After a while, Wilder sat on deck grilling fish. The aroma was tantalizing, though a slight drawback was the lingering fishy taste despite the de-odorizing spices he'd used. It wasn't a major issue; someone with a less sensitive palate wouldn't even notice.
"What a waste," Wilder remarked, watching the churning seawater as schools of fish voraciously tore at the massive fish carcass.
Gentle waves nudged the small boat onward.
Having consumed most of the fish, Wilder felt full. He lit a cigar, taking slow puffs.
His destination this time was an uninhabited island teeming with fierce beasts. A species of giant red bird lived there, and that was Wilder's target.
With no companions, the journey passed uneventfully.
Three days later, a lush island, densely covered with enormous trees, appeared in Wilder's line of sight.
"This should be the place." Wilder glanced down at the information Claire had given him, comparing it to the island's shape and appearance on the map, muttering to himself.
Wilder wasn't directionally challenged, but he certainly wasn't a master navigator either. He was in the category of being able to read a map but not being one hundred percent confident in its accuracy. Therefore, careful comparison was essential. Relying on the routes and coordinates marked on the map was out of the question; that stuff wasn't very reliable for him. So, he could only compare it with the island's picture.
After squinting and staring, Wilder breathed a sigh of relief, finally confirming in his mind that it was the correct island.
Stowing away his small boat, Wilder prepared to land on the island using Moon Walk. But the moment he set foot on it, a fetid, gaping maw lunged at him. Wilder, expressionless, didn't hesitate. He kicked out. A commotion instantly erupted in the forest; dust trailed for a long distance as a gouge was plowed into the ground, snapping numerous trees before whatever it was finally stopped.
At the end of the trench, a large blue tiger lay motionless like a dead fish. Wilder's kick had apparently killed it instantly.
"Coo-coo-coo…"
A strange bird call echoed from the forest. Leaves rustled. Perhaps disturbed by the recent commotion, a dazzlingly red, large bird flapped its way into the sky above the island.
Wilder took one look—wasn't that the exact bird he was looking for? These giant red birds were naturally timid but extremely easy to tame. The reason they were rarely seen as pets was twofold: first, although timid, they became very aggressive when provoked. Second, because they were so timid, the slightest disturbance could easily cause them to panic and lose control. Coupled with the fact that their natural habitat was teeming with dangerous beasts, no one was willing to risk capturing a largely useless giant bird.
Wilder glanced at it. The giant red bird in the sky seemed to be a juvenile; its wings were still tender, and its body was less than four meters long. Adult giant red birds could reach six to eight meters. This one clearly wasn't built for endurance; Wilder had no intention of riding it across the Calm Belt.
This was what Wilder had been considering earlier. The "unconventional route" he referred to was exactly what he was doing now: directly capturing a giant bird to fly over the Calm Belt. This would not only save time and effort but also bypass a huge stretch of the journey, including Reverse Mountain. Crossing the Calm Belt would lead him directly into the Grand Line.
Moreover, Wilder's current location in the sea was conveniently close to the latter half of Paradise. Once he crossed the Calm Belt, the famous Sabaody Archipelago wouldn't be far.
Wilder's destination for this leg of the journey was the Sabaody Archipelago. From there, his next step would be to enter the New World.
Letting the lucky young red bird go, Wilder began searching for a suitable target.
Red birds nested in the canopies of giant trees or near wetlands, usually in flocks. It was rare to find one alone. Perhaps that previous bird had gotten lost, or had it gone mad?
Who cared! With a leap, Wilder soared up to the treetops. His gaze shifted, and a vast expanse of red entered his vision—a flock of giant red birds resting in the canopy.
His eyes scanned the flock, and Wilder finally locked onto a massive red bird, easily eight meters long. With a physique that large, it was likely the leader of the flock.
Wilder didn't hesitate, nor did he fear startling the birds. His figure shot out like a rocket.
"Coo-coo-coo…!" The flock of red birds in the canopy immediately stirred. Some were already preparing to take flight. The bird Wilder had targeted was particularly cunning; the moment it heard the slightest sound, it was already flapping its wings, rising from the treetop.
Bang! But in the next instant, this giant red bird plummeted towards the ground! With a deafening crash, it slammed into the earth, creating a large crater.
Wilder landed. The giant red bird, just as it tried to struggle up, met a pair of eyes filled with icy killing intent. Its body instantly felt as if it had been plunged into an ice cellar, and it dared not move a muscle.
Killing intent was an intangible thing, difficult to explain, yet undeniably real. Its effect was somewhat similar to Conqueror's Haki, though not as exaggerated, nor was it a power that could be wielded at will. The moment he released it, this foolish bird had been scared stiff.
Wilder retracted his killing intent. Even so, the big bird didn't dare move. He stepped onto its back, and the creature offered no resistance, allowing Wilder to thread a rein through its nostrils. Then, under Wilder's command, it shakily took flight.
Sitting on the broad avian back, Wilder quite enjoyed the sensation of the wind whistling past his ears. He relished the cool air, occasionally taking a sip of red wine. This feeling was so comfortable it made one reluctant to move.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~
Their departure point wasn't far from the Calm Belt, and with the red bird's speed, Wilder had entered the notorious waters within half a day.
The moment they entered, an eerie silence fell, as if the very air had solidified. If not for flying on the bird's back, he wouldn't have felt the slightest breeze. Even the sea surface below only rippled gently now and then, and that was due to the water's own currents.
Entering the Calm Belt meant entering a terrifying den of colossal beasts. The Sea Kings here were incomparable to those found elsewhere. Thus, even Wilder couldn't help but heighten his vigilance.
There was a lack of oxygen at high altitudes, so Wilder controlled the great red bird, not daring to fly too high. Moreover, the bird's natural animal instinct seemed to sense danger from the depths below; it flew anxiously the entire way.
Unconsciously, they had ventured deep into the Calm Belt. Wilder had no idea of their current location; he just directed the great red bird to fly forward. The goal was simply to cross the Calm Belt.
By now, Wilder had long since changed back into his original clothes. After all, with the East Blue matter settled, there was no further need to conceal his identity. Thus, he wasn't wearing the black cloak and mask but had switched to his preferred white shirt, with a large black greatcoat draped over his shoulders, giving him an air of composed dominance.
As they were flying, a towering pillar of water suddenly erupted from the sea. The column was massive, at least fifty meters in diameter, and its length was even more exaggerated; it was impossible to tell how much more of it remained submerged.
The giant water pillar shot straight up towards the red bird and Wilder.
Finally, upon reaching a certain critical point, the top of the water pillar burst open, revealing a ferocious head with exposed fangs! It opened its blood-red maw and lunged towards the red bird!
The red bird was like a speck of dust—no, perhaps that was an exaggeration. It was more like an earthworm. Beneath that gaping mouth, the red bird and Wilder atop it were no different from earthworms.
"Coo-coo-coo…?" The great red bird's eyes bulged, and it flapped its wings desperately!
Standing on the bird's back, Wilder could even clearly see the gullet within that massive mouth below—deep and dark, like a shadowy tunnel.
"Tch." Wilder showed an expression of annoyance. This thing posed a considerable threat, and he had no desire to be swallowed.
Wilder leaped off the red bird's back. When he reappeared, he was below the bird, directly above the monstrous maw.
In this situation, Wilder didn't think he could handle it with mere physical techniques. The Sea King below was countless times larger than the one Vice Admiral Momonga had encountered. If Wilder were a swordsman, it might be a different story, as swordsmanship was genuinely suited for such encounters. But fists and feet? Clearly, against such a colossal creature, CQC offered no advantage.
The reason Sea Kings were terrifying was because they themselves were inherently terrifying. Therefore, those who could control Sea Kings were considered a threat.
So…
"I can only use that technique. It'll be a good chance to test its power."
Wilder muttered to himself. During his recent efforts to develop the Swamp Gas characteristic, he had continuously practiced and deepened his control and application of the swamp, and as a result, he had gained a few things.
Staring at the blood-red maw, which was now practically upon him, Wilder extended both hands forward, palms flat and overlapping, directly aligned with the mouth.
A grave expression appeared on his face. Just as the massive mouth was about to engulf him, Wilder yelled, "Grand Serpent—"
"—Mud Twister Cannon!"
A rather unrefined name, but the power it unleashed in that instant was earth-shattering.
With a thunderous roar, an extremely fast-flowing torrent of swamp erupted from his joined palms, in an instant forming a swamp stream whose diameter matched the great mouth below! The gushing swamp stream impacted the fanged mouth like a high-pressure water jet. "Grand Serpent Fist" power continuously channeled from Wilder's palms, making the swamp erupt with even greater force and explosive power. The fist ki embedded within the swamp sliced through the ferocious head like blades. Simultaneously, the terrifying scouring force of the swamp pushed the head down towards the sea surface, while Wilder himself, due to the recoil, was propelled backward and upward.
The swamp stream thus rose higher and higher, appearing from a distance like a pillar holding up the sky—magnificent and awe-inspiring.
"What is that?" On a nearby island, a ship had just docked. Before anyone on board could disembark, a tall woman with a rather strange appearance and a forked tongue suddenly spotted the phenomenon in the sky above the sea not far off. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed.
Her words made the others on the ship look in the direction she was pointing. In the next second, every one of them was dumbstruck.
Next to the tall woman was another, similarly featured but very rotund woman, who now also stammered out a question, "What… what is that thing?"
Although the distance wasn't great, because the swamp itself lacked distinct features, they could only see a dark grey pillar shooting skyward, making it impossible to clearly identify what it was.
On the sea surface, the ferocious head was now covered in wounds. Coupled with the force of the high-speed swamp crashing down, it was dazed. The open mouth, in particular, had suffered a fatal blow. The swamp had surged into its gullet, instantly clogging it without leaving a single gap. Its mouth, too, was filled with swamp. Before long, its enormous body finally floated up from the depths, writhing and twisting in agony. Only then was its true form revealed.
The ferocious head resembled that of an alligator snapping turtle but was flat and elongated. The fins on its back were covered in sharp, backward-facing barbs.
Wilder halted his upward momentum, lightly treading on the air, and stood suspended in mid-sky, calming his somewhat ragged breathing. Fine beads of sweat had appeared on his face; clearly, this technique was not one that could be used at will, as it consumed an immense amount of stamina.
But its power was also terrifying. The ferocious Sea King struggled for a while and then went still. Whether it died from suffocation or from the countless deep, bone-exposing gashes on its head was unknown.
"Heh… heh…" Wilder panted heavily, but a strange smile suddenly appeared on his face. He turned his head, his gaze shifting to a nearby island that had come into view.
"I didn't expect it to be here." The smile on Wilder's face widened. He knew that island. Even if he hadn't known it before, he did now, because his gaze had just fallen upon two large characters carved into a giant stone monument on the island—Kuja.
"Nhehehe…"
Wilder chuckled, his shoulders trembling slightly as if suppressing excitement.
Of course, Wilder wasn't interested in the women on that island. He just suddenly thought… as a fellow Warlord, since he was already here, it was only right and proper… that he should pay a "visit"… right?
Wilder recalled his first meeting with the Pirate Empress; other than that, they truly had no other interactions.
The great red bird had already flown off, but Wilder had a plan in mind now, so he wouldn't need it anymore. Let it fly off.
Turning around, Wilder grinned, a bold smile spreading across his face.
"Who's approaching?" On Kuja Island, by the shore, a group of women watched the figure gradually drawing closer from the sky, their expressions turning grave.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The figure in the sky approached by stepping on the air, the dull sonic booms growing clearer. The crowd gradually made out the newcomer's appearance.
Sandersonia and Marigold, standing at the forefront of the group, were the first to see the person clearly. Their eyes slowly widened, their pupils trembling slightly.
"Why… why is he here?" Sandersonia and Marigold were warriors. Regaining their composure, their faces already showed a guarded expression.
The numerous female warriors behind them understood without needing to be told. They nocked their arrows and raised their weapons, all warily watching the approaching figure.
Kuja, facing a formidable enemy.