471-475

Chapter 471: The Eternal Dragon Bones 

“Of course I can help you—and even if you hadn’t told me anything, I still would’ve taken you safely to Battleship Island!” 

“Really? That’s amazing!” 

The little girl beamed and nodded happily at Kazama’s words. 

She looked at the crew and began explaining: “You might not know this, but our Battleship Island is also called the Lost Island. There’s a sacred legend passed down there—about a true dragon. It’s said that whoever consumes the bones of this dragon will gain eternal life. That’s why the Marines, once they found out I was from the island, assumed I knew where to find the dragon’s remains. They tried to kidnap me to force me to reveal its location!” 

“But I don’t know anything about this dragon! They kept torturing me, thinking I was lying. I only just barely managed to escape…” 

“What? Those Marines actually went that far?!” 

Luffy’s expression darkened, his fists clenched tight in fury. 

Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp—all of them looked equally enraged. 

Just like Kazama, they were all proud and honorable in their own way. There was no way they'd sit back and let a child be bullied by the Marines. 

Kazama stepped forward and spoke solemnly to the girl—whose name, they’d just learned, was Apis. 

“Don’t worry. Now that you’ve told us the truth, we’ll help you. We may be pirates—but we’re righteous pirates. We won’t turn a blind eye to this.” 

As he spoke, Kazama immediately changed their course, setting a new heading toward Battleship Island—Apis’s home. 

But they hadn’t expected the pursuing Marines to catch up so quickly. 

In the blink of an eye, enemy ships appeared on the horizon, rapidly closing in. 

Apis’s heart sank. She didn’t yet understand how powerful Kazama truly was. And to her, pirates stood no chance against the disciplined might of the Marines. 

She rushed over to Kazama, panicked. 

“Kazama-aniki, what do we do? These Marines are really strong! They’re almost here... maybe you should just hand me over. I don’t want to get you all in trouble because of me!” 

Luffy gave her a big, confident grin and shook his head. 

“Aw, come on, Apis. You’re seriously underestimating our Kazama-aniki!” 

“Kazama’s insanely strong. Not just stronger than these local Marine squads—even Marine HQ wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Right, Kazama-aniki?” 

Kazama smirked. “Heh… of course.” 

In the next instant, Kazama formed a hand seal. 

“Mizu no jutsu: Suidanha!” (Water Style: Water Severing Wave!) 

From the vast ocean around them, hundreds of towering water pillars shot up like steel beams, crashing down with thunderous force. 

Within seconds, every Marine battleship was obliterated—smashed to pieces and swallowed by the sea. 

“What?! That’s impossible!” 

Apis stood frozen in disbelief. 

Kazama hadn’t just fought back—he’d bent the ocean itself to his will. To Apis, this was beyond anything she thought possible. Her whole worldview had just been turned upside down. 

And those surviving Marines? 

They were trembling in absolute terror. 

Chapter 472: The Last True Dragon  

At first, the Marines thought they had the upper hand. After all, they had numbers on their side, while Kazama was just one man. Surely he couldn't stand up to all of them. 

But they completely underestimated him—Kazama was far stronger and more skilled than they'd imagined. 

So, while trying to fend him off, they started calling for reinforcements, hoping to bring in a larger force to deal with him. 

Meanwhile, Kazama and the crew had already taken Apis with them to Warship Island. 

When the island’s residents saw pirates landing on their shores, panic spread quickly. 

But once they realized that Kazama had rescued Apis, their fears eased. They understood that he wasn’t a bad guy. 

They welcomed Kazama and the others warmly. 

Luffy, being the infamous glutton he was, didn’t waste a second—he dove straight into the feast the islanders offered, devouring everything in sight. 

But while everyone was enjoying the hospitality, Apis quietly slipped away. 

Kazama noticed right away that she was acting a bit suspicious. 

He thought to himself, "Apis kept saying she doesn’t know where the true dragon is... but the Marines wouldn’t go this far if she really didn’t know anything. They're not fools. If they’re chasing her this persistently, she must know something important." 

With that, Kazama decided to secretly follow her. 

Sure enough, after winding through the woods and taking several hidden paths, Apis entered a cave. 

Kazama followed, and what he saw inside left him stunned. 

A massive true dragon was coiled within the cave. 

The dragon looked ancient, its energy nearly depleted—more like an old man on the brink of death than a legendary beast. 

Sensing Kazama’s presence, the dragon stirred weakly and alerted Apis. 

She turned in surprise and saw Kazama standing there. Her expression changed immediately—panic, then anger. 

She rushed to stand protectively in front of the dragon and shouted, 

“Kazama-san! I thought you were a righteous man, but now I see you’re just like those Marines—selfish and greedy scum! I won’t let you hurt this dragon, not as long as I’m still standing!” 

Kazama couldn’t help but laugh and shook his head. 

“Come on, Apis. You really think I’m that low? I’m Kazama—there’s no way I’d stoop to something like that.” 

“What? You mean… you’re not here to steal the dragon’s bones?” 

“Of course not!” 

“But how can that be? Whether it’s the Marines or pirates, everyone’s after the true dragon’s bones—they say it grants immortality! How can you not be interested?” 

Kazama laughed again. 

“Even without the dragon’s bones, I plan to live a long life. And honestly, immortality’s never been something I’ve really cared about.” 

“But even if you don’t care… I do!” 

Suddenly, a large, muscular figure appeared in front of them. 

Before Kazama could react, the mysterious man launched a surprise attack—aimed straight at Apis. 

Kazama leapt forward, shielding her with his body. 

But in the blink of an eye, the attacker changed course and lunged straight for the dragon behind them! 

“Kazama-san! He’s after the dragon! Please, you have to save him!” Apis cried out desperately. 

Chapter 473: Seizing the True Dragon's Bone 

“Heh... So you’ve finally figured out my true intention? Too bad—it’s far too late! That True Dragon Bone is mine now!” 

The hulking, mysterious man sneered as he spoke, intensifying his assault with renewed ferocity. 

But just as his attack was about to strike the frail, ancient dragon— 

It was suddenly consumed by a mysterious flame, vanishing into nothingness. 

“What?! That’s impossible!” 

His attack being nullified mid-strike left the burly man visibly shaken. 

Then, Kazama stepped forward with a cold smirk. “Heh, did you really think I’m still that clueless rookie from before? You seriously believed I hadn’t seen through your true aim?” 

As he spoke, Kazama walked right up to the man, whose expression turned grim the moment he saw Kazama’s eyes—blood-red Sharingan glowing ominously. 

Even though this was the world of One Piece, where eye techniques weren’t supposed to exist, the man couldn’t help but feel unsettled. The strange pattern in Kazama’s eyes was unlike anything he had ever seen. 

“You were able to read my attack route that precisely in such a short time… Is it because of those eyes?” 

“That’s right. These eyes allow me to see everything. Honestly, I’ve been holding back. If I wanted, just these eyes alone could reduce you to dust—burned away without a trace.” 

“Pfft! That’s rich!” the muscular man scoffed. 

But instead of backing down, he sneered and barked, “You little punk! I’m Balda of the great Navy! You think you can talk down to me?!” 

With a roar, Balda lunged past Kazama, aiming once again for the dying True Dragon. 

But this time, his strike hit what felt like an invisible wall—no matter how hard he attacked, it did nothing to the dragon. 

“What the hell?!” he gasped, overwhelmed with confusion. “Last time, maybe that brat interrupted me—but this time I saw everything clearly! He didn’t even move… How the hell is he still blocking my attack?!” 

Just then, Kazama calmly raised a hand, and summoned the same mysterious flame to surround Balda in a burning ring. 

“This, Balda, is the Falling Heart Flame—an exotic fire, limitless and formless. I suggest you calm down. With just a flick, I could turn you to ashes from the inside out.” 

“Quit showing off, bastard!” 

Balda shouted again, unwilling to back down. Even if his power was being completely outclassed, his arrogant, unruly nature wouldn’t let him retreat. 

He was, after all, a high-ranking Navy officer—he wasn’t about to let some punk humiliate him. 

Fueled by rage, Balda set up his stance once more and charged at Kazama. 

Just as Kazama prepared to put him in his place—for good— 

Chapter 474: Kamaitachi Erik 

What Kazama didn’t expect was that Balda would suddenly turn and run away without a second thought. 

“Heh… Looks like Balda's pulling a classic ‘feint retreat’ on me,” Kazama muttered with a wry smile as he watched Balda flee in utter panic. 

Sure, Kazama had countless chances to crush Balda completely, turning him to dust if he really wanted to. 

But Kazama wasn’t the kind of man who killed for pleasure. 

Besides, if this True Dragon Bone could really grant immortality, then even the Kaigun (Navy) would definitely be after it. So Kazama could totally understand Balda's desperation. 

After all, if Kazama didn’t already possess the Flame of Life—a mysterious green fire that could endlessly extend his lifespan—he’d probably covet the True Dragon Bone just as much. 

Right then, Apis, who had been guarding the True Dragon, suddenly noticed something was wrong. The dragon’s face had turned deathly pale, its breath weak and shallow—it looked like it was on the verge of death. 

“Hey, Kazama-aniki! The True Dragon must’ve been traumatized just now. Its heart rate is totally unstable—it doesn’t look like it can hold on much longer! Can you help me get it to the Lost Island under the sea?” Apis pleaded anxiously. 

“That place is the True Dragons' homeland! If we take it there, maybe it can absorb the True Dragon Essence and come back to life!” 

Kazama raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?” 

Seeing his reaction, Apis panicked. “Kazama-aniki… You’re not saying you won’t help, are you? If that’s the case, I won’t blame you. I mean, we barely know each other. If you don’t want to help, I get it…” 

Even though she tried to sound understanding, her face was clearly full of sorrow. 

Kazama laughed and waved his hand. “Don’t sell yourself short, Apis. I, Kazama, am a man of honor and pride—a proper seigi no mikata (ally of justice), as you’d say. Of course I’ll help! But this True Dragon’s already on death’s door. It won’t last long enough for us to reach the Lost Island.” 

“Then what should we do?” Apis asked, worried. 

“That’s simple. I’ll bring it back to life right now.” 

“What?! That’s impossible! You’re just a normal human—even if you're super powerful, how could you bring a True Dragon back to life?” 

Apis shook her head wildly in disbelief. 

It wasn’t that she looked down on Kazama—she just couldn’t fathom anyone possessing that kind of power. 

But what she didn’t know… was that Kazama did have that kind of power. 

Without another word, Kazama extended his hand and infused a green flame directly into the dying dragon’s body. 

This was the Flame of Life—a mystical fire with the power to revive the dead and restore life. 

Kazama figured even if the dragon hadn’t obtained the True Dragon Essence, his flame alone might be enough to save it. 

But what he didn’t realize was just how immense the life force a True Dragon needed actually was. It was on a completely different level. 

Without the True Dragon Essence, even the Flame of Life couldn’t fully restore it. 

So while the green fire did have some effect… it wasn’t nearly enough. 

Chapter 475: Temari of the One Piece World 

Though Kazama had managed to temporarily stabilize the True Dragon’s deteriorating condition, granting it a flicker of vitality... 

It was far from enough to restore the beast to its former prime. 

Naturally, this left Kazama feeling awkward. 

After all, this was his first time trying to show off—only to completely fall flat. 

Meanwhile, Apis, unaware of the truth, saw that the dragon—who’d looked like it was on death’s door just moments ago—was now radiating with healthy color. 

Thinking the True Dragon had been fully revived, Apis was overjoyed. 

“Big bro Kazama, that was incredible! You’re amazing!” 

“Haha, well…” 

Kazama scratched his head awkwardly at the praise. 

Then he quickly clarified, “You don’t really need to thank me. I didn’t actually bring it back to life.” 

“Huh? What are you talking about? That dragon looks totally fine now—how could it not be alive again?” 

“Heh… because if we really wanted to bring it back to life properly, it would need to absorb a genuine True Dragon Core. Right now, I’ve only managed to give it a sliver of life—just enough to keep it going.” 

“Our top priority now is to get it to the Lost Land, where it can regain its True Dragon essence!” 

“Got it. Then let’s go right now!” 

“Go? You little punks think you can just leave whenever you want?” 

Just then, a scrawny middle-aged man in a Marine officer’s uniform stepped out, flanked by a whole squad of Marines, blocking their path. 

As soon as this wiry Marine appeared, Balda—the so-called Navy commander from earlier—scampered over to him like a dog wagging its tail. 

“Big bro, that punk over there is the one who beat me up earlier. He said you were nothing but trash and that if you dared to show up, he’d grind your bones to dust!” 

“WHAT?! That’s outrageous!” 

Totally riled up by Balda’s lies, the slender Marine immediately marked Kazama as his mortal enemy. 

Kazama was about to explain—after all, he’d never insulted the man, nor had he even met him before. 

But the Marine was one of those stubborn, self-important types—he wouldn’t listen to a word. 

He stormed forward and shouted furiously, “Listen here! I’m Erik the Kamaitachi! And you’ve got the balls to insult me out of nowhere?! That pisses me off, so now I have no choice but to take your damn life!” 

“Huh? Kamaitachi Erik? That’s a new one… Never heard of him.” 

But due to how similar “Kamaitachi” sounds to “Newhalf” or “Okama” in Japanese, Kazama misheard the name. 

“Wait… did you just say you’re Okama Erik?!” 

Hearing himself mistakenly called a “newhalf” (drag queen), Erik’s face turned beet red with rage. 

“I said Kamaitachi! Not Okama! Damn it!” 

Kazama chuckled, “Heh… What’s the difference, really? Don’t give me that crap.” 

Seeing Kazama continue to poke fun at him pushed Erik over the edge. 

“YOU LITTLE—!!” 

Furious, he exploded into action, instantly lunging toward Kazama. 

“Wind Release: Kamaitachi Slash!” 

With a swift motion of both arms, Erik unleashed a barrage of wind blades shaped like scythes, all slicing straight toward Kazama!