The destination Rhode and the others were heading to wasn't far from Baltigo. The journey was uneventful, and after a peaceful night's sleep on the ship, they arrived the next day.
The large sailing vessel anchored near an island.
The occasional roars of wild beasts and the sight of terrifying birds with wingspans of three to four meters taking flight caused Rez and the others to pale.
Having grown up in Baltigo, they had never encountered such creatures before.Oh, we've seen them before—though most have already ended up as food on the dining table. There was a time when people marveled at the tenderness of their meat.
But now…
It feels like karma is about to strike.
Gulp…
Rez swallowed hard, exchanging a glance with another rookie. Both saw a flicker of fear in each other's eyes.
"Relax," their teammates reassured them, though Rez could sense their own tension.
Clearly, even with their skills, they weren't strong enough to roam freely on this island of monsters.
Perhaps only captain-level fighters like Nia could remain completely composed.
At that moment, the fish-man Hatchan began explaining the rules of the combat mission.
"Your task is to survive on this island for three days and slay as many beasts as possible. Cooperation is allowed, but teams are limited to three members."
"The area around the island is under surveillance. If we detect a life-threatening situation, we'll intervene. Deaths are rare, but injuries—even permanent ones—can still happen."
"Alright, move out."
Without giving them time to think, Hatchan herded them onto the island, providing no rations. They were on their own.
After disembarking, the recruits didn't scatter immediately. Instead, they sought out partners to form teams.
Rhode declined Rez's invitation and casually chose a direction, venturing deep into the jungle.
The overwhelming scent of the wilderness seemed to awaken something primal, long buried in human memory.
Rhode could feel it—a simmering sensation rising from within, as if his very blood was stirring.
"So… I've been craving a fight all along."
He licked his dry lips and grinned.
Meanwhile, Koala and another arrived at a ship's cabin.
Inside, rows of screens displayed footage from various parts of the island.
This archipelago was clearly a training ground developed by the Revolutionary Army to hone their recruits.
Revolutionary soldiers watched intently, recording the rookies' performances—data that would factor into their year-end evaluations.
Hatchan's expression was stern, his eyes scanning the screens without pause.
His focus, naturally, was on rookies like Rhode.
Physical prowess and martial arts skill didn't guarantee victory against beasts. Some froze at the sight of blood or in the face of death, unable to muster even a fraction of their strength.
"Stay sharp. No mistakes," Hatchan ordered.
Recruits who trained at Revolutionary Army headquarters often became core members, with many rising to officer ranks.
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers responded.
"Relax, the really strong ones on the island have already been turned into ingredients. Nothing should go wrong under normal circumstances," Koala said cheerfully, though her words sent a chill down their spines.
"They're still too green," Hatchan muttered, referring to Rhode, Rez, and the others.
"Not necessarily."
"You mean that young swordmaster?"
Hatchan nodded gravely. "He's a monster, no doubt."
"It took him mere minutes to override his instincts and alter his breathing technique."
"Minutes?" Koala blinked, then said in disbelief, "I remember Sabo took nearly an hour to do the same."Sabo's talent was renowned within the Revolutionary Army for its sheer strength. Having joined the Revolutionary Army at a very young age, even Hatchan admitted there was little left to teach him. Later, he became Dragon's disciple, and his combat prowess skyrocketed at an astonishing rate.
Though only eighteen now, many high-ranking officers of the Revolutionary Army were already no match for him.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon, had praised Sabo's combat talent on more than one occasion.
"Talent is one thing, but battle is another. This world is full of prodigies who turn out to be complete weaklings in a real fight."
Hatchan shook his head.
"Let's wait and see," Koala said with a smile.
...
Meanwhile, Rhode was currently walking deeper into the forest, gripping an ordinary longsword.
"This island must have been specially prepared by the Revolutionary Army—a training ground for recruits to experience real combat and bloodshed."
"In that case, the beasts here shouldn't be too strong."
Rhode didn't dare underestimate the wildlife of the pirate world. He still remembered that in the original story, there were even super beasts that required Luffy's Gear Fourth to defeat.
If he encountered something like that now, he probably wouldn't even be able to escape.
Suddenly, a shadow moved slowly through a patch of waist-high shrubs in the distance. Rhode's sharp eyes quickly discerned it—a massive beast, covered in spiky fur, standing at least five feet tall.
Two enormous tusks protruded from its gaping maw, reflecting a chilling glint in the fragmented sunlight filtering through the forest canopy.
Rhode recalled the fattest, largest sow he had seen in his past life—about two feet tall.
Meaning, this wild boar was more than twice the height of a normal pig, looking almost like a small car.
"First prey, it's you."
It had been a while since he last had roasted meat, and the sight of this boar instantly whetted his appetite.
With a quick dash, he positioned himself directly in front of the spiky boar and grinned.
"Grrr..."
The spiky boar stared at the strange creature wielding a longsword before it and let out an eerie growl.
Then, its thick hooves stomped the ground, kicking up dirt as it charged at Rhode with a foul-smelling gust of wind—like a fully accelerated heavy-duty Hummer.
Its two razor-sharp tusks, resembling giant curved blades, aimed straight for Rhode.
Whoosh!
The moment the boar charged, Rhode swiftly sidestepped. The speeding beast couldn't stop in time.
Seizing the opportunity, Rhode's eyes flashed as he channeled all his strength into his arm. The gleaming longsword, shrouded in a faint white glow, slashed upward across the boar's neck.
Thud!
A massive boar's head flew into the air, blood gushing wildly.
The headless body, carried by momentum, continued charging for over thirty feet before collapsing with a heavy thud. It twitched on the ground for a while before finally dying.
"Pretty simple."
The sight of gushing blood didn't faze Rhode in the slightest.
As a doctor, he had seen far worse.
"Alright, time for a barbecue. Eat first, fight later."
Rhode deftly pulled out a set of survival tools.
He lit a fire, set up a grill, and soon, flames roared to life.
Before long, the spiky boar was roasted to a golden crisp, its tantalizing aroma filling the air. Dripping fat sizzled as it hit the flames.
"Done."After a while, Rhode sprinkled salt and coated the roast pig with a layer of honey, making it even more aromatic. His own mouth watered at the sight.
"This guy..."
Watching this scene through the surveillance equipment, Koala, the fishman Hatchan, and numerous Revolutionary Army soldiers couldn't help but lick their lips, veins popping on their foreheads.
Did he even consider us?!