Training

On the island, the aromas of various delicacies mingled together, creating an utterly irresistible scent.

But on the Grand Line, the more beautiful something appears, the more danger it often hides.

This giant plant, scientifically named the Stomach Baron, forms the island. In its outer forest, large Man-eating Flowers lurk, highly aggressive—yet they won't kill you. They only drive you toward the island's center.

Inside lies the Gluttony Forest, grown from the "Stomach Baron" itself, filled with countless incomparably delicious foods.

Any creature driven in by the Man-eating Flowers is lured by these foods, becomes addicted to their flavor, and gradually begins to binge.

When the prey has eaten itself into a round ball, unable to run any longer, the island contracts, sending them tumbling into the gaping maw at the very center—the "Stomach Baron's" feeding mouth.

By then, the prey, now a helpless sphere with no means of resistance, can only watch as it rolls into that giant mouth.

And then becomes fertilizer for the Stomach Baron.

As for our protagonist—Abraham Dawn—he is currently inside this giant plant.

Dawn sighed at the thought, then began checking the items he had on him:

A lighter entrusted to him by the Marine uncle he'd helped train.

A standard-issue knife, courtesy of a pirate corpse washed ashore by the waves. A rope meant for capturing slaves. And some Berries, utterly useless here.

But he had to count himself lucky—that male corpse had contributed a rope, even if it was meant for tying up brats like Dawn to sell as slaves.

Still, that rope spared the pirate from rotting in the wild with his clothes stripped off, and it spared Dawn from having to strip the corpse himself.

After all, without this rope, Dawn would have had to use the man's clothes to make one.

On the Boin Archipelago, having a rope or not could mean the difference between life and death. Having seen plenty of death, Dawn had no qualms about taking whatever could save his own skin from a corpse.

But looking at these meager possessions, Dawn couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth.

Back in his past life, watching anime, those trashy browser games always shouted, "Start with a knife, gear all from drops!"

And now that this situation had actually, damn well happened, Dawn couldn't muster a smile.

As for why he called this situation a "Silver Start," it was because the island didn't suffer from a shortage of food.

Not only that, but the food on the island constantly emitted a unique aroma.

Though it attracted nearby sea beasts, Sea Kings, and even birds from the sky to come eat, it wasn't dangerous—because those creatures could hardly resist the temptation of fine food.

After all, even a person, if they didn't understand the island's situation from the start, would likely lose their life the first time the Stomach Baron fed.

Once they'd eaten themselves into a round, rolling shape, there was no danger left.

Conversely, as long as he controlled his own mouth and didn't let himself get fat, then every time the Stomach Baron was about to feed, all he had to do was tie himself to a tree to keep from falling.

So the island's pros and cons were clear, and the cons could be avoided.

The benefit, naturally, was the abundance of food, which Dawn could use for training.

Because the Stomach Baron was a giant, special plant, the food it produced had the unique effect of being rapidly absorbed by the human body.

If Dawn used this food as his source of sustenance, he could keep training continuously and build a solid foundation.

Plus, since the Stomach Baron had a fixed feeding schedule, as long as Dawn was careful, he could even venture to the outer areas to check things out before new prey was lured in by the scent.

The central area, meanwhile, held no danger at all.

After all, the Sea Kings and other beasts attracted by the aroma, though highly aggressive, were surrounded by food everywhere. Dawn's meager flesh held no appeal.

This was proven by the fact that Dawn hadn't been attacked when he fled to the center.

With a mountain of delicious food right at their mouths versus a tiny bit of raw meat that required hunting to eat, a simple comparison showed which was the better deal.

With safety and food taken care of, plus the "Three Forms" he'd secretly learned from the Marine Six Powers, this island was shaping up to be a decent training ground.

But before that, Dawn still had another problem to face.

Whether he could resist the temptation of the food—this was crucial, because it concerned his life.

And after training, his body would need a lot of energy. If he binged after exercising, he might unknowingly eat himself into a fat man.

Plus, until he figured out the island's fixed feeding schedule, Dawn had to be extra careful.

He picked a few fruits that looked very ordinary—these were the ones he was most confident he could control himself with.

In his past life, he'd never been fond of fruit, especially the crunchy kind. So this time, he chose types he didn't like.

For example, apples—a common fruit, but Dawn didn't really enjoy them.

He took a big bite of an apple, and in that instant, the fragrant apple juice exploded across his taste buds.

Crisp and refreshing, the texture was delightful.

But the unforgettable apple flavor lingered in his mouth, making Dawn unconsciously want to keep eating.

It took immense willpower—he even pinched his arm hard enough to bruise it—before he managed to stop the urge to continue.

"Phew, I almost couldn't stop my mouth. Good thing apples aren't my favorite flavor," Dawn thought, looking at the apple core in his hand, feeling a bit relieved.

Thank goodness he'd eaten something he didn't really like, or he'd have been lost in the food.

Eating here was also a special training ground for willpower.

After a short rest, Dawn began the simplest exercises: push-ups, squats, sit-ups.

But Dawn knew that even if he hadn't eaten his fill, he couldn't keep eating. Even fruit—something he rarely ate and didn't particularly care for—had nearly made him lose control. He couldn't imagine what would happen if it were a proper meal.

No wonder this island had existed for so many years, and yet so few people had spread word of its situation.

Standing up, Dawn began the most basic exercises he could do on the spot.

As for running, he wouldn't just dash off randomly until he had scouted the area thoroughly.

Under the heavy exertion, sweat poured down like rain, but even as his arms trembled, Dawn didn't stop.

He had come to this cruel world, and now, after a series of twists and turns, he had ended up stranded on this island.

After everything he had been through, Dawn knew that if he wanted to control his own fate, sacrifice was unavoidable.

Because this world was free—a world without any order was a paradise for the strong.

But for the weak, it was a silent hell.