"This…"
Elder Ampu's face was heavy with sorrow.
"You must have heard from that boy Severn. In recent years, they were the only outsiders to set foot here, and only because of that tsunami."
"Mm."
Nao gave a slight nod.
"That was more than half a year ago. Back then, the God of Sky and Forest was just as gentle as when He first arrived on this island—kind, benevolent, always willing to help us. Everyone in the tribe revered Him deeply…"
Elder Ampu personally poured Nao a cup of the tribe's homemade wine and sighed deeply:
"But for some reason, after the god went on a long journey and returned a few months ago, its temperament became more and more irritable. The island would often have thunder and lightning at night, keeping us from sleeping soundly all night."
"As time passed, it only worsened. And then, a few weeks ago…"
The old man glanced at the women nearby, lowered his voice, and said with grief:
"That blue flying dragon even took action a few times at night and took a few of the little boys from the village. There's been no news of them since. The people in the village are guessing that they were eaten by it…"
His voice trailed off. The old man lowered his eyelids, unable to say the word.
Something like this happened?
Nao frowned silently. He picked up the food container and gently rubbed the erased markings on it.
—It seemed to have been painstakingly rubbed smooth with fingers, bit by bit.
It wasn't hard to imagine the despair and hatred these native parents felt upon learning their children had been taken by the dragon they once revered as a God, especially when seeing these very patterns they had carved with their own hands…
"Elder, where is that dragon's lair?"
Nao suddenly put down the container and turned to Ampu.
"Since it accepted your offerings and settled on this island, you should know the location of its lair, right?"
"The original lair was near the village. During festivals, we would fill the entrance of the lair with food to show our respect for the god.
The white-haired old man shook his head. "But ever since the first child was taken in the middle of the night a few weeks ago, I organized a team to go back and check. The nest was empty. There was nothing there."
"But it should still be on the island, right?" Nao looked up at the vast mountain range in the depths of the primeval forest.
"That's right. There was thunder for a few hours again last night..." The old man suddenly reacted. He widened his eyes in shock and said tremblingly, "Benefactor, you can't be thinking of..."
"Yes, I'm going into the mountains."
Nao raised his cup and drained it. He stood up, looked at the rising sun, and said calmly, "Don't worry. Wait here for good news. I'll do my best to return before nightfall."
"No! It's too dangerous for you to go alone, benefactor! Please, at least—"
The old man sprang to his feet in alarm, trying to stop him, but before he could finish speaking, Nao suddenly stomped on the ground. His body shot up into the sky as he used Geppo, darting toward the depths of the mountains.
Before the old man could fully react, Nao had already turned into a small black dot that was barely visible in the distance.
"...Giyaa-ligu!"
"Ashada!"
The tribespeople cried out in shock, panic spreading across the clearing. Elder Ampoule stared after Nao's vanishing form, his mouth agape. When the astonishment faded from his eyes, he closed them with a sigh, pressed his hands to his chest, and began to pray silently…
...
Whoosh!
In the mountain forest, a black figure cut swiftly through the air, breaking the wind.
Half an hour later, Nao stood on the peak of a mountain, quietly scanning the mist-wreathed landscape as his Observation Haki spread outward in search.
Kreeee!
An eagle's cry echoed through the sky. A figure swift as white lightning flew from the distance, circling before landing on a moss-covered rock in front of Nao.
"You didn't find anything either?"
Little Luo, in her White Night Hawk form, folded her wings and shook her head slightly.
"Troublesome."
Nao frowned. This mountain range was more vast than he had anticipated. The terrain was complex, and the thick fog in the mountains obstructed his vision.
Even with Little Luo's help, it would take at least half a day to find the dragon's whereabouts.
And if a native tribe had come, even if all the men, women, and children had come, it would still not be enough to search the whole mountain in a week.
Nao glanced at the sword at his waist, hesitating slightly. With his current strength, a full-force slash could easily split an entire mountain in two.
If he made a big enough commotion to make the dragon feel threatened, it should force the big guy out, right?
"Blue flying dragon..."
Nao mumbled to himself and fell into contemplation, pinching his chin.
Maybe…
I can try another way?
He calmly opened the system panel and looked at his inventory.
[Name: Blue-Eyes White Dragon Summoning Card]
[Type: Consumable]
[Description: Summons a virtual projection of an adult Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It can be controlled by the user and can move freely. It cannot cause any damage or have any effect on the real world. Total uses (3/3)]
…
That was an item he had bought from the shop over two years ago, back when he was still a new recruit.
Back then, Nao had been eager to try it out—but it had never been useful.
Who would've thought it'd come in handy here, of all places…
He silently apologized to Kaiba in his heart, then with a thought, he chose to use it. A faint blue light flashed in his inventory.
Go—Blue-Eyes White Dragon!
Wooooom!
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, shimmering with a light blue glow, suddenly let out a roar, flying out from the valley below. Like an ethereal spirit roaming among the clouds, its body was nearly a hundred meters long, with the intimidating and mysterious aura of a dragon combined with the beauty of a female.
It's really beautiful.
No wonder Kaiba treats it like his wife.
Nao looked at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with appreciation. Then, he subconsciously looked at his right arm and felt a little regretful. Hmm… it's a shame I don't have a Duel Disk.
He controlled the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to fly around, letting its dragon roar echo throughout the entire mountain range.
Within a few minutes, another loud, bewildered dragon roar suddenly sounded from the depths of the valley to the southeast.
Nao turned his head and looked from a distance.
A blue giant dragon about sixty to seventy meters long flapped its wings and flew into the sky. This dragon's appearance was more similar to the great lizard in Western mythology that Nao had in mind.
It circled the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with reverence and awe, clearly wanting to approach but hesitating nervously—like a shy otaku trying to strike up a conversation.
Nao casually let the Blue-Eyes White Dragon circle with it, while he flashed and headed for the valley from which the blue giant dragon had just flown out.
Compared to the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which couldn't escape, the top priority in his mind right now was to confirm the life and death of those children.
Soon, Nao discovered a sunken, hidden cave beneath the mountain. Jagged rocks and thick forest concealed the entrance, with dim lighting—only in the late morning did a sliver of sunlight fall across it.
"So it was hidden in a corner like this. No wonder Little Luo couldn't find it
Nao muttered as he strode inside. From deeper within, he could faintly sense other presences—more than one.
That meant—the children who'd been taken were still alive!
"As I thought."
After passing through a fork in the path, Nao arrived at the deepest part of the cave. Surprisingly, there was a faint glow from kerosene lamps.
Against the wall stood an arched stone platform—clearly the dragon's resting place. And surrounding it… were several crude wooden beds.
The little boys were sleeping soundly under the covers, snoring lightly from time to time. There were also some small wooden toys by the beds.
Nao casually picked one up and looked at it. He felt that the crude craftsmanship didn't seem to be carved by a human but rather seemed to have been painstakingly scraped out by a giant dragon's claws...
What on earth is this dragon doing…
Nao's expression turned strange. After a moment's hesitation, he chose not to wake the children. Instead, he continued wandering around the cave.
Soon, he made a new discovery. On the southern wall, there were many murals.
The lines were rough, and the skill was terrible. It was far worse than the raccoon he had encountered in the Calm Belt.
But as he looked at them one by one, Nao was able to guess and figure out a lot of information.
"Is this a diary or a memoir?"
Nao gently brushed his hand over the murals. His eyes flickered. "So that's what happened…"
ROAR!
Suddenly, a deafening dragon roar tore through the silence of the cave.
Nao took one last look at the murals and went to the cave entrance, where he saw the huge blue giant dragon descend from the sky and land in the valley, glaring at him angrily.
The mountain peak in the clouds was empty, with no sign of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"Oh, time's up." Nao raised an eyebrow.
It's only been a little over ten minutes, hasn't it? As expected, you get what you pay for. A summoning card that cost 1,500 points can only do so much.
"Alright, little dragon."
He looked at the blue giant dragon whose eyes were about to spit fire and chuckled. "Are you blaming me for your goddess running away?"
ROAR!
The blue giant dragon roared in anger again. Its gaze went over Nao's shoulder and looked into the depths of the cave with a wary eye. It opened its large mouth, revealing its sharp teeth, and the threat in its eyes was obvious.
Is it worried I'll hurt the kids?
"Don't worry, I don't have any ill intentions, and the kids are still asleep. They haven't been woken up, but if you keep roaring so loudly, that might not be the case anymore…"
Nao suddenly raised an eyebrow, looking at the electric arc that was leaping from the dragon's mouth. He sighed, "If I were you, I wouldn't be stupid enough to attack…"
BOOOOM!
Before he could finish, a thick, blue lightning bolt shot out from the giant dragon's mouth and blasted toward Nao with a terrifying force.
A few seconds later—
The blue giant dragon sat on the ground, looking wronged, and apologized submissively. A large bump had formed on its head, sizzling and crackling with electricity.
Nao casually pulled back his fist, the dark Armament Haki quickly fading.
"I told you I didn't have any ill intentions, but you didn't believe me. I had to use physical persuasion."
Nao shrugged. "But I did create that female dragon. It was just an illusion to trick you, you couch potato, out of your nest."
So it was you, you bastard!
The blue giant dragon's eyes widened. It was furious. It suddenly spread its wings, and dazzling blue electric light roared again.
Two seconds later, it was sitting back on the ground in grievance, holding its head. Two more lumps had appeared on its head, piled up like a bunch of candied hawthorns.
"That's enough. You should be able to behave yourself now, right?"
Nao clapped his hands. He looked at the blue giant dragon and then led the way into the cave. "Now, follow me."
Who's the master here? You want me to lead the way?
The blue giant dragon grumbled to itself, but it still followed obediently. It didn't even dare to spread its wings. It could only move with its feet, which looked quite comical.
"I've seen all the murals you painted. You're actually from a Sky Island called Angsaya, right?"
Nao walked in front, his leisurely voice reaching the blue giant dragon's ears. "Don't look at your big size. You're actually only about fifty years old. By your race's standards, you're still just an immature little hatchling?"
I'm not little, the blue giant dragon grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Don't deny it. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so childish as to sneak off in the middle of the night, take the children from the tribe, and bring them here to keep you company and be your playmates."
Nao walked past a mural and casually patted the one that had been drawn most recently. In it, the blue giant dragon was playing hide-and--seek with the little boys, and they were all smiling happily.
How did this human find out?
The blue giant dragon's eyes widened in fear. It immediately leaned against the wall and wriggled its big butt, trying to secretly rub off the murals behind it.
"Stop rubbing. I've already seen them all."
Nao turned his head and stared at it. His tone became serious:
"Although these children are not in any danger and are even having more fun here, have you ever thought about how their parents, the tribespeople who used to respect and trust you, feel?"
"How much despair would a parent feel to wake up and suddenly find their child gone?"
"…"
The dragon lowered its head, mumbling something under its breath.
"You're saying you didn't do it on purpose and that it was just a moment of impulse?"
Nao sneered. "The first time might have been an impulse, but what about the next few times? You've taken six or seven children. Instead of an impulse, it's more like your heart has been twisted by loneliness from living alone in these mountains for so long, isn't it?"
This human can understand what I'm saying?
The blue giant dragon's eyes widened. It was as if a question mark was slowly floating above its head.
Of course I can understand. I have the ability to hear the voice of all things. Nao shot it a glance but didn't bother explaining further. "Now, let me piece together the timeline of those murals. If I get anything wrong, correct me."
"About half a year ago, you snuck away from your elders on Angsaya Sky Island and secretly came down to the Blue Sea. Out of curiosity, you ate a mysterious fruit. Then, when pirates invaded this island, you used your thunder powers to help the tribespeople fight them off. They revered you as a god, and you happily settled down here."
"You stayed so long you lost track of time—until about four months ago, when you suddenly remembered the upcoming dragon clan festival. You rushed back to Angsaya Sky Island…"
"But when you returned, the clan that loved fire saw your lightning powers as freakish. They cast you out mercilessly, ignoring all your pleas. So you came back here—alone."
"And from that point, you grew more and more withdrawn, so lonely that you couldn't bear it anymore. That's when you started stealing children in the night, just to have someone to stay with you."
Nao glanced at the children still sleeping soundly in their beds, then turned back to the dragon's dimming eyes and said softly:
"Looks like I didn't get much wrong, did I?"