Fruit Under the "Abyssal Maw"

With the two of them desperately unleashing their "Rejuvenation Roar," the abilities on their bodies began to grow increasingly conspicuous.

It was only now that Dawn realized the other party had been using their fruit ability all along—he just hadn't seen it before because he was too far away.

And now, it seemed to be the moment they were both fighting for their lives.

But to be honest... because of their gluttonous overindulgence, all their muscles had turned into heavy fat. They were panting after just two steps, and their stamina was likely running on fumes.

Still, under the threat of death, they managed to muster their greatest strength.

A cyan halo suddenly appeared around the body of the black "Meatball" from before, and noticeably, the "black meatball" picked up a bit of speed.

The meatball spun around quickly, trying to hug the nearest tree.

Meanwhile, the other meatball, shouting "Snatch-Snatch Lock," suddenly manipulated a sturdy-looking vine from afar into his hand.

But unfortunately, all of this was just a mirage to quench their thirst.

Because they had turned into meatballs, their bodies were now nothing but fat packed with lard, lacking any real strength—and as it happened, Devil Fruits consumed stamina.

On top of that, there was the issue of weight.

The meatball that seemed to have activated a speed buff couldn't run fast at all, and as for the one gripping the vine, the vine in his hand had already started to snap.

The giant plant, Stomach Baron, made an enormous commotion when it fed.

As the outer petals closed in, they directly triggered a tsunami, while the interior of the island began to quake. Everywhere was filled with rumbling crashes, like a natural disaster.

"Devil Fruit users? And two of them?"

Dawn watched the two meatballs' desperate, near-death performance with no emotional stir.

The thought of rescuing them never even flickered through his mind—after all, one must guard against others, especially since these two looked like pirates.

And he was just a child. Though three months of training had given him some lean muscle definition, he had zero combat experience.

What's more, between him and them lay an "Abyssal Maw," making it impossible to cross anyway.

So, facing these two unlucky bastards, Dawn silently crouched on the tree and watched the show.

But unfortunately, the show had already ended.

With the crash of falling trees and a massive roar, the two meatballs stared in despair at an even bigger meatball—another Sea King that had grown grotesquely fat.

Its massive, round body rolled like a bowling ball, carrying unstoppable momentum as it rammed the struggling pair, dragging them all together into the abyss. In an instant, there was no more sound.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what rotten luck. Otherwise, they might have held on a bit longer." Dawn shook his head, watching the three of them tumble down.

Even as Devil Fruit users, they had been defeated by their own desires. Add in their unfamiliarity with the island, and it was basically suicide.

Feeling the tilt of the ground beneath him, Dawn knew Stomach Baron had fully closed up.

If someone looked at the island from afar right now, they would see it standing quietly on the sea like a flower bud about to bloom.

After Stomach Baron finished feeding, the island fell silent again. With no animals running around and causing chaos, it suddenly became much quieter.

Dawn climbed down from the tree, untied his rope, and decided to take advantage of the island's calm to head toward the outer edge.

His goal was to see if he could scavenge any useful items—after all, the farther out you went, the more likely something was stuck somewhere.

As for those Man-eating Flowers, they were still cowering, so there was no need to worry about danger.

"Huh? What's that? A plant inside the maw has grown a fruit?"

Just as Dawn was about to climb down from the tree, a plant growing inside the maw, where light still reached, caught his attention.

Though he had peeked inside the "Abyssal Maw" out of curiosity before and knew some plants grew there, this particular plant beneath him had now produced a small fruit.

The plant was only three or four meters below the maw's opening, so Dawn could clearly see the fruit-bearing plant.

But when he had checked before, there was no fruit on any plant at all.

"Forget it, I'd better hurry to the outer edge and see if there's anything. Those two probably washed up here too—maybe I'll find something useful." Dawn thought it over and decided to head for the outer perimeter first.

If he was lucky enough, something might have snagged on a branch or a rock.

His other goal was to see if any ships happened to pass by—after all, if possible, he needed to find a way off this island.

As for pirate ships, that was out of the question. Dawn had no intention of courting death.

Taking advantage of the outer area's relative calm, Dawn reached the edge where the island met the sea.

And sure enough, he found nothing.

But he wasn't disappointed—he was used to it by now.

Before the Man-eating Flowers and Sea Kings returned, Dawn hurried back to the interior to start his new training plan for the day.

After three months on this island, with his eating and training intensity both increasing in cycles, Dawn had built a solid foundation.

On top of that, the food here was rich in nutrients and easily absorbed, so his progress was visible. He had shed his scrawny frame and now possessed a strong, healthy body.

At his current speed, the Man-eating Flowers were no longer a real threat—even if he couldn't beat them, he could outrun them.

And now, Dawn was ready to start practicing "Shave"!

Once he mastered this skill, not only would his mobility skyrocket, but he could also learn Geppo. Having aerial mobility versus not having it was a completely different concept.

As for "Iron Body" and "Kami-e," Dawn knew that due to his current physique, he could only lay the groundwork for now. But even so, he was already satisfied.

Even with "Shave," Dawn couldn't guarantee he'd be able to practice it successfully.

But running itself was also a fundamental method for training one's agility.

Beyond that, it was also excellent for honing one's reflexes. After all, sprinting at full speed through such a dense forest without crashing into a tree required sharp reactions and body coordination.

As for the upgraded version, Dawn had already thought it through.

When the time came, he could train his sense of danger by being chased by the Man-eating Flower, further strengthening his coordination and on-the-spot reactions.

In the monotonous days of training, repeating the same routine day after day, another three months passed in the blink of an eye.

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