One Piece: Song of Despair - Chapter 14

“Roar…”

“Roar…”

As soon as Nokiyoru entered the jungle, countless deafening roars echoed throughout the entire island.

Nokiyoru narrowed his eyes, his expression tense. From these roars, he could feel the pressure.

The endless jungle was like a black hole filled with light, not only vast but also containing countless deadly dangers.

“Crack…” Nokiyoru stopped in his tracks, his hair standing on end. His Observation Haki quickly spread out but found nothing unusual.

However, his intuition told him that he was being watched.

“My Observation Haki is still too weak.”

Standing still, Nokiyoru realized his Haki was useless. He had to rely on his eyes. Slowly moving his body, Nokiyoru carefully observed his surroundings and finally spotted something unusual.

In the jungle to his left, a pair of blood-red eyes were staring at him fiercely.

“Roar…” A deafening roar followed, and the ground in front of him was lifted, revealing the fresh, moist soil.

Ferocious fangs, needle-like whiskers, powerful limbs, terrifying claws, and a sturdy tail all indicated the strength of this beast.

Most importantly, this beast exuded a unique, bloody pressure that made Nokiyoru uncomfortable.

“Incredible, just stepping onto the island and encountering a creature comparable to a lieutenant commander. This is indeed a good place. You will all become my stepping stones,” Nokiyoru murmured to himself. He launched the first attack, his body turning into a blur as he charged at the beast like a cannonball, kicking up dust.

“Roar…”

With a roar, the beast opened its bloody mouth, baring its sharp teeth, and lunged at Nokiyoru without hesitation.

“Boom…” The air burst apart, and Nokiyoru’s eyes widened in surprise as the beast seemed to anticipate his attack.

“Armament Flame Claw.”

Instinctively, Nokiyoru spread his fingers, his claws wrapped in invisible Haki and flames, and struck out forcefully.

“Boom…” Dirt flew everywhere. After the attack, Nokiyoru leaped back, his expression serious.

“Roar…” The beast shook its head, seemingly unharmed, and continued assaulting Nokiyoru.

“This strike would have taken down an ordinary lieutenant commander. Looks like I’ll need to show my true strength.”

“Soru…”

“Boom… Bang…”

Dust flew, and shockwaves exploded as man and beast engaged in a brutal hand-to-hand battle.

Nokiyoru refrained from using his Devil Fruit powers, relying solely on his physical prowess. Each punch landed solidly, using the beast as a sparring partner.

Minutes later…

“Ha… ha…” Nokiyoru panted heavily, his shirt now reduced to rags, revealing several gruesome scratches.

Opposite him, the beast lay dying, its body reduced to a mass of shredded flesh and broken bones.

Using his recording device, Nokiyoru continued deeper into the jungle, growing more excited. From the recent battle, he realized he was improving. Although the progress was small, it was real, making him eager for more. Indeed, combat was the best way to break through his limits.

Time passed like sand through an hourglass. Nokiyoru had been on the island for a week, initially focusing on hand-to-hand combat. He wasn’t seeking to kill many beasts but to spar with them. This approach had evidently paid off, as his aura had noticeably changed.

“Roar…” An unwilling roar echoed as a colossal beast, the size of a small mountain, fell to the ground.

Standing atop its head, a young man with short hair, bare-chested and covered in scars, panted lightly.

“The deeper I go, the stronger they get?” Sitting down, Nokiyoru wiped the sweat from his brow. The beast at his feet had fought him for an entire hour, almost forcing him to use his Devil Fruit powers.

“This place is too dangerous. Night is approaching. I’d better find a place to rest.”

On his first night, not knowing what to expect, Nokiyoru was targeted by a group of beasts and barely survived, escaping only by using his Devil Fruit powers. The island’s nights were far more terrifying than its days.

Just as he prepared to get up, Nokiyoru tensed and looked up at the sky. A dark spot was descending rapidly like a meteor.

“Bad luck, getting spotted by a bird of prey.”

Preliminary estimates put the bird’s wingspan at nearly thirty meters. Its sharp beak and tough claws made Nokiyoru brace himself for battle.

“This presence… almost at the level of a Vice Admiral.” His face darkened, and Nokiyoru activated his powers, fearing he might not get another chance if he didn’t act now.

“Flap… Flap…” Endless flames shot skyward, turning a hundred-meter radius into scorched earth.

“Endless Arrows.” Flames surged as nearly forty fiery weapons materialized behind Nokiyoru, shooting towards the sky.

“Screech…” With a terrifying cry, the giant bird’s claws turned black, diving straight at Nokiyoru, ignoring his attack.

“Boom…” As its massive wings flapped, Nokiyoru’s attack dissipated into nothing.

“Damn it…” Nokiyoru’s eyes narrowed, and he appeared a hundred meters away instantly.

The ground shook, stones flew, and the earth cracked as the giant bird circled the massive crater it had created, its savage eyes locked onto Nokiyoru.

“Humph… Let’s see who’s stronger.”

With a cold snort, Nokiyoru saw contempt and challenge in the bird’s eyes.

“High Heat, 100,000 Degrees Celsius.”

“Boom…” Heatwaves erupted, smoke billowed, and the entire area surged violently. Nokiyoru was engulfed in golden-red flames, and behind him, a massive bird with outstretched wings faintly appeared.

At this temperature, Nokiyoru was at his limit, but he believed that his flames could burn through everything one day.

Unbeknownst to him, the ground beneath his feet had already turned molten lava.

“Screech…” With a loud screech, Nokiyoru launched himself forward, his eyes blazing red.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Heavy collisions shook the ground as man and beast fought ferociously.

…

At the coast, on the horizon, many recruits had already returned to the ships, all of them failures.

Some lacked the strength, others had been scared out of their wits, and the rest simply couldn’t hold on any longer, choosing to give up.

Of course, some failures didn’t make it back at all, having died on the island, some without even leaving a body behind.

“This is only the first week. There’s still half a month to go, and so many have already returned. This Beast Island is quite the place,” Garp said lazily, reclining on a chair, looking like he was on vacation.

“Maybe it’s still too early for them,” Zephyr responded stoically.

“The rest is up to them.”

As time passed, more and more recruits were rescued, leaving fewer than twenty on the island.

These remaining recruits would all become Rear Admirals and Vice Admirals.

Deep in the jungle.

Three days ago, after his battle with the giant bird, Nokiyoru had become much more cautious. That fight had nearly cost him his life, even with his powers.

At the moment, he still bore three claw marks on his chest, gruesome wounds that would have taken much longer to heal without his Devil Fruit’s regenerative abilities.

Sitting cautiously on a huge tree, Nokiyoru rested with his eyes closed. Earlier, he had fought a beast that seemed like a cross between a giant elephant and a mammoth. After sustaining numerous injuries, he finally killed it.

“Ten days have passed already. There’s not much time left. I need to make the most of the remaining five days,” Nokiyoru thought, realizing how quickly time had flown by. Two-thirds of the half-month had already passed.

“I need to go deeper.”

…

Regarding the temperature of the flames, there’s no need to be overly critical, as it’s compared to the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit).

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