"Let's go, it's time we left."
Not long after Moses and Ulti came out of the room, the rest of the group, including Bear Cub, returned as well.
After a quick packing session, Moses addressed them.
Soon, they checked out at the hotel front desk and made their way to the harbor in a large group.
Boarding the warship, they raised the sails and turned the ship around. Before long, the small island became a mere speck in the distance.
The weather was splendid—clear skies, gentle winds, not a cloud in sight.
At the very top deck of the warship, Moses glanced at Ulti and Page One, who had followed him.
Page One, the younger brother, looked pale as he desperately swallowed the Muscle Fruit.
Moses watched with amusement as Page One gasped for breath.
After a moment, Page One recovered, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked at Moses.
"Thanks, bro. I love this ability so much," he said, immediately testing his new powers. His body twisted and contorted as if boneless, and under Observation Haki, his bones and organs could be seen shifting freely inside him.
His entire body moved like a snake, effortlessly performing complex maneuvers as if he had no joints. Moreover, he instinctively controlled the flexibility of his muscles, already displaying techniques akin to Life Return right after consuming the fruit.
"Not bad. The fruit has great development potential. I'll teach you the Six Styles later—study hard. Also, learn to control your digestive system. If you want to get stronger, you'll need to eat a lot."
Page One stared at Moses gratefully, his excitement evident. "This ability is way better than some stupid Spinosaurus fruit."
Bam!
Ulti punched him on the head, scowling. "Would your big sister and brother ever trick you?"
Page One chuckled awkwardly but didn't argue—his sister always knew what he was thinking.
Just then, Yamato ran up to them, smiling at Moses. "What are you three doing up here? Aren't you coming down for lunch?"
Noticing Page One curiously experimenting with his body, her eyes lit up with understanding.
"Did Xiao Pei eat that fruit?"
Ulti nodded, glancing at Moses. "Yeah, just finished. He's getting used to his powers now."
Yamato grinned. "Looks like he can take a beating. I'll help him loosen up later."
Ulti's expression darkened as she shot Yamato a glare. "Don't bully Xiao Pei—at least wait until he's stronger. Right now, he wouldn't survive a single hit from you."
Moses laughed. "If he hardens his muscles and crouches with his arms over his head, he might manage one hit."
Page One gave him a resentful look, but Moses just grinned.
"Alright, let's go eat. We'll reach the Grand Line in a few days."
The three nodded and headed to the dining area, each grabbing a large plate of meat with bones before sitting at the table next to Bear Cub and the others.
After lunch, Moses watched as Yamato and the others trained with the marines on the deck before heading to Garp's room.
Inside, Garp was teaching Kuzan and Bogart Breathing Technique training. Moses smiled.
"Grandpa, do you have a complete map of the East Blue?"
Garp frowned. "What do you need that for?"
With that, he walked over to the window-side desk, took a folded nautical chart from it, and handed it over.
Moses unfolded it and was immediately impressed—a two-meter square map densely dotted with islands of various sizes, all clearly marked.
"I'll be leaving Skypiea soon and plan to stay in the East Blue for a while. I might as well go back and whip Ace and Sabo into shape."
Garp chuckled.
"Then make sure you train them hard. Those two little rascals have gotten way too unruly lately."
"Yeah, I will."
Moses spotted several famous locations on the map—Loguetown, Warship Island, Hachinosu—and marveled at them with a click of his tongue.
At that moment, Garp noticed Moses' gaze lingering on Loguetown. He pursed his lips and asked softly,
"Want to go take a look?"
Moses looked up at him, puzzled. "Look at what?"
"Loguetown."
"What's so special about it? It's just an ordinary little town. Maybe a bit chaotic since it's close to Reverse Mountain, but that's about it."
"Oh, suit yourself then."
Garp knew Moses understood the deeper meaning behind his words, just as Moses knew what Garp was implying.
The Town of Beginnings and Endings, after all.
Folding the map neatly, Moses glanced at the two who had mostly grasped the essentials of the Breathing Technique. Smirking, he took off his shirt, tossed it onto the sofa, and kicked off his sandals before stepping onto the windowsill.
"I'm going to train in the sea."
With those words, he leaped into the air, tracing a parabola over the deck before plunging into the ocean with a splash.
...
Splash!
Moses climbed back onto the deck, gripping a ten-meter-long blue-shelled lobster in his left hand.
As his Breath rose and fell, the moisture on his body gathered into his palm, condensing into a colorless sphere of water, hovering precariously in his downward-facing hand.
With a sudden flick of his wrist, the water transformed into a spindle-shaped projectile and shot forward.
Boom!
It exploded into a spray of waves on the distant sea.
Then, his gaze shifted to the majestic, upward-flowing waterway in the distance—Reverse Mountain.
A week had already passed.
Moments later,
With a deep rumble, the warship entered the waterway, riding the rapid upward current.
Yamato, clinging to the ship's railing, laughed excitedly, cheering with joy.
Moses had been here before. Though still awe-inspiring, he was somewhat accustomed to it, unlike the others who were utterly stunned.
Before long, the warship crossed Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line.
Moses sought out Bogart.
Bogart looked at Moses, who had come to find him, and asked curiously,
"What's up?"
"Are we passing by Little Garden?"
Bogart: "We can take that route."
"Good. Let's make a stop there. There's something I need to do."
"What is it—never mind, I won't ask. You're always so secretive. I'll go make the arrangements. It's simple enough—just a change of course."
"Thanks."
"Tch, no need to be so formal. By the way, Moses, when do you have time to upgrade my two swords?"
Seeing Bogart's eager, almost fawning smile, Moses smirked playfully.
"Impressive that you held out this long before asking. Not bad, old man. You've got patience."
Bogart rolled his eyes. If he didn't ask now, who knew how long he'd have to wait for new swords?
"Name the materials and forging fees, I'll cover whatever it costs."
Bogart gritted his teeth, looking like he was about to bleed dry. Moses chuckled:
"I've got the materials here, but it depends on whether you have the time. If you can wait for me at Jaya Island for three to five days, I'll reforged them for you then. If you can't wait, we'll have to discuss it next time we meet."
Bogart clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes:
"Fine. We can report that the battleship sustained heavy damage from a massive upward current and needs to dock nearby for repairs—which will take three to five days. Yeah, that should work. I'll go coordinate the story with your grandfather. By the way, what about the forging fee?"
"I don't want your money. Instead, keep an eye out for any leads on Zoan-Type Mythical Zoan Human-Human Fruits, dragon-related Devil Fruits, or Paramecia-Type mind-related Devil Fruits. You don't have to hunt them down—just gather intel for me."
Bogart sucked in a breath, staring at Moses in shock before sighing helplessly:
"How the hell am I supposed to find something like that? Shouldn't you be asking your grandfather instead?"
"Tch, Gramps can't be bothered to dig through records. Besides, doesn't he usually dump all that work on you?"
"Telling him is no different from coming straight to you—same result either way."
Bogart gave Moses a pained look, realizing the kid had a point. After all, he was Vice Admiral Garp's permanent secretary.
With a resigned nod, he suddenly felt the cost of reforging his two swords was a tad too high.
As Bogart walked away, Moses relaxed slightly. Relying on the Marines' intelligence network would make things easier. Should he ask Kuzan about it?
Nah. The guy wasn't an admiral yet—his intel network probably wasn't as extensive as Garp's.
Three days passed in a blink.
Noon.
Standing atop the battleship, Moses gazed at the island ahead, its ancient trees towering and a volcano spewing thick black smoke.
Little Garden—the Primordial Island.
"Moses, is that Little Garden? I heard it's crawling with dinosaurs and home to two giants, right?"
"Yeah, this is the place."
"How's dinosaur meat taste?" Yamato licked her lips, eyes gleaming as she stared at the island. "Let's catch one!"
"Ahaha, dinosaurs?" Kuzan strolled over, eyeing the island with approval. "Dinosaur meat is absolutely delicious—especially giant Plesiosaur meat. Just grill it with some simple seasoning, and the flavor… chef's kiss."
"By the way, why'd you drag Bogart all the way here?"
Moses smirked, glancing at him before shaking his head. Kuzan was left scratching his head in confusion.
Calling out to Bear Cub below deck, Moses turned back to Kuzan. "If you've got nothing better to do, help me catch a male Quetzalcoatlus in good condition."
"Ahaha, putting me to work already?"
Moses rolled his eyes. "If you won't help, then shut it, you lazy bum."
As they bantered, the battleship sailed into Little Garden along a wide river, docking near the shore. With a final glare at Kuzan, Moses leaped off the ship.
Yamato followed close behind.
Landing on the island,
Looking around at the dense prehistoric vegetation growing abundantly, its appearance was extraordinarily peculiar.
The forest echoed with terrifying and powerful roars of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.
Bear Cub sidled up to Moses with an eager expression on his furry face: "Moses, are you gonna catch me a flying dinosaur?"
"Mm, let's go. Today we'll definitely catch all the powerful dinosaurs for you. After this, you could even claim to be a Devil Fruit user with dinosaur powers."
Moses smiled at Bear Cub as he spoke.
This place had excellent dinosaur resources—not only could they collect dinosaur eggs to research draconic blood serums, but as Moses had said, it was indeed a treasure trove for Bear Cub's Munch-Munch Fruit.
Glancing back at Yamato and the others who had come ashore with them, Moses chuckled:
"The island is dangerous, teeming with prehistoric creatures and venomous insects. If you're coming along, everyone should watch out for their own safety."
Ulti and Xiao Pei nodded. Ulti flexed her arms, now transformed into gleaming diamonds, her eyes sparkling with amusement:
"No venomous insect could ever bite through these diamond fists of mine."
It had to be said—some Devil Fruits were truly heaven-sent, capable of elevating one to greatness the moment they were consumed.
Moses smiled without shattering Ulti's confidence, though he knew he could slice through her diamonds if he wished.
With a wave of his hand, Moses led them into the jungle.
Atop the warship, Kuzan watched Moses' group enter the forest, then glanced at the pterodactyls circling the sky before looking down at the deck where Bogart was having marines hunt for supplies. Smiling, he too leaped off the vessel.
Tall shrubs surrounded them, and the narrow trails trampled by beasts were littered with massive footprints.
Walking through the silent woods, the group showed no fear, chatting and laughing instead.
After all, danger was always relative to one's own strength.
The fresh scent of life and the unfamiliar smells of weaker creatures attracted numerous predators—Moses' group had several tender "delicacies" among them.
One look at Bear Cub's plump, sturdy figure was enough to imagine how delicious he'd taste with one bite.
Rustling sounds constantly reached their ears.
The next moment,
A five-meter-long saber-toothed tiger leaped from the bushes. "ROAR—" It bared its bloodthirsty maw and roared at the group.
Moses' eyes lit up. As Yamato stirred eagerly beside him, he moved in a flash, appearing atop the saber-tooth's head in an instant. A single hammering fist later—THUD—the beast collapsed unconscious, tongue lolling, a massive bump swelling on its skull.
Yamato twitched her lips at Moses. "Moses, how could you?" she sighed.
Grinning, Moses beckoned Bear Cub over. The cub waddled up eagerly, mouth stretching impossibly wide before swallowing the saber-tooth's head whole. A few gulps later, the five-meter tiger vanished into his belly without even a bulge.
Plopping onto the ground,
Bear Cub began concentrating.
Minutes later, his body started elongating and transforming until a five-meter saber-toothed tiger stood in his place.
Sitting on the ground, he pawed at his new body curiously, especially the pair of snow-white, razor-sharp fangs.
A dopey glint in his eyes, he grinned widely.
Then his jaws distended unnaturally as he began eating himself. After some chewing, his body reappeared—now a three-meter-tall, saber-toothed tiger "Mink" with a humanoid form.
Arching his arms and flexing a few bodybuilder poses, Bear Cub pulled a baseball bat from his mouth and grinned at Moses:
"Bear feels incredibly strong now. If any dinosaurs show up later, let Bear handle them?"
Moses chuckled. "Sure."
Leaping up, he plopped onto Bear Cub's broad left shoulder, patted the bear's head with his right hand, and pointed forward.
"Go for it."
Not far ahead, a dinosaur head emerged from the trees—a Carnotaurus with small horns.
"Roooar~"
Bear Cub let out a bear's roar and charged forward on his slightly bent long legs.
Moses flipped backward, landing on the ground as he watched Bear Cub meet the Carnotaurus head-on. The bear suddenly leaped up, swinging his seemingly small metal bat hard against the dinosaur's skull.
Thud!
The Carnotaurus staggered back two steps, shook its head, then opened its jagged-toothed maw and charged low.
Bear Cub sidestepped, grabbed one of its small horns, and effortlessly flipped onto the dinosaur's back. Clamping his legs around its body, he raised the baseball bat and—thwack! thwack! thwack!—pounded away mercilessly.
After a brutal beating, the ten-meter-long Carnotaurus' eyes rolled back as it collapsed dizzily to the ground.
Another round of raw devouring later.
Self-Cannibalism: Success.
A five-meter-tall Mink with a dinosaur's head emerged, covered in dark red hide, sporting two small horns, and lined with razor-sharp teeth.
Bear Cub grinned at Moses.
It looked pretty terrifying.
Just then, Page One tugged at Moses' sleeve, swallowing hard before looking up.
"Bro, what kind of Devil Fruit user is that bear? His ability's kinda broken..."
Moses smirked mysteriously. "Let me teach you something: never let strangers figure out the specifics of a Devil Fruit's powers, or they'll find ways to counter it."
"But Bear Cub's ability is related to eating. If you're curious, I've got a Devil Fruit encyclopedia back home—feel free to browse it later."
Ulti, annoyed by Moses' secrecy, rolled her eyes.
"Then I'll just ask Bear Cub myself. He'll tell me, won't he?"
Moses shrugged with a suit yourself look. Ulti's face darkened as she huffed and turned away.
The group pressed forward, Moses feeling slightly uneasy—he wasn't sure if this was the dinosaurs' breeding season.
Along the way, Bear Cub transformed into a medicine gatherer, using his keen nose to locate and dig up rare herbs and spices, storing them in categorized crates.
Yamato sidled up curiously.
"Bear Cub, you can find medicinal herbs too?"
Bear Cub chuckled sheepishly. "Doctorine is the best doctor in the world. She loves all kinds of herbs, so Bear's bringing her gifts."
Yamato's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Who's Doctorine? Is she with you guys?"
"She's a great person. She raised both Moses and Bear. If not for her and Moses, Bear would've died right after birth."
Yamato grew instantly fascinated, tugging at Bear Cub to share stories about his and Moses' childhood.
Since Bear Cub considered Yamato one of their own, he saw no reason to hide anything. So as they foraged for herbs together, he began recounting their past.
Not to mention, the Great Tengu's dog nose was truly sharp. After just one lesson, Yamato could distinguish different herbs by their scents.
This made Bear Cub approve of her even more.
As Bear Cub put it, "Then bears and dogs are practically family."
Moses and the others watched the two from behind, though the people around him were all giving him strange looks.
Ulti tugged at Moses' sleeve and asked curiously,
"So you're only three days older than me?"
Moses smirked and replied, "And yet I'm still a whole head taller than you?"
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