Chapter 13 - Training

{Twelfth Year of the Great Age of Pirates }

{Three Years Later}

The island where the main character was born is called Gigantic Garden—one of the world's mysterious islands inhabited by strange creatures and dinosaurs. It is now the home of Cain and his close ones.

Gigantic Garden's coast is a savage warfront between land and sea. Heavy oceanic swells batter the shattered coastline, eating away at the rocks and ruins alike, leaving behind a jagged shoreline resembling a jaw of broken teeth.

On the far side of the island, a slow sinking has brought the sea gradually inland. What were once lowland forests and floodplains are now submerged beneath the high tides. A few beaches remain in sheltered inlets between the rocky headlands, providing temporary homes for fur seals and sea turtles.

However, these inlets are no safer than the rest of the island. Patrolled by massive prehistoric predators, they are just as forbidding to sapient creatures as the rest of Gigantic Garden.

Perched atop one of the tallest trees stood a massive teenager who appeared more like a grown man. He faced the glimmering moon, his body trembling, chest rising and falling heavily, both arms hanging limp at his sides. His bright orange eyes glowed eerily in the darkness, sharp carnassial teeth bared, and long, sturdy tails raised in the air, swaying side to side.

A shimmering white mane covered his neck and extended down to his chest, complementing his defined abs and the massive veins bulging through his muscular arms. Surrounding him was an oppressive aura, the air crackling with dangerous sparks similar to lightning striking the earth.

This man was Ezekial Eli Cain.

He looked down at his paws, watching the sparks flicker between his fingers. A sinister grin spread across his face before he suddenly let out a deafening roar, shaking the jungle.

"At last… I finally managed to stay clear-headed in this state. This might be the hardest experience I've ever gone through, even with both lives combined," Cain mused, his grin remaining.

For years, he had struggled to control his transformation—Sulong—only to fail each time. Each failure sent him into a mindless frenzy, destroying everything in his path and devouring any creatures he encountered.

Whenever he snapped back to his senses, he would find his body drenched in blood, but never any remains—leading him to assume he had consumed them entirely. The thought of unknowingly eating humanoid creatures sickened him. He didn't mind tearing through his enemies, ripping limbs apart with his jaws—but eating them? That was a line he refused to cross.

Furthermore, his uncontrolled rage left no distinction between friend and foe. That, above all else, was unacceptable.

Suddenly, Cain detected several life forces nearby. He leaped down from the tree, landing with enough force to shatter the ground, and sprinted toward the intruders.

Upon arrival, he was met with three Skull-Crawlers—large reptilian creatures with two elongated forelimbs and no hind limbs. Their muscular, snake-like bodies were adorned with long, prehensile tails. Their skeletal torsos and skull-like heads gave them an unnatural, menacing appearance.

The eye sockets on their heads were deceptive; their real eyes were set further back, well-hidden. Their fenestrae likely served as a form of defense—perhaps even heat-sensitive pits designed to mislead enemies.

Their horizontal, frog-like pupils glowed within their deep green eyes, and their scales varied in shades of dark brown, dark green, and bone-white. Their powerful jaws housed two rows of serrated, razor-sharp teeth.

"Where the hell did they come from? I thought I killed them all," Cain thought, annoyance flickering in his voice.

These creatures had no place in this world—he recognized them from a fictional movie in his past life. This only fueled his suspicions: 'Is this world fictional too? If so, then others who have reincarnated might know even more about it than I do…'

The Skull-Crawlers hissed as they circled him, communicating in their strange manner. However, they couldn't ignore the overwhelming instinct screaming at them to stay away from the bipedal being before them.

One of them, seemingly younger and more reckless, lunged forward, extending its long tongue in an attempt to wrap around Cain like a snake.

SHING!

With a single swipe of his paw, Cain sliced the tongue off. The Skull-Crawler shrieked in pain.

"You must be a newborn, huh?" Cain scoffed, walking toward the wounded beast. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be dumb enough to ignore your instincts. Last year, the rest of you ran from me like cockroaches. What makes you think today will be any different?"

The other two froze in terror, their bodies refusing to move despite their desperate desire to flee.

Cain leaped onto the injured Skull-Crawler's head, raising his clawed hand before plunging it straight through its skull—effortlessly piercing through like butter.

BOOM!

Electricity crackled violently inside its body before it exploded into a shower of blood and gore.

Cain smirked maliciously, licking the remnants from his hand. His glowing red eyes flicked toward the remaining two Skull-Crawlers.

"Your turn. And trust me… I'm going to enjoy this."

His wicked laughter echoed through the night as he walked forward, his grin stretching unnaturally wide.

———————————

{Two minutes later}

"They're too weak. This island is no longer useful. They're all weak," Cain mused, frowning as he stared up at the moon.

Suddenly, a memory resurfaced—his father mentioned bringing someone to this island. Someone new.

Cain hoped this person wasn't weak. Preferably stronger than Silver.

His thoughts drifted to Silver's progress over the past three years. His [Observation Haki] had improved tremendously, making him nearly untouchable.

Cain, on the other hand, had awakened [Armament Haki]—his greatest weapon. Their last encounter was proof of that.

———————— 

{Flashback}

In their last fight, Silver had attacked first—without so much as a greeting—still holding a grudge from when Cain had wounded him years ago.

Despite Silver's growth, Cain remained untouchable. Every one of Silver's attacks failed to harm him, and Cain hadn't even transformed or used his full strength.

Silver, growing desperate, activated his Devil Fruit ability—[Bullet Time]—allowing him to move in mid-air, dodging Cain's attack.

However, the strain was too much. Silver landed on the ground, chest heaving as exhaustion took hold.

"What was that? I never thought your Devil Fruit could let you dodge mid-air. This calls for a celebration!" Cain chuckled sarcastically. 

He walked up to Silver, patting his back as if congratulating him. Silver, irritated, shrugged him off and left without another word.

Watching him go, Cain mused: "He still thinks he can surpass me? He never will. I'm literally built different. If he ever lets jealousy cloud his mind, I'll have to kill him. That would be a shame. I like him."

His pupils dilated into eerie slits as he watched Silver disappear into the jungle.

———————

{ Present }

"He should be alright now, right? He must have grown powerful once again. Otherwise, I'll leave him in the dust, furthering his despair at my ever-growing strength. Oh yeah, what if the person Father brings is more powerful than Silver? Poor him, if that's the case," thought the mink fellow as he chuckled.

He walked absentmindedly toward his temporary home nestled in a tree, inwardly guessing what species the newcomer might be and whether the kid had already eaten a [Devil Fruit].

"Hmm… maybe it'll be a Fish-man. I've always wanted to fight a Fish-man," Cain thought.

Before Cain had arrived in this world, he recalled seeing a list of many species on the system. What caught his attention the most was, of course, the Fish-men, since they were claimed to be ten times stronger than humans at birth.

But what confused him was that the strongest person in this world was simply a Human—not a Fish-man. For a race that claimed to be naturally superior in strength, Cain couldn't help but snort in disdain. He had high expectations for them and hoped they wouldn't disappoint when he finally encountered one.

"Though, I hope they aren't that bad. Because if not a single Fish-man is at the top, just how lazy are they?" Cain thought, shaking his head with a laughable expression.

As he neared his temporary home—a small wooden structure surrounded by thick branches and covered in leaves—he spotted the long ladder connecting it to the ground. Instead of using it, Cain leaped onto the roof, landing with a creak. He opened the hatch above and dropped down inside.

The interior was simple: a bed, a round wooden table, a wardrobe, a full-body mirror, and a balcony that overlooked a large lake, surrounded by tall trees, providing a breathtaking view.

Cain wore only black shorts, leaving his bare feet exposed. He had developed a dislike for anything covering them since shoes were weak and always broke whenever he fought. To him, they were nothing more than a distraction.

His upper body was bare, showing smooth skin without a hint of hair. This island was unnaturally hot, and wearing a shirt felt like an unnecessary burden.

————————

{ Meanwhile }

Silver stood atop a massive carnivorous dinosaur that roared in frustration, smashing its head against trees and hills in a desperate attempt to shake him off.

"Calm down, man. It's no big deal that I'm just standing on your head. It isn't worth dying over," Silver said, his face showing mild confusion.

But the only response he received was a deafening bellow of anger, causing his body to tremble from the sheer intensity of the vibration.

This, in turn, made Silver furious. Without hesitation, he thrust his right index finger into the dinosaur's left eye, coating it with ichor as he pulled out the crushed eyeball.

"Now that was your fault. You deserved it," Silver complained with an indignant expression as he shook his hand, ridding it of the remnants of blood.

ROAAAAAAAAR!!!!

The T-Rex reeled in agony, shaking its head violently. But despite the pain, its rage only grew. It let out a menacing growl, completely berserk.

Seeing Silver as the source of its suffering, the beast lunged toward him, jaws wide open, exposing its deadly carnassial teeth.

"Wait a second, you want to go at me again after I just took your eye out? What an idiot. I guess you really are a simple beast. Alright then, let's go!"

The T-Rex stomped down, aiming to crush him, but Silver dodged to the side and effortlessly pushed its leg with a single finger. The force sent the massive dinosaur crashing to the ground.

"How weak are you? Just a finger," Silver muttered, shaking his head in disappointment.

He waited a few minutes, giving the beast another chance to stand and fight.

The T-Rex, furious beyond reason, attacked relentlessly. But no matter how hard it tried, Silver dodged every blow with ease, further frustrating the creature.

"Alright, that's enough. You've had your fun. My turn," Silver declared, activating his [Armament Haki] on his forehead.

He leaped onto a nearby tree, positioning himself near the dinosaur's head. The T-Rex saw this as an opportunity and snapped its powerful jaws at the tree, shattering it in half.

In an instant, Silver was in the air. While the dinosaur was still mid-action, he landed directly on its head, smashing his forehead against it with immense force.

The impact was devastating. The T-Rex collapsed, knocked unconscious.

"Oh no, you don't. After going against me, you have to die. Don't even think that being unconscious will save you from me," Silver muttered with a malicious smile.

He strolled toward the fallen beast, looming over its twitching body before raising his fist. With a single, bone-crushing punch, he caved in its skull, sending a spray of blood, brain matter, and shattered bone fragments across the ground. Warm gore splattered onto his face, dripping down his cheek as the beast's body gave one final, shuddering twitch before falling still.

"Should I find another beast or take a nap? Hmm… which one?" Silver mused, crossing his arms and tilting his head.

He was in a similar situation to Cain—bored out of his mind. He had long wanted to leave this island, but he needed his family's approval. He knew his own opinions didn't matter to them.

Silver felt he had already improved to the point where training here was useless. The only thing keeping him sharp was constantly fighting.

To entertain himself, he had developed a strange hobby—bullying weaker beings, regardless of species or age. It had started when he fought a gorilla in a cage match, taking its eyeball out.

Torturing beasts amused him. His family and the nurse often looked at him with disgust because of it, but he didn't care.

"Actually, when Father brings this new person, I'll bully him. Though, I hope he isn't too strong. Otherwise, it'll just be boring again," Silver complained, already fed up with Cain.

He didn't want to wait any longer, so he let out a frustrated sigh and walked away in boredom, kicking a loose pebble as he went. Behind him, a distant owl hooted as if mocking his impatience, but he didn't bother looking back.

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{ A Week Later }

At that moment, Enzo encountered a teen who didn't act his age and exuded a dangerous aura, causing him to smile as if he had found a goldmine.

The teen leaned against a wall, arms in his pockets, staring at the middle-aged man with a large, disdainful grin.

He had short, spiked light-blond hair with a small widow's peak and a notch on the right side of his hairline. His eyes were pitch-black—void of any other color.

He wore a white, muscle-fit t-shirt that accentuated his well-defined arms. His build was a perfect balance between bulky and lean, and he stood at an average height.

Enzo's smile never wavered, despite the overwhelming bloodlust emanating from the teen—an aura so suffocating that it would have paralyzed a normal person.

This was all Enzo needed to confirm what he suspected: the boy had lived a life surrounded by death and violence. And ironically, that was exactly what he was looking for.

"Do you have family or any close ones here?" Enzo asked casually, his expression unreadable.