Luna landed lightly, staggering back a few steps from the recoil before steadying herself.
Her right arm, which had thrown that punch, felt sore and numb, and the overstretched muscle fibers were protesting.
She panted heavily, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead, but her eyes were astonishingly bright.
[Basic Taijutsu LV9 (58/100)]
[Rubber Constitution LV9 (35/100)] —— The experience gained from actual combat far surpassed ordinary practice!
[Listening LV7 (18/100)]
[New Skill Acquired: Practical Olfaction LV1 (15/100)] —— The system recognized her ability to capture weaknesses and seize timing in combat.
[Meditation LV3 (23/100)] —— The mental consumption was quite large, but the intense battle also seemed to have tempered her mental resilience.
“Well done!” Yasopp walked over with undisguised appreciation and a hint of surprise on his face, “Precise and decisive!
Choosing the angle of the mouth for the final blow both avoided the hardest part of the skull and allowed the impact to reach the vital organs directly…
Are you really experiencing actual combat for the first time?”
Luna wiped her sweat, looking at the tiger on the ground that had gradually stopped convulsing.
A complex emotion surged in her heart: there was the excitement of victory, a trace of instinctive tremor at the passing of life, but more importantly, a solid sense of taking the first step on the path to becoming stronger.
The influence of the Rubber Fruit allowed her to quickly transform that trace of tremor into a thirst for power.
“Sort of,” she answered vaguely, walking over to the tiger’s carcass.
The fierce tiger’s pelt was glossy; although stained with blood and dirt, its fine texture was still evident, and its fangs and claws were intact.
“How much can these…
be sold for?”
Yasopp squatted down to inspect it: “A complete tiger pelt, especially one this large, should easily sell for hundreds of thousands of Berries in the neighboring town or a port further away.
The teeth and fangs calculated separately can also be worth some money.
The key is that this is the first ‘big catch’ you hunted yourself, which has extraordinary significance.”
“However, how to transport it back is a problem,” Yasopp scratched his head, “This big guy is definitely not light.”
Luna thought for a moment, reached out with both hands, and grabbed one of the tiger’s front legs.
“Let me try.”
She held her breath and concentrated, activating her Rubber Constitution.
Her arms began to slowly swell and stretch—not becoming thicker overall, but widening and flattening like a rubber band, then wrapping around the tiger’s torso and forelimbs like soft ropes, finally intertwining beneath the tiger’s body to form a crude yet sturdy “rubber net pouch”.
[Rubber Constitution LV10 (38/100)] —— New application methods bring experience.
[New Skill Acquired: Rubber Weaving (Basic) LV1 (5/100)] —— The system is always so “generous”.
“Like this…
it should be movable.” Luna tried pulling the “net pouch”, and the tiger’s heavy body was indeed moved.
Although it was still strenuous, it saved a lot of effort compared to simply carrying or dragging, and it was much more convenient to move through the forest.
Yasopp was dumbfounded, then burst out laughing: “That’s really something!
The Rubber Fruit can even be used like this?
Looks like if we’re ever short of ropes while sailing in the future, we can just have you turn into a section of one!”
The two took a short break, and Luna took the opportunity to conduct a brief Meditation to recover some mental energy.
Then, they embarked on the return journey, with Yasopp clearing the way in front and Luna dragging her “spoils of war”, the rubber net pouch frictioning against the ground and making a rustling sound.
The way back was harder than the way there, but Luna’s heart was filled with strength.
Every time she dragged the heavy object, it was a training exercise for [Rubber Constitution] and [Endurance].
She even began trying to subtly adjust the shape and force-bearing point of the “net pouch” during the drag to move forward in a more effortless and stable manner, and the experience value of [Rubber Weaving] was also slowly climbing.
On the way, Yasopp talked more and began telling her about some of what he had seen and heard on the Grand Line—about the treacherous weather, strange sea beasts, various islands, and powerful people.
Luna listened attentively; all of these were valuable intelligence.
“Right,” Yasopp suddenly remembered something, “That trick of yours where you suddenly make a certain part of your body hard or deflect attacks is very interesting.
It’s a bit like…
well, the prototype of Armament Haki?
But it feels a bit different.”
“Haki?” Luna’s heart stirred.
She knew Haki was standard equipment for the top powerhouses in this world, but she didn’t expect Yasopp to associate it with her [Form Control].
“It’s just a feeling,” Yasopp waved his hand, “Haki is a more advanced and systematic power, and it’s still too early for you.
But you have this potential.
The boss must have seen it too, so when he teaches you things, study hard.”
Luna nodded, engraving the word “Haki” deeper into her heart.
The Rubber Fruit combined with Haki was the true path to the peak.
When the outline of Windmill Village appeared in the gaps between the trees, it was already noon.
The sight of Luna dragging the huge tiger carcass immediately caused a commotion at the entrance of the village.
The villagers looked in astonishment at the little girl who usually ran around the village and the terrifying prey behind her.
Makino ran out upon hearing the news, and seeing Luna covered in dust and with torn clothes but bright eyes, she felt both heartache and pride.
Shanks stood at the bar doorway, crossing his arms with a gratified smile on his face.
He watched Luna drag the tiger to the open space in front of the bar and release the rubber net pouch, which quickly retracted back into normal arms.
“It looks like our ‘little adventurer’ has harvested quite a lot,” Shanks said with a smile.
Luna puffed out her chest.
Although exhausted, she felt unprecedentedly fulfilled: “Yeah, the first step.”
Hunting the fierce tiger, earning her first pot of gold, verifying her abilities, gaining actual combat experience, acquiring new skills…
This early morning was of extraordinary significance.
She knew this was just the beginning; deeper in the back mountain, there might be even stronger prey, and Mountain Bandit King Higuma’s “visiting day” was also approaching.
The seven days of time passed extremely quickly in focused tempering.
For Luna, these seven days were not simple repetition.
Every day, she formulated a training plan that was harsh to the point of being self-abusive, and constantly adjusted and optimized it in practice.
Yasopp became her temporary instructor and bodyguard.
This top sniper had initially only followed the captain’s orders to ensure the little fellow’s safety, but soon, he was attracted by Luna’s almost crazy cultivation drive and unimaginable growth rate, turning instead to provide genuine guidance.
During the day, they went deep into more dangerous areas of the back mountain.
The fierce tiger on the first day was just an appetizer; on the second day, they encountered a group of sharp-nosed, cooperative-hunting wolverines; on the third day, it was the thick-skinned Wild Boar King whose charges could snap tree trunks; on the fourth day, even at the edge of a swamp, they engaged in a life-and-death struggle with a giant anaconda that disguised itself as dead wood and suddenly attacked…
As opponents grew stronger and environments grew more complex, Luna’s actual combat experience accumulated at a terrifying speed.
At night, Luna did not rest.
She fulfilled her vow —— sleeping in a wooden box filled with seawater.
At first, it was agonizing; the weakness and sense of suffocation tortured her so much that she could hardly sleep.
But after the skill levels of [Underwater Adaptation] and [Hold Breath] rapidly increased, she gradually found the knack for maintaining minimal bodily functions and even entering a light sleep state despite the weakening effect of seawater.
This undoubtedly further tempered her willpower and constitution.
During the remaining conscious nighttime hours, she would conduct [Meditation] to recover the mental energy consumed during the day, and attempt more detailed introspection and guidance of the rubber power within her, trying to touch the elusive threshold of “awakening”.
The high-intensity, all-around tempering of seven days brought astonishing results.
When Luna finished her final seawater Meditation on the evening of the seventh day and crawled out wet from the wooden box, her system panel had taken on a completely new look:
[Basic Taijutsu LV47 (88/100)] —— The life-and-death struggle with wild beasts caused a qualitative change in her strength, speed, reaction, and combat instincts.
Now, based on taijutsu alone, she was enough to easily flip several adult strongmen.
[Rubber Constitution LV49 (45/100)] —— The stretching limit increased from the initial few meters to nearly twenty meters.
Elasticity, recovery speed, and local deformation capabilities were greatly enhanced.
She could even preliminarily “inflate” and expand parts of her limbs to increase strike area or cushion defense.
[Form Control LV41 (33/100)] —— The growth of mental power and repeated practice brought her fine control over her rubber body to a new level.
Now she could stably reinforce hardness or change density locally.
Although the duration was short and the consumption was large, it was enough to turn the tide of battle at critical moments.
[Underwater Adaptation LV141 (12/100)] —— The weakening effect of seawater on her was reduced by about one-third, and she could maintain basic movement and simple ability application in chest-deep seawater, no longer being a sitting duck at the mercy of others.
[Hold Breath LV34 (77/100)] —— She could hold her breath underwater for more than fifteen minutes at longest.
Combined with Underwater Adaptation, her survival ability increased greatly.
[Willpower Resistance LV39 (41/100)] —— Countering seawater weakness, enduring injuries, overcoming mental exhaustion…
Various tempering made her willpower like hundred-refined refined steel.
[Meditation LV51 (60/100)] —— Recovery efficiency was enhanced, and during Meditation, the perception of internal energy flow was clearer, having miraculous effects on stabilizing emotions and concentrating attention.
[Wilderness Survival LV31 (20/100)], [Listening LV71 (11/100)], [Practical Olfaction LV31 (55/100)] —— The forest had become her half-home ground.
[Rubber Weaving (Basic) LV27 (40/100)] —— Not only could she weave net pouches, but she could also transform them into simple ropes, hooks, etc., and applications became increasingly flexible.
[New Skill Acquired: Elastic Potential Energy Control LV36 (18/100)] —— Awakened after multiple attempts at moves like “Rubber Bazooka”, she could more efficiently compress, store, and release the elastic energy of rubber to enhance explosive power.
[New Skill Acquired: Aura Perception (Faint) LV17 (2/100)] —— Long-term Meditation and highly concentrated actual combat allowed her to occasionally vaguely perceive the strength of a creature’s aura and emotional fluctuations, seemingly the faintest bud of Observation Haki.
In addition, the pelts, bones, and sharp teeth of the hunted beasts, after Makino’s help in processing them, were taken by Yasopp to neighboring towns and ports further away to be sold, exchanging for nearly three million Berries!
This was a huge sum of money for Luna, which she carefully hid away as start-up capital for her future pirate crew.
Her body also underwent visible changes.
Although it was still the skeleton of a five-year-old child, her muscle lines became firm and smooth, her skin turned a healthy wheat color from sun exposure and seawater soaking, her gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s, and a breath of having experienced blood and fire naturally emanated from her glances.
The “nature” of the Rubber Fruit further merged with her “ego”, forming a unique temperament: usually wearing a Luffy-style hearty smile and straightforwardness, but when contemplating or fighting, a calmness and calculation belonging to an adult from her past life would flash in her eyes.
And the core goal of “forming a beauty pirate crew” acted like a calming pillar of the sea, giving a clear direction to all her actions.
On the evening of the seventh day, Luffy was in the open space behind the bar, practicing a newly conceived combination of moves against a row of wooden posts.
She stored elastic potential energy in her calves and instantly burst forward (a prototype version of “Rubber Rocket”).
When approaching the wooden posts, her arms spirally stretched and thrust out (“Spiral Spear”).
After hitting, she immediately used the recoil to leap backward, whipping out a leg mid-air (“Rubber Whip”) to strike another target…
Although the action connection was still a bit raw, it already had a prototype.
The setting sun drew her shadow very long.
Shanks leaned against the back doorframe of the bar, watching quietly, the wine bottle in his hand motionless for a long time.
He could sense that the power and determination contained within this little girl were growing at an astonishing speed, making him even faintly feel a trace of…
anticipation?
Or rather, a premonition of some destiny destined to overturn the sea.