In front of Makino's family bar...
A crowd had already gathered, all eyes fixed on the massive corpse of the forest wolf. Among the onlookers were even seasoned hunters.
"Did that little guy Luffy really bring this back?"
"That's insane!"
"He's just a kid!"
A ring of villagers surrounded the beast's body, marveling at the impossible feat.
For people living in the East Blue, it was hard to fathom, how could a child only a few years old manage to bring down such a large predator?
Even the most experienced hunters in town wouldn't attempt to hunt a beast of this size alone.
What's more, very few would've considered using poison. Most adults had bulky bodies that were hard to conceal, and their natural body odor made hiding from animals nearly impossible.
But Luffy had one unique advantage: his "silent breath" technique.
Thanks to his digitized body, he could hold his breath without suffering from oxygen deprivation. While his health points (HP) would gradually decrease over time, his high stamina stat allowed for passive regeneration.
In other words, as long as he paced himself, his HP would recover over time, even in oxygen-deprived situations.
Eventually, with a high enough stamina stat, he'd even be able to fight in completely airless environments.
After a while, the crowd slowly dispersed, still whispering in amazement.
Outside the bar, only Makino and her father remained.
The two exchanged looks, after all, they had watched Luffy grow every step of the way.
From the early days of him dragging home small game or herbivores, to now bringing back a full-grown beast, it had only taken two months.
At first, Makino had been deeply worried that Luffy hadn't grown in height at all during that time. Children were supposed to grow fast, sometimes changing day by day.
She'd stressed over it for weeks, preparing all sorts of nutritious meals for Luffy every day. Sometimes there wasn't even enough food left for the bar's customers.
And yet, no matter how much he ate, Luffy didn't change much physically.
Makino had no idea how she'd explain this to Luffy's grandfather.
Meanwhile, her father had already dragged the forest wolf into the kitchen to begin processing it.
The pelt, claws, and teeth were all valuable materials. Even the wolf's reproductive organs had medicinal uses, this was a goldmine.
That night, Luffy once again devoured a meal heavier than his own body weight and returned to his room, completely content.
Lying on the big bed, he couldn't calm down. He rested his left arm under his head and raised his right hand toward the ceiling, clenching it into a fist.
He could feel the strength coursing through his tiny arm.
"Maybe... I'm not that far off from punching through the stars."
Pffft.
Luffy burst out laughing at himself.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
And so, night fell, with Luffy fantasizing about the future.
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The next morning, Foosha Village came alive with the energy of a new day.
Doors opened, windows creaked, and families began their daily work.
Luffy suited up and, like always, made his way into the forest. This time, however, he headed back to the place where he'd first killed a rabbit.
He hadn't been back in a while. Time and energy were limited, so to maximize EXP, he'd been hunting deeper into the forest. But today was different.
He unsheathed the dagger at his waist, staying alert and watching his surroundings.
Soon, the nearby grass rustled.
Without hesitation, Luffy leapt toward the sound. As expected, a gray figure darted through the bushes, a gray rabbit.
Sensing danger, the rabbit bolted, but Luffy was no longer the same boy he had been. In just a few strides, he caught up and struck cleanly at its neck.
[Ding! You have slain a regular beast. Gained 1 EXP.]
"Heh, easy."
Like he'd just taken down a mighty foe, Luffy twirled his dagger dramatically and sheathed it at his waist, then walked confidently into the morning sun.
[Ding! You have slain a regular beast. Gained 2 EXP.]
[Ding! You have slain a regular beast. Gained 1 EXP.]
[Ding! You have slain a regular beast. Gained 3 EXP.]
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Luffy continued deeper into the forest, leaving behind a trail of fallen prey. His EXP was climbing rapidly, soon reaching 25.
It was incredible, there were times when, back at Level 1, he'd spend an entire day just to earn a single point of EXP.
He firmly believed that the stronger he got, the faster he'd grow. That was the power of the system.
Before long, Luffy arrived at one of the forest's more dangerous regions, where the fiercest beasts often roamed.
He moved slowly and carefully, step by step.
Last month, he encountered a lion here, nearly three meters long. The moment he saw it, he'd run for his life.
Today, that lion was his target.
He wondered if the lion remembered him.
He roamed the area for a long while, but didn't see any animals. Still, he didn't give up.
The silence itself was a clue.
For a forest this quiet, there could only be one explanation, this territory had a powerful owner.
Patiently, Luffy kept searching until, after half an hour, he found a trail of blood.
He followed it all the way to the entrance of a cave.
Entering a cave in the forest without caution was incredibly dangerous. But Luffy went in anyway.
Maybe his recent strength gains had made him overconfident. Maybe he just wanted to test his limits.
Crouched low, Luffy crept inside, his right hand resting on the dagger at his waist, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
The deeper he went, the more the light behind him faded, swallowed by the encroaching darkness.
Just as he was about to be fully enveloped in shadow, he saw it.
Not all beasts preferred darkness.
Or perhaps... this cave's master didn't.
There it was, a massive lion with dark purple fur, gnawing slowly on the corpse of a fresh antelope.
Its prey was still bleeding, meaning it had been hunted only recently.
Luffy reached down and quietly picked up a stone. With a sharp flick, he hurled it.
Smack!
The rock struck the lion's back, and Luffy immediately turned and sprinted out of the cave.
"ROAR!! ROOOAR!!"
The purple lion roared furiously and charged after him.
Luffy had only gone a short distance outside before stopping at the side of the cave entrance, waiting silently.
When he heard the lion's massive body approaching, he grabbed his specially-made poison-tipped bone spear and thrust it forward,
Straight into the lion's rear.
"ROAR!!"
The lion howled in pain and swung its massive paw at Luffy.
But Luffy had predicted the counterattack, he ducked low, sidestepped the swipe, and slashed his dagger across the lion's raised foreleg.
He pulled back hard, slicing deep through the joint.
Half the beast's paw was severed, hanging only by a few tendons and scraps of skin.
Thud.
The poison took hold. The lion's hind legs gave out, collapsing limply.
With only one functioning paw, the lion clawed weakly at the ground, desperate to crawl away from this devilish child.
Luffy slowly approached. He knew the battle was over.
Yes, he had used tools. But it didn't change the fact that he had brought down the king of this forest with his own hands.
Sensing Luffy's approach, the purple lion lifted its head. Its teary eyes stared up at him, making low whimpering sounds, as if begging for its life.
A beast that had lived this long had developed some intelligence. It could even grasp the general meaning behind a human's tone.
Luffy stood in front of it silently, raised his dagger, and drove it straight into the lion's eye, twisting as he did.
"Sorry. But if I want to get stronger faster… this is the only way."
[Ding! You have slain a regular beast. Gained 15 EXP.]
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