Meanwhile, Zephyr, Sengoku, and Dragon were still locked in fierce combat.
Dragon was giving them a perfect demonstration of what it meant to be the Wanderer of the Wind.
Indeed — earlier inside the inn, Grimm had already modified the Devil Fruit Dragon had eaten.
Dragon had refused at first — until he learned that this modified version would not be weakened by seawater, and would greatly amplify his power. After that, he'd agreed without a second thought.
And so… he had gained the abilities of another DNF class: The Windseeker.
More than that — his power instantly rose to the level of its Second Awakening: The Wind God.
This taught Grimm something important: when someone eats a modified Devil Fruit, or when an existing user's abilities are modified, the resulting power level scales directly with their original strength and potential.
Dragon had originally planned to slip away through a secret tunnel in the inn… but he couldn't resist the chance to test his new abilities properly.
"Dragon — there is nowhere left for you to run. Surrender now!"
Zephyr stepped forward. He, Sengoku, and Dragon stood in a triangular formation right at the edge of the volcano's crater.
"Stop pretending you have everything under control, Instructor Zephyr!"
Dragon slowly lifted his head, a dark and ominous smile spreading across his face. Combined with his fierce expression and sharp features, he looked utterly terrifying.
"I imagine you two have already guessed… why I chose this exact island as our meeting place."
Surprise flashed briefly across Zephyr and Sengoku's faces. Dragon continued.
"To you two, and to the Government, this is a secret you have tried desperately to hide. But sadly… you underestimated the intelligence network of the Revolutionary Army. Tell me — what did you think of the explosion that destroyed the inn just now? What do you suppose would happen if that same power were used… to detonate this volcano?"
Zephyr and Sengoku could no longer pretend ignorance.
On the surface, Karakuri Island seemed nothing more than a peaceful outpost close to a Marine base. But in truth, it held a massive secret.
Deep underground lay vast deposits of a substance known as Explosive Rock.
In its basic form, it was simply a highly potent explosive. But refined with the right technology, its destructive power rivaled that of the Ancient Weapons. Even more critical, however, was the island's location.
It was one of three islands positioned directly above the chain of underwater volcanoes running beneath the New World. All three islands held rich deposits of Explosive Rock.
If all three were detonated simultaneously, the submarine volcano range would erupt completely — turning the entire stretch of ocean connecting Marineford, Sabaody Archipelago, and Karakuri Island into a blazing sea of fire.
This was a discovery made not long ago by Vegapunk. The Marines had been planning to secretly turn all three islands into fortified bases, secure the deposits, and study them further.
They never expected Dragon would find out — let alone use it to blackmail them.
This was information classified so highly that only top‑level Marine officers with access to the Central War Room were even allowed to know.
Which bastard leaked this?! Who is the traitor inside the Government?!
Kizaru: Ah‑choo… Ahh… I really should cut down on smoking. These sneezes are terrible… Ah‑choo!
Garp: Ah‑choo! Ahh… I nodded off again!
"Now, I don't actually want to cause mass destruction," Dragon said openly, pulling a remote control from his pocket. A bright red button stood out clearly on the top.
"I just want to leave here safely. And… well… to annoy you both while I'm at it. This is the detonator. Let me go… and I'll hand it right over to you."
"You…!"
"Wait, Sengoku — hold on!"
Sengoku was about to lunge forward, but Zephyr stopped him.
"This is far too serious. Compared to capturing him, or even to Karakuri Island itself, the safety of Marineford and Sabaody Archipelago is infinitely more important. We could escape easily enough… but thousands of innocent people would die. Families would be torn apart. Lives would be destroyed. Are you really willing to let that happen just to catch him?"
His words gave Sengoku pause.
Suddenly, a massive gust of wind lifted Dragon straight into the air.
"Farewell, then!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless swirling wind vortices erupted across the sky.
And in the blink of an eye… Dragon was gone.
At the same moment, the detonator fell from the air. Sengoku snatched it up instantly — only to freeze in horror.
A sudden blast of wind had slammed the bright red button down… while the device was still in his hand.
"You bastard…!"
"We're finished!"
Zephyr and Sengoku cursed in unison, realizing they had been played for fools.
Seconds passed. Then minutes.
No explosion came.
Instead, a high‑pitched, mocking voice began repeating from the speaker:
"Fooled you, fooled you! You fell for it! You were scared, weren't you?! Fooled you, fooled you…"
Sengoku crushed the remote into dust in his fist. "Damn it… we really were tricked completely!"
---
Elsewhere…
After over ten minutes of close‑quarters combat, Kuzan's clothes were torn and ragged, hanging loosely from his body.
"Ara‑ara… the situation… it doesn't look too good for me, does it?"
"Stop pretending you're struggling…"
Grimm spoke in the sweet, alluring voice of his current form. Right now, he could not use his Paladin abilities; his power was fixed roughly at the level of an "85th‑level Savior" — and truth be told, in pure strength, he was actually weaker than Kuzan.
But there was nothing he could do about it — the item was random.
More importantly, he was deliberately holding back. With so many Marines watching, he dared not unleash his full strength, lest he accidentally kill them with stray attacks.
That was the only reason he seemed to be at a disadvantage.
Suddenly, both men noticed the fierce winds and violent tremors coming from the volcano behind them… stop completely.
Kuzan tilted his head lazily in that direction. "Ah… is it over already?"
It was far faster than he expected. He didn't know exactly what powers Dragon possessed or how strong he really was… but according to intelligence reports, Dragon was said to be at least Admiral‑level in strength.
Logically, the fight should have lasted much longer.
Did Instructor Zephyr and Sengoku simply let him escape? That doesn't make sense… way too soon for that.
"In battle… even a split second of inattention is fatal."
The soft, sweet voice came from directly behind him. Kuzan instantly turned his body into ice mist, spun around, and slashed backward with an ice blade hand.
Swish!
The attack froze a large section of the building behind him solid… but there was no sign of the woman in black stockings anywhere.
After a few seconds, Kuzan lowered his hand and shrugged helplessly. "She ran away, huh… ah well… I've been played again."
---
Ten minutes later, both groups of Marines regrouped.
Seeing that Kuzan had returned without the mysterious woman, a look of displeasure crossed Sengoku's face. Kuzan merely shrugged and said nothing.
Neither Zephyr nor Sengoku blamed him, however — after all, they had let Dragon escape, and worse… they had been humiliated by him. It was utterly shameful.
When the three officers led their men to the ruins of the inn, Zephyr knelt and picked up a piece of charred debris between his fingers.
Frowning, he said, "Dammit… this makes it look as though both Celestial Dragons inside were killed."
The death of two Celestial Dragons at once… the World Government would surely punish them severely.
Sengoku replied, "We haven't confirmed their deaths yet. I will write the report. I will state that Saint Epthelm was also responsible, as he refused all our advice and warnings. Zephyr — you stay here and lead the investigation. We might yet uncover clues or evidence to clear our names."
__________________
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