A little earlier, Ling had left Naguri's cove and taken a longer route back toward his camp.
The reason for the detour was simple. He wanted to hunt a few more boars before returning.
His appetite had been getting bigger lately, almost as quickly as he had been growing. When Ling first arrived on Dawn Island, the top of his head had barely reached Makino's chest. Now, after more than a month of training and recovery, he was already around her height at one hundred and sixty-six centimeters.
Ling still found that ridiculous whenever he thought about it.
He chuckled under his breath and continued between the trees.
The extra food wasn't only for him, either. Luffy knew where his camp was now, and there was absolutely no chance that idiot wasn't coming back.
Ling could already picture him showing up again and staring at whatever happened to be cooking with that familiar look in his eyes.
Ling's mouth twitched.
'Maybe I should catch two.'
A moment later, he reconsidered.
'Three.'
He eventually found one farther ahead.
A large boar was rooting around beneath the trees, completely unaware of him. Ling slowed and approached quietly, careful not to startle it before he was close enough.
The boar still hadn't noticed him.
Ling shifted his footing.
'Just a little closer...'
"Kome, come back here!"
The shout carried through the forest.
The boar's head snapped up.
Ling's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
It bolted.
Branches shook as the animal disappeared through the undergrowth.
Ling stared after it.
"...Dammit."
He glanced toward the direction the shout had come from, but before he could decide whether to check, another cry tore through the trees.
"KOME!"
Ling's expression changed.
He immediately abandoned the hunt and headed toward the sound.
---
By the time Ling reached the road, Chuck had already recognized him.
The other bandits looked between them, confused by the sudden tension.
Chuck recovered first.
"Another kid!"
He said it quickly.
Chuck had spent the time since Foosha convincing himself that the fight had only gone badly because he'd underestimated Ling. His guard had been down, and the brat had surprised him with some strange ability he still didn't understand.
This time, he knew there was something to watch out for.
Before Ling could say anything else, Chuck lunged.
Ling's eyes narrowed as Chuck closed the distance and swung at him. He shifted aside, letting the attack pass, then stepped into the opening without stopping.
Both hands struck Chuck squarely in the chest with a quick shove.
Chuck stumbled backward several steps before catching himself.
His eyes widened.
The last time they fought, Ling's movements had been rough and awkward. Now Chuck had attacked first and still been pushed back almost immediately.
The other bandits noticed.
"What the hell?"
Chuck steadied himself, his embarrassment quickly turning to anger.
"Don't just stand there!"
The men moved.
Five joined Chuck and started toward Ling while the seventh remained beside the cart. He grabbed Kome by the shoulder and pulled him back toward Raisa, keeping himself between them and the road.
"Stay put, brat."
"Let him go!" Raisa snapped.
The bandit gave Kome a rough shake.
"You heard me."
Kome struggled against his grip, but Raisa quickly caught his arm and pulled him closer.
Ling's gaze flicked toward them.
'One stayed behind.'
Chuck rushed him again.
This time, Ling didn't meet him the way he had in Foosha.
He slipped past the first swing and let the movement carry him forward instead of stopping to reset. His palm struck Chuck's side with only enough force to send him staggering away, and Ling turned with the motion as the man with the wooden bat came at him from the right.
The bat came down.
Ling stepped outside its path and drove his shoulder into the man's chest, knocking him backward without breaking his movement.
Another bandit rushed him from behind.
Ling activated his Time Skip.
For a second, he was gone.
The bandit's swing passed through the empty space. When Ling returned, the man had already carried himself past him.
Beside the cart, Kome's mouth fell open.
"He disappeared!"
The bandit holding him stared too.
"What kind of trick was that...?"
Kome looked up at him.
The man wasn't smiling anymore.
A grin spread across Kome's face.
"You're scared."
The bandit looked down.
"What?"
"You're scared of him."
"Shut up, brat."
Raisa quickly pulled Kome closer.
"Kome."
He stopped.
Back on the road, Ling slipped around another swing. As the man stumbled past, Ling's hand snapped out and struck him exactly where he intended, turning him away before the next bandit could reach him.
Naguri's training was beginning to settle into his movements. Ling no longer stopped after every dodge or attack the way he once had. One movement flowed into the next more naturally, while his strikes were becoming cleaner and easier to control.
His Time Skip was starting to fit into that rhythm too, though not cleanly yet.
Another bandit rushed him.
Ling skipped forward again.
A second later, he returned to the same spot just as another man moved in from the opposite direction.
Ling's eyes widened.
'Too close.'
He ducked beneath the man's startled swing and quickly moved away before the others could close around him.
"Spread out!" one of them shouted. "Stop crowding him!"
The others listened.
Two moved toward Ling's sides while another stayed directly in front of him. Chuck circled farther left instead of charging again, watching for an opening.
Ling's eyes moved between them.
'They're adjusting.'
The man in front suddenly stepped forward.
Chuck moved at the same time.
Ling lowered his stance.
This was going to be different from sparring in the forest.