Sudden Change

There were no terrifying beasts on the mountainside, making the hunt quite easy and monotonous. After bagging two wild rabbits, Buggy paced his way back to the original spot as evening approached.

Beside Shuma lay a pile of large game ingredients. He was busy setting up a pot and seasoning, while Mohji sat cross-legged on the ground, head bowed and eyes closed in meditation.

While the soup simmered, Shuma didn't forget to pat the other man on the shoulder. "Mopi ingredient, you lost."

Mohji picked up a bundle of bamboo from the side and placed it in front of Shuma, saying unconvinced, "But this bamboo is really sweet and delicious! It wouldn't be inferior at all as a seasoning!"

Shuma shook his head and pushed the bamboo away. "Too sweet, too cloying. It has absolutely no compatibility with my cooking."

"Damn it, it was clearly delicious..." Mohji, who had been lured by the bamboo in the woods and chewed on it for half the day, only remembered his bet with Shuma at the very last minute. Having returned empty-handed, he had tried to pass off the bamboo, only to be ruthlessly rejected.

Buggy walked over and dropped the two rabbits. The rest should be left to the chef, right?

He looked up toward the summit. As long as he could get this so-called Bear Spirit to finish Shuma's cooking quickly, it should be fine. Aside from being excessively spicy, Shuma's cooking tasted quite good—comparable to the famous chefs of the East Blue. It shouldn't be too hard to gain the approval of a beast with a modicum of intelligence.

Gradually, the soup in the large pot began to boil and churn, with slices of meat rising and falling. The aroma of meat suddenly wafted out. Buggy watched closely this time; Shuma had added some strangely shaped chili peppers at the very end. That was likely why his cooking was so incredibly spicy.

"Shuma, you seem to really like spicy food?"

"Eh? Is it spicy? But I've been eating this since I was a child, and I think this flavor is great!"

As Shuma answered, he fanned the fire beneath the pot vigorously, sending out even more intense, appetite-whetting waves of fragrance that rose into the air in thin, white wisps of smoke.

Has he completely lost his sense of taste for spice? Buggy was speechless.

Before long, a faint, distant roar echoed from the mountaintop. A sudden commotion erupted in the woods as countless birds were startled, taking flight in a frantic scramble.

The long, drawn-out roar of the bear lasted for a full minute before slowly fading away, and the mountain peak returned to silence.

Shuma looked up toward the summit. "The Great Elder said that after hearing the Bear Spirit's voice, we just need to wait a moment and it will appear."

He sat upright with a serious expression. Buggy and Mohji didn't ask any more questions and sat down in the same manner.

Thump... Thump...

From deep within the forest, a heart-trembling vibration of the ground came in rhythmic intervals.

Is it here? Buggy turned his head to look back. A pair of terrifying, cold, crimson eyes emerged from the darkness. Moments later, a massive, hulking grizzly bear walked out from the gloomy woods on all fours, its wild, brownish-gray fur and the aura of a jungle overlord on full display.

What felt slightly incongruous was the fluffy, tiny bear cub sitting on the grizzly's back. It had its front paws in its mouth, making indistinct noises, its innocent eyes filled with curiosity toward everything. If any young girl saw such a cute creature, her heart would likely melt.

"An aura that makes one feel a chill... It truly is the totem symbol of this island." Buggy instinctively grew vigilant. "Mohji, as a beast tamer, what do you think?"

Mohji clutched the bundle of sweet bamboo tightly, his voice becoming incredibly slow and drawn out, seemingly due to extreme nervousness and fear: "Cap--tain--Bug--gy--I--"

Buggy's forehead was covered in black lines. At a time like this, don't you dare act like a sloth!

Perhaps it was because of sitting by the fire, or perhaps because it was his first time seeing the Bear Spirit, but beads of sweat the size of peas seeped from Shuma's forehead, trickling down his cheeks to the ground.

The warnings and admonitions from the adults around him since childhood had etched a longing for the Bear Spirit into his soul. The scorching heat and excitement of his nervousness felt like a balloon constantly inflating, until it finally burst within his heart. This overwhelming emotion filled him instantly, and he felt so happy he could faint.

Watching the two unreliable guys beside him, Buggy's muscles began to tense. He instinctively prepared himself for battle; he couldn't rule out the possibility that this dangerous grizzly might suddenly attack.

The grizzly paced forward, leaving deep footprints in the soft mud with every step. Its crimson eyes fixed on the boiling, fragrant pot.

Then, it carefully pulled the bear cub from its back to its front, stood upright on its two sturdy, powerful hind legs, and looked at the three people present with a gaze of kingly disdain. The giant bear paw picked up the large ladle from the pot and, just like a human, scooped up a spoonful to taste.

All eyes were now focused on the grizzly, each harboring their own thoughts.

Shuma's inner thoughts: Great, the Bear Spirit is eating my cooking!

Mohji's inner thoughts: This bear is actually... actually twice as big as Richie. It's just an animal, so why does this aura make me, a beast tamer, feel afraid!

Buggy's inner thoughts: What a bone-chilling aura. If it launches an attack, what are my chances of winning...

The grizzly's throat moved as it swallowed the soup. Immediately after, the ladle in its paw clattered to the ground. Its face turned ferocious, its two crimson eyes glared at the three men, and it let out a deafening roar mixed with intense rage.

Buggy didn't hesitate to pull the other two back. He frowned, "Shuma, did you put something in the soup that you shouldn't have?"

"Eh? Doesn't the Bear Spirit mean that my cooking is delicious?"

"There's a limit to how stupid you can be..." Buggy took a stance. "It looks like one of us has to go down today. If you don't want to die, get ready to fight!"

The grizzly's massive body approached like a small mountain. It clenched a paw larger than a basin and smashed it down with lightning speed.

Buggy's eyes turned cold. The blade of his dagger flashed, his right foot braced behind him and sank into the ground, ready to exert force the moment the opponent showed an opening.

In that split second, Shuma lunged from the side, tackling Buggy to the ground and taking Mohji down with them as the three rolled down the hillside.

BOOM!

Dust filled the air. The spot where Buggy had been standing was smashed into a terrifying crater nearly half a meter deep. The grizzly retracted its paw, roared in anger, and gave chase in the direction of the three.