The night was ink-black, and the forest was silent save for the rustle of wind through leaves.
Allen slipped through the woods like a ghost, driving the power of Zhulong at full strength. His senses sharpened to their limits. His golden slit pupils caught the slightest shifts of light and shadow in the darkness, and his ears could distinguish the faint sound of a leaf landing a hundred meters away.
They were here. Five figures in dark uniforms advanced soundlessly toward the bandits' hut in a coordinated fan formation. Their presence was cold and professional, just like the attackers that night, but stronger-especially their leader, whose presence felt as unfathomable as an abyss, exerting a pressure Allen had never experienced before.
Cipher Pol 9? Or CP0? Alarm bells rang in Allen's mind. The World Government had finally sent true experts.
I can't let them near the hut!
Allen's thoughts raced as he swiftly formed a plan. He quietly withdrew and laid a simple trap along a narrow forest trail-a few nearly invisible threads connected to suspended broken branches. Then he hid in the dense crown of a large tree, holding his breath and focusing.
The leader suddenly raised a hand, signaling the team to stop. He wore a strange hat, beneath whose brim a pair of sharp eyes swept their surroundings warily.
"What is it, sir?" one team member asked quietly.
"An ambush," the leader said coldly. "Crude, but it's there."
Allen was startled. What sharp instincts! This is no ordinary agent.
The instant two team members stepped forward to inspect the trap, Allen moved!
He dropped from above, channeling the Power of Zhulong into his legs, plummeting like a meteor! His target was the man at the very rear—the weakest link he had identified in that instant.
"Enemy attack!" The leader reacted extremely quickly, but Allen's speed surpassed imagination.
Bang! A heavy punch struck the target squarely in the back, sending him pitching forward with a muffled grunt. Yet at the instant of impact, Allen felt something strange through his fist-the man had used some defensive technique at the last moment, dispersing most of the force.
Tekkai! So they really are Cipher Pol 9!
Almost simultaneously, the other four attacked! Sharp gusts from their Shigan shot toward vital points all over Allen's body in flawless coordination.
Golden light blazed in Allen's eyes as the Power of Zhulong erupted in full! Time seemed to slow, and he could clearly see the trajectory of every Shigan. His body twisted at impossible angles, narrowly evading every attack, while he swung a backhand knife-hand strike toward the nearest man's neck.
"Kami-e!" The man's body drifted like willow fluff, easily neutralizing the attack.
Surprise flashed through the leader's eyes. "Good martial arts. But not good enough." He attacked personally, unleashing a sharp vacuum wave with a Rankyaku!
Allen dared not take it head-on. He flipped into the air, tapped his toes against a tree trunk, and changed direction again. The Rankyaku missed, slicing a large tree behind him in half!
"A master of the Six Powers..." Allen landed and assumed a defensive stance, his heart heavy. This team's strength far exceeded his expectations, especially its leader, whose pressure scarcely fell short of Garp's.
The leader studied Allen with interest in his eyes. "You're the child who displayed an unusual ability in that fire? It seems our intelligence was correct."
Allen's heart tightened. So it really was because I exposed the Power of Zhulong?
"I don't know what you're talking about." Allen deliberately played dumb while using his Observation Haki at full strength, searching for a chance to break through.
The leader sneered. "No need to hide it. An ability that controls light and heat is anything but ordinary. Come with us, and you'll suffer less."
Before he had finished speaking, the four team members struck together! Shigan and Rankyaku converged from every direction, sealing off every avenue of escape.
There was nowhere to dodge!
A trace of resolve flashed through Allen's eyes. In that case...
The Power of Zhulong surged with unprecedented intensity! The surrounding light began to distort violently, forming a bizarre domain of alternating light and darkness. Within it, the Cipher Pol 9 agents' movements were visibly affected. Their vision warped, and their attacks repeatedly missed.
"What is this ability?" one agent exclaimed as his Rankyaku inexplicably veered off course.
The leader's expression grew grave. "Special Paramecia? Or... a Mythical Zoan?" He suddenly stepped forward and thrust a Shigan straight at Allen's face with speed beyond reason!
Allen hastily crossed his arms to block. Clang! Amid a sharp ring like clashing metal, he was sent flying backward, both arms going numb.
What a powerful Shigan! If the Power of Zhulong hadn't strengthened my body, that blow would have crippled my arms!
I can't hold back anymore!
Allen adjusted his posture in midair and erupted into action again the instant he landed! This time, he no longer merely dodged-he attacked!
The Power of Zhulong poured into his legs, abruptly increasing his speed! He darted among the four like a phantom, each strike precisely targeting a weakness in the Six Powers—the prediction involved in dodging with Kami-e, the instant of transitioning into Tekkai, the gap while gathering force for Rankyaku...
Bang! A heavy punch finally struck one agent beneath the ribs. He grunted as his Tekkai defense was forcibly broken, staggering backward.
Astonishment flashed through the leader's eyes. "You've seen through the secrets of the Six Powers? Interesting!"
He personally joined the battle, opening with a killing move! "Rokuogan!"
A terrifying shock wave hurtled straight toward Allen! His pupils contracted. He absolutely could not take this blow head-on! He drove the Power of Zhulong to its fullest, violently distorting the surrounding light as he darted sideways!
Boom! The Rokuogan grazed past him, razing a patch of forest behind him! Even its aftershock sent the blood churning in Allen's body.
This can't continue! Allen's thoughts raced. I have to use my true power!
He drew a deep breath, driving the Power of Zhulong toward a critical point. Faint patterns of crimson dragon scales began appearing on his skin, his eyes became entirely golden slit pupils, and a heart-quailing pressure radiated from him.
"This is... a Zoan?!" The leader's expression finally changed. "Not an ordinary type! It's a Mythical Zoan!"
Allen let out a long cry, his speed and strength soaring once more! He slashed with a claw, tearing through the air with a piercing sound! One agent hastily defended with Tekkai, only to have his defense forcibly broken, leaving three bloody gashes across his chest deep enough to expose bone!
"Fall back!" the leader shouted, personally meeting Allen. They traded rapid blows, their fists and feet colliding with dull thuds.
The longer Allen fought, the more alarmed he became. His opponent clearly had not used his full strength and seemed to be observing his abilities. Meanwhile, Allen himself was nearing his limit-maintaining this half-dragon state consumed far too much stamina!
I have to end this quickly!
Golden light flared in Allen's eyes as another application of the Power of Zhulong surfaced in his mind. He abandoned his defense, took a Shigan head-on, and brought his hands together as terrifying energy gathered in his palms—
"Zhulong's Breath!" Blazing light-flame gushed forth! This was not Ace's explosive fire, but highly concentrated light and heat that melted and vaporized everything in its path!
The leader finally looked grave and thrust both palms forward. "Tekkai: Utsugi!"
Boom!!!
The light-flame collided violently with the defense, and the resulting shock wave snapped every tree around them! The four Cipher Pol 9 agents were driven back repeatedly, their faces filled with horror.
As the dust cleared, the leader remained standing, but his sleeves had burned away, and his arms bore minor burns. Looking at Allen, he revealed killing intent in his eyes for the first time. "A dangerous ability. I can't let you live."
The true killing blow was about to come!
Just then, a booming voice rang out from the woods. "Well, well, quite lively here, isn't it?"
Garp emerged from the darkness. He stood there seemingly at ease, yet every Cipher Pol 9 member instantly tensed.
"Vice Admiral Garp." The leader bowed slightly, his tone respectful but wary. "We're carrying out official duties."
"On my turf?" Garp picked his nose, looking utterly unconcerned. "These brats are under my protection. Is there a problem?"
The leader fell silent for a moment. "They may be connected to several security incidents. We need to take them back for questioning."
"Questioning?" Garp roared with laughter. "Why take children so seriously? Go tell your superior that I'm keeping an eye on these brats. They won't cause trouble."
A stalemate settled over them. The Cipher Pol 9 agents looked nervously at their leader, waiting for instructions.
After a long while, the leader nodded slightly. "Since Vice Admiral Garp is vouching for them, of course we trust you. However..." He gave Allen a meaningful look. "I hope you'll keep them in line. Certain abilities are far too dangerous."
With that, he waved a hand, and the five figures swiftly vanished into the forest.
Only after confirming they had truly left did Garp turn to Allen, his expression serious. "Are you hurt?"
Allen released his dragon transformation and staggered a step, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. "Nothing too bad. That leader was strong."
"A prospective CP0 member, 'Razor' Jerome." Garp snorted. "You're lucky, brat. They didn't send a full member."
CP0! Allen was shaken. The World Government's highest secret intelligence agency, directly under its command, has already set its sights on me?
"Was it because of my ability?" Allen wiped away the blood.
"Partly." Garp surveyed the traces of battle around them. "Mostly because of Ace. The World Government has always suspected Roger left a child alive. With the Goa Kingdom recently joining the Reverie, Cipher Pol agencies have become active. They were bound to uncover a few clues."
He patted Allen's shoulder. "Your performance tonight only made them more certain that Ace isn't ordinary-how could an ordinary child from the mountains have a Mythical Zoan user protecting him?"
Allen fell silent. He had indeed acted rashly, but he had had no other choice.
"Still, it's not all bad." Garp suddenly grinned. "Now those fellows know these brats have someone backing them, they'll rein themselves in a little. But-" His expression turned serious. "You can't expose your ability so easily again, especially its Mythical Zoan characteristics."
Allen nodded. "I understand."
It was already growing light when they returned to the bandits' hut. Allen slipped silently back into bed, pretending he had been asleep the entire time.
But Ace's voice suddenly came from beside him. "You're hurt?"
Allen froze. Ace had woken at some point and was watching him warily.
"Just a scratch," Allen said lightly.
"Those people came for me, didn't they?" Ace's voice was low. "Because of my father?"
Allen was silent for a moment, knowing he could no longer hide it. "Partly. The other reason was me."
He briefly explained what had happened that night, leaving out the details about CP0 and the Mythical Zoan, saying only that people from the World Government suspected their identities.
Ace clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "All because of that man's bloodline..."
"Not entirely," Allen said calmly. "It's also because we're not strong enough. If we were strong enough, no one would dare mess with us."
Ace abruptly raised his head, fire burning in his eyes. "Teach me to get stronger! Even stronger! Strong enough to protect everyone!"
Seeing the determination in his younger brother's eyes, Allen slowly nodded. "All right. But starting tomorrow, training will be tough."
"I'm not afraid of that!" Ace said firmly.
Starting the next day, the intensity of their training rose sharply. Allen stopped going easy on them and applied Garp's methods for training Marines to his younger brothers. Weighted runs, enduring waterfalls, sparring... every exercise approached the limits of the human body.
Surprisingly, not one of the three brothers complained. Even Luffy, who dreaded hardship the most, gritted his teeth and persevered, because they all vaguely sensed that danger was approaching.
Late one night, while putting in extra training, Allen suddenly had a flash of inspiration. The Power of Zhulong fused with Haki in a wondrous way, forming an extremely faint halo around his body.
He tried concentrating the halo on his arm, and the skin there immediately took on a metallic sheen, becoming much harder!
This is... the beginnings of Armament Haki! It's still far from hardening, but this definitely is an application of Armament Haki!
Allen was ecstatic. Sure enough, the pressure of life-and-death combat was the best catalyst.
Meanwhile, Ace's control over the Flame-Flame Fruit grew increasingly proficient, and he could now coat his fists in fire without hurting himself; Luffy developed more applications for his rubber ability; Sabo's pipe techniques became even sharper after he integrated Observation Haki.
The four boys grew at an astonishing pace.
One evening a week later, Allen suddenly summoned the other three to their secret base.
"I'm taking you somewhere tonight." His expression was mysterious.
Under Allen's lead, they reached a hidden cave deep in Mount Colubo. Vines concealed its entrance, making it extremely difficult to find.
"This is..." Ace pushed aside the vines, surprised to discover an entirely different world within. The cave was spacious and dry, with some supplies even piled in a corner.
"Our emergency shelter," Allen explained. "If we're in danger and can't make it back to the hut, we'll gather here."
He pointed to several bundles inside the cave. "There's food, medicine, and simple weapons in those. They'll be replaced regularly."
Sabo looked thoughtful. "Because of those attackers?"
Allen nodded. "It never hurts to be prepared." What he left unsaid was that this cave lay directly above the underground energy source he had sensed, and it might serve a special purpose if necessary.
In the days that followed, Allen began teaching them more practical combat skills: how to lay traps, exploit their surroundings, and fight together.
The four frequently held two-on-two or three-on-one mock battles. Through repeated combat practice, their coordination improved until they could often understand one another's intentions with a glance.
During one mock battle, Allen faced a joint assault from all three. Amid the fierce fighting, inspiration struck, and he simultaneously used Observation Haki's prediction and the Torch Dragon's control over light and heat, creating several light-and-shadow doubles that flickered around him.
Ace and the others' offensive immediately fell into disarray! In that instant, Allen's real body surged forward, "defeating" all three in one move.
"What was that just now?" Luffy rubbed the spot on his forehead where he had been tapped, his face filled with surprise.
Allen himself was somewhat surprised. "It seems to be a new application of my ability... creating light-and-shadow doubles to confuse enemies."
Ace's eyes shone. "That's amazing! Teach us!"
Allen smiled wryly. "I can't fully control it yet. I need more practice."
Thus, another item was added to their training: ability development. Allen began systematically exploring the various applications of the Power of Zhulong, from the initial manipulation of light and heat to visual interference, and later to brief glimpses of Future Sight...
He discovered that the potential of the Power of Zhulong far exceeded his imagination, but every breakthrough required an immense expenditure of energy and the catalyst of pressure between life and death.
The days flew by amid intense training. Allen could sense that the threat of CP0 had only temporarily receded, and a greater storm was brewing.
One day, during a break in training, he went alone to the spot above the underground energy source. He probed downward with the Power of Zhulong, only to be blocked by some kind of barrier again, though it seemed slightly weaker than before.
"Just what's hidden down there?" Allen murmured to himself.
He had a premonition that this secret might be revealed in the near future. And when that time came, his current strength would be far from enough.
When he returned to the training grounds, Allen saw Ace putting in extra practice controlling his flames, while Luffy and Sabo sparred nearby.
The setting sun stretched his three younger brothers' shadows long, and their sweat glittered gold in its lingering light.
Allen clenched his fists. Whatever challenges awaited in the future, he had to become strong enough.
Strong enough to protect these precious family members.