The elephant-sized tiger, now limping from the injury to its front leg, took a few steps back, its massive, bloody eyes fixed on me with a newfound wariness.
The vicious predator, which had been chasing me like a cat playing with its food just moments ago, was now retreating.
The power in those eyes, the fierce arrogance that had once made me feel so insignificant, so terrified that I was losing my mind, was now replaced by something that looked remarkably like fear.
'Like it wasn't hard enough before, damn!'
A cold knot twisted in my gut, but it wasn't because I felt sympathy for the creature. It was because I knew I had to end this now, before this wariness turned into a full-blown, desperate aggressiveness.
And I could understand why.
I, who should have been the prey, the insignificant little thing in this vast forest, had managed to hurt it.
Not just a scratch or a glancing blow, but a real, painful injury. Its leg was still bleeding, dragging slightly as it moved back, and it knew now that I was capable of doing what none of its other prey had.
I could hurt it back.
I could make it bleed.
And that changed everything.
I looked at the tiger, and for the first time since this fight had started, I could see it clearly: a wild creature, so full of power and aggression, yet now standing on the edge of desperation.
It wasn't running with a train's full momentum through the forest anymore. It wasn't attacking with the same ferocity. Instead, it was calculating, evaluating its next move. I could almost see its thoughts as it considered how to escape, how to survive.
It would've been nice to savor the moment, wouldn't it? To feel some sense of satisfaction now that the tables had turned -This Hachiman was very scared before, okay!- After all, I had been the one chased, the one hunted, the one scrambling for survival. I'd been like a mouse running from a cat, always just out of reach but never able to get away completely. So yeah, maybe it was a little pleasant to finally be seen as something more than prey. But the fact remained, it didn't change a damn thing.
'I still had to kill it.'
Leaving it like this could prove to be fatal, not just to me, but also for the people in the village who could have to face the retaliation of this beast.
Now that it was injured, this was the perfect opportunity. The tiger had underestimated me before, and that mistake was something I was sure it wasn't going to repeat.
And to the annoying part in my brain, no, it doesn't feel like I am playing Monster Hunter. I was about to die just now for fuck sake! Damn, the dead-fish-eyed-Hiki was about to turn into just deadHiki!
'Forget about that, I need to focus!'
Tsk, pain and stress were taking their toll on me, so much that my sarcastic brain started working passively.
My grip tightened on the hilt of the Barbossa Sword, I could feel its power beneath my fingertips. And I needed it to control the movement of this beast, to give me the advantage I needed against its huge size.
I raised the sword, and with it, the wave of authority surged into the air around me, coursing through the forest like a breath of life, a pulse that awakened the dead vines, twigs, stones, and leaves scattered across the forest floor.
Before long, tendrils of thick vines began creeping toward the tiger, wrapping around trunks of trees, snaking through the underbrush, and moving fast as they sought their target.
The tiger saw it coming immediately. Its eyes narrowed, and in an instant, it knew what was happening.
Its instincts were razor-sharp, and it was no stranger to this move, especially as this was the third time. But instead of twisting and dodging around agilely like it had before, it did something I hadn't expected.
Despite its injury, the tiger began to fight back.
It swiped at the approaching vines with its massive claws, tearing through the thick tendrils with startling power.
A roar echoed through the forest, the sound of frustration and fury as it slammed its body into the vines, crushing them underfoot or sweeping them aside with a flick of its enormous tail. The leaves, too, were not spared. They were shredded in mid-air, torn to pieces by the tiger's teeth and claws as it turned and swiped with unnatural force.
The sight should have been impressive, a display of raw power and tenacity. But all I could think of was how much time I had left. Time to finish it. Time to end the fight before it had a chance to recover, before it could find some way to turn the tables and counterattack.
I could see it now—its movements were slower, more deliberate, but still effective. The tiger wasn't just blindly trying to catch me anymore. It was thinking and planning. Slowly, inch by inch, it was moving further and further away from me.
'Although I know that cats can be very sly when they want to run, but this.'
It wasn't running away, panic-stricken like a frightened rabbit, with its body launching itself forward in a mad dash for safety. No, now it was shifting its position, using the forest's natural terrain to its advantage, stepping back and recalculating its escape route.
But it wasn't getting away. Not if I had anything to say about it.
"Sorry, but I can't let you go."
The words were barely a whisper on my breath, but they carried the weight of everything that had led me here. The desperation, the fear, the determination. I had to finish this, there are too many risks if I let it go away.
My hand tightened around the grip of my pistol, and the mix of wood and metal glowing slightly with Hamon, as I sent the ripples to the rubber bullets in the chamber, the one ready to be fired.
I aimed, and with a subtle flick of my wrist, I took the shot.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
A few Hamon bullets flew through the air with good accuracy. Each bullet was charged with the vibrating ripples that seemed to sparkle even as they cut through the humid forest air.
Boom Boom Boom!
They struck the beast with a sickening thud. Although they didn't penetrate its tough, fur-covered skin, the Hamon embedded within them hit hard like a sledgehammer.
ROOOOOROAR!!!!!
The tiger staggered slightly, its roars faltering in pain. I could see it in its eyes: the beast was slowing down.
That was all the opening I needed.
I called upon the power of the Barbossa Sword, reaching out with my mind. The dead vines, twigs, and leaves under my control responded instantly, twitching as though alive, weaving and writhing through the thick underbrush like serpents.
With a thought, I guided them, and they sprang to life, reaching out to catch the tiger's legs and torso. The beast growled, its fiery red eyes locking onto the vines as they wrapped around its massive limbs, holding it in place, slowing its desperate thrashing.
I felt the shift in the air—the moment when everything clicked into place.
'This was my chance.'
Taking a deep breath according to the rhythm, letting the waves flow through me, funneling it into the edge of my sword.
Steel of the blade gleamed, the lines and decorations carved into its length glowing faintly, as the vibrating Hamon surged. I could feel the weight of the power in my hands, the raw force ready to be unleashed.
Without hesitation, I charged forward, my boots pounding against the forest floor as I sprinted toward the massive tiger, ready to end this fight.
Leaping into the air, Sword raised high, my target now clear: the tiger's head, or its massive torso.
I have successfully injured it before, and now I will finish it. The Hamon Crush Overdrive I had used to wound it previously had been powerful, but now, with the tiger on the defensive and held in place by the Sword's power, it was time to deal the final blow.
/A Sudden Sweep With The Tail at The Left Side/
But as I soared through the air, the voice that disappeared after my battle with the pirates returned with/without warning.
A shiver shot through my spine, and every muscle in my body tensed as I readied myself for an attack at my left side.
From what I saw, I was right to heed it.
The tiger's blood red eyes flashed with something I hadn't expected.
Cunningness.
Glints of intelligence mixed with the bloodlust that had driven it. The beast let out a ferocious growl, and in that moment, it jerked its massive body with a violent force, breaking through the dead vines that had ensnared it, just enough to free itself.
The creature wasn't done yet.
It swung its enormous, whip-like tail with terrifying speed, aiming it directly at me, intending to knock me out of the air with a single blow. The force of the tail was enough to split the air around it with a deafening snap.
Knowing that I couldn't dodge it. Not at this height. Not this fast. But the voice had already warned me of the attack, so I adjusted in midair, bringing my sword down to intercept the sweeping tail.
My Magical Sword collided with the tail with a resounding crash.
Hamon within the Sword acted like a conduit, channeling the impact's power through the blade and into the tiger's tail.
For a moment, I felt the air shaken with shock force as the tail was sliced and crushed by the concentrated Hamon Crush Overdrive.
ROOOOOOROAR!!!!!!!!!
The beast roared in agony, the sound echoing through the forest, and its massive form staggered back, temporarily thrown off balance.
It tried to put some distance between us, dragging its injured tail behind it.
But it was too late.
The vines still held it. The twigs and tendrils surrounding the massive feine, binding it tightly, and it couldn't escape. It was cornered, and I wasn't about to let it go.
With the beast weakened and slowed, I regained my balance midair, landing lightly on my feet.
My Sword hummed in my hand, the effect of the strike lingered in the blade. I concentrated again and took one more deep breath, funneling more Hamon into the blade, feeling the power rise as the mystical ripples that were compacted in the sword.
Feeling ready, not wasting any more moments, I rushed forward, charging once more at the beast.
The tiger, cornered and desperate, made its move. It lashed out, its claws slashing through the air with a speed I had almost underestimated. The sheer power behind the swipe could have torn me to shreds,
However, I had anticipated it.
The magical authority of my Magic Sword flared one more time, and the dead vines—still under my control—surged forward once more, tangling and twisting themselves around the tiger's claws, slowing its attack just enough for me to slip past them.
My Sword was charged and growing with raw power, and I brought it down toward the Apex Predator's head, aiming for a final strike to end this nightmare.
Time seemed to slow as I closed in, and the moment stretched longer than it should have. The tiger's blood-red eyes locked onto mine, its desperation and fury palpable. But it was too late. I struck.
Crash!
The sword hit with a sickening crash, like a hammer shattering wood, connecting with the tiger's skull.
Crushing Hamon surged through the blade, coursing into the creature's body, and the beast's roar overwhelmed the stillness of the forest, a last cry of defiance.
The tiger staggered, its body going limp. It took one more step, its huge paws dragging through the dirt as if it was trying to run—then it collapsed, the sound of its massive form hitting the ground echoing through the trees.
As for me, I stood next to the beast's fallen body, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The forest was eerily quiet now, the air thick with the tension of the battle.
The vines and twigs became limp, their task complete. The massive tiger lay dead before me, its blood slowly pooling around it, mixing with the dirt and leaves.
I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the battle lift from my shoulders. But there was no time to celebrate. The forest was never quiet for how long I have been in it, and other dangers always lurked everywhere, waiting for the moment when you let your guard down.
But for now, this battle was over.
"I feel like I need a MAXX Coffee."
...
A/N: Someone had asked if the One Piece is the Box, commenting that it would be terrible writing if that were the case.
And I, Cold Colt, couldn't agree more. That would have been too stupid.
The origin, true nature, and goal of the Box are clear from the start. And it had nothing to do with the One Piece.
The One Piece is something way more absurd than the Box could ever be (I have an idea, but with Oda-sensei, you never know XD). In fact, the world of One Piece has way more absurd things than the Box, not just the One Piece. So saying that the Box is the One Piece will be stupid from me.
Anyway, That's it for now.
Thank you all for reading! Hope you enjoyed this one!
Have a good day!
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https://www.patre0n.com/ColdColt