Elder Hagan, a grizzled man with a long beard, leaned forward on his cane. "Turn it up, lad," he muttered to the young boy at the front. The child obeyed, twisting the knob.

 

Just as the broadcast began, the screen flickered, static crackling. Gasps filled the air as the picture distorted. Then, as if emerging from the darkness itself, a tall, thin figure stepped into view. His top hat cast a long shadow, his long coat swayed slightly, and his voice—smooth yet filled with an eerie playfulness—echoed through the village.

 

"Hello, hello there, viewers~"

 

The villagers exchanged wary glances. Some clutched their necklaces of prayer, others instinctively reached for their weapons.

 

"I have hacked everyone's TVs. And I mean... everyone's."

 

A shiver ran down the spines of the listeners. Even in their secluded village, they felt the weight of his words.

 

"And you're probably wondering—who am I?"

 

The man chuckled, twirling his cane lazily before resting it on his shoulder. His presence felt both regal and dangerous, like a king who had long grown bored of his throne.

 

"I am the strongest man alive."

 

A hushed silence followed. The baker dropped a loaf of bread. The village guards stood frozen, hands gripping their spears. Even the cattle in the distance seemed to quiet down.

 

"And I want to be beaten."

 

Murmurs broke out. The blacksmith's son, a fiery young man, clenched his fists. A cloaked traveler, sitting at the back of the crowd, tilted his head in interest. Even Elder Hagan's eyes glimmered with something between suspicion and curiosity.

 

"It's been, what, a month since the Supreme Council officially recognized me as the strongest? And let me tell you—it's been so boring."

 

The villagers whispered amongst themselves. Some laughed nervously, while others frowned, their warrior spirits stirred by his words.

 

"Now, I won't reveal myself, and I won't say where I am. But here's all you need to know—"

 

He leaned in closer to the screen, as if speaking directly into their souls.

 

"Whoever defeats me, kills me, or makes me surrender... will be rewarded handsomely. One trillion gold. The strongest sky ship. Mythical weapons beyond your imagination. Magic scrolls containing spells lost to time. And, best of all... the power to create your own domain."

 

A stunned silence filled the village.

 

Then—an uproar.

 

"Is this a trick?!" a merchant shouted.

 

"He must be mad!" cried a mother holding her child.

 

But among the chaos, a few stood still. The ambitious. The fearless. The ones who saw this not as madness, but as an opportunity.

 

"Invitations have been sent across all worlds. If you accept, know this—you will be hunted by the Supreme Council. But that's fine, isn't it?"

 

The man in the top hat chuckled again, the sound lingering like a whisper on the wind.

 

"Anyway, I must go. I wish you all luck."

 

With a final tip of his hat, the screen went black.

 

For a moment, the village stood in silence. Then—

 

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

 

Laughter erupted from the tavern as a burly warrior slammed his fist onto the table. "A trillion gold?! A sky ship?! I'm joining, no question!"

 

"This could be our chance," a robed sorcerer murmured, his mind already racing through possibilities.

 

The village was alive with excitement and fear. Some trembled at the thought of such a challenge, while others felt something awaken within them—a hunger, a thrill, the call of adventure.

 

As the night stretched on, one thing became clear: the world would never be the same again.

 

The glow of the television flickered in the small wooden home, casting a warm light over the cozy interior. Plates of half-eaten food sat on the table, and a single candle burned low. Sitting on the floor, wide-eyed and ears perked up, was Eleo, an 8-year-old bunny kid with an energy level that could shatter mountains. Beside him, lounging back in a creaky rocking chair, was his human grandpa, Gou, an old warrior-turned-fisherman with a face like a weathered mountain and a personality as gruff as a shipwrecked sailor.

 

The TV suddenly cut to black after the mysterious man's challenge, leaving the room in silence. Eleo's nose twitched. Then, without missing a beat—

 

"GRANDPA GOU!! I WANNA BE THE STRONGEST!!"

 

Gou rubbed his temples, already regretting his decision to visit. "Boy, did you not listen to a single word that man just said?"

 

Eleo grinned, his buck teeth shining. "Yeah, I listened! He said if you beat him, you become the strongest!"

 

Gou facepalmed so hard that his chair nearly tipped over. "Not just that, ya goofy little furball! You'll be hunted by the Supreme Council! You know what that means?!"

 

Eleo tilted his head, blinking. "Uh… they wanna shake my hand?"

 

Gou's eye twitched. "No, boy, they wanna KILL you!"

 

Eleo stood up on the couch, puffing out his tiny chest. "PFFT! I don't care! I'll kick their ass!"

 

WHAM!

 

Before Eleo could blink, Gou's fist crashed into his face, sending him flying back into the couch with a loud "OOMPH!" He sat there, dazed, legs sticking up in the air like a knocked-over toy.

 

Eleo rubbed his cheek. "Hey!! What was that for?!"

 

Gou crossed his arms. "Well, Eleo, my boy, you said a very, very bad word."

 

Eleo sat up, shaking his head dramatically. "Wait—ass?"

 

WHAM!

 

Eleo hopped into the air and double-kicked Gou right in the face, sending the old man skidding back, his chair flipping over. Gou sat up, nose bleeding, and wiped the blood with his thumb, smirking.

 

"Heh… you made me bleed." His grin widened. "I'm proud of ya, boy."

 

Eleo beamed like an idiot. "YEAH! I AIN'T WEAK! I BEEN TRAINING WITH MASTER KUMA!"

 

Gou cracked his neck, standing up. "I can tell. You hit like a malnourished squirrel, but hey, it's somethin'."

 

Eleo's ears twitched. "Wait… what's a squirrel?"

 

Gou stared at him for a long, long moment. Then, sighing like a man who had just given up on life, he patted Eleo's head. "Boy, ya ain't got a single brain cell workin', huh?"

 

Eleo gasped, ears perking up. "WAIT! I GOT A BRAIN?!"

 

Gou just closed his eyes and took a deep breath, muttering a prayer for patience.

 

Anyway, brushing off the madness, he stretched his arms. "Alright, I need to hit the sack. I'll be leavin' Pork Island tomorrow."

 

Eleo's ears drooped. "Already?! But ya just got here!"

 

Gou shrugged. "I know, I know. But hey, at least you got your lil' friend Abby to keep ya company."

 

Eleo pouted dramatically. "Ughhh, but Abby's no fun! She always tells me not to punch stuff, and that's, like, my favorite thing to do!"

 

Gou chuckled. "Good. Maybe she'll knock some sense into that thick skull o' yours." He patted Eleo on the back and started walking toward his room. "Alright, go to bed—"

 

WHAM!

 

He punched Eleo in the face again, sending him flying straight into his pillow.

 

Eleo groaned. "Whyyy…?"

 

Gou grinned. "Told ya to get some sleep, didn't I?"

 

Eleo, half-buried in his blanket, gave a thumbs-up. "Night, Grandpa Gou… when I wake up, I'm gonna be the strongest."

 

Gou chuckled, walking away. "Yeah, yeah, kid. Just don't forget to wake up first."

 

The sun had barely risen over Pork Island, casting a warm glow through the wooden windows of Gou's home. The salty sea breeze swept in, rustling the curtains. But inside, the peaceful morning was about to be utterly destroyed by an energetic little bunny kid.

 

BAM!

 

Eleo kicked open the door to Gou's room, his fluffy tail wagging wildly.

 

"GOU! GOU! GOU!! WAKE UP, OLD MAN!! I ALREADY WOKE UP FIRST!!"

 

The only response was the loudest snore imaginable—like a walrus choking on a bagpipe. Gou was sprawled out, arms behind his head, snoring so deeply he might as well have been in another dimension.

 

Eleo squinted. "Okay… you asked for it."

 

He hopped onto the bed, crouched like a tiger about to pounce, and—

 

"GRANDPA WAKE-UP ATTACK!!!"

 

THUMP!

 

Eleo flopped down onto Gou's stomach like a sack of bricks.

 

"BLAGHH!!" Gou gagged, eyes snapping open as he nearly choked on his own spit. "KID, WHAT THE HELL?!"

 

Eleo, still lying on top of him, grinned innocently. "Well, I didn't want you sleeping all day. Also, I called your name a bunch of times and you wouldn't wake up, so… yeah."

 

Gou sighed, rubbing his face. "Good grief, boy. If you weren't my grandson, I'd have punted you into the ocean."

 

The Morning Routine – A Warrior's Start

 

After prying Eleo off, the two got up and went about their usual morning routine:

 

Brushed their teeth (Gou had to stop Eleo from eating the toothpaste—again).

 

Ate breakfast (Eleo devoured an entire stack of pancakes in two bites).

 

Did push-ups (Gou did them casually while Eleo did them dramatically, yelling, "ONE TRILLION!" after every single rep).

 

Punched each other for fun (Gou smacked Eleo across the yard, Eleo kicked him in the shin).

 

 

After all that, Gou grabbed his travel bag and stretched. "Welp, I'm off."

 

Eleo pouted. "Man… I'm gonna miss you."

 

Gou smirked and messed up Eleo's hair. "I'll miss you too, kid. And hey—keep that dumb little smile of yours, alright?"

 

Eleo grinned wide. "OKAY!!"

 

Gou glanced at his watch. His eyes widened. "Oh hell, I'm gonna be late—"

 

WHOOSH!

 

Without another word, he sprinted off like a madman. "BYE, ELEO!!"

 

Eleo waved, sighing as he watched the old man disappear. Then his brain caught up.

 

"OH, WAIT! I GOTTA SEE MASTER KUMA!!"

 

And just like that—he blasted off.

 

 

 

Eleo raced through the forest, weaving between trees, leaping over logs, accidentally knocking over a guy on a donkey, and finally bursting into the rowdiest bar in town—The Iron Fang.

 

The place was alive with laughter, the clinking of mugs, and the occasional bar fight in the background. At the counter, a fox woman with sleek orange fur—Lucy—was busy serving drinks with the speed of a seasoned warrior.

 

At the biggest table sat a massive, muscular bear in a kung fu gi—Master Kuma. He was laughing heartily, a large mug of beer in his paw. Beside him sat Abby, Lucy's daughter and Eleo's best friend, sipping some juice.

 

Eleo ran right up to Kuma, jumping onto the table dramatically.

 

"MASTER KUMA! DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS?!"

 

Kuma took a sip of his drink, unfazed. "Yep."

 

Eleo grinned. "THEN YOU KNOW I'M GONNA BE THE STRONGEST!"

 

Kuma calmly set his mug down. "Boy, you ain't ready."

 

Abby nodded. "Yeah, Eleo! You gotta be extremely strong! Right, Master Kuma?"

 

Kuma chuckled. "That's right."

 

Eleo puffed out his chest. "I am strong! Stronger than you! All you do is sing."

 

The entire bar went dead silent.

 

Kuma froze mid-drink. A single drop of beer fell from his mug.

 

Abby's eye twitched.

 

SNATCH!

 

Before Eleo could react, Abby grabbed him by the ear and started twisting.

 

"YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN, PUNK?!"

 

Eleo flailed. "OW! OW! OW!! ABBY, STOP!!"

 

Kuma calmly took another sip. "Abby, no hurting Eleo."

 

Abby kept twisting. "I'M NOT HURTING HIM! I'M DISCIPLINING HIM!"

 

Kuma chuckled. "Mhm."

 

Eleo, dangling by his ear, flailed helplessly. "AAAAH!! KUMA, HELP ME!!"

 

Kuma smirked. "Nah. You brought this on yourself, boy."

 

The bar erupted in laughter.