As the most front bear lunged towards them, Sabo summoned every ounce of strength he had left and leaped with difficulty, using his iron pipe as a makeshift weapon. With a resounding clang, he managed to deflect the bear's claw, narrowly avoiding a devastating blow.

Klaaang!

"Ugh... I can't hold on much longer, bro!" Sabo exclaimed frantically, his voice strained as he struggled to maintain his stance against the immense power of the towering bear. He could feel his energy waning, his grip on the iron pipe trembling. But despite his fatigue, he refused to give up. His primary focus was shielding Zerk, the older brother who had always been there for him. It touched Zerk's heart to see such bravery in someone so young, with a heart as pure and untainted as a translucent river.

Zerk felt a surge of shame and frustration coursing through him. He couldn't fight, couldn't protect those who meant the world to him. The realization only intensified his determination to find a way to help his little brother.

"Sabo! Be careful!" Zerk called out, his voice filled with worry and urgency.

"Hang on! We'll come down!" Luffy and Ace shouted in unison, their panic evident as they desperately tried to navigate their fatigued bodies down the treacherous path leading to the ravine.

Zerk's heart pounded in his chest as he surveyed the perilous situation. He and Sabo were trapped, surrounded by a pack of towering bears, their growls reverberating through the forest. Time seemed to be slipping away, and panic threatened to overtake Zerk's mind. The weight of his own helplessness pressed heavily upon him. He was the only one who could save them, yet he hesitated, momentarily overwhelmed by the selflessness and loyalty he had witnessed from his newfound family. Despite their exhaustion, they were willing to risk everything for him, a stranger who had mysteriously entered their lives.

"Sabo! Hold on! I'll find a way to help you!" Zerk shouted desperately, his voice echoing through the forest.

His voice trembled with determination and a fierce resolve to protect his loved ones.

Sabo, his face streaked with sweat and dirt, looked up at Zerk with a mixture of fear and determination. "Don't worry, bro Zerk. I can't hold them off much longer! Hurry!. Just get out of here and keep yourself safe!"

Zerk racked his brain, trying to come up with a plan. He knew that Luffy and Ace were also fatigued and struggling to make their way down to the ravine. Time was running out, and Sabo's life was in immediate danger.

His mind raced as he desperately searched for a solution. He knew time was running out, and he couldn't bear to see his brother in harm's way any longer. With renewed determination, he made his decision.

Gritting his teeth, Zerk propelled himself forward, throwing caution to the wind. He positioned himself by Sabo's side, covering his back where the blind spot was most likely located, shielding him from the impending attack. It was a moment of pure selflessness, a testament to the deep bond they had formed through their shared trials and adventures.

CLANG!!

"Ugh, sh*t!" he exclaimed as he was blasted the moment he tried to deflect the bear's claw. He couldn't handle the monstrous strength, his body crashing through a tree and causing it to snap halfway through the trunk.

Blood poured from his wounds, staining his clothes and the forest floor.

"Brother!" In his half-conscious state, he heard Sabo's distant screams. Even amidst his own predicament, Sabo's face reflected genuine concern for his well-being. It was a testament to Sabo's selflessness, always putting others before himself.

"Heh, really..." he muttered, his voice filled with a mix of disbelief and admiration. These kids, he thought, I'll protect them with my life if necessary. He felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and affection towards them. It was a feeling he had never experienced before. During his time on Earth, he had always been alone, an outcast who was viewed as weak and strange by others. He had no friends, except for the old man next door who showed him some kindness. But even that relationship was distant, and he had never received the kind of unconditional support and care that these young children were showing him now.

Examining his injuries, he couldn't help but wonder how on earth these seven-year-old kids possessed such immense strength. It was a mystery that both astounded and perplexed him.

"How the f*ck these 7 year old kid can manage to deflect such monstrous strength."

"So strong! so f*cking strong!"

"System, oh system, give me po-" His words were abruptly cut off as a loud notification from the system rang in his ears, almost deafening him internally.

His body jolted in surprise.

Triggering bonus rewards!

Congratulations!

For defending the people close to the original protagonist, the host receives a special box!

"Ehh, f*ck!" He cursed, taken aback by the sudden and piercing sound in his mind. It felt as if his ears were being assaulted by the amplified sound of a concert.

"Do you want to open the special box?"

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"Yes, whatever."

..

Congratulations!

..." His mind was too fatigued to hear the system's nonsense.

"How dare you, you sh*tty bear! Eat this!!" Sabo erupted in a frenzy at the sight of Zerk, who appeared defeated and badly injured. Ignoring his own exhaustion, he channeled all his anger towards the bear that had attacked his eldest brother.

"AAAARGH!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his face contorting into the visage of a madman who had lost a dear friend on the battlefield.

"Sabo, hang on! We're coming!" Ace frantically jumped into the ravine, his voice strained as he gasped for air.

"Brother Zerk!" Luffy and Ace, still making their way down the ravine, picked up their pace even more, their concern for both Zerk and Sabo overpowering the pain and injuries they had sustained.

Meanwhile, in that very moment, a surge of newfound strength coursed through Zerk's body. A strange power began to circulate within him, causing a transformation of sorts. His eyes gradually exchanged colors, with the white parts turning black and the black pupils turning white. It was as if his eyes had undergone a resurrection, resembling the eyes of someone brought back with the Edo Tensei.

His pupils and the white part of his eyes exchanged colors, revealing a distinct change in his appearance.

Gritting his teeth, Zerk pushed himself up from the ground, a renewed sense of energy and purpose coursing through his veins. His eyes widened in surprise as a holographic panel appeared before him, displaying information that caught his attention. With a smile on his face, he reached out and grabbed a random stone within his reach.

"Aghhh! Brooo!" Sabo's voice echoed in agony as he was overwhelmed by a swarm of bears, being tossed around with brutal force. His body bore the marks of numerous injuries, and he struggled to cling onto his fading life.

"SABOOOOOOO!" Luffy's voice reverberated with desperation and worry, tears threatening to stream down his face as he raced towards Sabo at full speed, fueled by determination and love for his brother.

"Sh*t!" Ace cursed under his breath, frustration evident in his voice as he poured every ounce of effort into reaching the scene in time. The feeling of helplessness gnawed at him.

Just as Sabo was about to be stomped by one of the bears, a sudden explosion of sound echoed through the air.

"BANGG!"

"ZREEKKK!"

"GROWLLL!"

Three of the bears that had been closing in on Sabo were abruptly blasted several meters backwards, crashing forcefully into boulders and trees that surrounded them.

Sabo, Luffy, and Ace were left in awe as they witnessed the sudden turn of events unfolding before them. They were taken aback, unsure of who had come to their rescue. To their surprise, they soon realized that the perpetrator behind these extraordinary occurrences was none other than their own brother, Zerk!

"Who are you?" they exclaimed in disbelief, their faces reflecting a mixture of confusion and astonishment.

Zerk, struck by their lack of recognition, could only remain speechless. How could they be so foolish not to recognize their own brother, the very person they had involved in this perilous situation?

Now armed with his newfound ability, Zerk unleashed a powerful blast towards the bears that encircled Sabo. The force was enough to send the bears flying, creating a temporary opening for Sabo to escape.

Sabo's eyes widened in astonishment as he watched Zerk effortlessly dispatch the bears. "Brother Zerk, is that you?"

"Luffy! Ace! We're okay! Bro Zerk has a new power!" Sabo shouted, relief evident in his voice.

Luffy and Ace looked up, their tired expressions transforming into ones of surprise and hope. Luffy's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Bro Zerk, ..."

"How...how did you do that?" the two little brother also ask curiously, their eyes wide as saucers.

Zerk smiled, a mix of excitement and relief coursing through him. "I don't know exactly, guys, but it seems the fruit I ate granted me this incredible power. A very nice power!" he exclaimed, his mysterious smile stretching from ear to ear.

Then a few bears came at Zerk with high speed, their menacing claws propped forward.

Groooooooooo

"Bro!" the three younger brothers screamed in concern, knowing full well how monstrous these bears were. Despite witnessing Zerk's feat, they were still worried about him.

Zerk hesitated for a moment on how to deal with the many bears coming at him all at once. Given his inexperience in fighting, he listened to his body's instinct to move and evade their strikes.

Woooosh!

Slash!

"Uh i don't have much time, my skill time limit is about to running out!" He only got one minute show after all, before his enhanced state revert back to normal.

"Take this! Stone Punch!" his body shot at high speed into one of the incoming bear strikes deflecting its huge claws, before punching incessantly at its belly when it stumbled around from the impact.

He then kicked to his back where a few bears also approaching with speedy movements, startled by sudden strike and movement speed that ever increasing from its prey made them lose momentum and hence blasted backward with so much force until few were crashed into many trees all the way back.

"A-Awesome Bro!"

Luffy and Ace was dumbfounded their mouth opened very wide as well as their eyes. They couldn't believe his weak brother became so strong after eating those previous strange fruit.

"He's powerful." ace couldn't help but utter word of affirmation, his bro was turned out to be a great fighter.

"So its true the fruit was akuma no mi!" Luffy exclaimed, he felt a bit dejected because it's seemed his bro's power was cooler than him.

"I can feel my power diminishing," Zerk exclaimed with a sense of urgency. "I have to finish this quickly!" His stone-hard muscles bulged as he charged towards the bears with reckless abandon. Sabo, Ace, and Luffy watched with bated breath as Zerk effortlessly took down several of the beasts.

But then, a massive bear emerged from the shadows, and it was angry. Zerk's skill was near running out, and he was struggling to keep up with the relentless attacks.

!!

Sabo, Ace, and Luffy grew more and more anxious as they watched the battle unfold. "Bro Zerk! Hang in there!" Sabo cried out.

Despite the odds, Zerk refused to give up. He dodged the boss's ferocious strikes and countered with his own powerful attacks. However, his skill time limit was about to expire, and he knew he had to end this now.

"Take this! Double Stone Punch!" Zerk shouted as he charged towards the boss. He deflected the bear's claws with great effort and began pummeling its belly with a series of quick punches. Then, he kicked the bear's belly, sending several of its minions flying into the trees.

Zerk could feel his power fading. He mustered up all his strength for one final attack. With a fierce battle cry, he charged towards the boss, his fist glowing with a bright light.

With lightning-fast movements, Zerk darted towards the remaining bears, which could only growl in response to the assault of the madman. Their claws were unable to fend off the heavy strikes from the small human, and they could only growl before finding themselves getting heavily stomped onto the ground. Their eyes turned all white after the crash.

BANG!

BOOM!

"Hah!" zerk slumped to the ground, while gasping for air around him. He was exhausted after taking down so many bears in just one minute!

Soon, his eyes turned back to normal and he felt extreme pain from all over his body. It was as if every cell in his body was injured. He grimaced in agony as his body dropped to the ground. His consciousness slowly faded until he finally blacked out.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Zerk (Level: 1)

Title: Devil Fruit Jikan Jikan no Mi User

Race: Human

Statistics:

- HP: 100

- CP: 50

- MP: 80

Skills:

Mimic :

- Description: When activates, temporarily allows the user to mimic the properties of object he directly touches.

- Must be a tangible and inanimate object.

- Usage Time: 1 minute

- Cooldown: 1 hour