Borsalino’s Identity?

"You've made far more progress in these past two years than I ever expected. It seems you've had some kind of fortuitous encounter."

Dragon was crouched on the ground, both hands pressed against the dirt, struggling to stay upright. His eyes were filled with shock.

It had been a long time since he last saw Jon, and his impression of Jon's strength was still stuck in the past. Back then, he had a clear understanding of Jon's abilities.

Because of this, he had been confident that even if he couldn't persuade Jon, he could at least overpower him with sheer force.

But now, after fighting against him, he realized with growing dread that Jon was far stronger than he had imagined. Despite using all his strength, he had failed to defeat Jon. Instead, Jon's incredible regenerative abilities had caused him endless trouble.

Dragon had been so sure of himself at first, but now, fear crept into his heart. His hopes for this mission had already crumbled.

Across from him, Jon wasn't in great shape either. Sitting cross-legged, he was desperately absorbing the life energy of the plants around him.

But most of the vegetation on this island had already been drained by him. He had to reach farther and farther, which made the recovery process slow.

Now he understood why Dragon had chosen this particular island for their fight—it was because of its limited plant life. Dragon clearly knew how Jon's abilities worked and had specifically chosen this battleground to weaken him.

Both of them were exhausted. More terrifyingly, their battle had devastated the island, shattering half of it into ruins. Countless people had likely suffered as collateral damage.

Dragon was shocked by Jon's strength, but Jon was equally surprised by Dragon's.

Jon had always prided himself on his stamina, yet Dragon had managed to go toe-to-toe with him for so long.

And in terms of explosive power, Dragon was even stronger. If not for Jon's high defense and his advanced Observation Haki allowing him to dodge several lethal attacks, he would have already lost.

"A few days apart, and you're a whole new man, huh? Dragon, if this is all you've got, then today is the day you die."

Though the island's remaining vegetation was scarce, Jon's recovery rate was still faster than Dragon's. The longer the fight dragged on, the more likely he was to win.

"Heh… The tables have turned, huh?"

Dragon let out a bitter chuckle.

He had started this confrontation with the upper hand, issuing threats to Jon. Now, the situation had reversed.

"But you seem to have forgotten something… I'm not alone."

Jon's expression changed. He had been so focused on fighting Dragon that he had completely ignored his subordinates.

During their battle, Dragon's men had been forced to retreat due to the sheer destruction.

Now that the fight had stopped, they returned, their eyes filled with hostility as they stared at Jon's weakened state.

"Capture him. Don't kill him."

Dragon's command rang out, and several of his subordinates immediately charged at Jon.

Jon's face remained cold. He hadn't recovered enough strength yet, and these opponents were no pushovers. If he were at full strength, he wouldn't even think twice about them—but now, they posed a real threat.

"If you think you can take me down like this… You're dreaming."

Jon pressed both hands to the ground, pouring his remaining energy into his abilities.

"Wood Shield!"

A massive wooden shield, shaped like a human face, rose up, enveloping Jon in its protection.

"Boom!"

Dragon's men unleashed their attacks, but to their shock, none of them managed to break through.

"This defense… How is it so strong?"

They struck again and again, but the wooden shield held firm.

"Try attacking from below!"

Dragon immediately saw the problem and shouted instructions to his men.

His subordinates quickly followed orders, attempting to tunnel beneath the wooden barrier.

But soon, they discovered that Jon had already anticipated this. His shield wasn't just a wall—it extended underground, completely sealing him off.

To reach him, they would have to break through the entire structure first.

Inside the shield, Jon remained unfazed.

This technique was one of his strongest defensive moves, and now that he could incorporate Iron Birch Wood—a material several times stronger than steel—his defense had reached another level.

Even without Armament Haki, this barrier was more than enough to withstand most attacks.

And sure enough, no matter how Dragon's men attacked, they couldn't break through.

"I miscalculated. It's too late. We need to retreat."

Dragon, having recovered some strength, got back to his feet and issued the order.

He knew Jon's reinforcements would arrive soon. If they stayed any longer, they risked being wiped out.

His subordinates followed orders without hesitation and quickly withdrew.

Standing in front of Jon's shield, Dragon spoke through the barrier:

"Jon, I underestimated you this time. I'll learn from this mistake. But I won't give up so easily. You are the one we've been searching for all along. I will come for you again."

"The next time you see me," Jon's voice came from within the shield, "it will be the day you die."

Dragon chuckled. "If you have the power to make that happen, then I won't object. But one day, you will see things my way. Mark my words—our goal is revolution. We will change this world."

With that, Dragon turned and left.

"Revolutionary Army, huh? So they've finally chosen a name."

Jon sat in silence, contemplating Dragon's words.

He had long been aware of the Revolutionary Army's existence.

To him, their emergence wasn't necessarily a bad thing—it at least served as a warning to the World Government.

Jon remained inside his shield, continuing to recover.

Some time later, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Oi, Jon! Hurry up and put away your turtle shell."

Jon withdrew his ability, and the massive wooden shield crumbled away.

Standing there with his usual lazy smile was Borsalino.

"Man, I heard you ran into Dragon," Borsalino whistled as he glanced at the battlefield. "Judging from the mess here, you guys must've had a hell of a fight. But why is it that when I arrive, there's no one left to see?"

Jon gave him an unreadable look. "They're gone. But tell me something, Borsalino—I told you not to stay too far from me, to be ready to provide backup at any moment. So why the hell did you only show up now?"

"Hey, that's not my fault," Borsalino said with a shrug. "I was following your orders, keeping my distance, but on my way here, I ran into some pirates causing trouble. A justice-loving guy like me couldn't just ignore that, could I?"

Jon narrowed his eyes. "And you didn't notice the massive battle happening here? The storms? The destruction?"

"Oh, that?" Borsalino said casually. "I just assumed the weather changed."

Jon exhaled sharply. "Fine. Whatever you say."

Borsalino smirked. "You don't actually think I was working with Dragon, do you? Come on, Jon, what do I get out of that? Do I look like some idealistic guy trying to change the world?"

Jon stared at him.

"I never mentioned Dragon's goals," he said slowly. "And yet, you already know exactly what he's trying to do."

Borsalino just laughed. "Oh, please. The guy's openly leading revolts against the government. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

Jon remained silent, studying Borsalino's expression.

Just who was this man, really?

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Powerstones?

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