It was already 11:30 a.m. Ling had finished his morning routine.
He, Blackie, and the six other baboons were now sitting together, devouring their lunch. They ate heartily, preparing to fill their stomachs before hours of intense sparring.
Earlier during his daily run, a giant boar had charged at Ling out of nowhere. Without much effort, he took it down and hauled it back to camp.
Now, thirty minutes later, their meal was finished. The bones were picked clean, and the fire had died down.
Ling stood up, stretching his arms as he looked at the group.
"It's time," he said.
Blackie and the others got into position.
Seven against one.
Ling cracked his knuckles.
"Alright," he muttered, lowering into a stance.
"Come at me."
Blackie gave a short shriek, the signal.
The first baboon lunged. Ling met it with a jab straight to the snout, then pivoted and caught it with a right hook that sent it crashing into a bush.
Another came from behind. Ling twisted, blocking the wild swing with his forearm and landing a brutal elbow into the baboon's collarbone. It yelped and stumbled back.
A third came from the left, quite fast.
Ling stepped back too slow.
A punch caught him in the ribs.
He clenched his jaw and returned the favor, smashing a downward fist onto the baboon's back.
It dropped, and another took its place instantly. Ling was already ducking, slipping past its punch and catching it with an uppercut that sent it stumbling.
Two more charged together.
He moved.
Ducking under one swing, Ling drove his shoulder into the nearest baboon's gut, tackling it to the ground.
He rolled off and sprang to his feet just as a punch grazed his cheek.
Blood trickled.
Ling grinned.
He turned, grabbed the baboon's wrist, and flung it into a tree with a sharp hip toss. But as he looked up, Blackie was already in mid-air fists raised, descending quickly.
Ling braced just in time.
They both tumbled.
Dirt flew.
Leaves scattered.
Ling twisted, pushed Blackie off, and rolled up to his knees.
But the others were already on him.
One baboon punched down.
Ling blocked with his forearm, winced, then countered with a hook to the side of its jaw.
Another grabbed at his back. He slammed his elbow into its gut, then stood and back-kicked the third that tried to flank him.
Three down for now. Four still moving.
Sweat dripped from his brow.
He exhaled slow, keeping his stance low, feet wide. His knuckles throbbing and his legs also hurting.
But he was smiling.
The next wave came all at once.
They had learned his rhythm.
They came from every direction.
He dodged the first, blocked the second, took the third punch to the side, then returned with a spinning backfist that cracked across two faces.
Blackie closed in.
Quickly.
Ling saw him just in time. He ducked a wild hook, slipped in close, and drove three rapid punches into his gut.
Blackie grunted and pushed back, throwing both fists forward. Ling blocked the first, but the second slipped through, landing across his jaw.
He stumbled.
A second baboon pounced on him.
Then another.
He dropped low, sweeping their legs. They fell hard.
Ling sprang back to his feet. Panting loudly.
Only Blackie stood now.
The others groaned on the ground, catching their breath, dazed or nursing bruises.
Ling raised his fists again, full of bruises.
Blackie nodded.
Then charged.
They clashed in the center of the clearing.
Ling took a punch.
Gave one back.
Took a kick to the ribs.
Answered with a palm to the chest.
They grappled, broke apart, clashed again.
One hour.
Two.
Three.
Until finally, both stood there, barely upright, swaying with exhaustion.
Ling smiled. "Let's have a rest."
Blackie let out a tired wheeze and collapsed onto the grass.
Ling sat down on a tree. He closed his eyes for an hour of meditation
An hour passed.
Blackie was already on his feet, stretching his limbs. The other baboons began picking up thick tree branches scattered around the clearing.
Time for round two.
Ling glanced at the branch in Blackie's hands. "We're using weapons now?" he smirked.
"Alright. I'll raise the difficulty too."
He brushed the dust from his pants and lowered into a loose stance.
"From now on, I'll use my abilities."
Blackie barked a command, and the six baboons spread out quickly, surrounding Ling in a rough circle.
Then, they attacked.
The first branch came from behind.
Ling vanished.
Skip.
He reappeared a second later, a few meters to the side. The baboon missed completely and stumbled forward.
Another swung from the left.
Ling's foot blurred.
Incomplete Shave.
He zipped forward, a burst of dust behind him, dodging just in time,
The third baboon was waiting in front of him with both hands gripping its branch like a baseball bat.
It swung.
Ling ducked and countered with a fast jab to its gut. The monkey wheezed and was knocked back.
The others converged.
Ling vanished (skip) again and reappeared in the center of the formation. His foot skidded in the dirt.
He hadn't landed cleanly.
Too late.
A branch cracked across his shoulder. He grit his teeth, twisted, and drove his elbow into the baboon's chest. But another one managed to smack his leg.
He stumbled.
Ling used Shave and vanished forward, blinking toward Blackie.
High up in a tree nearby, a kid was crouched low on a branch. He wore a green sleeveless shirt, both hands gripping the bark tightly, eyes wide as he watched the battle below.
"So cool," the boy whispered. "Who's that guy? He's strong."
Just then, a bald eagle landed beside him. It squawked and, without warning, bit the kid's hand.
"OW!"
His grip slipped.
The boy tumbled out of the tree.
BAMMM.
The impact hit the earth hard enough to stir dust.
Ling's head whipped toward the sound, his eyes widening.
Before Blackie could follow through with his next swing, Ling raised a hand.
"Stop."
He bolted toward the impact.
There, lying in a daze with a straw hat slightly askew, was a kid groaning in pain.
Ling's breath caught.
That hat.
That face.
'Luffy,' his mind screamed.
Luffy stood up, brushing dirt off his shorts. He was shorter than Ling by about three inches.
"I'm Luffy. Let's be friends... hihihihi!" he said, flashing that wide, goofy grin, eyes closed in classic fashion.
'Carefree as ever,' Ling thought, smiling.
"Sure. I'm Ling."
Luffy tilted his head. "What're you doing here? Why were you fighting with monkeys and a baboon?"
"I'm sparring with them. They're my friends," Ling said, waving at Blackie to come over.
Luffy's eyes widened as he looked at Blackie.
"Ahhh! I know you! We used to fight before Gramps brought me here!" he said, pointing excitedly.
Blackie grunted, recognizing him too.
"You're strong," Luffy said, then asked with curiosity, "What're you training for?"
"I want to explore the world. And be a pirate," Ling replied, still a little starstruck.
Luffy's eyes lit up. He straightened his hat and grinned.
"Me too! I'm gonna be the Pirate King! Hihihihi!"
Ling felt goosebumps rise along his arms.
"Join my crew in the future!" Luffy said, smiling as always.
Ling blinked. He couldn't focus. He was standing in front of the Monkey D. Luffy.
"I don't want to," Ling replied with a sarcastic look, glancing off to the side.
"Ahhh, come on!"
"Oh.. By the way, Makino said she misses you," Ling deflected.
Luffy's eyes sparkled. "You know Makino?!"
"Yep. She said she'll visit sometime."
"Woooah…"
Growlllll
Luffy's stomach let out a loud growl.
Ling burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
"I'm hungry. Got any food?" Luffy asked, eyes half-closed and hands on his belly.
"No. I'm hungry too," Ling said, rubbing his stomach. "Let's go to the river. We'll catch a crocodile."
"Let's go! What are you waiting for?" Luffy shouted, already sprinting into the forest.
Before he got far, Ling flickered beside him with a burst of speed.
"Whoa! You're fast! I can't do that," Luffy said in awe.
"I know where the river is. Follow me."
They ran together for ten minutes, weaving through trees and jumping over roots, until they reached the riverbank.
They stopped cold.
A massive crocodile lounged near the water, its back half-submerged. Easily the size of a small boat.
Luffy's eyes went wide. He was already drooling. "That's the one!"
Without hesitation, Luffy jumped.
"Gum-Gum Pistol!"
His arm stretched about two meters then it hit the ground, completely missing the target.
The gator turned, spotted Luffy, and charged with its mouth wide open.
Before it could close the distance, Ling flickered midair and dropped down like a hammer, punching the crocodile square on the head.
The beast collapsed instantly, knocked out cold.
Luffy's jaw dropped.
"That was awesome!"
"Help me carry it. I'll take the head, you grab the tail," Ling said.
"Uhm!" Luffy nodded eagerly, grabbing hold.
They walked ten minutes back through the woods, dragging the giant reptile behind them.
When they reached the clearing, Luffy looked around.
"This is where you live?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
"It's easier to train here," Ling answered, dropping the gator's head with a thud.
The crocodile meat sizzled over the fire, filling the air with a mouthwatering smell.
Luffy sat cross-legged by the flames, eyes locked on the roasting chunks, mouth practically watering a river.
Ling turned the spit slowly, glancing at him. "Don't stare too hard. You'll burn it with your eyes."
"Hihihi... I'm just really hungry," Luffy grinned.
"What are you doing in the tree?"
"Well... I was chasing Ace."
"Ace?"
'Still chasing him? He is wearing green today after three months, which means on the third day since today he will meet Sabo.'
"Yeah! I tried following him, but he ran off into the woods then I lost him... and I got really, really hungry."
Ling chuckled. "Classic."
"So I climbed a tree! I saw a big nest, thought it had eggs inside. I was gonna eat one. Then I saw you fighting all those monkeys. It was awesome!"
Rubbing his hand, "The stupid eagle bit me! Right here!"
Ling laughed. "Let me guess. You fell?"
"Yup! BAM!" Luffy slammed his hands down. "Right out of the tree.
Ling shook his head, smiling. "You're something else."
Luffy leaned forward, eyes on the meat again. "So, is it done yet?"
"Almost. A few more minutes."
Luffy groaned. "Aaaahhh... minutes are so long..."
The meat was finally cooked.
Ling pulled off a chunk and handed it to Luffy, who grabbed it with both hands and took a massive bite.
"MMmmm....so goooood!" Luffy said, his mouth full, cheeks puffed out.
Ling chuckled and started eating too.
By the end, both of them were lying on their backs in the grass, stomachs full and eyes half-lidded.
"I can't eat anymore…" Luffy mumbled, patting his belly.
"Me neither," Ling agreed.
After a few quiet minutes, Luffy stood up and dusted off his shorts. "Well, I gotta go."
He looked at Ling with that bright, boyish grin. "Hey, wanna come live with me in Dadan Family's house?"
Ling smiled, sitting up. "Thanks... but no. I still have more training to do here."
Luffy looked a little disappointed, but he nodded. "Okay. But we'll meet again!"
Ling stood too, grinning. "I'll always here."
Ling watched him go, a small smile on his face.
"Yeah," Ling said, still smiling.
"He's something else."