The hunt

{word count 1816}

Two days later…

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(POV Unknown) 

"Oi stay safe out there!" A burly yet slim man draped in a uniform of sorts with plates of armor stood in front of a wall of blackened stone.

"Hahahaha! You know I will Ronald!" A young man smiled cheerfully, giving the armored man a half mocking salute before departing away from the towering wall.

Compared to the armored Ronald the young man was dressed casually wearing brown cargo pants with an unbuttoned white shirt.

The young man took slow steps with his hands crossed behind his head with each step swaying his shirt leaving his chest bare to the wind.

He looked around apparently entranced by the serenely calming beauty of the golden fields of grass.

{Image} 

*Inhale*

*Exhale*

"Damn, the air here just hits different compared to London…" He muttered with a satisfied expression before entering the forest.

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(POV Norman)

*Wind rustling the trees*

*Birds chirping*

I whistled myself a tune as I walked through the forest taking in the serene sounds of the forest seemingly without a care for the world but in reality…

My guard was up…

(Come on bastards…show yourselves...) My muscles tensed as bricks and my eyes were semi transformed looking around for any sign of movement discreetly.

*Swish*

(Finally!) My hand got covered in scales as I swung it blocking an arrow.

*snap*

The projectile snapped like a twig at my arm but not before grazing it slightly making me wince as it turned to normal.

"CHARGE!" Then I heard a booming voice along with a flurry of footsteps.

I smiled with slight nervousness as I saw myself surrounded by the targets that I was looking for…

"Hahahaha! Boys we got ourselves a looker over here!" A lanky dude clothed in disheveled clothes looked at me humorously as he pointed a pitchfork at me 

…Bandits

"Don't damage the product!" I looked over my shoulder and saw a short pig bellied man walking towards the crowd of thugs boastfully.

"Nobles don't want a damaged slave now do they?…" The man looked at the bandits strictly as he flaunted his accessories ranging from golden brass knuckles to oversized cowboy hat half his size.

At the stare of their boss, all of the bandits attitudes changed as they straightened their backs.

"…You've got to be joking! Hahaha!" I bursted out laughing shocking them.

"You-HAHAHA you're their…*Wheeze*…Boss! You look like Mario if was depressed, fat, and had Down syndrome! HAHAHAHAHA!" I slapped my knee cracking at my joke as the boss became furious.

{To any readers that have Down syndrome I sincerely apologize for the joke and did not mean to offend you!}

"….GET HIM!" the balding Mario look alike ordered his henchmen as I wiped tears from my eyes.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" the bandits yelled as they charged at me with axes, shovels, and a few swords.

I clumsily crouched down dodging a whack from a shovel before jumping a foot or two off the ground and giving a good right hook to the nearest bandit plunging him into another bandit's sword.

"D-Dave?"

"Jeremy! I-I didn't mean to-"

"That was unexpected…" I muttered as I socked the stunned bandit with a sword in the face making him fall to the floor.

(Stick to the plan taunt, attack, and repeat… Easy enough!) I took in a quick deep breath before looking at the charging bandits.

"Oi shorty did anyone ever tell you that your chin looks like an unshaven nut sack? Because it looks so much worse than that!" I shouted as loud as I could causing the crowd to halt before a few stifled a laugh.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-"

"Learn to take a joke short stack!" I snickered as I took on a hybrid form much to their shock.

White scales formed throughout my body, my teeth sharpened, my arms grew bulkier while thin sharp white membrane grew from my wrist to elbow, a long tail sprouted from my back and finally a few gills appeared on my torso.

*KKKKKKKKKKKKRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA*

I let out a loud screech causing a few of them to stumble to the ground while the others were left slack jawed.

"D-De-DEVIL FRUIT?!" One of the fallen bandits yelled in terror crawling away on his back.

"OI WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?" their boss's hand transformed into a large whip that he cracked at the air.

*Snap!*

(So he has a devil fruit? Interesting that wasn't on the bounty's info…) 

"Whips? That's all? Even I can do that!" In a bored tone I asked as I flicked my tail smacking a bandit knocking him out.

*Silence…*

"…With how arrogant you lot were I thought you'd be stronger…Meh who cares!" I said to myself as I tilted my head dodging a bandit's sword before striking him with a round house kick that connected and ended with my tail slamming him into a tree.

Not being used to the hybrid from I couldn't control my momentum and ended up getting my tail embedded in the tree. 

(Yeah I know embarrassing rookie mistake!) I thought as with some effort and a few second I was able to get it out and when I turned back it was already to late.

"YOU'RE OPEN BRAT!" The bandit boss screamed as all his fingers turned into whips that he swung his wrists wildly whipping me an uncountable amount of time. 

Using the opportunity presented to them the bandits also began attacking me throwing projectiles at me such as stones, sticks and arrows.

*GGggggggggrrrrrrrr...*

Without realizing it I let out an irritated snarl unable to dodge, cut, or grab the whips and without any other choice I tanked the blows as I charged up an attack.

*DEEP Inhaling noises*

"The fucks this guy up to no-"

Instantly I released a mini blizzard of a breath attack as I spun in a circle utilizing my wing membrane to spread the gas out further with more force.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?" Their leader exclaimed as he recalled his 'fingers'.

With no more nuisances namely being the whips attacking me I can finally send an attack of my own.

*Swish*

*Swish*

With the gas blinding them I swiftly ran around the battlefield hacking and slicing the bandits not giving them time to react until finally the mist cleared and the only one left standing was me among a dozen bodies.

"Phew… That took a lot out of me…" I returned to my normal form and massaged one of the many stinging whip marks on me. 

(Damnit I should have just stared with that move and it'd save me all that trouble…) I cursed my lack of experience fighting as the adrenaline wore off leaving me in bearable yet painful agony. 

(Time to bring in the bounty I guess…) I thought as I picked up a sword.

"Sorry for nothing scumbag…" I muttered the phrase to each bandit before decapitating them one by one.

(Although I'd rather hand them in alive I can't have them going around spreading my secret to the guards…) I stored their corpses, valuables, weapons basically everything that I could sell.

"I really need to work out more…" My body felt the burning sensation of exhaustion and the bruises on me didn't make it any better…

I tiredly took a small sip of one of the potions I was given in the starter pack instantly reliving me of most of the pain and closing the wounds slightly.

(I'm saving these for emergencies…I'm saving these for emergencies…) I kept telling that to myself, tempted to sip more of it to heal my wounds as I trekked back to the port.

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"Hey Ronald…" I greeted and woke up the guard sleeping on a barrel as I walked up to the gate.

"*Snore*-…Huh oh you're back-… WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED OUT THERE!?" Ronald panicked seeing my torn and stretched out clothes along with my wounds.

"Long story short their boss acquired a devil fruit which FYI wasn't mentioned on the poster …" I said dryly as I took out two bounty poster.

"Now if you don't mind I'd like to submit this hundred thousand berry bounty on forest bandit leader 'Jarred the stout' and this bounty on the forest bandit group for sixty thousand berry." I said with an expression which boldly spelled out 'I am tired and don't want to deal with anymore bullshit!'.

*Sigh*

"Go to the station, give them the bounty posters and evidence of their capture or demise and you'll be given your reward…" Ronald gave me instructions in an almost robotic tone before dozing off to sleep.

Not wanting to waste any more time I set off to the station and submitted the bounty before getting patched up, by the time I entered my inn the moon was high past the horizon.

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"Damn I'm pooped!" I cursed out my frustrations as I lit a lamp.

*Light thud*

I flung myself onto the bed letting it's soft yet rock hard mattress embrace my sore body wrapped with bandages almost everywhere.

(With the money I got I should be set for two maybe three weeks, more than enough time to improve for next time!) I thought giddily until I had a realization.

"How do I improve?" No more specifically what's the plan for me to improve.

I took out a note book and started jotting down ideas left and right.

(If I were to devote about two days a week to working out and training until I am exhausted I should get great progress! I can probably make a diluted solution of let's say 50% sterilized water, 35% potion, and 15% demon drug I should be able to get right back into training with more energy and repaired tissue! And since it has trace amounts of potion in it it's the perfect steroid without drawbacks! If I were to use this solution say four times a training day and also had a huge intake of nutrients I should get strong really fucking fast!) I entire thought process was devoted into planning not noticing the time pass by until…

<DING! Three day timer completed! Rewards calculating…>

<Gear tokens x3, Potions x2>

"Eh?"

I watched surprised as I say three coins shaped like gears along with two small jars of green liquid fell onto my lap.

"EH?!" I blurted out confused as I dropped my book.

"OI! WILL YA KEEP IT DOWN I'M TRYIN TO SLEEP!" I heard the ear piercing Scottish scream of a woman from the next room.

"Sorry!" With cheeks slightly flushed red with embarrassment I just flicked the coins right then and there not thinking straight.

<Ingo's Clothes!>

{Image}

<Iron katana- Long sword!>

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<Velociprey armor set!>

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"…Welp shit-" I saw the coins transform midair into items of various shapes and sizes that crashed onto me knocking me out instantly.

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To be continued….