The moment the ruler was pinned under Law's foot, the outcome was already decided.
Being ridden by a human shattered the ruler's image into ruins, and the loss of his limbs was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
The ruler could have used time to heal, waiting for new limbs to regenerate. Unfortunately, he had no time to spare.
He had clearly seen the door to a new world, even cracked it open. Had he not died, he might have advanced further on the path of evolution one day. But there were no 'ifs'.
Using his God Hand's Ability, Law cut open the Rock Island Crab's drainage outlet. After exiting, he sealed the cut section back, leaving the crab completely unfazed.
Even if the target of God Hand could feel pain, the Rock Island Crab would have shown no reaction, as the sensation would have been dozens of times weaker than a mosquito bite.
Finally, they had truly set foot on the Dark Continent.
There was no time to take in the full sight of the Rock Island Crab. Standing on a cliff-like rock where the drainage outlet emerged, their eyes were drawn to the scene before them.
First, they saw an orange-red sky, with fiery clouds motionless at the horizon. The lingering glow of the sunset still held vivid colors.
It was the same sky they had seen from the Six Continents… ordinary, yet the land beneath it was anything but.
Looking down from their elevated position, the blood-red rocky plain stretched unobstructed to the distant horizon, a crimson line whose vastness was unimaginable.
Despite being on high ground, there was no wind, nor any sand dancing across the scarlet earth.
On that flat, crimson land, only one type of thing stood out: widely spaced giant blood-red trees.
Their trunks exceeded a hundred meters in diameter, their color matching the earth… a deep, bloody red.
The trees varied in height, some reaching hundreds of meters, others dozens. The trunks extended into canopies, with branches spreading like human veins, each adorned with maple-leaf-shaped blood-red leaves.
The lushness suggested full, spherical canopies, yet each tree's crown was only a hemisphere, as if a giant pair of scissors wielded by nature had sheared off the top half.
Smooth and flawless… that was the most fitting description for the canopy surfaces, much like the ground beneath their feet.
Standing on the rocky cliff, everyone gazed at the land before them, speechless in awe.
Bruna's eyes were deeply immersed in the wondrous scenery of sky and earth.
During the weeks of waiting, Law had intended to send Bruna back to her settlement. But she had apologized in advance and declared that when she chose to be their guide, she had no plans to return.
She wanted to follow Law, leave the Rock Island Crab, and venture into the outside world.
She refused to be born inside the Rock Island Crab and die inside it. She wanted to see with her own eyes the landscapes and environments her ancestors had once experienced. Thus, she left the crab alongside Law.
Even if it meant death, she would have no regrets.
That was Bruna's resolute stance.
Initially, Law felt the Dark Continent was too dangerous and wanted to refuse Bruna's request. But in the end, he yielded to her determination.
Orange-red sky, crimson earth, windless and silent.
Click!
The faint sound of a phone camera startled Biscuit and Tonpa. Law had used his ultra-long-lasting, solar-powered phone to take a picture of the scene.
"Where exactly is this?" Tonpa asked, feeling utterly defeated as he regained his senses.
Having participated in dozens of Hunter Exams, his mind was filled with knowledge of magical realms, yet none could compare to the vast crimson land before him.
Poor Tonpa, even after landing, he still didn't know they were on the Dark Continent and had almost zero understanding of it.
"This is the coastline of the Dark Continent."
This time, Law finally revealed the name of their location. Behind them, the faint sound of ocean waves could still be heard.
'Dark Continent?'
Tonpa was utterly confused.
Law offered no further explanation. He looked at the colorful photo in his phone's album, regretting the lack of signal. Otherwise, he could have shared several pictures with his friends.
"This isn't the highest point. Let's go to the Rock Island Crab's back."
Law put away his phone, grabbing Tonpa by the collar with one hand and extending the other to Biscuit.
Tonpa shrunk his neck, feeling the inequality of treatment as he watched Law offer his hand to Biscuit with gentlemanly grace.
Biscuit placed her hand in Law's and said, "We should find a resting place before sunset."
Law smiled and said, "I know."
As soon as he spoke, Law lifted the two, with Bruna clinging to his shoulder, and stepped into the air, ascending toward the Rock Island Crab's back.
The full extent of the Rock Island Crab's size was still unclear. After exiting the drainage outlet, they saw that its surface was covered with hard rocks adorned with corals and shells.
Despite its absurdly large size, since it was classified as a crab, its body was flat, so its height shouldn't be too great.
Soon, Law stepped through the air and reached the Rock Island Crab's back. It resembled an island exposed at low tide, covered with countless corals and shells, as well as numerous dried-up sea worms.
The Rock Island Crab seemed to have a habit of sunbathing, periodically coming ashore to bask in the sun. This was unfortunate for the marine life attached to its back, as they were baked to death by the sun.
This was the coastline, but there were no sandy beaches. From where the seawater touched, it was already crimson rocky ground.
As Law's group reached the crab's back, their field of view expanded. Behind them was the endless ocean, and before them was the vast, flat land, creating a unique sensory experience.
"So beautiful."
Bruna's gentle voice echoed in Law's consciousness.
Turning his head, he saw Bruna gazing at the sunset, half-submerged in the sea. The sky and ocean were dyed the same hue by the lingering glow, deep red like a glass of wine.
Truly boundless and vast!
Everyone immersed themselves in the scenery of the setting sun. As the sky darkened, they realized it was time to leave.
Without lingering, Law brought everyone down to the ground. Looking back at the Rock Island Crab, it resembled a towering mountain whose peak was lost in the clouds.
The Rock Island Crab was a dominant-level creature in the ocean and also stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid on land.
Its body was covered in rock, and it possessed super-sized pincers that seemed capable of snipping any life form.
It could lie here quietly for days or even weeks, and no creature would dare provoke it.
However, the crimson rocky land was too quiet. In the far distance, aside from the strange giant trees, no other life could be seen.
Puzzled, Law and the others headed toward the nearest tree after landing. They planned to spend the night there.
After moving several kilometers away from the Rock Island Crab, only the last traces of the sunset remained on the horizon. On the other side, a bright moon cast silver light across the land.
Even from this distance, looking back at the Rock Island Crab, its top was still invisible. Its true size was unimaginable.
The journey toward the tree was as calm as water, uneventful. Even so, Law had Tonpa maintain his Nen Ability.
"There's movement underground." Tonpa's expression suddenly changed.
"Be more specific." Law and Biscuit immediately entered a state of alert.
"There are a lot of them, toward the surface. They're very close to us!" Tonpa instinctively moved closer to Law and Biscuit.