As the days rolled in and out, Linedwell found himself getting more acclimated with his surroundings and the island as a whole. Though he usually didn't like anything having to do with the filth of being outdoors and in the wild, during his stay on this island he was beginning to find the beauty in using the most basic of necessities in order to survive. It was a lifestyle he wasn't exactly used to, but he could understand how living through this sort of experience would be enough to strengthen someones resolve as well as their will to live. In living like this, it allowed you to put yourself at the same level as the beasts that roamed this island. With these beasts there was no social hierarchy - the only thing that separated one beast from another was their will to live and the strength they possessed. If you weren't stronger than the other beast attempting to make a meal out of you, then you'd be dead.

On an island such as this one, Linedwell found himself learning all of this, and he found himself glad that he'd taken this time out for himself. This training was something that he'd wanted to impart on himself before heading off into the great unknown of the Grand Line. Though he wasn't completely sure of the challenges he'd face there, he knew full well that at his current level he wouldn't be able to make the immense strides that he or his crew wanted to make once there, and as the captain of this crew he needed to represent it with everything he was capable of.

Because of this viewpoint, Linedwell found himself roaming the island with a goal today. Usually he'd just run about attempting to train his muscles as well as stamina, and if he'd happened across any wild beasts he'd slay them in order to increase his combat experience, but today was different. No longer was he simply running around the island aimlessly, but today he had a purpose. His goal today wasn't to slay anything, but merely to scout out a few choice locations in which to do the slaying. Recently, he'd noticed that the amount of beasts on this island was beginning to dwindle, and he wasn't sure if it was because they were actively avoiding him or if he was simply moving through the wrong areas at the wrong times. Though it would boost his ego to think he was the apex predator on the island, he couldn't discount the thought that he was simply training in certain areas during times in which the beasts he'd want to face were already heading off to sleep wherever it was that they nested.

Linedwell's initial thought when it came to finding out where these beasts resided were the caverns underneath the island. Before he'd been able to run into a multitude of giant snakes under the island, and that was merely in one area of the caverns. He was sure that many more beasts could be found underneath the island if he scouted enough down there.

After about thirty minutes or so of running, Linedwell finally found himself back in the location he'd been in when he first literally stumbled into the caverns. The hole seemed to be a lot bigger than it had been when Linedwell fell into it, and judging by the marks on the ground in front of the hole it seemed that there were multiple tracks going in and out of the hole. It was then that Linedwell realized something he hadn't thought of. The animals below in the caverns were of a giant variety, but for some reason he'd never seen any of them above ground before. Had he inadvertently allowed these beasts the means to leave their "prison" and hunt above ground? If this were the case, then it meant the wildlife above would have become the prey of these giant predators and it could explain the rapid drop in their numbers.

Linedwell let out a sigh without realizing it. The thought that he'd become the apex predator on this island was a great one, but this conclusion was one that did make a bit more sense. If this were the case, then it meant that the creatures underground would be the best creatures to go after if he planned on gaining anymore combat training in this place. Linedwell wouldn't go now to face them though. He'd give himself some time to rest and to gather the equipment he'd need to safely descend to the bottom before exploring the caverns in search of a new beast to face.


-Exit-