"Th-this…" Mihawk was still in his sword-swinging stance as he stared in disbelief, struggling to process what had just happened.
"Impressive, Mihawk. To think you'd slay a legendary dragon so effortlessly. You might even be stronger than Ryuma from centuries past." Zavia offered a flat compliment, so unconvincing it bordered on sarcastic.
"That was a legendary dragon?!?" Mihawk remained incredulous. The creature he had longed to face, to defeat, had been felled with a single blow? That was a legendary dragon? Weren't dragons supposed to be powerful? How could it be so weak?
"Hey, Zavia, what's going on?" Mihawk turned to Zavia, puzzled.
Zavia hadn't shown the slightest surprise at the dragon's demise, nor the expected excitement at encountering such a legendary beast.
It was as if he'd known about the dragon all along, confident that both he and Mihawk could easily dispatch it.
"Emmm, well, there's no benefit in lying to you. That dragon was created by Vegapunk to guard this island." Zavia revealed a portion of the truth, withholding certain details.
"Created? Dragons can be created?" Mihawk wasn't interested in how Zavia knew; he was fixated on the revelation that the dragon was manufactured. This shocked him far more than its swift defeat.
"Yes. If you're interested in the specifics, you can ask Vegapunk himself. I don't know the details, but I doubt the Marines would let you waltz into Mary Geoise." Zavia shrugged, equally baffled by Vegapunk's ability to create such a creature.
How did that man's mind work? With intelligence 500 years ahead of his time, Zavia wouldn't be surprised if Vegapunk was a time traveler from the future.
But that was a thought for another time. Zavia wasn't particularly interested in Vegapunk's background.
"…" Mihawk fell into deep thought.
He'd finally encountered the legendary creature every swordsman dreamed of facing, only to discover it was not only weak but also artificially created! It was absurd.
"Impossible—!!" Hidden behind the dilapidated building, Caesar Clown echoed Mihawk's disbelief. He couldn't fathom how anyone could defeat the legendary monster Vegapunk had created.
What shocked him even more was that it had been slain with a single slash! This man was stronger than Ryuma from centuries past!
"Why is it impossible, Caesar Clown? That creature was artificially created. Of course, it wouldn't compare to a real dragon, would it?" A teasing voice suddenly sounded from behind Caesar.
Caesar froze, cold sweat dripped down his face. He would recognize that voice anywhere, even though this was their first meeting. Zavia had already made a lasting impression.
He slowly turned to see Zavia, Arthur, and Mihawk standing less than ten meters away, despite having been 200 meters distant just moments ago.
"Y-you… you were… just now… a Devil Fruit user!" Caesar stammered, pointing at them, then back to their previous location. It was inconceivable! Then, a possibility struck him – a Devil Fruit ability!
"Well, you can think of it that way, but it's irrelevant. Just remember, don't cause any trouble. I told you, if I want you dead, you won't last a second. Haven't you forgotten? Here, take this. Three years from now, if you have a child wearing Wano Country attire among your test subjects, contact me using this. If you don't contact me immediately, believe me, even if you hide in Mary Geoise, I will cut you to pieces! Understand?"
Ignoring Caesar Clown's emotional turmoil, Zavia tossed him a Den Den Mushi. His instructions were simple: contact him the moment he found Momonosuke.
Caesar nodded fearfully, unable to speak, his eyes wide with terror. Zavia's killing intent had paralyzed him.
When Zavia mentioned the "child in Wano attire," the icy killing intent he unintentionally released spoke volumes about his feelings towards the boy.
Caesar understood. In that moment, he realized why Zavia was called the "Sword Demon." It was likely the most terrifying realization of his life.
"Good. I trust you won't disappoint me. Then, we'll meet again in three years, Caesar Clown."
Satisfied with Caesar's apparent compliance, Zavia nodded, smoothing back his hair, which had been ruffled by the wind generated by the falling dragon.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the three of them vanished, leaving Caesar standing there, Den Den Mushi in hand, paralyzed with fear.
…
"Hey, big brother, do you really believe he'll keep his promise?" Arthur asked, sitting beside Zavia on the deck of their ship, now 300 meters from Punk Hazard.
"Believe him? Don't be silly. I don't trust anyone in this world except you. But I know he'll make that call." Zavia's expression remained unchanged. He had given Caesar the Den Den Mushi so he could be informed of Momonosuke's arrival immediately. And then, he would torture the little brat to death.
"Really? Then, big brother, can you tell me why you have such intense killing intent towards that child in Wano clothes?" Surprisingly, Arthur didn't simply nod as he usually did. He seemed genuinely curious about Momonosuke.
"Emmm… Well, there's no harm in telling you. That Wano brat is named Kozuki Momonosuke, the son of Kozuki Oden. As for why I dislike him so much… let's just say he's done things that would infuriate any normal, healthy male, to the point of triggering homicidal rage." Zavia revealed the reason for his hatred, though he spared Arthur the details.
It wasn't that he didn't want Arthur exposed to such things. After all, Arthur had been forced to understand them before Zavia found him.
It was simply that Arthur was still too young to comprehend why men would be captivated by such things.
What? Arthur had been forced to understand but wasn't interested? Don't be naive. As mentioned earlier, Arthur only understood these things; he lacked any practical experience.
He was a slave, after all. In the world of One Piece, slaves had no rights. They were treated as objects, as disposable trash, by the so-called "upper class."
No slave owner would willingly engage in relations with a slave, except for certain male slave owners, for reasons best left unsaid.
"Really? Then, that Momonosuke person must be in great danger."
"Yes and no. Only a few people in this world are bothered by his actions, myself included."
"I see." Arthur nodded, dropping the subject of Momonosuke, seemingly losing interest. However, Zavia sensed a subtle relief in Arthur's demeanor, though he couldn't be certain if it was just his imagination.
"Hmm? Still surprised, Mihawk?" Dismissing his thoughts about Arthur, Zavia glanced at Mihawk, noticing a lingering shock on the swordsman's face.
"Yes, but I'm surprised by Vegapunk. Who is he? To think he could create a legendary creature…" Mihawk admitted his astonishment, though it was directed at Vegapunk, not the dragon.
"Well, who knows? He's known as the man '500 years ahead of the world.' Perhaps he's created even more astonishing things." Zavia shrugged. He didn't know much about Vegapunk either. The character remained shrouded in mystery, only known as a genius scientist.
Storing the Yamato in his spatial bag, Zavia sat on the deck near the bow, tossing a Log Pose in his hand. It was marked with the romanized name of Raijin Island.
This was the Log Pose for Raijin Island. Unlike others, it wasn't permanent.
Likely due to the constant lightning storms, the island's magnetic field was incredibly unstable, making a permanent Log Pose impossible.
Zavia had obtained this Log Pose after scouring four underground black markets. Due to the island's extreme danger, few black market merchants carried it. This didn't mean it was unavailable, simply rare. Hardly anyone dared to venture to Raijin Island.
"Next stop, Raijin Island." Zavia caught the Log Pose, observing the glass sphere within, its needle spinning wildly. A flicker of excitement coursed through him.
(The guardian of the Lightning Core… I wonder what kind of monster it is.) He looked towards the direction indicated by the Log Pose and smiled.
It wasn't his usual cold smirk. While similar to his typical expression, a closer look revealed a slight tremor in his body.
It wasn't fear or apprehension. It was a feeling difficult to describe.
Excitement? Joy? Happiness?
None of those seemed quite right.
Perhaps even Zavia himself couldn't articulate the emotion he was experiencing.