One Piece: Absolute Domination; Reborn as Luffy

"Where's my meat?" Luffy wondered, feeling perplexed and a little lost. He glanced up, only to realize that the meat hadn't vanished into thin air—it was in Rayleigh's chopsticks.

Rayleigh quickly stuffed the meat into his mouth and grinned. "Mmm! Not bad at all. Best meat I've had in a long time!" he said, savoring it. Then, with a sudden seriousness, he fixed his gaze on Luffy.

"Luffy! How could you not invite me to share something so delicious? Hmm?" Rayleigh said, giving Luffy's head a playful knock with his chopsticks. "I'm still your teacher, after all."

"Ow!" Luffy yelped, rubbing his head, looking slightly put out. "That's not fair! I was starving!"

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. "Luffy, you've eaten plenty by now. There's no way you're still hungry. Not sharing? That's downright ungrateful!"

Luffy could only sigh in helplessness. He wanted to explain that he'd been devouring meat to train, for Rayleigh's sake and his own dreams, but before he could say anything, Rayleigh broke into a hearty laugh.

"Luffy! I was only joking!" he chuckled. "Why the long face?"

Luffy scratched his head awkwardly, and Rayleigh continued, "You're doing well, Luffy. I saw what you did just now—knocking down those two massive beasts with Conqueror's Haki. Impressive! I knew I wasn't wrong about you."

Pride swelled in Luffy's chest at the praise. But the next thing Rayleigh said made his heart sink.

"Luffy!" Rayleigh announced, his tone shifting. "Since you're progressing so well, we're moving ahead of schedule."

"Moving ahead?" Luffy echoed, a hint of dread already building. He had a pretty good idea where this was headed.

"There are some real monsters on this island, the kind that will challenge you to the core," Rayleigh explained. "Originally, I'd planned to wait until you'd trained a while longer, but after seeing your strength, I think you're ready to face them sooner."

Before Luffy could voice his thoughts, Rayleigh was already striding into the depths of the forest. "Come on, Luffy!" he called over his shoulder. "I want to see just how far your training has come!"

Luffy wanted to refuse, but he knew it was pointless. He had no choice but to follow. The two of them wove through the dense forest until the thick vegetation gradually thinned, revealing a wide clearing. It wasn't natural; the area had once been forest, reduced to empty land from battle after fierce battle. The signs of conflict were unmistakable.

Before long, Rayleigh halted and turned to Luffy. "Here, you'll face real opponents. Only by defeating them can you prove you've reached the level I've set for you."

After a pause, he added, "Of course, I know you're not a match for them just yet. I only want to see what you're capable of and how many moves you can last."

Rayleigh let out a whistle that echoed through the forest. Almost immediately, Luffy heard the rumbling sound of something massive approaching.

"Rumble… Rumble…" The ground shook with each step, and Luffy felt his heart pounding in sync. He knew exactly what kind of beasts were coming, but to calm his nerves, he decided to lighten the mood.

"Rayleigh-sensei! What's coming this way?" he asked.

"Beasts," Rayleigh replied, chuckling. "Didn't I tell you? These are the primary targets of your training."

"I mean… are they your friends or something? You just whistled, and they showed up."

Rayleigh laughed again. "Luffy, you have quite the imagination. They're not my friends, but I know how to attract them. Still, I suppose they're friendly enough—at least to me."

Luffy nodded, fully aware that Rayleigh had subdued these creatures long ago. They might be beasts, but they were smart, perhaps even more intelligent than some people.

The rumbling grew louder as several enormous figures emerged from the shadows of the forest, each standing several stories tall. While not significantly larger than the beasts he'd fought before, Luffy knew these creatures were leagues tougher.

A giant gorilla stepped forward, beating its chest and letting out a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the entire forest.

"Boom! Boom!" The gorilla's chest-thumping echoed through the air, pounding against Luffy's ears. Luffy recognized this beast instantly. It was one of the very creatures that had inspired his training methods back in his previous life.

The other beasts stood quietly, casting wary glances at Rayleigh while looking at Luffy with open disdain.

"Luffy!" Rayleigh said, snapping him from his thoughts. "What do you think?"

Luffy blinked. "You don't mean… I'm supposed to fight them?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Rayleigh nodded. "Don't worry. I'm watching, so you won't be in any real danger. Just do your best."

Despite Rayleigh's assurances, Luffy couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear. These were monsters he had only managed to defeat with his advanced techniques in the past. Now, faced with them head-on, he couldn't shake his anxiety.

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T/N:

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