The idea had been gnawing at me for some time now.
Ever since I had used my monsterification ability on Rover and seen how my blood could transform living creatures, I had been thinking about the possibilities.
What else could I create? What are the limits? And then, during one of those nights, the thought had hit me.
One Piece.
In that world, people grew massive and strong. They ate weird shit and got even weirder powers. But there was one thing that always stood out to me... the Sea Kings.
Those giant sea monsters that roamed the Calm Belt. And the people who ate them got strong, recovered faster, and their physiques became monstrous.
And then there were the mutations like weird body types. The oversized limbs or other weird stuff and the freakish strength that defied normal biology.
Was it the meat? Was it something in the Sea King's biology that triggered a mutation in the eater? Or was it just the sheer amount of nutrients packed into a single bite?
I couldn't test that theory in Konoha because there were too many eyes, ears and many nosy ninjas who would report any strange commotion to Hiruzen.
I am being spied on by many ninjas 24/7 straight and were watching my training ground from afar.
So I packed a small bag, told Katsuyu to reverse summon me and bring me somewhere quite a far away from Konoha by using the summoning jutsu like some kind of teleportation version from Temu.
Somewhere with enough water to contain whatever I was about to create, Katsuyu brought me to a secluded lake nestled between two hills, surrounded by thick trees that blocked out most of the sunlight.
I dropped my bag at the edge of the water and scanned the surface.
A few large fish swam lazily beneath, their silhouettes visible in the dim light. I spotted a fat carp, maybe three feet long that was healthy and plump ehich was perfect for what I was about to do.
My hands moved so fast the water barely rippled and grabbed the fish.
My index finger elongated and sharpened, the tip glistening with a single drop of my blood. I pierced the fish's side and injected a small amount of my blood into its body while willing my blood to transform this fish into a Sea King.
I immediately felt a sort of ominous gene modifying virus spread inside the blood as it entered the fish.
The fish thrashed for a moment, then went still.
I put the fish on the ground and backed away to the treeline then waited.
At first, nothing happened, then the fish's body convulsed violently, its muscles spasming and contracting in unnatural ways.
Its scales began to rip away from its flesh in sheets, exposing raw, red muscle underneath. The flesh bubbled and swelled, stretching and tearing as new tissue formed at an alarming rate.
*Screeeeeeeeee!!*
The fish let out a sound which should have been impossible in a normal case. A high-pitched, gurgling screech that echoed across the lake.
Its skeleton began to crack and pop, reshaping itself into something larger, something more grotesque.
Its spine elongated, curving into a serpentine shape. Ribs burst through its sides, reforming into armored plates. Its skull split and reformed, its jaw unhinging and widening to reveal rows of jagged, needle-like teeth that grew and sharpened before my eyes. Its fins tore apart and regrew as massive, blade-like appendages that sliced through the water. Its eyes bulged, expanded, and turned a deep, glowing red.
The sight was impossible and was breaking every law of biology and physics that existed.
*Splash!*
It swelled and expanded, its body doubling, tripling, quadrupling in size. The thrashing made the creature fall into the lake and immediately made the lake churn violently as the creature thrashed and writhed, its transformation accelerating by the second.
*krr rrrt kkrr!!*
Water splashed everywhere, soaking the surrounding trees and rocks.
10 minutes later/
By the time the process was complete, the fish had become a twenty-five-meter-long lion looking monstrosity, a miniature Sea King.
*Roarrrrrrrrr!!!*
It roared.
The sound was deafening, a primal roar that shook the hills and sent birds erupting from the treeline in panic.
Its massive tail smashed against the water, sending meters high waves crashing against the shore. The creature's glowing red eyes locked onto me, filled with nothing but hunger and rage.
It had no intelligence, but the moment it laid its eyes on me, it immediately went completely still and quite.
Pure instinct told the creature to not move a single muscle. As if it didn't move, then Garou wouldn't do anything or notice it.
"Aww awww awww." It whimpered like a dog as it lowered its head, not daring to look at Garou.
"Hmmmm, sorry not sorry, but you were never meant to be a pet. Time to get grilled."
I leaped onto its head, my claws extending as I drove them deep into its skull.
The creature thrashed violently in fear, trying to throw me off, but with a powerful twist, I wrenched my claws through its brain, and the Sea King went limp.
Its massive body crashed into the water, sending a huge wave washing over the shore.
I jumped off and dragged the carcass onto the dry land.
The scales were tough, but my claws made short work of them. I carved out a massive chunk of meat from its side, easily enough to feed a family for a week. Then I gathered some dry wood, built a fire, and started grilling.
The meat sizzled and popped over the flames, releasing a rich, savory aroma even without seasoning that made my mouth water.
It didn't smell like any single type of meat I have tried in this world. It was earthy, meaty, with a hint of something almost sweet. I waited until it was cooked through, then took a bite.
*Nom nom nom!*
The flavor exploded across my tongue. Rich, tender, packed with a depth of taste that I couldn't describe.
But I wasn't here here to know what it tasted like, my only concern was if it was beneficial to the body or not and if my theory is correct.
So I closed my eyes and focused on the chunk of meat that was inside my stomach now and began to analyze.
"Hmmmmmmmm..."
I swallowed another mouthful and went deeper into that feeling and voluntary made my stomach break down the meat and accelerate the processing.
Then I felt it.
A wave of warmth spread through my body. My muscles tingled slightly, and a surge of energy flooded my system.
It was like drinking a gallon of quality Red Bull.
Then I ate more.
*Bite!*
And more.
With each bite, I could feel the protein and energy filling my body, nourishing my cells in a way that regular food never could.
I finished the last piece and sat back, letting out a satisfied sigh as I felt the excessive energy of the Sea King meat inside my body.
"Mhmmmmm..."
The theory had been correct.
Sea King meat contained an immense amount of nutrients that accelerated physical growth and strength.
"90 times. That's the amount of protein, fiber and energy inside one Kilogram of meat. 90 times the amount compared to regular meat. So that means one Kilogram of Sea King meat is equal to 90 Kilograms of regular meat." I muttered.
I looked at the remaining carcass that still had Tons of meat, the insanely rich smell of it attracting every predator around that didn't dare to get close because of me.
"Can I try some?" Katsuyu asked.
"Go ahead." I replied.
She jumped outside my hair, expanded herself until she was a little smaller than me. Then she took a piece of the grilled meat and was about to take a small bite.
She was naked by the way.
"Can you wear something?" I asked with irritation.
"Hehe~ don't know. Do you want to help in that while I swallow this meat of yours Garou-sama?" She said back with a mischievous smirk.
This bitch.
"I really don't know where you got this idea that you have chance with me at all, but anyways, test that meat and analyse it for me." I replied back dismissively much to her annoyance.
"Tch." With a click of her tongue, she took a bite of the grilled meat.
"Hmmm ohh my~" She said with eyes sparkling.
"Good, right?" I said as I understood her reaction.
I didn't really understand Luffy's obsession with meat, but after tasting what's supposedly a Sea King meat, I now partially understand.
Even without spices or seasonings, the Sea King meat tasted at least 10 levels above what I usually eat even after carefully cooking regular meat.
If I sold this in my restaurants, then I don't doubt that I will be given the platinum rank in GMA and pull my ass before the Shogun to speak business and how to sell more of it to those elites who will definitely love it.
Nobles and rich in this time period don't have much to do, so food is one of the primary forms of entertainment to them.
In banquets, some even deliberately vomit what they ate so they could go back and eat more food just like the ancient Romans back on earth. And after my recipes made waves around the fire country, many of my chefs get invited to cook regularly in those banquets for huge sums of money.
I know because those banquets are my primary source of information when it comes to the elite class.
Now, I obviously wouldn't do that.
I wouldn't let a single fucker I don't trust with my whole being to even know something like Sea King meat existed.
My intention for doing this was first to find a way if I could become stronger and improve my physique by eating this.
Second, I want to know if the meat does have a gene enhancing effect without turning someone into a Monster since I am still blind on so many things when it comes to Monsterification and need to do many experiments.
What if I turned someone into a Monster but in the process, the person loses their memories or who they are?
I need to know the extent and the limitations before I proceed with what I have in plan.
.
There are more potentials to explore involving this matter, but let's put that aside for later.
It seems I need to consume more of this meat to see the clear effects on my body.
*Munch Munch*
"I was doubtful when you told me what you had in mind but..."
*Munch Munch*
"... Hmmmm, I guess there's actually something in this meat of yours." She said with a hand hiding her munching mouth.
"Shoot."
*Gulp*
"Well, aside from the nonsense amount of nutrients packed into this, there is this kind of weird small cells or maybe you can call it a 'virus' that's trying to modify my body subtly, but weakly." She said.
"Monster Cells?" I asked.
"No no, not your cells. It's like something special belonging to this specific meat to be exact. As if these cells came to be by some chemical reactions happening inside the meat cells." She explained as best as she could without being completely sure as she analysed what was inside her stomach with whatever experience or jutsu she had.
In this whole world, Katsuyu could be said to be the best doctor–wait!!
The best doctor?!
'My mom!' I thought as I suddenly looked into Katsuyu's eyes with much more intensity.
She can help with my mom's dementia! How come my dumbass never thought of that??
"I understand, then the my experiment came out fruitful. Let's go back for now." I said as I prepared to go back.
Tomorrow, there will be a clan meeting in the Hokage tower and I need to prepare for whatever bullshit those bastards will pull on me.
With a few waves of my hands I cut through the Sea King and turned the meat into smaller and symmetrical chunks, then gave it to Katsuyu to preserve or maybe eat some of it herself as she took quite a liking to the taste.
As I buried the remains of the Sea King while feeling quite pleased with myself.
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The soft glow of lanterns illuminated the cozy Ichiraku Ramen shop, creating a tranquil atmosphere. Two friends sat at a wooden table, surrounded by the savory aroma of simmering broth. Steam rose from their bowls as they leisurely sipped on the rich, flavorful ramen.
"So what's up, Dai? How is work?" I asked my sweaty friend, who was busy eating ramen.
He had been preparing to lead the security teams composed of Ino-shika-cho, Samurais and some hired ninjas and distribute them around some roads that our supply caravans frequented because we have received suspicious bandit activities here and there disrupting those routes.
I was pretty sure it was Danzo since by now, not a single person outside and inside Konoha with a little bit of sense attacked what belonged to me specifically.
Maybe except for very tiny amount of illiterate dumbasses then no one dared to do anything. Even the underworld and mercenaries tried their best to ignore my existence since it wasn't worth it to antagonise me.
My political and practical reach has been spreading in the fire country in a very rapid pace.
Give me some more years and then my standing will be equal or even higher than the Daimyo himself.
I already sent my plans to the Nara clan head about opening up many orphanages across the fire country and that my people will personally take care of those orphanages and I will fund everything.
I just need one signature of the Damiyo and everything will immediately start proceeding as planned because even the lands for the orphanages where they will bw built have been decided.
Not just orphanages... schools, hospitals, roads, and all kind of public infrastructure, and even some sculptures of me to be made.
I was becoming so insanely rich in a short time that I didn't know what or where to spend it, so I pulled these moves.
If I didn't use that money fast, then I am sure Gintoki will pull some stupid shit and lose it all somewhere. He is a professional at that.
And just for the sake of being a bane of those two fuckers Hiruzen and Danzo, I have been buying lands left and right in Konoha, especially those close to my district.
Because of that, my control and standing in the village is quite surpassing Hiruzen himself.
The days I was being mocked for being a cripple is long gone. My words is slowly becoming a rule around here.
It's fun seeing all those civilians begging me to give them jobs. And even more fun where Hiruzen's cute little Genins and some powerful ninjas often come around asking for work instead of Hiruzen since I gave triple the amount of money to a job done.
I have made the village so dependant on me that those in power can't even move a finger anymore.
There are schemes going on here and there but nothing I can't handle with some threats packed into letters and get them sent to Hiruzen and viola! No more trouble is going my way anymore.
Clans grovel around my feet begging me to marry into their families while offering girls of all ages and beauties just to me to decline everything.
The most reserved of the clans is the Uchihas, and them? I don't remember how many times I rejected their clan head's offer to give me as many Uchiha girls as I wanted as long as I gave %3 of my company's shares.
And those Uchiha girls bro, all of them peak women even by this world's standards just laying there for me to reject. I am pretty sure if it was Miller, it would have been ages since he would have gone the Harem route.
And people, that's the power of money.
Now you understand Kakuzu? His mindset was correct about money, just not smart enough.
The Nara clan head has been going through many ideas of mine which made the man go through a devlish amount of thinking and perfecting them before proceeding practically.
At this point, the Damiyo may even give the authorities concerning the ministry of agriculture of the whole land of fire to me.
'Just one year, one more year and I will practically conquer the land of fire without shedding a single drop of blood.' I thought with a smirk.
And there's also one more fun event that happened sometime ago that I will have to take care of soon.
My whole idea to create and fund The Hero Association and another organisation I plan to create was because of that stuff occurred.
Back to now...
I grabbed Dai's arm earlier and brought him here to talk a little since it was important.
*Slurrrp.*
"Just training and getting ready to check out those roads that complained of encountering bandits, Master Garou. So it's good!" he replied enthusiastically.
"Don't worry about those roads. If you didn't find anything then just blame it on Danzo." I replied with disinterest as I ate my own bowl of ramen.
Dai just side glanced at me without commenting. His days working for me has cracked his previous beliefs in this village a lot and has become more critical and acute when it came to its politics.
So when Garou blamed Danzo without any evidence, Dai already made elder Danzo his prime suspect of what's happening to those caravans.
In Dai's eyes, Garou always came out right even if he sometimes said what's equivalent to nonsense. He was ALWAYS right. So he believed that Danzo Shimura was really behind these attacks.
It made Dai clench his fist tightly because those caravans carried innocent people who just wanted to work and bring food back and put it on the table for their families back home. He even knew many people in those caravans that he acquainted with. Most of them were poor or young honest and youthful men!
Who was Danzo to just go around willy nilly ruin people's lives? Not just Danzo, but every single person out there in the world. What and who gave them the right to do that disgusting thing?
Dai put that matter back inside the back of his head and focused back on his benefactor and brother in everything but blood at this point.
Yes, to Dai, Garou was family.
"Do you want me to spar with you again in the training ground?! Is that what you wanted to talk about, Master Garou?" Dai said with an excited tone, which made me shudder a little.
We sparred almost every time we met, and this fucker didn't hold back one bit. He just went psycho on me with Kage‑above‑level prowess and beat me up every single time with just brute strength when he knew he was losing if he just spared with pure technique, which, although humiliating, allowed me to refine and recreate martial arts and other things.
After my first win in the forest back in the days, I think I hurt his pride or "Youth," you could say and he never said no to spars.
"No, I am here to give you and tell you something!" I said, which made Dai disappointed and look at me curiously.
I put my hand in my hair and retrieved a scroll and a black card with some golden dragon symbol on it I had told Katsuyu to store and prepare beforehand. Along with them, I retrieved a second, thinner scroll and placed the three on the table.
"Soon, I won't be around for a very long time, maybe some years, I will only be able to communicate through letters. So I wanted to tell you that you are free to use my training ground as you please, and also... here!" I said and held the first scroll and the black card out for him to grab, but tears were already streaming down his face, and he didn't care about the scroll.
"W..what??!! Whyy!! Where?!!" he shouted, which made Teuchi give us a glance before going back to serving other customers a little far from us.
"Shhhh, calm down, man. It's not a big deal, and I will come back!" I said, amused as I looked at this grown man cry comically.
"But you are my RIVAL and BROTHER!! If you are gone, then who will I fight with?! Who will give me my daily dose of YOUTHHH??!?" he shouted again, which made the other customers and Teuchi look at us weirdly.
"When did I become your rival?" I asked in surprise and felt a little touched.
I had been around this dude for a long time now, and I knew how sacred that word was to this guy. It just showed how much respect he had for someone, and it probably meant I was his only best friend... and brother?
I love this dude... no homo.
*Sob, sob.*
After some manly tears, he said, "Some may look at me as a dumb man, and I know that I am, but that doesn't mean I am blind and not aware of my surroundings! You are the only person in my entire life who didn't look at me with scorn or ridicule my determination and dreams, who even helped me out! And after seeing your YOUTH for the first time, I immediately knew that you are my ETERNAL RIVAL!!!" he shouted and flashed me his usual grin that revealed the whitest teeth I had ever seen in my entire life, which made me cover my eyes unless I wanted to get blinded.
'Damn! I didn't know he was thinking this highly of me... well, the more reason to give him this gift as a thanks,' I thought.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him seriously, which made him look back and wait for what I had to say. "In that case, take these," I said as I pushed the first scroll and the black card toward him. "Consider it a gift from your eternal rival."
He opened it the scroll after taking it, and his eyes widened as he looked at the detailed pictures of human figures and anatomy and the description of what they were.
The title on the front read: ModifiedNiko Style!
"t..t...this... W...why are you giving me this?!!" he asked in surprise with his hands trembling.
Dai absolutely knew what this was! It was one of the signature martial arts Garou often used when they spared. He personally tried recreating the style many times himself after observing Garou but he always failed for some reasons that told him that, without the training manual telling him what to do, then all is useless.
"Because I want my rival to be strong enough to challenge me when I return," I said with a grin. "You want me to surpass you? I will be gone, and when I come back, I assure you, there won't be many who could contend with me anymore. I doubt even Hashirama could do even tickle me if he was alive. Do you want that? Do you want your Rival to lose his YOUTH because you refused to become stronger?" I asked again.
Dai narrowed his eyes at that statement. 'Stronger than Hashirama-sama?' He thought, and he didn't know if he should believe this one thing from Garou or not.
But for now, he decided to believe.
Dai grabbed the scroll tightly. "Thank you, Master Garou. I am indebted to you forever and I won't let you down!" he said, his voice thick with emotion.
"Good. Now, there's one more thing," I said, sliding the second, thinner scroll across the table. "Open this after I leave. Don't look at it now. It's... something for the future."
Dai looked at the second scroll with confusion but nodded and tucked both scrolls into his bag.
"Take the scroll that contains every detail about the best body arts that currently exists created by me and become stronger, the black card also can be used so you can have free food and stuff as much as you like in any place that raised the banner of the Heaven's Feel. Even if you need new gear, just go to the Nara clan head with that card and he will get you the best stuff. Try eating more protein rich foods, you look skinny, which can't do for what I have planned for you where the details are available in the second scroll. When you read you will understand. Do as I say or else I will not consider you my rival!" I said, which was the last straw for him, and he immediately put the scrolls and the black card inside his bag and he looked back at me with immense gratitude, which made me smile.
"Youth?" I said as I extended my hand to shake it, which made his eyes shine brightly and grin wildly.
*Clap!*
With a strong clap sound, he grabbed my hand tightly...
"YOUUUUTHHHHHHH!!!"
And like that, two men were looking at each other fiercely in the now deserted shop, totally ignoring the crying chef.
"Ahhhhh, by the way, burn those scrolls after you completely memorize what's written, and don't share the information with anyone until you have my permission!" I said.
"Ok!" he replied.
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________________
After Garou Leaves, Dai sat alone at the table, his hands still trembling from the emotional exchange. He looked at the two scrolls in his bag, then pulled out the thinner one that Garou had told him to open later.
'What could this be?' he wondered.
He unrolled the scroll and began reading.
And the contents inside were brief but absolutely shocking.
The first thing he read?
S-class Hero
Name: Mighto Dai
Hero name: Give me your thoughts readers.
S-Rank: Number 1
Powers: Super Strength... etc.
His eyes widened as he read further, his breath caught in his throat, and the color drained from his face. His hands began to shake violently, and he quickly rolled the scroll back up and stuffed it into his bag while looking around quickly to check if anyone saw or not.
He sat there in silence for a long moment, staring at nothing.
Then he whispered, barely audible, "Master Garou... what have you planned for the Sage's sake?!"
With this bomb detonating in front of him, he simply left the shop in a daze, his mind racing with thoughts he could not share.
The End.
[Plan to call bro All Might, but idk, I think cooler stuff exist.]