Chapter 42: The Natural-Type Iron-Iron Fruit

"Xiao Fei?"

Xu Wenhao was astonished. This man had actually come to demand this young boy!

Did he have a grudge against the boy? Or did he see something special in him? Xu Wenhao was bewildered. The boy himself was equally shocked as Ao Xin pointed at him.

"Me?"

He was certain he didn't know this young man, nor did he have any connection to him. Yet, why would the stranger name him specifically?

Ao Xin nodded. "That's right. If I recall correctly, your name is Yuan Fei!"

Yuan Fei asked, puzzled, "That's correct, but how do you know who I am?"

Xu Wenhao also chimed in, "What do you want with Xiao Fei?"

Ao Xin replied bluntly, "Keeping him with you is a waste. I can unlock his full potential to the greatest extent."

Xu Wenhao let out a dry laugh. "While I, Xu Wenhao, may not be some legendary master, don't you think that's a bit too insulting?"

Ao Xin had no time for idle chatter. He threw a punch covered in Armament Haki. The sheer force of the wind made Xu Wenhao’s expression change drastically. Xu Wenhao’s fist instantly turned to steel, colliding with Ao Xin’s.

However, the fist of steel was dented by Ao Xin’s strike, and Xu Wenhao himself was sent flying back a great distance.

"Brother Xu!"

"Are you alright, Brother Xu?"

The others were shocked beyond measure; they had never seen Xu Wenhao suffer such a crushing defeat. The young man before them had merely swung his fist, yet he had overwhelmed Xu Wenhao, who was using his Devil Fruit ability!

Though he had been sent flying, Xu Wenhao’s body, transformed into steel, had not suffered severe damage after skidding along the ground. But when he looked down at his fist, he was horrified to find that his bones had been cracked by Ao Xin’s single punch!

"Armament Haki?"

Gone was Xu Wenhao’s earlier arrogance. He kept a distance from Ao Xin, looking at him with extreme caution.

"Your fruit ability is quite good—a rare Logia type. If developed properly, you could become a master."

Ao Xin stood with his hands behind his back, while Ao Chen, standing beside him, looked so smug she was practically looking down at everyone with her nose in the air!

Ao Xin knew Xu Wenhao’s ability. It was a fruit that had never appeared in the original manga: the Logia-type Iron-Iron Fruit. Unlike the Gold-Gold Fruit, the Iron-Iron Fruit allowed for elemental transformation! Furthermore, he could manifest iron out of thin air, though the iron he created could not persist permanently once separated from his body. Like the T-1000 from Terminator, he could turn into liquid metal, altering his body’s shape. He could also manipulate iron objects around him, changing their form and controlling them from a distance—for instance, condensing steel balls to fire like bullets, or forging blades to slay enemies like a sword-wielding immortal. With continuous development, he could compress the density of the steel to increase its hardness.

But right now, he couldn't even withstand a casual punch from Ao Xin. The Haki-coated fist had struck the core of his elemental-transformed hand, cracking his bones.

Was there any need to continue this conversation?

Ao Xin had no intention of killing him. The man had some strength and value, but his personality was too charitable for Ao Xin’s liking. Therefore, he didn't intend to take over Xu Wenhao’s faction; he only wanted Yuan Fei.

"And if I refuse?"

Ultimately, Xu Wenhao did not want to abandon the promise he had made when he first took the boy in. He reasoned that although Ao Xin was strong, he had caught him off guard with a sudden strike. In a real life-or-death battle, he might not necessarily lose.

"Refuse?" Ao Xin’s gaze turned cold. "Then you will all die!"

Xu Wenhao, unwilling to yield, manipulated the iron railings nearby, turning them into molten iron and then five steel spheres that hovered before him.

"I admit you are strong, awakening Haki so early. But even if you can kill me, you won't come out of it unscathed! There are so many zombies nearby; once you kill me, will you still have the energy to deal with them?"

"Hey! You really don't know what's good for you!"

Before Ao Xin could speak, Ao Chen grew impatient. She pouted, looking down at them haughtily. "My brother didn't even use his fruit ability or any weapons, and he sent you flying with his bare hands. Do you really think you have a chance to resist? Never mind you, my brother has already killed two zombies!"

Ao Chen’s words stunned Xu Wenhao. Ao Xin had a fruit ability, too?

Bian City was not large, and there were few fruit users. Based on the intel from the Divine Gift Space’s city-wide chat group, there were only five ability users in Bian City: himself and Feng Kun, both users of the Tyrannosaurus Fruit, and three mysterious Zoan-type users who had never spoken.

Given the sheer strength of this man, he was likely the Azure Dragon or the Four-Horned Black Bull!

He tentatively asked, "Are you the Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon fruit user?"

Ao Chen nodded. "That's right! My brother doesn't want to kill you all, which is why he didn't use his fruit ability; otherwise, you'd be dead by now! Besides, that boy will be much better off following my brother than sticking with you!"

Even though she didn't know why Ao Xin had specifically demanded this fourteen-year-old boy, her brother was a reincarnator, and there had to be a reason for his actions.

Xu Wenhao took a deep breath. Even a layperson who didn't read One Piece knew the immense power of a creature like the Azure Dragon. If his opponent went all-out, he would likely be killed in an instant. And without him, even if Ao Xin spared the others, how long could they survive in the apocalypse?

As Xu Wenhao weighed his options, Yuan Fei stepped forward. "Brother Xu, I'll go with this big brother!"

"Xiao Fei..." Xu Wenhao felt that it was his own failure as an elder brother that forced his subordinate to "make such a compromise."

Yuan Fei said, "Brother Xu, thank you for taking care of me these past few days. I will never forget it. If Brother Ao wanted to kill me, he wouldn't have gone to such trouble. I believe Brother Ao won't treat me poorly!"

Xu Wenhao sighed. "Very well. If you are ever treated unfairly, you can come back anytime. Brother Xu will always be your Brother Xu!"

Ao Xin watched this scene with indifference. Although he had become cold and ruthless in this life, he was still willing to grant those with kind hearts a sliver of hope—so long as they didn't stand in his way.

Yuan Fei bid farewell to Xu Wenhao and the others. He had no luggage to pack, only the steel pipe he had been using for combat. Walking up to Ao Xin, the stubborn boy mimicked a scene he had seen in a television drama, dropping to one knee and placing a hand over his heart. "Brother Ao, Yuan Fei will go with you. Please, let Brother Xu go!"

Ao Xin glanced at him and shouldered his steel whip. "Follow me."

By now, large groups of roaming zombies were gathering toward their location. As they walked, Ao Xin asked, "Have you learned Haki yet?"

Yuan Fei nodded. "Brother Xu gave us each ten points so we could learn Armament Haki, but I haven't awakened it yet."