The most terrifying and destructive force on a planet has never been humans or any particular animal, but rather extreme natural weather.
For thousands of years, they have been revered, feared, and even worshipped by people, who have created a unique term for them.
Natural Disaster!
Among natural disasters, there are many categories, but in desert nations, the most common and powerful is the sandstorm, also known as a dust storm!
Fierce winds carry vast amounts of dry soil, gravel, and yellow sand, rolling and darkening the sky, engulfing everything in their path and burying it beneath the dust.
At this moment, Dragon was in the midst of such a terrifying natural disaster, engaged in a fierce life-and-death struggle with another who controlled this calamity—the Slave King.
The green whirlwind had already condensed into a lifelike Wind Dragon, circling around and blocking all the sandstorms within a ten-meter radius. This was the limit of what it could do.
Clang!
This was who knows how many times the claws and staff had collided head-on, but the overwhelming shockwaves that erupted seemed even more violent than before. Wherever they reached, whether it was wind or sand, everything was swept away in rippling waves along with the air.
But the endless sandstorm quickly returned, reducing visibility to its lowest level. All that could be seen was a haze of yellow and the howling wind.
"What a troublesome guy!"
Hidden within the sandstorm, King Taklama was no longer as relaxed and carefree as he had been at the beginning. Beneath his golden mask, his face was now filled with irritation and angry ferocity.
He had initially thought that with his strength, capturing Dragon would be as easy as turning over his hand, and he would soon have a new ace slave with a Logia-type ability.
But who could have guessed that the battle would drag on for so long?
The problem was that Dragon's evasive abilities were simply too troublesome. Whether it was thousands of Slave Rings or his own sneak attacks, Dragon always managed to dodge them in some miraculous way, using various movements or techniques.
Like a true Wind Dragon, he played freely in the gales and sea of sand. The strength of his Observation Haki was truly eye-opening for the Slave King.
Could Observation Haki really be used to such an extent? However, there was something strange: whenever the Slave King launched a direct staff strike, Dragon wouldn't dodge at all. Instead, he would actively meet it head-on with his peculiar claw-based martial arts.
Even if he was repeatedly struck hard, even if blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, even if his green suit became tattered, he would still stubbornly push forward.
To be honest, at first, King Taklama didn't think much of it, but now, as the battle dragged on, he couldn't shake a sense of foreboding.
The key issue was that he was already giving it his all, yet he still couldn't completely defeat Dragon. This was the most frustrating part.
How long can Garp's little brat keep this up? Just die already!
Now, the Slave King's mindset had reached an extreme. Every move he made was a full-force, deadly strike, with no regard for whether it would kill Dragon or not.
The clanging of metal was so dense, rapid, and chaotic. The pitch-black golden scepter swung into a blur of shadows, with continuous sonic booms erupting, accompanied by his fury, wildly pouring onto the myriad claw shadows. Each collision made Dragon uncomfortable, but he gritted his blood-stained teeth and persisted, persisted, and persisted again.
Though it might be an illusion, Dragon felt that the opponent's strength was gradually decreasing! "Ahhhh!"
Finally, the exasperated King Taklama admitted in his heart that he couldn't defeat Dragon with just his physical skills and Haki. Honestly, he was furious, but he had to accept it.
Fortunately, his greatest strength didn't lie within himself, but in his slaves.
He was the user of the Paramecia-type Pet-Pet Fruit, the Slave King of the dark world!!!
"Appear, Sand King—"
[Whoosh————]
Suddenly, with King Taklama's command, Dragon clearly noticed the surrounding sand and wind rapidly swirling, converging in large amounts at the former's feet, and forming the outline of a massive object at a visible speed.
When the finally formed entity appeared before his eyes, Dragon's pupils sharply contracted.
Because he saw a massive scorpion, entirely earth-yellow, with thick pincers, a long abdomen, and a sharp stinger at the top, its size several times larger than a warship!
Strangely, this scorpion was floating in the air with King Taklama on its back, but even so, the green ring on its abdomen was the most eye-catching.
"So that's it, this is the secret to why you can control the sand and wind?" Dragon finally understood the principle behind the Slave King's methods.
"Hahahaha, now that we're here, there's no harm in telling you!"
Seeing Dragon's astonished gaze, King Taklama's mood improved slightly. He opened his left palm, using his ability to make it emit a green light, and laughed heartily: "This is the strongest awakening ability of the Pet-Pet Fruit, not only can it bind living creatures, but even natural climates can be enslaved by me!"
"The reason I chose this island as my stronghold is because I tamed the sandstorm here. It not only grants me the abilities of a Logia-type user but also conceals everything, allowing me to hide in the darkness for decades!"
After saying this, the Slave King looked at Dragon with confusion and asked, "Honestly, I'm still shocked. How did you Marines find me? I wonder if you could enlighten me?"
Who knows! Dragon cursed in his heart. After all, he was just following orders and wasn't a high-ranking Marine official. But on the surface, he only coldly replied.
"No comment."
At the same time, he was sizing up the scorpion called 'Sand King' beneath the Slave King's feet. According to the Slave King's introduction, this was a true natural sandstorm, just forcibly shaped into this form by the Pet-Pet Fruit's ability. But from the previous display of power, it was clear that this didn't affect its control over the sandstorm.
In other words, his next opponent was the Natural Disaster of an island itself!
No wonder King Taklama regarded it as his trump card. "Hmph, in that case, I'll knock you out first. Then I'll find a new territory and have a good chat with you, as master and slave!"
King Taklama snorted coldly, then stomped heavily on the back of the 'Scorpion' beneath him, commanding, "Kill him, Sand King!"
[Yes, Master—]
The 'Sand King' actually spoke, its voice extremely hoarse and deep, but it clearly possessed a certain level of intelligence, truly resembling a clever pet!
The massive stinger on the 'Sand King's' back vibrated slightly, and in an instant, it disappeared from sight.
[Whoosh!]
Suddenly, a flash of red light appeared in Dragon's eyes, and he dispersed into green wind. In the next moment, a black-glowing stinger struck the spot where he had been just a second ago.
"Incredible attack speed!"
If it weren't for the Hurricane Fruit enhancing his Observation Haki's perception, he might not have been able to dodge that attack without his abilities.
In truth, when it comes to Armament Haki and Observation Haki, everyone has a preference. It's rare to find a strong individual who excels equally in both. In the past, like Garp, he was stronger in Armament Haki, but now his Observation Haki has surpassed it.
At the same time, Dragon noticed that King Taklama's figure had vanished, leaving only the enormous 'Sand King,' which seemed to engulf the sky and earth like a scorpion-shaped sandstorm.
"You know, Slave King... the thought that defeating you would free all the slaves gives me no reason to lose!"
The Wind Dragon that had been circling around him condensed onto his right arm, spinning rapidly and forming a visible green tornado.
In the next moment, Dragon bent and joined his index and middle fingers, separated the gap between his ring and middle fingers, bent and joined his ring and little fingers, and slightly bent his thumb, forming a three-pronged dragon claw-like stance.
"Ryusoken·Hurricane Dragon King!!"
[Boom——————]
The surging claw force combined with the maximum output of the hurricane, accompanied by the high-pitched roar of a dragon, collided head-on with the charging 'Sand King.'
At this moment, or rather, in the moments to come.
It would be the ultimate showdown between the hurricane from the sea and the sandstorm from the land!