"I didn't expect that eagle to be so massive. Ace, you've really got some guts," Weiss said, glancing at Ace, whose cheek was streaked with cold sweat.
The enormous creature blotted out the sky as it hovered above the mountain peak. Its wingspan stretched over fifty meters, and with every flap, fierce gales howled through the air. Several weaker trees were even uprooted completely.
Both of them instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves from the wind, their bodies sliding backward under its force. Ace was only able to stop by bracing his back against a thick tree trunk—one that would've taken five grown men to encircle with their arms.
Weiss, after initially being thrown off balance, managed to plant himself firmly against the slope, standing like an immovable mountain in the face of the storm.
Such a gigantic bird might be nothing compared to sea kings, but on land, in the world of pirates, it was definitely a colossal beast.
As the giant eagle slowly ascended into the sky, the two men witnessed a shocking sight.
Clutched in the eagle's talons was a massive sea beast, easily over fifty meters long.
No wonder it hadn't returned to its nest—it had flown out to sea. That also explained why Weiss hadn't seen any trace of it while searching the island.
Then again, this island was close to the Calm Belt. For an eagle like this, such a creature was just a small catch. If it had been any bigger, even the eagle wouldn't have been able to carry it.
Screeech!
...
...
A sharp, piercing cry echoed from the mountaintop. Weiss slowly drew his longsword from his waist, readying himself to face the furious bird.
But to his surprise, the eagle suddenly released its grip. With a loud thud, it dropped the sea beast onto the slope. Then it raised its head to the sky and let out another cry. The air was filled with the salty stench of sea beast flesh, carried by the swirling wind.
Its voice was full of sorrow and rage.
Its piercing gaze locked directly onto Ace, or rather—onto the roasted fledgling eagle in Ace's hand.
With burning fury, the eagle flapped its wings and soared high into the sky. Backlit by the moon, it suddenly dove straight at Ace.
The mountain had sheer cliffs on one side and a steep incline on the other, covered with dense vegetation and trees of all sizes.
For a bird of prey, the slope was an ideal attack route.
As the eagle swooped down, Weiss gripped his sword. Its size and aura made it clear this was no ordinary creature—it was certainly powerful.
But still not strong enough to match Weiss.
Size didn't equate to power. If it did, the giants would've ruled the world by now.
As the eagle dove downward, Weiss was surprised to see it completely ignore him and charge straight toward Ace.
"Ace, dodge!"
Ace wasn't foolish enough to stand still. Even with Weiss in front of him, the murderous glint in the eagle's eyes made the danger obvious.
He leapt aside just as the eagle's talons were about to close around him, narrowly avoiding being snatched.
"Whew, that was close." While the eagle was momentarily distracted, Ace quickly stuffed the roasted fledgling into his mouth in a few big bites, then ducked behind a tree trunk.
Having missed its target, the eagle rose swiftly into the sky again.
Its eyesight was terrifyingly sharp—it could spot a rabbit from thousands of meters up. It immediately locked onto Ace, crouched behind a tree.
Enraged and contemptuous, the eagle seemed to sneer: You think a tiny tree like that can block the talons I've honed over twenty years?
Of course it couldn't.
Ace had moved too quickly for it to notice him scarfing down the fledgling. Otherwise, its fury might have exploded even further.
Though, this much was already enough.
Weiss, watching from a distance, nearly burst out laughing. Truly a kindred spirit. Even in this situation, he's calm enough to finish his meal.
The eagle dove once more. Just as it did, Weiss suddenly sheathed his sword and dodged with the wind.
He thought it would be a waste to end things too quickly. On a ship full of gruff men with no entertainment, a little bit of excitement before bedtime was something to savor.
Just as that thought passed, the towering trees on the slope suffered the consequences.
The eagle's wings swept across them—some were snapped clean in half, others uprooted completely. A whirlwind followed in its wake, toppling trees down the mountain slope.
"You've got to be kidding me! Weiss, why did you put your sword away?!" Ace shouted, but that didn't stop him from swiftly leaping to safety—though he looked a bit more disheveled this time.
"It's nothing," Weiss replied calmly. "I just realized... you're kind of weak. And this bird's got something special about it. Maybe try resisting it for a change."
Ace didn't respond—not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't have time. The eagle was already harassing him with dive after dive.
He had to rely on the larger trees for cover, dodging as massive talons tore down one tree after another.
Eventually, the eagle gave up its aerial advantage and landed on the ground.
Seeing this, Ace's eyes lit up. I couldn't do anything to you in the sky. But on the ground? That's another story.
He had grown up in a mountain bandit's den. You think he wouldn't have some fight in him?
Grabbing a thick tree branch from somewhere, Ace squared off against the eagle.
The two glared at each other, rage burning in their eyes—one seeking revenge for a fallen child, the other furious at being treated like prey.
Screeech!
The eagle flapped a wing, creating a massive gust of wind. Tree roots tore from the ground, and Ace was caught off-guard, flung backward into the air. He landed briefly on a tree branch to regain balance before leaping down to the ground.
He dashed forward, leaving blurred shadows in his wake. As he closed the distance, he jumped and slammed his makeshift club into the eagle's talons.
Weiss, watching from afar, burst out laughing.
Was this… the legendary "jump and smack your knees" move?
Crack! The wooden club shattered on impact. The eagle let out a shrill cry of pain and instinctively raised its foot to stomp down.
But Ace had already vanished.
In a flash, he reappeared on the eagle's back.
In the Mountains of Foosha Village, he'd encountered all kinds of prey. He knew every trick these birds had up their feathers. Even if he hadn't seen this exact eagle before, he'd seen plenty of big birds.
Sprinting across its back, Ace knew he had to end this fast. If the bird took off into the sky again, he'd be done for.
"Little chick—take another whack from me!"
Reaching the eagle's head, Ace leapt high and shouted. Raising the wooden club he still had, he brought it crashing down.
The club drew a sharp arc through the air, slicing the wind.
Wham!
The club snapped again on impact, and the eagle let out a heart-wrenching screech. Blood began to drip visibly from its head.
Ace landed steadily on the ground.
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A/N: Sorry for the late update. I'll update 2 more chapters later.