The difference is, Croagunks are very strong, and if you underestimate them, you'll feel the threat from these adorable creatures.
Take pandas, for example, they're not weak little cats, they're bears. They can munch on bamboo with a blank stare or smack a person awake, showing what it means to be a flexible chubby creature. Their speed in mountain running is contradictory to their appearance.
"Are you going to continue?"
It seemed like Kuzan thought the Croagunks hadn't had enough fun yet. With a wave of his hand, he produced a pile of ice bricks on the ground. Eskimos would probably welcome Kuzan because with this ability, they wouldn't have to make ice bricks for their igloos.
However, the Croagunks were different. Four or five Croagunks sat in a row with a squatting posture, their poison sacs on the sides of their cheeks continuously inflating and deflating, looking at Kuzan with a kind of affectionate gaze reserved for fools.
"Gua kachaa? (Why give us ice blocks?)"
"Gua kachaa. (I don't know, maybe he likes eating ice blocks.)"
Kuzan didn't have a strong enough bond to understand what the Croagunks were saying, otherwise, he'd know that he had misunderstood some things.
Brick breaking is a personal hobby of the Croagunk tribe, but there's a reason for this hobby.
Initially, it was just for training. Later, they discovered that this behavior would attract worshipful looks from those delinquent teens, who would offer "tributes". After that, brick breaking became not just an exercise, but also a form of street performance.
In terms of strength, forget about Machamp, even Machop is stronger than the Croagunks. But the Croagunks managed to win thanks to their unique appearance.
Moreover, those Machamp families are either sweating it out in the gym or working hard at construction sites, while the Croagunks chose this path, which confirms the name "delinquent".
If the camel were here, Kuzan wouldn't have had this misunderstanding. But at this moment, the camel was having fun in the rain. Born in the Northern Sea Region, it hadn't seen rain before, only experiencing blizzards. For this penguin, rain was a completely new experience.
It even deliberately looked around to make sure no one could see what it was doing before it entered a relaxed state.
...
The silence around Kuzan was quickly broken by someone else. The raindrops above his head suddenly disappeared, and a floral umbrella had already been placed over his head.
"Uncle, you're not using an umbrella on a rainy day. Be careful, you'll get rheumatism when you're older."
A little girl, who looked to be about eleven or twelve years old, held up the floral umbrella in her hand and extended it over Kuzan's head. His height of over three meters was still too tall, even though Kuzan was now half-squatting on the ground, it was still a challenge for the little girl.
"Don't worry, I'm very healthy. This light rain won't affect me."
"Grandma was also like that when she was younger, and she regrets it now."
The weather forecast might lie, but old injuries won't. People who have been hurt when they were young face a challenge with every rainy or cloudy day as they grow older and weaker physically.
But the body will faithfully respond to changes in the weather, and many elders will use themselves as a lesson to warn the next generation.
"Ah la la, thanks for your concern. I'll pay attention next time.
But you, why are you out here alone in this weather and walking towards this place? It's not safe to be near the river on a rainy day."
"Grandma's back doesn't feel good. I came to get medicine for her. You must be new here; Croagunks don't eat ice blocks, bringing those things is useless. Hold the umbrella for me please."
Saying that she took out a food container, which contained a few fish-dry rice balls and an empty bottle, and handed them to the Croagunks.
The Croagunks were quite familiar with this transaction. After receiving the food, they secreted a drop of venom into the bottle, then filled it with water.
When the quantity is large enough, the secreted venom can paralyze a person's body, but when the dosage is appropriate, it is a good medicine.
The venom secreted from the tips of their fingers can be made into medicine when diluted, and it is an excellent material for relieving back pain.
Croagunks use special water to dilute it, leading to an irreversible process in dilution, ensuring that even if someone wants to purify it, they can't get the toxin back, only ending up with a cup of waste water, preventing anyone from using this venom for malicious purposes.
The water they produce is the best thing for preparing medication, and their presence here is partly because of this. The specially made medicine also appears on the sales platform of Hundred Beasts Fruit and is highly praised.
Whether it's a decoction or ointment, it can have miraculous effects and has become an effective folk remedy in Wano Kuni for treating old conditions like back pain.
Of course, the Holy Mountain is a better option, but unless it's an irreversible injury or illness that can't be dealt with by conventional means, no one would climb the Holy Mountain for small ailments like headaches or fevers. Climbing there is a difficult task.
After obtaining the medicine, the girl protected the medicine bottle in her arms and turned back to run in the direction she came from.
"Hey, your umbrella!"
"I gave it to you. My home is very close, newcomers shouldn't keep getting drenched."
Before she could run two steps, Kuzan instantly appeared in front of her, returning the floral umbrella to her hand. He also had an ice umbrella in his hand.
"I appreciate the thought, but I do have an umbrella."
"Demon Mages indeed are such odd people. You can make an umbrella, yet you still get wet!"
"As for you, what ordinary girl would give a stranger an umbrella the moment they meet."
"That's what Grandma said. Life now is hard-earned, so we need to take care of you newcomers a bit."
She mistook Kuzan for a newcomer among the Hundred Beasts. Here, they don't know anything about the Navy Admirals.
Her judgment was correct, but Kuzan himself was very special.
There's hardly any outsiders in Wano Kuni, over the years, only one or two ships have accidentally arrived here. After the Hundred Beasts took over, it's basically desolate.
People dressed in unique attire are typically members of the Hundred Beasts. They've seen the change in their lives; though they can't do great things, they'll do their best to accomplish small tasks.
Of course, not every part of it is accurate, because no matter what the group, there will be elites and riff-raff within it.
There are skilled and capable elites among the Heavenly Celestial Dragon, and there are intrusive elements who flaunt their power within the Revolutionary Army and the Navy, but it's undeniable that the education of the previous generation greatly impacts the next.
"Alright, go home quickly. You don't need to worry about adult matters, little kid."
"Don't underestimate people, okay? I'm already preparing to work at a Pokemon Center in the future, so maybe when you get hurt, it will be me treating you."
"If possible, I'd rather not get hurt."
Outside of Kuzan's injured leg, his leather boots were intact. If he didn't actively remove them, others wouldn't be able to tell he's missing a leg.
Watching the girl turn and enter an alley, Kuzan also planned to leave here. The rain was gradually getting heavier, and there were already few people on the street.
But as he turned, he sensed a slight anomaly....