose from the wings, turning the hail around him into splashes of water that fell onto the deck.

Red-Leg Zeff flipped through the air and landed firmly on the deck. In a muffled voice, he said, "Not bad for someone who dared kidnap a Celestial Dragon at such a young age. You've got some skill. Again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Red-Leg Zeff charged at Nangong Yan like an arrow loosed from a bow. His body spun through the air as he brought down a powerful axe kick.

Nangong Yan activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Cold as frost, his mysterious and sinister eyes saw Red-Leg Zeff's movements with perfect clarity. There was no need for a reason in a battle between pirates. Nangong Yan gathered all his strength and threw a flaming punch upward.

Feeling the terrifying heat from Nangong Yan's fist, Zeff's expression shifted slightly. With a thought, he coated his foot in Armament Haki, and fist and foot collided!

Boom! A deafening blast erupted, and the shockwave spread out, shaking cracks across the mast. Nangong Yan's body dropped rapidly, his feet slamming onto the deck and splintering the planks as a large crater appeared.

Red-Leg Zeff, on the other hand, was largely unharmed and stood firmly on the deck.

Nangong Yan's expression grew somewhat grave. At his peak, Red-Leg Zeff's strength could rival a Marine Vice Admiral's, so Nangong Yan was at a slight disadvantage.

Under the astonished gazes of Red-Leg Zeff and his crew, spatial ripples spread as Nangong Yan stored Eastern Emperor in the Kamui Dimension. Flames surged from his body, which transformed into a divine bird over three meters long, bathed in pale golden fire and soaring gracefully through the sky with noble elegance.

Golden Crow True Form!

Dazzling golden light pierced the sky and tore through the dark clouds. The terrifying temperature melted the hail and ice water within a hundred meters of Nangong Yan. Sunlight broke through the clouds and shone upon him, countless rays converging onto his body.

Nangong Yan felt the stamina he had expended in the earlier battle rapidly recovering, while the power within him swiftly grew. The Golden Crow opened its beak, spewing out golden flames like a descending sea of fire. The horrifying heat made everything within several hundred meters unbearably scorching, and even the seawater began to boil.

Nangong Yan was now using nearly his full strength, and the power he unleashed greatly shocked Red-Leg Zeff.

Watching the golden flames pour down from the sky like an overturned river, Red-Leg Zeff's face changed drastically. Ignoring the sweat pouring from his body in the scorching heat, he hurriedly shouted for his crew to evade.

Boom! The golden flames struck the deck first. A raging inferno surged up, and in the blink of an eye, the entire deck became a sea of fire.

The lucky pirates still alive aboard the ship hurriedly jumped into the sea, but within several hundred meters, Nangong Yan's full-power Golden Crow Fruit had turned the ocean into a boiling sea.

Jumping into that was a sensation beyond words!

The injured pirates could not endure the boiling temperature. After swimming only a short distance toward cooler waters, they thrashed briefly before sinking beneath the sea. The uninjured pirates could still hold on. As if dozens of mad dogs were chasing them, they ignored the burns on their bodies and swam frantically toward normal waters.

Ten lucky survivors persevered until the end and reached the normal sea. Their expressions of bliss were so intense that it was as though they had ascended to paradise, as if they were doing something unspeakable.

Red-Leg Zeff's crew had returned to their own ship before Nangong Yan's golden Solar True Flame descended.

Unfortunately, returning did not spare them from being burned. Watching his ship burst into roaring flames, Red-Leg Zeff felt like crying without tears. He wanted to rush up and fight Nangong Yan, to subdue him, but he could not endure those terrifying golden flames. Even with Armament Haki coating his body, he still felt unbearably scorched.

Realizing that his Armament Haki was neither strong nor plentiful enough, and for the safety of his crew, Red-Leg Zeff immediately yielded. Somewhat humiliated, he shouted, "Brother, I admit defeat! I'm willing to accept punishment. Please show mercy and spare my crew."

Nangong Yan had a fairly good impression of Red-Leg Zeff from the original story. Hearing him admit defeat, he stopped tormenting them.

The Golden Crow opened its sharp golden beak, and the golden flames filling the sky returned to its body like fledglings returning to their nest. The sunlight gathered around it also returned to normal. Only the ships trailing thin black smoke and the steaming sea remained, proving that none of this had been a dream.