Temporarily suppressing the idea in his heart, a new round of bombardment began on the shore.
The massive Sea King's corpse had been salvaged and carved into thousands of pieces, distributed among the island's populace. To establish a foothold in a place, one could never ignore the masses. Wilder was more than willing to perform such small acts of goodwill that cost him little.
The island residents were deeply grateful. Perhaps they weren't short on food, but this was Biggodog's meat. Eating it... could alleviate their suffering. Their perception of the Black Serpent shifted slightly; the islanders' mentality unknowingly began to change.
For ten consecutive days, the bombardment continued. The number of reefs scattered around Fish Scale Island's waters decreased dramatically each day, a visible change. Of course, the commotion during this period couldn't be completely concealed. Nearby islands and occasionally passing ships were startled by the massive explosions. However, few came to investigate, and those who did were swiftly dealt with by the Black Serpent members stationed on the perimeter.
In short, Wilder's goal was to maintain as low a profile as possible, develop in secret, accumulate strength, and then, with one decisive move, conquer the entire East Blue!
Jesse had been released two days prior and had joined the newly established Scientific Research Department. He worked alongside over fifty scientists scouted from various places, responsible for developing items Wilder desired. Of course, they could also propose their own ideas; as long as they received Wilder's approval, anything was negotiable.
This was Wilder's first visit to the Scientific Research Department. Bright lights illuminated a spacious underground laboratory lined with white ceramic tiles, where various instruments flickered with red and green lights. The laboratory was very quiet. Scientists and assistants in white lab coats went about their respective duties with a clear division of labor. Even when moving hurriedly, they made little noise.
Wilder entered without alerting anyone, not even Jesse, a scientist who possessed some combat capability himself. Currently, Jesse was hunched over an instrument, occasionally twisting a dial, seemingly controlling the cutting of some precision component.
Wilder watched from behind him for a while without disturbing him, then took a tour of the lab. By the time he returned to his original spot, Jesse had noticed him.
"B-Boss." Jesse scratched his head, a little unaccustomed to the address, and gave an awkward smile.
"Mm," Wilder nodded, handing him a piece of paper. "This is a firearm design. It's roughly like this. My annotated ideas are below. Follow this concept. Of course... if you have better ideas, feel free to incorporate them."
The blueprint depicted a gun with a very strange design for this world, featuring multiple barrels. Wilder didn't ask if they could build it; he merely provided an idea and requirements. Whether they could make it or not wasn't his concern.
"Alright." Jesse took the blueprint, glanced at it, and his eyes immediately lit up. He agreed without hesitation.
Clap, clap, clap!
Jesse tucked the blueprint under his arm and clapped his hands. "Everyone, if you're not busy with something urgent, take a break and come look at this..."
Wilder didn't participate in what followed. After familiarizing himself with the lab's situation, he left on his own. After leaving the Scientific Research Department, Wilder paid a visit to the armaments factory, gave the person in charge an identical blueprint, and instructed that both departments would jointly develop the item on the blueprint.
The blueprint Wilder gave them was for none other than a machine gun from his "previous life"—a heavy machine gun. Of course, Wilder didn't understand the technicalities; the blueprint was less a detailed design and more a clearly drawn and written representation of his idea.
Next was another important matter: recruiting personnel, and then… establishing a special unit. This unit would become the main force for dominating the East Blue. These individuals had to become accustomed to using the yet-to-be-seen weapon and also possess a certain degree of personal combat strength. Therefore, recruiting a considerable number of such personnel would require an astronomical sum of money.
Recruitment always required money. The Black Serpent's current financial reserves were sufficient for now, but in the long run, especially when planning to hire, they might face the awkward situation of being short of funds.
So… before personnel, there was another crucial matter—making money! Wilder didn't intend to interfere in these matters. After delegating the tasks, the Black Serpent's management would naturally analyze and formulate plans. Unless his intervention was absolutely necessary, Wilder didn't plan to get directly involved. Not just him, but even his high-ranking officers were to avoid making appearances as much as possible. Again… the priority for now was to maintain a low profile.
Currently, none of the Black Serpent Merchant Guild's high-ranking officers could show their faces. Thus, one could often see figures in black cloaks coming and going within the Black Serpent headquarters, and this was already with their appearances minimized.
As for Wilder himself, he had withdrawn even more completely. He had a basement constructed directly beneath the newly completed Black Serpent headquarters for his living quarters and office. He never used the main exits, instead using a secret passage that led to a garden behind Fish Scale Island.
Generally, Wilder spent more time in the garden than in the basement. A simple wooden bungalow stood in the garden, which featured a rockery and flowing water. The garden was enveloped by a dense forest, making the bungalow incredibly secluded.
Wilder sat on a thick tree branch, his legs dangling naturally, eyes closed, quietly experiencing the sensation of the swamp transforming within his body.
Today, Wilder was going to officially implement the idea he had been nurturing. That first strike against the giant Sea King had given Wilder an idea. At that time, he had launched the swamp in a manner similar to a Tempest Kick, and in that instant, he had clearly felt a change in the swamp's texture—it felt incredibly solid.
And this was a sensation Wilder had experienced in his "previous life." Although different from that particular strike, he thought it might not be impossible to replicate. That kind of substance had a name in his previous life— Non-Newtonian fluid!
If he could make his swamp behave like a non-Newtonian fluid, wouldn't that mean not only another way to apply his swamp abilities but also an incredibly strong defensive capability?! There's a type of defense that gets stronger against stronger forces and weaker against weaker ones—that largely describes a non-Newtonian fluid.
If Wilder could achieve this, the boost to his combat power, or rather his overall strength, would be absolutely more than just marginal. In battle, aside from absolute overwhelming power, most of the time it came down to who had more "tricks" up their sleeve. Those with more tricks could always find the most suitable and effort-saving way to deal with various situations and attacks.
"Gurgle!" Swamp dripped down Wilder's legs, gradually forming a thick layer on the ground.
Leaping down from the tree, Wilder clenched his fist and brought it down with a swift, heavy punch!
"THWACK!"