The woods of Little Garden were silent, disturbed only occasionally by the rustling of insects and the distant cries of ancient birds.
Rin and Artoria walked calmly beneath the towering ferns and thick vines, the air humid and buzzing with primal life. During their march, Rin had his Observation Haki Kenbunshoku Haki spread in a radius around them, honing it by constantly sensing the lifeforms that moved in the underbrush and trees.
"Huh?"
Rin's footsteps halted. His gaze shifted toward the tall grass on the left.
Through Observation Haki, he had sensed a rapid presence charging at them hostile and wild.
'Roar!'
A thunderous roar erupted as a massive shadow burst from the thicket it was a fully-grown Tyrannosaurus, covered in coarse scales, fangs bared and saliva trailing from its jaws.
Its predatory eyes glinted with hunger as it spotted the two human figures. With a guttural growl, the beast lunged, mouth wide open, intending to swallow both Rin and Artoria whole.
Rin smirked coldly, unfazed by the charging dinosaur.
"Creatures that don't know their place."
With a 'boom', the Thunder Tribulation Blade was unsheathed in a blur of motion.
'Sword Qi Slash!'
With a low murmur, Rin released a crescent-shaped wave of compressed sword energy that sliced through the air and cleanly bisected the Tyrannosaurus, sending its two halves crashing into the underbrush in a spray of blood.
"Let's move." Rin retracted the Thunder Blade and looked toward Artoria.
"Mm." Artoria smiled lightly and followed.
Along their path, the two encountered more dinosaurs triceratops, stegosauruses, even a pteranodon that tried to ambush from above but none could stand against Rin's swordsmanship or Artoria's spear. During a lull, they even roasted and ate the meat of a flame-charred velociraptor.
By afternoon, a rustling came from the foliage ahead.
Footsteps approached.
From the brush emerged Casa, panting lightly, a book clutched in one hand as he approached them.
"Captain, I discovered another pirate crew on this island," Casa reported, his tone serious.
"Oh?" Rin raised a brow, intrigued. "Got any intel on them?"
"Yes." Casa nodded firmly. "I kept my distance and observed silently. They call themselves the 'Olik Pirates.' Their captain, Olik, is an Animal-type Devil Fruit user specifically the Gray Wolf Fruit and his bounty is forty million berries."
"How many crew members?"
Casa took a breath and replied, "Roughly forty. They seem decently organized."
"Forty men… manageable," Rin nodded, then glanced sideways. "What's their purpose here on Little Garden?"
"They're targeting the heads of Dorry and Brogy the two ancient giants," Casa said, voice grim.
At that, Rin's eyes sharpened.
Though still newcomers to the Grand Line, it wasn't surprising that pirates would attempt such a bounty hunt. The Navy had placed a combined bounty of 200 million berries on Dorry and Brogy decades ago 100 million each. Even though those bounties were outdated and largely symbolic, they were enough to lure the greedy.
Still, Rin frowned.
"Olik's bounty is only forty million, and his Zoan type doesn't seem to be of the Ancient variety. Does he seriously think he can take on either Dorry or Brogy? Those two are veterans of Elbaf, with centuries of combat behind them."
Casa chuckled lightly. "He came from the West Blue. Probably thinks he's still a big deal here."
Rin snorted. "That explains the arrogance. Most West Blue pirates don't know what real monsters the Grand Line hides."
The allure of two outdated but enormous bounties especially when added together was a temptation too strong for greenhorns from the Blues.
"But I can't let the giants kill them yet," Rin said, eyes gleaming faintly. "That Olik guy… I need him alive, for a bit at least. His Zoan abilities may be useful fuel for the world within me."
The universe inside his body the evolving power source that reacted to slain enemies with abilities still required strong sacrifices to progress.
"Olik's a good starting point."
Rin stood up, his Thunder Tribulation Blade at his side.
"Let's go. Let this Olik and his crew be our first official opponents on the Grand Line."
With nods, Casa and Artoria followed.
Ten minutes later, Casa halted the group with a gesture, placing a finger over his lips.
Rin narrowed his eyes, sensing multiple life signatures ahead.
Peeking through the tall prehistoric ferns, he saw a clearing where nearly forty pirates sat, roasting the leg of a massive dinosaur over a crude spitfire. The crew members laughed boisterously, weapons resting beside them.
In the center of the circle sat a broad-shouldered man with short gray hair, a scar running from his forehead down his cheek, and eyes that glinted like a predator's. That had to be Olik.
Their group was hidden within the tall jungle grass, high enough to shield even a standing man.
Rin turned to his companions and nodded.
"Time to start."
"Mm."
"Yes, Mr. Captain."
With no further words, Rin gripped his sword.
'Shave!'
With a low voice, Rin launched forward using Soru, his body blinking through the air with explosive footwork, appearing at the edge of the pirate circle in a blur.
"Who!?"
"Who the hell are you!?"
"Bastard, what're you doing here?!"
Startled, the pirates scrambled to their feet, grabbing swords, pistols, and axes.
Rin gave no response. A cruel smirk curved on his lips as he raised one hand.
"Pandora Field."
'Boom—!'
A sinister black aura ghostly, cold, and suffocating burst out from Rin's body, flooding the area like a toxic fog. The field shimmered, enveloping everything within a hundred meters.
Instantly, the eyes of the surrounding pirates glazed over then reddened, veins popping. Their sanity cracked like glass.
"You bastards! You stole my meat!"
"Die! I'll gut you!"
"I'll kill you all !"
They turned on one another like rabid animals, weapons raised, slicing at their own comrades in a frenzy. Screams and blood filled the air.
Only Olik remained unaffected, standing with trembling fists, his expression grim.
"You…" Olik growled, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. "I've never met you before. Why are you targeting us? I, Olik, have no grudge with you!"
Rin stared back at him coldly, lightning flickering faintly around his blade.
"Do I need a reason to kill?"
———
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