3. The Flawless Zero Pill

Shrimp Oil, a complete victory!

Taiyi clenched his right fist and swung it in the air. Zero Maru, bursting with pride, declared, “Hahaha, I’m just too strong!” Taiyi, equally triumphant, replied, “Hahaha! This is all thanks to my training!” Their voices overlapped, and the air fell silent. The two, back-to-back partners at one hundred percent compatibility, turned their heads in perfect sync to glance at each other, and for a moment, the atmosphere was a little awkward.

But their giddy pride lasted only an instant. In the blink of an eye, the two were back to their usual camaraderie. “No matter what, our team is just too powerful!” “Yeah, yeah! The strongest duo with a one hundred percent win rate!” “Hahahahaha!” Hand in hand, they spun in circles to celebrate their victory.

After a while, Taiyi retrieved a notebook from behind him. “Now our intelligence collection has grown again.” The notebook’s cover bore a mark resembling Agumon’s claw, and the word ‘victory’ was stamped on it.

As Zero Maru’s tamer, Taiyi never sat idle during battles. Though he lacked devices like a Digivice, his keen observation and ability to strategize on the fly always contributed from the rear lines. Every Digimon Zero Maru faced, their information and strategies for defeating them were meticulously recorded in this notebook. Someday, Taiyi and Zero Maru would gather intelligence on every Digimon in the world, and this notebook would become the first Digimon encyclopedia in the Digital World. Perhaps, in the future, tamers would honor him as “Professor Yagami.”

But intelligence gathering wasn’t all Taiyi did. He also devised special training plans based on any weaknesses Zero Maru showed in battle. Unfortunately, so far, Zero Maru hadn’t revealed a single flaw. Whether strength, speed, stamina, explosiveness, or reflexes, Zero Maru was like a character from a classic Hong Kong comic—virtually without weaknesses. Taiyi even noticed that after every victory, Zero Maru performed better in the next fight, as if success granted him experience points.

Taiyi glanced at Zero Maru, who now sat on the beach, drooling, fishing with his tail. Silently, Taiyi added, “If he has any weaknesses, it’s his insatiable appetite. Every day, his droppings are almost as big as my head.”

Thinking about cleaning up after Zero Maru every day, it really was like caring for a pet dog. Taiyi put the notebook away for now and decided: since they lacked no skills, they would train in every aspect. If they could maintain their flawless state, perhaps they could unlock every bit of mature V-Dramon’s potential before evolving to the ultimate form.

Noticing the sun was still high, Taiyi decided to explore further. Leaving the beach behind, Taiyi and Zero Maru entered a woodland. “Why is it always woods? I’m sick of the same scenery,” Taiyi mumbled, listless since entering the trees. After all, he had spent a week in Greymon’s forest before this.

“Don’t say that, Taiyi. Look, there are some differences here,” Zero Maru, always cheerful, hugged a freshly caught fish, roasted with his V Arrow breath, and devoured it in one bite. He pointed to a cluster of crooked signposts.

Again, the forced blend of nature and human civilization. “Who put these here? No, considering this is a Digital World built from data, maybe these are just leftover human data garbage that wasn’t deleted properly,” Taiyi mused, tapping his chin.

“Hey, since I’m in the Digital World, is it possible I could grow stronger by fighting, just like you, Zero?” Taiyi wondered aloud. “If I gather enough experience points, could I evolve too?!”

Just as Taiyi imagined himself punching three Greymon in a row and then evolving into a fifty-three-meter armored giant in a flash of light, Zero Maru poured cold water on his fantasy: “I don’t think that’s possible, Taiyi. You’re not a Digimon.”

Taiyi protested, “How can you be sure of my species?” And so, the two launched into a debate about the origins of life. Zero Maru argued that humans are born from mothers, Digimon hatch from eggs—two completely different species. Taiyi retorted that humans and Digimon could both hatch from eggs, for all anyone knew.

Perhaps Taiyi’s ideas were too ahead of their time; even the rocks around him seemed to crack at the discussion.

Suddenly, a roar echoed. Behind the rocks, a Dracomon charged like a wild boar. “Again? The local mature Digimon are really rude!” So far, Taiyi and Zero Maru had never met a Digimon willing to sit down and talk things out.

Zero Maru stepped protectively in front of Taiyi and lunged forward to grapple with Dracomon.

Zero Maru smiled easily; he could match an ultimate-level Digimon in strength, being an ancient phantom dragon type. “Just a Dracomon? Watch me send it packing!” Under Zero Maru’s power, Dracomon was pushed steadily backward.

A dark figure lurking in the shadows sneered, “One can resist, but what about the second?” Just as Dracomon was about to tumble off the cliff, another Dracomon emerged behind Zero Maru, launching a surprise attack.

“Zero!” Fortunately, Taiyi, sitting on Zero Maru’s back, was vigilant. The moment the second Dracomon appeared, Taiyi warned him immediately. Zero Maru, highly attuned to Taiyi, instantly detected the threat behind him.

Taiyi called out, “Follow my lead—when I say jump, jump!” Zero Maru understood, and loosened his grappling stance, gathering strength. As the second Dracomon lunged, Taiyi shouted, “Jump!”

Zero Maru, focused on the front, didn’t hesitate. His thick legs exploded with power, launching himself and Taiyi ten meters into the air. Below, the second Dracomon, unprepared for their move, crashed momentum-first into the first Dracomon, sending them both tumbling off the cliff.

Having dispatched the two Dracomon, the one hundred percent team continued onward, seeking a water source before sunset for rest.

Unbeknownst to them, atop a mountain behind them stood a Digimon radiating a demonic aura—the strongest mature Digimon on Falui Island, the fallen angel cloaked in darkness: Devimon.

Hidden in the shadows, he watched Zero Maru and Taiyi’s every move. Zero Maru’s strength far exceeded the typical mature level, enough to threaten him. And the human child, whom Devimon had assumed to be dead weight, demonstrated remarkable composure and leadership in crisis, while the blue pup trusted Taiyi completely, executing his commands flawlessly.

Though only one chosen child had arrived, and Devimon had not seen him use any holy plans, these anomalies made Devimon feel a crushing pressure.

And that human, wanting to lay eggs with Digimon—truly terrifying!

To protect himself and eliminate the power of justice, the forces of darkness had to expand. Thus, from the heart of Falui Island’s great mountain, black gears began to fly forth.