Chapter 49: 49: Devouring the Beasts
"I thought we were friends."
"Ugh!" Luffy shook his head, feeling a pang of disappointment.
There was no way around it. The situation was as clear as day: his once allies had turned on him, their minds now filled with fury and a thirst to tear him apart.
"Nothing I can do, I guess," Luffy muttered, resigned. He read their intentions with a piercing clarity, knowing they wouldn't stop until they had him in pieces.
He sighed and steeled himself.
"Hey!" he shouted.
And with that, Luffy made his move. He raised a finger, energy radiating from it as a black aura encased his fingertip—a pure expression of his Conqueror's Haki. Since reaching an intensity of eighty-six, he could now channel his Haki around his body effortlessly, his aura dense enough to tear through almost any defense with a single strike.
Luffy smirked as he saw the gorilla's panic. Its instincts screamed for it to run, but with Luffy's Haki wrapping around it, there was no escape. It stood there, paralyzed and shaking.
"Honestly," Luffy spoke in a cold tone, "I could just crush your mind with my Haki and be done with you."
"But…" he continued, "I want to try out something different—Conqueror's Haki Infusion."
Luffy wasn't exaggerating. With his current power level, he could reduce the gorilla to a mindless heap in seconds. But he wanted to test this new layer of control, to channel his aura not only around himself but to directly strike at his opponent.
After all, in his past life, Conqueror's Haki Infusion had been the ultimate move—a lethal weapon against the strongest foes. Luffy had been itching to test it out, and now he finally had his chance.
The gorilla and its allies might have been his sparring partners once, but if they were ready to go all out, so was he. To Luffy, sparing them any mercy would be a disservice. These were worthy opponents, and they deserved his best.
"Shhhhk!"
With lightning speed, Luffy's finger shot forward, and the Conqueror's Haki wrapped around it struck the gorilla's skull.
"Aaagh!" The gorilla let out one last pained cry before its massive body collapsed, falling to the ground with a tremendous thud.
Luffy shook his head, but he had no regrets.
"What else was I supposed to do?" he muttered, inspecting his fingertip, which was stained with the lingering aura of his Haki. Realistically, there was no way his hand could have pierced such a massive creature. Its skin was far too thick, like a suit of armor.
But the sheer force of his Haki, aimed at the gorilla's most vulnerable spot, had shattered any resistance.
As the gorilla's lifeless body lay before him, its comrades looked on, stunned and filled with rage. They were powerless, unable to move even a muscle under the crushing weight of Luffy's aura.
"Oh, come on, don't give me that look!" Luffy laughed, shaking his head. "What, are you guys really mad? You're not even sorry for what you tried to pull—just upset I beat you to it."
The other creatures grunted and growled, their fury clear, but they couldn't deny it. They hadn't shown remorse, only anger at being bested.
With a weary sigh, Luffy continued, "Your buddy here's dead now—sorry about that."
In another life, he'd have never even considered killing them. But this was a different Luffy, and he saw things differently. He shrugged.
"You wanted me dead. So here we are. No hard feelings, right?" He looked around at the other beasts, his voice filled with a solemn amusement.
"See, I actually respect you guys," he said, tone growing oddly reflective. "If I'd just wiped you out with my Haki from a distance, it wouldn't have been fair. We've trained together for a while now…there's some respect between us, you know?"
Without warning, Luffy moved, a streak of black and red energy as he lunged into action. He didn't hold back.
One by one, the rest of the massive beasts crumpled to the ground around him, each dispatched with a single strike.
He glanced around, admiring the scene for a moment. The ground was littered with their enormous forms, as if they had formed a respectful guard around him. It was a fearsome sight, but Luffy couldn't help feeling a pang of respect for these opponents who had, for so long, been part of his journey.
"In my past life, I would've spared you all," he mused aloud. "But...I'm different now."
Honestly, this wasn't all just about anger or survival. Luffy had a more practical reason too.
Their bodies held immense energy—the very life force he needed for his own growth. He would absorb their strength and continue his relentless pursuit of power.
Luffy had been consuming the island's wildlife for some time now, and they were some of the last powerful creatures left. They were formidable, each in their own right, and devouring them would fuel his Conqueror's Haki.
He let out a wild laugh, reveling in the thrill. Yes, it was brutal, but he needed to keep training, to keep growing stronger. This was the path he had chosen, and he would see it through.
"Thanks, you guys. For everything."
...
"I won't add any seasoning," Luffy muttered to himself, "I'll eat it raw, as pure as it gets. This way, you guys stay pure."
Soon enough, the massive creatures were roasting over a fire, and Luffy dug in, savoring every bite. The meat was incredibly tender, and he could feel the energy surging through his entire body as he ate.
"Mmm?" He paused, relishing the taste. The quality of this meat was nothing short of exceptional, packed with an intense level of energy and nutrients that fueled his growth. He felt his cells absorbing the vitality, growing stronger and hungrier with every bite. The beast's immense power was transferring to him.
After reaching eighty-six points in his Conqueror's Haki, Luffy's body had become even more efficient at absorbing energy, leaving no waste. Each bite transformed into raw strength, and his cells hungrily soaked up the nutrition.
Luffy glanced inward, sensing his body's response. His cells were almost ravenous, pulling in the energy and using every bit of it to grow.
"Not even a Sea King could compare to this," he muttered. He could tell these gorillas were on a whole other level. Even the toughest Sea Kings fell short of their vitality and resilience.
As night fell, Luffy finally dozed off. He had consumed so much that even his body, as powerful as it was, couldn't absorb it all in one sitting. Sleep would accelerate the process, allowing him to digest this incredible energy.
Snoring lightly, Luffy drifted into a deep slumber.
Days passed as he lay there, lost in a restorative sleep, absorbing the essence of his formidable meal. When he finally opened his eyes, he was taken aback.
"What?" he mumbled, startled at the realization. "How long was I out? I feel like I was in a coma!"
A quick sweep with his Haki told him he was unharmed, though he noticed something odd. He had grown taller. Curious, he measured himself with his Conqueror's Haki.
"One hundred ninety-nine centimeters!" he exclaimed, grinning in satisfaction. To him, that was the perfect height, just right for a pure human. It was the ideal fit for his build, striking a balance between strength and agility.
As he looked himself over, he felt a little different—stronger, perhaps more imposing, but his face remained unchanged. When he smiled, it still had that same innocent, carefree quality, the purity that disarmed anyone who looked.
"It's just my imagination," he shrugged. "A couple extra centimeters won't make me any different."
At this height, he still blended in with the rest of the Pirate World's oversized population. In a crowd of towering giants, his new stature was nothing extraordinary. He laughed, realizing he had been worrying over nothing.
But then something struck him. Suddenly, he could sense his bones settling, almost as if they were finalizing his height. This would likely be the last time he'd grow taller. Of course, he knew he could theoretically manipulate his body further with Haki, but he decided it wasn't necessary.
"This height is just right," he concluded, dismissing any further thoughts on the matter. Instead, he headed back toward his cabin. It had been a long time since he'd seen everyone, and he felt a twinge of nostalgia.
"I wonder how the squat dance training is going," he mused, walking along the forest path. He felt alive, his spirits high, as though the entire world was somehow within his grasp.
"Is this an illusion?" he wondered aloud. "Maybe it's a side effect of my strength, or a bit of pride?"
But then he shook his head. "No, it's more likely my Conqueror's Haki at work," he reasoned. His power was affecting his mindset, giving him a sovereign calm, an almost kingly detachment. He realized that eating those beasts would've been unimaginable to him in the past—they were more than just animals; they were spiritual beings in their own right.
Yet, here he was, having devoured them without a second thought.
In a way, his Haki had changed him, making him colder, more calculating, even toward creatures he had grown close to. The old Luffy would never have done such a thing. He had spent time with those beasts, formed a bond, and respected their strength and spirit.
But now? He couldn't deny it—he had crossed a line he never thought he would.
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T/N:
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