Companions, Part Five

The meat was still there the next day. Billy gritted his teeth and refused to eat. He just wouldn't eat it.

Rogge ignored him and began his training. With Seastone on him, his Devil Fruit ability was suppressed, as was some of his strength. But Rogge had wanted to train this way for a long time.

He paid Billy no attention. Whether he ate was up to him. Rogge had already prepared himself for Billy's death. Although he had brought this dog home and would certainly have cared for him for the rest of his life, Billy had eaten the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

That meant that even if he was only a dog, he could no longer remain ordinary. Rogge needed to train Billy.

But he was a husky. How was Rogge supposed to train him into something like a fierce beast? It was too difficult. Harsh times called for harsh measures. This stupid dog needed to be drilled hard.

Billy lay there, miserable. Rogge ignored him. A morning passed, and Rogge hunted down another beast and brought it back to roast. Billy still didn't move, remaining in the same spot.

The meat in front of him was already crawling with flies and bugs. The air here was too damp, and meat would soon rot. Billy had never been treated like this before. He wanted to return to the Ark, to Sky Island, to Nightless City.

But was that possible?

Aside from Rogge, everything out there was dangerous, and now even Rogge was treating him this way. The mighty dog shed tears.

Rogge tossed another bloody slab of meat in front of Billy, then focused solely on his own roast.

Furious, Billy ran up, opened his mouth, and bit down on Rogge's head.

Blood dripped from Rogge's head and ran down