As we exited the dungeon, the fresh air of Heartless Island brushed against our faces, a sharp contrast to the jungle's sticky heat. Koby stretched with a relieved sigh, while Usopp bounced excitedly, clearly proud of his performance. Luffy walked up to us with his hands in his pockets and his usual eager smile.
"So? How was it?" he asked, eyes shining with impatience.
I answered with a smirk."Honestly? It's a dungeon made for you. Just from the name alone, it feels like it was designed with you in mind."
"Huh? Why?"
Usopp stifled a laugh while Koby let out a snort. Both burst into laughter, while Luffy looked at them, confused.
To my left, Nami shot me a suspicious look, her arms crossed, an almost wary expression on her face.
I leaned close to her ear and whispered softly:"Don't worry, it's exactly what you're thinking. The dungeon's full of monkeys."
Her expression immediately relaxed, and she gave a small, amused smile. But she quickly composed herself again when she noticed me glancing toward her legs. Before she could say anything, I raised my hands in defense:
"Your shoes. Heels aren't great for tree running. You might lose your balance."
She rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fair enough." Then she disappeared into her tent, returning a few minutes later with more practical flat shoes.
"All right," I declared. "But before we start the next run, there's something I need to do."
I summoned Eisah, the shadow with the almost reptilian presence. As always, it silently materialized at my side, its eyes locked on me, awaiting orders.
"Usopp, Koby… if you've still got some energy left, train with him while we're gone. He can help sharpen your reflexes, especially if you run into any more stealth-type enemies."
Usopp shrugged. "Why not? I've still got some juice left."
Koby cracked his neck. "Same here. I want to work on my defense."
I nodded, then turned to Luffy and Nami."Ready?"
They both nodded resolutely.
A new message appeared in my mind:
________________________________________• You are about to be teleported to Deep Jungle – Normal Mode – with your team.• Objective: Defeat 400 Coastal Primates, 400 Cheeky Primates, 100 Patrol Primates, 400 Green Requiems, Sabor (Normal), and 2 Stalkers.• Rewards: Random item/equipment/skill for your team members.• Recovery of all Heartless defeated under your command, plus Sabor's attribute.________________________________________
A bright light surrounded us, and moments later, we were back in the treetop cabin—the starting point of the dungeon.
The cabin seemed larger than it had during our last run, likely adjusted to match the increased difficulty. But despite the expansion, it felt tighter, almost suffocating, due to the sheer number of Heartless filling the space. Their presence alone seemed to weigh down the air.
"So this is why you said it's made for me? Because of the monkeys?" Luffy asked with a laugh, his arms crossed behind his head.
I gave him a knowing smile and a nod."Exactly. Deep Jungle, monkeys everywhere... It was destiny."
"You're unbelievable," he chuckled, clearly excited to dive into the fray.
I scanned the cabin's interior. The Cheeky Primates had already taken up positions on the upper levels, casting mischievous glances our way, while the Green Requiems floated silently above us, like ghosts waiting to act.
I placed a hand on the knotted wooden railing."Careful," I said, my voice low but firm."Besides the Heartless… there's a leopard lurking around. It moves through the shadows and strikes without warning."
Nami tightened her grip on her Clima-Tact, her eyes turning serious.
Luffy cracked his knuckles, a predator's grin spreading across his face.
"Then let's go!" he declared, his eyes gleaming with excitement."We'll show them who the real kings of this jungle are."
I gave them a wink."You're both experienced—I won't insult you by calling plays. Just stay sharp… the ambushes here are nasty."
And without another word, I soared into the air, heading straight for the Green Requiems.
Luffy leapt powerfully toward the upper levels, his shield deployed in front of him. He took the sharp projectiles thrown by the Cheeky Primates head-on without flinching—they were faster and more dangerous than in Easy Mode. He moved with agility, deflecting the stones with clean, precise swipes. Occasionally, one of the monkeys would toss a banana peel just as he landed, making him stumble with a grunt, only for him to rise again laughing and knock them out with his fists.
Meanwhile, Nami calmly took aim at the ground below. With a perfectly channeled lightning spell, she vaporized twenty Coastal Primates in a single strike. A satisfied smile flickered on her lips. Then she slowed her pace, alternating with small bursts of fire, managing her mana wisely.
As for me, I decided to experiment. I spun my Keyblade around me like a whirlwind, mimicking Baggy's signature move. My arms and legs twirled wildly around my torso, slicing through the Requiems with ease. Their low endurance made them ideal targets to refine my technique and test new approaches.
The chaos gradually subsided. Luffy descended from the upper platform with an acrobatic leap, landing near Nami, who was rubbing her arms. I had just begun to descend when the shadow struck.
A blurry silhouette, fast as lightning, burst from the branches and dove straight for Nami. But before its fangs could reach her, her soldier-cards flared from her Clima-Tact like a magical shield, stopping the impact just in time. Nami reacted instantly and discharged a bolt of lightning straight at the assailant.
The leopard—larger than in the previous version of the dungeon—roared in pain and leapt backward. It was easily a meter taller than before, its muscular limbs betraying a much greater strength. Without lingering, it vanished into the foliage, its coat blending seamlessly with the vegetation.
"That was him, right?" Nami asked, catching her breath.
"Sabor. And clearly a stronger version," I replied as I joined her. "Good thing your bodyguards seem capable of holding him off."
A quick count confirmed we had already eliminated 120 Coastal Primates, 120 Cheeky Primates, and 120 Green Requiems. Solid progress—but there was still a long way to go.
"Let's move," I said, taking the lead.
We soon reached a new section of the dungeon: a true labyrinth of vines, twisted branches, and unstable platforms. The atmosphere was heavier here, the trees taller, the shadows denser. And most importantly… they were waiting.
The hundred Patrol Primates stood in formation, spread across the zone with military precision. They scanned the horizon, ready to defend their territory.
I glanced at Luffy and Nami, my expression turning serious.
"Get ready. Things are about to get real. These ones can use a nasty ability—energy bullets that change direction mid-flight."
Luffy nodded, grinning wide."Perfect. I was hoping for some fun."
He launched himself forward, using his elastic arms to propel from branch to branch, weaving through vines like a true acrobat. As for Nami… well, she took a much more direct approach. Without warning, she cast a fireburst spell on a group of Patrol Primates to the left, igniting the ground. A wave of heat rippled through the air.
"Nami?! You trying to burn down the whole forest?!" I shouted, stunned.
"Relax!" she called back, a bit wild. "The humidity keeps the fire from spreading!"
I exhaled, half amused despite the tension, then turned toward the group on the right. Ten Patrol Primates. Perfect for training.
They began bombarding me with glowing projectiles immediately. I closed my eyes, letting my other senses take over.
My awareness expanded… but weakly. Without Eisah's shadow, my detection range only reached two meters—compared to ten when she was with me. I still had a long way to go.
I fought slowly, deliberately, dodging with difficulty to push my Observation Haki to its current limit. The projectiles grazed me at times, but I managed to take them all out, one by one, waiting until the very last moment to strike. When the last one fell into black mist, I turned my head…
…and saw the rest of the zone had already been cleared.
Luffy waved at me cheerfully from a branch."You're too slow, Jordan!"
I sighed, mock-offended."Not cool, I was trying to improve over here…"
I went back for Nami, who had begun a rather unconvincing attempt to climb the vines. She looked at me with a mix of fatigue and resignation."Can't you just carry me? I mean, you can fly, right?" she said, arms crossed.
I shrugged with a smile, gently lifted her, and flew her up to where Luffy was waiting.
But as we landed near him, a roar tore through the air.
Luffy was thrown forward, a long gash bleeding across his back. He rolled on the ground with a muffled groan. Behind him, a blurry silhouette vanished into the foliage.
"Luffy!" Nami cried out.
She raised her staff and fired a spike of ice that zipped through the air like an arrow. The magical lance struck the creature, forcing it to retreat just like last time.
I knelt beside Luffy, placing a glowing hand over his wound.
"You'll be fine. You only lost a shirt."
"Meh, it was ugly anyway," he grunted, pushing himself upright—now shirtless and a little less carefree, casting quick glances around him.
The three of us slid down the trunk, gliding like kids on a giant ramp. Unexpectedly, Nami handled it better than Luffy, landing gracefully while he went a bit too fast and ended up on his backside.
The next area resembled the previous one: two large pools of water, but deeper, almost clear despite the turbulence caused by the Heartless. We swiftly took down the sixty Coastal Primates, Cheeky Primates, and Green Requiems, before arriving at what looked like an abandoned campsite.
And then… another scream pierced the air.
"HELP!!!"
I looked up just in time to see Jane, surrounded—not by Heartless—but by regular, living gorillas. Their gestures weren't immediately hostile, but they were agitated, stressed. They circled her, forcing her to back away.
I leapt forward without thinking, summoning my Keyblade. I didn't aim to kill, only to push them back, using precise, non-lethal strikes. One by one, the large apes retreated—some scattering, others simply vanishing into the forest.
And then… she appeared.
An older female gorilla, with dark fur and deep, intelligent brown eyes, approached slowly. She stared at me for a long moment, then placed a hand on her chest, gently thumping it with the flat of her palm. Her gaze turned soft, almost pleading.
I stood still, Keyblade still glowing in my hand.
Then she reached her hand toward me, palm open, her eyes locked on mine. A strange warmth flowed through me. Slowly, I pressed my hand to hers.
A gentle light burst from our contact. The elder gorilla closed her eyes, at peace.
A voice echoed—feminine, soft, desperate."Save Kerchak… and Tarzan… please…"
Then her body slowly disintegrated into golden light, like the souls I had freed before. She disappeared peacefully, leaving me with a deep, silent emotion swelling in my chest.
Luffy and Nami had stopped in their tracks, watching in silence without a word.
I didn't fully understand what had just happened… but I knew that this cry for help came from the heart. And I was determined to answer it—by finishing this dungeon.
"Jordan, it's you… thank you!" Jane sobbed, clutching me in a sudden embrace, full of relief.
Her hands trembled slightly, and her tear-filled eyes searched for a bit of calm in the chaos of the jungle.
"We came here with my father to study the gorillas… but since our arrival, their behavior has been… strange. Aggressive. Guarded. As if they sense a threat we can't see."
Before I could respond, her father, Archimedes Porter, burst out of the tent, flailing. He grabbed his daughter's hand urgently, gave me a hesitant but grateful look, and then the two of them vanished through the partially open tent flap—as if swallowed by a dimensional portal.
I stood in silence for a moment. On the ground, exactly where they had been standing, lay a small leather pouch, its contents slightly spilled. Inside: golden diamond-shaped coins engraved with tribal symbols.
I picked up the pouch, gave it a quick glance, then tossed it to Nami, who caught it with a satisfied smile."I like this kind of thank-you," she said, expertly tying it to her belt.
We continued on our way, pushing through the foliage to return to the clearing with the blackened rock. This time, it wasn't empty.
Perched regally, Sabor awaited us—his muscles taut, fangs gleaming, and those yellow eyes fixed on us with a disturbing, intelligent gaze. Around him, a hundred Coastal Primates, a hundred Cheeky Primates, and a hundred Green Requiems formed a living wall.
I raised a hand, stopping my companions.
"Luffy, Nami… let me try something. A new technique."
They nodded without question.
I took a deep breath and channeled lightning around my body. Arcs of electricity danced across my torso, while my arms and legs spun wildly like a furious cyclone.
"Fulgur Tempesta…" I whispered.
I charged into the horde, transformed into a mini tornado of lightning, smashing through the Coastal Primates with a thunderous impact. About thirty were knocked aside, flung into trees or disintegrated on the spot.
But the Green Requiems reacted instantly. An invisible barrier of energy neutralized my electricity and repelled my flying limbs with unnerving precision. The spell was dispelled. I frowned—these healers had become a real problem.
I recalled my limbs just in time to block a paw strike from Sabor. Our eyes locked for a second before I launched a charged kick, sending him flying into the air.
"GOMU GOMU NO… HAMMER DROP!" Luffy shouted as he launched himself upward, legs coiled like a giant spring.
He caught Sabor midair and slammed him down, crushing him into several Cheeky Primates with a brutal crash. A cloud of dust erupted, and the beast did not get back up.
The fight was over. Only black ash and trembling leaves remained in the returning silence.
I exhaled and rolled my shoulders."There's one last area… and it's far from easy."
I turned to Nami."Cast Gale on yourself and Luffy. Speed and reflexes will be everything."
She obeyed, her fingers tracing a circle of wind around herself and Luffy. Silver threads wove over their skin, enhancing their movements in a heartbeat.
Luffy fixed me with his usual mischievous captain's smile."So?" he said, arms crossed. "I know you're dying to spit out a plan. I've accepted you as the strategist… and even the vice-captain. So go ahead. Hit me with it."
I froze for a second, caught off guard by his directness.Nami burst out laughing.
"You broke him, Luffy. Look at him—he's glitching."
I finally smiled, shaking my head in amusement.
"Alright, alright… here's the plan. Nami, you stay back and use your spell range to clear as many Heartless as possible. Focus on the densest groups. Luffy—you go for the Green Requiems. They're the source of healing and magical protection. If we take them out fast, the battle shifts in our favor."
Luffy cracked his knuckles."Got it. I'll handle the medics."
"I'll take on the two chameleons. They're fast, invisible, and more brutal than Sabor. We need to lure them out before they ambush us."
I immediately merged into my gorilla form, the transformation wrapping around me like a familiar suit of armor. This time, my build had changed slightly—heavier. Stronger. My clawed fingers trembled with anticipation.
"You ready?" I asked, eyes fixed on the shifting shadows of the final path.
Luffy and Nami nodded.
(Author's note: I'm leaving you on this cliffhanger (> U <), you'll have to wait until Saturday for the next part ^^)