Not long after, Brandon received another message from Firewing.
"Try to find any mutant wild boars, pheasants, or rabbits—apparently their meat is the tastiest."
"Bear paws, do whatever you want. Now that spiritual energy is back, who cares about protection anymore?"
"And if you come across any giant mutant pythons, grab one of those too! I've never tasted snake meat, but there's a lot of it."
"If you're near the coast, maybe see if there are any mutated sea creatures. Skip the sharks though—I've heard the meat is gross and full of toxins, and shark fins taste like nothing."
"No dolphins either, they're too cute."
"And bring plenty! Last time I barely got a taste before it was all gone. Even with regular deliveries, it's never enough."
Brandon's mouth twitched as he read the growing list of demands. If you want so many specific things, why don't you go hunt yourself?
Also, since when did being cute make an animal off-limits? Rabbits are cute too—yet you want me to bring those? And when did I ever agree to be your personal supplier?
But whatever, he thought, exhaling. May as well. Being part of the Bureau, he had to pull his weight, and honestly, these were just side quests for him.
Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, a massive black python flicked its tongue, its icy eyes fixated on a trembling man. Not far from him, two others lay unconscious.
"Help! Help!" the man screamed, stumbling backward in terror until he tripped and fell, his eyes wide with dread. He yelled for help, hoping someone—anyone—would hear and come to his rescue.
Perhaps spooked by the noise, the python suddenly coiled and shot forward like an arrow, its mouth gaping, an unpleasant, rank stench drifting from its fangs.
"No! No—!" the man wailed, clamping his eyes shut in despair.
BOOM!
The ground trembled with a thunderous crash—but instead of being swallowed alive, the man cracked open his eyes in confusion.
A stranger now stood between him and the python. As he tried to speak, the black python reemerged from the nearby woods, fixing the newcomer with a deadly glare. Its massive body bore a deep, caved-in imprint—like someone had stomped on it.
"It's still alive? Impressive defense," the newcomer remarked, eyeing the python with mild surprise.
Had he landed a blow while the man's eyes were closed? The thought barely crossed his mind before the stranger pulled out… a spiked club?
A spiked club? Not a sword, a spear, or some mystical weapon—an honest-to-god kanabo, like something out of One Piece or a cartoon bandit's arsenal.
Crash!
The air itself split with a web of cracks. The python was struck hard, sent flying and spewing blood mid-air.
The snake shrieked and thrashed in pain. It crashed to earth, barely moving.
Was that the Tremor-Tremor Fruit? The man's mind reeled. That "cracking space" effect—no way normal shockwaves could do that! Was this guy using the powers of Whitebeard's legendary Devil Fruit? Or had he somehow awakened a space-related ability?
No, that kind of physical might doesn't come from spatial manipulation. And who the heck uses a kanabo except for Kaido?
Was that just Thunder Bagua with the Tremor-Tremor effect?
While the rescued man stood dumbfounded, Brandon calmly approached the downed python. With practiced ease, he severed its head, then stored the enormous body in his storage ring. The severed head vanished in a flash of fire—turned instantly to ash.
"Didn't expect to get so lucky right at the start. What a find." Brandon smiled. With a python more than twenty meters long, even his appetite would be satisfied for days.
Snakes really were a prize—snake gall and heart had powerful medicinal properties, especially in a world bathed in spiritual energy.
Still… pythons like this usually lived in rainforests or humid subtropical woods. What was one doing in the mountains? Or maybe some pythons were mountain-dwellers after all? Shrugging, Brandon decided it hardly mattered. The more, the better.
At that moment, a young man named Andrew Yang, rubbing his arm, approached Brandon with nervous excitement.
"Um, are you—are you the Emperor Kaido?" he asked, almost in a whisper.
Brandon blinked. "Excuse me?"
Andrew realized how ridiculous that sounded. "Ah! No, sorry, slip of the tongue! I meant… just now, when you swung that club… was that the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power?"
He looked at Brandon, hoping desperately for confirmation—he'd seen enough One Piece to hope for something extraordinary.
"It's just a regular shockwave ability," Brandon replied flatly. "Those special effects like Whitebeard's? That's just from refining my power to a high level."
Whether that was truly possible or not, Brandon didn't care. He'd intentionally added the "space shattering" effect for drama. After all, special effects were created by people, people were part of nature, so in the end, special effects belonged to nature, too.
"Really?" Andrew scratched his head. "Guess my grades in science aren't great, but I didn't think shockwave powers could create those visuals."
"Absolutely," Brandon replied.
"That's a shame," Andrew said, a little deflated, then eyed Brandon's spiked club. "So… are you a fan of Kaido from One Piece?"
Brandon gave a noncommittal shrug. "He's definitely powerful. Mythical Azure Dragon form, all three types of Haki—he's a monster. Even Luffy had a hard time taking him down."
Andrew grinned. "I really never expected Luffy to win, to be honest…"
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