"Hahaha! That bear dad knows what he's doing! Kid, go! Show that cub what your training's worth!"
Joy Boy clapped excitedly. "Wow! A baby bear! So cute! A-Yang, go for it!"
Gales felt another headache coming on. He glanced at the tiny brown cub, clearly still just a baby, and in the end decided not to interfere.
Fine. As long as they don't tear the ship apart…
A-Yang looked at the little bear, barely as tall as his knee, still rubbing its sleepy eyes. Then he looked at the big bear beside it, who had a clear "my son's all yours" expression.
His face fell.
How… how am I supposed to fight this?
The cub finally woke up a bit. It waddled over curiously, sniffed A-Yang's pants with its wet nose, then gave them a quick lick with its soft pink tongue.
"Hey! That tickles!" A-Yang laughed, pulling his leg back.
The cub thought he was playing.
With an excited little roar, it pounced forward, hugging A-Yang's leg and clumsily wrestling with him.
The two rolled around together. It was less a fight and more like roughhousing.
The cub was clearly having fun, tackling, hugging, rolling, licking, completely immersed in the game. A-Yang, meanwhile, was laughing uncontrollably, trying now and then to use the techniques Ritter had taught him, only to be neutralized every time by an overly effective bear hug.
The cub's strategy was simple. Grab and never let go.
Off to the side, Ritter clicked his tongue, watching. Then his eyes lit up with mischief.
A bad idea formed instantly.
He leaned forward and called out, "Hey! You, the round little one! Putting in that much effort, huh? How about a reward?"
The cub paused mid-play.
Ritter grinned. "Fight seriously. Beat him, and I'll give you three jars… no, five jars of top-grade honey."
The word "honey" hit like magic.
The cub froze. Its eyes widened, sparkling.
Something primal awakened.
This was no longer play. This was war.
It turned toward Ritter, nodding furiously, letting out eager little roars.
Even the big bear, who had been calmly watching, suddenly perked up. Its small eyes shone with intensity.
Five jars of premium honey.
An irresistible temptation.
The big bear immediately stood up, its massive body radiating pressure.
It grabbed its still-excited son and pulled him back, then thumped its own chest proudly. Next, it pointed at A-Xing, who had been watching from the side, and assumed a fighting stance.
The meaning was obvious.
Deal. I'll fight. Let me take that one.
A-Xing jumped back, startled.
Ritter laughed. "Oh? Picking the easy target, huh? You want to fight my girl?"
Joy Boy's presence, the girl's chilling aura, and Ritter's killing intent overlapped.
A faint crimson mist swirled around Ritter as his gaze locked onto the bear.
"Your opponent… is me."
The big bear stiffened instantly.
It looked at Ritter. Then at the imagined honey.
Then back at Ritter.
After a long pause, it slowly sat back down.
A wise bear does not fight unwinnable battles.
It shuffled closer to Buffon, as if nothing had happened, then casually nudged its son forward.
The message was clear.
Son, go. For the honey. I support you… spiritually.
With his father's blessing and the promise of honey, the cub became fully fired up.
This time, its eyes were sharp with determination.
The big bear even added a low rumble, clearly encouraging him.
Win the honey and I'll share.
The cub roared, dropping to all fours and charging at A-Yang with explosive speed and strength, far beyond before.
Without any devil fruit enhancement, pure physicality alone, it still far outclassed A-Yang.
A-Yang barely had time to react. He raised his arms to block.
Thud.
The cub's paw struck his guard with surprising force.
A-Yang's arms went numb as he staggered back several steps.
"Whoa!"
Before he could recover, the cub lunged again, trying to bring him down with another bear hug.
A-Yang quickly steadied his stance, remembering Ritter's training. He tightened his core, drove through his hips, and pushed back.
Soon, the deck echoed with heavy impacts.
One boy. One cub.
They fought fiercely.
Despite its size, the cub's strength, speed, and instincts were far beyond a normal animal. It even began to overpower A-Yang, who had been training hard for weeks.
A-Yang found himself mostly on the defensive, only managing occasional counterattacks. Sweat quickly formed on his forehead.
"So strong!" he gasped, struggling to keep up with the cub's relentless flurry of strikes. "I thought we were just playing…"
Ritter watched with great interest, offering commentary like a coach.
"Yeah, that's it. Lower your stance. Don't just block with your arms. Use your hips. Good. Now kick low. It's short, go for the legs. Lift it, it can't bite you anyway."
Joy Boy cheered loudly from the side. "A-Yang, go! Little bear, go! For the honey!"
Gales finally covered his face and let out a long sigh.
What is this mess…
-------------------------------------
Hooked already? Let me know what grabbed you leave a review and fuel the journey forward! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
Things are just heating up. Read ahead in Unbound Evolution and stay ahead of the crowd.
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.