None?
Wilder glanced at the shipwrights in the workshop, each busy with their own tasks. He nodded, said nothing, and walked toward another workshop not far away.
Standing in front of the new workshop, Wilder looked around and walked up to a man who seemed to be the foreman, stating his purpose once again.
"You need shipwrights?" The foreman stopped his work, looked Wilder up and down for a few moments, and then shook his head. "Don't have any."
Wilder looked at him and said calmly, "Then could you please tell me where I can find some?"
The foreman glanced at him, then went back to his work, saying without looking up, "Nowhere."
"Is that so…" Wilder nodded, said nothing more, and continued to the next workshop.
"Don't have any."
"Don't have any."
"Don't have any."
After visiting seven or eight different places, the answer he received after stating his purpose was always the same two words: Don't have any.
Wilder walked to the edge of the pier outside the docks and sat cross-legged on a flat rock. He lit a cigarette, taking a long drag and exhaling a cloud of smoke. As he stared out at the sea, a cold arc formed on his lips, his eyes thoughtful.
In a place Wilder couldn't see, on a street corner, two figures watched his back, sneering. "You think you can get anything done after offending Boss George? You could ask for a whole day and the answer would still be the same."
"Those guys know what's good for them," the other man said with a cold laugh.
"And what if they didn't? In Water 7, anyone who dares to defy Boss George can't survive."
"Shh! Keep that between us. Not everyone is afraid of Boss George. Have you forgotten what happened two years ago? The mayor's faction is not someone Boss George can go up against."
"Pah! What can the mayor do? Boss George is the underground emperor here! No, or rather, it's that man."
"Who?"
"Boss George's father. Legend has it that Boss George is that man's illegitimate son, but I heard their relationship isn't very good."
"Because he's an illegitimate son, right?"
"Probably."
"But even if he is, if someone dared to disrespect Boss George, I'm sure that man would still step in, wouldn't he?"
"Definitely… probably."
"Enough of that. We need to keep a close eye on him… Huh?! Where'd he go?"
The two of them realized that Wilder, who had been sitting on the rock, had disappeared at some point. Just as they were about to look for him, a chill ran up their spines. They instantly felt as if their bodies had been frozen solid, and a cold sweat broke out on their faces.
An icy voice spoke from behind them. "I'm very interested in what you were just saying. I wonder if you could take me to see this Boss George of yours?"
The two men stiffly turned their heads and were met with a pair of eyes as sharp as blades and as cold and calm as a frozen pond. Their faces instantly filled with terror, their teeth chattering. "I… I… we… we don't know anything…"
Gloop!
As the words fell, a drop of swamp splattered at their feet. Wilder expressionlessly raised his left hand, and the swamp swirling around it instantly shot out, enveloping the man on the left.
The man who was engulfed in the swamp struggled for a few moments before going completely still. The swamp detached from him, flowed back to Wilder's hand, and transformed back into skin and a sleeve, as if it had never been there at all.
Thud!
The stiff corpse fell to the ground with a dull thud, its bloodshot eyes wide open. The motionless sight sent a chill through anyone who looked at it.
Wilder's calm gaze fell on the remaining man. His mouth moved, and his polite words made the man's entire body go cold.
"I'll have to trouble you. You'll take me to see George, won't you?"
The man nodded frantically, holding back the scream of terror that was about to erupt from his throat. He whimpered, "I will! I will! George… I'll take you to see George right now, sir!"
Wilder grinned in approval and said softly, "That's right. I'm also quite interested in that man you mentioned earlier. Could you tell me his name?"
Without a shred of hesitation, the man, who was already scared out of his wits, quickly answered, "I… I only heard it from others. That man's name is Judge. Vinsmoke Judge."
Judge…
A meaningful smile spread across Wilder's face. He patted the man's shoulder. "Well then, take me to see George now."
"Y-yes, of course. Please, follow me," the man said, tears and snot streaming down his face.
In a bustling street in the center of Water 7 stood a luxurious high-rise building.
At that moment, George was in a lavish office on the top floor. He was reclining on a sofa bed, his hands and feet wrapped in bandages. Beside him, a nurse was holding a white plate, picking grapes from it one by one and feeding them to him.
Despite his injuries, he had the best private doctor in Water 7 and wasn't worried about his recovery. Instead, his main concern was that man.
He had just received a report from his subordinates, and hearing that the man's search for shipwrights had been met with nothing but rejection, he couldn't help but laugh with excitement.
His face twisted with glee.
"This is just the first step. Next, I'll show you what regret really means! You dare to cross me, George? I don't care who you are or how strong you are, I'll show you just how miserable the consequences can be!"
Remembering the excruciating pain of having his hands and feet shot through by that man in the black cloak, George wished he could kill him with his own hands. But considering his current condition and strength, he decided against it.
"Talon, let him run around for a day. Tomorrow, you go and take care of him. Of course, if you can capture him alive, try to do so. I want to see that bastard kneeling before me, begging for mercy. But considering he might be exceptionally strong, to avoid any mishaps, you can make the call. If you're not one hundred percent confident you can capture him alive, then just kill him," George said to a corner of the room.
"Yes," a muffled reply came from the corner, though no one was visible.
"No need to trouble yourselves." As soon as the voice fell, a low, deep voice suddenly echoed through the quiet room. George's face changed, and he shouted toward the door, "Who's there?"
At the same time, the moment the voice sounded, a black shadow shot out from the corner of the room and instantly appeared by George's bed, staring warily at the door.
He was dressed in black, with sharp, black claws on his fingers and fine scales on his face that shimmered with a faint iridescence in the sunlight.
Gurgle, gurgle! A strange sound came from outside the door. Then, a viscous liquid began to seep in from under the door. It flowed quickly, spreading from the doorway to the center of the living room like a current of water, showing no signs of slowness despite its thickness.
The faces of George and Talon changed, their expressions grim as they stared at the viscous liquid on the floor, a bad feeling rising in their hearts.
A Devil Fruit user?
A Logia?
The two quickly exchanged a look, both seeing the shock and gravity in the other's eyes.
Gurgle, gurgle…! Before their eyes, the viscous liquid in the center of the room began to bubble up. A human form slowly emerged and finally solidified into a figure shrouded in a black cloak, his face hidden.
George's face paled. "It's you!"
Talon tensed his body, staring motionlessly at the person who had appeared so bizarrely. A nervous sweat trickled down his face. This person gave him a very dangerous feeling, a pressure he had never felt before.
"Nyehehe… I'm truly honored to be targeted by Mr. George… And this one…? Hmm? A Zoan user? Hehehe… to be regarded with such caution by a fellow ability user is an honor as well."
Hearing the words from within the black cloak, the faces of George and Talon changed again. An extremely dangerous feeling crept up their backs, making them feel as if they were sitting on pins and needles.
"Well then… let's not waste any more words. I've come to kill Mr. George," Wilder said, then looked at Talon. "Does this gentleman wish to stop me?"
As his voice fell, before either of them could react, Wilder disappeared from his spot.
George's pupils shrank. Talon's figure moved, blocking George.
BAM! The next second, Talon was sent flying as if hit by a cannonball. A shockwave erupted from his chest, and his body crashed heavily into the wall behind him, which instantly cracked and caved in, forming a large, human-shaped crater.
Wilder appeared in front of George, grabbed his neck, and lifted him into the air.
"Young Master!" Talon coughed up a mouthful of blood and burst from the wall. He appeared at Wilder's side, his body emitting a faint glow, as if he had merged with his surroundings for a moment. With a flick of his hands, ten sharp claws shot out, glowing with a dark, cold light as they slashed at Wilder!
Shlick! The claws tore through the black cloak. Wilder didn't move. A gash appeared where the claws had struck, and a viscous swamp oozed from the opening.
"What?"
A trace of disbelief flashed in Talon's eyes. He quickly dodged back, retreating to the wall, his pupils trembling as he watched the gash on Wilder's body gradually close up.
"A Logia…"
His voice was a bit hoarse. Suddenly, he looked at the nearly suffocated George and fell to his knees with a thud!
"Please… please spare the Young Master! I… I am willing to take his place!"
George, who had closed his eyes in pain, struggled to open them upon hearing Talon's words. His fists clenched and unclenched, and a hoarse sound escaped his throat, as if he was trying to say something.
Wilder watched this scene with interest and released his grip, turning his gaze to Talon. "Nyehehe… are you saying I can't kill you both at the same time?"
It was a taunt.
But Talon knew the man could indeed do it, and he had no way to refute his words. Yet even knowing this, he still clung to a sliver of hope. He knew he couldn't defeat this man. Even ten of him couldn't defeat him. Whether it was speed, reflexes, or strength, he was no match for him now. He had understood that from their brief exchange. So, he could only cast aside his dignity and hope that the man would spare the Young Master.
"Cough, cough, cough!" George, who had been dropped to the floor, let out a series of violent coughs. Blood seeped from his hands and legs, but he still struggled to his feet, looking at Talon with a complex expression.
Gritting his teeth, he knelt at Wilder's feet, tears and snot streaming down his face as he cried, "I was wrong! Please… please forgive me! If you can, please let him go. I was the one who disrespected you first. This was all my fault. So, if you really have to kill someone, please let him go! This has nothing to do with anyone else! Please… please… let them go!"
Talon said anxiously, "Young Master!"
George, still kneeling, buried his head in his hands and shouted, "Shut up!"
"How touching…" Wilder couldn't help but laugh at the scene. Then, his eyes turned cold, and he said without a trace of emotion, "I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid I'll have to spoil this touching performance of yours."
With that, Wilder raised his hand, and swamp began to drip from it!
"Go to hell!" Just then, George suddenly leaped up with a ferocious grin, lunging at Wilder. A sharp dagger had appeared in his hand at some point.
At the same time, Talon also moved. He too had an identical dagger in his hand. The two of them, with perfect coordination, attacked Wilder from the front and the side in a pincer movement!
"Hmm… I knew it. How could there be so many touching stories? You've even brought out the Seastone daggers. It really… looks like you've rehearsed this, doesn't it?" Wilder whispered. Then, the corners of his mouth turned down, and a massive amount of swamp erupted from the surface of his body!
What?!
Before the two of them could even get close, the swamp surged toward them like a tidal wave. Before their terrified eyes, it instantly engulfed them!
The only other person in the room, the nurse, had long since been stunned into a stupor. She sat limply on the floor, her eyes unfocused.
Talon and George struggled in the swamp. Gurgling sounds filled the room for a moment, and then, everything fell silent.
The swamp, just as it had appeared, surged back into Wilder's body, leaving behind two lifeless corpses.
Wilder walked over to the nurse and placed his index finger under her nose. He shook his head and turned to leave the room.
"She was actually scared to death…"
Such a weak constitution was rare in the world of pirates. Even a child who had never seen the world wouldn't be scared to death by a pirate massacre. This nurse was truly a rare species.
Outside the door lay the subordinate who had led Wilder here. He too was now lifeless, lying on the cold corridor floor.
Wilder didn't leave immediately. Instead, he activated his Observation Haki and scanned the entire building.
After taking some valuables, he found a photograph in George's office. The photo had knife slashes on it, and the subject was a stern-faced man.
Vinsmoke Judge.
"Tch!" Wilder put down the photo and turned to leave the building.
His relationship with Vinsmoke Judge was already bad, and he would settle the score with him for standing him up sooner or later.
Now… killing his illegitimate son would serve as collecting interest.
Finding shipwrights became much simpler after that. Wilder threw George's head into the docks, and soon, he had found over a hundred shipwrights who were eager to make a name for themselves in the New World. And after Wilder's careful selection, these shipwrights were all young men, along with a few highly skilled master craftsmen.
The return journey became a problem. With over a hundred shipwrights, he couldn't just think about himself.
Wilder thought for a moment and finally made a decision.