"Moses, you're already a grown boy now. Since you want to study medicine, you must first learn to independently gather various medicinal herbs."
"You know that small valley ten kilometers east—it's where reindeer frequently appear. This season happens to be when they're growing their antlers."
"I'd love to say I won't go with you, but with your Observation Haki, you'd definitely notice me. So I'll only intervene if your life is in danger."
"As long as you don't die, I won't lift a finger even if you lose an arm or leg."
This was Kureha's final stubbornness.
Thinking back to Kureha's words, Moses walked with Bear Cub closely following behind. Soon enough, the little creature bumped him with its head, nearly making him stumble. Turning back, Moses gave an exasperated look at the currently adorable, rolling ball of fur.
That size, that perfectly round shape—one would never guess it was nearly a year old. Already matching Moses in size, and even surpassing him in roundness.
Nearly half a year had passed since Garp crashed through the ceiling. It was now mid-May.
Moses wore a white Laboon-themed hat, white fluffy pants, and a fur coat of the same color and material.
A pair of polarized sunglasses.
White cotton gloves.
Completely bundled up, he looked just like a giant rabbit.
A baby Laboon?
"No no no, how could I be a rabbit?" Moses shook his head, dismissing the ridiculous thought. "Impossible."
Snowflakes as large as goose feathers drifted from the sky.
Trudging through the snow, Moses suddenly heard a soft "Ying~"—Bear Cub had bitten his pant leg and was pulling him back.
Kneeling down, Moses gently pinched the bear's ears. After months of training and living together, he could clearly sense the unease in Bear Cub's current whimper.
With his left hand stroking the cub's head to calm it, Moses simultaneously detected through Observation Haki—just beyond the small snowy slope ahead, numerous chaotic presences coming and going.
Yoyo~
Focusing, he heard clear deer calls not far away. Moses' heart leapt with joy—target spotted.
Looking down into Bear Cub's shiny black eyes, Moses' gaze held approval.
Bear Cub perfectly timed sticking out its tongue and blinking.
Disgustingly cute.
"Since you're scared, wait here," Moses said. "Remember to hide in the snow."
Standing up, Moses checked his equipment: an axe, several stones, a bola with stones tied at both ends, and one not-yet-fully-grown Iron-eating Beast mount.
Climbing the small slope and peering over the top, he saw a group of reindeer happily digging through snow-covered shrubs in the distance.
From the count, there were fifty to sixty reindeer of various sizes.
Clearly a small herd.
The corners of Moses' mouth curled up as he stroked Bear Cub who had crawled beside him, whispering:
"See them? Oh wait, you're a little blind bear—can't see that far. Hear them? Since you followed, you'll distract them while I hunt from behind, got it?"
Bear Cub tilted its head at Moses, then covered its ears with both paws before faceplanting into the snow, its stubby tail wagging as it wiggled its rear.
Moses couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. Since you're here, you don't get a choice.
With his right hand, he grabbed Bear Cub by the hind leg and effortlessly flung him through the air. Mid-flight, Bear Cub let out a sharp "Awoo!" that instantly caught the attention of a nearby herd of deer.
Splat!
A chubby lump of fur crashed into the snow. Feeling no pain, Bear Cub yanked his head out of the snow and shook it vigorously. His nearsighted eyes locked onto the deer ahead as he bared his teeth in a fierce, yet oddly adorable, growl.
For a solid ten seconds, he unleashed intermittent roars.
Successfully provoking the deer, a few bucks—led by a scar-faced adult stag—lowered their heads, antlers raised, and began advancing step by step toward Bear Cub.
Amid the swirling snow, Moses had already rolled down the slope after tossing Bear Cub. Taking advantage of the deer's distraction, he circled around to flank the herd.
Watching as the deer grew increasingly agitated, he smirked.
Even the smallest bear is still a bear—whether it eats meat or plants.
He also noticed that under the lead stag's command, the reindeer had begun intimidating Bear Cub, forcing him to retreat step by step.
Behind a crooked tree, Moses observed the herd less than a hundred meters away, scanning intently. A few seconds later, he spotted his target—a plump buck whose antlers hadn't fully hardened yet, still in the velvet stage.
Glancing back at Bear Cub, he estimated the little guy could hold out for another minute. So, Moses started crafting snowballs, gathering piles of snow and shaping them into palm-sized, high-density projectiles.
As his mental countdown reached zero, over twenty "hard-packed" snowballs lay stacked before him.
Whoosh!
Moses rose from his half-kneeling position, left arm extended to aim while his right hand, gripping a snowball, drew back past his head. Taking a deep breath, he locked onto the lead stag with Observation Haki, his focus razor-sharp. With a sudden whip of his arm—
Swoosh!
A spinning snowball streaked through the air like a white line, landing with a crisp smack right on the lead stag's head—directly hitting its eye.
"Yow?!"
A panicked cry erupted as the stag leaped two meters straight up. Before it could land, another snowball struck its head mid-air.
No real damage, but it hurt.
The moment its hooves touched ground, the lead stag bolted in blind panic.
With the leader spooked, the entire herd erupted into chaos. Then, a barrage of snowballs—some mixed with stones—rained down on them. Guided by Observation Haki's predictions, even the swiftest four-legged beasts couldn't evade the simple tactics of a two-legged predator.
The relentless assault of stones and snowballs, combined with Observation Haki's foresight into individual deer movements, eventually isolated one buck from the herd. Moses knew—the moment had arrived.
In one fluid motion, he snatched up a bola, whirling it overhead with practiced ease. As the buck turned its head, he released the weapon. The weighted ropes, stretched taut by the spinning stones, wrapped around the deer's front legs with a whoosh.
Thud!
The buck face-planted into the snow, tumbling head over hooves. The sight sent the already frenzied herd into greater disarray.
Clad in Laboon-fur attire, Moses sprinted forward, axe in hand, hurling the last of his stones to drive the herd away.
Reaching the downed buck, he didn't hesitate. A single, decisive swing of his axe—the pick-end piercing like a dagger—stabbed through the deer's neck, leaving a long, clean gash.
"YOW—!!!"
A mournful cry echoed as Moses pulled out his axe and stepped back, wary of the prey's death throes.
The stag, nearly adult-sized with a body length close to 1.6 meters and a robust build, was now kicking wildly with its hind legs.
Seconds later, the stag's head—its throat torn open—collapsed into a pool of blood, while the herd watched anxiously from a distance.
As the stag breathed its last, an irregular crystal shimmering with a mysterious glow appeared above its corpse.
Moses knew this was a sight only he could witness—or perhaps something undetectable to the "ordinary" eye.
With a subtle gesture, he summoned the grain-sized Soul Crystal into his palm.
A thoughtful glint flashed in his eyes as information appeared on his retinas.
[Obtained F-grade Soul Crystal *1]
Soul Crystal: Acquired through slaying, these crystals of varying grades can be used to enhance attributes and Bestowed Abilities. (Soul Crystals are forged from the condensed essence of a life's spiritual core.)
A brief description floated beside the name of the Soul Crystal. Moses wasn't surprised—this was simply one of the "orb's" inherent traits.
He called it "Appraisal."
By focusing his gaze on an object for a few seconds, its detailed information would appear on his retinas.
It could be a living creature or an inanimate object—an almost fundamental form of insight.
Undeniably, it was an incredibly convenient ability, a near-perfect auxiliary skill.
Perfect in what sense? Well, for investigating the unknown. Take, for instance, a newly developed potion with completely unknown effects.
With the appraisal results, he could discern its exact purpose.
He stored the Soul Crystal within himself—more accurately, in the Soul Crystal inventory on his panel, which conveniently held such items.
Soul Crystals: [F-grade *1]
Moses turned his attention back to the stag. With a swing of his axe, a crisp "snap" echoed as a 30-centimeter-long antler branch was cleanly severed.
Another swing, and a slightly shorter antler followed suit.
He packed both into the bag at his side.
A resounding success for his first hunt.
Just then, a black-and-white fluffball waddled over, letting out soft "ying ying" whimpers laced with grievance.
Understandable. A panda cub under a year old—even if it was technically a bear—would naturally feel scared and wronged after being threatened by several antlered adults.
Moses cupped Bear Cub's chubby cheeks in his hands and vigorously rubbed them, eliciting a series of happy "gu gu" sounds from the little one.
While amusing himself with the fluffball, Moses kept a wary eye on the lingering deer herd. He didn't immediately begin butchering the stag, just in case the herd decided to retaliate.
And then—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A rapid series of gunshots erupted from the woods flanking the herd—directly to Moses' left front—followed by loud shouts and cries.
Almost instantly, the deer bolted toward the right, leaving behind a few fallen comrades and kicking up a flurry of snow in their panic.
Moses swiftly grabbed Bear Cub by the scruff and ducked behind the stag's carcass, shielding them from stray bullets. He scowled at the approaching group.
All of them were armed—some with blades, others with guns.
Fifteen in total.
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At the center of their formation were two youths—one around thirteen or fourteen, the other about seven or eight. Judging by their looks, they were likely brothers.
At this moment, the elder brother with purple-red bowl-cut hair and a horse-like face held a flintlock gun arrogantly, his face filled with anger:
"You useless fools, you can't even kill a herd of deer? Only a few were taken down. When I become king, I'll have all of you exiled!"
Meanwhile, the younger brother with deep purple hair wore an equally cruel expression, his obese face grotesquely ugly:
"That's right, you worthless trash. Go and slaughter every last one of those reindeer. I want a full deer feast tonight!"
The thirteen guards all looked aggrieved but dared not speak up. Only the leader among them showed some backbone and calmly said:
"Apologies, Your Highnesses. The soldiers have just returned from that ruins and are exhausted. Moreover, the deer herd is extremely vigilant, and with the heavy snowfall now—"
Mushuru impatiently waved his hand, his horse-like face stretching even longer as he sneered:
"If not for the gains we made in the ruins, do you think I'd settle for just scolding you?"
Wapol dug his nose and wiped the booger on a guard's coat nearby, puffing his cheeks in displeasure, his already bloated face growing even fatter:
"My elder brother is right. You really are a bunch of incompetents."
"Huh?" Wapol suddenly noticed a dead reindeer in the snow to his right and also spotted Moses watching them. "Laboon?"
In the next instant, the guards all raised their guns and aimed in that direction, their faces tense with caution.
Laboon—
A pack-hunting carnivorous rabbit species native to Drum Island. Possessing the agility of rabbits and the physique of bears, they were notoriously ferocious, only acknowledging those they deemed strong. Any other creatures they encountered would be greeted with a "friendly" group beating.
Despite the heavy snowfall, visibility still extended about a hundred meters.
Yet no matter how hard they looked, there were no Laboon in the surroundings. The direction Wapol pointed at only held a dead reindeer and... a hunter?
"Who's there?" the lead guard shouted, frowning. "We're the Royal Guard. Stop playing tricks—I'll count to three. If you don't come out, we'll shoot."
With the king's only two heirs present, he had no choice but to act this way.
The safety of the royal family came above all else.
Moses grimaced, recognizing exactly who these people were—the future "tyrants" of this country.
The snowflakes in the sky had grown denser without anyone noticing, and the cold wind howled.
Moses already felt like retreating. He was still young—no need to pit his barely-above-average physique against gunfire.
He patted Bear Cub beside him, then leaned down, whispering into its ear: "You go first. I'll cover you. Meet me at that small snow slope we passed earlier."
Though the bear was still small, it was clever. With Moses gesturing with his hands, the ever-alert Bear Cub turned and crawled away on its belly. Meanwhile, the group across from them continued hurling vulgar insults.
Moses used Observation Haki to lock onto Wapol's group, nearly sixty to seventy meters away.
His hands had already gathered snow, shaping them into snowballs. To retreat safely, he needed to disrupt their formation first.
Otherwise, with his back turned, Moses couldn't guarantee they wouldn't take a cheap shot.
One, two!
Five, six...
By now, the guards—urged on by the two brothers—had begun encircling Moses's position.
Fifty meters... forty-five... thirty.
The eldest prince, Mushuru, urged from behind, "Too slow! Hurry up! I want to see who's pretending to be a ghost. Open fire immediately."
The lead guard hesitated, "But—"
Moses knew he couldn't wait any longer. Gripping a snowball tightly in his right hand, he relied on the position he had sensed earlier with Observation Haki. Rising slightly, he hurled the snowball with all his might.
The next moment.
"Ahhh!!!" Mushuru screamed in pain. "My eyes! Protect me! Shoot, shoot now!"
The guards were startled and quickly formed a protective circle around the two princes, raising their guns and retreating.
With Observation Haki clearly sensing the movements ahead, Moses took a deep breath, gripping a snowball in each hand. Summoning all his strength, he kicked the reindeer carcass to the right while rolling to the left.
Thud!
A muffled sound echoed as the deer's body hit the ground, followed by a rapid series of gunshots aimed in its direction.
Seizing the moment, Moses sprang to his feet and charged forward. The two snowballs in his hands whistled through the air before landing with sharp smacks, eliciting a howl of pain from Wapol.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
More gunfire rang out. Moses distinctly perceived the ripples in the air left by each bullet. Having sensed them in advance, dodging was effortless.
Having already tricked them into wasting a round of bullets—and knowing their guns couldn't fire continuously—this volley was sparse.
Moses sidestepped the ordinary lead bullets, swiftly retrieving a sling from his waist. With a rapid spin, he hurled it through the snowstorm. The distance of less than twenty meters vanished in an instant, and two guards' legs were instantly entangled, tripping them in their panic.
By then, Moses had already plunged into the crowd. A swift kick to the lead guard's groin sent him doubling over, and a knee to the chin flipped him backward.
Amid the remaining men, axes swung, fists flew, and kicks landed. The sound of tearing fabric mixed with splatters of blood as gun-wielding arms were struck down.
Muffled impacts, agonized screams, and cries of pain filled the air.
Moses weaved nimbly through the chaos, leveraging his small stature, formidable strength, and ruthless precision, anticipating their every move.
A one-sided battle.
In under ten seconds, Moses had single-handedly taken down all fifteen men.
Especially the cowardly Wapol brothers—Moses dealt a brutal blow to each of their right arms, severing their tendons outright.
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PS: [Basic Power Tiering] (General Classification)
Average healthy adult: F- tier
Petty officers / 100K Belly range: F tier ~ F+ tier
Lieutenants / 1M Belly range: E- tier ~ E+ tier
Commanders / 10M Belly range: D- tier ~ D+ tier
Vice Admirals / Supernovas / 100M Belly range: C- tier ~ C+ tier
Elite Vice Admirals / Admiral candidates / Yonko Commanders / Warlords / 1B Belly range: B- tier ~ B+ tier
Admirals / Yonko / 3B↑ Belly range: A- tier ~
Note: In the world of pirates, most reach their tier by excelling in one or a few areas—not as all-rounded warriors.
Example of A- tier: Zephyr.
Examples of A tier: Mihawk, Blackbeard, old Garp.
For example, A+ level would be like Whitebeard in his prime (reaching a certain aspect) or Red-Haired Shanks at his peak (reaching a certain aspect).
B+ level would be like Marco, Katakuri, Crocodile, Boa Hancock, or Jinbe.
B level would be like Doflamingo.
This is the general classification, but specifics still depend on the main text, as the overall environment isn't static.