Chapter 5: Encounter with Beika Bunka's Little Dragon

  After a few minutes, Hobbit, Gale and the others, a total of five people, got on the transport truck, winding through the long dark tunnel, heading out to the Pankhasade Mountains.

  In the darkness, Gale picked up a flashlight and shone it on Captain Hopewell's face.

  Before boarding the transport vehicle, he had already observed that the lieutenant's complexion was somewhat off and his entire face had sunk in.

  "Junior Lieutenant..."

  "No need to say, the battle just now made me inhale too much toxic gas and the power of the devil fruit also exhausted my physical strength. I know my current condition. So it's even more important to seize the time, hoping that the rescue ship for Vegapunk hasn't left yet!"

  "Can we really escape from this island?" The three soldiers next to him looked bewildered, listening to the roar of the transport vehicle, gazing into the darkness ahead. Although they had temporarily escaped from the research institute, what kind of danger was waiting for them outside the mountains? To be honest, they didn't have much expectation in their hearts.

  "We can definitely escape," the lieutenant said. So, you guys must also hold on tight!" Gal exclaimed shakily.

  "But... Caesar's toxic gas must have spread throughout the entire island by now. What's the point of escaping? This explosion incident will definitely go to military court. Caesar caused the experiment to explode, we can't escape our connection!" The soldier next to him said with his head hung low.

  His words brought a moment of silence from the crowd, and even Hobodi couldn't help but feel awkward.

  Indeed, having gone through the explosion and the poisonous gas-filled research institute, as well as those pirate prisoners, he had crossed over in less than an hour. With so many crises forcing him, the only thought he had for this one hour was to survive. As for the things that soldier mentioned, he really hadn't considered them.

  Think of the Navy, because of the failure to capture M. Caesar Clown, the naval research base was destroyed. This incident must be brought to a military tribunal without question. Moreover, this time, the world government's top scientist almost suffered, which is the brain that leads humanity by 500 years. If Begabonk is safe and sound, it's fine, but if something happens, these navies may have to face the death penalty.

  Of course, with so many major crimes, it's not just Hobodi who should take the blame. At least among the naval personnel stationed on this island of Pongkhathasade, there must be some high-ranking officers involved, and when the charges are laid out, they will have to bear the brunt of it, not them worrying about it.

  "Let's just talk about this after we escape! We're just lucky that Beggar Bang is still alive!"

  "Beijia Bangke......" Gare's eyes were about to pop out.

  The other three sailors also looked as if they had heard something unbelievable and shouted: "That son of a bitch?"

  Hobbit looked at them strangely: "What? Isn't it? If he hadn't been covering up for Caesar, there wouldn't have been this mess in front of us. And he even left us on this poisonous gas island, and even if we escape, we'll still be scapegoats for him, what kind of guy is that?"

  "Well, when you put it that way... Dr. Vegakung is quite the scumbag, huh?" The three naval soldiers exchanged glances, and the atmosphere in the darkness relaxed a bit.

  "This is when Gal reminded: 'Officer, there's a light ahead.'"

  "Keep going forward, and jump off at Transportation Harbor immediately." Hobodi commanded.

  "What's wrong with the brakes?" Gal asked in puzzlement.

  Hoboldi shook his head: "We can't hold on until then, the toxic gas has already started to numb our nerves, you should be feeling dizzy too, shouldn't you?"

  Including Gare, four naval officers nodded, and Hobodi said with a hum: "Wait for a while and jump off the car immediately. When you see the warship, be sure to shout loudly for help."

  "Yes!"

  About a minute and a half later, the light from the tunnel grew closer and closer. In an instant, the darkness dispersed, and the light enveloped Hobodi and the other four people.

  They broke through the dark tunnel and saw outside the island of Pongkhathat, the sky was all purple toxic gas.

  "Look quickly, Transport Harbor!" Gal pointed excitedly at a place not far away.

  "Actually..."

  "Damn it, one step too late?"

  Hobodi's face was also full of unwillingness. They had already escaped from the research institute and successfully reached the transportation port, so why...

  The warship disappearing into the distance on the sea seemed to have completely extinguished their hope.

  Three soldiers collapsed and wailed loudly: "Hey! ---- Hey! Save us!"

  However, the warship showed no signs of stopping, and the waves that crossed the coastline became even faster.

  "Junior Lieutenant...!" Gal muttered, his eyes also filled with despair.

  "Grab my backpack! Jump out, we've got to catch up!" Hoppy gritted his teeth.

  "But... how can we catch up?"

  "Hop to it!" Hobodi bellowed, kicking off three sailors and grabbing Galt with one hand as he leapt down from the transport.

  With a loud crash, the five people fell onto the wooden planks of the transport dock. Hobodi lay on the ground, his entire body enveloped in golden light. His limbs began to stretch out, and the two horns protruding from his forehead started to take shape. His body began to tear apart and stretch, forming pink scales all over. As the energy inside him surged violently, his four limbs transformed into claws, and finally, a magnificent pink Eastern dragon took form.

  "Ensign?" Garl asked uncomprehendingly.

  Hobbit's eyes stared fixedly at the distant warship, his front paws waving back and forth in the air.

  "What's going on, sir?"

  "Has the superior gone mad?"

  "Sir, calm down!"

  Three soldiers tried to rush forward to capture Hobodi, but were knocked to the ground by a swing of its tail. Hobodi remained in place, waving its paws through the air with an utterly ridiculous motion.

  One minute, two minutes, three minutes... Time slowly passed by, and the warship in the distance also became farther and farther away.

  Hobodi's face was covered in sweat, could it be that the method wasn't right? Didn't Momotarou set up a cloud just like this? Why couldn't he do it?

  There was complete silence around him, and Hobodi forced his brain to calm down and think.

  What is the reason after all?

  The original Punk Hazard chapter had Trafalgar Law successfully using the "Tengoku" technique, which was brought about by his hallucination due to hunger and helped Monkey D. Luffy escape from the trash mountain. Now their situation can be said to be very similar to that of Luffy on this island four years later. If they are unable to catch up with the departing warship, they will likely have to survive on this island filled with poisonous gas for the next two years.

  In the future, will I be like Chahna and install animal legs, become a dragon suit and then be beaten by Luffy? Such fate Hopodi cannot accept.

  He wondered if the energy of the Devil Fruit in his body hadn't been unleashed, but now he was completely at a loss as to how to properly guide that violent energy within him.

  But now there is simply no time to ponder over it one by one.

  "Junior Lieutenant..."

  "It's all over; even if we escape, we won't be able to avoid death."

  Just as everyone was in despair, suddenly, from the huge mountain range behind the five people, a small black shadow emerged from the dense toxic gas, and a new crisis was approaching the five.

  A loud roar of a fierce beast came, and Gale and the others widened their eyes, staring at the gradually approaching stout figure. The fear in their eyes could not be concealed: "That's Begabonk's little dragon, isn't it on the other side of the island? If Begabonk is not there, no one can tame it, its teeth can easily crush even steel!"

  "That is..." The commotion in front of him made Hoboldy look away from the "whirlwind" and face the situation, looking at Begabong's small dragon not far away, its mournful appearance. His eyes were filled with doubt: "It looks a bit strange, you see... its eyes..."

  The conversation was cut short, as the distant dragon seemed to have also noticed the five people. Its eyes appeared to be observing something, but in an instant, it seemed that it had not found the person it wanted to see. Its gaze suddenly became fierce and menacing, opening its sharp serrated teeth, diving down towards the five people.

  Hopperd first lifted the devil fruit's beastification, restored his human form, took out the sniper rifle from the package, and aimed at the approaching little dragon, pulling the trigger.

  Bang!

  The sniper rifle's bullet trajectory came straight at the little dragon, and the little dragon didn't dodge in the slightest. When the sniper rifle's explosive bullet head collided with the little dragon's body, the scene that Hobodi had anticipated did not appear before his eyes. Originally, one bullet could easily blow up a pirate captain's skull worth millions of bounty, but when it hit the little dragon's body, it only made a "ting" sound. The bullet hit the little dragon's belly, splashing out a spark, and grazed past.

  "Not good, Lieutenant! It's going to eat us!"

  "This goes without saying!" Hobodi cursed loudly, but the sniper rifle in his hand didn't stop, and three seconds later, another loud gunshot rang out from the island.

  However, the second bullet hit Xiaolong's body and still had no effect.

  "Damn it, the animals in this world are really a bunch of monsters!" Hoboldi was somewhat frustrated by his failed sniping attempt. After all, with this kind of weapon, what animal couldn't be killed on Earth in his previous life?

  A burst of gunfire rang out, but still couldn't hurt Xiao Long. However, the impact of the bullets briefly hindered it for a few seconds.

  These few seconds were meaningless for Hobodi and others, because as soon as the little dragon came, they could not stop the fierce little dragon's plunder.

  As Hopody's bullets were consumed one by one, Xiaolong flew in from mid-air, less than ten meters away from them. At this time, the sniper rifle in Hopody's hand had only one bullet left.

  "It's only a gamble at close range now, to see if the explosive impact can penetrate its steel hide. Otherwise, I'll really fall here......" Hoboldi smiled bitterly and set up his sniper rifle aiming at the sky.

  Bei Ga Bang Ke's little dragon gradually approached, ten meters, seven meters, five meters, three meters, one meter...

  "Right now!"

  Bang!