OPTC Chapter 288: This Time It's the Real Iron Fist
Tom whimpered as he picked up the torn tip of his tail, taping it back together with a strip of adhesive. Wendy, flustered, hurriedly used her healing magic on him.
In the end, it was unclear whether Tom's tail healed because of the magic or the tape.
Either way, Tom didn't dare pick up an axe again. Instead, he changed into a hunter's outfit, which made him feel safer going up the mountain.
"You said you're heading to Mount Corvo?" the soldier at the dock asked.
Zhang Da Ye nodded. "It's the mountain closest to the city gates. I don't actually know what it's called."
The soldier replied, "Actually, the entire mountain range outside the capital's walls is called Mount Corvo."
The Goa Kingdom's capital was surrounded on three sides by mountains — one continuous range with no real subdivisions for each peak.
"Then that's the one," Zhang Da Ye said. "Any rules against leaving the city or climbing the mountains?"
The soldier shook his head. "No such rules. But there are plenty of wild beasts in the mountains, and beyond the gates… well, just be careful."
"Thanks for the warning." Zhang Da Ye waved to his companions and led them out.
The soldier watched the group — one man, one woman, a robot, two kids, and two cats — shaking his head. They looked way too reckless. No proper weapons, just a single gun carried by one of the cats. Were they looking to die?
Unless… maybe that robot was secretly armed with something powerful?
…
The harbor was on the west side of the city, but they exited through the south gate.
The gates were usually closed and only opened for garbage wagons.
When the guards saw Zhang Da Ye's group approaching, they didn't bother stopping them. They didn't care who went in or out — as long as there was money, the doors would open.
Outside wasn't the endless mountain of trash they'd imagined. Half a year ago, the waste had been burned and later cleared — mostly to eliminate any survivors.
Half a year was long enough for a small county to produce thirty thousand tons of garbage. The workers here didn't bother piling it high; they just dumped it on the nearest open patch and went back.
Now, the so-called "End Station of Uncertainty" was filled with scattered mounds of trash, messy and uneven. Each pile had been dug through by scavengers — chaotic traces of desperate survival.
"Ugh…" Wendy pinched her nose the moment they stepped out. "The air here is awful."
Everyone frowned; the stench was overwhelming.
"It's a dump, after all. We'll just pass through," Zhang Da Ye said. "Unless you'd rather have Carla fly you over first? We'll catch up."
Wendy shook her head. "No, I want to stay with everyone."
Once they were all outside, the guards started to close the gates — but suddenly, a figure dashed toward them, trying to sneak in.
It was the same man who'd been expelled last night. He'd been hiding nearby, waiting to sneak back in with a garbage cart. When he saw people leaving instead, he took his chance — only to be met by two rifles pointed at his head.
He froze, then backed away in defeat, watching helplessly as the doors slammed shut.
No matter, he thought, staring at Zhang Da Ye's group disappearing into the distance. Once they return, I'll just follow behind them and pretend to be one of their party.
Once I'm back inside, I can steal, gamble, do whatever — anything's better than staying out here with the filth.
Others hiding behind piles of garbage had the same thought. When they saw no garbage cart, they sighed in disappointment. They'd long accepted their fate — scavenging scraps of food or torn clothing was the best they could hope for.
No one dared approach Zhang Da Ye's group. To them, anyone walking out of the gates for fun was an "upper-class person," and bothering them could mean getting beaten or killed.
…
"Finally out! Ugh, the smell!" Perona fanned her face dramatically.
Wendy took a deep breath and smiled. "The air here's so much better."
Carla nodded. "Yes. Dumping garbage everywhere like that is just madness."
Tom, in full hunting mode, crouched behind a tree with his gun, peeking around carefully. Finding no prey, he slinked forward to the next tree, body low and tense, totally immersed in the role.
Zhang Da Ye glanced at the tall trees around them. "We'll climb while we look for the right kind of tree. I think it's supposed to be some kind of fir?"
He couldn't remember exactly — just that the trees looked triangular, one stacked over another.
Shark Chili, on the other hand, knew. "For Christmas trees, firs, spruces, or pines all work. As long as the shape looks good."
They climbed, eyes scanning the woods. Before long, Artoria swung her sword and brought down their first catch of the day — a huge wild boar.
"Well, looks like lunch is settled," Zhang Da Ye said, eyeing its size. "Carla, check if there's a river nearby where we can cook."
"Got it." Carla's wings spread as she soared into the air. She returned soon after. "There's a small river in that valley — and trees nearby that look like firs. It's not too far."
"Perfect." Zhang Da Ye grabbed one of the boar's legs and started dragging it forward — turning the haul into impromptu strength training.
Hunter Tom, still empty-handed, pouted and scanned for his own target.
Effort pays off, even for cats. Just before reaching the valley, Tom spotted a rabbit and fired twice in excitement.
The rabbit bolted. Tom chased, gun blazing.
It dove into a thick bush — Tom tossed the gun aside and leapt after it.
A few seconds later, the rabbit burst out — now standing upright, its hind legs spinning like wheels as it sped away.
Tom jumped out right after, sprinting for his life — because a tiger was right behind him.
The tiger roared and lunged. Tom ducked. Another bite — another duck.
He ran straight for Zhang Da Ye, diving behind his legs and sticking out his tongue at the tiger.
"Raaagh!" The tiger roared again, pouncing.
"Another weird opponent, huh," Shark Chili muttered, unfazed.
"Here goes!" Zhang Da Ye grabbed the boar behind him, swung it like a club, and smashed it down on the tiger's back.
The beast let out a strangled scream, eyes bulging, tongue lolling. Its claws scraped the dirt a few times before it went still.
Tom strutted over and flicked the tiger's nose proudly — only to get flattened again as the boar rolled off the carcass and landed on him.
His hands twitched twice, then went limp — exactly like the tiger.
Carla sighed. She'd learned by now that Tom's strange body could take this kind of punishment. "What's even the point of him?"
"Chasing a rabbit and getting a tiger instead — makes sense," Zhang Da Ye said confidently. He pulled the dazed cat free.
"Should I heal him?" Wendy asked.
"No need." Zhang Da Ye gave Tom a good shake, and the cat sprang back to normal. "Good job, buddy. That's another dish for lunch."
The words "another dish" triggered Artoria's interest. She gave Tom an approving nod.
Tom beamed. He didn't fully understand, but praise was praise — and surely Carla admired his bravery and elegance in battle, right?
…
In the valley, a clear stream trickled down from the mountain, fed by springs far enough to be clean from the dump's pollution.
On the grassy bank, six figures sat around three campfires, each holding a large bone with chunks of meat still attached.
One fire roasted the tiger, another the boar, and the third held a pot of thick soup. The smell of roasted meat and broth drifted far across the woods.
A blue cat stirred the pot, tasted it, frowned, then tossed in some mushrooms and seasoning before stirring again.
Of course, that cat was Tom.
After a while, he tasted the soup again, nodded in satisfaction, and started serving it in makeshift wooden bowls.
"Thanks, Tom!" everyone chimed in, digging in happily.
Tom sat down with his own bowl.
Wendy took a careful sip, eyes lighting up. "We've had so many good meals lately, but Tom's cooking is still the best!"
Artoria agreed. "Tom's dishes are unbeatable."
"Yeah, Tom's amazing. Way better than a certain someone who claims to be his master," Perona added pointedly, glaring at Zhang Da Ye. She still remembered the awful hot chocolate he'd once made to apologize — though she'd forgotten what for.
"…" Zhang Da Ye gave up fighting that battle long ago. He just tore into a hunk of meat. "Delicious!"
As they were nearly done with the boar, Artoria suddenly looked up. "Someone's coming."
Everyone froze, listening. Then faint voices of children drifted through the air.
"Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!"
"Idiot Luffy, where are you aiming?"
"Oh no, I overshot!"
A round-faced boy came hurtling from the sky and crashed into the ground nearby, face-first, raising a cloud of dust.
"Oh no, that fall looked bad!" Wendy dropped her bowl and ran toward him.
Artoria grabbed her arm. "He's fine. But the one coming after him… is not ordinary."
"Huh?" Wendy blinked in confusion.
Zhang Da Ye already had a good guess. He patted Tom's head. A low-tier Tom had arrived — wait, no, he was the low-tier Tom. Then what did that make Luffy?
Sure enough, as the dust cleared, little Luffy wiggled his body — his head buried in the dirt, his neck stretched ridiculously long as he tried to pull it free.
"Yo!" he grunted, finally popping his head out, only to tumble backward and slam into a boulder.
"Luffy! Are you okay?" another boy ran up, older, freckled, messy black hair, yellow shirt with "Violence" written on it. His eyes darted toward Zhang Da Ye's group warily. Ace.
But the "someone" Artoria had sensed wasn't him — it was the towering man approaching behind them.
Nearly three meters tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a floral shirt, his presence alone radiated power.
The legendary Marine hero — Iron Fist Garp.
The real Iron Fist.
His hair and beard weren't fully gray yet, and he wore a bright, carefree grin. Still, the pressure he gave off was immense.
Artoria and Garp locked eyes. Her hand tightened around her bone — shifting unconsciously into a sword grip.
The tension broke only when Luffy sniffed the air, drooling. "So good! That smell — it's meat!"
"Meat!" he shouted, lunging toward the nearest source — Perona.
"Ew! Gross!" Perona, caught off guard, yelped and flung a ghost at him.
"Luffy!" Ace cried. Before he could react, Luffy froze midair, collapsing dramatically.
"If there's a next life… I want to be a seashell. I'm so useless. If only there were a hole, I'd crawl right in…"
"What are you even saying, Luffy?!" Ace shouted, only for another ghost to pass through him too.
Ace dropped to the ground, groaning. "I… I couldn't even protect Luffy. What right do I have to call myself a pirate…"
Zhang Da Ye was stunned. He'd mentally classified Garp as "friendly," so even when Artoria drew her sword, he hadn't panicked. He was just about to greet the man — and then Perona managed to emotionally annihilate both of his grandsons.
As Garp's eyes shifted toward her, Zhang Da Ye instinctively stepped forward, shielding Perona behind him. "Um…"
In a flash, Garp vanished — reappearing behind them. Artoria reacted instantly, switching forms, blade pointed at him.
Garp grinned broadly. "Young lady, could you please use that ability on them again?"
Everyone froze.
"Huh?!"
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