Chapter 101: Dragon-Slaying Swordsman
Koala had been incredibly busy lately.
The amount of intelligence received daily by Revolutionary Army headquarters was simply overwhelming.
If she weren't a skilled martial artist with boundless energy, she would have been worn down long ago.
At night, Koala dragged her exhausted body back to her bedroom and sighed wearily.
She used to feel so free and relaxed when going out on missions with Rhodes, Sabo, and the others.
Unfortunately, ever since his defeat to that masked swordsman—essentially, to Rhodes—Sabo had been deeply traumatized and had gone off to train in isolation.
"I'm a little hungry. Let me grab something to eat first," she thought, when the Den Den Mushi suddenly chimed.
Koala glanced over and saw it was a fax transmission, so she grabbed the receiver and began processing it.
Soon, a photograph arrived.
In the photo, Rhodes stood atop a massive black dragon, sword in hand, wreathed in crackling lightning like the Thunder God himself descending to slay the beast.
"This... this is a dragon?!"
Koala covered her mouth in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief.
But even through the photograph, the creature's ferocious majesty was overwhelming—this couldn't be fake!
This was a dragon, the ultimate legendary creature!
"What's the big deal? Just because you slayed a dragon doesn't mean you have to show off to me..."
After a long silence, Koala muttered with a mix of grief and irritation, then continued looking down. Suddenly her expression froze, and several dark lines clearly appeared on her fair forehead.
The lower half of the fax showed close-up shots of plates upon plates of dragon meat, photographed in incredible detail!
Teriyaki dragon steaks, grilled dragon cutlets, dragon curry, dragon hot pot...
The entire massive table was covered with different preparations—not a single duplicate dish!
Even the soups were made from dragon broth, and there were hundreds of dragon meat skewers lined up.
Koala could clearly feel her stomach protesting as she kept swallowing hungrily.
Until she saw the final message:
"Beautiful, isn't it? I'll eat your share too."
Her suppressed emotions suddenly erupted like a volcanic explosion, finally transforming into a lion's roar filled with grief and rage.
"RHODES!!!"
At that moment, the entire headquarters castle shook with her fury.
In a certain sea area.
"Dragon Slayer? So that was the Black Dragon?"
Hawkeye's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of regret crossing his face as he looked at the newspaper in his hands.
He had visited that island before, but the Black Dragon had been too weak then—not even worth his time to fight.
So Hawkeye had decided to let the Black Dragon continue growing until it became strong enough to provide a worthy battle, and then he would slay it himself.
But he hadn't expected...
Hawkeye shook his head lightly, a trace of curiosity and interest showing on his usually stoic face.
"A seventeen or eighteen-year-old Dragon Slayer?"
"Perhaps a worthy opponent... Grow stronger quickly."
His tone carried the loneliness of one who stands at the very pinnacle.
The birth of the Dragon Slayer quickly caused a sensation, though its main impact remained within the swordsman community.
Whether it was the green-haired man currently hunting pirates in the East Blue, the renowned blade masters of the vast seas, or the great swordsmen who had reached the pinnacle of their art—all of them now had Rhodes's name etched deeply into their memories.
There was anticipation, admiration, yearning, longing, defiance, and refusal to acknowledge...
The title of "Dragon Slayer" differed from "World's Strongest Swordsman." The latter represented absolute supremacy, while the former was a form of honor that inspired every swordsman's desire to challenge themselves.
On the barbecue island.
Rhodes, Gates, Vivi, and the others were discussing how to handle the treasures left behind by the dragon.
"Dragon hide and scales are incredibly valuable—they can be crafted into impenetrable armor. There are skilled leatherworkers in Alabasta who can handle the work," Vivi explained.
"The dragon's liver and heart are the most precious parts—I'll handle those!" Yukiko said excitedly, raising her small hand.
"Dragon teeth and claws can be forged into legendary weapons. I know an ancient workshop in West Blue that has all the necessary materials. I promise they'll do the work for free," Gates said, patting his chest confidently.
Rhodes stood quietly nearby, realizing for the first time the benefits of having reliable companions. He didn't need to worry about anything—everything was being handled perfectly.
A thoughtful glint flickered in his eyes as he silently analyzed the problems revealed in this battle.
The black dragon had been a legendary creature, formidable in strength, but it was weakened from laying eggs and, when restrained by the much smaller Rhodes, had ultimately met a tragic end.
Having achieved this victory, Rhodes's strength was undoubtedly enough to rival the strongest Vice Admirals at Marine Headquarters, with excellent chances of victory.
"My lightning mastery can't be improved further for now. For the next period, I'll focus on strengthening my physical conditioning."
Rhodes clenched his fists and took a deep breath.
The stronger one becomes, the more one understands the profound truth behind the saying: "Physical strength is the foundation of everything."
Whether it's swordsmanship, martial arts, or Devil Fruit abilities—these are essentially just different methods of attack.
Physical conditioning, however, is the most fundamental combination of strength, speed, defense, endurance, and vitality.
Whitebeard mastered the power of tremors, an attack so devastating that Fleet Admiral Sengoku praised it as having the power to "destroy the world." He dominated an entire era and was universally recognized as the world's strongest man!
Kaido of the Beasts arguably possessed the world's strongest physique, nearly immortal, known as the strongest creature on land, sea, and air—the ultimate one-on-one fighter!
Though Rhodes was still far behind such monsters, he could use lightning to temper his body, strengthening every organ, tissue, and even individual cells. Almost every day his physique grew stronger than the day before—his growth potential was unparalleled.
"My physical strength should now be at the level of a Headquarters Vice Admiral. Much stronger than that masked swordsman from before, but still somewhat weaker than top-tier Vice Admirals like Momonga and Doberman."
Rhodes pondered, assessing his current combat effectiveness.
His initial assessment had been correct. Once his physical strength reached Vice Admiral level, his overall combat power would be significantly enhanced, making him a top-tier fighter in that rank, even surpassing many in offensive capability.
That's why he'd been able to slay the Black Dragon so decisively and easily defeat Nightwind even while injured.
"It's October of Sea Calendar year 1522, about three months before Luffy sets sail."
"There's still over half a year until the Battle of Marineford. That should be enough time for me to develop my physique to top Vice Admiral level."
Rhodes frowned slightly. This progress would be incredibly fast for anyone else, but he felt somewhat dissatisfied.
If the mysterious grimoire progressed from the second to the third level, becoming a Shichibukai would probably be sufficient.
However, the influence required to reach the fourth level would likely need to be global—known to everyone from the Four Emperors and World Government down to common civilians! Everyone would need to be wary of his name!
To achieve this level, he would have to shine brilliantly in a world-changing war like Marineford, which represented the transition of an era and the end of legends, and even influence the course of that war to some extent!
At his current training pace, his strength would at most match fighters like Marco or Doflamingo.
To actually influence the war at the top, he would still fall far short.
"I wonder what changes this advancement will bring, but I have a feeling it's more than just new abilities."
Rhodes's eyes flickered with anticipation.
(End of Chapter)
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