Chapter 26
Zoro was busy hacking the Wooden Golem stakes in one area while Luffy remained far from idle.
In the vast world of Akame Ga Kill, Luffy found himself stranded on a deserted island.
Having defeated Ibara and Sten of the Raksha Four Demons before, he pressed forward beyond the palace, ignoring Mine and Tatsumi's attempts to dissuade him.
After overcoming five levels and vanquishing six generals, Luffy finally reached the inner-city gate of the palace. Yet, upon stepping inside, a dimensional formation appeared beneath him, instantly teleporting him back to the deserted island—an occurrence that marked his 40th return in the past few days.
With a buzz, the dimensional phalanx flickered, and Luffy reappeared on a large rock on the desolate island.
"Frustrating! This time, I actually got a good look at that scoundrel!"
"When I get out of here, I'm going to teach him a lesson!" Just as he was teleported, Luffy confirmed that the individual initiating the dimensional phalanx was the figure seated in a nearby tree. However, before he could act, he found himself once again stranded on the deserted island.
A low growl resonated along with sudden rustling from the trees to Luffy's left. Moments later, a pack of dangerous creatures resembling wild wolves emerged from the woods.
"Looks like another round of tussle for me," Luffy murmured as he stood his ground, clenched his fists, and focused on the menacing pack of wild wolves advancing towards him.
"Arrgh!" The alpha of the dangerous wolf pack raised its head, letting out a fierce howl. The other wolves bared their teeth and charged at Luffy with intense aggression.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Luffy maintained his focus and swiftly knocked down the three approaching wolves.
[Battle experience gained: +1000!]
[Fruit proficiency increased: +1000!]
[Haki prototype experience gained: +1000!]
[Battle experience gained: +1000!]
[Fruit proficiency increased: +1000!]
[Haki prototype experience gained: +1000!]
Suddenly, a bloody maw emerged just above Luffy's left shoulder.
"Woo~~~" The wolf yelped, and Luffy swiftly snapped its neck.
This particular wild wolf remained etched in Luffy's memory. It was the one that had bitten him when he first arrived on the deserted island, followed by an onslaught from the entire wolf pack.
At that moment, Luffy had believed he was facing imminent death.
However, the excruciating pain had jolted Luffy out of the Manga world. Although the agony persisted within the Pirate World, the bloody wound had vanished.
This incident imparted a crucial lesson to Luffy Injuries sustained in the [Akame Ga Kill] world would not carry over to the real world.
As the confrontation unfolded on the desolate island...
Whoosh!
Boom!
Boom!
Luffy swayed, evading attacks, causing each wild wolf to crash to the ground.
Several of these wolves had delivered potentially fatal blows to Luffy. However, with each subsequent return...
Luffy noticed a change within himself.
His hearing seemed to have heightened! Initially reliant on sight to anticipate the wolves' attacks, Luffy gradually began to "sense" their movements.
In this particular instance...
His newfound "listening" ability had reached a pivotal stage. Luffy could now keenly perceive movements from all directions, even beyond his field of vision.
With a snap!
Luffy dispatched the last alpha wolf to the ground, eliciting an unwilling howl.
[Battle experience gained: +1000!]
[Fruit proficiency increased: +1000!]
[Haki prototype experience gained: +1000!]
[With Haki prototype reaching the standard, Observation Haki practice begins.]
[With Haki prototype reaching the standard, Armament Haki practice begins.]
Invisible cues materialized above Luffy's head.
Flutter, flutter~~~
Before Luffy could catch his breath, the distinct sound of wings flapping filled his ears.
"Damn it, it's happening again!"
Turning his gaze toward a nearby cave, Luffy spotted a swarm of menacing bat-like creatures.
These creatures were as large as roosters, boasting razor-sharp claws and outrageously long fangs.
What made them particularly fearsome was their sheer number—a horde of no less than 300 bats soared overhead.
By his 12th return to the deserted island, Luffy had mastered dealing with the wild wolf population.
However, facing these bat-like creatures was an entirely different ordeal. Until his last visit, Luffy had only managed to escape with numerous bruises.
Unlike wolves limited to ground attacks, these big bats could strike from the air without constraint. Moreover, due to their physique, their flight produced far less audible noise compared to the wild wolves.
Had it not been for Luffy's increasing Haki experience, he wouldn't have detected the faint sounds of "thump, thump, thump..." as the large bat flew by just now.
"The highest count was 42. Wonder if I can surpass 50 this time," Luffy muttered to himself.
Jumping down from the boulder, he dashed into the woods.
Engaging a large swarm of bats out in the open equated to suicide.
In the cover of the forest, Luffy leveraged the terrain to confront the menacing flock of big bats.
"Gomu Gomu no Baseball Hit!!——"
Luffy's arm, wielding a tree trunk, extended abruptly, swiftly dispatching one of the bats.
This method had proven effective for Luffy after numerous encounters. Attacking with a fist inevitably risked exposure to the bats' venomous fangs. Once bitten, paralysis was a certainty.
By utilizing tools, Luffy circumvented this peril.
[Battle experience gained: +1000!]
[Fruit proficiency increased: +1000!]
[Observation Haki experience gained: +1000!]
Unbeknownst to him, Luffy instinctively tapped into his Observation Haki.
Taking on groups of big bats, Luffy dealt with them one by one, only to face a swarm upon their departure.
Whoosh~~
His other arm swiftly latched onto distant trees, allowing him to retract out of the big bats' attacking range.
Two aggressive bats competed with Luffy, hurtling toward him at speed.
Emerging from behind a tree, Luffy's arm struck each bat swiftly at the back of their heads!
Phew!
Fourth~
Phew!
Fifth~
...
Continuously in motion, Luffy evaded and struck, methodically eliminating the big bats one after another.
After dispatching more than forty, a crimson glint appeared in the bats' eyes, triggering a frenzied state. Their speed surged, and they no longer acted solo but amassed, launching coordinated assaults from all sides.
Phew!
Luffy countered those charging at him.
In the past, this would lead to Luffy being overwhelmed by the bat swarm. However, today was different.
After incapacitating the bats before him, Luffy keenly discerned the sounds of every bat around him—left, right, above, below, and behind!
With this acute auditory sense, Luffy could precisely pinpoint each bat's spatial position.
Bolstered by this newfound "listening" power, Luffy's confidence soared.
Phew! Phew! Phew! Phew!...
As the last big bat fell under Luffy's strikes, he leaped up excitedly: "Wow, haha! I've become even stronger!!"