Within the pitch-black jungle, Wilder's figure moved with nimble agility. His feet alternately kicked off the air itself or pushed against tree branches, allowing him to flit rapidly through the shadows like a phantom.
Thump! Thump! Thump! The heavy, powerful sound of air bursts echoed repeatedly through the silent, dark jungle as he propelled himself forward.
Wilder's greatcoat billowed behind him with each leap. His face remained expressionless, a cigar clenched between his teeth as he stared intently ahead, towards the direction where the ship was docked. A fierce light glinted in his eyes within the darkness.
He didn't know for certain if anything was happening back at the shore, but a powerful intuition urged him onward.
Perhaps it was his Observation Haki acting up, or maybe it was some change within his own unusually perceptive soul. Or perhaps… it was the legendary sixth sense. Hmm… though the sixth sense might just be another name for Observation Haki.
"Regardless… I can't afford to linger on this island. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."
While Wilder's current strength didn't place him among the absolute strongest individuals in the world, he represented a formidable power that the world could not ignore. Naturally… while he felt a degree of caution towards a strange, unknown island, he wasn't overly concerned.
He felt this way because the world was never lacking in bizarre and inexplicable occurrences. His lack of deep concern stemmed from confidence in his own abilities – he possessed the strength to afford such confidence. Others, however, might not be so fortunate.
Even powerful crews like the Straw Hats had suffered greatly at the hands of weaker opponents wielding strange and tricky abilities.
And the Four Blues, vastly larger than the Grand Line could ever be imagined – how could anyone possibly fathom all the unknown and bizarre mysteries hidden within them?
This wasn't to say the Four Blues were stranger than the Grand Line – the Grand Line's environment, with its wildly unpredictable weather compared to the Four Blues, certainly held its own unique perils. But, at the very least, the Four Blues were definitely not as simple as depicted in the stories often told.
How could a single page, a single chapter, ever hope to encompass the entirety of the vast sea?!
Dancing upon the waves! The most terrifying thing has never been the enemies encountered at sea! It has always been the sea itself!
This fact was best understood by those supreme powerhouses who had weathered countless great storms and battles on the open water!
Regardless, staying longer offered Wilder no benefit. Leaving sooner rather than later would minimize unnecessary trouble.
But sometimes, things simply refuse to unfold according to one's will.
Wilder, still moving at speed, suddenly came to an abrupt halt. He dropped from the air, landing steadily on the muddy ground below.
The forest floor was covered in a thick layer of decaying leaves and rotten branches, slick and treacherous underfoot. A soft squishing sound accompanied each step.
Wilder's expression was calm. The ember at the tip of the cigar clenched in his mouth glowed faintly, a solitary point of light, crimson as blood, in the oppressive darkness.
The corners of his mouth, slightly parted around the cigar, turned downwards. The muscles between his brows furrowed into an impatient knot. His eyes, gleaming with a dangerous light, narrowed to slits. He twisted his neck, the crack echoing slightly, as he scanned his surroundings.
The jungle was silent, dark, the dense tree shadows casting eerie, unsettling shapes. Even the air seemed to have grown heavy and stifling.
Thump…! Thump…! Thump…!
The ground began to tremble, rhythmically, insistently. Heavy, muffled sounds echoed from deeper within the jungle. Leaves rustled and detached from branches, adding a soft shushing undertone to the ominous thumping.
Huge, dark shapes materialized amidst the trees on all sides, moving steadily towards Wilder's position. The heavy thuds were the sounds of these massive creatures advancing.
Wilder's gaze shifted slightly as he glanced sideways at the colossal silhouettes looming just beyond the immediate treeline.
Approximately twenty enormous shadows had formed a loose circle around him within the jungle, implicitly trapping him. The distance wasn't exceptionally close, perhaps fifty meters or so, but their sheer size made them feel oppressively near.
Foliage obscured the finer details of these giant figures, making it impossible to discern their exact forms. However, it was faintly discernible that these shadows lacked limbs. Their method of locomotion was also bizarre – not quite walking, nor jumping, but seemingly writhing or squirming forward. Yet, the sound produced by this movement was as heavy and resonant as the footfall of giants.
Rrrroar! Low, hoarse roars echoed intermittently through the trees. The eerie atmosphere thickened as the twenty-odd shadows drew closer. Simultaneously, wisps of black mist or energy began to permeate the air around them.
"So these are the monsters Barrett mentioned?"
The cigar between Wilder's teeth had burned down almost to the end. The furrow in his brow deepened.
BANG!
In the blink of an eye, the twenty giant monsters were upon him, having closed the distance rapidly, completely surrounding him! Their massive forms radiated waves of chilling black energy, and a palpable aura of malice filled the air. Cold, merciless gazes – somehow projected despite their lack of discernible eyes – looked down upon Wilder as if he were nothing more than an insignificant ant.
Wilder tilted his head back, his calm gaze sweeping over the monsters before him.
They stood ten meters tall, their bodies the color of pitch-black night. They possessed no discernible facial features – no eyes, no nose – only vast, gaping mouths. These maws were slightly open, revealing not teeth, but abyssal darkness within. Strands of black, viscous slime stretched across the openings like grotesque, glistening fangs.
Despite having no visible eyes, the monsters projected an almost tangible gaze, fixed intently upon Wilder below.
Their overall shape was difficult to define; it could be said they lacked any regular form at all. The lack of limbs was one aspect, but perhaps it was more accurate to describe them as towering blobs or upright piles of viscous matter, vaguely humanoid only in their verticality.
Wilder couldn't fathom how they had appeared so suddenly; creatures ten meters tall couldn't possibly hide effectively. The only explanation seemed to be Barrett's story – that these monsters were a curse, born of the night. That certainly fit the current scene.
It also fit the taboo: don't go outside after dark. Clearly, the reason was that these monsters would teach anyone who ventured out a permanent, fatal lesson.
"Is this why the town is so sparsely populated?"
Wilder spat out the butt of his cigar. He frowned in thought, then his legs exploded with power, launching him away from his spot!
Silently, a massive hand composed of black slime slammed down onto the ground where Wilder had stood just a moment before. The earth instantly blackened and charred under the impact.
Wilder reappeared in the air directly above the monster that had just attacked. A torrent of swamp erupted from his arm, coalescing into a gigantic swampy fist. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he raised the massive appendage and brought it crashing down with tremendous force!
BOOM!
Utterly unable to resist, the monster was instantly flattened. Its huge body slammed onto the ground, and the heavy swamp arm continued to press down, forcing it several centimeters into the soil. It writhed and struggled feebly, trying to break free, but only succeeded in embedding itself slightly deeper.
Hiss…!
The swamp covering the monster began to sizzle audibly, gradually turning black and charred where it made contact.
"Strange through and through."
Wilder observed this, his eyes narrowed, flickering with calculation.
In that instant, as the other monsters prepared to launch their own attacks, the hard-won experience from the Summit War kicked in, allowing Wilder to formulate his response!