After his excursion, Yoriichi Tsugikuni returned with two massive tiger legs. He had no idea how much they weighed, but judging by their sheer size, as long as the meat didn't spoil, he wouldn't have to worry about food for quite some time.
However, to avoid the scent of blood attracting other predators, Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't bring the legs directly to the cave entrance. Instead, he left them at the foot of the mountain, a good distance away.
He first cut off a small piece of meat and roasted it to test. Although the giant bird had indirectly proven the meat was edible, it was safer to try a small portion first.
Well — there was no poison. As for the taste… it couldn't exactly be called good. The blood hadn't been fully cleaned away, the meat was tough, and the smell was extremely strong.
Still, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was more than satisfied. After all, it was meat — far better than that mysterious paste.
After confirming it was safe to eat, he spent more than an hour roasting several pounds of meat to fill his stomach. He didn't know what kind of body he had now, but even after eating several pounds, he was only half full.
Resisting the urge to keep eating, he built a simple smoking rack at the foot of the mountain and cut off dozens of pounds of meat, planning to preserve it by smoking.
After spending half a day preparing the meat, Yoriichi Tsugikuni decided to set the task aside and survey the surrounding terrain.
Food was temporarily solved, but his biggest problem wasn't food — it was water.
Fortunately, this urgent issue was resolved during his second exploration of the area.
After eating his fill, Yoriichi Tsugikuni took his sword and set out again. This time, instead of following the forest path, he carefully studied the terrain and headed toward the lowest elevation, disappearing into the dense woods.
"These trees are enormous."
"If I don't leave some markers, it'll be easy to get lost."
The thick jungle could easily disorient anyone. To prevent that, Yoriichi Tsugikuni moved swiftly, swinging his blade as he went, knocking down nearby plants and flowers to mark his path.
Having been given another chance at life, his mindset felt younger than ever.
…
Gurgle… gurgle…
Deep within the island, after about forty minutes of walking downhill, Yoriichi Tsugikuni finally discovered a stream. From above, it looked like a silver snake winding through the mountains.
The banks were covered in lush grass, and beyond them lay dense forest filled with giant trees he had never seen before.
Stopping at the water's edge, Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked around, then cut down a nearby tree as thick as a man's embrace. He carved out a hollow section to make a simple container and dipped it into the water.
"Huh?!"
"Why is the water this color?"
"And why does it smell faintly… like blood?"
When he lifted the container, he noticed the water appeared pale red against the wood. Looking closer at the stream, he realized the water itself had turned reddish — and as it flowed, the pale hue deepened into crimson.
The smell of blood filled his nose.
"What… happened here?!"
The water source was contaminated. Yoriichi Tsugikuni frowned and looked upstream, trying to see the cause. After a moment's thought, he tossed the container aside, tightened his grip on his sword, and followed the stream upward.
Since he had finally found water, he had to investigate the source of the contamination. If he could remove the cause, the flowing water would cleanse itself within an hour.
Then his most pressing problem would be solved.
Following the stream upstream, he walked for some time before the forest suddenly opened up as he climbed a slope.
But the sight before him made him stop breathing.
Upstream lay a wide clearing — and it was covered in corpses. Hundreds of them, strewn across the ground. Blood pooled together and flowed into the stream.
It was unmistakably a battlefield, the ground smeared with flesh and blood beyond recognition.
Not far away stood a small town reduced to ruins, with thick black smoke rising from several locations.
Looking around, Yoriichi Tsugikuni sensed nothing but deathly silence. There was no trace of life.
At the same time, the clothing of some corpses caught his attention — white cloaks stained with blood, bearing the bold word Justice across the back.
"The Navy…?!"
On his second day in the One Piece world, Yoriichi Tsugikuni witnessed its cruelty firsthand.
Judging from their attire and positions, the fallen appeared to belong to two sides. The Marines and the civilians — armed with pitchforks, hoes, and clubs — seemed to have fought together.
Opposing them were muscular pirates carrying various weapons.
Walking through the battlefield, Yoriichi Tsugikuni noticed that pirate corpses were far fewer than those of the Marines and civilians. Strangely, there were no women or children among the civilian dead.
"Did the pirates win?"
"Were the women and children taken away?"
"Or are they hiding…?"
Stepping over the corpses, he headed toward the ruined town.
The once-beautiful houses had collapsed into rubble, and the streets were blocked by carts piled with stones.
Crossing the obstacles, the bloodstains on the white stone road were a shocking sight. Standing amid the ruins, Yoriichi Tsugikuni felt his heart sink. Even without witnessing the battle, he could imagine the desperate resistance that had taken place.
Nothing remained intact.
Entering a nearby house, he found the living room in chaos, furniture overturned. Pushing open a bedroom door, the smell of blood hit him immediately. Seeing the body on the bed, he frowned, sighed softly, covered her with a blanket, and left the room in silence.
"How tragic…"
After a brief search, Yoriichi Tsugikuni walked through the entire town, sighing quietly, his grip on the sword tightening again and again.
There were no demons here.
But human cruelty… was no less terrifying.
At the edge of town stood a high cliff overlooking the vast sea.
The ocean breeze swept away the lingering scent of blood.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni slowly drew his blade and examined it. The matte black surface reflected his blurred face. As he looked at his reflection, he finally understood.
"I think… I know what I must do."
"I'll use you to bring a sliver of dawn to this world."
"Black Blade — Dawn!"
As the words left his mouth, dust rose from the ground around him without wind. A terrifying, indescribable aura erupted from his body and spread outward.
In the distance, the primeval forest rustled violently, and the waves crashing against the shore were pushed back by an unseen force.
Several kilometers away at sea, a dog-headed warship sped toward Dragon's Roar Island.
At the bow stood a middle-aged man in a black suit with a thick beard, arms crossed, his Marine cloak bearing the word Justice fluttering behind him.
A powerful tremor suddenly swept across the ocean, reversing the current.
Feeling the disturbance, the man paused — then grinned.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
"I didn't expect someone like this to appear in the East Blue."
"Did that person wipe out Unit E-23?"
"Hahahaha! Interesting. Someone daring to oppose the Navy — I won't let you get away."
As he muttered, a Marine rushed up behind him, saluted sharply, and reported:
"Vice Admiral Garp! An unknown current has suddenly formed. Continuing on our course could be dangerous. Should we change direction?"
Garp turned slightly and replied with a grin,
"No need. Maintain course. The current will settle soon enough."