Chapter 4: Island

Ben woke up several hours later and found himself drifting onto an island. The island was a lush green paradise, with tall trees, flowering plants, and a clear blue sky. The air was filled with the sound of birdsong, and the breeze was warm and gentle. The trees on the island looked like a variety of different species which could be found back home such as, including palm trees, banyan trees, and mahogany trees. The leaves on the trees were a deep green color, and they swayed in the gentle breeze.

Ben was hungry, so he started walking around, looking for food. Before he did that, he made sure his little wooden raft was secured on the beach and won't be able to drift away. 

As he was walking through the forest admiring nature, he came across a giant gold lion. The lion was a magnificent creature, with a golden mane and piercing blue eyes. It was at least twice the size of a normal lion, and its muscles were as hard as steel. Its claws were as sharp as knives, and its teeth were like daggers. His eyes were red and had a hungry look. 

Ben ran. 

The lion started to chase Ben, and Ben narrowly dodged the lion's first attack. He was not lucky with the second attack and the claws slashed his chest, ripping his shirt. The attack was so powerful, that Ben was knocked back into a tree. He can feel his ribs hurting. 

Am I going to die here? I have not even seen any of the beauties like Robin, Vivi or Tashigi. Ben thought to himself. 

"No, I cannot end it here. The goddess Athena said I was chosen!" shouted Ben. 

"I can't die. I won't die!" Ben said to himself. 

The lion was slowly approaching Ben. His tongue drooling with saliva, looking like Ben was a juicy snack. 

All of a sudden, Ben started transforming. His hands turned into sharp black claws. His back sprouted black wings, a black tail, and two small horns on his head. The damage he had received on his chest was gone. Ben`s eyes turned red and had no pupils. 

Ben punched the lion in the face, and the lion staggered back. The lion then struck back but Ben dodged it. 

Ben kicked the lion in the stomach, and the lion went flying backwards. The lion got back up, but it was clearly injured. Ben jumped in the air and kicked the lion with all his strength, killing it instantly.

Ben looked at the dead lion, and he knew that he had been lucky. If he hadn't transformed into his incubus form, he would have been killed. Although the system was a pain to deal with, he was also grateful for the power from his devil fruit. It had given him the strength to defeat the lion and survive.

Ben took a deep breath and started to walk away. He knew that he still had a long way to go, but he was confident that he would eventually reach his destination, whatever that was. 

After transforming, Ben felt very tired and collapsed.