Pedro gripped his sword.
His body was a mess—claw marks, impact bruises everywhere.
One eye was swollen shut.
Only his right eye could see.
Across from him, the Emperor Crocodile looked even worse.
Its body was carved with sword wounds.
Its tail had been chopped shorter.
A long gash split its belly, still bleeding.
They say Zoan Awakening failure turns you into a mindless beast…
Pedro stared.
So why is this thing still using Haki?!
He cursed inwardly.
He was a beast too—
but he didn't have this monster's raw power.
"ROAR—!"
The crocodile's red eyes burned as it fixed on Pedro.
This "tiny thing" had mutilated it—cut its tail, carved its body—
And it was furious.
It wanted to bite him in half.
But Pedro was too fast.
Pedro watched the crocodile's wounds healing little by little.
His face darkened.
Zoan recovery after Awakening…
This regeneration was absurd.
He looked down at himself.
He was healing too—
but nowhere near as fast.
Damn it… when will I awaken?!
"GRAAAH—!"
The crocodile growled low, then exploded forward.
Four limbs slammed into the earth.
Its jaws opened wide and snapped toward Pedro.
"Shave!"
Pedro vanished to its flank and hacked into the belly.
Slash-slash-slash—!
"ROAR!"
The beast's rage spiked.
Its remaining tail whipped.
Pedro slipped away—
but the moment he landed, a Haki-coated palm slammed toward him.
No time to dodge.
Pedro shoved his sword forward to brace.
BOOOOM—!
The ground beneath him collapsed.
A crater formed.
Pedro stood in the center, teeth grinding, forcing the palm back with everything he had.
The crocodile pressed harder—trying to flatten him.
CRACK—CRACK—!
Sparks burst between the sword tip and the beast's palm.
Pedro's mouth filled with blood.
It spilled down his chin.
Is this… my limit?
In his mind flashed years of brutal training.
I trained until I broke—again and again.
And I'm still not as good as a stupid crocodile?!
The captain said physique and Haki were supreme.
Pedro trained exactly as he was told.
After being beaten by Marine hero Garp, Pedro had seen what a body at the limit looked like—
A fist that hit like steel.
And the captain had said it:
Garp was the first man on the seas to push physique to the extreme.
If that body improved again, it wouldn't be "breakthrough"—
It would be metamorphosis.
Evolution.
A human can do that without a Devil Fruit.
I'm a jaguar… and I ate a hunting leopard fruit—one plus one should be more than three.
How could I not do it?
Pedro's eyes ignited.
He roared and pushed—
The crocodile felt its palm forced back, and pain started to bloom.
If the enemy is tough…
Then focus everything into one point and strike through.
That was what White Ghost taught them.
Unify—
compress—
release.
Pedro's gaze sharpened.
Armament surged and condensed at the sword tip.
Then—
BANG—!
The crocodile's palm was pierced.
A hole burst through.
"ROOOOAR—!"
The beast recoiled, staggering back and staring at its wounded hand.
Pedro sprang forward.
Zoans grew tougher when they pushed their bodies to the edge—
that was something White Ghost drilled into them.
"So—"
Pedro raised the sword high.
His eyes turned red.
The crocodile charged, intending to crush him in one hit.
Pedro closed his eyes.
He was a swordsman.
This wasn't the time for Sulong—
Besides, there was no moon.
But he still had his blade.
He opened his eyes and bellowed:
"Leopard Slash!"
He dove.
WHOOSH—!
A leopard and a crocodile crossed.
SLASH—!
Pedro stopped, sword planted into the earth.
One hand gripped the hilt.
He used it to keep himself from collapsing.
The crocodile took two more steps—
then slowed.
The red drained from its eyes.
A thin line of blood appeared, running from its skull downward.
THUD—!
Its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Its eyes slowly shut.
It didn't move again.
"Shave!"
Kontena appeared beside Pedro and glanced at the corpse.
"Tch… didn't expect an Awakening-failed Zoan to die without reverting to human form."
He scratched his chin.
"Looks like he really became a beast completely."
"Then—"
Pedro dropped flat on his back, limbs spread like a starfish, voice weak.
"If you don't get me treated right now… I think I might die."
Kontena grabbed him and vanished.
Back at the fortress, Neiqin and Olga rushed over to check his injuries.
After a quick exam, Neiqin concluded:
"His wounds are already closing thanks to the Zoan. But he overused his strength—he's completely depleted."
She uncorked a potion and poured it into his mouth.
"Rest and recover. You'll be fine."
"Thank god…" Olga exhaled, relieved.
Pedro was the hope of the Mink Tribe—
the one most likely to enter Sulong even without a full moon.
Kontena whistled from the side.
"Man, I envy you."
"After this fight, your Zoan ability definitely grew. Plus combat experience, technique…"
"And that just now—was that Ryuo? Armament emission?"
He clicked his tongue.
"I'm jealous to death."
Pedro, barely recovered enough to speak, shot him a look.
"I never realized you could talk this much."
Kontena grinned.
"The captain told me to talk more."
"Not be a silent rock like before."
He glanced at the crocodile corpse, then back at Pedro.
"Awakening for Zoans is hard. And dangerous."
"If you fail…" he pointed at the corpse.
Wanda and Olga both looked uneasy.
They had seen the price—failure meant losing yourself completely.
Pedro's eyes hardened.
"I'll succeed."
"And the captain said it—Zoan Awakening is basically possession."
"It's you versus whatever's inside the fruit."
"Let's see who eats who."
His gaze sharpened like a predator.
"Let's see whose teeth are stronger."
"If you've got confidence, good," Kontena said, smiling.
"Zoan awakenings are rare on the seas."
"If you awaken, our crew's strength jumps again."
Pedro squinted at him.
"The captain also said Paramecia Awakening depends on brains, right?"
"What about you?"
"Didn't the captain say you've had your fruit for ten years?"
"Uh—"
Kontena choked.
He glared at Pedro—
then vanished on the spot.
The others covered their mouths, laughing quietly.
…
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