They had thought they were in a unique cave at the bottom of the sea, never imagining they were inside a super-giant crab that was constantly moving.
After the shock, various worries followed.
How to get out of here?
How to get to the Dark Continent?
These concerns seemed like unsolvable dead ends for now. Fortunately, they had encountered the gentle-natured Bruna, who could help them understand the situation here.
Bruna's green glow floated ahead as Law and the others followed closely.
Tonpa kept his Nen Ability active, reporting the situation behind them as they hurried along. The large number of parasites were closely pursuing them.
The journey was silent, with only the sound of their footsteps and steady breathing echoing in the vast darkness.
Ten minutes later, a light appeared ahead.
"We're almost there. That's my tribe's settlement, an area the parasites cannot cross." Bruna's voice echoed in Law's mind.
"What exactly are the parasites?" Law asked.
"They are the Rock Island Crab's scavengers, responsible for filtering everything the crab swallows." Bruna explained.
"Filtering?" Law was puzzled.
Bruna fell silent for a moment before replying, "They devour the useless and deliver the useful to the Rock Island Crab. That's filtering."
"So, these parasites serve the Rock Island Crab? What about your Buru Tribe?" Law said.
"We are residents." Bruna's tone carried a slight fluctuation.
Law detected the unusual tone and wisely avoided pressing further.
They passed through the white light and arrived at a place resembling a lake island within a cave. The island was covered with residential areas built from shells of various colors.
The water beneath the lake island emitted a bright white light, as if many incandescent bulbs were installed below, illuminating the entire cave.
The white light reflected off the shell houses, projecting colorful orbs of light onto the cave ceiling, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
There were four straight stone bridges leading to the lake island, one at each cardinal direction. The path Law and the others had taken through the white light was the entrance to one of these stone bridges.
Law, Biscuit, Tonpa, and Kuro stared in awe at the stunning scenery ahead. They could see jellyfish-like Buru Tribe's members floating around the shell residential area, resembling teru teru bozu.
"This is our settlement. The parasites cannot enter." Bruna explained, then turned to look back at the flat rocky area outside the entrance. In the darkness ahead, countless pairs of crimson eyes emerged.
Law and the others reluctantly tore their gazes from the shell residential area and also turned to look back. They also saw the countless pairs of cold eyes emerging from the darkness.
The slightly dazzling white light from the Buru Tribe's settlement passed through the entrance, falling on the ground hundreds of meters away.
At the edge of the light, clawed webbed toes appeared and disappeared intermittently.
Law fell silent for a moment, then suddenly aimed his flashlight toward the darkness. The beam shot straight out, landing on the numerous shadows.
The flashlight's light acted like sulfuric acid, startling the parasites hidden in the darkness into scattering. However, in that brief moment, Law clearly saw the parasites' true forms.
Their bodies were pale green, built like tigers, with fish heads on their necks and mouths full of crisscrossed sharp teeth.
Their limbs were sturdy, with webbed feet but three pitch-black claws. They had two fins on their sides and tails over a meter long.
In that hurried glance, Law also noticed that the parasites had another mouth on their chests, which is also filled with sharp teeth.
Perhaps realizing they couldn't filter these outsiders, the parasites slowly retreated into the depths of the darkness. The countless pairs of crimson eyes gradually diminished.
Soon, no crimson eyes were visible within sight. Tonpa suppressed his fear and whispered, "They're gone."
Law silently put away the flashlight, turned it off, and stuffed it into Kuro's mouth.
'Those parasites resembled fish with limbs, capable of moving swiftly on flat ground. They looked ferocious and had two mouths.'
'Both the parasites and the Buru Tribe likely belonged to the magical beast race.'
According to ancient texts, the magical beasts of the Six Continents, like humans, originated from the Dark Continent. However, since humans occupied the top of the food chain on the Six Continents, magical beasts there were constantly restrained by humans.
It could be said that for magical beast races with intelligence comparable to humans to survive on the Six Continents, they had to abide by the rules.
In contrast, the Dark Sea and Dark Continent were different. Here, magical beast races flourished, while humans were absolutely disadvantaged.
"Are the parasites afraid of light?" Law glanced at the bright white light emanating from the lake bottom, then turned to Bruna.
"Accurately speaking, it's strong light." Bruna replied.
"Strong light..."
Law looked at the glow on Bruna's body, 'It was soft and couldn't be considered strong light, so it probably couldn't repel the parasites.;
Thinking this, he asked, "I saw the parasites' appearance. Forgive my bluntness, but with your abilities, you probably aren't a match for even one parasite. So why did you take the risk to go to that area?"
In his view, Bruna was too fragile, and since the lake island was a safe zone, why would she venture into areas active with parasites? Perhaps she had a purpose?
"Yes, I'm no match for the parasites. I could even become their food. But my tribe needs to maintain the energy source for the white light, and that energy can only be obtained from sea creatures. So, whenever the Rock Island Crab feeds, my tribe must retrieve the energy before the parasites mobilize."
Bruna slowly turned her body, looking toward the white light at the bottom of the lake, worried, "Without sufficient energy, the luminous algae will lose their light. Without light, my tribe will be eliminated by the parasites."
"What kind of energy?" Law asked curiously.
Aside from the Rock Island Crab and the parasites, everything they had encountered since entering this place was incredibly novel.
Bruna thought for a moment, then extended her soft tentacles, simulating the shape of a crystal, "It's something like this. It can be found in the main organs of sea creatures."
Biscuit and Tonpa couldn't hear the communication between Law and Bruna in their minds, but they recognized the item Bruna was simulating… it was the crystal obtained from the siren's corpse.
Law watched Bruna's simulation and suddenly pulled Kuro over, taking a Life Crystal from his space.
When Bruna saw the Life Crystal in Law's hand, her body suddenly radiated colorful, radiant light, representing happiness and excitement.
"That's it."
She spun in the air a few times, resembling an elegant ballet dancer, then pleaded, "Could you gift this energy to my tribe?"
"Of course, no problem." Law replied without hesitation.
Hearing this, the colorful glow on Bruna's body became even more vibrant.
"Thank you so much!"
Bruna accepted the Life Crystal from Law's hand with a devout attitude, treating it with utmost gentleness.
It was the foundation of their survival, the sacred item that maintained their sanctuary.
Just then, the members of the Buru Tribe moving about in the shell residential area on the lake island seemed drawn by the Life Crystal, floating over one after another.
Bruna held up the Life Crystal, welcoming her fellow tribe members. Instantly, all the Buru Tribe's members also radiated colorful, radiant light, like countless interwoven rainbows, breathtakingly beautiful.
Law couldn't resist taking out his phone and capturing this rare scene.