A younger Ryo stood in the forest on Dawn Island, staring down a large boulder as the early morning light filtered through the trees.
The air was calm.
Quiet.
His fox ear twitched slightly.
He could feel it.
Someone was watching him.
But he ignored it.
Instead, he took a slow, steady breath, centering himself.
Then—
He moved.
Using Moon Walk, he kicked off the air itself and launched upward, bursting through the thick canopy of leaves and into the open sky.
For a moment, he just hovered there.
Soaring.
Looking out across the endless ocean stretching beyond the island, the horizon glowing faintly under the rising sun.
Ryo (thinking, eyes fixed on the horizon): Soon..tomorrow I'll go out to sea, Then I'll become even stronger
Electricity began to crackle around his body.
It wasn't nearly as powerful as it would one day become—
But it was real.
Raw.
Alive.
He flipped mid-air, his body turning sharply as he angled himself downward.
Then he shot toward the ground like a bullet, using Moon Walk again—kicking off the air itself as if it were solid footing to accelerate even faster.
Ryo (focused, power building in his arm): Thunderous!!
Lightning surged into his fist, gathering tightly as it sparked and snapped around him.
Ryo (eyes sharp, bringing his arm down): Guillotine!!!
He slammed his fist into the boulder.
The impact was instant.
The stone shattered completely on contact, exploding into fragments that scattered across the forest floor.
Ryo landed lightly, barely making a sound.
His long red hair flowed behind him as he straightened, his tail swaying lazily.
A wide grin spread across his face.
Ryo (grinning, satisfied): Yeah..now that's what I'm talking about, that's power
Unbeknownst to him—
Kuma was watching.
Silent.
Observing.
Ryo turned and walked through the forest, heading toward another clearing.
There, Luffy was training.
He had only just turned sixteen.
And at that exact moment—
Luffy slammed his foot down from the air.
The ground shook as the boulder beneath him shattered from his Gum Gum Battle Axe.
Ryo watched for a second, then smirked.
Ryo (crossing his arms slightly, amused): So you finally perfected that move huh? That's some serious raw power
Luffy turned, grinning as usual, laughing proudly.
But Ryo's smirk deepened.
Ryo (tilting his head slightly): although nothing compared to what I can do..
