The Sudden Battle!

"Mercer, you're a big boy now. Since you want to study medicine, you'll have to learn to gather all kinds of medicinal herbs on your own first."

"You know that little valley ten kilometers to the east? Reindeer often roam there, and this is the season when their antlers are growing."

"I'd like to say I won't go with you, but you have Observation Haki, so you'd definitely notice me. That's why I'll only step in if your life is in danger.

"As long as you don't die, I won't lift a finger even if you break an arm or a leg."

That was Kureha's final stubborn resolve.

Thinking of what Kureha had said, Mercer walked on, with Bear Cub close behind him.

It wasn't long before the little beast bumped into him with its head, making him stumble. He turned and gave the round ball of fur, currently rolling around and playing cute, a helpless glare.

Its size, its round, plump shape—there was no way to tell it was nearly a year old. It was as big as Mercer, and even rounder.

It had been almost half a year since Garp smashed through the ceiling. It was now mid-May.

A white Laboon hood covered his head, and he wore white furry pants and a fur coat of the same color and material.

A pair of polarized sunglasses.

A pair of white wool gloves.

Bundled up from head to toe, he looked just like a giant rabbit.

A baby Laboon?

"No, no. How could I be a rabbit?" Mercer shook his head, banishing the awful thought. "Impossible."

Snowflakes as big as goose feathers drifted down from the sky.

He trudged through the snow, one foot sinking deeper than the other. At one point, a soft "Whimper~" sounded. Bear Cub bit down on Mercer's trouser leg and tugged, trying to stop him.

Mercer crouched and squeezed one of Bear Cub's ears. After raising him for so long and living together, Mercer could clearly hear the unease in his cry.

He stroked Bear Cub's head with his left hand to calm him. Meanwhile, within the range of his Observation Haki, chaotic auras rose and fell beyond the small snowy slope in front of them.

Yoo-hoo~

He quieted his mind. A series of clear deer calls came from nearby, and Mercer couldn't help feeling pleased. He'd found his target.

He lowered his head and met Bear Cub's round, black eyes. Approval showed in Mercer's gaze.

Bear Cub stuck out his tongue at just the right moment and blinked.

Playing cute was shameful.

Mercer said, "If you're scared, then wait here. Remember to hide under the snow."

Mercer stood and checked his equipment: an axe, a few stones, and a sling made from a length of rope with stones tied to both ends.

He also had a not-yet-grown Iron Eater Beast for a mount.

He climbed over the small snowy slope and lay down at the top. In a snow-covered thicket not far away, a herd of reindeer happily pawed through the snow for food.

There were fifty or sixty reindeer, large and small.

It was clearly a small herd.

Mercer's lips curled up. He stroked Bear Cub, who had crawled up beside him, and said softly,

"Do you see them? Oh, I forgot—you're a little blind bear, so you can't see. Can you hear them? Since you followed me, you're going to distract them while I hunt from behind. Got it?"

Bear Cub turned his head toward Mercer and tilted it. Then he covered his ears with both paws, rammed his head into the snow, and wiggled his short tail as he shook his rear.

Mercer was so exasperated he laughed. Since Bear Cub had come along, he didn't get to decide.

He grabbed Bear Cub by the hind legs with his right hand and flung him away with ease. Midair, Bear Cub let out a shrill "Awooo!" that immediately caught the nearby herd's attention.

Splat~

The chubby ball of fur hit the snow. It didn't seem to hurt, and Bear Cub pulled his head out of the snow and shook it hard. Fixing his nearsighted eyes on the herd, he bared his teeth and growled ferociously.

He roared intermittently for more than ten seconds.

He successfully drew the herd's attention and provoked it. Led by an adult reindeer with a scarred face, several stags lowered their heads and advanced on Bear Cub, their sturdy antlers held high.

Snow whirled through the air.

After tossing Bear Cub, Mercer had already rolled down the slope. While the herd focused on him, Mercer circled around to its flank.

He watched as the herd began to grow restless.

Even the smallest bear was still a bear, whether it ate meat or plants.

He also noticed that, led by the stag at the front, several reindeer had frightened Bear Cub into backing away.

Behind a crooked tree.

Mercer watched the herd, less than a hundred meters away, searching for his target. A few seconds later, he spotted a plump stag among them. Its antlers hadn't hardened yet; they were still velvet.

He glanced over at Bear Cub. The little guy looked as though he could hold out for another minute, so Mercer started making snowballs. He gathered up piles of snow and packed them into palm-sized, high-quality snowballs.

By the time his silent countdown reached zero, he had piled up more than twenty "hard" snowballs.

Whoosh!

Mercer rose to one knee, extended his left arm to aim, and raised a snowball in his right hand behind his head. He took a deep breath, locked onto the lead stag with Observation Haki, and focused intently before snapping his right arm forward.

Whoosh!

A spinning snowball streaked through the air in a line of snow. Over the whistling wind came a sharp smack as it struck the lead stag right in the eye.

"Yoo?!"

The stag let out a startled cry and leaped two meters into the air. A second snowball struck its head mid-jump.

It didn't do any real damage, but it hurt.

The moment it hit the ground, the stag bolted in panic.

The lead stag's panic spread through the entire herd. The next moment, snowballs mixed with stones began pelting the reindeer. With Observation Haki predicting their movements, even grown four-legged beasts couldn't escape a simple trick from a two-legged child.

The steady barrage of stones and snowballs, along with Observation Haki predicting the movements of individual reindeer, eventually forced the stag out of the herd. Mercer knew the time had come.

He quickly grabbed the sling in his right hand, raised it above his head, and spun it fast. His upper arm, forearm, and wrist worked in perfect coordination. The moment the reindeer turned its head, he released the sling. With a whistling rush of wind, the rope, pulled taut by the stones at either end, wrapped around the reindeer's front legs.

With a thud, the reindeer pitched headfirst into the snow and rolled away. The sight threw the panicked herd into even more confusion.

Wearing Laboon fur, Mercer charged out with his axe in hand. He hurled the last few stones at the fleeing herd, driving it farther away.

Mercer reached the fallen reindeer without hesitation and brought his axe down. The end that looked like an Ice Axe plunged into the stag's neck like a dagger, splitting it open with a long gash.

Yoo!!!

After the stag let out a mournful cry, Mercer pulled out the axe and backed away to avoid the dying animal's final struggle.

The stag was nearly 1.6 meters long, almost fully grown, and powerfully built. Its hind legs were kicking wildly.

A few seconds later, the stag's throat gave out, and its head slumped into a pool of blood. The herd watched anxiously from a distance.

As the stag breathed its last, an irregular crystal shimmering with a mysterious light appeared above its body.

Mercer knew this was something only he could see—or perhaps something beyond the perception of ordinary people.

Without changing his expression, he reached out and beckoned. The grain-of-rice-sized Soul Crystal was drawn into his palm.

A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. At the same time, a line of information appeared across his retinas.

[Obtained F+-rank Soul Crystal*1]

Soul Crystal: Soul Crystals of varying qualities can be obtained through killing. They can be used to enhance attributes and Gifted Abilities. (Soul Crystals are refined and forged from the source of a life's spiritual essence.)

A line of small text appeared after the Soul Crystal's name. Mercer wasn't surprised, because this was one of the Light Orb's features.

He called it "Appraisal."

After he focused on an object for a few seconds, a detailed description of it appeared across his retinas.

It could be a living creature or an object—a way to see into the very nature of things.

There was no denying it was an especially convenient ability, and a nearly perfect support ability.

As for what made it perfect, that was obvious: it could examine the unknown. For example, it could tell him the effects of a newly developed medicine whose purpose was completely unknown.

With the results of the examination, he could learn exactly what it did.

He returned the Soul Crystal to his body—or, more accurately, to the Soul Crystal section of his status panel, which conveniently stored them.

Soul Crystal: [F+-rank*1]

Mercer looked at the reindeer in front of him and swung his axe. With a sharp crack, a thirty-centimeter antler, shaped like a branch, was chopped off at the root.

He swung his axe again, cutting off the other antler, which was a little shorter.

He packed them into the bag he had brought with him.

His first hunt was a great success.

Just then, a black-and-white ball of fur waddled over, making a quiet "Whimper, whimper." His voice was full of grievance.

Fair enough. Even a bear cub under a year old would feel scared and hurt after being threatened by several grown, antlered animals.

Mercer covered Bear Cub's chubby face with both hands and rubbed it vigorously. Bear Cub immediately made a happy, gurgling sound.

While playing with the black-and-white ball of fur, Mercer kept a wary eye on the herd, which kept looking back as it retreated. He didn't immediately deal with the stag he'd caught, in case the herd returned for another attack.

That was when it happened.

Bang, bang, bang.

A string of gunshots sounded from the woods beside the herd, to Mercer's front left. Loud shouts and cries followed.

Almost instantly, the herd left a few carcasses behind and scattered in fright, charging from in front of Mercer toward the right and kicking up a flurry of snow.

Mercer hurriedly grabbed Bear Cub by the scruff and ducked behind the stag's carcass to avoid stray bullets. He looked at the approaching group with a thoroughly sour expression.

They all carried knives and guns.

There were fifteen of them.

At the center of the group were two boys, surrounded by their guards. One looked thirteen or fourteen; the other, seven or eight. Judging by their appearance, they were brothers.

The older boy, Moshuru, had purple-red bowl-cut hair and a long horse-like face. He raised his flintlock, looking thoroughly arrogant and furious.

"You useless fools! You can't even kill a herd of deer! You only managed to kill a few. Once I become king, I'll have you all driven out!"

His younger brother, who had dark purple hair, wore the same cruel expression. His fat face looked especially ugly.

"Exactly! You useless fools, hurry up and kill every last reindeer. I want a whole-deer feast tonight!"

The thirteen guards looked frustrated, but they didn't dare speak up. One of the guards at the front had some backbone and replied calmly,

"Forgive us, Your Highnesses. The soldiers just came out of that ruin and are already exhausted. Besides, the herd is very alert, and the snow is—"

Moshuru looked impatient and waved a hand. His long horse-like face seemed to stretch even farther as he sneered,

"If I hadn't found something in that ruin earlier, do you think I'd have stopped at simply scolding you?"

Walpo picked his nose and wiped the booger on the coat of the guard beside him. His cheeks puffed out in displeasure, making his fat face look even fatter.

"My big brother's right. You're just useless."

"Hm?" Walpo spotted a dead reindeer in the snow to the rear right. He also noticed Mercer watching them. "A Laboon?"

The next moment, the guards all raised their guns and aimed at him, their expressions wary.

Laboons

were a kind of gregarious, carnivorous rabbit on Drum Island. They had a rabbit's agility and a bear's build, and were extremely fierce. They only acknowledged those they considered strong; any other creature they met got a "friendly" beating.

Snow fell thickly, but visibility was still a hundred meters.

Yet no matter how much he looked, Walpo couldn't see any Laboons nearby. In the direction he was pointing, there was only a dead reindeer and... a hunter?

"Who's there?"

The guard at the front frowned and shouted, "We're the Kingdom Guard! Stop skulking around. I'll count to three. If you don't come out, I'll shoot."

The king's only two children were both here. He couldn't afford to take any chances.

The royal family's safety came first.

Mercer looked thoroughly unlucky and recognized the group. That was the country's future "tyrant."

At some point, the snow began to fall more thickly, and the cold wind howled.

Mercer already wanted to leave. He was still a child; there was no point in taking on gunfire with a body barely stronger than an ordinary person's.

He patted Bear Cub beside him and bent down, putting his mouth next to the bear's ear. "You go first. I'll cover you. Meet me at the little snowy slope from earlier."

Bear Cub was still young, but he was clever. As Mercer gestured with both hands, the quick-witted little bear crawled away. Across from them, the group kept shouting insults.

Mercer locked his Observation Haki onto Walpo and his people, nearly sixty or seventy meters away.

He drew his hands back toward the pile of snow and began packing snowballs. To retreat safely, he needed to throw their formation into disarray first.

Otherwise, if he turned his back on them, Mercer couldn't be sure they wouldn't shoot him in the back.

One, two!

Five, six.

Just then, urged on by the two brothers, the guards began to surround Mercer.

Fifty meters. Forty-five meters. Thirty meters.

From behind, Prince Moshuru urged them on. "You're taking forever! Hurry up! I want to see who's skulking around over there. Just open fire!"

The guard at the front said, "But—"

Mercer knew he couldn't wait any longer. He gripped a snowball in his right hand, used the position he'd sensed earlier with Observation Haki, lifted himself slightly, and hurled it with all his strength.

The next moment,

"Argh!!!" Moshuru screamed in pain. "My eye! Protect me! Protect me! Shoot! Shoot!"

The guards were startled. They hurriedly gathered around the two princes, raised their guns, and backed away.

Observation Haki let Mercer clearly sense the commotion across from him. He held a snowball in each hand, took a deep breath, and summoned all his strength before kicking the stag's carcass over to the right.

At the same time, he rolled to the left.

Thud!

The carcass hit the ground. A string of gunshots immediately rang out from the direction of the reindeer.

Mercer used the momentum to get to his feet and charged forward. He hurled the two snowballs in his hands, sending them whistling through the air. They struck with two sharp smacks, and Walpo let out a howl of pain.

Bang, bang, bang!!!

Several more gunshots rang out. Mercer clearly sensed the ripples in the air left by bullets. Since he'd sensed them in advance, he could naturally dodge them.

He'd used a trick to make them waste one volley, and the guns they carried couldn't fire in rapid succession. There were only a few shots in this volley.

Mercer dodged the ordinary lead bullets, took the sling from his waist with his left hand, spun it quickly, and threw it. In the snow and wind, the distance of less than twenty meters vanished in an instant. The sling wrapped around the feet of two guards, tangling them together and making them trip and fall in the confusion.

By then, Mercer had already charged into the crowd. He kicked the groin of the guard in front of him. As the man doubled over, Mercer drove his knee into the guard's chin, sending him tumbling away.

Among the rest of the group, his axe rose and fell as he punched and kicked. Cloth ripped amid splashes of blood as he struck one gun-wielding arm after another.

Thuds, screams, cries of pain.

Mercer darted nimbly through the crowd. He was small, surprisingly strong, and ruthless, and he sensed their every move.

He'd routed all fifteen men by himself in less than ten seconds.

Especially the Walpo brothers, who were all bark and no bite, got a nasty blow to their right arms from Mercer.

Their tendons were severed clean through.

Bosses, please give me a recommendation—or keep reading!

Even a little sapling needs time to grow.

I know I keep saying this.

Please recommend! Please bookmark! Please keep reading! Please invest!

P.S. [Approximate power tiers]

An ordinary adult: F-

Petty officer / 100,000 Beli level: F to F+

Lieutenant / 1 million Beli level: E- to E+

Commander / 10 million Beli level: D- to D+

Rear Admiral, Commodore / Supernova / 100 million Beli level: C- to C+

Elite Vice Admirals / Admiral Candidates / Yonko First Mates / Shichibukai: 1 billion level: B- to B+

Admirals / Four Emperors: 3 billion and up: A- and higher

P.S. (In the world of pirates, people usually reach a given tier in one or several areas; they aren't well-rounded fighters in every respect.)

Zephyr, for example, would be A-.

Hawk Eyes, Blackbeard, and old Garp, for example, would be A.

Prime Whitebeard (in one area) and peak Red-Hair (in one area), for example, would be A+.

Marco, Katakuri, Crocodile, Empress, and Jinbe, for example, would be B+.

Doflamingo, for example, would be B.

That's the rough outline. The details still depend on the story, since the overall situation isn't set in stone.