Wilder leaned back against the sofa, one leg casually crossed over the other. He favored this relaxed posture. In his hand, he held the Den Den Mushi he had just disconnected, already dialing another number.
"General Kuchiel."
Kuchiel was one of the twelve executive members Wilder had personally recruited—a general who carried a massive war blade. He had secured first place in the last Grand Martial Arts Competition, becoming the first among them to be promoted to the rank of Senior Executive.
"Boss," a deep voice rumbled from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Wilder got straight to the point. "Take your Transport Unit and escort the science team, led by Jesse, to the New World."
"Understood," Kuchiel's voice replied, steady with a hint of aged gravel.
…
The following day, Korosar and the Monitoring Unit collected a vast amount of intelligence data from Dana and promptly departed. The tasks Wilder had assigned them were considerable, and they were acutely aware of the tight schedule. Thus, after obtaining the necessary information, they wasted no time and hurried off to begin their mission.
Wilder, meanwhile, took Dana to an uninhabited area in the island's back mountains. His purpose, naturally, was to assess Dana's capabilities—to see what she was truly made of.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready." Dana had changed into combat attire, her expression serious.
"Then let's begin. Attack me with your full strength, using any means at your disposal. If you can touch this copper bell in my hand, you'll have passed my assessment." Wilder couldn't be bothered to devise a complex test, opting instead to directly borrow a familiar trope from an anime he had watched in his past life.
Dana nodded and, to Wilder's intrigue, her body began to secrete mucus.
"Hmm?" Wilder raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued.
"Hmph!" Seeing Wilder's expression, Dana felt a spark of defiance. Her eyebrows arched, and with her arms spread back, she dashed towards Wilder with surprising speed!
"Her speed is average," Wilder mused internally. "Is the mucus she's trailing from her hands intended to entangle me? There's some thought behind it, but its practical application is largely theoretical, looking good on paper but ineffective in reality. Just like this…"
By now, Dana had reached Wilder. With her arms wide, she flung them forward. The sticky liquid shot out as two tendrils, crisscrossing as they lashed towards Wilder's body!
"Just like this…"
As Wilder's thought concluded, his body suddenly dropped low. Bracing himself with one hand on the ground, he swept his other leg upwards in a powerful arc. Dana, positioned directly above him at that moment, was struck cleanly by the kick!
"Oof!" Dana's face contorted in a pained grunt. She was sent flying from mid-air, crashing heavily onto the ground some distance away.
The mucus sailed over Wilder's head and struck a nearby tree, tangling its leaves into a messy clump.
"Ah… my apologies. I forgot for a moment; I'm not supposed to attack," Wilder said, his flat tone making Dana's teeth ache with suppressed annoyance. If she weren't acutely aware that she couldn't beat him, she would have loved to scratch that impassive face of his.
"Again!"
Wilder genuinely had forgotten. He was so accustomed to seizing every opportunity in a fight that a battle where he could only dodge or defend was a novel experience. He hadn't been able to adjust his mindset instantly.
This time, Wilder consciously restrained his urge to attack, allowing Dana to launch her offensive freely.
For a while, Wilder was treated to a display of Dana's various combat techniques.
"The mucus is decent. If it could actually hit someone…"
"You're too naive, Dana."
"Is that telegraphed attack posture meant to inform your enemy of your next move?"
"You're using the mucus incorrectly. Close the distance for your attacks. That will significantly increase the chances of adhesion, at least until your ranged abilities have matured."
Wilder offered his critique even as he deftly evaded Dana's attacks.
"Aaaargh! My mucus isn't just for entangling! Watch this!" Dana roared in frustration. The mucus now secreting from her hands dripped onto the ground, emitting wisps of white smoke and a distinct sizzling sound.
"Corrosive? A rather formidable ability," Wilder noted, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. "It seems you weren't taking this seriously before."
Dana said nothing more. Her high-heeled shoe tapped sharply on the ground. Swish! Her figure flashed, her speed now on a completely different level than at the start.
Swish!
When Dana reappeared, she was already behind Wilder. Her body, more pliant than an octopus, pressed close to him. If he allowed himself to be enveloped, the consequences would be dire. Even Wilder had no desire to experience such a fate.
"I'm attacking now," Wilder stated calmly, a clear warning to Dana.
"Bring it on," Dana's voice was filled with confidence at this moment. Her body was about to make contact with Wilder, a seductive smile unknowingly playing on her lips.
Wilder spun rapidly, lashing out with a powerful punch!
His fist didn't make physical contact with Dana's body; only the shockwave from the blow struck its target.
"Hehehe, that's useless, you know," Dana giggled. Though sent flying, she landed on her feet as if completely unharmed. The muscles all over her supple body seemed to have come alive, like countless individual organisms, slowly writhing and readjusting.
Wilder retracted his fist, a questioning look directed at Dana. By this point, he already acknowledged her strength, even if… her hand-to-hand combat skills were still sorely lacking.
"In this state, I can ignore any physical attack other than cutting, you see~," Dana said with a smile, gracefully walking closer to Wilder. "And even in my normal state, I can passively or actively nullify most physical attacks. Like… your first kick? It didn't really hurt me much at all."
"Because you're a mollusk?" Wilder conjectured, recalling the earlier scene.
Dana pressed herself against Wilder's chest, her body swaying and twisting, whether in provocation or seduction, it was hard to tell. "That's only part of it… The main reason is…"
"Do you want to know?" Dana tilted her head up, her beautiful eyes captivatingly fixed on Wilder, her fingers gently tracing his lips in a deliberately teasing manner.
"Believe me," Wilder said, his expression unreadable as he met her gaze, "besides punching, I am also quite adept at cutting. So, don't try to provoke me."
"…"
"Tch, boring." Dana abruptly pushed Wilder away, her demeanor turning serious. "Aside from being a mollusk, the most important factor is that I can shift myself into a state without internal organs."
"So, basically, I'm very difficult to injure—unless it's by cutting, of course."
"Also, I haven't even used all of my attack methods yet."
The ability to exist without internal organs was incredibly potent, Wilder mused. In some situations, it was even more outrageously powerful than a Logia's elemental intangibility.
"Let me see," Wilder said, suppressing the tremor of shock he felt, his outward demeanor remaining calm.
"Mm." Dana nodded obediently this time. "You should move further away. My primary attack method still relies on mucus."
Wilder complied, retreating to a safe distance.
Dana stood in the center of the clearing, placing her palm flat on the ground, her expression growing increasingly solemn.
"This is probably my most threatening and widest-ranging technique. However, I can't use it continuously, just as a slug's mucus supply eventually runs dry."
As Dana spoke, the ground beneath her palm began to darken, the discoloration slowly spreading outwards, much like water seeping into dry earth. The visible moisture on the ground only spread for a short distance around her palm before stopping; it wasn't the main effect.
The real show began the next second. A massive torrent of mucus erupted from beneath Dana's palm, surging outwards in all directions in a circular wave, like a flash flood.
Wherever it passed, a sizzling sound arose, accompanied by plumes of white smoke. Weeds in the path of the mucus instantly turned yellow and withered, eventually disintegrating into black ash that settled into the soil.
The inherent viscosity of the mucus didn't impede its flow; instead, it spread with a speed that surpassed even a true deluge.
In the blink of an eye, a twenty-meter radius around Dana had transformed into a glistening, slick zone, the mucus shimmering under the sunlight.
Dana stood up, her sensual red lips slightly parted as she panted heavily. It was evident that this technique had taken a significant toll on her stamina.
"Well? How was it?" Dana turned, her eyes fixed on Wilder, filled with expectation.
Wilder didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained on the slick, mucus-covered area for a long moment before he finally looked away.
"How many more times can you use a technique like that?"
Wilder's question elicited a somewhat dejected response from Dana. "At most… at most, one more time." She then looked at Wilder cautiously, her face etched with nervousness and anxiety. She didn't ask for much—only to prove her worth, to forever bind herself to Wilder's great endeavor, to advance as he advanced. That was all.
"Mm." Wilder nodded. He glanced at Dana, and a thought seemed to strike him. He reached out and playfully ruffled her hair, messing it up completely, a rare smile touching his lips. "Improve your stamina and your hand-to-hand combat skills. It looks like I'm about to gain another Senior Executive."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Dana stared blankly at Wilder's retreating back for a long moment…
"Mm!" A radiant smile gradually bloomed across her face.
…
"It's time to pay Kaneshiro a visit and resolve his issues," Wilder thought. "For now, the primary mission objectives have to be put on hold. Therefore, infiltrating the underworld will have to begin with Kaneshiro."
Having assessed Dana's abilities, Wilder felt considerably more reassured. This test, at the very least, had proven that Dana was more than capable of leading intelligence operations when he eventually established or expanded that department.
Now, it was time to prepare to set sail.
Wilder's plan was straightforward: after resolving Kaneshiro's troubles, he would systematically use the Red Leaf Company to make inroads into the underworld's network of profit. This initial contact would then transition into deeper infiltration. When the opportune moment arrived, he could begin constructing his own subterranean power base and network.
When that time came, conflict would be inevitable; the cycle of devouring and being devoured was a constant. A direct confrontation with Doflamingo's established underworld forces was unwise and likely unwinnable in the early stages. The initial goal was merely to secure a foothold, to make Doflamingo feel a certain level of threat yet actively choose to avoid direct conflict. Then, in a year or so, when Doflamingo inevitably fell, it would be Wilder's moment to step forward and "selflessly" take over Doflamingo's enterprises—to prop up the collapsing edifice, so to speak.
After sailing for over two days, Wilder arrived at the island home to the Red Leaf Company—an island shaped like two overlapping circles, known as Fan Island.
The island boasted a bustling, prosperous town. Wilder discreetly arranged a meeting with Kaneshiro.
In the quiet corner of a restaurant, they formulated a plan to transform the Red Leaf Company into Kaneshiro's—or more accurately, Wilder's—sole domain.
In the few days since their last encounter, Kaneshiro had become noticeably more careworn. He sat opposite Wilder, his demeanor deeply respectful, frequently raising his glass in toasts. Kaneshiro was visibly thrilled by Wilder's arrival, like… like a child seeing their father, a comforting sense of having powerful backing.
Wilder's first priority was naturally to learn about the majority shareholder of the Red Leaf Company, the man responsible for the murder of Kaneshiro's wife.
When this topic was broached, the hatred on Kaneshiro's face was impossible to conceal. His eyes were bloodshot, and he spoke in a tone that conveyed a desperate desire to flay his enemy alive and drink his blood. "His name is Luoya. He's the current public face, the boss, of the Red Leaf Company. He has two hundred thugs and three powerful bodyguards who protect him in shifts, twenty-four seven. Their names are… strange, just single characters: Kui, Dong, and Qi. They are my greatest obstacle in dealing with Luoya!"
Kaneshiro gritted his teeth at this point, his voice filled with unwilling frustration. "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, Boss, but I once actually made a move against Luoya. Of course, I didn't go myself. Looking back now, it was an impulsive decision."
"I knew everything about him. That day was Luoya's birthday. As was his custom, he would undoubtedly throw a lavish, ostentatious party, inviting nobles, magnates, and wealthy merchants from all corners—a grand celebration he practically wanted the entire world to witness. I knew him well; the party would be held at the most luxurious venue on Fan Island."
"I sensed an opportunity. I hired the most formidable assassin in this stretch of the sea, along with three hundred hired fighters, and had them lie in wait on Luoya's anticipated route."
"That assassin had once single-handedly overthrown the regime of an entire country. I had immense confidence in him."
"On that occasion, Luoya had two of his bodyguards with him, Qi and Dong. My plan was flawless, yet it ultimately failed."
Kaneshiro's fists clenched tightly, his voice turning dejected. "The three hundred fighters and that assassin… all of them were wiped out."
"Was it that Qi and Dong who did it?" Wilder interjected calmly. Hearing this much, he could already guess the outcome.
Kaneshiro nodded helplessly.
"How much do you know about those three bodyguards?" Wilder picked up his wine glass from the table, took a light sip, and asked casually.
"Among the three bodyguards, Kui is the strongest, followed by Qi and Dong. As for how exactly they came to be by Luoya's side and became his bodyguards, I've only heard rumors. Luoya seems to guard information about them very closely."
"I only heard that the three of them escaped from the same place."
"Escaped?" Wilder noted the specific choice of word.
"Correct." Kaneshiro nodded, a hint of contemplation and recollection in his voice. "Where exactly they escaped from, no one knows except Luoya and the three of them. At that time, Luoya and I were still the best of friends—or at least, that's what I believed back then."
"The Red Leaf Company had only recently been established. Luoya went on a sea voyage and returned from the coast with the three of them. They must have been exhausted after their escape and washed ashore. Luoya, who was preparing to set sail himself, happened to rescue them. Perhaps out of gratitude, the three of them became Luoya's bodyguards from then on."
Kaneshiro frowned at this point, a trace of hesitation in his voice as he continued, "I heard… that the three of them aren't normal people."
"Hmm?"
"They are more like…"