Soon, Shiri came running out of the Chief’s tent, carrying a box in his arms.
The Chief took the box and showed Valsa what was inside.
“This is something Noland left behind the last time he came here.
I heard it is called a Devil Fruit, a treasure of the sea, and extremely valuable.
I am willing to offer it as payment and humbly ask for your help.”
Everyone was stunned when they saw the object inside the box.
So this is the legendary treasure of the sea?
Aside from Quans and Valsa, none of the officers had ever seen a Devil Fruit before.
Seeing the strange fruit covered in swirling patterns was a real eye-opener.
They had heard that the price of a single Devil Fruit started at one hundred million Berries!
Valsa pondered for a moment before grinning.
“Fine!
I’ll take the job.”
Valsa accepted the Devil Fruit from the Chief, but didn’t examine it closely.
Instead, he quickly closed the box and tossed it to Quans.
“No time to waste.
We’ll talk on the way.”
…
“What?!
You haven’t found a single trace?
What are all you intelligence agents even doing?!” a Marine roared into a Den Den Mushi.
“Increase the search effort!”
Just then, the door opened, and Theodore Andry walked in.
The Marine immediately snapped into a salute.
He then respectfully reported, “Colonel, we still haven’t found any trace of the Overlord Pirates.
They… seem to have vanished into thin air.”
Andry walked over to the desk and glanced at the newspaper lying on it.
The wanted poster for the Captain of the Overlord Pirates, Overlord Valsa, was spread across the desk.
That arrogant, domineering aura seemed to leap straight off the paper and assault Andry’s mind.
Andry clenched both fists.
He had a premonition.
If this pirate is allowed to grow, the consequences will be unimaginable.
He must be eliminated while he’s still in the cradle!
“We must find the Overlord’s whereabouts as quickly as possible.
If we don’t have enough men, then bring in more.
Send word to Marine Branch G-105 and have one thousand Marines transferred here.
Search the entire area!”
“Yes, sir!”
…
The sky was on the verge of brightening.
Countless stars still twinkled overhead, while the fragrance of grass mingled with the scent of earth and filled the air.
Countless glowing patches of grass stretched along both sides of the path.
Tap, tap, tap!
The sound of footsteps trampling the earth rang out as a group of figures hurried through the night.
“We’re almost there.
Once we cross this mountain, we’ll be able to see the seal.”
The Chief spoke to Valsa and the others.
By now, Valsa could also hear the thunderous roar coming from ahead.
It sounded as though some monstrous beast were awakening from its slumber.
Terrifying roars rang out one after another, making even the air tremble.
“Come to think of it, when Noland came here four hundred years ago, the seal also weakened, but there was no sign that the Mountain Demon was about to break free.”
“And now, the seal has weakened again shortly after you arrived.”
“I suspect that this Mountain Demon is responsible.
Its power may already have seeped into the outside world, disrupting the magnetic field in the surrounding waters.
That’s why you were able to enter the island.”
The Chief’s brows were tightly furrowed, his expression grave.
Standing atop the hill, they looked down at the land below.
An endless forest stretched as far as the eye could see, while strange giant birds took flight from between the trees, letting out sharp, piercing cries.
In the middle of the forest lay a massive crater roughly the size of a small town.
Strange boulders surrounded the crater.
Numerous bizarre patterns were carved into their surfaces, emitting a faint blue glow.
“Those boulders form the seal our ancestors created using the power of the sacred artifact to suppress the Mountain Demon.”
“But the light seems to have grown somewhat dimmer.
It looks like it won’t be long before he escapes.”
Valsa stared at the seal below.
He could sense the presence within it.
Unexpectedly, that presence was pitifully weak.
It was like a mosquito barely clinging to life.
Just then—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from the darkness below.
A tremendous force of suction instantly caused everyone to lose their balance.
Everyone hurriedly dropped to the ground, desperately grabbing nearby rocks and branches to keep themselves from being dragged into the abyss by the terrifying force.
But the mountain itself seemed unable to withstand the strain.
It shook precariously.
Chunks of rock continued tumbling downward.
Until finally, it reached a critical point.
The entire mountainside collapsed with a deafening roar.
Everyone began plummeting downward.
Valsa stabilized himself in midair and tightened his core.
“Everyone, stay together!
Get closer!”
“I’m gonna die!
I’m gonna die… I’m gonna die…”
Elik could no longer hold back his emotions.
Tears poured from behind his black goggles in such ridiculous quantities that Lucas’s chest was quickly soaked through.
“Hey!
Don’t get that all over my clothes!”
Valsa felt the movement of the air around him.
They were rapidly approaching the ground.
He suddenly looked up.
Then, in midair, Valsa performed an exaggerated twist, stepped onto Lucas’s shoulder, and stomped down hard.
Valsa’s descent slowed.
Lucas, meanwhile, accelerated downward.
“BOSS!!!”
Lucas let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.
Valsa, suspended in midair, remained completely expressionless.
His demeanor was calm, as though everything was already under his control.
[Facebreaker]!
Valsa extended his left hand toward Lucas and his right hand toward the others above, who were holding onto one another, and activated [Facebreaker].
In an instant, both sides jerked to a halt and were violently pulled toward Valsa.
Everyone’s heads spun as they were collectively stunned for one second.
But this also brought their falling speed to zero.
They immediately began accelerating again.
By then, however, they were only a dozen or so meters above the ground.
Everyone adjusted their bodies in midair and landed safely.
“Ah, Just like the Captain!
To think you could save us from such a desperate situation in such a short amount of time.”
Elik spoke cheerfully, his expression as obsequious as ever.
BANG!
A heavy impact sounded beside them.
Dust billowed into the air, making everyone cough.
When the dust finally cleared, a large human-shaped imprint could be seen on the ground.
“Oh!
So it was Lucas.
What an interesting way to make an entrance.”
Elik raised an eyebrow and spoke in a deliberately sarcastic tone.
Lucas climbed out of the crater, covered in dust and looking rather pitiful.
His expression was deeply aggrieved.
“Boss, why’d you step on me instead of Elik?
Look at how smug he is!”
“Hey!
Lucas, I was kindly helping you ease your embarrassment!
How dare you repay my kindness with ingratitude?!”
Seeing the two of them bicker, everyone burst out laughing.
The tense and dangerous atmosphere from moments ago was immediately eased considerably.
Although the two were always arguing, they actually had a very good relationship.
Adrian was usually a bit dense and always focused on training.
Quans was constantly busy and never played around with them.
The two of them were also rather afraid of Quans, worried that he might suddenly assign them some task.
Kweiv was a good guy, too, but his temper was a little too fierce, making him difficult to get along with.
So most of the time, these two were the ones fooling around aboard the ship.
Every now and then, they would even visit the other ships to swagger around and collect a few benefits from the crew there.
“All right.
Stay alert.
I’ve already sensed the Mountain Demon’s presence.
He’s nearby.”
Valsa’s words pulled everyone back to reality.
They had nearly forgotten the purpose of this expedition.
They hadn’t even realized that they were already deep inside the enemy’s stronghold.
Everyone immediately picked up their weapons and heightened their vigilance, scanning their surroundings.
◇ THE STORY DOESN’T END HERE…
◇
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