[TIOP] Chapter : 135

"Roar~!"

The massive dragon slowly emerged from the deep crater, lifting its head and letting out a thunderous roar toward Jack, who hovered high above using geppo.

"That thing’s still alive?!" Jabra’s voice trembled—whether from fear or adrenaline, even he wasn’t sure. "That’s a real monster…"

"This feels just like when Sensei fought Kaido," Jack muttered, eyes locked on the dragon. "No matter how many times you hit them, they keep getting up. But one strike from them... and you're halfway to death." Kaido’s terrifying resilience flashed through his mind. Compared to him, this dragon was still a few steps behind—but not by much.

"Roar~!"

Sure enough, the dragon shook off the dust and took to the skies again. Its flight was shaky at first, but it quickly stabilized and swept its colossal tail toward Jack.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The battle raged on—sky, land, and sea all becoming their battlefield. Half the island lay devastated. Forests were reduced to ash, the terrain was littered with deep craters, and flames danced across the shattered ground.

"What a pain… I really can’t win unless I unleash Conqueror's Haki or Sage Mode," Jack muttered between breaths. Even with the boost from the Dragon bead, this was the hardest fight he’d ever endured.

"Soru!"

In a blur, Jack dodged another sweeping tail and reappeared beneath the dragon. He unleashed his Ultimate Galaxy Fist—one of the few spots not covered by scales.

But the dragon wasn’t ignorant of its own weakness. With a thunderous snap, its wings shielded its belly, intercepting Jack’s strike. It paid the price—more scales fell—but it held on.

"You still want to keep going?" Jack shouted, holding up one of the broken scales. "If I kill you, there’s no coming back!"

"Roar~~!" The dragon wavered in the air, its breath heavy, its body scarred—but its will unbroken. It wasn’t giving up. It would drag Jack down with it if it had to.

"Fine then. You leave me no choice!"

Jack’s expression turned grim. He let his conqueror's haki run wild, red lightning streak eruped from his eyes, red lightning kep erupting around him. Trees, rocks and the who island started trembling. The dragon's eyes nearly bulged out experiencing the pressure from Jack's haki.

For the first time—it felt the true threat of death.

Its first instinct was not to fight, but to flee.

It spat out a torrent of flame to buy a precious second, then flapped its wings with frantic force, taking to the skies.

With unmatched speed using conqueror's infusion, Jack appeared right below the dragon, his fist poised to punch the dragon to oblivion.

The dragon saw its own death. Jack stopped the punch a few inches from the dragon's body.

Boom!

The energy wave struck the island, tearing through it like a force of nature. When the dust settled, a third of the island was simply gone.

From a distance, Jabra and the others exchanged wide-eyed looks.

"Retreat. Now." No one argued. If Jack had aimed that attack in their direction, none of them would have survived.

Jack watched the dragon plummet to the ground, its body paralyzed with fear. It was afraid.

He ever intended to kill the dragon. His goal wasn’t destruction—but submission.

He wanted to tame the beast… not end it.

At last, the giant dragon slowly descended from the sky and gently lay down on the ground. Jack could see it in the creature’s eyes—fear. Or rather... surrender.

A triumphant grin spread across his face. He walked up to the dragon, patted its thick scales, and said cheerfully, “Haha, don’t worry. I’ll keep my promise. Let’s go collect the fruit first!”

The dragon gave a slow, obedient nod. Without hesitation, Jack leapt onto its back. With a flap of its mighty wings, the dragon rose into the sky, soaring toward the nameless island once more.

This secluded island had long been the dragon’s lazy haven. It would hide deep within the magma to sleep, only stirring when hunger struck. It would hunt, feed, and return to slumber—its only real purpose here was to guard and wait for the mysterious fruit to ripen.

Suddenly, a mechanical chime echoed in Jack’s mind.

“Congratulations to the host for unlocking the Pet Interface. Current available pet slots: 1.”

Jack blinked. “Pet Interface?” he muttered, curiosity piqued. He opened the newly unlocked menu, finding a simple grid of squares—only one was available, the others still sealed behind digital chains. In the active slot was the image of the dragon’s head.

He tapped on it.

A detailed display popped up, showing the dragon’s attributes and abilities: basic skills like Dragon Breath, Charge, Tail Sweep, and Bite. Nothing surprising there. The only standout trait was its Observation Haki, though the system marked it as beginner level.

There was also a “Loyalty” stat—60 out of 100, just barely a passing score. Any lower, and the dragon could betray him at any time. The higher the value, the stronger the bond and the more seamless their teamwork.

After glancing through the interface, Jack closed it. By then, the dragon had already reached the island. Kalifa and the navy crew rushed over to greet him.

“My lord!” Kalifa called out, eyes wide in surprise as she watched Jack jump down from the dragon’s back.

“It’s alright,” Jack replied with a smile. “From now on, he’s one of us. Just don’t provoke him—he’s a bit lazy. Let him sleep, and make sure there’s plenty of food ready. I’d say he’s starving.”

The dragon, true to form, simply glanced at Kalifa and the others before lying down nearby and drifting off to sleep.

The battle had clearly taken a toll on the beast. Rest was the only way to recover its spent strength and energy.

Soon, the previously evacuated navy returned and resumed the base’s construction. Supplies were also brought in—both for Jack and his new companion.

“Roar~!”

The dragon let out a pleased growl as it dug into the food Jack had provided. It seemed surprisingly content—perhaps even enjoying the convenience. No more hunting, and human food wasn’t half bad.

A few days later, with the dragon still fast asleep, Jack approached the cave once more. This time, he came for what he’d originally fought so hard to claim—the fruit.

Based on his limited but earnest communication with the dragon, Jack had learned that the fruit’s power would fade quickly once plucked from the mysterious plant. That’s why the dragon had always eaten it on the spot.

He’d waited until now to retrieve it, worried that the dragon might cause trouble if left unattended. But after observing it for days, Jack realized that his new pet was too lazy to care about anything but sleep and food.

Satisfied that it wouldn’t stir, he slipped through the vent and descended once more into the magma chamber. As he approached the glowing fruit, he hesitated.

The dragon had eaten it without issue. Still… eating something so unknown felt reckless.

But only for a moment.

Without another thought, Jack swallowed the fruit whole.

“Massive energy surge detected. System upgrade in progress.”

The moment Jack swallowed the strange fruit, an overwhelming force exploded within him. It was as if his entire body had been set ablaze—every organ scorched, every nerve ignited.

Reeling from the pain, he stumbled to a nearby platform and collapsed into a sitting position, forcing himself to circulate his chakra. He tried to tame the violent power surging through him, but it was simply too vast, too chaotic. His eyes began to flush red, veins bulging, as his body trembled under the pressure.

“Damn it…” Jack realized, just before his consciousness faded. The dragon had survived it with ease thanks to its monstrous physique, but he was no dragon—just a man with a system. And now, of all times, the system was locked in the middle of an upgrade.

Was this how he would die? Exploding from within—killed by raw power?