Suddenly, the beast vanished from Luffy's sight the moment his feet touched the ground. He looked around desperately, searching for his opponent. How could it move so fast with so many cuts on its legs? He could see the blood tangled inside its paws! A shadow enveloped Luffy's figure, and he looked up just in time for it to fully expand before a massive limb crashed down on him. He raised his hands above his head to avoid being crushed, but it was no use.
A paw slammed into his body, and the ground shattered beneath his feet. His power-up was the only thing keeping him alive. Luffy didn't know how long he could withstand the pressure, and he wasn't keen to find out. The teenager pushed himself against the weight of the building-sized beast with a yell of effort, using his entire body to shove the appendage aside. With agonizing slowness, the wolf's paw began to rise, even as the beast braced itself against it, trying to crush its prey.
Luffy's bones creaked under the strain of supporting the wolf's full weight. He needed to get out of this situation, and fast; his power-up was going to run out soon. He focused all the remaining strength in his legs and pushed off with force.
Most people would have doubled over trying to push against that weight, but it was Luffy, and even at sixteen... he was a monster in human skin. The wolf's leg lifted just enough, and with his body nearly collapsing, the boy rolled free. His improvement faded as he used what little energy he had left to escape from beneath his enormous opponent and reach something resembling safety. He just needed a quick breather; nearly dying truly drained him. However, the wolf wouldn't be in any hurry to let his opponent go this time.
The teenager looked up just in time to avoid being crushed by another paw, instinctively dodging and continuing to run at full speed. Slowing down meant being crushed, and he really wanted to avoid that. He needed to end the fight soon; that stomp, so to speak, had come terrifyingly close to crushing him, and he was feeling the effects. He probably had a good amount of toughness left before his Haki wore off. Boosting that strength throughout his body had drained a ton of his stamina. The terrifying thing was that not a single one of the blows Luffy had thrown so far had managed to pierce the wolf's fur, with the exception of those aimed at the wound on its paw. That meant he would have to find a way to overcome it somehow.
Luffy darted to the left and rolled as the wolf's jaws closed in to devour him. He didn't have time to think right now; he'd have to follow his instincts. He quickly got to his feet and stopped dead in his tracks, narrowly avoiding being crushed by another paw digging into the ground. The boy raised his fist and clenched his knuckles. He'd have to hold on until he couldn't anymore; he was going to win this fight! He was going to get that treasure!
Black knuckles shot forward and slammed into the leg that had tried to crush him with such force that it sent the beast flying to the side. Spinning on his foot, Luffy threw a punch at the front leg that was still on the ground. He was going to need a good punch. "GUN!" he yelled, swinging his arm forward.
The largest air bullet he had ever produced materialized and slammed into the wolf's other leg, knocking it to the opposite side and causing its entire forehead to crash to the ground. Seeing the opening he had created, Luffy dodged, ran right under the beast's jaw, and leaped out of the ground. His hardened knuckles slammed into the fur again, sending the wolf's massive head flying upward as the rest of its body plummeted down. He landed and dashed out from under his opponent, not even checking to see if he had stayed down before launching himself into the air once more.
The moment had arrived, he sensed it. He had one last powerful attack left, and that was it. If it didn't work... Oh well... He'd find a solution. He was getting the treasure he'd been searching for! It would be the perfect ending to a great adventure! He was having a wonderful time! Fighting the enormous animal brought back a flood of fond memories of his home and his brothers. Especially of Sabo, who had always been very good at fighting the biggest beasts in the mountains.
At its peak, Luffy seemed to float in the air, his silhouette perfectly framed by the full moon. From a distance, his features weren't visible, only his figure, creating the image of an ethereal man in a straw hat laughing in the moonlight.
Two pairs of eyes, in different parts of the surrounding forest, opened in disbelief at the sight before them.
The boy in the straw hat turned, his gaze fixed on his target. Suddenly, the situation before him, combined with the memory of his brothers, stirred a long-forgotten memory of Sabo from the depths of his mind.
"Luffy! Come here! I want to show you something!" Sabo shouted, entering the clearing from the row of trees.
Luffy turned away from the meat he was eating and looked curiously at his brother. "I'm eating right now! You can show me later!" the boy replied. Whatever it was, he'd see it later. He was eating, and nothing was going to stop him.
Suddenly, the piece of meat was snatched away and left out of his reach. "Hey!" Luffy shouted, "What the heck, Sabo! It's mine! Give it back!" The boy jumped onto his brother's back and grabbed the stolen piece of meat.
"No, not until you see what I want to show you! Come on, you're going to like it! It's great! Besides, it'll make you really strong!" said Sabo, laughing as he dodged the punches from his younger brother's short arms.