While Darius was living peacefully in Dawn Island together with Dragon, his daily routine was far from ordinary.
He often explored the Grey Terminal, as well as the deeper and more dangerous parts of the forest, places most villagers would never even dare to approach.
It had become something he enjoyed doing, especially after gaining his newfound strength. In his past life, humans could never truly win against nature; even something as simple as getting lost in a mountain could mean death without proper equipment or rescue.
But in this world, people had a fighting chance, since some could literally challenge nature itself in the form of Logia Devil Fruit users, who embodied natural disasters like fire, lightning, or smoke.
Darius took advantage of his strength to face the very things that he had always feared doing in his past life. He climbed cliffs and mountains without ropes or harnesses, relying only on his body.
The more he did these things, the more fearless he became. He even began diving deep into the cold waters surrounding Dawn Island, sometimes searching for the enormous Sea Kings that were once nothing but myths in his old world.
Whenever he managed to hunt one down with his bare hands or weapons, he would bring it back and share it with Dragon, proudly eating the massive creature as a sign of triumph.
"Dragon, if you ever come across a time when you must choose between following the herd like a sheep or fighting for what you believe in, always choose the latter, no matter what it costs you. As your big brother, I'll do everything I can to support your goals," Darius once said, his tone calm yet firm.
He said it because deep down, he already knew Dragon would become someone important one day. His words, however, left Dragon confused.
"What are you talking about, Ni-chan?" Dragon asked innocently, tilting his head, his expression full of curiosity. Darius only smiled in response.
"Want to come with me to the Grey Terminal?" Darius then asked, catching Dragon by surprise.
Dragon's face lit up instantly since this was the first time his brother had ever invited him on one of his journeys.
Normally, Darius went alone and simply returned with souvenirs, always refusing whenever Dragon asked to join.
"Really, Ni-chan?" Dragon asked, standing up excitedly.
"Of course. You're old enough now. I was younger than you when I first started exploring, and I went alone. You'll be fine since I'll be with you, and besides, it'll be a good experience," Darius said as he picked up his massive axe and placed it over his shoulder.
Dragon quickly followed his brother's movements, getting ready with a look of determination.
They began their trek through the forest, moving carefully between the trees. Dragon followed closely behind Darius, not wanting to lose sight of him.
Despite the serious expression on his face, there was a hint of excitement in Dragon's eyes. Darius noticed it but said nothing, only smiling slightly to himself.
As they continued walking, a strange rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. Dragon froze for a moment, glancing toward Darius, who only nodded and stayed quiet, letting him handle it.
"If you want to become stronger, you must face opponents stronger than you. Only battles where life is on the line can truly make someone grow," Darius said calmly, his tone steady.
His words gave Dragon the courage he needed, and the younger boy slowly approached the bush to investigate.
The moment he moved the leaves aside, a hare suddenly leaped out, darting to the side. Dragon flinched, startled, then laughed nervously when he realized what it was.
"I thought it was some kind of monster," Dragon said, turning back toward Darius. He had his back completely turned to the bush when, suddenly, a large bear lunged out from behind the trees and swiped at him with its paw.
Dragon was hit hard from behind, tumbling forward into the dirt. The impact wasn't as strong as Garp's punches during training, but it still hurt, and the sharp claws had left bleeding scratches on his back.
Darius quickly grabbed the handle of his axe, ready to strike the bear down, but before he could move, Dragon shouted.
"Ni-chan! Let me defeat him!" Dragon said with such conviction that it made Darius pause. Seeing the fire in his brother's eyes, Darius smirked slightly and stepped back, deciding to watch instead.
Dragon turned to face the bear, gripping his weapon tightly. His weapon was a metal pipe, similar to the one that Sabo would one day use, though Dragon didn't know that yet.
The bear roared loudly, its growl echoing through the forest, shaking the leaves around them. It swung another heavy paw at Dragon, but this time Dragon dodged to the side and swung his pipe straight into the bear's stomach.
The blow did little to slow it down, and the bear retaliated immediately with another attack.
Dragon jumped, narrowly avoiding the strike, and brought his weapon down hard against the side of the bear's head. This time, the attack connected cleanly.
The bear stumbled backward, dazed, which Dragon noticed and took advantage of. He swung again, hitting the other side of its head, then struck repeatedly with everything he had.
"Good! Use your anger as a weapon, that's right!" Darius shouted from behind him, encouraging his brother.
Dragon gritted his teeth and kept hitting, channeling his fear and frustration into each strike. He swung again and again until the bear finally collapsed, unmoving.
When the adrenaline left his body, Dragon dropped to one knee, exhausted and breathing heavily. Darius walked over with a proud smile.
"Ni-chan…" Dragon managed to say weakly, looking up at him.
"You did well, Dragon," Darius replied, patting his brother's head. He then decided that it was best to delay their trip to the Grey Terminal for now.
Instead, he began cutting up the bear with his axe to prepare food for both of them.
While roasting the meat over a campfire, Darius also cleaned and wrapped Dragon's wounds. As he worked, he suddenly heard another faint sound coming from nearby. Curious, he went to check.
When he approached the source of the noise, he found a small wolf pup crying beside the lifeless body of an adult wolf.
It was nudging the body gently, trying to wake it up, its whimpers quiet but full of sorrow.
'I see. The bear must have killed the wolf while it was protecting its pup,' Darius thought, frowning slightly. He couldn't help but feel sympathy.
Even in his past life, he had always been soft toward dogs, and this small creature reminded him of that.
"Don't worry, little one. I'll take care of you from now on," Darius said softly as he crouched down and carefully reached out to the pup.
It hesitated for a moment, still pulling at its dead parent, but Darius gently picked it up and carried it back to their camp.
He tore off a small piece of bear meat, only half-cooked, and placed it near the pup. He was confident the young wolf could handle it since wild predators were used to raw food.
The pup sniffed it cautiously before eating, then curled up beside the warm fire.
Two hours later, the bear was fully cooked. Dragon had woken up by then and noticed the pup sleeping near the fire.
"What's that, Ni-chan?" Dragon asked immediately, his curiosity returning as he pointed at the small animal.
Darius looked down at the pup and smiled.
"His name is Swain, and he's going to live with us from now on," Darius said. Dragon smiled as well, nodding in approval, happy to see that their small family had grown by one more member.