Law didn't linger for long. Leaving the peaceful countryside behind, he headed into the forest.
Under the moonlight, his figure gradually faded into the distance.
Whale Island's forests were rich in resources, teeming with rare birds and exotic beasts. Yet, the island's inhabitants relied on fishing for survival… because the forest held certain dangers.
During the day, residents rarely ventured into the woods, let alone at night. Having declined Gon's invitation, Law planned to spend the night in the forest.
Without Gon, Law followed the river deeper into the woods.
The trees grew denser, and the light dimmed.
After walking several kilometers into the heart of the forest, Law encountered numerous creatures that would pose a threat to ordinary people. Any that attacked him ended up dead in his hands, becoming tonight's supper.
Along the way, the highest-grade ingredients he found were only Grade-C, which is useless for improving his strength.
After wandering for a while, he finally found a sturdy, towering tree.
Law started a fire at its base, processing the snakes and rodents he'd caught and roasting them over the flames.
He didn't waste his precious seasoning on such low-grade ingredients, simply cooking them before eating.
Once his stomach was full, Law extinguished the fire and climbed to the treetop. From there, the night sky and the forest merged into a breathtaking landscape. Further in the distance, the dark sea shimmered with silvery reflections.
Law stayed atop the tree for a while before retreating to a thick branch. Using his Aura, he drew the Divine Script on the surface of the branch, which had an intimidating effect.
Then, he lay down directly on the Divine Script, hands behind his head, silently gazing at the rustling leaves above.
The Intimidation Divine Script amplified the psychological impact of his Aura, which Law used to ward off beasts and insects.
At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about mosquito bites while sleeping.
The night grew deeper.
Law thought about checking out the Master of the Swamp tomorrow and slowly closed his eyes.
…
"Hoo… hoo…"
The occasional call of a night owl echoed through the silent forest.
A nocturnal horned owl perched on a branch, its crimson pupils reflecting two heavily armed humans moving through the underbrush. Not far ahead of them, a bag pig rummaged for food.
Under the owl's unmoving gaze, the two humans came face-to-face with the creature.
Tk-tk.
The suppressed gunshots were soft, crisp clicks.
To the owl's eyes, the muzzle flashes were brief, piercing bursts of light.
"Growl!"
The bloated bag pig took two bullets and let out a low, bovine groan. It rammed into a tree trunk, then veered off, fleeing deeper into the forest.
On the branch, the owl was frightened and flew away.
The two humans pursued their escaping prey.
The standoff between hunter and hunted lasted only ten minutes.
The bag pig, weakened by its gunshot wounds, blindly crashed into a large tree.
Boom!
The impact was so forceful that the tree tilted backward, some of its roots tearing free from the soil. Though it remained standing, the trunk now leaned at a severe angle.
After the collision, the bag pig seemed to exhaust its last strength, swaying before collapsing. Seven piglets tumbled out of its pouch, letting out frightened, high-pitched squeals upon hitting the ground.
"Got it."
The two gunmen cheered excitedly as the bag pig fell.
Approaching the tree, they immediately noticed the seven piglets beside their mother, their faces lighting up with greed.
"It's actually the female. We've hit the jackpot." One of the men, wearing a cap, said happily.
The other, adorned with dangling earrings, grinned and pulled a cloth sack from his backpack, stuffing the piglets inside.
"Someone's here."
Suddenly, the man with the cap sharply looked up and spotted someone reclining on the tree. The dim light made it hard to discern their features, revealing only a vague silhouette and a pair of dark eyes.
"Who's there?"
The man in the hat barked coldly, swiftly raising his gun to aim at the figure in the tree.
Hearing the shout, the man with the earring immediately dropped the sack and also pointed his gun upward, ready to fire at the slightest provocation.
The person on the tree was none other than Law, who had just fallen asleep not long ago.
"You're disturbing my sleep."
Law tilted his head slightly, his gaze cold as he stared down at the two poachers below.
The ecosystem of Whale Island thrived partly because the island's residents relied primarily on fishing and partly because hunting rare animals in the island's forests was strictly prohibited.
The bag pig at the base of the tree was one such protected species under the law.
A flash of malice crossed the man with the cap's eyes. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, sending several bullets tearing through the night toward the figure in the tree.
Law expressionlessly raised his hand and effortlessly caught the bullets midair. With a slight squeeze, he crushed them before letting the flattened metal drop to the ground.
"At least a few lives on their hands."
From the murderous intent radiating off the man with the cap, Law easily deduced their crimes.
The sound of the flattened bullets hitting the ground immediately drew the attention of the two poachers. When they saw the deformed bullets on the ground, their faces twisted in disbelief.
They quickly raised their guns again, intending to fire another round at the man in the tree. But before they could, a small, agile figure leaped down from above, flashing past their vision before their world plunged into cold, unfeeling darkness.
Thud.
The two men collapsed to the ground, dead.
Kuro gracefully padded over to the bodies and looked up at Law in the tree, suggesting, "Bury the bodies here or sink them in the lake. What do you think?"
Swish.
Law jumped down from the tree, glancing at the corpses before replying coolly, "Stop wasting time. Eat them."
Then, ignoring Kuro's protesting expression, he turned his attention to the bag piglet struggling out of the sack. His gaze shifted to the severely wounded mother bag pig nearby.
Grumbling, Kuro swallowed the bodies along with their guns and equipment into his storage space before returning to Law's side.
Law crouched down, gently placing the bag piglet back into the sack. He then instructed Kuro, "There should be a male bag pig within five kilometers. Take this sack and deliver the piglet to him."
"Why go through all that trouble?"
Kuro eyed the wriggling sack skeptically.
"Piglets have no edible value."
With that simple remark, Law dismissed Kuro's complaints, sending him off with the sack to find the male bag pig.
Once Kuro was gone, Law turned his attention to the severely tilted tree, preparing to straighten it.
Then, he suddenly noticed familiar characters carved into one of the exposed roots. Leaning closer, he examined them.
"Hmm?"
The intricate yet patterned script etched into the thick root was unmistakably Divine Script.
Law was surprised. Running his fingers over the Divine Script, he could sense an extremely faint trace of life energy.
"Did Ging leave this here?"
Law murmured to himself.
Finding Divine Script on a small island like Whale Island made him immediately think of Ging.