Chapter 263: Volume 2 – Chapter 165: I Am the Storm

The moment that blinding golden light rose on the distant horizon, both Dragon and Daren instinctively narrowed their eyes.

That damn voice!

Borsalino!

Daren panted and clenched his teeth. He hadn't expected that lazy slacker—who was always late—to show up this fast!

He had planned everything as carefully as he could.

From the start, he used the power of the Jiki Jiki no Mi to block all Den Den Mushi signals on the island, cutting off any chance for civilians to contact the Marines or local authorities. That wasn't just to buy time for him and Dragon to say their goodbyes...

The most important reason was to wait for that ship disguised as a "merchant vessel" to arrive!

That's why, even mid-fight and mid-speech, his eyes kept flicking toward the sea.

Dragon's hurricane-based Logia ability let him "hover" in the air for short bursts, but there was no way he could fly long distances over the endless ocean.

Just like Smoker and Crocodile, his elemental form only allowed limited range and floating mobility. He couldn't cross vast seas like those with Devil Fruits that truly grant flight.

In fact, this applied to all Logia-type Devil Fruit users.

Daren had confirmed it with Momonga.

Even a Goro Goro no Mi user, who can transform into lightning and move at the speed of light, couldn't actually travel long distances across the sea. Their mobility was restricted to a single island or nation.

Maybe it had to do with stamina, though even Daren wasn't sure of the exact reason.

Still, it made sense.

If Enel could really become lightning and travel freely across the world, he wouldn't have needed to build the Ark—he could've just flown to the moon himself.

By the same logic, Borsalino was likely the same.

With his ability to turn into light, he could move at light speed, but that didn't mean he could cross the ocean without a ship.

After all, in the original storyline, no matter how urgent the mission, Borsalino always traveled by warship. That was all the proof one needed.

Devil Fruits that granted long-range flight were even rarer than Logia types in this sea!

That's why, if Dragon was truly going to escape, he couldn't rely on his powers alone—he needed a ship.

But now...

"Damn it!"

Daren cursed under his breath, fists tightening.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but all he could do was watch helplessly as Borsalino's figure reassembled high in the sky from countless golden photons.

At this point, there was nothing he could do.

Not knowing where Borsalino truly stood, he couldn't risk making a move—what if that guy stabbed him in the back?

And more importantly, if Borsalino was already here... Sakazuki probably wasn't far behind.

As his thoughts churned, that dazzling golden light flared up like a second sun, momentarily cutting through the pitch-black sky.

"Borsalino!!"

Dragon roared, blood at the corner of his mouth, his long black hair whipping wildly in the storm.

"Dragon... you've done something irreversible. Sorry, but I'm going to have to take you down now…"

Reflected in Borsalino's sunglasses was Dragon's figure, while a teasing smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

He raised both arms outward, fingers forming the familiar orchid pose.

The golden glow blazed to its peak.

"Here it comes!"

Dragon's eyes sharpened, a grin tugging at his lips.

As a former comrade, he knew better than anyone just how terrifying this yellow monkey really was.

An overwhelming sense of pressure and looming death surged toward him—but even so, Dragon's gaze shone brighter than it ever had in his life!

"My story's only just begun, and I'm gonna make it a tragedy!"

He took a bold step forward, laughing wildly.

"A brand-new era is waiting for me—what reason could possibly stop a man from charging into the free seas!?"

Dragon's eyes burned red as he roared, the veins on his scarred face bulging with intensity.

Borsalino's figure was now completely engulfed in radiant gold, but the mocking smile on his lips still lingered.

"You can't resist the storm that's coming."

The next second—

A barrage of golden light bullets tore through the rain like a violent downpour, sweeping down toward the small vessel below.

Yasakani no Magatama!

"No!"

Dragon, drenched in the storm, threw his head back and laughed.

"I am the storm!"

He stretched both arms wide and raised them high. Behind him, his dark green cloak suddenly billowed in the wind.

Wind!

A roaring wind!

A colossal, tornado-like storm erupted from the surface of the raging sea, churning the waves into a frenzy!

The ocean howled, and the sky screamed.

The storm surged upward in massive tidal waves, layer upon layer, rising to meet the torrent of golden light bullets pouring from the sky.

Boom!!

Scarlet explosions blasted one after another through the mountainous tsunamis, carving massive craters in the sea—only to have them immediately refilled by the overwhelming force of the rising water.

The heat from the light bullets evaporated vast quantities of seawater, wrapping the sea in a dense fog of white steam that refused to fade.

And it wasn't over. Dragon's roar echoed through the storm as unrelenting winds pushed the tsunami higher still, crashing upward with savage force toward Borsalino in the sky.

"Oh?"

Borsalino's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses.

"Well, I guess I've got no choice..."

His form suddenly split into countless photons, effortlessly dodging the crashing waves.

But his unhurried voice still echoed from above.

"Still, are you sure you can handle what comes next?"

The moment those words fell...

Daren and Dragon both froze.

BOOM!!

A mighty warship suddenly burst through the thick mist and surging waves, like a blade cleaving ice, surging forward with unstoppable force.

The raised bow stood tall and proud, trailing a wide current of seawater behind it—its massive anchor glinting sharply in the stormlight.

"You're not getting away, Dragon!!"

At the bow stood a towering figure, his presence as unshakable as a cliff face. A wide cloak billowed violently behind him.

On the chest of his black suit, a vivid, blood-red rose gleamed—a symbol of merciless power—its presence radiating a suffocating bloodlust beneath the crackling sky.

Rear Admiral Sakazuki, of Marine Headquarters!