CRASH!
The colossal creature snapped its jaws shut and plunged heavily back into the sea. Waves surged, and seawater washed onto the shore, drenching the onlookers and sending a collective shiver through them.
"It's... it's over!" someone stammered, stumbling back a step in terror as they regained their senses.
His words jolted many awake. The faces of the island's native residents filled with panic.
"That... that was Biggodog, wasn't it?!" a young man asked, his voice trembling.
"It was, no doubt. But hasn't it been gone for over ten years?"
"You've got to be kidding me! That thing is back! We're doomed! Who knows how many more will die now!"
The faces of numerous residents were grim as they stared at the now-still sea surface. Only then did their thoughts return to the immediate crisis. Some hesitated, afraid to speak: "That... that man..."
Biggodog was an exceptionally massive Sea King, rumored to have come from the Calm Belt and even considered a king among some Sea Kings there. Over a decade ago, Biggodog was presumed to have left these waters. To think it had reappeared now! It seemed it had never truly left, likely hiding within some reef. Though why it hadn't surfaced for so many years was unknown, the islanders had never forgotten the terror of being dominated by Biggodog.
That terror... had once caused the population of Fish Scale Island to plummet by half!
"He's dead, he's definitely dead! No one can escape Biggodog's jaws!" one man muttered incessantly, a crazed look in his eyes. The surrounding residents recognized him; over ten years ago, he had witnessed his own child being swallowed by that giant Sea King.
Though it felt like an eternity, the time between Wilder being swallowed and the Sea King's maw disappearing beneath the waves was merely an instant.
"Boss!" The Black Serpent members stared, their eyes wide with fury and despair, the atmosphere turning deathly still.
Just then, a series of enormous bubbles gurgled to the sea surface. Everyone held their breath, eyes wide, staring intently at the water.
"It's no use... no use... he can't escape... can't escape. Once Biggodog enters the water, it dives deep. No one can get away," the crazed man continued his delirious rant.
Hearing this, a chill ran down the spines of the Black Serpent members, their anxiety mounting. The island residents also felt little hope. What the man said was true; no matter how strong someone was, it was useless in the deep sea.
Poof!
But right at that moment, on the previously calm sea surface, the bubbles burst explosively! Then, a massive shadow began to grow larger in everyone's vision, rising from the seabed!
Gurgle...! More and more bubbles surfaced. The shadow in the water drew closer, its body, already exceeding a hundred meters, appearing even larger as it ascended. In the blink of an eye—two hundred meters, three hundred, five hundred meters!
Everyone's eyes widened!
BOOM!
A colossal wave surged! A behemoth of about five hundred meters burst from the sea surface! Its ferocious head resembled a vicious dog, with exposed fangs—utterly terrifying!
"Everyone, run!" Seeing this monstrous creature, the faces of the native islanders on the shore turned ashen. Finally certain it was indeed Biggodog, they panicked. One man screamed in terror, but his cry died in his throat mid-sentence as he stared dumbly at the Sea King, now airborne.
A torrent of blood geysered high into the air! A massive gash tore open on the giant Sea King's body. Crimson blood rained down from the sky like a torrential downpour, vivid and striking.
This was only the beginning. Immediately after, everyone seemed to hear a low murmur in their ears: "Piercing Kill—"
"Spears of the War King!" The final syllable carried an endless killing intent as it fell! Myriad spears surged forth!
Schlick! Schlick! Schlick!
Bloody explosions erupted! Hundreds of sharp, hardened swamp spears pierced through the giant Sea King's hide, densely packed. The Sea King now resembled a giant hedgehog, riddled with fist-sized and basketball-sized bloody holes. Blood gushed out like fountains, instantly dyeing the seawater below crimson.
"ROAR..." The giant Sea King let out a weak, mournful cry as its body fell back into the sea.
But in that instant, a pillar of swamp shot straight through its abdomen, plunging into the depths. Then, an even more shocking scene unfolded. The pillar, having thrust into the sea, erupted with terrifying force from below, directly impaling the falling Sea King and heaving its colossal body high into the air once more! Everyone on the shore, including the Black Serpent members, wore expressions of utter shock.
Just as they thought the assault was over, another muffled voice rang out. "Sharp Horn Serpent Kill!"
The impact formed sharp, horn-like protrusions. Faintly, the menacing silhouette of a horned serpent appeared. Ten slender, slightly curved fingers reached out!
Schlick!
Blood sprayed as the giant Sea King's back was torn open, a meter-wide gash appearing, dripping with blood. Then… swamp surged from the tear, coalescing into a human form in mid-air. With a Moon Walk, Wilder landed unharmed on the shore.
...
The shore was silent. Everyone wore the same expression… stunned. Or perhaps, "dumbfounded" was more appropriate.
On the sea, the Sea King's massive corpse slowly sank. The water had turned crimson. The dense sound of splashing water, whish-splash, was accompanied by white froth churning on the surface—the sound of fish fighting over the feast.
In the silence, only the sounds of splashing and feeding were distinct. Countless gazes were fixed on the figure cloaked in black, wearing the red mask with black markings. A profound shock rose from the depths of their hearts!
After a long moment...
An uproar swept across the coastline, accompanied by gasps of astonishment. For the first time, that figure was indelibly etched into everyone's minds.
Wilder was oblivious to their thoughts. Aside from the inspiration he'd drawn from the recent attack, his predominant emotion now was annoyance.
Yes, annoyance.
"Really... what a headache. To make such a rookie mistake." Wilder felt as if Red-Haired Shanks must have possessed him for a moment, for him to have not sensed the danger from beneath the sea beforehand. Although he hadn't ended up losing an arm… it was ultimately his own carelessness. This was a lesson.
Of course, there were gains. That first attack, the one that tore the gash in the giant Sea King's body, wasn't a Tempest Kick. A Tempest Kick clearly didn't have that kind of power, at least not his Tempest Kick. That strike had distinctly surpassed the scope of a Tempest Kick; it was something Wilder had used unintentionally, or perhaps, on a sudden whim.
A swamp-based kicking technique. Not much different from Tempest Kick, the distinction being that Tempest Kick unleashed an invisible projectile, whereas that recent move had unleashed swamp—a blade of swamp.
That wasn't the main point. The main point was that, through this strike, a bold idea had formed in Wilder's mind.