Negotiations. 1.

"What do you take me for?" Big Mom inquired in an annoyed tone. She was rather pissed off by his cliche story, falling in love with a phoenix and some memorial stuff.

"I don't have any reason to lie!" The dragon yelled out, heat emanating from his entire being. "You either step aside or die here," it continued in a hoarse voice.

'Buying time would be the best option for me now,' she thought, strategically planning her moves. "Sorry… I'll listen."

The dragon could not help but feel suspicious, Big Mom agreeing to listen was a weird situation, he knew her as someone who would rather fight than negotiate.

"What are you planning?" It inquired in a suspicious tone.

Shrugging. "Come on, what do you take me for?" 

"You already asked that question," he said, not minding her ignorant pose.

"Ha, I just feel interested… your story kind of touched my soft spot, you understand right?" Big Mom said emotionally, confusing the dragon's already traumatized mind.

"You are weak, I can finish you off," it said, glaring at her. "Then what makes you think I need your attention?"

"Don't be like this old lizard, love has always been my weak spot, and I'm sure a mighty lizard like you would have an interesting love life *wink*."

With hot air coming from his nostrils, he could not help but let the praise go to his head. Though she said lizard, since his love life was praised he's ready to tell his story, after all, he can kill her anytime… if she refuses his demand.

"Okay, I'll tell you," he said. 'I can't enter the Xadia empire alone… if I can convince her to join me, then it'll be easier.'

Squatting down, Big Mom picked the bigger piece of flesh, heaping them in one place to form a mini mountain. Sitting down gracefully with a comfortable smile on her face, she turned to look at the dragon.

*Twitch*

"You can start!"

*Twitch*

"Cat got your tongue?"

"What are you doing?" Said the dragon in exasperation, glaring at Big Mom in spite.

"Mmmmh, sitting down lizard," she replied as if it was the obvious thing to do.

"Stop calling me lizard, my name is 'Ignatius'!" Yelled the dragon aka Ignatius. 

"I know your name, calling you 'lizard' just feels right."

"Call me lizard again… and we are done," Ignatius said in anger, his nostrils flaring.

"Okay…. Ignatius. Happy now?"

"That's nice, just act like a good girl."

'I'll just wait for my chance,' Big Mom thought in annoyance, cursing Ignatius's guts.

"As I was saying; I fell in love with a phoenix, named Kori," Ignatius said in nostalgia, moving toward the crumbles of a mountain. "She was similar to a natural 'ice', cold and beautiful," it continued, lying on the crumbles.

"She was the perfect female, t…"

"Mmmh, aren't dragons and phoenixes in a rivalry?" Big Mom inquired in curiosity. I'll tell you the secret… Though she seemed curious, her main reason for bringing up that question was to end his love talk… she felt bored.

"Yes, it is forbidden… I tried my best to escape to another continent, where it was rumored to not matter, but… I couldn't, leaving this continent is just a fleeting dream," Ignatius said in a dejected tone, looking at his forearms.

In the southern continent, humans make up over 90% of the total population, with other species taking less than 10% of the population. The dragons were among that 10% making them rare and more civilized, in the sense that they have built a community (society) for themselves, to keep their race from going extinct in the Southern continent.

All minority races had formed similar societies, leaving a few out of the equation. Phoenixes were among that group of rare creatures, and certain events had caused a huge conflict between the two races (Dragon & Phoenix), making them arch-enemies.

"So the dragons or the phoenixes killed her?" She inquired, getting intrigued by the particular topic.

"Something on that line. Due to our enmity, they had created a series of spells and whatnot to prevent our race from having any relation; love, friendship, and whatnots." Ignatius said, with a bitter smile on his face.

"So…"

"I know what you want to ask, your questions are quite predictable," he said in a friendly tone, making Big Mom astonished. "The spell or whatnot didn't kill her, it was a disease she got… it affects the stability of your powers, and unfortunately for her, she was pregnant at that time, to cure herself she needed to end the baby's life, which she rejected," he said, his bitter smile intensifying.

"She is a…"

"Good female... You feel proud as a female," he said, catching Big Mom off guard. "I felt like killing the child back then… I would have done it, if not for the…" he said, stopping halfway through his words. "I probably shouldn't say that."

"I would love to hear it."

"No! Don't try to convince me," he said in a solemn tone. "That's why I came here back then… to get the proclaimed treasure, but…" he said, looking at Big Mom strangely.

"Ain't I supposed to be pissed off?"

"Yes, you are… but it wasn't my fault," she said, raising her hands to plead her innocence.

"Ohh! Now, who's fault was it?" Ignatius inquired, with squinted eyes.

"Mmmh? You of course," she replied, as it was the obvious choice.

"I guess our peace talk ends here," he said, threatening to get up.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down, I was just kidding, it's my fault," Big Mom replied in a rush. I must say, it looks weird even for me, Big Mom following someone's whim… I hope you don't find it strange.

Looking at Big Mom, his nostrils flaring, he went back to rest. "I fought with you so that I can get the treasure. The battle Iasted for days, weeks, and then months… When the alarm I set went off, I knew it was time. Then your empire decided to support you at that moment, delaying my retreat.

Arriving at our home… the shelter I built to defend us from the wrath of our race… I saw a midwife, an old human-female who had owed me a favor," he said in a shaky voice, clenching his forearm. "S-she was dead, her body all frozen… from her powers."

Big Mom could not help but fall silent, when Ignatius had tried to infiltrate the Xadia empire, their main thought was that he came to harm the empire, which was not far off from the truth since what he wanted was too precious for the empire.

"Looking at the newborn, I felt like ending its life, but the cry it produced stopped me… I-it felt so much like my wife's voice, even though it was crying," he said, his whole body trembling. He looked like he was in a weakened state, maybe if Big Mom tried to hurt him now, it would be easier, but she couldn't.

"So the spell… affects your offspring, not you, right?" Big Mom said, her voice filled with sympathy.

"Pitying me, eh?" He said in exasperation.

"No! More like… it won't hurt to know," she said, shrugging.

"The body of a boy in your district… The vision was vague, but I need him dead to fulfill my purpose… can I find him in your district?"

"..."