Lynn and Nami made their way into the forest. Though not vast, the area teemed with large animals.
Before long, they spotted a massive bison grazing contentedly near a small pond.
"Nami, climb up that tree and wait for me. I'll take care of that bull, and then you can come down."
"Got it. Be careful, Lynn."
"Don't worry, I'm strong!"
Nami nodded and quickly climbed a large tree, perching on a sturdy branch while keeping a close eye on Lynn.
Once Nami was safely hidden, Lynn crept toward the bison, holding his breath to avoid detection. Only when he was seven or eight meters away did the beast begin to sense something.
Lynn immediately crouched low, blending into the tall grass. The bison turned its head toward the disturbance, scanning its surroundings for several tense moments before resuming its meal.
From her vantage point, Nami watched anxiously. She knew Lynn was strong, but the bison was no small foe, and she couldn't help but worry.
Hidden in the bushes, Lynn patiently awaited his moment.
Suddenly, a group of goats emerged from the trees and made their way to the pond to drink. The bison lifted its head, distracted by the noise.
Lynn knew this was his chance.
With a burst of speed, he dashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. Sensing movement, the bison turned—only to see a small figure charging at it with a fist the size of a sandbag!
With a mighty punch, Lynn struck the bull's head.
BAM!
The bison staggered, eyes rolling from the impact.
Thud...
A few moments later, the massive beast collapsed.
The frightened goats scattered in panic at the display of power.
"Whoa!" Nami cheered. "You did it! The buffalo is down!" She swiftly jumped from the tree and ran toward Lynn.
"Heh! Pretty strong, huh?" Lynn grinned, striking a victorious pose.
"Mmm-hmm!" Nami nodded eagerly. "Now we can eat as much meat as we want!"
Her mouth watered at the thought. With Lynn around, she'd never have to go hungry again!
"Of course! Give me a moment to prepare the meat, and we'll be feasting soon." Lynn unsheathed his knife, ready to butcher the bison.
"Alright! I'll go gather firewood!" Nami dashed off eagerly.
Lynn got to work, swiftly cutting the bison into manageable portions. Before long, the massive beast had been reduced to neatly stacked meat and bones.
By the time he finished, Nami had returned with an armful of firewood.
"Hurry, Lynn! Light the fire! I can't wait to eat!"
"Alright, alright!" Lynn chuckled, arranging the wood before igniting it with a touch of his fingertip. A flame sparked to life, and the dry wood quickly caught fire.
The two set up skewers of meat and began roasting them over the flames.
"Wow, that smells amazing!" Nami beamed, inhaling the savory aroma.
"Nojiko and the others will have plenty to eat tonight, too!" she added happily. It was the first time in her life she'd had this much meat to look forward to.
"Of course! And if we ever run low, we can always hunt more," Lynn said proudly.
The meat sizzled over the fire, and their anticipation grew.
Half an hour later, Lynn couldn't resist any longer.
"Alright, it's done! Time to eat!"
"Yay! I want this piece!"
"Careful, it's hot!"
The two children devoured their meal, savoring their first proper feast in the forest.
Once they'd finished every last bite, they lay back, grinning in satisfaction.
"Hehehe~ I'm so full! That was amazing, Lynn!"
"Told you, stick with me and you'll never go hungry!"
"No way! I'm the navigator—you have to listen to me!"
"Alright, alright. As long as I get to eat meat every day!"
Just then, a thunderous roar echoed through the forest.
Lynn and Nami instantly sat up, turning toward the sound.
"That... could be the Beast King," Lynn mused.
"The Beast King? That sounds dangerous! Let's get out of here before it finds us!" Nami's face paled.
Another roar rang out, followed by a second.
The entire forest erupted into chaos as animals fled in terror.
Lynn scooped Nami into his arms and leaped onto a tree branch in an instant.
"Don't worry, Nami. It sounds like two beasts are fighting for the title of King."
He wasn't concerned. If necessary, he could take them both out with a single burst of flame.
"Fighting for the title of Beast King?" Nami echoed, confused.
"Probably. Actually... wanna check it out? The Beast King's meat must be even tastier than this bison!"
Lynn knew that in this world, stronger creatures held immense energy in their flesh—like the Sea Kings of the Grand Line.
"But what if it attacks us?"
"Don't worry, it won't stand a chance against me. And besides, Nami, remember—you can open a door and escape anytime."
"Oh! I totally forgot! I have the Door-Door Fruit now!"
Realizing her newfound power, Nami's fear turned to excitement.
"Hehe~ Alright, let's go check it out!" Lynn said, hopping down from the tree with Nami in tow.
With the forest nearly deserted, there was no risk of running into smaller wild animals.
"Let's go!"
"Yeah!"
Fueled by curiosity, the duo ran toward the source of the roaring.
Ten minutes later, they reached a clearing—and what they saw left them in awe.
Two colossal beasts were locked in battle: a tiger nearly ten meters tall and a towering black bear over ten meters high!
Both creatures were bloodied and battered, but the tiger was clearly on the verge of defeat.
"Whoa... is that the Beast King? It's huge!" Nami gasped.
ROAR!!!
The black bear let out a deafening bellow and slammed its massive paw into the tiger's skull.
The wounded tiger let out a final, pained whimper before collapsing.
ROAR!!!
The victorious black bear roared triumphantly, proclaiming itself the new ruler of the forest.
Lynn's eyes gleamed as he stared at the black bear and the fallen tiger. His stomach rumbled at the thought.
"Nami, wait here. I'm going to take down that bear."
"Wait, what?!"
…
TN:
Hope you Enjoy~😊