Gray Terminal had become a sea of fire.
Scorching waves of heat struck their faces, and the thick smoke nearly choked off their breathing. Cries, pleas for help, and the thunder of collapsing buildings mingled into a hellish scene.
"Sabo! Where's Sabo?" Ace shouted anxiously, trying to charge into the blaze, only for Allen to grab him.
"Calm down! Charging in like that will only get you killed!" Allen snapped, his golden slit pupils flickering in the firelight. He spread his Observation Haki to its fullest extent, searching the chaos for that familiar presence.
Luffy coughed incessantly from the thick smoke, his rubber body stretching and contracting involuntarily. "It's so hot... Sabo..."
"Found him!" Allen's eyes suddenly widened. "Southeast, about three hundred meters away! Sabo's presence is very weak. He's hurt!"
Ace immediately moved to rush in that direction, but Allen grabbed him again. "Wait! The fire's too fierce. We need a plan!"
He quickly scanned their surroundings, his gaze settling on a half-collapsed house. "Ace, Luffy, get the wet blankets over there! Hurry!"
The two boys trusted Allen's judgment completely at that moment and immediately followed his orders. Allen closed his eyes and concentrated on sensing their surroundings.
The Torch Dragon's power surged within him. He could clearly sense the flow of heat, the paths of the wind, and even the rhythm of the burning flames. It was a wondrous sensation, as though the entire world appeared in his mind as energy.
"Here!" Ace and Luffy ran back with several soaked blankets in their arms.
Allen handed out the blankets. "Wrap these around yourselves and follow me! I know a relatively safe route!"
Wrapped in wet blankets, the three charged into the blaze. Allen led the way, his Observation Haki combining perfectly with the perception granted by the Torch Dragon, always allowing him to detect dangerous areas in advance and find paths that were still passable.
"Left! Avoid that burning pile of wood!" "Duck! It's about to collapse overhead!" "Go around this way. The road ahead is completely blocked!"
Ace and Luffy followed closely, astonished by Allen's precise judgment of their surroundings. They did not know this was the effect of combining the Power of Zhulong with Observation Haki—Allen could "see" the flow of heat and the stability of structures, as though he possessed a living map.
The deeper they went, the fiercer the fire grew. Luffy's rubber body began to struggle with the heat, and his movements slowed.
"Luffy, get back!" Allen suddenly shouted, yanking Luffy behind him.
Almost simultaneously, a burning building collapsed with a crash, scattering scorching debris in every direction. Golden light flashed in Allen's eyes as he crossed his arms before his face. A faint glow could just be seen covering his arms, deflecting most of the flying debris.
"Are you okay?" Ace anxiously checked on Luffy.
"I'm okay..." Luffy panted. "But it's so hot..."
Allen frowned as he examined their surroundings. The fire was even fiercer than expected, and ordinary methods would no longer let them easily reach Sabo.
I have to use more power.
He took a deep breath and concentrated. The Torch Dragon's power circulated through his body, and the light around him began to change subtly. Within a small area centered on him, some force seemed to distort the light. The glow of the flames softened, and the heat diminished slightly.
"Follow me. Stay within three meters of me." Allen's voice carried a strange authority.
Ace and Luffy were surprised to discover that the closer they stayed to Allen, the lower the surrounding temperature became, and breathing grew a little easier. Though the flames still burned, that deadly, scorching sensation had lessened considerably.
This was Allen's first rudimentary application of the Power of Zhulong—controlling light and heat within a small area to create a relatively safe microenvironment. Though its range was tiny and it could not last long, it was enough to let them keep moving.
At last, they found Sabo beneath a pile of burning rubble. The blond boy's leg was pinned beneath a fallen beam, and he was already semiconscious.
"Sabo!" Ace and Luffy cried, rushing over and trying to lift the beam, but the scorching wood burned them, forcing them to pull their hands back immediately.
"Let me." Allen stepped forward. He gripped the beam with both hands, golden light blazing in his eyes.
The Power of Zhulong surged at full strength. This time, it was no longer subtle manipulation, but an explosion of power. Faint patterns of dragon scales appeared on Allen's arms, and terrifying strength flooded his entire body.
"Up!" he shouted in a low voice, actually lifting the heavy beam by sheer force!
Ace and Luffy hurriedly dragged Sabo out. The boy's left leg was a mangled, bloody mess, and he groaned in a daze.
"We need to get out of here as quickly as possible!" Allen lowered the beam, panting. That burst had consumed an enormous amount of energy, and even maintaining the protective field was becoming difficult.
Just then, hoofbeats and arrogant shouts came from outside the blaze:
"Hurry! Burn all that trash to ashes!" "Don't let a single one escape and pollute the kingdom's air!"
Allen's expression darkened. He knew these were the nobles and royalty of the Goa Kingdom, directing the "cleanup" of Gray Terminal. In their eyes, its residents were worth even less than garbage.
"Those bastards..." Ace ground his teeth, fury burning in his eyes.
Luffy struggled to carry Sabo on his back, his rubber body trembling from the heat and the weight. "We have to leave..."
Allen's Observation Haki suddenly warned him. "Watch out!"
Several flaming arrows shot toward them from a distance. Clearly, someone did not want any survivors to escape the blaze.
"We can't dodge them!" Ace cried. There was almost no cover where they stood, and moving quickly was even harder with the injured Sabo.
At that critical moment, Allen made his decision.
He stepped forward and pressed his palms together before his chest. The Torch Dragon's power surged with unprecedented intensity, and the surrounding light changed sharply, as though daylight had turned to dusk in an instant.
As the incoming flaming arrows entered the area within several meters of him, they visibly slowed. Their flames also dimmed eerily before they finally fell limply to the ground.
"This... this is..." Ace watched in shock.
Allen offered no explanation, speaking urgently. "Go! I can't hold on much longer!"
Maintaining that strange protective field, he moved with the others toward the edge of the blaze with difficulty. With every step, Allen's face grew paler. Maintaining both protection and perception was too heavy a burden for him as he was now.
At last, they saw the edge of the fire. But a group of lavishly dressed riders blocked their way, led by a young noble with an arrogant expression.
"Oh? Some trash actually managed to escape?" The noble sneered. "Dispose of them."
The guards raised their weapons.
A trace of resolve flashed in Allen's eyes. He drew a deep breath, preparing to fight his way out even if it meant exposing his Torch Dragon Model.
Just then, familiar laughter rang out from the side:
"Hahaha! Quite lively here!"
Garp appeared in the firelight, his Marine coat snapping in the hot wind. He seemed to stand there casually, yet none of the nobles' guards dared make a rash move.
"Vice Admiral Garp!" The noble's expression changed, and he forced a smile. "What brings you here?"
"I was passing by and noticed things were lively here." Garp strode over, his gaze sweeping across the four bedraggled boys. It lingered on Allen for a moment, a meaningful look flashing in his eyes.
He turned to the noble. "These boys are with me. No problem with that, is there?"
The noble looked displeased, but he dared not defy the Marine hero. "O-of course... Since they're with Vice Admiral Garp..."
Ignoring them, Garp walked up to the four boys. "Can you still walk?"
Allen finally breathed a sigh of relief and released his ability. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he nearly lost his footing before Ace caught him.
"I can keep going." Allen forced himself to stand straight.
Garp looked at the badly wounded Sabo, his expression turning serious. "He needs treatment as soon as possible." He scooped Sabo up and told the other three, "Follow me!"
With Garp escorting them, they finally left the blaze safely. Looking back, they saw that Gray Terminal had been completely swallowed by flames, lighting up the Goa Kingdom's night sky like an enormous torch.
When they returned to the Dadan Family, the female mountain bandit jumped at the sight of the four boys' wretched condition. "What trouble have you brats gotten into this time?!"
Garp laid Sabo on a bed. "Enough talk. Bring medicine and clean water!"
With help from Dadan and the mountain bandits, Sabo's injuries received initial treatment. But his leg injury was so severe that whether he could fully recover remained unknown.
Late that night, when everything was quiet, Garp called Allen outside.
"That was your ability in the fire today?" Garp asked bluntly.
Knowing he could not hide it, Allen nodded. "Mythical Zoan, Torch Dragon Model."
Garp whistled. "A Mythical Zoan... No wonder." His expression turned serious. "Remember, don't reveal that power lightly. The World Government takes a keen interest in ability users like you."
"I understand," Allen answered quietly.
Garp patted his shoulder. "You did well today. As an older brother."
Allen froze for a moment, then gave a faint smile.
Back inside, Ace was keeping watch beside Sabo's bed, while Luffy had already fallen asleep nearby from exhaustion.
"Sabo will get better," Allen said softly.
Ace looked up, his eyes filled with complicated feelings. "Today... thank you. Without you, we might all have..."
"We're family," Allen interrupted firmly. "Family doesn't need to say thank you."
Ace fell silent for a moment, then nodded firmly.
Watching the firelight gradually die out beyond the window, Allen knew that, from this day on, certain things had changed completely. Not only the bond between the four of them, but also his own understanding of this power.
The Power of Zhulong might be even stronger than he had imagined. And the road ahead was longer than he had expected.
But at least he was no longer walking it alone.