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The giant beasts of Rubber Island were once peaceful herbivores, feeding on the tender leaves and branches of the island's forests. But in recent years, the locals have deforested much of the land to plant rubber trees.
Since the giant beasts didn't eat rubber, they gradually migrated eastward toward the untouched wilderness, far from human activity.
Over time, food shortages forced them to evolve. First, they began hunting small animals.
Then they moved to the shoreline, feeding on fish and other creatures smaller than themselves.
Eventually, their behavior became more aggressive. These nocturnal creatures began venturing out at night, and rumors of man-eating incidents started to spread.
One such incident happened not long ago. A few fishermen, hearing there were large schools of fish along the eastern shore, ventured out at night to catch them. Only one came back alive.
According to the sole survivor, the others had ended up as meals likely swallowed whole.
Despite their intimidating size, the beasts weren't apex predators. If they were, humans wouldn't have been able to force them out of their original habitats in the first place.
An adult beast could grow over four meters tall, with an appearance resembling a monstrous lizard.
Its skin was a bark-like brown, resembling aged tree bark tough and nearly impenetrable.
Years ago, a hunting party tried to wipe them out, but the beasts' natural armor made it nearly impossible. The humans suffered heavy losses and only managed to bring down a few.
Since then, no one dared venture into the East. It was considered a death zone unfit for fishermen, travelers, or hunters.
A day before, when Aero returned to the island, he had wandered to this very eastern shore. He accidentally disturbed a resting adult beast beneath the shade of a tree.
The creature, enraged, lunged at him with its jaws wide open.
But Aero, hungry and tired, had no intention of fighting. He dodged using his powers and simply flew off toward the nearby town.
Following vague memories in his mind, he ended up at the casino.
At the time, Dylan and a few pirates were inside, arguing about who should be captain of their next venture.
Mid-discussion, the door swung open. A stranger walked in. Not recognizing him, the men instinctively drew their weapons and lunged.
Aero didn't flinch.
Their blades passed through his body literally as his form dissolved into the wind. When he reformed, untouched, the room froze.
That moment of shock was all he needed.
With the wind swirling around his fists and legs, Aero took them down one by one. Anyone who tried to get up got knocked back down.
That night, Aero went from a nobody to a leader.
And leadership required presence something Aero made sure to project with a cold expression and few words. He didn't smile. He didn't explain. He simply acted.
He demanded a black robe and a full meal before heading to the third floor.
The ten men who now followed him were the few who could still stand after his beating and that resilience made them trainable.
Most were over twenty, late bloomers compared to child soldiers raised from youth. But Aero didn't need elites he just needed survivors.
If they could learn to protect themselves in the East Blue, that was enough. After all, the East Blue may be the calmest of the seas, but the Arlong Pirates were still a threat.
And if, in a year, his group became strong enough… maybe he'd go challenge them.
Because war breeds strength.
But first, they needed a foundation.
"Take off those robes," Aero ordered. "Get close to me. If you can touch my clothes, we move on to the next phase."
The ten men hesitated only a moment before tearing off their robes and tossing them aside except Dylan, who neatly folded his and placed it on a nearby rock.
"There's armor under that stone. Put it on."
They obeyed.
The metal plating was custom-made at Aero's request. Not sleek armor, but crude, oversized slabs of iron awkward and heavy.
He didn't know how to teach martial arts. But he knew how to build toughness.
With the armor on, he could strike harder without fearing injury. And they, in turn, would gain endurance and he'd gain better control over his strength.
Once they were all geared up, they struggled into position, forming a line about ten meters away from Aero.
"Begin."
Ten burly men charged.
As the first approached, Aero activated his powers, forming a vortex at his feet. Dust rose around him, his black robe billowing wildly.
He focused on minimizing effort and maximizing output. That was his training goal mastery over precision and efficiency.
One of the larger men reached him first. Aero easily sidestepped the clumsy grab, then pressed a wind-charged palm to the man's chest.
A burst of compressed air exploded outward, sending the man skidding backward across the ground before collapsing.
One down.
Others followed and none managed to get within arm's reach before Aero blasted them away.
He kept an eye on Dylan. The man hadn't moved, hadn't attacked.
Eventually, Dylan walked over to the others and said something.
Suddenly, they formed a circle around Aero. Eleven men surround him.
Dylan struck first, lunging forward.
The others followed instantly.
But they didn't make it far.
A sudden burst of wind erupted around Aero, forming a rotating shield of air. The attackers were stopped in their tracks, unable to push through the swirling barrier.
It took all of Aero's strength to maintain it but he didn't fly away. He held his ground.
Because if you can fight when you've reached your limit… that's when you truly grow stronger.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
~Thank you for reading!