Dressrosa, Southern Port.
This place had become the busiest transport hub in the surrounding seas, with a constant stream of ships coming and going, half of them carrying tourists.
But in recent days, the number of tourists had clearly dropped. The reason, of course, was the shockwave caused by Roger becoming the Pirate King.
It was nearly noon. King Riku's troops were in the midst of a shift change, and all cargo handling at the port had come to a halt.
"Eat something, Uges."
Climbing onto a rocky outcrop with a massive pack on his back, Kyros opened the bundle filled with various foods, everything prepared especially for Uges.
"Thanks," Uges said, then began devouring the food in large gulps. With his small-giant-sized frame, he needed to consume an enormous amount of food every day.
Lately, chaos had erupted across the New World. Pirates, large and small, had been taking advantage of the turmoil to attack passing ships.
Stationed here like a stabilizing anchor, Uges had become the immovable guardian of the port.
A former veteran pirate captain himself, his strength was unquestionable. Any pirates who dared challenge him were swiftly and brutally defeated, left with shattered armor and broken resolve.
As for Uges, not even a scratch, ordinary people had no way of breaking through his defense unless they were of equal caliber.
Abbas was just as busy. Since the port had become too risky for pirate raids, where they'd likely get themselves killed, most pirates had changed tactics, waiting to ambush ships after they left Dressrosa.
As a result, the island's main shipping routes had to be protected. And with his flight ability and superhuman eyesight, Abbas was the perfect choice for the job.
Working together with Fish-Men from Fish-Man Island beneath the sea, they had wiped out over twenty small pirate crews.
The bloody lessons had finally made those hoping to fish in troubled waters give up the idea.
Thanks to the protection of the Helgrave Pirates, Dressrosa had become one of the rare countries in the New World left untouched by the current turmoil.
Meanwhile, the root cause of this chaos, Roger, was in a distant sea, bidding farewell to his crew.
"Don't worry everyone. I'm not going to die!"
After whispering a few words to Rayleigh, Roger comforted him as he noticed tears streaming down the man's face. Roger's signature bright smile never wavered.
"Here, this is a batch of medicine I made. It'll last you a good while."
Crocus handed him a heavy pouch.
Taking the bag, Roger leapt off the ship, waved back at his crew, many now sobbing uncontrollably, for one final goodbye, then turned and left.
Thus, the Roger Pirates disbanded.
...
Peak of the Western Sky, Delsalado.
"Sigh... I knew it. The negotiation fell through after all."
At the edge of a volcanic lake, Tesla let out a deep sigh as he watched a man and a beast locked in combat on the ice-covered surface.
Crack! Crack!
As Ashen and Toral fought atop the frozen lake, the black ice began to fracture, the volcanic gases below bubbling and hissing upward.
At first, when Ashen mentioned he wanted to talk, Toral's feral face twisted with disdain, as if mocking the human's foolishness.
It had lived for so long, seen so many arrogant humans, and every single one of them had ended up in its belly.
But now, the nonchalance on Toral's face had vanished. Its blood-red eyes were filled with tension.
After several exchanges, it realized this human wasn't like the others, it was powerful. On a completely different level.
Roar!
With a thunderous roar, Toral pushed off with its muscular hind legs. Its fleshy wings flapped once, and it soared instantly above Ashen's head.
It twisted midair to kill its momentum, then opened its massive jaws and dove straight down.
But Ashen wasn't about to let it land a hit. His knees bent and his figure blurred into a shadow. The next instant, he reappeared right beneath Toral's exposed belly.
Boom!
A Haki-infused fist slammed into Toral's gut.
The beast let out a pained howl as it was sent hurtling backward by the massive force, finally crashing into the edge of the volcanic crater and skidding to a halt.
"Urgh!"
The blow was so powerful that Toral's stomach churned. It threw up half of what it had recently eaten in the sea.
"Hmph. Didn't expect you to have such refined taste."
Ashen glanced at the mess on the ground, a mostly undigested elephant-nose tuna, and curled his lip.
As a beast, Toral obviously couldn't understand Ashen's words. But the moment Ashen activated his Nether Eye, Toral suddenly grasped his intent.
'Human… What do you want from me?'
Noticing the peculiarity in Ashen's gaze, Toral wasn't sure if he'd understand, but still tried to communicate.
"Good. You're willing to talk. Toral, be my companion."
Ashen watched as Toral's injuries from earlier already began to heal, amazed by its terrifying vitality. His determination only deepened.
'Die!'
Having understood the subtext, Toral erupted with rage. This human wanted to make it his mount!
With a stomp on the rocky ground, it launched another assault.
Its wings flared open wide, skimming along the ice as it twisted its head and snapped its jaw at Ashen like a giant pair of scissors.
A bite like that could injure even Ashen. The monster's jaw strength was off the charts.
Shave!
The moment those jaws were about to close, Ashen shot into the air and stomped downward with his right foot. Missing its mark, Toral's charge sent it face-first into the ice.
Crack!
The already fractured ice finally gave way. Toral's massive head crashed into it, embedding halfway in.
Where Ashen had stomped it on the back of the skull, many of Toral's scales had been knocked loose, and the center of the blow was visibly dented. It was a miserable sight.
'You bastard human... I'll kill you!'
Toral yanked its head from the ice, shaking off the dizziness, eyes locked onto Ashen with murderous intent.
"So? Still planning to resist?"
Drawing his sword, Ashen's aura surged higher and higher. "If you choose to keep fighting, I won't be holding back."
Sensing Ashen's killing intent, Toral flinched. It now understood, the human was serious. One wrong move, and it could actually die here.
It had lived for so long, its intelligence already rivaled that of a human. After a brief moment of thought, it made its decision, flee.
Whoosh!
Its wings flared as it took to the skies again. But Ashen instantly saw through its intention and launched after it with Moonwalk.
But just as Toral had risen a few dozen meters into the air, its body suddenly trembled. Its strength vanished, and it began spiraling downward.
Before their very eyes, Toral's massive body began to wither.