At dusk, the beautiful sunset reflected on the shimmering sea.
Sanji and the others had all thawed out and regained consciousness. Aside from Nami, Robin, and the Nyaban Brothers, who needed to rest, the rest took their subordinates and entered the rainforest again to gather food.
In the rainforest, around an open lake, giant beasts lay dead on the ground—ancient apex predators like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, and Quetzalcoatlus.
At this moment, a Triceratops the size of a warship charged forward with a fierce glare, the three giant horns on its head like sharp blades gleaming with cold light.
Opposite it, a humanoid Tyrannosaurus twice its height stood ready to strike.
Using the blood of the island's giant Tyrannosaurus, Allen's body had expanded to twenty meters tall. His skin was covered in dark green scales, a thick tail that tapered to a point grew behind him, and half of his face had transformed into that of a T-Rex.
He looked exactly like a giant who had eaten the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Tyrannosaurus Rex, entering a hybrid form to become a massive dragon-man.
Facing the fiercely charging Triceratops, Allen's gaze sharpened. He spread his legs, lowered his stance, and thrust his palms forward, firmly gripping the two giant horns on its head.
*Crash!*
"Roar!!"
The Triceratops let out a deep, resounding roar. Lowering its head and kicking its legs, its terrifying immense strength pushed Allen backward, his feet plowing two massive trenches into the ground.
Allen gritted his teeth and held his ground. The moment the Triceratops's strength waned, his eyes darkened. The muscles in his arms bulged as he twisted its giant horns with all his might, violently slamming its head into the ground!
*Smash!*
The Triceratops's massive body was flipped over on the spot, crashing heavily onto its side and kicking up a billowing ring of dust that spread outward.
Allen's eyes flashed with ferocity. He raised his arm, his fingertips transforming into sharp, long claws, and viciously slashed down!
*Rip!*
The claws of a Deinonychus were like scythes in Allen's hands, easily slicing through the Triceratops's thick flesh and tearing a massive gash in its neck. Blood poured out in streams.
"Your hunting speed is way too fast. We can't even keep up with processing them, hey."
Beneath a fallen T-Rex at the edge of the lake, Sanji complained with a cigarette dangling from his lips as he used a large cleaver to butcher the beast into chunks.
Killer's twin scythes spun rapidly, slicing a giant tree into wooden logs in a few swift strokes. The shipwrights of the Fifth Division under his command used those logs to assemble makeshift carts.
Gin led his subordinates in transportation, carrying the neatly cut meat chunks from Sanji onto the wooden carts to haul back to the ship. Looking at Allen's newly added spoils, he couldn't help but sigh, "Another massive dinosaur. Looks like the ship won't be short on meat for a very long time."
"What are you talking about, idiot? When has our ship ever been short on meat?"
Allen gradually shrank back to his normal size and walked over, teasing, "It's not like we're some pathetic pirate crew that can't even afford meat. If Sanji wasn't managing things, I'd let you take one bite and throw the rest away."
"Don't talk about wasting food so self-righteously, hey. What a bastard."
Sanji scoffed, his expression thoroughly annoyed.
"Let's call it a day. We'll head back once these ingredients are processed. We still have to stay here for two more days, so we'll continue hunting deeper inland tomorrow," Allen ordered casually, sitting down on a rock and pulling out a cigar to light up.
In the span of a single afternoon, he had hunted and analyzed over twenty prehistoric creatures, including Tyrannosaurus Rexes, Ankylosauruses, Mosasauruses, Quetzalcoatluses, and Ancient Centipedes.
This included beasts that ran on land, swam in the water, flew in the sky, and even burrowed underground.
However, today was just a general survey of the island. Starting tomorrow, he planned to follow the biological habits recorded in the encyclopedia and specifically hunt the "Fatality-level" creatures—beasts said to guarantee certain death upon encounter.
Creatures of this level were fascinating. Some of them possessed bizarre abilities like skin mimicry, discharging bioelectricity, or using specially structured cavities to emit shockwaves.
These abilities could actually be seen in modern animals, but the creatures here were characterized by their gigantism, allowing them to unleash certain abilities with far more terrifying power.
Those were Allen's true hunting targets.
...
Soon, the group hauled several wooden carts fully loaded with ingredients back to the island's shore. They set up pots and lit firewood on the grassy outskirts of the rainforest, busily preparing dinner.
By the time the sun completely sank below the horizon and a full moon hung high in the sky, bright bonfires lit up the coast as the pirates began their banquet, singing and dancing.
It was as if the day's harrowing experiences had been tossed to the back of their minds, with no one dwelling on them.
Beneath a towering giant tree, Killer sat alone on a massive root, holding a Devil Fruit in his hand, his eyes lost in deep thought.
In just one short week, he felt as though his entire worldview had been completely shattered.
First, Kid was brutally beaten by Allen—a pirate from the same generation with a lower bounty. Then, a completely unheard-of pirate named Blackbeard appeared, possessing enough strength to fight on par with Allen.
Just two days ago, news broke about the Straw Hat kid triggering a Buster Call and successfully escaping Water 7 despite being hunted by ten warships and five Vice Admirals.
There was also the news of Blackbeard Teach defeating Fire Fist Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates with a bounty of 550 million Berries.
Looking back at his and Kid's experiences since setting sail, he felt that all their past pride and arrogance had been ground into dust.
He originally thought someone of Allen's caliber was already absurdly strong, but then came today.
When facing Marine Admiral Aokiji, even a powerful pirate crew like Allen's was instantly suppressed!
This psychological disparity was practically suffocating.
Killer pulled back his thoughts, his gaze falling on the green Devil Fruit in his hand.
Gin had forced it onto him a few days ago, saying it was Allen's intention, and even carefully explained its abilities in full detail.
Bug-Bug Fruit, Ancient Type, Model: Prehistoric Devil Flower Mantis.
To be honest, this fruit suited him perfectly. It could even be said to be tailor-made for him, yet he hadn't eaten it.
It felt as though eating it would equate to accepting his identity on this ship, something Killer vehemently resisted in his heart.
But he also yearned for greater strength—not just for himself, but so he could help Kid go further in the future.
Especially today, after witnessing the absolute pinnacle of power on the seas, his desire to improve his strength had reached its absolute peak.
"What would you do right now, if it were you..."
Killer tilted his head up and gazed at the bright moon, but the cold moonlight offered no response.
...
As the night deepened, the banquet came to an end. The residual heat of the bonfires gradually died out and cooled. Aside from the crew members on night watch, everyone else returned to their quarters on the *Freewill* to rest.
Fourth floor of the ship's cabin.
Soft rays of light filled the entire bedroom. Allen sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard, and pressed the switch of the Lamp Dial hanging on the wall beside him.
The warm light slowly faded. The bright moonlight, accompanied by sparse starlight, filtered in through the window and spilled over the soft cotton quilt.
*Knock, knock.*
Suddenly, a gentle knocking sound came from outside. Just as Allen looked over in confusion, he heard a soft inquiry.
"Allen, are you asleep?"
"Robin?"
Allen paused for a moment before replying, "I was just about to sleep. Do you need something?"
"I'm coming in, then."
*Click.*
The doorknob turned, and the bedroom door slowly pushed open.
It revealed Robin's figure behind it. Wearing a sheer, purple one-piece nightgown and hugging a pillow to her chest, she stood quietly outside the bedroom door.
"Sorry for bothering you so late. Is it alright if I stay here for the night?"
Robin spoke softly. It sounded like a question, but before Allen could even answer, she walked right in with her pillow.
Seeing this, Allen was a bit caught off guard. Thinking back to what happened during the day, he had a faint guess in his heart, so he said, "It's fine. Let me get you a blanket."
"There's no need."
Robin interrupted Allen as he was about to get up. She walked over to the head of the bed, sat down, gently lifted a corner of the quilt, and slipped her legs inside without any hesitation.
Through the sheer nightgown, Allen could vaguely make out her undergarments. The bottom was black, and the top...
If he wasn't mistaken, she wasn't wearing anything underneath the top.
Allen was speechless.
He had tried every trick in the book to coax Nami up here, only to fail every time. How did Robin just climb into his bed all on her own?
Had he been chasing pennies while ignoring the jackpot all this time?
Before he could say anything, Robin had already arranged her pillow, pulled up the covers, and lain down, looking fully prepared to go to sleep.
Allen glanced at her, then lay back down as well. Staring up at the ceiling, he said, "If you have the time, maybe you should try talking to Nami. Even though she's a violent maniac, she's actually a very attentive person."
"Yes, I know. I just thought that maybe I could sleep a little more peacefully here."
As she spoke, Robin pursed her lips and turned her head. Watching the starlight fall across Allen's calm face, she asked, "Allen, can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Next time, if the person who comes isn't Aokiji, what will happen to us?"
"That's an interesting question."
Allen glanced at her and stroked his chin in thought. "Let me think. If we run into Akainu, I might have a chance to fly us away using my Quetzalcoatlus form. If it's Kizaru, we'd probably all end up in prison together."
"But it also depends on how long it is until we meet them. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to win next time. Give me another year, and even if I can't win, I at least won't be defeated so easily..."
Watching Allen seriously ponder the scenarios as he spoke, Robin smiled and asked another question:
"What if you handed me over? That would be a way to protect everyone, right?"
"You want me to hide behind a woman to escape? Say something like that again, and I'll throw you into the sea."
"Oh my. I'll be careful next time. I hope the Captain won't punish me."
"Punish you? Oh, right, how are your injuries?" Allen suddenly turned his head and asked.
Robin shook her head in refusal and chuckled softly, "The doctor said I need bed rest and should avoid strenuous exercise."
"Oh. Goodnight then," Allen said expressionlessly, rolling over and falling asleep in a second.
*'How boring.'*