The Most Talented Pirate Hunter - Chapter 24
In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
In the Motte Mountain Range, about three hundred kilometres from the capital lay a dense forest teeming with ferocious beasts. Rumour had it that deep within the forest, there were gigantic beasts over fifty meters tall.
After obtaining King Punch and King Iron Body, Hermes left the capital the very next day and headed for these mountains.
He was prepared to live like a wild man, setting a goal to grasp the basics of King Punch and King Iron Body within two months before moving on to hunting pirates to solidify his skills.
This training period stretched into three months.
In this dense forest, the dangers were not only from the wolves and tigers but also from the strange plants and venomous creatures. Surviving here was an arduous task.
But it was in such an environment that one’s willpower and growth were honed to the fullest.
A mighty roar broke out near noon.
Deep in the forest, fearsome roars echoed, and the ground trembled. A glance would reveal a swath of trees toppling over, with thunderous crashes shaking the land.
Many herbivores fled in panic, with predators like wolves trailing behind. Their tongues lolled out in fear as they sped across the ground as if pursued by some ancient beast.
“Roar!”
A despairing wail sounded as a four-meter sabre-toothed tiger was enveloped by a giant shadow. Two massive hands grabbed its head and tail, lifting it like a chick, causing the tiger to tremble in fear.
Zooming in, one could see a ten-meter-tall giant with a chiseled body, a face full of stubble, and bright, fierce eyes. His wild and rugged demeanour could captivate countless women.
“A ten-meter form, impressive visually.”
Casually holding the struggling tiger, Hermes surveyed his surroundings, feeling an intoxicating sense of power from this elevated perspective.
In these three months, Hermes had made tremendous progress in his training.
The Mini-Mini Fruit allowed him to enlarge up to ten meters and shrink down to five millimetres, with complete control over intermediate sizes, such as six millimeters or eighty centimetres. He had achieved full freedom of transformation.
Hermes wasn’t sure why, but his Mini-Mini Fruit development went smoothly.
Future development would focus on increasing his size, aiming for twenty meters, fifty meters, or even a hundred meters, akin to the giant forms seen in mythology. Enlarging further seemed easier than shrinking.
However, what Hermes desired most was the ability to change his external size freely, showcasing the true power of the Mini-Mini Fruit, though he had yet to figure this out.
This ten-meter form had already surpassed the sizes of sea monsters like Whitebeard, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin. Hermes was no longer considered a weakling.
“Roar!”
The sabre-toothed tiger continued to struggle, causing Hermes to frown slightly. He swung the tiger by its tail, smashing it into the ground. The tiger’s cries ceased instantly.
Hermes dragged the tiger to a stream in the forest, skillfully skinning and preparing it for roasting with some spices.
“Let’s start with two thousand reps of basic exercises.”
After preparing the food, Hermes began his basic training with push-ups and sit-ups at a speed that left after hours.
He occasionally checked the roasting meat on the fire.
“Almost ready, time to warm up.”
Finishing his basic training, Hermes took a stance and began throwing punches into the air at a steady pace, exuding a strong sense of rhythm.
As time passed, Hermes’s body started to emit steam, turning red hot as his temperature rose.
“King Punch!”
Reaching the critical point, Hermes unleashed a punch.
In an instant, light burst forth.
A powerful shockwave tore through the ground, creating a thunderous boom and obliterating everything in its path, including stones and trees.
The explosive force left everything around in ruins.
When the dust settled, a seven-meter-long, two-meter-wide trench lay before Hermes, with overturned soil and stones still sizzling.
“The power is sufficient, but the warm-up takes too long.”
Hermes was still somewhat dissatisfied, as the King Punch’s flaw was glaring.
In a battle, enemies wouldn’t wait for one or two hours.
To perfect this move, he needed to master Life Return.
“Three months have passed, it’s time to leave!”
“Actual combat is the ultimate truth.”
While chewing on the charred tiger meat, Hermes reflected.
Besides progress in the Mini-Mini Fruit, Observation Haki, and King Punch, he had also mastered King Iron Body. His exposed upper body bore scars, old and new, evidence of his Iron Body training.
The training was straightforward but brutal: fighting beasts and enduring injuries. The danger and effort involved were immense.
Success justified the means.
Staying isolated wasn’t enough; true growth came from fighting others.
It was time to find some targets to practice on.
After a hearty meal, Hermes rested briefly before heading back to the capital.
Walking and stopping along the way, it took Hermes half a month to cover the three hundred kilometers.
He encountered various bandits and pirates, all of whom met their end at Hermes’s hands.
Hermes enjoyed the journey, finding it anything but boring.
“Did you hear? Kaido of the Beasts escaped from the Navy again.”
“What a monster.”
Back in the capital, Hermes was feasting in a tavern when he overheard a nearby conversation.
At this time, Kaido was causing chaos everywhere, escaping the Navy’s grasp repeatedly. Besides his strength, his luck must have played a part.
In the original story, Kaido was said to be unkillable, but Hermes thought that was exaggerated.
For instance, Hermes believed he could kill Kaido, given he could enter his body.
“Wasn’t the Second Prince killed recently?”
“Rumor has it the Crown Prince colluded with the Scythe Pirates to ambush and kill the Second Prince. Looks like the throne is in the Crown Prince’s grasp.”
“The First Princess, Second Princess, and Second Prince are all out of the picture, leaving only the Third Prince struggling to hold on.”
“The Scythe Pirates? Then the Second Prince’s loss isn’t surprising. Their captain, Scythe Killer Most, has a bounty of sixty-seven million. Even in these seas, that’s notable.”
“Especially since he’s a Scythe-Scythe Fruit user. The Second Prince’s men were strong, but clearly no match for Most.”
“By the way, what happened between the Violence Family and the newly arrived Giraffe Pirates yesterday? Who won?”
“It was a draw. Neither could best the other.”
“The Violence Family has been entrenched in the Prodence Kingdom for over a decade. Even the old king couldn’t uproot them. They’re a tough nut to crack.”
“Of course, the Violence Family’s leader, Explosive Wolf, has a bounty of fifty-five million. He’s a Zoan Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Wolf user. The second-in-command is also a Zoan user, Model: Gray Rabbit, with a bounty of forty-three million.”
“But the Giraffe Pirates are no pushovers. Their captain, Giraffe Ent, has a bounty of fifty-eight million and is a Zoan user, Model: Giraffe. He recently escaped from Vice Admiral Kuzan. That guy is a real young monster.”
“Not to mention the vice-captain has a bounty of forty-three million.”
“You mentioned Vice Admiral Kuzan. Is that the Logia young monster from the Navy?”
“Who else? The three Logia young monsters of the Navy are terrifying. Pirates rarely escape once they’re targeted, so the Giraffe Pirates must be quite capable to have gotten away.”
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