A terrifying crimson dragon head with long horns and interlocked razor-sharp fangs emerged, flames occasionally sparking from its gaping maw.
Its thick neck supported a balloon-like massive body and a rounded belly. Relative to its bulk, the dragon's limbs appeared small, with the left forelimb missing its claw entirely.
A pair of crimson bat-like wings extended from its back, a stout tail adorned with spikes trailing behind. Though it seemed better proportioned than the experimental dragon from Vegapunk's lab, it still fell far short of the majestic image of a red dragon.
Those slitted eyes, however—there was no trace of rationality within them. Madness and ferocity raged as oppressive heat waves rolled off its body with every movement. The artificial Flame-Beast Zoan, the Red Dragon, had arrived!
"A transformed Devil Fruit user. Far more troublesome than that beast Vegapunk keeps as a pet," Wright remarked thoughtfully.
With his decision made, he readied his blade. "No need to overthink—let's cut it down first."
"Lightspeed!"
As Weevil completed his transformation into a beastly form, Wright blinked into existence on the Red Dragon's back, his blade—the Enma-like Nidai Kitetsu—shimmering with Armament Haki.
The disguise provided by Wright's mastery concealed the true strength of his Haki, making it appear unremarkable to any observer.
With precision, the jet-black blade slashed at the root of the dragon's left wing. Despite the supreme edge of his great-grade sword and the reinforcement of Haki, the blade only sank five to six centimeters into the dragon's tough hide.
"Tch… Zoan users really are thick-skinned, even the artificial ones."
The Red Dragon howled in pain, thrashing wildly. Wright withdrew his blade and unleashed a powerful Confession, striking the dragon's head with force. Seizing the momentary stun, he aimed his long sword at the wing's vast membrane.
"Slash!"
Although the wing's bones resisted, the membrane was not as resilient. Wright's relentless strikes shredded it, rendering the creature's flying capabilities significantly impaired.
Within moments, the once-pristine wings resembled tattered cloth hanging forlornly from skeletal frames. The mindless beast seemed unaware of its plight as it continued its violent rampage.
Despite Weevil's monstrous Armament Haki, his beast form's strength and durability were undeniable. Even the dragon's comparatively smaller limbs were formidable enough to pose a serious threat.
"Boom!"
"Roar!"
The dragon's massive claws slammed into the ground, its colossal body convulsing as it instinctively sought to dislodge the "little thing" that had dared to attack its back.
The island's towering rocks and cliffs became its tools of destruction, as the beast smashed itself against them to force Wright to retreat. He leapt from the dragon's back just in time to avoid being crushed.
The dragon's intact right claw swiped furiously, and its maw snapped at Wright's "small" figure with relentless hunger.
"Roar!"
Without warning, the Red Dragon inhaled deeply before unleashing a colossal pillar of fire, attempting to catch Wright mid-dodge.
Wright, his Observation Haki focused on the dragon's movements, teleported instantly to its upper jaw, blade enveloped in Haki as he plunged it downward.
"Roar!!"
This strike, infused with advanced Armament Haki, pierced the dragon's upper jaw. However, its overwhelming durability prevented Wright from widening the wound further.
The beast roared in agony, its fire-breathing interrupted as thick smoke billowed from its mouth. Wright used the opportunity to leap to safety.
"Its defense is too strong…" Wright muttered, frowning as the dragon charged once more, its madness undeterred.
Gripping his sword tightly, Wright prepared his next move.
"Holy Judgement!"
"Zing!"
In a flash, Wright disappeared and reappeared at the dragon's left forelimb. A geyser of blood erupted as the entire limb was severed, leaving the creature unbalanced and crashing to the ground.
Wright emerged at the dragon's tail, his rapid speed and advanced Haki the key to delivering sufficient damage to the beast.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Wright leapt away as the dragon's massive tail slammed into the ground where he had just been standing.
"Battle instincts?" he mused.
The Red Dragon, though maddened, was not without dangerous intuition—a reminder of how lethal a beast's raw instincts could be.
"Moonwalk!"
Using the long-neglected Geppo, Wright soared into the air. Below, the Red Dragon thrashed its wings, struggling to fly—only to stir up a storm of dust and debris.
Its confusion turned to fury as it opened its jaws to unleash more fiery pillars.
"Already recovering?" Wright exclaimed as he deftly evaded the flames, noticing the wound on the dragon's upper jaw had stopped bleeding. At this rate, even the scars would soon vanish.
"This won't do. Its regenerative abilities are too strong," Wright muttered, his golden eyes flashing as he struck again. This time, he inflicted over a dozen deep wounds across its massive body. Yet within moments, the bleeding ceased, and the injuries began to heal before his eyes.
Realizing the futility of conventional methods, Wright focused his energy into a powerful Confession aimed directly at the dragon's mind.
"It works!"
The dragon's massive head jerked backward as if struck by a colossal hammer, sending it reeling to the ground.
A frenzied beast's mind was often chaotic, and Weevil was no exception. The attack stunned the creature long enough for Wright to pause, noticing a peculiar change.
The massive Red Dragon began to shrink, its form shifting into something more humanoid… a half-dragon hybrid!
Years ago, during Zephyr's training exercises, Weevil had partially transformed, manifesting dragon claws that amplified his strength, speed, and defense. Now, it seemed, he had unlocked his ultimate form.
The half-dragon Weevil shook his head, gripping a massive naginata that had seemingly appeared from nowhere. Flames reminiscent of the Red Dragon's own burned along the weapon's edge.
"Kill, kill, kill!"
Though his mind was still clouded, the madness had lessened, his newfound form displaying a balance of human and beast.
"Roar!"
Weevil's blood-red eyes locked onto Wright, who stood calmly with his blade drawn. The hybrid charged, his fiery naginata sweeping down with immense force.
"Clang!"
"Boom!"
Wright, having already restored his stamina with a Holy Light spell, met the attack head-on. With Nidai Kitetsu wrapped in Armament Haki, he clashed furiously with the berserk Weevil.
The impact of their strikes pulverized the surrounding cliffs and boulders, leaving devastation in their wake.
"This feels like a bootleg version of Whitebeard and Shanks' clash," Wright mused, almost distracted by the thought.
Weevil, hailed as Whitebeard's supposed son, and Wright, known to share drinks with Shanks, mirrored their legendary predecessors in an oddly ironic manner.
"Interesting," Wright's golden eyes gleamed with battle spirit as he smirked.
"Whether you're Whitebeard's son or not, today you're going down!"
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here: patreon.com / juanpiece
There are more than 100 advance chapters available for you!