19. Little Dragon

I laughed so hard, I nearly fell to the ground and started rolling.

Seeing a grown man wearing a yellow kids floatie was too much.

It seems my laughter was making him red in the face with anger so I ceased laughing and asked my next question.

"So you survived using a floatie... but how did you escape the current of reverse mountain? And why even bother coming back here? It looks like the dragons already left.

"You dare laugh and then ask me that?! After deploying this flotation device, I kept bouncing on the waves until I landed on the deck on a pirate ship.

After slicing them, I made a makeshift glider using the sails and wood from the ship and sailed the wind down reverse mountain.

As for why I came back here... a dead man doesnt need to know! Sickle Blade!" He swiped his clawed hand and a blade of wind formed and shot toward me.

I didnt even need to use observation to dodge it.

It seems even after telling me his circumstances, he didnt want to tell me why he came back. Revenge perhaps or maybe something else...

'Let's settle this quickly. I have places to be...'

I jumped into the air and swung my hook and threw it at him. But he dodged it too. It seems he is quite agile.

My hook left a small crater but missed the target. I pulled it back to me and Eric, seeing the destruction appeared to take me more seriously especially after a recent defeat.

"Sickle Whirlwind!" He used both arms to send a barrage of blades at me.

I transformed into a falcon and took into the air.

"You're a devil fruit user too? Well being in the air isnt an advantage against me!"

More wind sickles were fired into the air, and I dodged each once with grace before diving at him.

I moved from side to side to avoid the sickles as I divebombed.

As I got closer, I shifted back and spun my whole body like a top.

I swung my hook at Eric with the full momentum of my dive bomb, creating a even bigger crater than before.

Thankfully it wasnt close to the buildings or they might have collapsed. I could see them shaking just from the force of my attack.

Eric had jumped back in time to not get hit, but I followed up by throwing my hook again while he was in mid air.

"Bleagh!" The hook hit his chest and sent him flying out of the village.

I shifted back into a falcon as it was my fastest form in the air and chased after him.

He smacked into the cliffs of the 'warship' and coughed up blood.

He tried to stand himself back up but I landed and threw just my chain and had it wrap around him, and with a tug, the chain constricted him and bound him in place.

"*cough* sea stone?" He felt himself weakening and he slumped to the ground. "How can you use a seastone weapon as a devil fruit user."

I smirked and replied."A dead man doesn't need to know." Before lifting my hook up high.

"W-wait! Please! I'll tell you what I was here for! It's very valuable, just spare me please." Eric pleaded not seeing a way out of having his head bashed in other than trying to compromise.

"Go on..."

"Y-yes... the dragons that came here to mate a few days ago had babies and yesterday the babies were mature enough to fly and they all left the island.

I came here and found they had already left but I saw it! There still a baby on this island. And those people know where it is. You can have it, sell it if you want to! Just please let me live."

I frowned, he didnt even mention the immortality thing that he supposedly wanted to use the dragon for. And I just feel disgusted by this cowardly person.

"Fine, you can go..." I reached down and ripped his belt off. "If you can manage to survive the ocean again."

"Wait!"

I pulled the chain and started swinging him around and round.

"Waaaaaaaiiiiiit... pleeeeaaasse!" He screamed as he spun.

I flicked the chain and he was released and flew into the distance and he landed right into the sea.

I put my hook away, and thought the fight was too easy and that he talked too much. I just considered it as taking out some trash and nothing more. He wasnt strong enough to use as a training dummy.

I walked back to the village where the villagers had gathered together.

It didnt look like any died but there were some with injuries.

The old man I saw getting choked was alright now and approached me when they saw me heading to the village.

"Thank you, young man. If you didnt come along, that vicious guy might have killed us."

"No worries, pal. Name's Maui by the way. So where's the dragon baby?" I asked nonchalantly, causing the residents to stiffen up.

"Sir Maui... what do you-" the old man nervously tried to lie but was interupted.

*Chirp, Chirp!*

A small bald dragon with wide eyes flew over followed by a girl I recognized from the anime.

"Ryu! Wait, its dangerous!" The little girl, Apis yelled.

'Hm so it's like that huh? The old man dragon was reborn and stayed behind for awhile with the little girl that helped him in his last life. The power of friendship is strong in this world.

The dragon wasnt that big, maybe the size of a large dog. It flapped its wings and folded them as it landed in front of me.

Apis caught up and the other villagers watched nervously as the dragon rubbed its face on my leg.

"Aw, it seems the little guys likes me!" I said in amusement.

*chirp!* the little dragon chirped happily.

Apis stepped forward and said, "Ryu, says he likes you because you smell like the wind. What does that mean, Ryu?"

*chirp!*

"Haha, little girl, dont worry about it." I patted the little dragon on his bald spot and then lifted him up, cradling him in my arms.

If he was a cat he would have purred...

It seems the Sennenryu dragons have a high affinity with wind and it also seems they can sense my connection to it. That's probably why this little one came right up to me and showed affection.

Perhaps wishing for a Sennenryu egg in the future would be a good idea. This little guy is just too cute and will one day become a mighty dragon.

I put the dragon down, and the villagers seemed to warm up to me more since Ryu took a liking to me.

I didnt stay for long. The villagers thanked me profusely and offered to let me rest there but I only went onto this island for sightseeing and ended up beating some nobody, so I refused and returned to my boat.

I did get to meet a millennial dragon which was cool and even now have the idea of raising one of my own.

Whatever, my time here was short, but I'm itching to fight something with more tooth.

Like huge sea kings in the calm belt. My journey continues!