Task Name: The Lake: Center of Baterilla
Tier: 3
NPC or PC: PC
Location: Baterilla Island
Crew, Team, or Personal: Personal
Description: After emerging at the exit of the forest, Malik had finally made it towards the lake. He must be careful, however, if he were to go deeper into these waters, the Bananawani would find and prey on him. The are the most dangerous animal on this island. What the boy searches for is on the other side of the lake. Dwelling on each of the sides of the vast body of water are a multitude of ferocious tigers.
Enemy Details: 3 1 Tier Tigers, 3 Tier 2 Tigers, 1 Tier 3 Tiger
Boss: No Boss

The young teenage boy stood at the exit, or rather entrance, to the glorious vast lake of Baterilla. He looked on in awe at the sheer size of this large body of water. Even though he knew this place was going to be enormous, he never expected it to be this big. This was obviously one of nature's wonders as he hardly has seen any landscape as beautiful as this. He was certainly amazed at the scenery before his own eyes. He felt such tranquility from the steadily flowing current produced by the constant winds that seemed to protrude out from no source. He could look at this all day, but knows that he shouldn't. He had a Devil Fruit to find. He carefully narrowed his gaze and shifted it from left to right. As he did, he began to gain a layout of the terrain he had just entered. On each side, Malik could see glimpses of tigers, all appearing ferocious and angry. They seemed to be highly aggressive. Not only that, but there were less tree around around to lead them into. A positive to this situation, the young pirate can now fight out in the open without worry of anything disrupting his flow of combative prowess. Fighting was in his family's blood. They were each powerful fighters in their own right. He was proud to be a Roberts and one day, he will be a legend known throughout the world. While this tigers seemed more beastly than the ones he has defeat earlier in his search for this lake, Malik can probably use this to his advantage. The fact that they seemed more aggressive means that they act more on impulsive, refusing to use any intelligence that had been given to them. He could probably make them so angry that they might end up fighting each other. It would be a comical sight to behold. The young pirate then, looked straight forward into the far distance. On the other side, he could see and object sitting peacefully on a small patch of landed connected to the other side of the lake's edge.

Hmm, That must be the Sand-Sand Fruit. If it is, then, All I have to do is get to the other side and claim. After which, I can eat it. Swallowing seems more likeable than chewing, especially after what my father told me about the tastes of those fruits." The young martial artist thought, remembering that he has to both eat and swallow the Devil Fruit he had been looking for all this time. He was reminded that all Devil Fruits share a disgusting taste to the point of where it tasted like poison. How they tasted didn't matter. What is really aimed at is swallowing it. Once ingested, the wielder of the Devil Fruit gains extraordinary abilities. He could only see a small glimpse of the object he searched for a while now as as he was too far in the distance to make out a clear picture. However, he didn't care, he knew that it was the Sand-Sand Fruit. What other kind of object could be sitting out hear in plain sight. He gave a small smile, glad he was almost their and that he has nearly fulfilled his promise to his friend, Zatania. The sheer mention of her name allowed Malik to reminisce about the pretty woman. He had hardly know her that long while stay with her in her family's inn, but it fell like months when they got to know more about each other. When they did, they discovered common interests that they shared. They found out more about both of their family's. On top of it all, they discovered that both of their destinies seemed to be connected through the Sand-Sand Fruit. One member of their families had eaten it before and became incredibly famous individuals across the world, feared and loved by many. The moment she found out more about him, Zatania knew that Malik was probably meant to have that Devil Fruit. If he can survive the many obstacles that lay within the jungle, like forests of the island. He was certain he can take on anything this island throws at him. One what the world has in store for him was another story altogether.

What the brave fighter of a novice warrior thought was similar, yet different. Upon hearing about his friend's grandfather, he became even more determined to claim the object of his current adventure and become a living embodiment of sand. Not to just have it, but to not let anyone corrupted, wicked, evil have it for themselves and use it for their own personal gain. He wanted to honor the memories of his great uncle and Zatania's grandfather through using that kind of power for just reasons and helping others on various occasions. He wanted to inherit the will of them both. When they see in the Afterlife how their former power is being used, they will smile, at peace with who has it. One of them he was related to, so I'm sure he will let the other know it will be in good hands. Malik took in a deep breath and exhaled soothingly. He was mentally and inwardly preparing himself for the dangers of traversing this region of the island he may face. He was undoubtedly going to exert himself and push pass certain limits. He was actually anticipating such events. If he can bypass his current limits in certain fights, he can grow more powerful afterwards. One does not learn anything from winning all the time, but mistakes made in battle can help one mature into a better fighter as well as a better person. He actually felt excited for when he will face some of these tigers in battle. He hopes not all at once. There was strength in numbers. If one group distracted him, the other could counterattack and inflict serious injuries onto his physique. This would probably mean he would have to keep an open eye out for any clever feline might wanting to ambush him surprisingly. Fortunately, he had gain some level of experience when fighting with that giant white tiger he faced previous when he was still looking for the lake in the forests. Hopefully, it was enough and that he was on equal ground with this vicious-looking beasts.

"Alright, it is time I started traversing over to the other side of this body of water. The Sand-Sand Fruit is there and I intend to keep my promise for my friend, for you, Zatania." The young pirate thought, ready to take on any challenge. It was all to honor his great uncle and his friend's grandfather. It was even for her. The very possibility of failure wasn't allowed to progress into his mind for he cannot let a shred of doubt slow him down. He keeps telling himself that he will do it, he will succeed. He believes he can and as such, knows he can. He does wonder when he will see that warm smile of hers when this is all over. If he manages to eat the Sand-Sand Fruit, he can devise a way for his powers to get him out faster than he got in. The many ideas permeating the boundless space in his mind made him excited and wanted to claim the fruit even more than he did now. First, he needs to choose which side he must travel on. Second, he has to avoid the waters, or swimming in them for that matter. The Bananawani live in this part of the island and were very dangerous. Third, he may have to fight some of this wild tigers to get further to the object of his travels. Speaking of which, while Malik sailed at sea, he will, most of the time, grow bored from hardly anything to do, but wait for when he would reach the next island. Hopefully, he will be putting together a crew soon. It was more fun having friends, comrades to share  your adventures with. It also made difficult tasks much easier. In terms of crew, he did wonder, if he would be a follow or a leader as in the captain. The title of captain did go well with his name and personality. He was tactical, made good decisions and had the name of a leader even. He may decide on being captain, if he puts a crew together himself. if not, he can always be somewhere in the commanding ranks of another crew.

Standing where he was, the young pirate turned his gaze left to right. He is putting much thought into his decision on which pathway to cross this time. He wanted to see, if there was some way to arrive at the Devil Fruit on the other side much more quickly. He can see how the pathways naturally turned out in various years. He did wonder how the lake of Baterilla came to be. It was truly a wonder to behold. He could look at it all day, but he didn't have the luxury of enjoying the beauty in front of him at the moment. Not when there were more pressing matters at hand. This did involve keeping a promise. In all the years he has live, Malik never once broke a promise he could keep. He was not about to let a friend down now. He knows that he can accomplish what he has set out to do. He must make a decision and he must make it now. He quickly, yet carefully, examine the length of both roads. They both seem to be apparently the same distance. So, getting their as quickly as possible seems more unlikely. He will just have to increase his running speed. He was certain he can make it to the Sand-Sand Fruit and arrive to Zatania's family inn safely. With a body made of sand, physical damage seemed nearly unthinkable. Still, he should let that power go to his head. As powerful as a living being was, no one was invincible nor unbeatable. After all, one doesn't learn from winning every single time. Sometimes, loss is what can bring the arrogant back to reality, cause a warrior to reminisce about the mistakes that caused their downfall and learn from them in order to prevail victoriously next time. It was his decision to chose the right pathway. He mus careful of both the animals on the land and in the water. They can pose a danger to his life with how they acted. These beasts aimed to kill when lunging for an attack.

"Here I go, I must remember what I learned from defeat those other tigers earlier when I was still in the forest. I am not going to let these animals get that best of me. They are more feral than the ones I previously faced, but perhaps I can use that to an advantage." The young brave warrior thought, prepared to take on any vicious beast that may stand in his way of fulfilling his goal. He will take them down, but not kill them. He wasn't a bloodthirsty murderer and he care too much for life to take the life of an innocent creature that was doing what it was made for, hunting, fighting, and resting. It was natural for the animals to act the way they are, since it was how God made them. It was the First Adam who named them. He took in another deep breath and exhaled to calm his nerves. He must get going quickly while there was plenty of time left. He wasn't just going to stand around all day, especially with innumerable amounts of adventure on the way after this one. Life was an endless adventure and he planned to have as much fun out it as possible. That was how his day had fun as well as his mother. Despite that, Malik still understood the cruel realities of living in a beautiful, yet sinful, world. Where evil is allowed to roam free. However, his belief is that good is always greater than evil as God embodies goodness. It was no wonder why the hero always wins, despite some difficulties they may face. Evil may be relentless, but Good never gives up. While a follower of God may lose a battle from time to time, but they always keep faith. They always believe they could win now or next time. As such, they always win the war. Truthfully, Malik can't afford the luxury of another defeat. He was doing this for more than simply power. It wasn't the power itself, it was how one uses it and what they use it for. Malik had learned that lesson long ago when it came to being powerful.

Deciding to go in the the direction the path on his right, Malik turned to that very same side and began walking. He kept a close look on his surrounding to make sure he doesn't bump into any unexpected surprises. One may never know what other dangers might lurk out here. This forest held more than it let on such as animals other that the tigers and Bananawani being present here. He was certain that there was other dangers waiting for him, but until he came face-to-face with them, he will simply focus on what is in front of him right now. He was careful not get too close to the water on his left side ans he knows that the reptilian beasts live in these water. If he were to step in it, he would have one of his limb bitten off in the Bananawanis' aggression. He will simply travel on the land to avoid any major injuries. It was a possibility of a loss of limb, but he didn't have much to worry about. He was more concerned on the tigers he will have to fight soon. He had seen a multitude of them on each path he observed. They also held great hostility to any intruders. They seemed grumpy, violent, angry. This may be due to the fact that they had much pent up aggression from whatever experiences they may have faced in the past. Now it would seem they want to take it out on anyone or anything other than their own kind that passes by them. Fortunately, for Malik, they were separated into groups, which are far enough to allow the young pirate to deal with them more easily. All he had to do was defeat ever one of these felines on the path he tread and he will be able to make it towards the Devil Fruit he desires and claim it for himself and his friend. He will just have to believe in himself and not become overconfident as he was sure these beast were clever despite blinded by rage.

Immediately, he could see a group of three tigers coming into his view. Out of all the felidae he had observed on this road, these were the least aggressive. While still angry, they seemed to not be blinded by rage. They were more of the clever type of animal. They also seemed to experience less battles and appear younger than the others. This will sure make for an easy victory in terms of power and skill. However, Malik will still remain cautious as power was not everything, especially not the way to win all battles. Sometimes, it took something more to achieve victory. He was certain he can prevail as long as he had faith in himself and Lord God. He will try and see, if he can make out safely with less scratches and bruises than he last fight with a feline. It was quick, yet painful. Still, he was alive, and it didn't hurt that much anyway. In fact, that battle with the giant tiger made him stronger and, without a doubt, he had gain much experience on fighting such animals. He can use this knowledge on how to evade them more easily and triumph over them in terms of knowledge. While and ordinary human's body may not be as strong or fast and may other creatures, they have factors about themselves that makes them even more dangerous. In fact, it makes them the more dangerous on the planet. The answer was their mind and capability to work together to achieve nearly any goal. It was also their spirits as they are spiritual beings in flesh and bone. He was happy to be human or simply the fact he was with a happy family that help nurture and raised him. They knew that when he grew, he would set out to see one day. His mother had especially known that. Malik was very much like his father, kind at heart, caring for others more than himself, and risking his life to save those who can protect themselves. She knew that with the boy's dream he will one day set out to sea. Malik could see she was proud how her son was growing, but also seemed sad as she may not know when she will see him again. It was in that moment, when he got the chance, he will right to his home island to let his mother know how he was doing and the adventure he has had while enjoy his life as a pirate.

As he continued to walked towards the small group of tigers he was prepared to fight, the young fighter remained cautious as these tigers seemed to be less angry or violent. However, they still retained some sense of cleverness and can probably use the terrain to their advantage. The more aggressive variety don't seem to need cleverness. They were most fill with unbridled rage and can unleash overwhelming power to many of their opponents. Malik's fighting style combine brute force with tactic and skill, Making him even more deadly and dangerous than a tiger. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't be harmed by one. It was time to test his strength against nature more vicious and ravenous fighters that live to hunt. After all, hunting and killing other creatures was in these animals' blood, so it was natural that their bodies are built the way they are. Built to fight other beasts. These certain factor about these kinds of predatory animals had Malik's thoughts going to a different subject. Yet, the entirety of his mind stayed with the severity of the mission he was on. The creatures naturally built for battle reminded the young pirate of another type Devil Fruit out in the world. One that was more easy to find. Almost as much as the Paramecia. These fruits were of the Zoan-Type. In them lies the power to transform into a certain type of animal one can think of. The most common Zoans can turn into beasts that still live asides from the ones extinct or creatures of legend such as the pheonix, a dragon, or even something more demonic, like a hellhound. The power to transform into such creatures dwell within the sub-type of Mthical Zoan. Said to be even rarer than a Logia as well as of the same level of power. In terms of rarity, it was easier to find a Logia-Type Devil Fruit than to search for a Mythical Zoan. Besides, Malik was more drawn to the supernatural, including natural forces, so the power to create, control, and become limitless amounts of a natural force managed to grab his attention. The events that lead up to this situation  after that made him grateful that they did.

"It's time to begin doing battle with these tigers. I must be quick, however. I have to get to the Sand-Sand Fruit as soon as possible. Who knows who will suddenly show themselves and steal it for their own. I should probably watch what may be following as well as be cautious on the possibilities of injuries dealt by these formidable creatures that I will soon face in combat. The teenager thought, noting himself to be careful on more than just the moment at hand. He did hear something about being alert of any possible danger that may show itself, physical or spiritual. It was said that destruction looms around every corner as evil roams freely in the world Man lives in. Because of this, suffering could come at any moment and he believes the Lord wants everyone to be careful on what choice they make, since they may not know what lies ahead. It all depends on having the courage to face these dangers and ready to endure what tragedy may present itself or not. Many people have much courage within them. It is to help push them forward to better face the unknown and to find the strength that has always been within them from when one is born into the world. There are many secrets Man has to find out in existence, but some secrets are better left hidden as some unleash chaos when discovered. There were also some thing Man shouldn't tamper with unless they are burden with more pain and suffering. This world was beautiful, it is those who are evil at heart that make it harder for the innocent to live. Brave individuals, like Malik, who strive to protect, are very much needed by others to bring peace and happiness to have the innocent enjoy much of the world as possible for them before passing on to the next life. It is certainly interesting to note how much mankind has accomplish in the many years they have existed. Even without body's one is still human. He was glad to be one of them. He was also glad to be a Child of God himself. It was he who ave their world to them, who gave rise to all of existence.

One of the less aggressive tigers noticed that the young fighter was close to the em and immediately react by getting into an offensive stance in front of him. Malik himself stopped in front of the animal and quickly proceeded to unzip his hoodie. He then took out his blue backpack and threw it to his left. He did the same for his hoodie as he took it off of his body and tossed it in the same direction. Both item flew in the air until they headed for a long branch that served as a coat rack. The motionless object was able to catch these objects. It was clear that Malik was ready for battle and was prepared to withstand the most grueling of pain there was. With both his hoodie and backpack off of him, his tatted black shirt was left to be shown in all of it's ripped glory. With hardly any shirts to wear that both look like the one he worn, but not damaged in any why, the young pirate had little choice in his own opinion to continue to wear it. At least multiple parts of his body was still protected from vicious attacks the tiger that stood before him could unleash. The other animals of the same group simply stood and watch as if ready to help out this beast. They seemed to be be close friends from how closely they stood together before the teenager arrived. That was certain heart-warming to him. The fact that animals could be so close together was proof of the kindness evident in many places within the world. He was certainly glad that he got to see such an event with this creatures. It was a sign that they could feel as much as human beings. It was all the more reason not to brutally assault them. However, that doesn't mean they won't show the same kindness. They were made to fight and hunt. So, it was natural that they would strike with murderous intent. The young fighter can see that reality quite easily. He must be cautious with this types of beasts.

He had read much about the felidae family and how much of their species acted. He could see that many types of felines were powerful and formidable. However, where they resided helped him determine their characteristics and well as the different skills they possessed. It was all part of the environment they lived in. Animals unlike human beings, couldn't adapts to any environment in the world or any other. They can only survive in conditions that better suit the needs of their bodies. This was the case with what types of creatures one might see in certain parts of the worlds such as reptiles. Crocodiles and alligators were best seen where it was wet such as the Banawani. They were the only predator of the Sea King. The fact only made them too dangerous to mess with. Malik himself would have much difficulty defeating one of this beast by himself. If he had eaten the Sand-Sand Fruit, he wouldn't have much trouble. Of course, he could take on such a creature, if he trained his body more. He would be able to surpass the limits through his belief in the Lord as well as with his spirit. Everyone has limits placed on them, but can easily be broken with the right amount of faith and strength. He was certain about that as he was a believer in God. As such, his will was not so easily broken and his strength wasn't so easily extinguished. In fact, his father called his will indomitable. In other words, it was unable to be conquered, especially by cold-blooded tyrants that know nothing of what true strength was. He was going to win, he was going to get pass these tigers and he was going to claim that Devil Fruit for his close friend, Zatania. All for their loved one in the next life. Back at the inn the woman resided at, she could be a strong warm within her heart and couldn't help, but smile, knowing that Malik was doing alright.

The young pirate stood firm, standing down the one of the three tigers of the group. He shifted himself to his battle stance. He was now ready to fight against these beats as well as prepared to endure whatever tactic they had planned for him. The tiger in front of the other two, who were simply sitting by and watching the events of this confrontation unfold, crouched all four of it's legs. It was going to initiate a prowling maneuver. He recognized this strategy when he was doing battle with the other felines back in the forest before he arrived here. He also has an idea to counter this kind of tactic. He immediately positioned himself to easily react to the action that this feline was going to perform. In that moment, the tiger launched itself forward at an impression speed. Fortunately, the young pirate was able to evade by quickly moving to his right. After his successfully dodge the attack, the teenage fighter turned on his feet. He was now facing the beast, who was able to land carefully on all fours. As the old saying goes, "Cats always land on their feet." It was an interesting phrase and he has seen it proven to more of a fact. No matter how high a feline falls, they always managed to land safely on their paws. He once caught a cat that fell from a high distance. It was when he was still just a little boy. It was one of the proudest moments of his left. He felt he made a different on his home, Karate Island. Now that he was a adolescent martial artist, and a talented one at that, he was going to make a much bigger difference on Baterilla. Immediately after the tiger landed on both of it's feet, the young warrior rushed towards him. When he was close enough, he launched a powerful kick with his right leg. The feline was unable to react to this speed as it was still slightly surprised from how easily the boy had dodged it's first attack.

The kick managed to connect to the left side of the beast's abdomen. The force of the impact was such that it was propelled across the ground a few feet from the teenager. Not only did Malik gain much experience when previously fighting with tigers in the forests of this island, but it would appear his physical blows have slightly ground in strength as well. He seems even more dangerous than the animal he was fighting at the moment. Still, he will not let this development get in the way of his better judgement or cloud his mind. He will always remain level-headed and use his intelligence along with his strength. It was a deadly combination that apparently only other powerful human beings could match. When Malik becomes a Logia, he would prove to be even more of a threat to both the marines and the Government as well as certain villains he meets in his innumerable adventures to come. A surprising twist unfolds in this battle as the tiger he was fighting made a leap for the young pirate, rearing back it's right claw, poised to strike at him. The feline thrusted it's claw at him, however, learning to react at a fast pace, the adolescent fighter managed to quickly move out of the way of the attack, dodging another potentially fatal blow by moving to his left. Immediately, Malik formed his hands into fists, preparing to unleash a counterattack to further damage the animal, but not too much to the point it would prove fatal. He wasn't a killer and doesn't plan to be. Although, there would be time were he will use violent and brutal methods towards wicked beings as they endanger the lives of other through own insane plots with sick amusement. These were people who deserve pain. He turned toward the same the direction the feline was in again and made a dash for the formidable beast. He unleashed a barrage of punches, adding up to three in total. While few in number, they were powerful.

"It was time I finished this battle quickly." The determined teen said within the boundaries of his mind, stating he should move on quickly, considering the level of power these tigers possessed. He knows very well that the more he closed the distance between himself and the Devil that laid on the other side of the lake, the center of the island, the more vicious of the feline variety of animals he was going to encounter. It didn't mattered to him at all, since he did enjoyed a good fight. It was an opportunity to test the limits of his power and to prove he was righteous enough to wield the power within the Sand-Sand Fruit. He was sure that he can make it pass these obstacle laid out before him. He just needs to have faith. One's faith is challenged from time to time. Either by the Lord for one to show how much his children love him or the Devil to make them suffer. Either way, even if he has droplets of doubt in dire situations, he refuses to give up, he refuses to lose his faith and turn his back on his beliefs. As long as he had faith, happiness lays around the corner, something good will always come out of tragedy. He has a feeling his faith will be test numerous times either by good or evil. No matter how bleak the situation was, his unwavering spirit and indomitable will will never surrender to despair. Lose hope leads to suffering. There was no way he was going to fail the Lord in that sense or give in tot the Devil and his demands. He will survive many ordeals and become a strong fighter, one of the strongest there was. First, he has to make it pass these ferocious animals that block his way to success. It shouldn't be too hard. He will suffered a couple of bruises and injuries, but as the old saying goes, "No Pain, No Gain". There are times where one must fighting for the justice of others and the innocence of individuals. Malik believes it is not wrong to fight for the right cause. It is also not a waste of energy. Martial Artist, from his point-of-view, was made to protect others, not to inflict pain.

In all honestly, he liked a good fight. He won't fight without a good reason. Taking part in combat for simply fun seemed pointless. It doesn't seem to have a good enough reason. Malik has plenty of good reason for why he fights. To protect others, to become stronger and take down wicked beings, to achieve his dream, and probably to become one of the strongest fighters there is. The idea of fighting or martial arts was a waste of energy was ridiculous and absurd. It served to be good exercise, keeping one in shape. It made one stronger by the day and help one to tap into the power that lie dormant within him. Fight for the sake of violence or hurting others was what seemed pointless. It only serves to spread suffering. To those to group martial arts into such category obviously don't understand martial arts themselves. The barrage of three punches that Malik had unleashed all managed to successfully hit the tiger he was currently doing battle with. The attacks were able to make contact in the left side of the beast's abdomen. The impact of each punch was such to an extent that the feline was propelled towards the ground. When the animal landed, it's body lost all motion, too exhausted to get back up for another bout of combat. With this, Malik had already won his first battle in this place within the island's domain. He was ready for another match as he turned on his feet towards the other tow feline. He was ready to take them both on. He knows that, if he were to do battle with them both, he may endure considerable injuries, as a result. He will simply have to take that chance.  He began walking up towards the two beast's, whom appear to preparing themselves to attack the young pirate. He had just taken down one of their own, so they register him as a threat, an enemy to fight. This will prove to be a challenge. He must be cautious on the cleverness that these beast have in compensation for having less aggression than the other tigers farther down the path he was walking on.

When he was close enough to both of these tigers he was going to initiate combat with, he simply halted his movement. He stood in front of them, waiting for the two to walk up towards them. As he had expected from when he stopped at an appropriate range, the angered tigers stood from where they sat and they both started to walk up towards him. Malik can only suspect from how this situation seemed at the moment that he was going to fight both of these beasts. He was actually slightly happy he was going to take on the rest of this little group he had encountered. This battle will be more of a challenge with these animals larger in number while fighting him. It certainly served to provide much exercise as well as good experience in fighting more creatures of their type. In fact, most of the opponents he has fought so far were tigers. Even though he was very sure of himself that he could win against these enemies, he must be cautious as these tigers can be surprising in recovery. The first of the beasts he had fought here at this lake had quickly counterattacked him in a fit, hoping to at least get one hit in. This could happen with the other two tigers he was fighting. It was more likely to take place with the other types of animals in this group. This is due to the fact that they carry a significant multitude of ferocity as well as are highly vicious to beings and creatures alike as long as they don't consider them a part of their pack. Their appearance from a afar could tell someone just how dangerous they were. He was certain that they attack anything that come near them. When going up against animals of that kind of ferocity, Malik has learned to land the first strike before they can. The kind of rage made those tigers nothing more than wild hungry beasts. He already has a plan to tip that kind of battle in his own favor, but for now, he will have to focus on the two beasts in front of him.

"Alright, I do not know, if you can understand me or not, but what do you say that we begin with this next confrontation, shall we." The young pirate said to the two growling creatures that stopped in front of him. He realize that they were angry from how he defeated one of the members from their pack, but he had little choice to do so. Little or not, one always has a choice. He could choose to find some other way around the lake, but that will simply take days before he reached the Sand-Sand Fruit. He simply decided on challenging the animals that were blocking the fastest way towards the Devil Fruit he had come here to claim for numerous reasons. Many of which were righteous and pure-hearted. When the time came after he had defeated all of the animals, he could freely move on as fast as possible and reach the object of his mission and noble journey. He knows he will experience much pain, if he were fight some of the more aggressive animals. Speaking of which, Malik must keep a fair distance from the lake on his left and stay on land that was on his right. If he should happen to end up in the water, he may attract a Bananawani. They were deadly and even more vicious than the tigers he will soon face. In fact, they were the only known animal here that could prey on the Sea Kings. They were, of course, their natural predators. Very dangerous indeed, if she say so. He will soon grow strong enough to be able to defeat a Bananawani single-handedly, but, presently, he will sure be beaten into the ground by it's sheer weight. With the power inside the Sand-Sand Fruit, he could definitely take on and defeat such a creature as well as many other individuals. Sand can much more than bury others. When it came to powers, he was how you train and use it. It was your mastery and the ideas you can formulate in your mind that help to better utilize your power. Any power can be a deadly weapon. It all depend on your intellect and creativity.

Malik quickly shifted to his combative position. He can see in the eyes of the two tigers that they were very furious and are about to take their anger and hate out on him. They were getting ready themselves for the battle to come as they altered their stances to more offensive ones. The adolescent martial artist narrowed his eyes as he had to keep track of both of these animals. They may have much experience on knowing how to work together, something that is very common with human beings. Though, in his own opinion, he would have to doubt they were efficient at it. They act mostly on instinct. They seemingly lack the intellectual capacity for real tactics. If they had minds equivalent the apes or primates, then, maybe they could have a chance at out maneuvering him in terms of strategy. Otherwise, they will have much trouble trying to harm him in numbers alone. There may be two of them, but that alone poses enough a threat for the teenager to keep his guard up. He was going have to wait for the tigers to make their first move. It was rather unwise and risky to rush into a group of wild animals looking for a fight. The beasts themselves could take advantage of this and strike from an unguarded area on his body, potentially wounding him and triumphing over himself. Waiting until the animals he was fighting to make the first move may result in a fortunate turn of events. He hope that will come to be. Even if he should happen to suffer injures at the paws of these beasts, they most likely won't be severe. With his gifted level of intelligence, he can at least hasten the amount of damage with tactics and keen strategies already etched into his mind. In fact, he already has an idea on how to handle these two tigers in front of him. That same tactic is to use their own strengths against each other. It was a strategy developed by him when fighting against rhinos.

While he thought of what to do in this current battle he was in, the tigers immediately started charge towards him in an attempt to inflict pain unto his physical form. Malik prepared himself for what may come his way. He is going to win and he was going to help ease Zatania's stress on who will wield the power within the Sand-Sand Fruit next. It was no wonder the woman seemed so distant. Her grandfather was the previous wielder of the power that made him an embodiment of sand. With his death, the power become available to grab by anyone. She probably feared that someone cold, cruel, and wicked may take it for themselves and fulfill their evil desires. With the possibility of a villain gaining the same power that his great uncle and his friend's grandfather once possessed in their life time, he can understand how she feels. The heinous crimes the aforementioned evil individual would use that power for made him angry after all the good their loved one did with it. He would not allow any evil being to slander that good name of his deceased relative, his family's name, and his friends family. He was going to find and immediately eat that Devil Fruit no matter how much pain he would endure on his way. As long as his body was in one piece, he was satisfied with how he was. This body of his was given to him by the Lord and he was going to make great use of it by helping the innocent, protect those who are in trouble or hunted by the vile individuals that plague many lands, and help anyone in need of great assistance. He will not fail her, he will not have her worry for the rest of her life, knowing that a despicable villain could find and eat the Sand-Sand Fruit and use it to harm other for fun or achieve his selfish intentions. It made his blood boil just think about it, yet he didn't let it show on his visage. He kept calm and an open mind to think clearly when problems arise in front of him.

The tiger on the young pirate's right was much closer to him than the one on his left. He was going to have to start with this one for this confrontation. Since the beast was at a much closer range, it is most likely it will strike first. He prepared himself for whatever attack may come his way. He was ready to counterattack at any moment, which would be now at this time. He has to be calm as well as level-headed to be able to read both of these animals' moves, otherwise, the damage he will sustain will be more severe than he might've expected. The tiger on Malik's right held up it's left claw, poised to dig into his flesh. When the beast was close enough, it brought it down towards the adolescent fighter. Fortunately for him, he was able to evade this tactic by shifted his movement to his own left side, move around the feline in an attempt for both dodging and performing an attack of his own. For his counterattack, the teenager clenched both of his hands into fists. He thought that since this battle may involve claw strikes and punches, he should keep them as how they are now to help defend against future attacks from these beasts. After clenching his fists, Malik reared his left arm back. He then, thrusted it forth. He was able to hit the feline in the right side of it's face. He was not finished there. He also performed a kick using his right leg. The attack managed to hit the animal in it's chest, causing it to growl in pain. He wondered, if all tigers could do while in pain was make menacing sounds at their predicament. To finish up with his current assault, the young pirate fashioned his right hand into similarity to a claw. He wasn't using one of his techniques as this was more of a simple strike rather than a powerful move. He quickly pulled it back and thrusted it forward. With the tiger still taken aback by the two other hits that the teenage boy landed on it earlier, it could barely react. The strike was able to connect with the right side of the beast's abdomen. This blow released an impact strong enough that it propelled the beast a certain distance from himself. It was up to six feet, meaning the young pirate put much effort into that last maneuver.

"That should keep him down for a certain amount of time while I deal with this other one. It is best to keep one down and handle the other or I could simply pit both against each other while using their rage to guide their movements. Still, they may be animals, but they were powerful. They can even grow to gigantic size, especially when I fought that giant white tiger. He gave a serious wound, but not too troublesome. These wounds of mine heal fast and after a recent change of bandages, I am positive they are gone and I have nothing to worry about, except for the chance of future injuries. I just have to stay calm and keep focus on how this other tiger moves." The teenage warrior thought in the inner recesses of his mind as he noted himself to be careful with the other feline that challenged him, while the currently out-of-commission beast. It landed on the ground and slid to a quick stop. Now the animal was lying on the ground motionless. Malik can only guess it will be back up on it's feet. He should be vigilant and calm at his mentality. He then, turned on his own two feet towards his other opponent. The other beast was charging at him with all of it's might. He believes he had made it even angrier with how he swiftly tossed aside it's other teammate. He soon shifted himself into his combative stance and wait for the right moment to strike back. Blinded by fury the felidae simply ran into a straight line, not caring for what consequences that may befall it. With a mighty roar that it could muster, it leap towards the boy out of rage. When the tiger was close enough, Malik easily duck under the feline and clenched his right hand into a fist. He then released an upper cut as he rose back up. Due to the beast attacking out of anger, it wasn't able to react in time for what was about to come. The blow manage to make contact with the bottom part of the tiger's jaw, releasing a shock throughout it's own head. The force of the impact sent the animal back-flipping a few feet away from the teenager while it howled in agony.

The young warrior stood firm as he watched the formidable creature flying into the soft dirt that rested below his feet. It was able to land on it's back, but the force of the impact from it's physical body and the ground caused it to growl in further pain. It then, simply rolled to it's right side as it took deep breaths and exhaled to help ease the damage it had sustain. The adolescent martial artist sighed, feeling this was too easy for him and that he should end this quickly. He has bigger, tougher battles to fight and he wasn't going to prolong the pain of these animals just for the sake of having fun. He knows it is cruel and Malik was not that kind of person and never will be. After all, he disliked cruelty and affiliated it with evil, which is the only thing he truly despises in all of existence and beyond. He can think of more than ten reasons for why he hates it. The very thought makes his blood boil to no end. Being the good person that he chose to be, it was obvious that someone as kind and righteous as him would hate the wicked so much. He shifted his stance to that of his own offensive and waited for both animals to stand. Whichever formidable beast would stand first he would draw his focus to. He wasn't going to hit them while they were down. He considered that dishonorable. There were many lessons Malik had learned in life on be both a good fighter and a good person. However, he had little time think of such details as he noticed that the first of the two tigers that attacked him was started to rise from where it was knocked down. He turned on his feet towards his right and saw that the animal was already on all of it's fours. It struggled to lift up it's own weight, but pushed through. Malik can tell that this animal had taken a considerable amount of damage. It could barely stand, yet it was clear the level of courage it possessed, which impressed the boy as the young teen let out a small smile.

"Quite the determined brawler this tiger was. However, I'll have to finish this quickly. I don't want to hurt these guys more than they already are. I should probably exert more of my strength, but not use any of my fighting style's techniques until it is necessary. It would be a waste of energy, if I used them when I felt like it. I would also be in much trouble, if the moves were not executed where it should do some major damage. I'll save them for the more aggressive, more dangerous tigers up this road. They looked like they could take them as still keep fighting with ease." The young warrior thought, ready to end this, but not severely wound the innocent creatures with the overexertion of his power. He was impressed at how tenacious this animal was and how it never seemed to give up until it was knocked unconscious. Decided to take it down, Malik made a dash to the beast, whom was struggling to stand. It wasn't fair hitting your opponent while he was down and couldn't themselves. The tiger turned towards the one rushing him and lifted it's left paw. It reared it back and prepared for a swiping motion of sorts. The young pirate saw what was coming and knows what to do. When the teenager was close enough, the beast swiped in a crescent-like movement. The adolescent martial artist simply jumped in mid-air, successfully dodging the tactic. He then, performed a kick utilizing his right leg towards the tiger, who had little time to react as it looked upwards to where Malik was attacking. The attack managed to hit the animal on the right side of it's face. The force of the impact knocked it towards the ground. When it landed, it let out an audible thud. Lying motionless, the tiger was unconscious. The boy soon landed on both of his feet and stood from where he was. He looked down toward the know beaten tiger and turned his gaze to another enemy he has to defeat.

On the boy's left he could see the last tiger of the group already starting to stand up from when it was beaten down earlier in it's battle with the teen. The young fighter was needed to finished this bout right here and now. If he didn't, then, this creature would keep following him until it could take him down. Unfortunately, human's have unlimited potential. Animals can only grow so strong with how long they live and what they were made to do in their life. Eventually, Malik will grow to be too strong for this beast and it will soon realize it had made a mistake in following him. Then again, it could decide to tag along and become an important friend and member of his group. He did wondered what it would be like to have a tiger in his crew. If it was a boy, he would treat as such, if a girl, he will treat the innocent animal with special needs as he would most certain respect any woman rightly. He turned on his feet to face the formidable beast. He then, got into his respective stance for battle. From where he was standing, the tiger looked more like a male, especially from how it stands. When the animal was able to successfully stand on it's own four legs against, he crouched all four to help build some momentum before charging forward. When enough was gathered, this creature rushed forward with more speed than Malik thought it would have. Despite the impressive increase at how fast it was moving. The teenage warrior can seen it was giving all that it had in this next attack. He waited for when the animal got closer to him before he would strike at it to end this battle. It was clear it was blinded by sheer rage, making it an easier target. He has to be cautious as animals were full of surprise, similar to human, especially since his people were all gifted with great intelligence. Not only that, inside them lies great power. This is how one can achieve such heights of power. It made his happier to be human.

"Here he comes" The young warrior simply stated in his mind as the tiger neared him with each stride it took. When it was close enough, it pounced forward, jumping at the young teen, who was well-prepared for what will happen. For a swift reaction to this attack, Malik quickly dodged the attack, moving to his right and letting the animal pass by him. Before the creature could fully get by, the young fighter clenched his left hand into a fist, lifted his elbow up high into the air, and brought it down on. The elbow strike managed to hit the beast in it's back. The impact caused it to roar in pain. The force of the attack propelled it towards the ground. When it landed it, the movements of it's body grew slower ans slower until it remained motionless. It was exhausted it could barely stand and decided to just lay down, handing Malik the victory in the end. Standing up straight, the boy turned on his feet, shifting his gaze to his right. He then, spotted where he left his hoodie and backpack. His favorite choice of clothing was a gift to him from his mother. To lose it so casually would be showing that it really didn't mean that much to him when it truly is important as it was a gift to him from his mother, who loves him wholeheartedly no matter what he was. It all matter on who someone chooses to be. He chose to be a good person who wold willing help out others, show politeness, and be righteous. Seeing her boy grow up made his mother prouder every minute, every second. He really liked how a new being was born, held into their birth mothers arms where they smile. Where they are filled with joy over helping brought them into the world. An interesting part of what he found on what makes a human a human as well as a living being a living being. It was their souls, their breath of life, which the Lord had breathed into them. That is what makes humans and all living beings alike and, at the same time, so different as each one was born different, but can feel and care, like anyone else.

While he walked towards his prized possessions, he tuned to his left to see further up the road. He was trying to catch a glimpse of how the more aggressive tigers look. He was sure they would be a of a much greater difficulty and a challenge. The idea of such strong opponents makes him excited. He was sure those tigers would be harder to defeat. If so, he will have to be the one provoking them. He was able to get a much closer look at the animals with the distance was compared to whee they were. The beasts appear very grumpy and hostile to anyone and anything. This may also imply that they are violent. Getting even near them would prove one thing. They would attack and main or even kill Malik. These animals seem more savage-like compared to the supposedly less aggressive one he previously fought. They would willingly take the chance to bite one of his limbs off. If so, that would make them opportunists, similar to crocodiles as they were made to survive, not live, like how human beings choose to. He was going have to keep his eyes narrowed on that group of experiences hunters. He would be in danger, if he lost track of even one of them while he was doing battle with just one of them. With enough steps taken to the branch he had placed his cyan hoodie and pack, or more likely threw them, he reached out with his left hand and grabbed his backpack by it's straps. He picked it up and moved it towards the soft ground. He gently placed it down close to his feet and reached out with his right hand. He picked up his cyan hoodie. Using his other palm he bent over slightly and picked up his blue pack with ease. He swung both it and his hoodie over his shoulders. Since he was going to fight another group of tigers, which were more menacing than the previous one he fought earlier, he decided to place these items of his somewhere closer, so he doesn't find himself walking around needlessly. After all, he had been walking around much already, getting plenty of exercise.

"Now to do battle with a more challenging pack of beasts. I should keep focus and should be careful not to become overconfident. Being clouded by the sheer arrogance from my immense strength can lead to a painful defeat at the claws of these ravenous hunters. Maybe even more painful than when I lost to Steele. Recovering from leg and abdomen injuries was difficult, but worth it. I feel even stronger than before. However, I have to remain modest. Pride blinds one to the truth, humility allows one to see not just physically." The young pirate thought, ready to take on the tigers the are just ahead of him, who grow closer from his steady approach. He was also noting himself not to be blinded by simple arrogance from how powerful one was. He has learned the hard way on being too overconfident. He should be especially careful with these types of animals as they can and will maim him. They were more influenced by rage than the previous felines he had taken down as mercifully as possible. He has a feeling he was going to use some of his techniques to defeat these savage creatures. Though, he could also initiate the strategy of using their own anger against them. They may be more dangerous, but also more blinded. He could have them run into one another and as a result, they will end up fighting amongst themselves. It was a good idea, but he will save that for later. He will see how dangerous they were and what they intend to do to him while fighting against such beasts. Before growing closer, he took a momentarily halt and turn his gaze towards his right. Spotting another long branch, he simply tossed both his hoodie and backpack towards it. With good aim, they both managed to land on the makeshift wooden coat rack. Turning to face the tigers, he started to move forward. Immediately, one of them took noticed of the teen's presence. It was the farthest from the animals in the group while at the same time closest to where Malik was approaching. The young fighter stopped where he was and shifted his body to his offensive stance. He was going to fight these creatures sooner than expected. He will have to be prepared for whatever they may throw at him.

The tiger that had spotted the boy get up from where it had sat. It then, started to walked towards him. Unlike the other felines he had faced in battle, this one steadily increased the speed of it's march the closer it become towards. The may be evidence of the rage within it. From how this creature, Malik can tell that it doesn't seem to like him. That would just be another reason to keep his guard up. He had to remember that these beasts were very different than the others he had previously fought earlier in the forest. He had to be very cautious or it will certainly end in a very much pain and a gruesome defeat. The closer it got the faster it became, this sudden development had the teen thinking on his feet. He readied himself for when the animal will attack. The fast-paced walk, then, turned into a dash as it sped towards the young pirate. The aforementioned adolescent ready for an attack. When the beast was closed enough to him, it lifted it it's right paw, extending it's claws as it initiated a strike of some kind. It quickly slashed it's appendage forward, aim to maim the teen. As the young warrior saw what was coming to begin with, he was able to foresee that the tactic was straightforward. It was simple to tell as this creature was more bloodthirsty from immense anger. Malik managed to successfully dodge the attack by shifting to right. The tiger simply passed by the boy and landed on the ground. It slid to a stop, but soon turned on all fours as it raised it's right claw. It fiercely struck at the teenager. The sudden change on foot caught Malik off-guard and he was unable to dodge this attack. The strike was able to cut through the fabric on the young fighter black shirt and leave three slash-shaped markings in his back. They were deep enough to be considered moderate damage. This caused the boy to grunt inaudibly in pain. Despite the pain, he managed to fair with it as it was his turn to counterattack the formidable hunter.

"My turn" The young pirate exclaimed in his head out of pain from his now-sustained wounds. They would be agonizing to ordinary people, but Malik was not ordinary human being. He had trained much in martial arts, faced much pain, even witnessing torture. This was nothing to him, in fact, it felt like scratches to him. They simply stung slightly, but he must remember not to push himself too far. Overexerting himself could put a greater strain on his wounds, causing them to worsen in the process. Though, he doubt that would happen. He releases his limits as a human being. However, he will someday surpassing them time and time against through his mind and spirit. A person's mind control their physical being. It dwells within one's spirit, which dwells in the body itself. Where you would find one's mind is usually their brain. It is were it rests, obviously. It was just another lesson he had learned himself while growing up on Karate Island. In terms of breaking through a person's physical body's limits, it included mind over matter. One's mind controlled the matter that their spirit dwells within. Despite that, a person still needs their body to live in the physical world. Without one, they will be spirits in the afterlife, the life after physical death. In Malik's own opinion, either way one sees it, life is precious, death is death. It was natural and as important as any other natural force in the universe. Turning on his feet, despite the injuries he had sustained earlier in his confrontation with the rather vengeful tiger, he clenched both of hands into fist again. It was his turn to bring the hurt, not out of angry, but simply for retaliation. He had to give commence for the beast being able to harm him in a serious manner. Still, these wounds can be healed easily. Just when the beast landed on the soft dirt, he reared back his right hand.

He thrusted it forward focusing it to one point on the animal he was fighting. The punch manage to do harm to the angry feline as it collided with it's face on the right side. This caused the tiger to growl in pain, as a result from the strong blow inflicted upon it. The force of the impact was able to push the animal a certain amount of feet in distance. It was up to five in total. It appeared dazed when it stopped. The damage his punch inflicted was simply minor, but he has more in store for the violent beast of a creature. As it struggled to stand on it own legs, the teen rushed the beast before it can react to what he wanted to do as a follow-up for his next maneuver. When the young warrior was close enough, he jumped into the air high above the tiger. As he descend towards the ground beneath it, he lifted his right leg high up. He then, brought it down towards the tigers head, performing a mid-air drop kick. As he had thought before, his fighting style focusing on brute force and strategic thinking along with clever maneuvers. As the beast was still slightly dazed from the punch Malik had given it earlier in their fight, it didn't have time to think on what to do next or even react to what was coming. The animal can only look up from what was above it. The teens drop kick successfully connected with the top of the tiger's head. The force of the impact sent a shock throughout this beast's body. The strength of his attack pushed it straight towards the ground. When it's head collided with the ground, it sent a small shockwave throughout a small diameter of sorts. Malik was able to land safely with his unoccupied left leg. After that, he took a right foot off of the beast's head. As he could see, the animal was out cold. This marks another victory for the young martial artist. However, it wasn't without certain implications. There was the task of healing his wounds.

"My my, that tiger certainly got me good. I have to be very careful when fighting the others. They may be even more dangerous that the last one I have fought. Three wounds in the back can be detrimental, if they were deeper. Now that decision is to either heal myself with first aid or to continue fighting, sustain further injuries." The adolescent fighter thought. If he would just heal his wounds now with equipment a novice could use any time they desire, he would simply get injuries in his next battle. He would be moving back and forth, which would take a while and further prolong he mission to acquire the Sand-Sand Fruit. Malik took in a deep breath and soon exhale, afterwards. He suppose he was going to continue fighting on despite his noticeable injuries. He shouldn't much about them. They weren't life-threatening, but it was obvious not to worsen them. He was also going have to keep careful. Then suddenly he had another thought. He might rushing his journey too fast. He was started to become aware that he was getting so close to the Devil Fruit he wanted for good, righteous reasons was making anxious and was getting in the way of making safe, logical decisions. He sighed, knowing that it may take longer, but at least he would be safe and alive for when he would see Zatania again. After all, if he would come back to the family inn as a bigger mess than he looked now, she would have a fit of worry and even fear. He couldn't do that to a friend. So, he has made his decision on what he should do next in this mission he was on for more than simply power, which there was more to his goal. He was going to stay where he was and heal his wounds, for from where the other tigers could sense him. It would be less dangerous. Also, with him bleed, they could probably smell the blood of an approach being and mistake him for a meal, which he is not.

Turning on his feet, it was decided that it would be much more safer to bandage his bleeding injuries up, before they become worse. As important as it was to gain the Devil Fruit on the other side of the lake at the center of the island, Baterilla, he could let his goals come in between him and what was crucial such as the state his body was in as well as how his friend would react to him when she saw him in a much worse condition than he already was. He didn't have much to worry when such a thing would happen. By the time he got back home, his injuries would already have been healed. He started walking towards where he recently left his belongings in the first place. It wasn't too difficult to find them to begin with as they were close by in which was close to the place he had been fighting that aggressive tiger earlier. If one animal of that ferocity could do such harm to him on his back, then, perhaps this was going to be more difficult than he had imagined. He does have faith and as long as he believe in the Lord, he will achieve success. Right he had to get his priorities in order. His sudden fixation with the Sand-Sand Fruit had almost gotten him into more trouble that would have had left him in a more battered, bruised, and lacerated position. These creatures weren't like the ones he had fought before. They were more dangerous and even more of savages than ordinary animals. These beasts will attack to kill or do serious harm to others, innocent or not. Either way, Malik could not hold back against such creatures, otherwise, he will risk being on the verge of death. As such, he will give it everything he has as he did with only one of the more vicious tigers. When finding himself doing battle, he will have to use his techniques. It was obvious taking such vengeful creatures down through physical attack alone will not be enough to stop them. He had barely managed to dodge the severity of the last strike the beast he previously fought gave.

"Hmm, I guess this could be of good practice for me utilizing all the tech I have learned. Perhaps I should the new ones I have learned before coming this way. The remaining tigers can help me sharpen my skill in the execution and their usage." The young fighter thought, thinking of using his battle as a way to strengthen his new powerful moves that he had come up with. When he he had arrived to where he had put his backpack and favorite cyan hoodie, he reached out with his right hand. He then, picked up the clothing and moved to another branch, so he could get to his blue pack. He placed the hoodie down safely on a separate wooden extension of a large tree's trunk he was standing in front of. He then, swiftly and smoothly reached over to the object of his current interest. Picking up the blue backpack with his right hand, he used his left to unzip it. He then, dug through it's contents to find first-aid equipment. Remembering where he had been struck to begin with, he felt a noticeable sting on his back from the wounds he had sustained earlier in his previous battle with the vicious variant of the tiger he was doing battle with. He recalls of his victory where he slammed it's head into the ground with a powerful drop kick. Thankfully, the injuries he had been inflicted with weren't deep enough to leave scars. Though, it would be an interesting reminder of how dangerous it was search for a Devil Fruit in the first place. The journeys for such other-worldly, power granting objects were perilous. In fact, Many men have lost there lives searching for one fruit. Due to the limited amount of information on these fruits, many people have yet to know which power dwells within which one. It was basically left up to chance. All the person hold a Devil Fruit do was hope that they get a power they will like and can use it in way that hadn't thought of before. Finding fruit such these objects were a real challenge. If one were to have the right information, it wouldn't be they difficult to locate and acquire one.

Malik himself was lucky to know where to look for the Devil Fruit he wants as well as having great knowledge on what power lies dormant within it until consumed by the person who claimed it. Though, he only knows the basics of what power is in it. It did made him feel better at the fact that the fruit was of the Logia Class. Those who eat Devil Fruits of this type will have the power to generate, manipulate, and transform into limitless amount of a natural force. Commonly one seen in or connected to the Earth's environment. The wielders become living embodiments of those forces and are considered living forces of nature. They are the most powerful of all those who have eaten a Devil Fruit. They are not to be taken likely. Underestimating such beings even in the slightest could lead to crushing defeat, agonizing pain, and severe punishment. To make them even more difficult to defeat, as they can transform into the natural force they are made of, they can allow attacks to pass through them, giving them a type of invulnerability through elemental intangibility. Ordinary opponents cannot harm them, but they can inflict damage onto their enemies. With such power at their disposal, they can easily outmatch multiple opponents and fight more than one foe at a time. Going up against a Logia was like going up against force created by God himself. With the power in the Sand-Sand Fruit he was seeking, Malik was certain their was more to it than what he herd was explained. He has only knowledge, not experience with wield the power over sand itself, a natural force birthed from erosion.He did hope it was a power he liked. There was no guaranteed one could get the power they wanted without know what Devil Fruit one was searching for, but this teenage boy wanted the Sand-Sand Fruit. He wanted the power of the desert. He knew what he was searching for and plans to use it for good and honor the now deceased, who previously wielded this power and put his friend's, Zatania, heart at peace.

"Just keep waiting, my friend. Soon, your grand father and my great uncle's will will be inherited by me and you can smile, truly smile, knowing that a righteous virtuous, honorable person is using that power for the right reasons. To help others, to save many people, to protect them from evil, to crush it, and to be a great hero someday, a living legend." The adolescent warrior thought, determined to complete this quest he was on and to become a living embodiment of sand. He knows this is the power that will help him achieve his dream. However, he can't go at this alone while traveling through the world. This had him thinking of who will join his crew. Who will willingly join a sixteen year-old boy on his way to find the One Piece and become the greatest hero and legend the world has ever seen. The only people he knew were simply his friend, Zatania. She seemed tough, but can she fight, cane she even hold her own. He did wondered what was her area of expertise and how she will help as a friend and a member of his crew. The very word even had him thinking about the name of his group. He had decided earlier that he would name his crew after he had gained the power he desired. He wanted it something to relate to deserts, sand, Arabic culture, etc. He was sure of himself that he could create a fantastic name for his own pirate crew. While it may start out small, as with all group affiliated to the pirates, it will grow into a powerful army of warriors, freedom fighters, saviors, heroes. That was his picture of an ideal crew. For now, he could worry about that for now, he was too busy search through his backpack for what will help him cover up these wounds he had on his back. He crouched his legs and sat on the grass covered portion of the soft earth. He further explore through the innards of his pleasantly-looking sack to grab what he need rather than what he desired.

The young teen remained efficient in his observation through his backpack, even with the injuries he had previously sustained in one of his earlier fights, which he noted to be entertaining, if not impressively exerting. These beasts were definitely no pushovers. While looking through the content of the object in hand, he finally managed to find what he was looking for to tend to the severity of his wounds. With his left hand, he pulled out the bandages from wrapping up his previous injuries. He soon sat them on his right lap before tunneling through the contents of his blue pack again for something else. It didn't take long, like with finding the gauze needed to close the wounds inflicted upon him as he quickly took out the cleaner, which will make certain no germs etch their way into his cuts and get them infected. With his right hand, he gently sat the pack he was holding down and got to turning the bottle's cap off. He quickly popped the small piece of the object off with ease. He then, took a deep breath and exhaled. He knew this would be painful, especially with the significant size of the wounds on his back. He will just have to bare with it. After all, he has faced worse, such as broken limbs, which took a little while to heal along with an agonizing aching sensation etched into his legs. It did faded quickly as soon as the damage he had sustained from the ensign by the name of Steele dissipated. He safely placed the open bottle of cleaner on the ground close to him on his right side. He then, proceeded to take off his tattered black shirt. With how badly it was torn, it was obvious he wasn't using it any more. It was going to be disposed of when he got back at the inn Zatania's family owns. After he took it off, he looked on the back of the clothing to see the extent of the damage. He knew and even felt how deep the attack to his back was, so expected to be somewhat serious as such.

"Oh dear, look at the blood stains. I am definitely not wearing this shirt again. It was safe to say that it was going in the trash. It was such a good shirt while it was still in perfect condition too." The young pirate though, remarking how torn and worthless the item has become. It hardly covered anything any more. On the bright side he still has plenty of other shirts stashed away in his backpack. What was more important now is cleaning his wounds before they become infected. It was very painful how the claws of the aggressive tiger from before had cut into his flesh. Pain was natural when having a physical body. It hardly mattered to him. Besides, facing physical pain was common when in a battle with an opponent, human or not. He simply balled up the torn fabric and stuffed it in his blue pack. He then, reached over with his right hand, grabbing the cleaner as a result. He then, poured it over his back. The injuries started to sizzle, an implication that the cleaner was working in killing the various foreign germs that could've entered his system. The open cuts sting as the liquid got to work on cleaning his wounds. He hissed in pain at the sizzling of the marks on his back. He endured it with little difficulty. The pain he felt was evidence that it was working. He reaching out with his left hand in the direction he placed the cleaner's bottle cap and picked it up. He then, put it on top of the aforementioned container ans twisted it shut. He put it back in his blue backpack rather swiftly. With his left hand, he further searched through the contents of the sack. He soon pulled out wipes which will help clean his wounds more efficiently. He immediately started applying them towards the slash-shaped injuries on his back. He quickly wiped away all the excess blood covering it. When that was finished, he rolled up the used wipes into a ball and put them back into the backpack. Using his right hand, he reached over on the same side of himself and picked up the gauze he had previously had laying on his lap.

"Now to fix these injuries and close them. It should allow me to fight easier without the worry of straining myself to much." The young martial artist thought in his mind, undoing a good portion of the wrappings that will help seal his wounds, so he could fight at a much more steady rate. He began enveloping his injuries with the gauze, careful not to miss anything and leave an unwanted part of his wounds exposed. He steadily took his time, as he was in not much of a hurry, but didn't want to take too long in this process. When he was finished, he ripped the portion needed to to cover the rest of his injuries. He then simply returned the gauze to the contents of his blue backpack. Afterward, he used his left hand to search for a substitute to replace the tattered shirt he will no longer wear. He quickly pulled out a black t-shirt, which was quite roomy and served to cover more than it's far share of the torso. He quickly put it on, easily slipping his head through the hole that served to be an entrance for the cranium. He was now finished dressing himself and cleaning his wounds. When he was done as such, he zipped his pack closed until further use. He grabbed it's straps with his right hand and stood from where he sat. He used his left hand to dust off any dirt from his backside. He then, observed himself as best as he could without a reflection. He was more than satisfied with how this one will do. Even if it were to be cut into in any way, he doubted that the aggressive tigers he will soon face will be able to cut through the entirety of this choice of clothing. He turned his gaze towards the branch he had set his cyan hoodie down on. He reach over with his left hand and picked it up. He couldn't forget his most favorite accessory, which help defined his choice of clothing. After all, his mother gave it do him, the least he could do is keep it as good as new and out of trouble, hence why he fights intense battles without it. Rather, he has it resting in someplace safe.

Afterwards, he soon began walking in the direction where the felines dwell. He must be cautious as to where they will strike with those deadly claws of theirs. It was obvious they strike to kill and he can only assume that he should guard his vital points at all times when fighting such vicious creatures. Despite how angry and vengeful they may seem, he didn't think any ill-thoughts towards these animals. It was how they were made. This ferocity was put deep into there blood long ago. It may be because evil looms around in the rule, running free to it's content, but only for so long as one day it will receive it's permanent punishment. That very thought would make anyone who was tired of the evil transgressions of the wicked more at ease. Someone, like Malik, who despises evil itself, will feel relieved, knowing that this bottle of good and evil be chalked up to goodness as the winner. When he was close enough to the animals without possibly disturbing them, he turned on his feet and spotted other long branches he could place his things until the battles he was fighting were over. He soon walked over to where he could put his belongings and resumed his conflicts with this aggressive beasts. When he was close enough, he first put down his blue backpack followed by his cyan hoodie over it. He then, turned and traversed steadily towards the tigers, who were soundly relaxed, seemingly without any hostility. When the boy was close enough, the beast immediately sensed and intruder and quickly turned his direction. He halted his walking and got into his offensive position. The confrontation with the last remaining two tigers of the group will now begin. He was prepared from his last battle and was careful to not let this beast gain the upper-hand. if he didn't paid attention, another injury he had worked so hard to close will happen somewhere else on his body.

The two ferocious beasts stood from where they previously relaxed to begin with. The growled in utter hostility, not liking the boy they see before them. It was obvious that same dislike came from their anger. They seemed to be angry at everything that crosses there territory. Malik believes he knows why they do not like him. He must have showed disrespect by entering their area of dominance. Now, he has to pay for it with pain and various other kind of injuries these beasts intend to deal to him. All he could do was remain cautious and keep track of the movements these tigers. They don't hold back and intend to maim, or otherwise, kill him. If that was the case, he shouldn't hold back either. Without any doubt, he knew they were dangerous to fight in the first place. Not wasting anymore time at an attempt at a lethal blow, the vicious tiger on Malik's right sped forth, gaining more speed from each stride it took. He took a calm, steady position, ready to take on whatever these beasts had to pit against him. When the destructive feline on his right side was at a close enough distance between it and the teen, it raised it's left paw and extend it's claws. It then, slashed forward, intending for the damage to be fatal. He expected an attack of lethality, so did his best to avoid it. He successfully dodged to his left as the strike was coming for his abdomen. Despite being able to evade the first attack, the battle was far from over. He kept on his toes and he watched the next movement of this angry beast. He didn't have to worry and the vicious animal on his right as it seemed to be starting off with lurking towards him before burst into a rushing fashion. He was thankful he only had to deal with one tiger at the moment. When the first strike it made had failed, it simply went by the boy's body. When it landed on the ground behind him, it immediately turned on all fours and raised it's right paw and extending it's natural weapons, taking another swiping motion. Malik has obviously seen this tactic before with the previous battle he fought with the first of the group of aggressive beasts. So, he quickly crouched down to the ground, evading another fatal infliction of damage.

"Now it's may turn, it is time that I introduced you to one of my newer techniques. This will hurt, but it will keep you off my back for a while." The young fighter thought, ready to try out a move he had yet to use in battle. There were plenty of techniques he has yet to use, this will be the first of many to actually be utilized while in combat. He didn't think his the first opponent he would use one of them would be an animal, a wild, vicious one at that. Though, it was a worthy fighter and he had to admit, it was deadly as much as it was dangerous when filled with rage. Said emotion made it easier to predict it's movement as well as take advantage of where it was going. For now, Malik had decided on using a powerful move to inflict serious damage upon this beast's animalistic physiology. He quickly turned on his feet while still crouching on the ground. He then, proceeded with performing one of his newer skills. Using his left arm, he unleashed an elbow strike into the tiger's chest. It was able to make contact with the beast's body part. The caused the animal to growl in pain. Following up with it, he clenched his right hand into a fist and thrusted forth a powerful punch. The attack was able to hit the creature in it's stomach, making it growl in agony again. For the final strike to complete this complex assault, Malik utilized his right leg to perform an upper kick. This hit the tiger in it's chest once more. It let out a final roar as it was propelled by the force of the finality of the teen's attack. It flew through the air a good distance of six feet. It then, landed on the ground, sliding to a halt. It was painful to endure those blows. The creature was significantly hurt from that last attack. I shook in agony, which was noticeable from afar in the line of Malik's sight. That technique of his was made to inflict major damage towards the recipient, she had expected it it be very painful to take. He has suffered worse, but I doubt that this animal had.

The teen immediately shifted his gaze towards the tiger on the left, who had changed it's lurk to a firm walk. It had an angry look in it's eyes than before. This was probably from when he has serious damaged it's comrade with his technique. Speaking of which, he name it, "Fushigina Joushou". It was an attack consisting of exactly three blows made to to inflict greater damage together. It was especially effective up close with an enemy. It serve to help turn the tied of a battle, but it took a larger portion of stamina to perform. It was quick different and more powerful than his other techniques, which were of a lower level. Though, it still didn't compared to his most powerful martial arts move, the barrage of various punches, which was named, "Hageshii Ryuukyoushuu". It could inflict serious punishment to someone from the outside to the inside. Breaking bones, delivering bruises, making someone bleed. It was certainly a powerful, yet deadly move. He wasn't certain animals could handle this attack. Malik possessed speed and strength far surpassing the ordinary limits of a human being. It was no wonder why one might have trouble defeating this boy. He was undoubtedly powerful and strategic. This was a deadly combination. One not to be taken likely. Though, he has also learned the value of knowing your limits as overconfidence may run the risk of making the person arrogant, like the boy himself had become, or so he thinks. He had been so sure of himself at times that he will win, not because he believed it, but because he was powerful, especially for someone his age. He was too cocky and ended up with a few broken ribs and two broken legs before. Thankfully, they wee all heal and he could fight as if those injuries didn't happen to begin with. Seeing the tiger on his left growing closer and angrier by the second, he decided to use this beast's rage to his advantage. He shifted his stance to his signature position and waited for when the animal will strike.

When the creature was close enough, it held up it's right paw and extended it natural ingrown weapons, it's claws. It then, took a swipe at the boy, somewhat hoping to injure him. He swiftly dodged the attack without any difficulty. Angered by the fact it missed, the animal took another try at it and stood on both of it's hind legs while it held up it's left paw and extend his natural cutting extensions. It soon started unleashed various slashed and strikes in a blind fury. Malik was quick to evade this deadly barrage. The best the tiger could do was such little damage. Despite successfully dodging most of the attacks, the young pirate suffered a few cuts and minor gash. Two on his right forearm, one on his left arm. Tiring from the constant swing of it's arms, the animals returned to standing on all fours to take a breather. It inhaled large portions of air and exhaled them out. It tried to regain some energy for it's next tactic. Unfortunately, this was Malik's plan all along. He was trying to get the beast to tire itself out until it was too exhausted to momentarily defend against a powerful maneuver. Fortunately, it work, the rage of this beast blinded it so much it hardly ad any idea what was happening. This worked to the teens advantage. He was now sure he could attack this animal full-on. It was too tired to defend or react to what he was going to do next. It was temporarily defenseless and it was time to strike. He clenched his right hand into a fist and thrusted it forth. It managed to hit the tiger in it's face on it's left side. It growl in pain, similar to it's comrade, who is current on the ground, finding it difficult to move. He decided to follow on his punch with another. This time, he clenched his left hand into a fist and launched forward. This attack was able to hit the tiger in the middle of it's face. It let out another growl of agony. Thanks to Malik strength, he could deal more damage than an ordinary person would be able to.

[Techniques Used: Fushigina Joushou: 250 - 25 = 225 Stamina]

The force of the punch he had delivered was strong enough to propel the tiger a few fee from where they were previous fighting. The animal wasn't about to give up yet and it's comrade was started to stand from where it had been knocked down, or rather thrown to. Though, it is noticeable that it is struggling to stand after the significantly serious amount of damage it had sustained from his last attack on it. For now, he had to keep his attention on the tiger that was in front of him, instead to his back. In case of being caught off-guard, Malik shifted his position, so he could have both of the beasts in the field of his vision. He admitted that he was near-sighted without his glasses to help back him up, but fortunately, they didn't aim for them. It was, from what Malik thinks, one of his weaknesses. With no glasses to help him see better, he'll have to rely on his other senses, such as hearing, touch, smell, and/or taste. He could also try to see with is mind, but that seems highly out of the question. Still, when he was younger and still in his martial arts training, his parent did tried something that he could use in situations when he lost he glasses. It was a certain training exercise to help him better utilize his other size, which were in good condition. To help him fight without his glasses, his father took hold of them and he had to fend while near-sighted. It was a difficult task, but he was able to accomplish combat without the use of a grey-framed glasses. His parent were proud he can find his way out of a situation whenever he lost them and had to have the recovered. To this day, he hardly had to worry about about fighting with or without one of his signature accessories. It's what helped defined him as a gentlemanly, heroic, fighter, since he was so polite and kind towards individuals. Those who act rude for no apparent reason, he may should scorn towards such jerks. He had no time to waste at the moment on this mission. He can only take so long with being at this lake.

"Hmm, looks like you guys can still fight. That's good to here. It would be easy, if you guys would just gave up. What do you both say we get serious. I am not holding back this time. After all, you both aren't when you attack to violently." The young fighter said to both animals in his line of vision, trying to get them rattled and attack. It helped with the tiger in front of him. He could see it's face contorting in fury. It probably understood the words the boy was saying. That was an impressive feat for any animal to understand a human partially. If it didn't, it wouldn't have gotten angrier in the first place. It was obvious that Malik was pushing this animal's buttons. However, it was in the right places to get it to lose it's composure. This would result in it making various mistakes when fighting as well as leave various openings for him to attack. The tiger was already furious. Any further into rage and it might not know where to strike or where it was going. This was call a feral berserk state in which the being or animal is consumed by bloodlust, rage, and murderous intent. They attack anything that comes near them ore simply destroy anything in their sight. It was a dangerous state to enter. Anything or anyone is perceived as a danger to you and it must be eliminated. They will keep going until they lose consciousness, beaten into a coma, or even killed. From the teen's speculation. It was obvious that these animals he was battling were victims of berserker rage. In certain situations, he suspect them to have attacked so much enemies before him that they became influenced by pure rage and bloodlust. It must be the reason why they are so violent and why they are trying to kill him when he didn't even do anything wrong. Their attitudes were close to feral or savage killers and must be brought down. He was not going to kill them, but severely wound them. This will at least make the lake safer for any other beings and animals passing by, in his own opinion or estimation.

The beast in front of the young fighter had had enough of waiting around and simply rushed towards the boy, it's vision blinded by rage. When it was close enough, it pounced on him, it fangs bared and ready to bite into his flesh. The teenage martial artist knew how to counter this. As such, he performed a roundhouse using his right leg. Due to which limb he was using, the kick move in a clockwise manner. It was able to hit the tiger on the left side of it's face. The force of the attack was able to knock it to Malik's right side. The beast landed on the ground with a thud, before struggling to stand again. The teen shifted to his combative position again and kept a close eye on both tigers he was doing battle with. From behind him or to his left, the animal he had pummeled into the soft dirt earlier in their battle was successfully standing up. When it did, it immediately turned it's sights towards the adolescent warrior. It was just as angry as the tiger he knocked down in from of him. He supposed it was time he used another one of his techniques. One powerful enough to defeat one of the beasts that constant tried to maim him. He was not going to take such behavior, like this. He was going to teach these creatures some manners and he was going to do it here and now. He wasn't sure what other dangers lie beyond the road he traveled. All he could do was be ready for what may come his way and have faith in the Lord and hope he will guide the boy through his obstacles to begin with. The tiger turned on all of it's fours and quickly started to walked towards the teen. This walk caught on in terms of speed as it grew closer. When it was an appropriate distance, it raised it's right paw. To ensure that the blow it intend to unleash was fatal, the built in extensions that served as it's claws extended outward. It quickly took a swipe at the boy, it tries to kill somewhat. He managed to dodge such a lethal blow, by crouching down at a fast rate, allowing the attack to pass over his head. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt and survived.

"Now, it is my turn to bring punishment to you, formidable beast. You indeed make a strong opponent, but I must end this right now." The young warrior said, ready to finish this battle he has started a while ago. He cannot allow this to drag on any longer. He was ready to beat this vengeful creatures off animals he was facing off against. He clenched his right fist with much strength behind it. It was another technique he was preparing to utilize against this beast. He focused as much of his power within the future blows as he could before release it into a powerful attack. It was one of his signature moves, "Ryuutakashi". A powerful punch that can inflict damage greater than ordinary attacks of this variety. The recipient was dealt with considerable force and pain soon afterwards. When enough strength was gathered into his right fist, Malik gave a sharp thrust towards the tiger he had dodged a deadly claw swipe from. The attack managed to connect with the animal's body, smashing into the beast's left jaw. The sudden shock with the impact knocked the tiger towards the ground, causing it to moan in pain. It landed with a thud and fell into unconsciousness. The damage dealt to it was moderate, but despite this, it was enough to bring it down. Afterwards, he stood from where he was crouching and turned on his own two feet. He then, laid eyes on the animal just getting up from a fierce attack the boy had dealt it. It stood firm, an unwavering will that refused to give up. Malik admire that part in some animals. How they keep persevering no matter what the obstacles. Though, they hardly know when to give up. This was mostly due to their lower sense of awareness compared to a human being's. Having had enough of being tossed around, the tiger charge forward. The boy simply gave a sigh as he knew how this would end in defeat for the beast. He simply raised his right foot into the air, high above the position the animal that was rushing him was moving in. When the tiger was close enough, it jumped for the boy. Before it could get near him, he released a drop kick with his raised leg. The attack connected with the top of the feline's head. The shock to it's cranium was strong as well as the force. As such, it was slammed into the ground from the sheer strength of Malik finishing blow. The moment it hit the ground, it, too fell into unconsciousness.

[Techniques Used: Ryuutakashi: 225 - 15 = 210 Stamina]

The young powerful teen took he right foot from atop the aggressive tigers head and placed it on the ground. With this animal's defeat, Malik stood victorious. However, winning was simply within the moment. The greatness of a hero can last for eternity. He altered the direction of his gaze as he looked around, searching for what he always brings with him. He turned on his feet to look behind him and immediately spotted what was in the corner of his eye. It was his cyan hoodie and blue pack. He always carries important essential with him and, in case of injury, a first-aid kit. With the minor wounds he sustained on his arms, he saw fit to close them with a little help. He quickly started walking towards the belongings he safely left out of the reach of the now unconscious tigers he had defeated. When he was at a close enough proximity, he raised his right hand and reached over. He then, picked up his hoodie and swung it over his right shoulder. With his left hand, he reached over to grab his backpack. He picked it up and held it as he crouched down to the ground before sitting on it. He unzipped it, revealing it's various contents that contained first-aid. With his right hand free from his hoodie now on his corresponding shoulder, he used said limb and began searching through his blue pack. He managed to find what he was looking for easily. He first pulled out some cleaner, which he now calls peroxide. It was a good killer of germs. It was noticeable from the sizzling sound the wounds it covered made. He sat it next to him on his left side and stuck his right hand in the pack again. He pulled out some gauze, which he will need to wrap up his minor injuries. He was thankful to the Lord he only suffered so little damage. However, he knows he will not always be so fortunate. There are time were one has to endure great pain while in battle against cold-blooded opponents. He just have to have faith that it will work out in the end. He simply put the gauze on his left lap before he, again, put his hand into his blue pack to search for something else.

"Hmm, no where are they." The young pirate thought, searching for an additional tool of some kind. He pulled out a good number of cotton swabs. They were accurate in applying ointment and other varieties of concoction of sorts. This even includes the peroxide sitting close to him. For now, he can do with a little rest to regain some of the stamina he spend from his techniques earlier in the fight. He gently sat the cotton swabs down on his right lap. He then, reached over with his left hand on the corresponding side of his body and picked up the peroxide. He swiftly pooped the bottle cap of and laid down close to him. He then, grabbed a cotton swab and placed it firmly on top of the cap-less bottle. He then, placed his right hand on top of the object and flipped it upside down for a mere moment before turning it right-side up again. He the removed the cotton swab from atop the open bottle an and started applying it to the small, narrow cut on his left arm. He felt slight stings that didn't phase him one bit. He was a durable fellow and pain of this level was nothing to him. He has been through worse. When he was done applying the peroxide soaked swab to his left arm and proceeded to to kill the germs on his right. He simply put the used cotton swab in his backpack within the section where all the used material was placed. There was sort of in-built garbage can in his pack. It was highly convenient for the boy as he needed a safe place to dispose of all the trash he produces from cleaning his wounds. With the intensity of the battles growing, he was beginning to notice he was getting more severe wounds by the minutes. At least he was able to lessen the number with his cautiousness and alertness gaze. Otherwise, the injuries he had suffered earlier would've been more serious than expected. He reached over with his right hand and simply grabbed another cotton swab. He put it over the open bottle of peroxide. Picking the object up wit his left, he then, flipped for a moment before placing it up on the right.

He placed the the bottle back down on his left side. After which, he put the soaked swab in his left hand. He immediately got to applying the peroxide to the two cuts on his arm. As with the minor wound on his left arm, these injuries were no much to worry for. Though, they were obvious painful for when one suffer from such deadly attacks from vicious creatures such as anger-blinded tigers. For someone of Malik's strength and stature, injuries of this severity were of no noticeable annoyance to him. He was able to handle them quite well and brush them off as if he felt nothing. Still, everyone has a limit to the tolerance of pain. The boy was not exception. His was just higher than others, allowing him to endure a greater amount of suffering than boys his own age or even grown men. When he was finished with cleaning his wounds, he put the used swab, now soaked in the excess blood of his wounds, in the compartment of trash he has accumulated. He then, picked up the gauze on his left lap and immediately began wrapping his wounds. First it was the minor cut on his left arm. Next, was the two other injuries sustain on his right. When all was done, he returned the roll of gauze back to his backpack where he will again use it when he has been damaged. He right down with his right arm and picked up the bottle cap for the peroxide and placed it back on it. He then, grabbed it with his left hand and put it back in his pack. Afterwards, he picked up the group of excess cotton swabs on his right lap and stuffed them back in as well. He then, zipped up the contents and picked it up with his right hand and hanged it over his right arm in the process. He stood up from where he sat and dusted off his backside with his left hand. He turned on his feet and began walking further to the other side of the lake.

"Hmm, I wonder what other challenges I might face as I travel closer to the object of my journey. Whatever it was, I will not run or hide. Whether achieving victory or defeat, I will face many battles that come my way. No matter what obstacle comes my way, I will find a way through it. I will have faith and survive this ordeal. I will come back alive and attain the power within the Sand-Sand Fruit." The young fighter thought, assuring himself of moving forward and never looking back. He never did when he made it this far, he wasn't about to do it now. He also reminded himself that winning isn't everything, but it is what matters the most in a battle against your foes. Losing help's one look over the the confrontation they have fought and learn from the mistakes they have made to help them grow stronger and win the next fight. A victory was simply a moment, the greatness that comes from that victory is everlasting. It is because of winning that one can achieve greatness. It is due to this that winning seems more likely than losing. However, a fighter can never forget the value that comes in defeat, which makes one stronger to help ensure a greater victory than they could achieve before. Loss in battle enlightens one to the mistakes they have made in order for the person to learn from them and, as a result, allows them to push to higher levels of power and surpass their limits put on them by their flesh and blood. To him, it was actually interesting and exciting when you think about it. There looked to be no enemies for a good distance, which means he can have peace of mind for a little while. However, that doesn't mean he can lower his guard. He decides to remain cautious. He was still in a dangerous area and as such, cannot become careless of his movements. Destruction was around the corner for anybody and he believes that is why the Lord wanted his children to be on-guard in such a world they are living in. He had to be careful with the choices he makes. Every decision has a consequence, whether good or bad.

[RIB: Stamina Recovered: 210 + 15% = 247.5 Stamina]

While he traversed along the soft earth beneath his feet, he kept a precise lookout for any dangers that may appear out of nowhere and surprise him or attack the boy all of the sudden. Anything could happen, especially when one is too relax in the first place. He has to keep cautious as to what may possibly be around him. He kept alert for any dangers that may be stalking him. If they show themselves, he will retaliate with a well-thought out tactic. While it may take time, it will not take too long and be precise and painful. After all, it wasn't nice to stalk someone try to have peace-of-mind. It was certainly rude and being nosy of other people's business. He definitely knows what that is like. When he was a little boy, he often went through his parent's things. For whatever reason he had back then, it only served to make him look cute as he was still basically a toddler. His mother would laugh her heart out when she found Malik looking through her clothes. His father always had smile on his face he saw him. It was a day he could never forget. It was when his mother taught how searching through other people's things just because you want to was wrong. As he was still a bundle of innocents in his early childhood years, he had little understand between right and wrong. That was part of a parent's job to teach them the difference as well as raise them. Remembering the factors that played a part in his upbringing, he was grateful for what he was taught what he learned and what belief he was given to follow or not. Still keeping an eye out for possible enemies, the young teen spotted a figure in the distance. It was another tiger, but this one didn't seemed like the others. No, in fact, it looked even more dangerous. It laid on the earth calmly, surveying it's surrounding with a deadly keenness of sight, holding a murderous intent in it's eyes. It was obvious that this beast was on a different level from the other vicious savages he had fought. For instance, this animal had so much rage within it, it seemingly always has the urge to kill something.

"Hmm, a rather dangerous-looking creature. Obviously not something to toy with, unless one does not value their life. It was deadly to underestimate such a beast. One wrong move and you could be serious injured by this animal." The young pirate thought, realizing how severe the damage would be, if he was careless while, at the same time, fighting the ferociously, murderous tiger the grow more noticeable by the second with every step he took. He suddenly halted his footing. If he grew any closer to this animal, he was certain he will be attacked. The creature would charge him instantly, leaving no time to react or put away he belongings in a safe place. So, he turned on his feet and examined the currently scenery with his gaze to his right. Spotting a good branch to lay down his items before beginning one of the most intense battles of his life in this world, he began walking towards it. He wonders what kind of fighter this beast was. It was obvious it wasn't gentle and appear to lack mercy with the vicious look in it's eyes. If that was the case, then, perhaps Malik was going have to give every ounce of his strength to take down this creature. From what he saw, this tiger was the last animal blocking his way to the Devil Fruit station on the other side of the lake. If he were to lose, then, he would not only fail Zatania waiting for him back at the inn, but might end up mauled and even dead. It was not an ending to his physical life he desire ever. He has the right to choose how he will be taken to heaven and into the Lord's embrace. He was going to live as a pirate and die as a hero, if he could. One does not know everything. The world held limitless mysteries, secret, undiscovered information. Some should never be learn and is better left out of Man's reach. There were some laws, some secrets, some mysteries better left as how they were to begin with. It may be how God had made it so to prevent chaos from falling onto mankind.

When he had arrived at the long branch he had chosen to walk up to, he momentarily stopped and looked it over. He was seeing, if it had the strength to hold up his items, like the other branches he left them at. He nodded, assuring himself that it would before he took off his backpack from his right shoulder using his corresponding hand. He placed it on the wooden extension of the tree it was a part of and repeated this same action with his hoodie on his left. After which, he laid it over his blue pack and turned on both of his feet. He then, quickly walked in the same direction the menacing tiger he was about to fight was in. The closer he got, the greater his excitement became. Perhaps this would be a true challenge he can anticipate. He had been waiting to push himself to his limits for a while and become stronger. He actually hopes this beast would give him a amazing fight. It was seem his hopes might come true as the animal instantly noticed the boy approaching it. Seeing a human being caused it to growl in hostility and quickly stood up on all fours. Upon noticing this reaction, Malik halted his movement and shifted his body into his combative stance. The beast immediately charged forth at impressive speed. He steadied himself for the right moment the tiger would strike. When it was close enough to him, the animal jumped for the boy, starting the battle off with a pounce. Malik was quick to react to this tactic as he had seen it before. He crouched low to the ground, ducking under the tigers massive body. Before it could pass over him, he rose and unleashed a powerful upper kick with his right leg. The attack was able to hit the tiger in it's chest. With the power the boy put behind it, it was certainly hard to endure. Hard for an ordinary man, but an animal such as the one he was fighting can surprisingly put up with it.

The beast growl in pain and anger. The force of the blow was strong enough to propelled it off of him. It was set flying in front of the teen up to four feet. It landed on it's left side as it made contact with the dirt that rested below their feet, or in the tiger's case, paws. It slid to a stop when it hit the ground. After the attack he had performed, Malik place his right leg back onto the ground and stood firm, cautious to what will the beast try next. Interestingly, the animal quickly began to stand up after taking a directed hit from one of the boy's powerful kick. Now only was this creature more menacing, dangerous, and ferocious than the other tigers he had previously faced in his earlier battles, it was more durable and enduring to physical damage. This just made this confrontation more difficult, yet more exciting to fight. An opponent that can take a large amount of punishment before finally falling down was certainly an ideal foe for a warrior. This beast was in for a surprise to see how strong Malik was. The boy also will find out soon enough on what this tiger can really do when it was filled with pure rage. The said animal crouched on it's four legs. The young warrior reacted to this by preparing himself for what attack may come his way. With a mighty push, the animal propelled itself off the ground and towards the boy in front of it a good distance in the form of a charge. Before getting at a close enough range to the teen, the tiger began to swerve right and left as it ran. This was to put the boy off-guard. A ploy of distraction, then attack in the commotion. Clever beast, it certainly had Malik on the ropes now as the boy found it quite difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the creature. As such, this made it hard for him to attack at the moment until he had the current pattern at which the tiger was traveling in.