Tension hung thick in the air of the Pirate House. Suddenly, the mud statue standing outside the bar area stirred. Crack... crackle... Fissures spiderwebbed across its hardened surface, and then it crumbled apart explosively. Statta emerged, his face a painful shade of purple, collapsing to his knees, dry heaving and gasping desperately for air.
"Bro...!" Jari Beta cried out anxiously, starting forward to help, but the intense glare from the black serpent construct beside Wilder froze him in place.
"I'm... I'm alright, Jari Beta," Statta managed after catching his breath, looking up. The earlier impulsiveness was gone, replaced by a complex mixture of awe, excitement, and perhaps fear. "Agree to his offer! This man... he is worth following!"
"Nyahahaha! You certainly know how to read the situation!" Wilder glanced back at Statta over his shoulder, letting out a hearty laugh. He then turned his gaze back to Jari Beta, his smile fading. "So... what is your decision?"
Jari Beta gritted his teeth. The terrifying presence of the man before him screamed danger; following someone like this felt like signing up for a mysterious death down the line. But if he refused... no, it wasn't 'if' – refusal meant certain death for both him and his brother, right here, right now.
"Alright," he agreed decisively, realizing he had no other path.
"Next..." Wilder smiled faintly, turning his attention towards the figure still seated in the shadows near the entrance, enveloped in a dark cloak. "Mr. Roséarchi... how about working for me?" This was Wilder's original target for this visit, Roséarchi, one of the bounty hunters on his list.
The cloaked figure jolted visibly, then slowly lifted their head. Eyes hidden within the cowl stared deeply at Wilder for a long moment. Then, in a move that surprised everyone, he bolted! Moving with incredible speed, like a black shadow, he shot towards the tavern door, attempting to flee.
"Leaving without even saying hello? That's rather impolite, wouldn't you say, Mr. Roséarchi?" Wilder's smile broadened, dripping with amusement. A large expanse of swamp erupted from the floor beneath Wilder's feet, spreading outwards faster than a flash flood, instantly reaching the fleeing Roséarchi.
Splat! A strange, squelching sound. Roséarchi's expression changed drastically as he felt his feet sink into something cold and yielding. He began to descend rapidly!
"Bottomless Swamp…" Wilder's voice drifted calmly across the room.
"This is...!" Roséarchi looked down, his pupils shrinking in alarm. In the blink of an eye, he was already submerged up to his waist. No matter how he struggled, he only sank deeper, faster – demonstrating the terrifying nature of the swamp.
Wilder strode casually towards him. As he walked, the surrounding swamp flowed back, reabsorbing into his body. By the time he reached Roséarchi, the swamp had vanished completely from the floor. The restraint on Roséarchi disappeared, but he made no further move. He simply turned, lifted his cloaked head, and looked up at Wilder.
Half an hour later…
A group departed from the Pirate House tavern. Three new figures now walked alongside Wilder, joining Sacren. The count of recruited members stood at four.
Wilder had slightly altered his plan. He decided to recruit the remaining eight candidates from nearby locations. Conveniently, besides the other bounty hunters on his list, the farmer, the merchant, and the general were all located on islands not far from their current position.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.
The massive black-and-red warship slowly pulled away from the docks of a certain kingdom. It sailed smoothly across the tumultuous sea, parting the waves effortlessly. Unlike its outbound journey, twelve unfamiliar figures now stood upon its deck.
The recruits assembled so far were:
SacrenRoséarchiStattaJari BetaGeneral Kuchiel, bearing a massive war blade upon his back.The old farmer Buka, his back perpetually hunched.The elegantly dressed middle-aged man in a black suit, the "Black Merchant" Mandigore.The portly, imposing middle-aged man in a white suit, perpetually holding a wine glass, the "'Charitable' Merchant" Bilvat.The lone pirate carrying a huge blade taller than himself, "Reaper" Gar.The bounty hunter specializing in a single-sword style, known simply as Xiao Qi.The bounty hunter gunslinger, Koro.And finally, an associate of Jari Beta's from their delinquent past, the cool and aloof gang boss, Nado. (Unlike Jari Beta, the "King of Delinquents" with his yellow hair, Nado sported a short, neat black buzz cut, giving him a more refined appearance).
Assessing their potential, Wilder believed three among these twelve had a high probability of eventually reaching the level of senior executives: General Kuchiel, Reaper Gar, and Nado. He felt confident they would rise through the ranks the fastest.
The recruitment process itself hadn't been entirely smooth. Bringing General Kuchiel into the fold had been the most difficult and complex operation. Wilder had gone so far as to orchestrate a political coup within the kingdom Kuchiel served. Although Kuchiel eventually discovered Wilder's manipulation, the kingdom itself was already riddled with corruption, and the general had long been suppressed by its ruling powers. This underlying dissatisfaction ultimately made his recruitment possible. All told, gathering the twelve individuals had taken nearly a month.
With the recruits secured, the Black Serpent began its return voyage. Wilder stood habitually at the ship's bow, gazing out at the boundless ocean.
"Hm?" Suddenly, Wilder's brow furrowed. He looked towards the distant horizon. A Marine warship was slowly sailing towards them.
"All hands, alert!" the lookout high on the mast shouted down. The crew immediately mobilized, turning wary eyes towards the approaching vessel.
"That's…" Suddenly, the lookout's eyes widened, a drop of cold sweat tracing a path down his face! "That ship… that's… It's the warship of the Marine Hero, Vice Admiral Garp!" His voice, cracking with disbelief and fear, carried across the entire deck!
"WHAT!!!" The crew's eyes practically popped out of their sockets!
Behind Wilder, his great coat billowed in the wind. His face remained impassive as he stared intently at the approaching warship.
Whoosh! A cannonball launched from the Marine vessel, arcing through the air, aimed directly at the Black Serpent's bow.
"Boss!" the crew yelled nervously.
Wilder looked up at the incoming projectile, his eyes half-lidded. He simply raised a hand. A single Swamp Bullet shot forth from his fingertip!
BANG! A puff of black smoke blossomed in the sky. The cannonball detonated harmlessly mid-flight, intercepted before it could reach the ship.
"Nyahahaha!" Wilder threw back his head and laughed heartily. He leaped high into the air! Boom! Boom! Boom! Kicking off the air itself with Moon Walk, he shot directly towards the opposing warship!
In an instant, he landed firmly on the bow of the Marine vessel. His tall figure stood steady, coat billowing dramatically behind him.
Standing there on the warship's bow, waiting for him, was another figure of equally imposing height and sturdy build, wearing a distinctive dog-head hat. A broad, hearty grin spread across his slightly aged face. Garp.
The two men stared at each other, Wilder facing off against the legendary Marine. Their respective coats—one black, one bearing the mark of Justice—flared around them in the wind.
Gulp…
The Marines aboard Garp's ship couldn't help but swallow hard, their eyes wide with apprehension! The oppressive, head-to-head atmosphere felt like a heavy stone pressing down on their chests, thick with tension.