Capítulo 156: [155] Mysterious Legacy[5]
[4000 Words]
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"N-No... don't go there..." A weak voice came from the dying soul, but unfortunately, the girls ignored it and followed Ren, although Shirahoshi looked at it with a sad expression.
"Come on, Shira, hold on to me." Mikita called to her, then grabbed the shorter girl in her human form.
"Mmm..." Shirahoshi nodded and stopped looking at the soul. She tightly held onto Mikita, who had created paper wings on her back and began to fly.
Kaya transformed into her hybrid phoenix form, and blue fiery wings appeared on her back as she followed the rest of the girls down.
As for Robin, she formed wings by accumulating hands on her back and also descended. A strange ability, but... effective, right?
For the weaker girls in the group, they were carried by Mikita, Nami, and the other stronger women.
After a few minutes, everyone descended into the deep abyss.
"No... don't wake him..." The soul muttered its last words before it started fading.
[In the Abyss]
"Someone light a fire," Ren muttered, sensing the girls' arrival.
"On it~" Kaya responded, and a blue flame appeared on her finger, illuminating the dark space.
"Wow..."
"What is this place...?"
"It looks like an abandoned temple."
"No signs of life here..."
"I'm scared of tight spaces, though I'm used to it."
"Quiet down a bit... I feel something strange here..." Ren was the one to silence the crew's chatter.
He looked around and then saw an old, extinguished torch lying on the ground.
It was still usable, and the cotton wick appeared new despite the long passage of time, judging by the dust on the torch.
He grabbed it and lit it using a small flame that emanated from his right eye's socket.
He started walking slowly while carefully observing his surroundings. His observation haki hadn't detected any anomalies so far... but he felt something... and his gut feelings were usually right.
He looked around and let out a sigh of amazement.
The hall was immersed in darkness, with only the faint glow from his torch and Kaya's flames cutting through it.
The light swayed, casting long, dancing shadows on the ornate stone columns, as if spirits were guarding this imposing place. The walls, covered in intricate carvings and mysterious symbols, seemed to move under the influence of the shadows, telling cryptic stories only those brave enough to stay would hear.
The sculpted statues, resembling legendary creatures or forgotten gods, peered from behind the columns, their frozen faces watching the place tirelessly, adding a sense of terror to the atmosphere.
The floor was paved with large stones, cracked by time, with scattered stone blocks lying around as remnants of an ancient battle or collapse forgotten by history.
At the end of the hall, where the darkness swallowed everything, a mysterious passage awaited anyone daring to explore it...
[Image Here]
"Let's go..." Ren looked at the girls, and when he saw the determination on their faces, he didn't hesitate to step toward the passage.
The rest of the girls silently followed him. Shirahoshi was scared, but she clung tightly to Mikita, which made her feel safe.
As for Bell-mere, she was protected by both Nami and Nojiko, and she herself wasn't weak, so she was fine.
Leila walked beside her brother and whispered in a low voice only he could hear: "Brother, I don't remember anything like this in this world..."
"That's true... but the world is vast, and I don't think the original work will show everything." Ren understood his sister's thoughts and reassured her.
"Just be careful, please. I have a bad feeling about this..."
"I feel the same, but there's no need to worry."
"Mmm." She nodded and then returned to the side of the other girls.
The passage was somewhat long, and with every step Ren took with the torch in his hand, the environment changed more.
The stone statues slowly disappeared and were replaced by tree roots, coming down from above, their source unknown.
"Back off!"
The eerie silence was broken by a single word from Ren. Some of the girls were shocked, but people like Nami, Mikita, Robin, and Kalifa moved quickly and shielded the rest of the women.
*Woosh~!!*
*Hissssss~!!*
In the next moment, a giant, terrifying form appeared before Ren and attacked him without warning.
*Screech~!*
"Intruder... die!" The figure spoke in a human language, but its voice was tainted with darkness, malice, and madness.
*Cling~!*
Another giant claw fell on Ren, who gritted his teeth and resisted the claw with all his might.
"Everyone, go back up! This is my fight!"
Ren spoke with a fighting spirit, his body groaning under the assault of the figure consumed by darkness.
But just one claw was the size of Ren himself, so you could imagine the size of the creature as a whole.
"But Captain---"
Nami was about to speak, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Listen to him, Nami, and... trust him!" It was Leila. Despite her words, she was looking at Ren with concern.
"That's right, Nami. And if things go wrong... we'll intervene with all our strength." It was Kalifa's turn to speak. Though the blonde woman's expression was still cold, her determination was unshakable.
"Of course we will," Nojiko said, her kind smile disappearing, replaced by a cold expression.
"Alright..."
Nami reluctantly nodded her head and began to withdraw with the other girls, who looked at the captain with different expressions, but all shared the same wish: Stay safe!
"Good... Now, it's just you and me!" Ren smiled coldly, and fiery flames shot from his eyes, striking the massive creature's body.
*Bsssssh~!*
"Child's play!" The creature spoke, not resisting the flames that hit its body.
Finally, the creature emerged from the darkness, and its form could be seen clearly.
"You...!" Ren's caution skyrocketed as he gazed at the creature.
Out of the darkness, a massive black dragon appeared, exuding an awe-inspiring fear beyond imagination. Its skin gleamed with a dark metallic sheen, as if made of fragments of the shattered night. Its wings stretched wide, glowing with a pale crimson glow, like embers beneath ash, announcing an impending, irreversible end.
Its eyes, like two burning embers, pierced the surrounding darkness and locked onto Ren, carrying a look of challenge and absolute authority. Its roar filled the horizon, echoing a scream of nature's revenge.
Its hot breath poured through the cracks in the ground, as if signing the death of the earth beneath its sharp claws, which dug into the hardened soil. In the background, the shadows of other dragons loomed, whispering in submission, as if declaring the absolute sovereignty of this entity that had transcended being a mere monster to become a symbol of both tyranny and majesty!
[Image here]
"I am the dragon spirit Nidhogg, the eternal corrupter!"
*Roar!!*
With his declaration, the roar split the sky in half. The earth beneath Ren shook, and massive rocks fell around him. The roar of Nidhogg made all creatures on the island tremble. Even the girls who had returned to the surface could hear the echo of the sound reverberating across the seas.
Even the sea itself stirred from the roar, with massive waves crashing onto the shore, threatening a tsunami!
"Tsk! Shut up!" Ren protected his ears with Haki and charged at the giant dragon without hesitation.
.
"Death Blade."
.
*Whoooosh~!!*
He quickly unsheathed his sword and aimed a massive slash at the dragon in front of him. But the latter charged toward him with terrifying speed, each wing striking the air with such force that it created violent winds capable of uprooting mountains. The wings were like steel, with every feather flying like deadly knives.
*Skwiiish~!!*
The deadly blade collided with the hard scales of its wings, creating a horribly loud and chaotic sound.
*Roar!*
The attack did not stop the dragon, but seemed to drive it even madder. It struck the air with its wings, dissipating the remaining energy of the slash, and charged at Ren again.
*Gaaaagh!*
Suddenly, it opened its massive mouth and released shards of dark fire that erupted from its insides, like a flood of corruption.
The flames flipped the earth and sky alike, seeming capable of destroying anything in their path.
But Ren did not hesitate and met the attack head-on, using a different tactic.
.
"Broken World!"
.
*Crack~!*
*Crack~!*
He delivered a punch infused with the power of earthquakes toward the fire, causing a violent clash.
When he struck the ground with force, the entire nature shook, the sky split apart, rocks crumbled, and the air screamed as if the world's end had come.
The dragon violently shook its head, as if the blow was not enough to stop it. It was not only angry, but it had destructive power far beyond any opponent Ren had faced. It leaped into the air, soaring like a dark shadow.
*Crack~!*
This movement destroyed the ancient temple, alongside the previous damage caused by Ren's seismic power, bringing the temple to its breaking point.
Light returned, and sunlight cast its rays on the stone statues, silent in a scene that contrasted with the noise caused by the recent exchange between the two forms.
"A dragon from legends in a place like this... What the hell is going on... Could this be the ruins of the Valley of the Gods? Unbelievable."
Ren muttered as he shattered the rocks that had collapsed from the ceiling and crushed them with a casual blow from his hand, his gaze never leaving the dragon, which was hovering in place with its wings.
"Round two, human." The dragon spoke again, its voice cold and harsh.
Ren responded with a faint smile before using Moonwalk to ascend toward the dragon.
His movements were precise and swift as he maneuvered between the strikes, windstorms, and the fire created by the dragon around him.
Ren unleashed "Death Blade" again, but this time he fused it with the power of the Earthquake Fruit, causing the air to crack and the earth to scream before the blade reached its target: the dragon's tough body, which seemed indestructible.
*Crack!*
The black flames that never extinguish, released by Nidhogg, tried to consume Ren, but they were constantly destroyed and scattered by the seismic energy Ren generated for defense, creating violent explosions that filled the area with dust.
"Die! Die! Die!!"
Nidhogg was now angrier than ever. His wings rose into the sky, and his movements were so fast that he became a mere shadow in the sky, disappearing from Ren's sight.
"That Fucking Fast Dragon!" Ren clicked his tongue and descended back to the ground while watching Nidhogg hover in the sky.
"Captain, are you alright?!" Suddenly, Ren heard Kalifa's voice from afar. She and the rest of the crew were watching the battle from a distance.
"Yes! Stay safe!"
After speaking to his crew, Ren didn't look back. He clenched his fist with one hand, gathering a massive amount of seismic energy. The ground beneath his feet shifted, and tremors shot out rapidly, as if a finishing blow was imminent.
"Same destruction!!"
But Níðhöggr, flying in the sky, became even more savage. Sparks of toxic corruption shot from his mouth, spreading everywhere. These sparks carried decay and ruin, contaminating everything they touched.
Nidhogg roared in anger, unleashing a wave of black poison towards the forest where Ren was. The air was filled with toxic gases that polluted everything in their path. But Ren remained unshaken.
"This is really terrifying!" Ren took a deep breath as he looked at the forest that was beginning to die from the dragon's poison.
The trees wilted, and animals died in an instant. Even the soil changed color, becoming barren of any nutrients.
The poisonous breath was about to reach him, but he remained calm.
*Crack~!*
Ren made a sudden movement, directing his fist toward the ground. The earth before him rose, instantly forming a strong rock barrier that stopped the poisonous attack.
"Extinction Flame!"
However, that wasn't the only attack. Nidhogg emitted deafening roars from his mouth, as if the earth itself was shattering from a torrent of black flames he sent out.
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
*Hiss!*
The flames ignited like storms shaking the earth at every moment, but Ren used his sword to cleave through the tongues of fire, which then fell to the ground around him like flowers of death.
Despite multiple attempts to bring Ren down, he resisted and stood firm, trying to find a weakness in his opponent, who seemed indestructible due to its tough scales.
*Crack~!*
*Boom!*
Ren struck the air again, causing the earth beneath his feet to tremble, and exerted all his strength to deliver a resounding blow directly at Nidhogg.
With each punch, the earth cracked, and the sky became taut, unable to bear the pressure of the battle.
*Roar!*
"You won't defeat me with just that!"
But the dragon was incredibly resilient, as the earth around it evaporated the moment the attack exploded in its face, leaving behind dark clouds of dust and fire.
The battle was intensifying unexpectedly. The exchanges of attacks grew faster, and each blow from Ren was stronger than the last. He was pushing himself to his limits, trying to surpass them.
He had fought for hours against that massive island crab before, and now, without enough rest, he was fighting a stronger and more troublesome foe.
His body was reaching its limits slowly but surely, but Ren guessed that he could still fight for at least five more days.
And Nidhogg wasn't doing any worse. No, his body was stronger, so Ren suspected that he might not be able to take it down alone.
The battle continued... growing fiercer by the minute.
[After a day]
"Damn it... You got me..." Ren breathed heavily, looking at his left hand, which had turned black from the poison.
*Whoosh~!*
Without hesitation, he passed Versa over his left hand and cut it off to prevent the dragon's poison from spreading.
He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, then looked at the dragon, which wasn't in a much better state, muttering, "This will cost a few million berries to fix, you damn idiot..."
"Captain! Y-Your hand...!" A bolt of lightning appeared in front of him unexpectedly. It was Nami, who looked at his severed arm with a concerned expression.
"Ah, Nami, don't worry, it's just an arm. I'll regrow it... Let's focus on this beast." He glanced at Nidhogg, which was preparing for another attack, with a cold expression.
Nami tried to calm herself and replied, "Understood, Captain!" Her expression was cold as she looked at Nidhogg from a distance, a deep hatred starting to form in her heart.
She wasn't the only one who joined in; Mikita was also flying in the air with an aggressive expression after seeing what happened to Ren's arm. The blonde girl didn't stop attacking and dodging the dragon's strikes, keeping it distracted for a while.
With Nami and Mikita's cooperation, the tide of the battle began to turn in favor of the Pirates of Sin.
Ren did not want to take any risks, so he decided to heal his severed arm first, which cost him a dose worth 1 billion toots!
The poison from the legendary dragon-like Nidhogg couldn't be cured with just a medium-level potion, and even an advanced potion might not be enough to remove the poison. So, he opted for the safest course of action and severed his arm before the poison could spread, then consumed an advanced potion to restore his arm to its original condition.
*Crack~!*
*Crack~!*
The power of the Quake Fruit erupted like a volcano, as Ren swung his arm, targeting the dragon's chest directly. However, Nidhogg evaded the attack with a swift twist, then opened his mouth to release another poisonous breath.
"Don't even think about it!"
*Crackle!*
*Crackle!*
*Boom!*
*Bam!*
A cold voice echoed as the weather on the island changed. Several clouds charged with violent energy appeared, and thunder began to fall towards the dragon like rain.
It was a terrifying sight, like a rain of thunder!
"Gaaagh! You damned humans!" Nidhogg declared angrily, covering his body with his tough scales.
But Ren did not remain idle. He pushed forward, focusing on the tremendous power within his sword, channeling his quake energy through the blade in a quick moment, sending a new strike.
*Crack~!*
Right after Ren's attack, Mikita appeared, seemingly preparing something in the air. What she created was astonishing!
Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of white papers gathered, forming ten gigantic swords that swam in the air calmly!
Each sword was larger than the entire body of the dragon, and all ten swords were aimed directly at Nidhogg!
"Hold him, Captain, don't let him escape! It's hard to control this attack!"
"Got it !" Ren moved forward again, engaging the dragon physically. Every punch he threw was empowered with seismic force, causing the island to tremble every few seconds!
*Bam!*
*Bam!*
*Whoosh!*
A sound of slicing air could be heard as the ten giant swords descended upon the dragon, who roared in fury, attempting to escape from the traps set by Nami and Ren!
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
Nami did not remain idle either. She created several blades of lightning and aimed them at the dragon, who desperately tried to escape.
"Die, you cunning humans!" The dragon cursed angrily, opening his gaping mouth.
*Hiss~!*
Black flames erupted, targeting Nami, but she raised her hand, creating two balls of wild thunder and directed them straight into the dragon's mouth, which was spewing flames!
Simultaneously, Ren's sword transformed into a spear, and the spear began flying on its own, tearing through the dragon's tough scales! At the same time, Ren clashed with the dragon's claws using his physical strength.
The dragon was trapped and busy resisting the fierce attacks from both, leaving him no room to escape from the ten swords.
*Bam!*
*Crackle!*
"Now!"
Mikita screamed, and as soon as that was heard, Nami vanished in a lightning strike, making the black flames engulf the place where she had been standing.
As for Ren, he rode the spear, which flew quickly, taking him out of the attack range.
*ROAR!!!*
The dragon roared and resisted the swords covered with Haki directly with his body!
*BOOM!!*
[Three days later]
Four days had passed since the battle between Nidhogg and Ren, supported by Mikita and Nami later on.
*Roar!*
The dragon Nidhogg roared angrily, stumbling through the air, trying to escape the giant swords that were falling on him like rain. Each strike cracked rocks and tore through the earth beneath. The swords moved with incredible speed, carrying deadly momentum.
"Damned woman! How can you still create these annoying swords?!" the dragon screamed angrily, but he could do nothing as he was preoccupied.
"Shut up and let your fists talk!" Ren shouted, his fist imbued with seismic power, continuing to strike the dragon's tough body.
*Bam!*
*Crack!*
*Bam!*
Punch after punch, the ground shook, creating rifts in the rocks. With every blow, the earth trembled, and Nidhogg's scales gradually eroded.
*Boom!*
Mikita's swords sliced through the air with deadly speed, striking the dragon's body, causing deep gashes in its skin, each blow leaving a bloody mark on its massive form.
*Roar!*
Nidhogg screamed in a moment of desperation as he felt one of the swords cut through his wings. Pain gripped his body, and he began to feel weakness, but the rage filling his heart drove him to keep going.
But the assault didn't stop. With every passing moment, the swords grew more powerful as Ren and Mikita pressed on with all their might. Ren moved quickly to keep up with the thrashing dragon, doubling the speed of his attacks.
"This is the end!" Ren said as he pressed with all his strength toward the dragon.
*Crack~!*
Ren landed his final seismic strikes, causing the earth to tremble in an unprecedented way, while a massive cracking sound erupted in the sky, as though the earth itself had torn apart.
*Boom!*
Nidhogg was screaming in excruciating pain, with his scales scattering in all directions. A part of his wing was completely shattered, and he fell from the sky at great speed, crashing into the ground with a massive explosion. Dust and flames covered the area, and finally, the gigantic dragon collapsed in the heart of the battlefield, shattered.
"It's over..." Ren muttered, catching his breath as seismic energy still leaked from his body.
"Right..." Nami tried to catch her breath, staring at the massive dragon's corpse as it fell to the ground.
"Sight..." Mikita slighted and went back to Ren And Nami.
There was a moment of silence after the violent battle, where the earth settled completely, and their breaths returned to normal. The sky, which had been filled with lightning and darkness, now cleared up slightly after the destructive storm passed.
Finally, Nidhogg lay motionless on the ground, severely defeated...
The once-beautiful island had now turned into a hellish scene.
Because of the violent battle that had consumed the island, it looked as though it had witnessed the end of the world. The ground was cracked in several places, where the seismic strikes left deep marks in the soil, causing huge explosions in the rocks.
Some areas were covered in volcanic lava, which spread from the violent explosions, leaving the air thick with the smell of sulfur and smoke.
The trees that had once dotted the island were now twisted and shattered, some completely fallen while others burned from the fires that spread randomly after the intense strikes.
The rivers, which had flowed peacefully before the battle, had turned into muddy, polluted streams. In some areas, they had dried up due to the force of the attacks, while in others, the water from the heavy rains of the past few days gathered.
The sky, which had been filled with dust and smoke during the battle, was now covered by dark clouds, intermittently broken, as though they bore the marks of the devastating conflict the island had endured. The horizon was blurred, covered by remnants of gray clouds hovering over the destroyed land.
In the center of the island, where Nidhogg had fallen, the ground was deeply cratered, as if it had swallowed part of the mountains that once stood there. Scattered rocks and stones decorated the place, while some parts of the island crumbled into the depths of the nearby sea. A heavy silence filled the atmosphere, as if the island was catching its breath after the storm.
The surrounding atmosphere seemed calm and quiet after the battle, but the black clouds that shaded the sky reminded everyone of what this place had just endured.
"This..." Ren muttered as he stared at the dragon's body, which began to change.
The massive body started to shrink visibly, and the beastly traits began to fade, revealing familiar features...
Human features.
"..."
"It's... It's a human?!" Mikita screamed in disbelief, staring at the torn and broken body in shock.
"He was human all along! And what about all that talk about despising humans and these things! Damn bastard." Nami spat out in annoyance.
'Wait... If he was human, then that means...'
'Miss System, extract his Devil Fruit!'
[Done~ The Mythical Zoan type Devil Fruit , The Eternal Corrupted Dragon , Nidhogg, has been extracted!]
The voice of Miss System sounded like music in Ren's mind at that moment!
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To be continued....
Nidhogg is a legendary dragon in Norse mythology, considered one of the evil creatures in ancient beliefs. It resides in the roots of Yggdrasil (the World Tree), a giant tree that connects the different worlds in the universe. Nidhogg is said to gnaw at the tree's roots, threatening its destruction, symbolizing the destructive forces that can affect the balance of the universe.
In some versions of the myths, Nidhogg is portrayed as a harmful and terrifying monster, symbolizing corruption and death. It is also associated with the end of the world, or Ragnarok, where it is said to take part in the destruction of the worlds.
Nidhogg also appears in some contemporary works, such as video games, where its character is developed based on the original myth.
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