Wright slashed through Miss Buckin's cane with a single stroke. His golden eyes flashed, and Miss Bakkin caught a glimpse of a tiny golden streak of lightning flickering past—
"Repent!"
Boom!
Miss Buckin felt as though a master on the level of Zephyr had punched her square in the forehead. Her head snapped backward violently.
"I… I won't accept this! I still haven't…"
Miss Buckin's composure shattered. The "Confession" technique instantly subdued her, silencing her unfinished words forever.
A flash of blade light. Miss Buckin's despairing head was sent flying high into the air.
The intense burning pain of the sacred flames snapped her back to consciousness, even in her dazed state.
This infamous and vile woman watched her own small and frail body collapse below her, her vision soaring higher and higher. Then she saw Wright, standing near her decapitated form, long sword in hand.
"You…"
Her vision blackened. This once-hidden female pirate, who had sailed alongside Whitebeard himself and harbored great ambitions, fell into eternal silence before realizing her dreams.
"My head… feels so dizzy…"
"Damn it! You knocked me out! I'm going to kill…"
Nearby, Weevil, who had just regained consciousness, froze in place. His limited intellect couldn't comprehend the scene before him.
Until Miss Buckin's head hit the ground with a heavy thud and her frail, headless body crumpled to the earth.
"MOM!!!"
Weevil let out a wail, his enormous frame trembling uncontrollably. "M-Mom! Your head… why is it flying?!"
"How… how is this like the people I've chopped up?!"
"Waaah!"
"You! You killed my mom?!"
Weevil cried hysterically, brandishing his massive naginata as he charged forward.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!"
Wright remained silent, not sparing a glance at the headless corpse beside him. He turned, planting his feet firmly, and rushed toward the oncoming Weevil with his long blade poised.
Clang!
Boom!
An explosive clash erupted at the center of the small island. Wright had already used his Observation Haki to confirm that no other people were within the island's vicinity. Nevertheless, he exercised caution, avoiding any attacks that might expose his true nature, such as airborne sword slashes beyond his disguise.
To defeat Miss Buckin, Wright relied solely on close-combat techniques, deliberately avoiding overt displays of his Holy Light abilities.
The battle against Weevil posed its own set of restrictions. Wright had to limit his Observation Haki to his immediate vicinity, and the subtle use of Holy Light also had to be restrained. These limitations didn't significantly weaken him, however.
His mastery of swordsmanship at the level of a Great Swordsman, the great-grade blade Nidai Kitetsu, and enhanced mastery of all three forms of Haki—combined with the unparalleled regeneration and defensive strength of the Holy Light—gave Wright a formidable edge. Even with the movement-restricting limitations, he still had advanced techniques like Moonwalk and the speed-based "Lightspeed" to replace the maneuverability offered by the Wings of Holy Light.
Even without using the ultimate Holy Light techniques, Wright had plenty of moves to handle this situation—especially against an opponent like Weevil, who had already lost an arm.
"Raaagh!!"
Miss Buckin's death clearly enraged Weevil. His simple mind was overwhelmed by the emotional shock, and his limited intelligence was rapidly diminishing.
The drawbacks of Weevil's Devil Fruit were beginning to manifest in full.
Having exchanged dozens of blows with Wright, Weevil finally cast off the last remnants of his humanity and succumbed entirely to his beastly instincts.
Roar!!
With a feral roar, a massive wave of heat exploded from Weevil's body. Wright frowned and quickly retreated.
"As I suspected… that really is the fruit," Wright murmured.
The Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Red Dragon—a failed artificial Mythical Zoan fruit created by Vegapunk.
Standard Zoan-type Devil Fruits often influenced the user's mental state and personality, making them more akin to the characteristics of the fruit's associated animal. For example:
Jabra of CP9, who consumed the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Wolf, developed a cunning and cruel personality, reflected in his deceptive combat style.
Rob Lucci of CP9, who consumed the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard, exhibited the predatory instincts, combat prowess, and ruthlessness of a large feline, as seen in his ferocious fighting style.
Even the Mythical Zoan Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha, consumed by Fleet Admiral Sengoku, bestowed the wisdom and magnanimity of the Buddha—though his patience often fell short when dealing with Garp's antics.
However, Vegapunk's failed artificial Zoan fruit amplified these personality effects to an extreme.
For seasoned warriors like Jabra or Rob Lucci, such influences could be harnessed to enhance their fighting style and effectiveness. Their strong wills allowed them to control and integrate the fruit's characteristics seamlessly.
But for someone like Weevil, the effects were purely detrimental.
Vegapunk's mythical creation, the first artificial Mythical Zoan, the "Red Dragon," embodied traits of cruelty, rage, madness, and chaos. While its base abilities were incredibly strong, it completely lacked intelligence.
Vegapunk had warned that consuming this artificial fruit made it difficult for the user to enter their hybrid form, which was typically the most powerful combat state for Zoan users. Instead, users were more likely to transform into their full-beast form, prioritizing raw defense and vitality.
In this form, Zoan users could recover from injuries with astonishing speed, making them nearly impossible to kill quickly. However, their massive size often made them slow and cumbersome, turning them into large, vulnerable targets despite their immense power.
Wright watched Weevil, now a fully transformed beast, roaring uncontrollably. The balloon-like physique he once had had morphed into that of a hulking monster.
"The Red Dragon is a fire-based Mythical Zoan," Wright noted, "capable of breathing fire, highly adaptable to its environment, and possessing extraordinary survivability."
"Its defensive capabilities are formidable, but its strength lies in its incredible base stats and vitality."
"Flight is a given, but its agility isn't particularly high. I don't know the exact power of a legendary Red Dragon, but this one probably has the strength to rival a large Sea King."
Recalling Vegapunk's information, Wright couldn't help but feel exasperated.
Even a standard Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard, allowed Rob Lucci to train to the point where he could go toe-to-toe with Sabo, who had the Flame-Flame Fruit.
And now Vegapunk had created a prototype fruit, the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Red Dragon, supposedly comparable to a large Sea King in strength. Despite being a failure, it still gave a brute like Weevil immense power.
"Honestly, Doctor… you might as well focus on building an army of 'Ivans' instead," Wright muttered.
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