As dawn broke, the island was filled with the roars of beasts, and a strong scent of blood wafted through the air. Predators were hunting for breakfast, and danger lurked everywhere.
A large wild boar was skinned and roasting over a campfire, its fat dripping and sizzling. Foxy, already accustomed to his routine at the academy, had woken up at first light. After washing his face in the nearby stream, he ventured into the forest to hunt a wild boar.
Foxy desired a lighter meal but lacked the resources for anything other than roasted meat. If it weren’t for his rigorous training, he might have become quite chubby instead of maintaining his lean, muscular physique despite his face still having some flaws.
Wasting no time, Foxy performed push-ups by the campfire to warm up. After finishing his breakfast, he began practicing the Soru technique.
Boom… Boom boom…
With an explosive feeling, Foxy continuously stomped his right foot, but nine times remained his limit. When his right foot began to ache, he switched to his left foot, practicing Soru the entire morning.
Unconsciously, the sky began to snow. In just two minutes, the temperature plummeted, and the landscape turned white. Despite the severe cold, Foxy, wearing only a tiger skin around his waist, continued practicing Soru, his upper body muscles bulging. The physical exertion kept him warm.
According to the pattern, the temperature would continue to drop, but Foxy could handle it, thanks to his month’s adaptation. He practiced Soru relentlessly all morning and still needs to make progress. By noon, he went hunting again, this time catching a large piece of “walking roast meat,” and rested for ten minutes before resuming his Soru practice.
Foxy seemed almost possessed, his body automatically practicing Soru while his mind wandered.
Swoosh…
Suddenly, Foxy vanished from his spot. With a loud crash, he reappeared stuck to a cliff face, his body forming a giant X shape. He then slid down the cliff, dazed and confused. A basketball-sized rock fell from above, hitting him squarely on the head.
Hiss…
Foxy gasped in pain, rolling on the ground while clutching his head. He alternated between holding his face and chest, his entire face contorted in agony.
After a while, Foxy stood up, still aching but exhilarated.
“What was that just now?”
Looking up at the X-shaped indentation on the cliff wall, he could tell it was a human-shaped mark. Then he glanced at the campfire, at least ten meters away…
“I did it, I did it!”
Foxy clenched his fists in joy, eager to try again. But nothing happened. It was still just nine stomps, and there was no change. Disbelieving, Foxy tried repeatedly for half an hour with no success.
“What’s going on? I succeeded just now.”
As his excitement faded, his legs started to swell and cramp, even turning red and swollen. He needed to rest, or his legs might be permanently damaged.
Sitting cross-legged, Foxy reflected on the feeling he had earlier: the rhythm, the continuity… There was an elusive sense as if a layer of mist obscured his understanding.
After five minutes of contemplation with no breakthrough, Foxy had turned into a snowman.
“The more critical the moment, the less you can rush.”
Taking a deep breath, Foxy knew he couldn’t rush things. He needed to rest his legs but couldn’t just sit idly. Flipping into a handstand, he began doing push-ups, alternating between his hands. Though his body was exercising, his mind wandered elsewhere.
Two hours later, feeling the pain in his legs subside, Foxy resumed his Soru practice. However, despite repeated attempts until dusk, he hadn’t succeeded again, making him increasingly anxious.
Had it not been for his grumbling stomach, he might have continued in frustration.
Venting his frustrations in the forest, Foxy took down a wild ox in a confrontation, clearing his mind. Shaking his head, he roasted his dinner while developing his Devil Fruit abilities, temporarily setting Soru aside.
Soon, Foxy immersed himself in his development work.
The night passed uneventfully.
The following day, Foxy woke up at his usual time and stepped out of the cave, shivering. The landscape was icy and windy, with storms raging. The temperature was at least minus thirty or forty degrees Celsius.
Despite wearing only a tiger skin around his waist, the icy wind felt like hammer blows. Foxy did some push-ups and other exercises at the cave entrance until he warmed up.
Needing to relieve himself, he ran to a corner, but the moment the water hit the air, it froze, almost causing a disaster for his love life. Foxy had to build a bonfire to solve the problem.
“This damned weather, even taking a piss is a challenge. Damn it, the world’s gone crazy.”
After handling his biological needs, Foxy plunged into the icy storm, knowing it would be challenging to hunt in this weather, at least in this area. Many beasts would be staying home with their mates rather than wandering outside.
With no other choice, Foxy decided to seek out a bear he had previously encountered.
In a mountain valley, Foxy recalled a cave inhabited by a giant bear about eight or nine meters tall. He had fought the bear before and lost, so he had avoided it since then, not wanting to use his abilities unfairly.
Today, it was time to settle the score.
The bear seemed to be a loner, living in its cave without a mate.
“Bear, are you in there?”
Standing at the cave entrance, Foxy peered inside, wrinkling his nose at the stench.
Roar…
Sensing an intruder, the entire cave seemed to shake. A giant bear charged out, baring its teeth and looking ferocious. Recognizing Foxy, the bear’s eyes filled with rage.
Without any pleasantries, the bear swiped at Foxy with its massive paw, its sharp claws gleaming. Foxy dodged swiftly and retaliated, kicking the bear hard in the abdomen. The bear roared in anger, tumbling to the ground.
Roar…
The bear stood up quickly, resembling a towering meat mountain. It pounded the ground with its paws, then charged at Foxy again. Foxy met its charge head-on.
With a gust of wind, snow flew everywhere as Foxy blocked the bear’s attack, his feet sinking into the ground. He grinned fiercely.
“Do you think I’m the same as last time?”
The bear, seeing its attack blocked, grew even more enraged, opening its jaws to bite Foxy’s head.
Ignoring the bear’s bite, Foxy lifted his right foot high and kicked the bear hard in its nether regions. The bear howled in agony, flying backward and crashing to the ground, clutching its groin with its paws and weeping bitterly.
The pain was unimaginable.
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