Under the moonlight, four kids lay on the ground, beaten and bruised.
Bumps were visible on their heads, bruises marked their skin, and scratches lined their limbs.
Garp cracked his knuckles.
"That's it for today! We'll continue tomorrow!" he declared, strolling off with a satisfied grin.
He had thrown them, punched them, and kicked them mercilessly.
'Damn Garp' Ling winced inwardly.
A few minutes passed before the boys slowly sat up, forming a rough circle on the grass.
"If we don't do something, that old man's gonna kill us tomorrow," Ace whispered.
Luffy looked terrified.
"Even if we survive, he'll just keep beating us until we give up on our dreams," Sabo muttered grimly.
"We only have one chance," Ling said, his voice low but steady.
"And it's now."
The others looked at him in confusion.
"It's time to leave this place."
Their eyes widened, then slowly lit up with understanding.
"You're smart, Ling," Ace grinned.
The others nodded in agreement.
The next morning, Dadan woke up groggily. As she rubbed her eyes and entered the main room, her gaze froze on a large message across the wall.
"We will stand on our own feet."
She screamed.
Nearby, Garp stirred awake. Dadan rushed over, shouting, "They're gone! Those brats ran off!"
Garp blinked, then chuckled.
"Well then… I guess my vacation's over."
With a stretch and a yawn, he strolled off down the path, leaving Dadan stunned and speechless.
Deep in the heart of the forest...
"We got away successfully!" Luffy cheered, throwing his hands in the air.
"I don't think they're following us," Sabo said, glancing over his shoulder.
"I bet Dadan's secretly happy we left," Ace smirked.
"Fewer headaches for her."
Ling smiled.
"How about we build a treehouse? On the tallest tree in the Dawn Islands."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
"I'm in!" Luffy shouted.
"It's nearby. Follow me!"
Ling said confidently.
Minutes later, they stood before a massive tree towering over the forest canopy.
"Whoa! I never knew a tree like this even existed," Sabo said in awe.
"Me neither," Ace admitted.
"I've never been this deep in the woods."
"Let's plan our house!" Sabo grinned.
They all nodded.
After sketching a blueprint, the boys journeyed to Grey Terminal, scavenging scraps, metal, and anything useful.
A week passed.
The treehouse was complete.
It looked like a pirate ship nestled high in the branches, complete with railings, a mast, and even a wooden steering wheel.
They all climbed to the top and gazed out.
"It's beautiful," Sabo whispered.
The others nodded, taking it all in.
"Let's raise our flag!" Ace shouted.
They unfurled a black cloth painted with a white skull and crossbones.
In the center… SALL.
That same day, Dogra and Magra eventually found them.
After reporting back to Dadan, she came to visit quietly, climbing the rope to the tree house eat the night.
She didn't say a word just stood at the entrance, watching the four boys sleeping soundly in their new home.
Once satisfied they were safe, she turned and left. From then on, she would visit them now and then.
But only in the dead of night.
Weeks passed.
Training continued relentlessly. Even after Blackie and the baboons could no longer keep up, the boys didn't slow down.
With fewer spars against the baboons, they added a new routine.
Kicking a giant boulder every morning to strengthen their legs.
Punching it every afternoon.
And just before sunset, a hundred sparring matches, as always.
The score hadn't changed much.
Ling remained undefeated. Sabo and Ace were neck and neck.
And Luffy… still hadn't won a single match.
Another month passed.
During that time, Ling began working on a new technique. A skill that could freeze time.
He called it 'Pause'.
But even after a month of testing on insects and small animals, there was no progress.
Still, he didn't stop.
Two more months rolled by.
The boys continued growing stronger each day.
But for Ling, the biggest development wasn't his strength.
It began as a theory if he could speed up time, could he use it to accelerate healing?
Their bodies were always covered in scrapes, bruises, and shallow cuts from training.
So Ling began experimenting on himself, trying to fast-forward his healing.
It took a month and a half.
And finally, it worked.
He managed to accelerate the healing of minor scratches. It was small, yes, but a breakthrough.
Not all was good news, though.
Pause, after three full months still showed no signs of progress.
But Ling didn't give up.
Every day, he tried again.
Inspired by the healing breakthrough, he pushed his powers further.
If he could age fruits and ripen them, could he age living creatures?
He began experimenting on caterpillars and beetles.
Knowing how long healing took, he expected this might take years.
Still, he began.
Another month passed.
After months of training, the boys challenged the giant bear, the second-strongest beast in the forest.
It was a hard-fought battle. Though Ling held back, they finally defeated it.
Honestly, Ling could've defeated the bear alone, but it could be still a difficult fight.
Ace, Sabo, and Luffy could hold their own for a few minutes before losing. So Ling restrained himself to make it a team effort.
They didn't kill the bear. They planned to tame it.
With Luffy's affinity for animals, he figured feeding it for a few months might earn its trust.
How ironic how much Luffy loves meat.
The boys also began visiting Grey Terminal, Edge Town, and even downtown again whenever they could.
After all, who wouldn't want something besides roasted meat every day?
With Blackie and the baboons outpaced, they also began fighting thugs in Edge Town instead.
Fighting people who have brains was still a lot better training than wild animals animals.
'Not counting Blackie, Bee1 through Bee6, of course.'
'They're my buddies.'
They also resumed scavenging in Grey Terminal, stealing valuables to build up their treasure savings.
One afternoon, while walking near Grey Terminal, Ling saw a familiar figure.
Naguri.
The old pirate who had helped him realize what he truly wanted in life.
Without hesitation, Ling offered to help him build his ship.
Naguri didn't refuse.
Though the others were confused at first, they didn't ask questions.
If Ling was helping him, then so would they.
Because brothers didn't need a reason.
A few weeks later, they were ready.
Time to fight the giant tiger, the strongest beast on Mt. Colubo.
The four stood in an open clearing.
Atop a nearby mountain, Naguri stood, overseeing them before setting off to find his old crewmates.
Using his Observation Haki, he found the tiger within seconds.
Everyone wore a serious expression.
"Here he comes!" Sabo called.
The ground trembled.
The giant tiger bulldozed its way through the trees.
Sabo and Ace gripped their poles. Luffy clenched his fists. Ling remained calm as ever.
The tiger towered before them, half the size of a tree.
"There it is," Naguri murmured from above.
"I haven't seen them fight. They said they beat the giant bear a month ago..."
"This will be interesting. Especially that kid, Ling. I could tell the moment I met him, he's going to be something big."
"And Ace, the Pirate King's son. He's fierce, nothing like his father."
"Sabo and Luffy… they're unusually strong for their age. I don't know what kind of training they've done, but every time I see them, they're stronger than they were the day before."
"These four brothers, they'll shake the world. I hope I live long enough to see it."
"I'll go first! Just like with the bear!" Ling ordered.
He rushed forward and leapt into the air. The tiger swung its massive paw.
"So predictable," Ling muttered.
He hung in the air for a second, moonwalked, then flickered even higher.
And punched the tiger square on the head.
"So fast!" Naguri was amazed.
"What technique was that?"
"He kicked the ground hard enough to float, then kicked mid-air four times instantly, and tripled his speed!"
The tiger stumbled and growled.
"An opening!"
Ace and Sabo dashed to its side and struck its legs with their poles.
Luffy reeled his arms back.
"Gum-Gum… Bazooka!"
Both fists slammed into the tiger's nose.
"How's that!" Luffy grinned.
Ling landed and spotted the tail swinging, Sabo jumped in and blocked it.
"He's holding back," Naguri noted.
"You okay?" Sabo asked.
"Yeah, thanks!" Ling replied.
The tiger rose again.
It swiped fast and hit Ace hard, sending him tumbling.
It readied another attack—
"Ace!"
Luffy cried, grabbing Ace with a stretchy arm and yanking him to safety.
Ling and Sabo attacked together. Sabo struck the ribs and Ling hit the other side with a heavy punch.
The tiger spun and swiped at Ling.
Luffy's arm wrapped around the tiger's head.
"Gotcha now!" Luffy smirked.
The tiger thrashed, flinging Luffy in circles until it smacked him into a bush.
"Luffy!" Sabo called.
Ling flickered forward and punched the tiger's jaw.
"That's no normal punch!" Naguri exclaimed.
"Just like his kick, he hit five times instantly creating a shockwave!"
Luffy staggered up, grabbing trees for support.
"Ace! Our combo!"
Ace nodded and ran between Luffy's arms.
"Sabo! Ling! Stall it!" he shouted.
"Right!" Sabo and Ling answered.
"Kick my ass!" Sabo said, charging toward Ling.
"Stun him, Ling!"
"Got it!"
'Let's try this again, harder this time,' Ling thought.
'Even if it drains me.'
The tiger charged Sabo with full force.
Ling charged his punch.
Sabo shouted, "Here I am!"
Just before the claws landed, Ling struck.
BOOM.
The tiger flew backward and collapsed, unconscious.
Everyone froze, eyes wide.
"He punched the air six times instantly? That power is equal to my normal punch today!" Naguri whispered.
"That punch could knock out someone with a 20 million berry bounty!"
Ling collapsed, exhausted.
"Hah… hah… That drained me," he panted.
"Damn!" Ace breathed.
Luffy and Ace ran to him. Sabo followed, grinning.
"Let's go!!" they all shouted, raising their hands.
Then they flopped down in a cross formation on the ground.
"That punch! It sounded like a gunshot!" Sabo exclaimed.
"How'd you do that?" Ace asked, wide-eyed.
"Damn it! My pistol punch doesn't even sound like that!" Luffy grumbled.
On the mountain, Naguri turned to leave.
"These four… they'll be monsters someday."
Ling looked up and saw him.
"Thank you!" Ling shouted, bowing deeply.
"Take care!" Sabo added.
"Goodbye!" Luffy called.
"See you at sea!" Ace grinned.
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It's me!!
I've been thinking that since blackbeared can eat 3 devil fruit because he have "3 souls" (it's everyone's theory), Ling who transmigrated into someone must have a 2 souls right?
What do you guys think about this!