"There is movement ahead."
A hissing sound suddenly came from the front, as if something was about to rush out.
The team suddenly stopped. Rayleigh and Gaban, who were walking at the front, suddenly had serious expressions. They felt a strong presence ahead, as if something was trying to break free. Larson on the side quietly activated his Sharingan.
Whitebeard and Roger remained calm, with Marco and the other crew members also preparing for a fight.
"What is it?"
"Roar!"
A deafening roar echoed in everyone's ears, and the next second, a beast rushed out of the jungle, charging straight at them.
"Sulfuric acid!"
The cold gleam of a sword flashed, and the beast collapsed to the ground.
Rayleigh sheathed his sword with a casual expression, as if nothing had happened.
Larson, eyeing the beast that had fallen not far ahead, frowned. Was it really just a beast?
"It seems we were overreacting."
Gaban smiled and said, "Let's keep going."
"Phew," Marco sighed in relief, still shaken by the sudden shock.
"Wait!"
Just as everyone was about to move forward, Larson suddenly stopped them. His eyes were fixed on the beast lying on the ground. Through his Sharingan, he could clearly see that there was a burning flame inside the beast's body.
The flame grew stronger, as if it was going to consume the entire creature.
After hearing Larson's warning, everyone refocused on the beast.
Another flash of cold light, and once again, Rayleigh acted.
Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Rayleigh didn't show any embarrassment. "I wasn't sure it was fully killed by the first strike."
Alright, very steady.
Larson mentally praised Rayleigh's cautious approach.
Others might have thought Rayleigh's second strike was unnecessary, given the beast seemed dead. But Larson admired Rayleigh's consistent, careful handling of the situation.
Sometimes, just an extra stroke of the blade could prevent an accident.
But suddenly, Larson's expression froze.
With his Sharingan, he saw that after Rayleigh's second strike, the flames within the beast had become several times more intense than before.
Something's wrong!
Larson's instincts screamed that this beast was far more than it seemed.
Crack!
The sound of bones snapping filled the air.
"Huh?"
Before everyone's eyes, the fallen beast—after being slashed twice by Rayleigh—began to move slowly.
The bear stood up. Apart from two bloodstains on its chest, there were no other visible injuries.
"Rayleigh, couldn't you even kill a bear now?"
Gaban scoffed from the sidelines.
"How is this possible?"
Rayleigh was stunned, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
The others might not know, but Rayleigh was certain of the power behind his two strikes. Not to mention this bear—he had sliced some medium-sized Sea Kings clean in half with those same strikes.
Yet this bear's body was intact, and it was still alive!
This left Rayleigh questioning himself. Had his strength fallen that much?
At this moment, only Larson noticed the true nature of the bear. Observing the flame burning within its body, Larson sensed that the reason the bear had survived Rayleigh's two strikes likely had to do with the mysterious fire inside it.
"Be careful, there may be something wrong with this bear," Larson warned aloud.
Suddenly, Gaban's figure vanished. When he reappeared, he was already behind the bear. His blade slid smoothly back into its sheath. Another wound appeared on the bear's body, and blood gushed out like a fountain.
With a roar, the bear fell to the ground once more.
Gaban remained casual. "It's just a beast. Killing it isn't difficult."
However, Rayleigh didn't focus on the fallen bear. Instead, his gaze locked on Larson, who had grown more serious after seeing the bear collapse.
"Did you see something?" Rayleigh asked, testing his intuition.
Larson didn't respond—not because he was avoiding the question, but because he hadn't heard Rayleigh at all. His full attention was on the bear, completely engrossed in what he was seeing.
This was the third blow the bear had taken, yet as it lay on the ground, Larson noticed something alarming. Just like before, the fire within the beast grew stronger. Though this time, the increase in intensity was not as rapid. Larson suspected it was because Gaban's strike hadn't been as forceful as Rayleigh's two attacks.
Looking at the smug Gaban, who had just mocked Rayleigh earlier, Larson held back from revealing that each of Rayleigh's casual strikes was still far more potent than Gaban's recent one.
Larson pressed his lips together, deciding not to share that painful truth.
"Be careful, this bear may still be alive," Larson cautioned.
Everyone was stunned at his words.
It was difficult to believe something could survive three blows from Rayleigh and Gaban.
Even Whitebeard and Roger, who had remained calm until now, seemed mildly surprised.
"Are you sure, Larson?" Rayleigh asked.
"I'm not sure, but look for yourself."
As if on cue, the bear stirred again. This time, the interval between its movements was even shorter than before.
Now, the entire group realized something was terribly wrong. This bear seemed impossible to kill. Every time it fell, it quickly rose again.
Gaban's expression turned serious. "Is it getting stronger every time it falls?"
That seemed like the only explanation for why the bear's recovery time was getting shorter.
Larson gave him a pointed look. "No, Rayleigh's sword hurt it more than yours did."
Gaban: "..."
"You really don't need to explain that," Gaban muttered, looking at Larson with some resentment.
Being directly compared to Rayleigh didn't sit well with Gaban.
"Roar!"
The beast, as if offended by being underestimated, roared again to assert its presence.
Rayleigh rubbed his temples, clearly frustrated. "What do we do with this thing?"
The seemingly unkillable beast was giving them all a headache.
Larson stepped forward calmly. "Fear comes from a lack of sufficient firepower."
As soon as he finished speaking, he moved in front of the bear. But before anyone could react, the bear raised its massive paw and swiped at him.
The speed of the bear's reaction had clearly improved, taking everyone by surprise as its enormous paw slammed toward Larson, faster and more forceful than before!