Hearing a heavy thud at the door, Dadan rushed out of the house to check.
She immediately gasped in shock.
"Tsk, such a huge wild bull!"
Listening to Dadan's astonished words, Moses smiled and said to her:
"I heard from Ace that you like wild bull meat. I happened to run into this one while up in the mountains, so I brought it for you. Let's have it for dinner."
Dadan shot Ace a helpless look. "Why does this brat have such a big mouth? Wild bulls are dangerous—what if your brother got hurt?"
Ace pressed his lips together, then glanced nervously at Moses.
"Hey! You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
"Are you worried about me?"
Moses spun around in place, his body clean and unharmed, then added:
"What are you thinking? For this dumb bull to even scratch me, it'd need to grow another five or six meters."
"Keep bragging. Another five or six meters, and it'd flatten you with one stomp."
Ace looked thoroughly unconvinced.
Moses chuckled but didn't argue further. Instead, he turned to Dadan.
"Do you have a big basin? I'll butcher this bull."
Dadan immediately waved her hands.
"No, no, we can't trouble you with that, Moses. Leave it to us."
She promptly shouted at Dogura and Magura, who had followed her outside:
"What are you standing around for? Go grab the tools!"
Magura was a burly, simple-looking man with a bald head save for a tuft of red, rooster-comb-like hair on top.
Hearing this, the two grinned eagerly and hurried back to fetch their butchering tools.
Wild bull meat wasn't something they got to eat often.
Today was a lucky day.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Moses let them handle it.
He walked over to Ace and grinned at him.
Before long, Ace flushed red and snapped, "What are you staring at?"
"My eyes are attached to my face. I'll look at whoever I want. What's wrong with looking at you a couple of times?"
"What, are you a girl who can't be looked at? Or do I have to pay to see you?"
Moses smirked, teasing him relentlessly.
Just as Ace was about to combust, Moses patted his shoulder. "Want to take a walk with me?"
Ace froze.
He hadn't expected Moses to say that.
He stared at Moses for a moment.
Finally, feigning composure, he nodded and muttered, "Since you're asking so nicely, I guess I can reluctantly agree."
Moses smacked Ace's back, making him yelp in pain.
"Would it kill you to not be tsundere?"
"You're the one who's a weird little brat."
"You're calling me names again? You're the weird one. Don't walk away—stop right there!"
After delivering the smack, Moses casually picked a direction and started walking.
Ace chased after him, trying to retaliate, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't land a hit. Moses dodged every strike as if he had eyes on the back of his head.
The two of them, bickering and roughhousing, soon disappeared from the house and headed into the forest.
Dadan opened her mouth, about to warn them that the forest was dangerous, but then she glanced at the massive wild bull being butchered in front of her and swallowed her words.
Strolling through the lush forest, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting scattered patches of light on the ground around them.
As they walked, Moses occasionally used his axe to chop away obstructing branches.
Ace kept eyeing Moses' strange axe with envy, sneaking glances at it again and again along the way.
Boys always love playing with weapons.
Especially a handsome axe.
Moses pretended not to see it.
The mountain forest was lush with grass and leaves.
Rich in species.
Sure enough.
Before long, Moses discovered a medicinal herb in the forest.
It was a depression with a sizable pond, surrounded by thick reeds.
"Do you know what that is?"
Moses pointed at the reeds and asked Ace.
"Isn't that just reeds?" Ace rolled his eyes. "Don't treat me like an idiot."
Moses chuckled and walked over, pulling up a few reeds along with their roots and soil.
Pointing at the bamboo-like rhizomes, he said, "Reed roots. A common medicinal herb. They clear heat, detoxify, stop vomiting, and act as a diuretic. You can even extract juice from them."
While Ace looked puzzled, Moses tossed the reeds aside and continued wandering through the forest with him.
Every now and then, he would point out some common herbs, clearly explaining their uses. As time passed, Ace grew visibly impatient.
Finally,
Ace grabbed Moses' arm and glared. "Moses, what the hell are you trying to do?"
Stopping in his tracks, Moses looked at him with pity and shook his head.
"My foolish little brother, haven't you figured it out yet?"
Ace's eyes flickered, his expression stubborn as he stared at Moses.
Moses pinched his cheek, ignoring Ace's bristling reaction. "I'm teaching you some survival skills for the wild."
"Sure, Dadan and the others won't let you starve, but there are things they can't teach you."
"In a few years, when you're older, you'll definitely go hunting in the forest—that's just who you are. But the forest is full of poisonous things. I'm teaching you this so you can save yourself."
"Otherwise, when you really need it, you might come across an antidote and not even recognize it. That would be beyond stupid."
Ace fell silent. Moses sighed and ruffled his hair.
"We might not be together for a long time, so you'd better live well." Moses smiled. "You're my little brother. I don't want to hear one day that you've kicked the bucket."
Ace shook his head, dislodging Moses' hand, and scowled.
"You're the one who's gonna kick the bucket! The Goa Kingdom's mountains are safe. You're the one heading into the Grand Line—I heard that sea eats people alive."
"You'd better not die."
Moses nodded, still smiling.
"Then let's both live freely and well."
Ace nodded firmly. After that, he listened more attentively as Moses explained various medicinal herbs.
Time passed.
The sky darkened.
The two emerged from the forest and returned to the Dadan Family Home.
Inside, the lights were already on, and the rich aroma of meat filled the air.
Moses' eyes lit up. "Come on, let's go eat."
Ace nodded eagerly, his face full of anticipation.
Inside the house,
Garp sat at the head of the table.
Seeing them return, he tore off a chunk of beef and laughed. "Moses! I heard you took down that wild bull. Not bad—worthy of being my grandson!"
"Ace, you'd better step up. See? I told you Moses is stronger than you."
Garp roared with laughter.
Ace's face flushed with anger. "Shut up, you old geezer!"
Garp's face darkened as he pointed at Ace in exasperation, yelling, "You damn brat! I'm your grandfather, and you dare call me a stinky old man?"
"Argh, you're pissing me off! Moses, don't hold me back—I'm gonna beat this kid up today!"
Moses found a spot to sit, picked up a large piece of roasted meat, and started eating without even looking up. "Do what you want. Just don't kill him."
This only made Garp angrier.
Ace, with a smug look, squeezed in beside Moses and grabbed some meat to eat.
"Beat me if you want, but let me eat first."
Garp, fuming, suddenly laughed, channeling his anger into his appetite as he ate and cursed between bites.
"You ungrateful little brat. You call me 'Grandpa' when you need something, but 'stinky old man' the rest of the time."
...
The joyful days lasted a week. Every morning, Garp would "disappear," only to return by evening.
During this time, Moses asked Garp to return the fishing rod from the warship to the village chief's family.
Each morning, Moses would take Ace out for a run, helping him refine his Breath along the way.
After breakfast,
he would take him into the mountains to teach him various survival skills—how to use tools, forage for food,
climb trees to raid bird nests,
wade into rivers to catch fish and shrimp,
identify edible wild greens and berries,
or even scorpions hiding in rock crevices.
Pinch off the heads and tails,
then roast them over charcoal to sterilize.
With his appraisal ability, Moses was practically a walking wilderness encyclopedia.
From dawn till dusk,
just like Garp, he'd return by nightfall, bringing back whatever game they'd hunted.
Dinner together, chatting, then washing up and sleeping.
A week later,
morning came.
After breakfast, Moses and Garp bid farewell to Ace.
"Grandpa's vacation is almost over. Time to return to Marine HQ. That's it for now."
"Don't miss me too much, Ace," Moses teased, seeing the reluctance in Ace's eyes.
"Oh, here—a gift for you."
Moses unbuckled the axe and its sheath from his waist and handed them to Ace.
"For me?" Ace's face lit up briefly before furrowing in concern. "But if you give me your weapon, what will you use?"
"It's fine. It's not some legendary blade, just a well-forged tool. I'll have another one made later."
Moses waved it off. "This multi-purpose axe is for your protection now. No more refusals—just take it."
Ace's eyes reddened slightly as he sniffled and nodded. "Okay. See you next time."
Moses grinned and waved. "Yeah, next time."
Then he and Garp left without looking back.
Along the way,
Moses and Garp walked through the forest, breathing in the natural scents around them.
"So, what do you think of Ace?"
Hearing the question, Moses pondered before answering.
"He's thoughtful, shy, but stubborn at times. Still, he's a good kid."
Garp chuckled in agreement.
"Yeah, a good kid. His flaw is his stubbornness—just like your father. Sometimes, he digs his heels in for no reason."
"But you, Moses, aren't like that. You don't cling to things the way they do."
Yet, for Moses, unless it's something he truly cares about, people and things rarely weigh on his mind.
Garp kept that thought to himself.
He wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
The boy's sense of morality was... faint.
Just like those researchers, life was nothing more than a number to them.
Unaware of what Garp was thinking, Moses watched the forest "receding" around him.
At one point, a flash of brown-gray color caught his eye, and his figure abruptly halted.
He released his Observation Haki.
Moses precisely locked onto a presence.
In that instant, he scanned his surroundings, and a palm-sized stone came into view. Moses bent down to pick it up.
Breath.
Entering the Unity of Heaven and Man state, his aura became tranquil.
Beside him, Garp was also surprised by Moses' sudden change.
Just as he was about to ask, he noticed Moses behaving unusually.
He watched as Moses lightened his footsteps and moved to the side.
Garp immediately swallowed his words.
Moses slowly raised his right arm, focusing on a deer hidden in the bushes not far away.
Thirty meters.
Twenty meters.
Fifteen meters.
His body slightly crouched, his feet tensed. At ten meters, his entire figure suddenly sprang forward.
The sudden burst of speed startled the deer within the ten-meter radius, causing it to leap up in alarm.
"Now."
Moses muttered under his breath, his Observation Haki locking onto the deer, predicting its movement. His arm rotated inward, adjusting the angle as the stone whistled through the air with a sharp whoosh.
Thud!
A dull impact sounded as the stone struck the deer's head. Its body twisted mid-air, losing balance before crashing into the bushes.
Moses swiftly rushed to the deer's side, gripping its head with both hands and twisting sharply. A crisp crack later, its neck was snapped.
Moses released the deer's head.
A dozen seconds later, the deer breathed its last.
A mysterious, irregular crystal the size of a grain of rice shimmered into existence.
[Obtained F-grade Soul Crystal ×1]
Garp walked over, puzzled. "Is this lunch for today?"
Moses shook his head, surprising Garp as he replied:
"A return gift."
"Someone treated me to lunch a few days ago. Since we're leaving today, it's the perfect time to return the favor."
Garp's lips twitched.
"Quite the gift—a whole deer."
"Go on, tell me. Who's the lucky one that managed to win your favor?"
He said this because he knew Moses too well—this kid rarely paid attention to just anyone.
Whether he acknowledged someone depended entirely on his mood.
Like on the warship, despite the many people aboard, only Bogart had managed to chat and laugh with him over the past few days.
As for the others—from officers down to the cleaning crew—barely any could exchange more than a few words with Moses.
Looking at the deer before him, which was even larger than himself—at least 1.6 meters in length—Moses thought for a moment before raising his gaze to Garp.
"Gramps, if I tell you, will you help me carry it down the mountain?"
"Up to you." Garp's face darkened. "You hunted it, and you're not even sharing. Want my help? Unless—"
"Never mind then."
Garp's expression froze.
I wasn't even done speaking?
But Moses paid him no further attention. Instead, he glanced around before spotting a thin vine hanging from a tree. He yanked it down.
Using the over-ten-meter-long vine, he tightly bound the deer, leaving two straps on either side of its body.
Then, like carrying a backpack, he slung the entire deer horizontally across his back. Raising an eyebrow at Garp, Moses turned and strode down the mountain without another word.
Garp followed behind, his lips twitching, his expression utterly bemused.
A little brat was carrying a deer larger than himself. If not for the deer's head hanging down, one could hardly tell who was carrying whom.
The journey passed in silence.
In less than half an hour.
Moses and Garp arrived at Windmill Village.
Ignoring Garp, Moses followed a familiar path, winding through alleys until he reached the back door of a house.
Knock knock knock!
He pounded loudly.
A few seconds later, a voice as clear as a mountain spring came from inside.
"Who is it? Who are you looking for?"
"It's me. Makino."
Then came the sound of hurried footsteps and an eager voice saying, "Wait a moment, I'm coming!" Seconds later, the door opened from within.
Seeing Moses with the deer on his back, Makino froze, covering her mouth. "Little Moses, what is this?"
Rolling his eyes, Moses pushed past Makino and stepped inside.
After setting the deer down in the yard, he clapped his hands and said to her, "This deer is for you. Consider it repayment for that meal you treated me to."
Makino's eye twitched—the gift was too extravagant. Just as she was about to refuse, she noticed another person entering the yard.
"Oh? Mr. Garp? What brings you here?"
(End of chapter)