The bitter taste of the fruit lingered on his tongue, and for a moment, nothing happened. The world stood still, the tiger suspended mid-lunge, its claws extended, maw open wide in a feral snarl.
Then, the surge hit him.
It started in his chest, a slow, burning heat that quickly spread through his veins. His vision blurred, and his senses exploded—sound, light, the very air around him felt amplified, sharper than ever before. It was as though he had been blind his whole life, and only now could he truly see.
The tiger moved again, muscles rippling under its vibrant orange fur, but it no longer seemed as fast. No, it was him. He could sense every inch of space between them, feel the precise distance the beast had to cover. His brain calculated its speed, the angle of its jump, and the exact moment its claws would tear into him. He could see it all.
"What the hell is happening to me?" he gasped, barely able to comprehend the rush of power.
But there was no time to process the overwhelming sensation. The tiger was closing in, and instinctively, his hand shot out.
A barrier formed between them.
It wasn't something he could see, but he felt it. It was an invisible force—an infinite space separating him from the tiger's outstretched claws. The creature's movements slowed to a crawl as it met the barrier, its growl distorted, as though passing through an unseen wall.
"What… is this?" His voice trembled, heart racing as he tried to make sense of what he was doing. The tiger's massive form hung in the air for a breathless second, struggling against the invisible force that held it back. His arm shook, the strain of maintaining the barrier far greater than he expected. It was taking everything out of him, burning through his energy faster than he could comprehend. His muscles quaked under the effort, and a sharp pain bloomed in his chest.
This can't last.
Sweat dripped down his brow as he gritted his teeth, forcing the barrier to hold for just a few more seconds. The tiger roared, a guttural sound that shook the ground beneath him as it pushed against the invisible wall
Then, without warning, his grip on the barrier faltered.
"No, no, no!" he shouted as the tiger surged forward.
In a panic, his hand clenched again.
A powerful force erupted from his palm, and the tiger was suddenly flung backward as though struck by an invisible hammer. It tumbled through the air, its massive body colliding with a tree, which cracked and splintered from the impact. The beast landed on its side with a heavy thud, growling as it staggered to its feet, dazed but far from defeated.
"That didn't stop it?" he muttered between gasps for air, chest heaving as the energy in his body burned hot, draining him with each passing second. His mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The barrier… and then that force. What was that? What was he doing?
The tiger's growl cut through his thoughts, and he looked up to see it shaking off the hit, muscles rippling with renewed fury. It wasn't giving up. It wasn't going to let him go that easily.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" he groaned, trying to push himself up, but his limbs felt heavy, sluggish. The pull of the fruit returned, deep in his chest, urging him, guiding him.
Without thinking, he raised both hands, palms out. He didn't know why, but the action felt right.
The air around him seemed to shift, space itself warping as the tiger closed in. With a surge of raw, unfiltered power, he activated it.
Blue.
The tiger didn't make it halfway.
A crushing force pulled the beast toward him, dragging its massive body against its will. The tiger let out a confused roar, its legs flailing as it was sucked into the vacuum. It slammed into the ground just inches in front of him, helpless against the invisible force that pinned it down.
"I'm doing this… how am I doing this?" he whispered in disbelief, but even as the tiger writhed beneath him, he could feel the energy inside him waning. The fruit's power was immense, but the cost was just as great. His arms shook, his muscles burning as the drain grew unbearable.
"Come on… hold it together…" he grunted, his legs buckling beneath him. He fell to one knee, still holding the tiger in place with the last of his strength. His head pounded, and the world around him began to blur.
If I don't end this now…
The tiger's glowing eyes glared up at him, filled with primal rage. It growled, snapping its massive jaws as it fought against the invisible force.
"This is it," he muttered through gritted teeth. "One more shot…"
With a final, desperate effort, he released the force of Blue and channeled everything into his next move.
Red.
The moment his palms opened, the repelling force slammed into the tiger's body like a battering ram. It let out a startled yowl as it was hurled through the air, crashing into the same tree with even greater force than before. The trunk split in two, and the tiger hit the ground hard, this time staying down.
Silence fell over the clearing, the only sound his labored breathing.
He collapsed onto his back, staring up at the unfamiliar sky, his entire body trembling from the effort. The fruit's power had saved him, but he'd barely scratched the surface of what it could do. And already, he felt like he'd been through a battle he wasn't ready for.
His muscles ached, his head throbbed, and he could still feel the energy from the fruit burning in his veins. It was like a fire that wouldn't go out, even though he was desperate for it to fade.
"What… was that?" he whispered, staring at his trembling hands.
He closed his eyes, exhaustion washing over him as the adrenaline finally started to wear off. The tiger was defeated, but he knew—this was only the beginning. Whatever this world had in store for him, it wasn't going to get any easier.
After several moments, he forced himself back to his feet, legs wobbling beneath him. The air was still, but thick with the smell of crushed leaves and churned earth. The island around him felt… wrong. Time here wasn't normal. The animals, the trees, even the sky—all of it seemed trapped in a strange, unchanging cycle. He could feel it now, a sense of stillness that didn't belong.
"Is this island… stuck in time?" he wondered aloud. It felt that way, like the laws of nature had bent here, allowing the most ancient and dangerous creatures to thrive.
Looking around, the landscape was a wild, untamed jungle—much like the kind of island he'd read about in One Piece, like Rusukaina or Little Garden. Massive trees, towering plants, and creatures that had no place in the world he came from.
What else is out there? he thought, heart pounding. But his body was too exhausted to move any further. He had to rest.
He stumbled toward a shaded area under a tree, collapsing against its trunk. His eyes fluttered shut as his mind raced with questions. He was still processing the fruit's powers, but something told him this was just the beginning. There had to be more dangers ahead—this island wasn't going to let him off easy. But for now, he'd survived his first real test.
His breathing slowed, and he drifted into an uneasy sleep, the weight of the strange new world pressing down on him.
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