Blinding golden light erupted on the distant horizon, and in that moment, both Dragon and Darren's pupils narrowed slightly.
That damnable, insufferable voice!
Darren clenched his teeth, panting, never imagining that this indolent slacker, who was always late, would actually arrive so quickly!
He had already done everything he could to prepare.
From the outset, he had used the power of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit to block the signal of the Transponder Snails on this small island, preventing the civilians from contacting the Marines or the local government. This was not only to buy a final moment for himself and Dragon to say goodbye...
But more crucially, to wait for the arrival of that ship disguised as a "merchant vessel"!
That was why, in the midst of talking and fighting, his gaze repeatedly flickered toward the sea.
Although Dragon's power was a natural-type hurricane, allowing him to briefly "float" in the air, it was absolutely impossible for him to fly long distances over the boundless ocean.
This was the same limitation shared by Smoker and Crocodile's natural-type abilities.
They could only transform into elements and move within a certain range, unlike those Devil Fruit users who truly possessed the ability of flight, able to traverse the seas freely over long distances.
In truth, this was a universal limitation of all natural-type Devil Fruit users.
Darren had confirmed this from Musshuru.
Even the Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, who could become lightning and move at the speed of light through space, could not achieve long-distance flight across oceans.
They were confined to the limited range of a single nation or island.
This likely had to do with stamina consumption, though the exact reason was something even Darren wasn't entirely clear on.
Yet, it was still easy to understand.
If Enel truly could transform into lightning and freely cross vast distances, he would have had no need to build the Ark Maxim, as he could simply traverse the void to reach the endless land.
This also meant that Borsalino was in a similar state!
Relying on his ability to become light, he could move at speeds approaching the speed of light, but he absolutely couldn't fly over the sea in the same way.
After all, in the original story, no matter how urgent the mission or the crisis, this man always traveled by battleship—a testament in itself.
Because Devil Fruits that could truly grant long-distance flight were even rarer than natural-type Devil Fruits on this vast ocean!
Therefore, if Dragon truly wanted to escape, he couldn't rely solely on his own abilities—he had to find a ship!
Darren couldn't help but curse inwardly, clenching his fists.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind at lightning speed, but he could only watch helplessly as Borsalino's figure reassembled in the distant sky from countless golden photons.
At this point, he could no longer afford to make a move!
Not when he didn't fully understand Borsalino's true stance—he couldn't guarantee this man wouldn't stab him in the back!
More importantly, since Borsalino had arrived, it meant that Sakazuki would probably be arriving very soon too.
As these thoughts whirled through his mind, the dazzling golden light suddenly intensified, flaring like a golden sun that briefly illuminated the pitch-black sky.
Dragon roared, blood staining the corners of his mouth as his long, disheveled black hair danced wildly in the torrential rain.
"Dragon... you've done something irreparable. I'm sorry, but I'll have to take you down now..."
Borsalino's sunglasses reflected Dragon's figure, and the corners of his mouth curved in a taunting smirk.
He spread his arms wide, his fingers forming a delicate orchid gesture.
The golden light blazed to an unimaginable intensity.
Dragon's eyes sharpened, and a faint smile lifted the corners of his mouth.
As former colleagues, he knew better than anyone just how formidable this yellow monkey was.
A sense of unprecedented oppression and mortal peril surged within him, yet Dragon's gaze burned brighter than at any moment in his life!
"My story is only just beginning. I must turn it into a comedy!!!"
He stepped forward, erupting in wild laughter:
"A new era awaits me! What reason could possibly stop a man from charging into the sea of freedom!?"
Dragon's eyes turned blood-red as he let out a furious roar, thick veins bulging across his scarred cheeks.
Borsalino's figure was now completely submerged in endless golden light, though the mocking curve of his lips remained as clear as ever:
"You cannot withstand the storm that's coming."
A barrage of golden light bullets pierced through the heavy rain like a furious tempest, pouring down upon the small boat in a deluge.
Yasakani no Magatama!
Dragon stood tall in the storm, laughter ringing out:
He spread his arms wide, raising them high as the dark green cloak on his back suddenly billowed in the wind.
A monstrous tornado-like storm suddenly rose up from the churning sea's surface, surging with overwhelming force!
Towering waves roared, the sky thundered.
The storm lifted layers upon layers of tsunamis, rising to meet the rain of golden light bullets with apocalyptic fury.
Fiery red explosions erupted one after another within the mountain-like waves, blasting open enormous cavities of seawater that were immediately refilled by the surging ocean.
The searing heat of the light bullets evaporated vast volumes of seawater, cloaking the entire sea in dense, lingering white steam.
Yet it wasn't over. With Dragon's furious roar, the unending tempest drove the tsunamis even higher, their relentless fury clawing at Borsalino in the sky.
Borsalino's eyes narrowed slightly behind his sunglasses.
"This really is troublesome..."
His figure scattered into countless photons, effortlessly avoiding the surging wave.
His slow, languid voice still echoed in the stormy sky:
"But... are you sure you can withstand the next assault from that man?"
Darren and Dragon's breaths caught simultaneously.
A massive warship burst through the thick steam and the crashing waves, surging forward like a blade of ice cleaving the ocean apart.
Its prow rose high, cutting through the darkness, and even the massive anchor's cold gleam was visible as it dragged a torrent of seawater behind it.
"You won't escape, Dragon!!"
At the ship's prow stood a towering figure, an aura of deadly calm radiating from him. His wide cloak billowed behind him like a banner of judgment.
On the black suit over his chest, a single blood-red rose bloomed with chilling malice in the thunderous storm.
Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral—Sakazuki!