Chapter 2: Chapter 2 - A Lunario?
On the deck, as the crew watched Damon being rescued from the icy waters, many members looked at the young boy with expressions of perplexity and curiosity. The inquisitive minds of the crew began to fill with doubts about the events they had just witnessed.
Whispered conversations echoed among those present as they shared their theories about how the boy had missed the boat and fallen into the sea. Some spoke of the boy's incredible audacity in defying Whitebeard, while others wondered if he had underestimated his own abilities.
"Did he jump into the sea by accident or on purpose?" a crew member murmured to his companion, his eyebrows furrowed with curiosity.
"I don't know, but jumping like that is too risky," the other replied, shaking his head in disbelief.
Whitebeard, who was watching Damon's rescue attentively, also seemed intrigued by the situation. The fact that the boy had missed the boat by jumping into the sea left everyone on the deck even more perplexed and eager to understand the reasons behind his audacious actions.
The child's condition was evident to everyone aboard the Moby Dick. His face was pale, and he shivered slightly due to exposure to the cold seawater. The crew members looked with concern and curiosity, knowing they had witnessed something extraordinary moments before.
"HMMM?!" Damon rose, his consciousness gradually returning. Coughing desperately, he quickly expelled the salty water that had accumulated in his throat. With an air of perplexity, he muttered to himself, "I think I missed the boat..."
"YOU THINK?!" A collective cry of disbelief echoed around him, mixed with stifled laughter.
While still recovering, Damon cast a confident look at the group of pirates he had challenged moments before. He stood up with determination, ignoring the stunned expression of everyone present. Pointing directly at the tallest man in the group, Whitebeard, he made his bold declaration:
"WHITEBEARD, I MAY HAVE LOST AGAIN, BUT I WILL RETURN AND CLAIM YOUR TITLE!" shouted the boy, his voice full of determination, and before anyone could formulate a response, he launched into an awkward run back to the same spot he had jumped from, leaving everyone stunned and speechless. The Moby Dick's deck filled with laughter and incredulous looks as the defiant boy disappeared from sight, embarking on his second unexpected escape.
This time, Damon perfectly hit the boat and began rowing vigorously, moving away from the Moby Dick while everyone was still stunned by the sequence of events. Watching a child swiftly handle the oars as he distanced himself from the imposing ship left the crew bewildered and amazed.
On the deck of the Moby Dick, the crew members continued to watch the small boat receding on the horizon. Various comments echoed among them.
"The sea is truly a strange place. We can witness everything in it," said a man in the crew, reflecting on the unpredictable nature of the sea.
"I hope that boy is okay. He almost paid with his life for his recklessness..." murmured another crew member, showing a hint of concern.
"Pops, what should we do?" Marco asked, watching the boy already about 500 meters away in the boat.
Whitebeard looked in the direction of the boy for a few seconds and then smiled.
"Did you notice his back?" Whitebeard asked his son.
"Yes, Vista noticed it too, didn't you?" Marco turned to the swordsman who had entered the sea to retrieve the boy.
"Yes, he had small wings on his back hidden under his cloak." Vista reflected.
"Could he be the same kid that Kaido picked up?" Newgate smiled.
"What will we do, pops? If that's the case, the boy is very special," Marco spoke.
"Gurararara. If the boy wants my title, let him come challenge me again. Just make sure he doesn't risk his life this time," replied Whitebeard, keeping a watchful eye on the boat, which was now about 800 meters away.
"It seems he caught pops' attention..." Josso commented with a smile as the crew shared the feeling that a new "little brother" was on the way.
"I just wonder what story this child has. To have the courage to face the sea in such conditions and challenge pops without fear... There must be some significant past behind him. What do you think, Marco?" a crew member asked Marco.
Marco reflected for a moment and replied with a smile, "I really don't know what to say. Maybe our future little brother can enlighten us about it sometime."
While in the boat, Damon quickly opened his bag and took out some fruits he had brought with him on this journey. The food that was once his only company began to show signs of deterioration due to the time spent at sea. Damon muttered discontentedly, "Ahhh! These fruits are getting bad!" as he made the effort to consume the deteriorating food.
Sitting in the lonely boat, he looked in the direction of the Moby Dick, which was getting farther and farther on the horizon. Determined, he murmured to himself, "I will beat him, Whitebeard! I will prove that I am strong!"
Damon had embarked on the sea three weeks ago in his small boat, stocked with provisions from his isolated island. His journey had a clear purpose: to challenge the strongest man in the world. However, the challenge went beyond that. He sought to prove to himself that he was strong, that the tumultuous past that marked him could be overcome.
After finishing the meal, Damon stood up and began training in the limited space of the boat, determined to prepare for the imminent confrontation. It was at this moment that he noticed a worrying absence: his sword.
"I LEFT MY SWORD ON THE BOAT! NO MATTER! I'LL PUNCH WHITEBEARD WITH MY FISTS!" he shouted with determination, starting a rudimentary punching training in the air. "1,2,3,4,5..."
As Damon continued with his determination and counted his punches, oblivious to the constant observation of the Moby Dick, Marco realized the difficult conditions the boy was in. His food was deteriorating, water was scarce, and his chances of surviving at sea were diminishing.
Feeling the need to intervene and help young Damon, Marco acted furtively in the dead of night. He exchanged the boy's food bag for a new one, filled with fresh and tasty food. The next morning, when Damon woke up, he was surprised to find something to eat in his bag. The food, in the eyes of the boy, seemed magical, transforming into a delicious, abundant meal with no signs of deterioration.
"How did these fruits get so good!" Damon exclaimed, enjoying the improved meal, completely unaware of Marco's secret kindness. His smile reflected joy and gratitude for a gesture that could change the course of his audacious journey.
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard watched the child from a distance with interest while enjoying his meal in the small wooden boat.
"Will he come today? What do you think, pops?" Marco asked, curious about the outcome of the challenge.
"That insolent brat will surely come." The world's strongest man responded with confidence.
"I'm still intrigued by that power of his. I looked in the Devil Fruit book out of curiosity, but I found nothing..." Teach commented, a chubby man with black hair and a large mustache, always interested in the peculiarities of Devil Fruits.
"You're always the most curious about fruits among us, Teach." Thatch teased the other man.
"But it's an intriguing fruit. Despite being a Zoan, the boy doesn't transform himself; instead, he summons something more resembling a Paramecia than his actual category. Do you think the boy might be confused?" Jozu joined the conversation, sharing his own question.
"No, that was a Zoan, like mine. The energy emitted, although much more sinister, still fits in the same line as my transformation. But fruits have always been mysterious. Not to mention, we're dealing with a Mythical Zoan, the rarest and considered the most powerful," explained Marco, bringing his knowledge of Devil Fruits into the discussion.
"I want to see your true power. It seems what we saw yesterday is not all of your potential..." Teach commented with a greedy smile, although no one really noticed the greed in his voice.
An hour later, the boat suddenly began to row towards the Moby Dick. Whitebeard had requested to furl the sails, as he wanted to see what would happen next, and the ship stopped sailing to observe the unfolding events.
A little hand appeared on the prow of the ship again, followed by the 10-year-old boy returning to the Moby Dick.
"WHITEBEARD! I'M HERE TO FINALLY DEFEAT YOU!" exclaimed the boy, his hands on his hips, demonstrating his audacity.
Everyone on board gathered on the deck, eager to witness the continuation of the challenge. This child deeply intrigued the crew.
"Kid, your sword is here," said Vista, pointing to the small rusty sword nearby.
"Oh, thank you very much! You're a very kind person!" thanked the boy, bowing respectfully as he picked up the sword.
"HOW POLITE!" exclaimed everyone around, impressed by the courtesy of the young challenger.
After his initially gentle expression, the boy turned his gaze back to Whitebeard with determination and challenge.
"GET READY, WHITEBEARD!!!" he shouted as he prepared to advance.
"AHHHH!!" The boy let out a fierce cry as he ran towards his target. However, before he could reach the world's strongest man, Whitebeard simply kicked him, as if swatting away an annoying fly.
The boy was thrown backward with the kick, but before hitting the deck, his purple aura manifested, creating a bony protection around him and preventing any damage from the impact.
"OUCH..." He grumbled as he massaged his belly after the kick.
"Come on, kid, I can do this all day!" said Whitebeard with a challenging smile, goading the young challenger.
"I WILL DEFEAT YOU AND PROVE THAT I'M STRONG!" shouted the boy, forming the bony arm again next to his body and advancing for a new attack.
*BOOM*
Once again, the boy was sent flying with the impact of the collision between his bony fist and Whitebeard's powerful Haki. A new hole appeared on the deck, next to what had been formed the day before. Determined, the boy emerged from the hole to continue the fight.
"I WILL BEAT YOU!" he shouted, showing that his determination remained unshaken, despite repeated setbacks.
*BOOM*
"GET READY FOR MY ATTACK!"
*BOOM*
"I WILL BE THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD!"
*BOOM*
"HEY, our ship will be destroyed this way!" complained a crew member, looking worried at the holes that had formed on the deck in the last 20 minutes.
"Hahahaha. Pops doesn't care about that; he sees everything as fun." said Jozu with a smile, watching the scenes with entertainment.
"*Sigh* This kid doesn't seem to give up at all..." said Marco, a bit concerned, as he followed the series of attacks and defenses that resulted in more holes on the deck.
*BOOM*
The boy emerged once again from the deck, panting and exhausted. Whitebeard noticed that the boy was using a significant amount of energy to maintain his purple aura skeleton, in addition to regenerating it after each Haki attack that caused it to crack and break. It was an impressive endurance test.
Suddenly, the purple aura dissipated, and the boy fell to his knees, visibly tired.
"I... *breathe*... have been defeated... *breathe*... today... *breathe*... But, tomorrow... *breathe*... I will defeat you, Whitebeard... *breathe*... so be prepared!" said the boy, with a calmer voice and without shouting as usual, given his exhaustion.
Unlike the day before, when he ran to the deck, now the boy began to walk slowly and limping, demonstrating physical wear. With difficulty, he reached the boat and, while crawling like a slug on the edge of the ship, picked up his sword and fell directly into the boat. He began to row slowly to move away from the Moby Dick and passed out right there, exhausted.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Everyone exclaimed, shocked by the incredible fight they had witnessed.
"Gurararararara. I hope this brat comes back tomorrow." said Whitebeard with a smile, while everyone in the crew also looked forward to the next confrontation, as it was becoming an unmissable event.
For the rest of the day, the crew of the Moby Dick had a party on board since they weren't sailing. It was a lively celebration on the high seas.
In the afternoon, the boy woke up from his faint and looked at the party happening on the Moby Dick at a certain distance, feeling a twinge of envy.
"I would love to be celebrating too... *GROWL* But now I'm hungry..." he murmured and, turning around, was surprised to see several meat dishes in the boat next to him.
"ANHHH? Where did all this meat come from!?" exclaimed the boy, surprised by the unexpected meal. Without thinking much about the origin of the food, he began to devour everything in front of him with enthusiasm.
"Gurarararara. This kid has quite an appetite." laughed Whitebeard, watching the boy while his sons celebrated on the deck full of holes.
After eating and doing more training, the night fell, and Damon settled back into the boat to rest and prepare for the next challenge the next day.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone