Chapter 3
Victor stood face-to-face with the colossal Sea King.
"Worth being called one of this world's apex lifeforms. It's absurdly massive."
He stared up in quiet awe. "And this is just a standard one. How gigantic would a super-sized Sea King be?"
No trace of fear—only a strange, electric excitement coursed through him. The pig-like Sea King paid him no mind, head lowered, greedily devouring the island's endless bounty.
Victor had long since grown used to being overlooked.
His expression hardened. With a powerful leap, he soared overhead and drove a full-force punch into its back.
Bang!
Pain exploded through the beast. It let out a sky-shaking roar—interrupted mid-feast by this insignificant pest. Rage ignited instantly. The Sea King rolled sideways to crush him, then scanned furiously for the attacker.
For all its bulk, it moved with terrifying agility.
Victor kept up the pressure, dodging with Observation Haki guiding every move. But Haki had limits—knowing an attack was coming didn't help if his body couldn't keep pace.
One slip, and a massive tail connected.
Victor hurtled through the air, smashing through a dozen trees before slamming to a stop.
The Sea King roared in pain too—Victor's strikes had landed hard. But instead of retreating, Victor felt exhilaration surge. His eyes bled crimson, wounds closing at visible speed, body quivering with raw power. Every cell screamed with energy. The ground beneath him trembled faintly in response.
He rose slowly, a savage grin splitting his face as he locked onto the distant beast.
"Heh… big pig. The fight's only just beginning."
A faint, thin red aura shimmered over his skin. His clenched fists showed scattered patches of shallow black—the very first stirrings of Armament Haki.
Lost in the rush, he didn't register the change.
This beast hailed from the Grand Line—far beyond the weaklings of East Blue waters. An ordinary Sea King would've been flattened already.
The creature tilted its head, confused: Why was this tiny human still standing?
Victor walked forward steadily. All injuries had vanished—his devouring talent's regeneration was monstrous.
The Sea King bellowed and charged again.
Victor didn't evade. He laughed wildly and charged straight into the path—meeting force with force.
The enormous pig-head barreled toward him like a battering ram.
"Haa!"
Victor roared, fist crashing against forehead in a thunderous collision.
Bang!
He was sent flying once more—but this time something shifted. His fists now bore a thin, solid black coating. Armament Haki had awakened, even if limited to his hands.
A true leap in strength.
The inner fire still burned unchecked; reason clung by a thread. All he wanted was to crush this thing.
The Stomach Baron sensed the feast. Its central abyss yawned wide; surrounding petals began to rise and close.
Instinct screamed danger to the Sea King. It abandoned Victor and bolted for the edge.
Victor wouldn't let it escape. Stuffing handfuls of nearby food into his mouth mid-stride, he leaped after it.
"Running? Not happening!"
He cut off its path, laughing fiercely, and unleashed a storm of blows. Each punch now carried hardened Armament Haki—devastating compared to before.
The Sea King howled in agony, thrashing desperately.
Victor met every counter head-on—no more dodging. Reinforced fists hammered relentlessly.
The beast couldn't comprehend the sudden shift in power.
Pain finally shattered its rage into terror. It turned to flee again—but escape was impossible. Petals towered high; the way out was sealed. It was destined for the maw.
Victor saw it too, but ignored the warning. He chased and pummeled without mercy.
Only when the Sea King tumbled helplessly into the giant mouth—vanishing from sight—did the crimson fade from Victor's eyes.
Clarity returned. He lunged for a nearby vine and scrambled upward, climbing frantically to escape the closing abyss just in time.