Pushing through the last curtain of foliage, we emerged into a wide rocky clearing bathed in filtered light from the high canopy above. The ground was cracked, laced with roots and jagged stone formations, as if nature itself had been forced open to create this battlefield.
At its center, a circle of massive gorillas stood back to back, forming a protective barrier. They were surrounded by a horde of simian Heartless. Among them, one clearly stood out: a dominant male, broad as an ox, his dark fur bristling with tension. He roared, pounding the ground with his fists to intimidate the enemy, shielding what appeared to be juveniles and an injured female. With every strike, a black mist seeped into his body, slowly trailing through his veins like a creeping poison.
"Nami, look over there!" I said, pointing to two reptilian figures on a rocky ledge.
"The big lizards… those are the Stalkers. They can go invisible."
Without hesitation, I lunged forward, my fused gorilla form letting out a thunderous roar as I charged the two enemies, trying to draw them away from the heart of the battle. They had seen me coming—but this time, I was faster.
Above me, Luffy grabbed onto a branch and launched himself in a spectacular leap. He flew directly into a cluster of Green Requiems gathering near the canopy and shouted as he spun mid-air:
"GOMU GOMU NO… LUFFY TORNADO!!!"
He spun rapidly, swinging his shield and all three of his other limbs to expand his attack radius. The air vibrated from the centrifugal force, and the Requiems burst one by one in a shower of dark sparks.
On the ground, the two Stalkers reacted to my charge. One leapt to my left while the other tried to flank me. I managed to block the first claw strike with my Keyblade, but it threw me off balance—just enough for the second to slash deep into my side.
Pain surged through me, and I let out a growl as I stumbled back. The creatures vanished into thin air, turning invisible mid-attack as they kept pressing me.
"Tch... no choice. I hope this is enough."
I closed my eyes, trying to sense them using my still-unstable Observation Haki. Around me, I felt claws brush the edge of my perception. I did my best to dodge, but my gorilla form had become more of a burden than an aid when it came to evasive maneuvers.
A strike came from my right flank—barely dodged. Another landed square on my back—I rolled across the ground, groaning, my fur partially scorched by the blow. A burning orb cut through my senses too fast, slamming into my leg.
But I stood back up, panting, angry.
"No more brute force. I'm going to annihilate you," I said as I reverted to my human form, now dodging their attacks much more easily. I started pelting them with fire and ice spells, keeping their focus on me.
The orb that had hit me had come from their eyes. I dodged and spun between their attacks, unleashing my frustration on them spell by spell.
Not far away, Nami was raining lightning down on the Heartless surrounding the gorillas. Her magical staff gleamed with each movement, releasing precise bursts of electricity. The air around her crackled with power, cloaking her in an electric storm of fury.
The dominant gorilla, his coat scraped and darkened with stains, was still standing. His labored breathing echoed in the clearing, and yet he turned to look at Nami. No fear. No rage. Just silent gratitude.
With one final burst of strength, he slammed a Cheeky Primate with his massive fist, sending it crashing into a tree. For a moment, there was silence—broken only by his powerful roar. A cry of victory… or perhaps desperation.
Up above, Luffy continued his acrobatic assault. Like an elastic king of the jungle, he swung from branch to branch, striking down the last of the Green Requiems with clean, methodical blows. He landed softly on the ground—only for one of the Stalkers to attempt a quiet escape through a shadowy corner.
"Not so fast!" he shouted with a laugh.
His shield spun in his hand, and in one fluid motion, he delivered a monstrous backhand. The giant chameleon was hurled against a rock wall, smashing into it hard before dissolving into shadow, defeated.
But the second Stalker countered. Two fiery, crackling orbs shot through the air toward Luffy.
"Shit!" he grunted, crossing his shield just in time. The impact pushed him back a few steps, his sandals skidding across the damp ground.
Taking advantage of the opening, I concentrated heat into my palm, summoning a powerful spell.
"Katon: Great Fireball—"(Author's Note: Just kidding.)"Blaze!!"
A massive sphere of fire rose above my head before plummeting onto the enemy with a hellish whistle. The explosion was brutal, flames engulfing the creature in a blazing inferno. When the light faded, there was nothing left.
A deep silence fell. Every last Heartless in the dungeon… was defeated. I used the calm to quickly heal myself.
Then I approached the great male gorilla—the one who had fought so fiercely. His broad shoulders sagged. Though still standing, his body was streaked with shifting black patches, like tendrils of darkness threading slowly through his veins.
I extended my hand, casting a gentle healing spell. A soft green light wrapped around his wounds, closing them tenderly… but the dark streaks remained, as if they weren't physical.
Nami hurried over, worry in her eyes."Jordan… what's going on? He should be healed, right?"
I gestured for her to stay back, frowning."No… this isn't a normal injury. It's something deeper. Something… rooted."
Then, the dark marks stirred, twisting into serpent-like tendrils. The gorilla let out a grunt of alarm, struggling with all his strength as a shadowy puddle formed beneath him, dragging him down. He pounded the ground, clawing at the stone, but the darkness pulled harder.
"Hold on!" I shouted, shifting into my gorilla form and grabbing his powerful arms. My muscles strained as I fought the pull of the dark portal.
But suddenly, the tendrils lashed into my forearms, a freezing pain shooting up my nerves. The shadows resonated with something inside me, opening a similar puddle beneath my own feet.
Then, a soft light burst from my chest. Was it Belmére's? Or Jerry's? I didn't know… But it pushed back the darkness just enough to free me and make the portal beneath me vanish.
I gritted my teeth, but the pain forced me to release my grip, and the gorilla was dragged into the shadows, screaming, until he vanished entirely. The dark pool sealed shut as if it had never been there.
Behind me, silence reigned.
A luminous portal slowly opened at the center of the clearing. The surviving gorillas limped toward it cautiously, wounded but freed. One by one, they stepped inside.
But a young gorilla, smaller than the rest, paused at the portal's threshold. He turned to me, his eyes glistening. He didn't look scared—just… sad.
"Save Kerchak. Free him from the darkness."
The words echoed in my mind. He had spoken in his own tongue… yet I understood him perfectly. Thanks to the bond between my Heartless gorilla form and their kind.
I gently knelt, placing a hand over my heart."I promise. I'll bring Kerchak back," I said, thinking of the despair I'd seen in the great gorilla's eyes as he was swallowed.
The little gorilla gave a shy but sincere smile. He approached slowly, his gaze full of touching intelligence.
"My name is Tokina… but my friends call me Tok. Thank you, friend of the gorillas."
I knelt lower to meet his height. He reached out a small hand, and I gently clasped it in mine, moved by the warmth he radiated despite his size. Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the glowing portal waiting in the clearing. He glanced back one last time and gave me a small wave… before vanishing into the golden light.
Silence fell around me. I stood frozen for a moment, staring at the spot where he had vanished. Then, slowly, I reverted to my human form. My body cracked slightly, releasing the built-up tension.
Luffy and Nami immediately regrouped around me. Luffy placed a firm hand on my shoulder, his expression unusually serious."What happened, Jordan?" he asked, concern tinging his voice."It looked like those black things… were hurting you. Like you were about to be pulled into that shadow puddle."
I took a deep breath, my arms hanging limply at my sides."I was careless…" I murmured, lowering my gaze."I thought I could gather power without paying the price."
I straightened a bit, locking eyes with Luffy, then Nami."You see… when I turn bad people directly into Heartless, I seem to absorb part of their power. I thought it was raw energy… but it's actually infected. Corrupted by the darkness in their hearts."
I placed a hand on my chest, where I had felt that chilling sting."If Belmére or Jerry's father hadn't given me a part of their light… I probably would've fallen. Just like that. Like some rookie who doesn't understand the risks of playing with darkness."
Nami stepped forward and, without a word, gently wrapped her arms around me. Her forehead rested against my chest, and I felt her arms tighten, calm and reassuring."You're not stupid… just a bit impulsive. And that gift… it really helps, you know?" she whispered."I never told you, but… Belmére is still with us. With me and Nojiko. Sometimes she speaks to us… or just soothes us."
She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with a soft smile, then continued with a flicker of pride in her voice:"You can become strong, Jordan. Really strong. You don't have to rush. You already have access to all the Heartless abilities from the dungeons. And that… that's already more than most Devil Fruit users could ever dream of."
I smiled, touched by her words. I was about to thank her, but her expression suddenly changed. It became colder, more threatening, and she slowly raised her fist, a spark of lightning flickering in her eyes."However…" she said in a chilling voice,"Don't you dare use that invisibility ability to spy on me in the shower. I swear I'll hit you right there until you pass out!"
I stared at her wide-eyed, a phantom shiver running down my spine."But… I hadn't even thought about that!" I said, genuinely stunned.
She immediately blushed, realizing what she had just implied. She looked away, flustered."Tch… That's not what I meant!"
I raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin forming at the corner of my mouth."You know… maybe you're the twisted one after all."
She gave me a playful punch on the shoulder, trying to hide her embarrassment.
(Author's note: Nope, he's not a man of culture—sorry! He's pure.)
Suddenly, a message appeared in my mind:
• Luffy has acquired the skill Parry (When the shield is perfectly placed, it nullifies all damage to the user).• Luffy gains Fang of the Beast (Slightly increases learning, attack, and defense).• Nami obtains Munny Pouch (Allows you to earn munnies during dungeons and exchange them for items in Huey, Dewey, and Louie's shop).• Jordan earns: 400 Coastal Primates, 400 Mischievous Primates, 100 Patrolling Primates, 400 Green Requiems, and 2 Stealths.• Attribute gained: Physical Traits of Sabor (Normal Mode).• You've unlocked: Deep Jungle – Hard Mode.
Back on Heartless Island, the moment our feet touched the beach, Nami's reward literally burst from her hands in a flash of light. The golden item dropped to the ground with a metallic chime. She immediately bent down to pick it up… but her hand passed right through it.
"What?!" she growled, frowning as she tried again, still failing."What kind of joke is this?"
I crouched beside her, examining the object. It looked like a small leather pouch, marked with a strange symbol that shimmered faintly.
"Looks like it acts like a passive accessory… probably tied to a shop we haven't discovered yet," I said, placing a hand on my chin, thoughtful."If you want, I can hold onto it for now. Since I take part in all the dungeons, I'll probably rack up more munnies than you."
She shot me a quick glance, then shrugged with a mildly annoyed pout."Do what you want. But if there's shopping involved, I want my share."
I smiled and took the pouch, sliding it into one of my pockets. It vanished like magic, absorbed into my personal inventory.
Luffy walked up, arms crossed behind his head."Hey Jordan… now that you've got the beast's strength, don't you think it'd be worth running this dungeon over and over to get even stronger?"
I had already considered that. I nodded thoughtfully."That won't work… I think only the very first time counts. When I discreetly triggered easy mode, I canceled the transfer before it completed—I just wanted to test it. The message only mentioned Heartless, not Sabor. When we jumped straight into normal mode right after, I got the attribute. That confirmed my theory."
Luffy nodded, then stretched like a cat."Alright. So how about we rest up before tackling hard mode? We're not jumping in right now, are we?"
I let out a small laugh."No, we'll wait until tomorrow. A good night's sleep won't hurt… especially if this mode is even more intense than the last. I also think we need to reshuffle the team to see who's best suited for this dungeon."
Luffy threw his fist into the air enthusiastically."Awesome! One night's rest, and then it's jungle hardcore time!"
Nami, meanwhile, muttered something about hiking boots and monkey repellent before turning on her heel.
(Author's note: That's it for this chapter. The next one will likely cover the hard mode before moving forward with my East Blue storyline. Here's the image of Kerchak before the corruption.)