Chapitre 2: Beacon Hills
[ Since now the story will takes place at the 3rd view]
Landon looked in the mirror and was surprised by what he saw, different from what he remembered. A young adolescent at the end of his growth spurt, with black curly hair, green-gray eyes, a strong jaw, and a fairly handsome face. An ornate silver necklace hung around his neck, featuring a symbol of three intertwined cones forming a pyramid—one from right to left, another from left to right, and the last from bottom to top. It was the only keepsake from the mother of this body.
What differed from his memories were the additional 8 or 9 centimeters that pushed him to a height of 1.80 meters, along with a muscular, well-defined body, visible even through his clothes.
'That must be because of my new powers...'
After examining himself in the mirror, Landon left the café where he had only entered to see his appearance with his own eyes. He began to stroll through the town, observing the places and people, the young ones busy with their activities, and people leaving work for lunch.
Landon noticed it was a small town, the kind with a sheriff where the residents knew each other well.
'It seems like a peaceful town...' he thought.
He reached the shopping center and saw that the place was bustling, but Landon didn't want to stay long and continued on his way. He searched for a hotel, found several not far from the shopping center, and chose a charming little hotel.
"I can be safe and in peace here, long enough to understand my situation..." he thought as he entered the establishment.
The reception was managed by a polite and helpful man who was in his forties, and who oddly resembled Batman's butler. He rented a room for a week with the money he had in his wallet, the only object he owned besides his necklace. There were his identity documents with a few hundred dollars in it, around 450, half of which went into the hotel stay, with breakfast and dinner included.
'Quite a good deal...'
"Would you like us to carry your belongings, Mr. Kirby?" the receptionist asked.
"No, thank you." Landon smiled and took the elevator to his room, 403, on the fourth floor.
'I just realized I have no belongings other than the clothes I'm wearing,' he thought with some embarrassment. Less than a minute later, he arrived at his door, unlocked it with the key, and discovered his room: a bed, a desk in the corner, a bathroom with a toilet, simple and without much decoration.
After a quick tour of the room, he left the hotel, heading back to the shopping center. Landon arrived there after a ten-minute walk and started looking for a clothing store. He felt eyes on him; his Haki sensed only curiosity and interest, so he ignored it and kept searching. He found a few stores but ignored them.
'They seem too expensive for me right now.'
Eventually, he found a store with good deals tucked away from the main area. He browsed through the store, picking up shirts, jeans, and several loose sweatshirts. He spent 113 dollars and left the store with bags in hand.
He also looked for a supermarket to buy daily necessities, finding one quickly. He purchased a toothbrush and all the essentials. he left the place with twelve less dollars, he only have just 100 $ left. Landon left the shopping center as soon as he finished his purchases, not liking the busy environment of such places.
Although he had only been there for an hour, staying quiet and discreet, he was stopped several times by people wanting to chat, flirt, and more, mainly by girls, but also by a guy who had the same look as someone ready to indulge in his greatest pleasures after a strict diet.
Shaking his head with a amused smile, he returned to the hotel, put away his few belongings, sat on his bed for a moment, and began planning, looking for ideas to earn money easily and legally.
'Hmmm... Maybe I should roam the town wearing a mask, dispensing justice and robbing criminals.'
But this thought immediately seemed like a terrible idea as soon as it appeared.
'It would have been fun to play Batman, though...'
Pushing that idea aside, a new one came to him:
'I realized while I was in the forest that the woods are full of life. With my new senses and powers, I could easily hunt and sell the meat.'
This could also help him master his physical abilities and maybe even improve his Haki.
'First, I need a pickup truck to transport the hunting spoils' He could also carry hundreds of kilos of animal carcasses on his shoulders, but that wouldn't be a very discreet approach.
"Looks like my last savings will go into renting a pickup. Good thing life isn't too expensive here," he murmured to himself.
After gathering some information, Landon realized that Beacon Hills is a small, remote town in the United States and the date is currently October 15th, 2013. He didn't waste time and went to the reception to ask Alfred's lookalike if he knew of a place to rent vehicles, particularly pickup trucks.
"There's Sturgis And Son, which offers vehicle sales and rentals. It's a few streets past the sheriff's office, you just have to..." The receptionist gave him directions. Landon also asked about butchers who might buy game meat and got a few names of butcher shops.
"Thanks, Alfred." Landon didn't waste any time and immediately left, leaving the receptionist here, staring after him strangely.
Following the directions, he reached the shop after a 30-minute walk. He entered the establishment and rented a black pickup, spacious and cheap, in average condition. He rented it for two days at the price of 87 dollars, plus 10 dollars for a full tank of gas.
'Thank God I have a driver's license.' It would have been a long and unfun process to retake driving lessons and go through everything again, not to mention expensive.
Landon got into the pickup and drove off, following Alfred's directions. He visited several butcher shops, asked questions, and offered his services. Angus Butchery offered the best purchase price.
"Listen, son, if you really manage to hunt a hare or a rabbit, make sure it's in good condition, or the price will drop. Depending on the size, the price may vary, but it'll be around 15-30 dollars." Angus, the shop owner, didn't seem too confident.
"I see, I'll be back before 6 p.m." Landon said as he left.
Looking at the cheap watch I had bought at the supermarket, I saw that it was just before 2 p.m.
'Okay, I have 4 hours left.'
Landon wasted no time and took the pickup back to the woods. He arrived 15 minutes later, parked the truck in a spot, and got out.
'Alright, let's start by going deeper into the forest.'
After a few minutes of walking deeper into the woods, the curly-haired young man stopped. Landon closed his eyes to concentrate, opening his senses and his Haki.
Though his eyes were closed, he perceived his surroundings better than ever. He sensed the insects buzzing in the air and those on the ground or at the top of trees, the leaves falling, and the creatures around him.
'My senses can detect smells and sounds from over forty meters away, but my Haki can only perceive clearly within a 15-meter radius. Beyond that, it becomes increasingly blurry until 23 meters, where my Haki reaches its limit.'
Landon began to walk, still with his eyes closed. It posed no problem for him.
'I can feel the direction of the wind, the trees blocking my path, and I can even sense the spots where I can step without difficulty. Observation Haki is really impressive...'
As he walked, Landon sensed the presence of creatures perched in the trees or flying in the air, immediately recognizing them as birds. He wasn't interested and continued on his way until he detected a four-legged creature he identified as a hare, located about 16 meters away from him.
The moment Landon sensed the hare, it detected him as well, instinctively perceiving him as a threat. used to being prey, the hare didn't hesitate for a second before fleeing.
Landon smiled and opened his eyes. He watched the hare sprinting away at full speed, but he wasn't concerned. He bent his knees for a moment and then propelled himself forward with a powerful push from both legs.
In one swift movement, he covered about ten meters at an astonishing speed, and with a second step, he easily caught up with the hare, grabbing it by the neck with his right hand.
The poor creature was utterly terrified, and Landon couldn't help but laugh at the confusion in the hare's eyes as it faced this unexpected situation.
"Sorry, buddy, nothing personal," he murmured before twisting his neck, making this hare the first creature he had ever killed. He felt no discomfort, and he knew he wouldn't feel bad even if it were a human, unless it was an innocent person.
He had inherited Marco the Phoenix, including his memories: the moments spent with his crew, whom he considered family, the numerous battles he had experienced, and his combat skills. Landon had also inherited, albeit slightly, his cheerful and easy-going nature, which, combined with his own solitary nature, created a strange combination.
In Marco's memories, there were many occasions where blood had been shed and lives taken.
'Alright, let's keep going.' He resumed his walk, holding the hare's carcass in his left hand.
'I should have brought a rope...' he thought. He closed his eyes to concentrate. He could have activated his Observation Haki with his eyes open, but it would have been less effective, he was still an amateur in this field, closing his eyes allowed him to focus completely, and his other senses was hurying for compensate the loss of the most important human sense.
He continued like this for a few minutes, detecting birds in the sky and a few squirrels, which he ignored, until he came across another hare. Just like before, the moment Landon noticed its presence, the hare did the same, and, just like the first one, it fled without wasting any time.
Landon hesitated for a moment to chase it, but he realized it would be suspicious if all the carcasses he brought back had twisted necks.
'Hmmm, I could say I caught them with traps...' he thought, placing a hand on his chin.
He snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed that the hare was now about fifty meters away. He could have caught up with it without too much difficulty, but he opted for another solution.
He picked up a small stone from the ground, then fully focused on his prey, now sixty meters away. His vision sharpened like that of a hawk, his eyes glowed with an orange hue, and flames appeared in his pupils.
[Photo of his eye here or in the comment]
He bent his arm and released it at the speed of a cannon, launching the stone that sliced through the air with a whistle. Landon watched as the hare's head was pierced by the stone just a second after he threw it.
'Hehe, I'm starting to enjoy this new life.' he said with a smile. He continued his hunt and, after a good hour, he had caught three rabbits and four hares, tied around his waist with sturdy vines he had found.
"I'll stop here for now and start my training," he murmured to himself.
Even though he possessed Marco's memories and experience, he still wanted to train a bit and deepen his mastery. It wasn't Marco's body that he had received, but that of a perfect stranger, which could create an imbalance between his past experiences and this new body that demanded a new mastery.
Landon was also eager to try out his Devil Fruit, especially in its hybrid and full forms, and he was excited to soar through the sky.
But at that very moment, he sensed significant commotion and even thought he heard a howl a few hundred meters away, accompanied by the smell of blood.
'For me to sense that from so far away, the disturbance must be serious.' He didn't waste any time and headed in that direction, running at a moderate speed to avoid taking too many risks.
As he approached the location while running, his haki suddenly prevent him from a danger at the spot where he was about to step. He jumped into the air and stopped a few moments later.
"Don't tell me it's what I think it is..." he murmured, incredulous. There, on the ground, was a bear trap.
'What kind of fool sets a bear trap in woods frequented by humans?' he wondered, shaking his head. He had seen several cars parked not far from there, and while walking through the forest, he occasionally crossed paths and smelled the scent of human sweat still in the air, likely left by a recent jogger.
"Pfff..." he sighed, annoyed by this recklessness. He picked up a wooden stick and triggered the trap.
"Fwoosh... Clink!" The sharp blades snapped shut with a terrifying sound.
Landon approached the trap, knelt down, and focused, closing his eyes. Both of his hands transformed into light blue bird talons claws, the same color as his flames. He covered his eagle talons with blue fire and placed his hands on the trap.
He felt the steel begin to heat up under the effect of his fiery heat. He flexed his muscles and pulled with all his might, effortlessly splitting the now unusable trap, and propelling each part of the trap a dozen meters.
He looked the two smoking and slightly melted halves of the trap and continued running, but less than a minute later he stopped again, having detected another trap in the area covered by his Haki.
"No, this has got to be a joke..." he murmured.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone