Chapter 155: The Child Isn't Mine!
As the century-long giant battle at the center of Little Garden island paused once more, the "small meeting" on Ralph's side also concluded.
No one knew exactly what Ralph had said to those four members of Baroque Works.
In any case, when the meeting ended, Mr. 3, Miss Valentine, Miss Goldenweek, and a thoroughly bewildered Mr. 5 respectfully saw Ralph off.
Their attitude wasn't like they were sending off an enemy who had just beaten them senseless, but rather like they were bidding farewell to a... superior?
After confirming he was out of the four's sight, Ralph leaned against a large tree and let out a long sigh of relief.
Then—
Thump.
He collapsed to the ground.
Sweat instantly soaked the fallen leaves beneath him.
Tired.
So tired.
His stamina... truly not a single drop remained.
During the earlier battle, he had already used hypnosis to overdraw his stamina once.
Now, the side effects were fully erupting.
Lying on the ground, gazing up at the fragmented sunlight filtered through the leaves, Ralph thought with a bitter smile:
He clearly had a team...
Yet he chose to take on all the enemies alone, and in such a "show-off and tough-it-out" manner...
It was truly too much of a stretch.
He was well aware of his own situation.
Skills—he wasn't lacking.
Knowledge—he wasn't lacking either.
But he lacked one thing—
The stamina to engage in a fierce battle with others for three days and three nights...
Or rather, that kind of "monstrous" physique.
In this world, true powerhouses are strong not only in their abilities but even stronger in their foundational attributes.
Like Lufia, like Zoro, like those future great figures... They possess nearly limitless stamina, capable of fighting continuously for days and nights, and can recover rapidly even when injured.
As for Ralph...
Although he had acquired various skills through the system, his physical essence still seemed to be that of an ordinary person.
He had considered solutions.
Either, through his own comprehension, master the ultimate secret of the Six Powers—"Life Return."
That was the ability to freely control every cell of the body, theoretically capable of greatly enhancing recovery and stamina limits.
Or, obtain a similar skill or bloodline from Lufia or some "monster."
"In the end, there's still a difference between me and the people of this world," Ralph murmured to himself.
Not to mention anything else, in the original storyline, Lufia, Sanji, and Usopp had all very naturally said, "I've never been sick since I was a child."
Zoro was probably similar.
Who could compete with that?
The urgent task now was to find his companions in this perilous Little Garden.
Otherwise, in his current state, even if a wild beast randomly appeared, he would be in serious trouble.
Speak of the devil.
Just as Ralph struggled to sit up—
A dark shadow suddenly loomed over him.
Immediately after, he felt his body become light.
"Huh?"
He was... picked up.
Looking up.
It was none other.
Than that Archaeopteryx.
That prehistoric raptor he had previously captured as a mount and tamed with his hypnosis skill.
Too much time had passed; the effects of beast taming and hypnosis had long since worn off.
It seemed it still had some impression of Ralph.
Only... not a good one.
"This is bad," Ralph's heart sank.
Was he about to be treated as "food"?
The good news was, the other party didn't seem to intend to tear him apart immediately.
The Archaeopteryx grabbed him, spread its massive wings, and soared into the air.
The wind howled past his ears.
Ralph was held in the bird's talons, suspended mid-air.
He could only watch helplessly as the ground grew farther and farther away.
He thought to himself:
During this time, I should focus on recovering my stamina, then use the hypnotic skill one more time later...
But soon, he realized the situation wasn't looking good.
The Archaeopteryx flew to a cliffside.
On the cliff, there was a massive nest built from branches and dry grass.
The Archaeopteryx released its grip.
Ralph landed with a "thud" in the nest.
He struggled to sit up and looked around.
The nest was simple but clean.
In the center lay soft, dry grass, and on the grass—were two eggs.
Each egg was over a meter in diameter, with grayish-brown shells speckled with dark red spots.
"This is..."
Ralph froze.
Through his Observation Haki perception and the passive effect of his Beast Taming skill, he instantly understood why the Archaeopteryx had brought him back.
—To serve as the "first meal" for its newly hatched offspring.
Ralph: "..."
What an honor.
Do I really look... that nutritious?
He wanted to run.
But his stamina was currently zero.
Without being able to use Geppo, this nest on the cliffside...
Where could he possibly run?
Jump off?
From this height, in his current state, he would surely die.
Just as Ralph was lost in thought—an even worse situation unfolded.
"Crack."
A faint sound.
Came from one of the eggs.
The shell... cracked.
The chick was about to hatch.
He was about to be "served."
Ralph watched helplessly as the cracks on the egg multiplied, spreading like a spiderweb.
Crack... crack...
Finally—
"Pop!"
A small hole was pushed open in the shell.
A wet, pinkish little head poked out.
It was a hatchling.
Though it had barely any feathers, it bore some resemblance to its mother.
"Cheep... cheep..."
The hatchling chirped twice, its voice crisp and clear.
It struggled hard, pushing away the surrounding shell, and wriggled its entire body out.
A small body, a large head, and two fleshy wings flapping.
Looking at it, Ralph instinctively said:
"It looks quite healthy... congratulations."
After saying it, he himself was stunned.
What am I congratulating?
Congratulating it for getting to eat him right after hatching?
The mother Archaeopteryx stood at the edge of the nest, looking down at her offspring with a gentle chirp.
But Ralph's attention had already shifted to the other egg.
That egg... was also moving.
Crack!
Cracks appeared.
Ralph thought to himself:
When the second one hatches, while the mother Archaeopteryx is distracted, I'll use the last bit of my stamina to jump off the cliff and use Geppo once mid-air to cushion the fall...
Hopefully, I won't die from the fall.
But the next moment—
"Pop!"
The second egg also cracked open.
A small head poked out.
Also wet, also newly hatched.
But...
But it was different.
This hatchling—or rather, this "little thing"—had no feathers.
Its entire body was covered in fine black scales, shimmering with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.
Its head was larger than the first one's, its mouth wider, and tiny milk teeth were already visible inside.
Most importantly...
It had no wings.
Instead, there was a pair of... front claws.
Strong, stubby, with sharp talons.
Ralph froze.
This shape...
It reminded him of a creature from a childhood memory.
Digimon.
Black Agumon.
The Archaeopteryx mother was also stunned.
She lowered her head, leaned close to the little black dinosaur, looked left and right, and then let out a puzzled chirp.
"Gah?"
As if asking: Who are you?
The little black dinosaur also raised its head, looking at the Archaeopteryx mother with its large, round eyes.
Then—
"Awoo!"
It cried out.
Its voice didn't sound like a bird's, but more like... a beast's.
The Archaeopteryx mother took a step back, her eyes filled with confusion.
Ralph couldn't help but comment:
"Miss, this child... did you pick up the wrong one?"
But before he could finish speaking—
An even more unexpected situation occurred.
The little black dinosaur turned around, looked at the Archaeopteryx mother, then at its siblings nearby, and finally...
Its gaze fell on Ralph.
It trotted over on its two short legs, "tap-tap-tap."
Then, it stopped in front of Ralph.
Raised its head.
"Awoo!"
It cried out again.
This time, its voice carried a clear sense of... affection?
Ralph was even more bewildered.
He quickly waved his hands at the Archaeopteryx mother:
"The child isn't mine!"
"Really! I swear!"