Chapter 3: Dragons, Snakes, and BBQ Shenanigans
"Hey, Lei Luo, what's the plan now? Steal a Navy ship and peel out? 'Cause, uh, I don't know how to drive those things," Kaido said, scratching his head.
Sure, they'd busted out of Punk Hazard like a trio of badasses, but Kaido was drawing a blank on the next step. Naturally, he turned to Lei Luo—the guy who sprang them, spouted big talk about changing the world, and was apparently gunning to start a pirate crew.
"Lei Luo, huh?" King muttered from behind, committing the name to memory like he was saving it for a quiz later.
A Navy ship? Lei Luo could totally sail one. He wasn't some special snowflake recruit like Fujitora or Greenbull, nor did he have a hero mentor like that deserter king, Koby. Nope, Lei Luo clawed his way up from boot camp, one grunt-level chore at a time. Sure, he climbed the ranks faster than a caffeinated monkey, but he knew every Navy trick in the book.
Still, he shook his head. "Nah, too flashy. I can sail, but joyriding a Navy ship's like waving a neon sign that says, 'Come arrest us!'"
This world had Life Cards, and Lei Luo wasn't about to play hide-and-seek with one of those tracker thingies. Navy HQ was probably already dispatching backup. Sailing a ship with a Life Card was like a caveman sending his GPS coordinates to a sci-fi armada.
"Uh, Mr. Lei Luo, then how do we get outta here?" King asked, all respectful-like. These two had just yanked him out of a fiery hell, and he was ready to follow them to the ends of the earth—or at least to the nearest island with a decent bar.
Lei Luo tapped his chin, thinking. Most folks would be screwed without a ship, and Punk Hazard only had Navy vessels. But these three? They weren't most folks.
"You guys can fly, right?" It wasn't really a question—more like a smug statement.
With a whoosh, Lei Luo sprouted wings, flapping them lightly as he hovered in the air like a smug dragonfly.
"Naturally," King said, his black wings unfurling as he took to the sky with a grace that screamed, "I'm cooler than you."
Kaido blinked, feeling a bit left out. "Oi, what's this, a wing party? Nobody invited me!"
But fly? Oh, he could fly. He was a freaking dragon.
"ROAR!" A deafening dragon's cry shook the air. Kaido's body ballooned, transforming in a flash into a massive azure dragon, coiling through the sky like a living storm.
King's jaw dropped, gawking at the mythical beast. First time seeing a dragon, and it was this guy? Talk about a flex.
Lei Luo, meanwhile, was rolling his eyes so hard he nearly sprained them. Really, Kaido? Showing off with the full dragon mode? You can fly without transforming, you know.
Not one to be outdone, Lei Luo decided it was his turn to shine. His body swelled, scales creeping over his skin. His pupils narrowed to vicious slits, golden light swirling in his eyes. Fangs jutted from his mouth, and with a roar that was half-dragon, half-snake, he morphed into a colossal serpent. Massive wings blotted out the stars, mist swirled around him, and his golden eyes gleamed with feral menace as he hissed menacingly.
Snake-Snake Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Tengshe Form!
The Tengshe, a divine beast crafted in the image of the goddess Nüwa—part snake, part winged nightmare, riding the clouds like a boss. Lei Luo couldn't shake the feeling that this fruit was tailor-made for him. Thanks, Mama China, for the epic hookup, he thought.
Kaido stared at Lei Luo's Tengshe form, going from stunned to downright giddy. Same Conqueror's Haki, same Mythical Zoan vibes, and even similar beast modes? This guy's my soulmate!
"Wororororo!" Kaido's dragon laugh boomed like thunder. "Not bad, Lei Luo! Let's throw down sometime!"
King, hovering nearby, was having an existential crisis. Are Mythical Zoans just… everywhere now? Did I miss a sale?
"Save the cage match for later," Lei Luo said, his serpent voice hissing through the night. "Let's ditch this dump and find a place to crash."
His wings beat, kicking up a whirlwind as he shot into the sky. "Don't get lost, losers!"
Kaido's dragon eyes narrowed. "Oh, you're on, punk!" He rocketed after Lei Luo, clouds trailing in his wake.
King chuckled, shook his head, and transformed into his Pteranodon form, zooming after them like a prehistoric jet.
The trio tore through the night, landing on a remote island under Lei Luo's lead. A campfire crackled, smoke curling into the sky.
Lei Luo, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else, was stuck playing chef for two human black holes. Kaido and King were chowing down like they hadn't eaten in years. Lei Luo knew One Piece heavyweights could pack away food, but these two? They were on another level. He'd already grilled enough meat to feed a small village, and they were still going. No wonder buffets don't exist in this world.
Kaido, grease dripping down his chin, grinned. "Yo, Lei Luo, didn't peg you for a master chef!"
"Shut it," Lei Luo snapped, tossing another slab of meat at him. His arms were screaming from all the grilling.
Kaido caught it, took a massive bite, and sighed dramatically. "Only thing missing is some booze…"
"Don't like it? Starve," Lei Luo growled. He was this close to yeeting his halberd at the greedy dragon.
"Chill, chill, I'm eating!" Kaido laughed, unfazed, mumbling through a mouthful. "You're such a stickler, man."
Lei Luo's forehead twitched, a vein popping. Keep talking, lizard boy. See what happens.
King, gnawing on his own hunk of meat, piped up. "Mr. Lei Luo, what's our pirate crew called?"
Lei Luo jerked a thumb at Kaido. "Ask him. He's the captain."
Both Kaido and King froze, staring at Lei Luo like he'd grown a second head.
Kaido, mid-bite, pointed at himself, meat forgotten. "Me? Me? You serious?"
He'd assumed Lei Luo, with his big dreams, Navy betrayal, and Conqueror's Haki, was gunning for the captain's hat. Kaido was cool playing second fiddle—hell, he'd been a crewmate before in the Rocks Pirates. But Lei Luo, the Navy's rising star, was handing him the reins? After breaking him out of jail?
King was equally floored. Between Lei Luo's Navy uniform, his smackdown of that other Rear Admiral, and his Haki flex, he figured Lei Luo was the boss. Yet here he was, passing the crown to Kaido?
"Yup," Lei Luo said with a nod, dead serious. "I'm not here to tame the Beasts Pirates. I'm here to join them."
Looking straight at Kaido, he added, "Kaido, you're the man I believe in. Don't let me down."
Kaido was speechless, his dragon-sized ego swelling even bigger. This guy… he's got me all choked up!
To hide it, he shoved more meat in his face. Why's this taste even better now?