A Long-Awaited Spar

Annus did not accept the Fusion-Fusion Fruit Dragon had offered, because he already had a new idea for Bullet's ability.

But that was a matter for later. For now, Bullet and Dragon were having a long-awaited spar.

Dragon stood at the edge of the training ground, took off his faded coarse cotton robe, folded it, and set it on a Glaze Cloud bench. The upper body he revealed was leaner than it had been three years ago.

When he rolled his shoulders, the muscles between his shoulder blades showed extremely fine patterns, traces left on his body by years of practicing Dragon Claw Fist.

He unfastened the flintlock pistol at his waist and placed it beside the folded robe.

Over the past three years, he had fired it only a handful of times, but he still took it apart and cleaned it every week.

Bullet opened his eyes. His pupils narrowed, then widened, carrying the focused, almost indifferent gaze of a falcon locking onto its prey. He leaped down from the Sky Shark King's back, and the morning mist burst outward in a ring of white air when he landed.

He looked at Dragon, the corner of his mouth curling upward.

"I thought you'd come looking for me yesterday."

"I had a few drinks with Mr. Yale last night. He got hold of a batch of strong liquor from West Blue on Hachinosu. Potent stuff."

"You dared drink Yale's liquor?"

"I didn't drink too much. Saved my strength."

Bullet's smile widened as he drew the short spear from his waist.

Its shaft had been forged from Sky Island's Iron Cloud. It was incredibly light, yet no less hard than Blue Sea steel, and two extremely narrow blood grooves ran along either side of the spearhead. He spun the short spear