By the time they finally broke free from the storm's epicenter, everyone, including General Kuchiel, was utterly exhausted. The fleet had sustained severe damage.
"Damage report on all supplies!" Kuchiel's aged face, marked by two eyebrows as stark and straight as horizontal swords, was deeply furrowed. He turned and barked the order at the crew members behind him.
The storm had caused extensive direct and indirect losses to their provisions and equipment. The damage was grievous. Fortunately, the Black-Red Warship itself had not suffered critical harm and remained seaworthy.
The fleet anchored near a deserted island. Darkness had fallen, and compounded by their current state of exhaustion, they had no choice but to make a temporary stop to rest and regroup.
Deep in the night, Wilder put down the Den Den Mushi, his mind troubled. Kuchiel had just finished relaying the full extent of what had happened. Wilder hadn't anticipated such a heavy blow merely upon entering the New World. By comparison, his own initial foray into these waters now seemed remarkably "gentle."
The following day, however, brought a piece of good news, relayed by Korosar.
"Boss, we have acquired initial tracking data on the flagship of Germa 66's Vinsmoke Judge."
A faint smile touched Wilder's lips. Suppressing the turmoil of emotions within him, he calmly issued his directive: "Intensify surveillance. Do not lose them."
Meanwhile, aboard the Germa 66 flagship, Vinsmoke Judge and his contingent of artificial human forces were in the midst of subjugating a nation. The island was engulfed in smoke and flames. The cacophony of battle, the agonized screams of the dying, and the terrified cries of children pierced the sky.
Vinsmoke Judge sat upon a regal high-backed chair, perched atop the ramparts of the Great Snail fortress, gazing down at the inferno consuming the island below, his face devoid of any discernible emotion.
A soldierly figure wearing sunglasses approached him from behind. "Clan Head, we've just received a report from our peripheral surveillance units. Luoya's ship, en route to deliver the tribute, suddenly exploded. The entire vessel was annihilated, including the 'tribute' itself. All personnel on board are confirmed deceased."
As Judge listened to this report, his hand resting on the fortress wall tightened its grip, yet his expression remained impassive. His voice was deep and steady as he spoke without turning his head, "Have you determined who is responsible?"
"It is highly probable, yes."
"Who?"
"The Warlord of the Sea—Lucifer Wilder!" The soldier bowed his head, adjusting his sunglasses with one hand, his tone remaining preternaturally flat. "Additionally… we have successfully tracked the movements of the 'traitor' Jesse, as well as Wilder's science team. The design for the machine guns likely originated from them."
Upon hearing this, Vinsmoke Judge's serene gaze remained fixed on the blazing island. The evening wind rustled through his golden hair, causing it to sway, but his face betrayed no emotion.
After a long silence, a firm, resolute voice finally broke the stillness: "Capture them."
He turned and began to walk towards the interior of the castle, his wild golden hair flaring as if stirred by an unfelt wind. A cold, cruel smile twisted his lips. "A Warlord of the Sea… hardly worthy of the main stage."
As his figure began to meld into the shadows of the castle, his voice drifted back, "Those little rats can be put in a cage."
"Yes, sir."
…
Two days later, Wilder was engaged in physical training within his courtyard. The fleet carrying the Senior Executives from the East Blue was on the verge of entering the New World. A call came in from Kuchiel.
The moment the connection was established, Kuchiel's voice, fraught with self-reproach and anxiety, relayed news that made Wilder's expression shift drastically. The air around him instantly grew frigid.
Kui, who had been meditating nearby with her eyes closed, and Karai, who was idly passing the time, both felt a sudden chill. They exchanged uneasy glances, instinctively knowing that something major had occurred.
"Boss, Jesse… has disappeared."
At these words, the aura emanating from Wilder became incredibly icy. His face was a mask of extreme calm, yet the killing intent radiating from him grew more potent with each passing second.
"What about the others?" Wilder's voice was devoid of any inflection; he was exerting all his willpower to control his emotions.
"The others are unharmed."
"It seems they had planned this for a long time. This morning, Jesse mentioned he was going to relieve himself and never returned. The guards assigned to protect him were found unconscious."
Wilder asked no further questions. He already knew who was responsible. His eyes cold, he issued his command: "Remain at your current position. Wait for the other units to rendezvous!"
"Yes, sir!" Kuchiel responded with grim determination from the other end. He knew that although Wilder hadn't explicitly said so, the responsibility for this incident lay with him. Therefore, the time had come to atone for this failure.
Wilder disconnected the call with Kuchiel. He was about to dial Korosar when his Den Den Mushi rang first—it was Korosar.
Ashin's voice, usually steady, carried an uncharacteristic tremor. "Boss, we just received a message from one of Korosar's subordinates. The Monitoring Unit led by Korosar was ambushed by Germa 66. They were overwhelmed and captured. This report came from a member of his unit's 'Unceasing' squad…"
The Unceasing Squad was a specialized stay-behind team within the Monitoring Unit. Its members were not fixed but were designated on a per-mission basis, with a few individuals always tasked to remain concealed as a failsafe. Their purpose was to act as informants if the main Monitoring Unit was compromised.
"Gulp!" A vein throbbed visibly on Wilder's temple.
"I understand." Wilder's face was a dark mask of fury as he hung up after giving his orders. "Have them lock onto the enemy's movements. Also, relay this information to the two reinforcing Monitoring Unit teams. Instruct them to proceed to the location immediately!"
"Germa 66…!"
This time, Wilder was truly enraged. After ending the call, he threw on his greatcloak. His face expressionless, he strode out of the courtyard without uttering a single word.
Kui and Karai exchanged grave looks. After a brief pause, they followed him out.
Soon, the ten Senior Executives, on the cusp of entering the New World, received new directives from Wilder.
Aboard the Black-Red Warship, Vice held the Den Den Mushi he had just disconnected, his face grim. He turned to the others on deck. "New orders from the boss! Full speed ahead to the coordinates of the deserted island to rendezvous with that old geezer Kuchiel! Either we wait for the boss, or he waits for us! Of course," he added with a dark chuckle, "if you don't want to die, you'll choose the latter option!"
"Also! Munitions Department, get those newly developed special cannonballs equipped, damn it! This will be a perfect opportunity for some target practice! Let's screw them over!"
"OOOH!" A chorus of excited roars erupted from the surrounding ships, fists pumping in the air.
The Officer Factory—now evolved into the Munitions Department—had recently developed a new type of cannonball that far surpassed existing munitions in range, rate of fire, and destructive power. Naturally, the cannons themselves had also been upgraded to fully utilize the potential of this new ordnance. This development had solidified the Munitions Department as another indispensable branch of Wilder's growing power structure.
The fleet, a grand and imposing armada, no longer made any attempt to conceal its movements. With the Black-Red Warship at its head, flanked by ten escort warships, they traversed the underwater route, all vessels making haste towards the New World. Of course, according to their original plan, there was no real need for stealth once they were submerged, as long as they didn't deliberately cause a major incident.
This time, however… it seemed a major incident was unavoidable.
Unbeknownst to most, two unseen, powerful undercurrents were silently brewing and converging in the treacherous waters of the New World.
…
Elsewhere, after leaving the courtyard, Wilder boarded a ship provided by the Red Leaf Company and set a direct course for the deserted island where Kuchiel and his men were regrouping.
Throughout the journey, his mind was racing. It was only now that Wilder finally understood Germa 66's initial objective. Karai had said that the only things capable of attracting Germa 66's covetous attention were related to science or war. Now, combined with the news of Jesse's capture, the answer was glaringly obvious.
The most renowned creation of Wilder's forces, the one thing that had caused a significant stir across the seas, was the weapon that had swept through the East Blue—the machine gun!
Therefore, their objective was twofold: it was about science, and it was about war!
"Truly… they are unafraid of death!" Wilder's tone turned sinister, a laugh born of extreme anger escaping his lips. This time, he would make Germa 66 pay a heavy price. Even if… even if it meant exposing his own movements, it no longer mattered!
"Speaking of which, Vinsmoke Judge… you've truly presented me with a magnificent gift this time!"
The report from the Monitoring Unit had also contained another crucial piece of information: the country Vinsmoke Judge was currently attacking was located within the Calm Belt. And that island—more accurately described as a nation—matched Wilder's requirements for a base of operations perfectly! It was a collapsing kingdom, plagued by incessant civil war. The World Government wouldn't intervene in the affairs of such a nation. As long as the royal line remained unsettled, Wilder could seize control with complete legitimacy! Once it fell into his hands, even the World Government would be forced to acknowledge his claim.
Furthermore, the island was immense, comparable in size to Alabasta.
Its drawbacks, however, were significant: the land was predominantly wetlands and volcanic terrain, teeming with poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts. Edible resources were scarce. The vegetation consisted mainly of grasslands, with only a few resource-rich, forested areas—hardly enough to drive development across such a vast territory. Its location within the Calm Belt also meant that virtually no outside ships could reach it. Developing such a landmass through self-reliance would require considerable strength.
However, these were merely obstacles for others. For Wilder, this environment presented more advantages than disadvantages; it could even be said to offer a natural strategic edge. As for development… with the experience gained from Fish Scale Island, Wilder had no concerns on that front.
The only slight complication was that the kingdom in question paid protection money to Big Mom.
Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors!
However, due to the ongoing war, the populace couldn't even guarantee their own sustenance or safety; lives were constantly at risk. When faced with death, what fear could Big Mom possibly inspire? Thus, the matter of protection fees had become moot. Big Mom was undoubtedly aware of this and was no fool. In such a situation, maintaining a nominal claim was sufficient. To fly into a rage and slaughter the island's inhabitants would be a counterproductive and ultimately fruitless endeavor. Conversely, if the war were to end and stability returned to the island, the ruling royalty, whether to secure their hard-won position or for other reasons, would not dare to withhold Big Mom's dues.
As for the potential threat from Big Mom after he took control of the island, Wilder already had a few ideas. Marines, Warlords, Emperors—if one were to discuss the closest relationships among these three factions, it would undoubtedly be between the Marines and the Warlords. So, if the Marines wished to inconvenience one of the Emperors… and if a Warlord just so happened to be willing to be the one to stick their neck out… Wilder felt that, given his "friendly relationship" with Kizaru, it was certainly a matter worth discussing.
"However, it's too early to dwell on such things now. No one can predict how events will unfold or what direction they will ultimately take."
Therefore, it was best to focus on resolving the immediate crisis.
The ship sliced through the waves, steadily heading towards its destination. Kui and Karai stood silently behind Wilder.
Wilder gazed at the distant sea, his expression having regained its composure. "Speak, you two. Tell me everything you know about Germa 66."
The two then began to recount all the information they possessed regarding Germa 66. In summary, Kui was more knowledgeable about their clandestine affairs and historical secrets, but she knew next to nothing about their recent activities. Karai, on the other hand, had a better understanding of Germa 66's recent movements, including their frequent operational areas and several key supply points—details he knew with surprising clarity. This was an unexpected boon for Wilder. He hadn't held out much hope, but Karai had provided a welcome surprise. This information would be invaluable if a prolonged war with Germa 66 became inevitable.
"You've done well," Wilder acknowledged Karai in a timely manner.
Karai rolled his eyes with extreme exasperation. Such words meant little to him. If his life weren't currently hanging by a thread in Wilder's hands, he wouldn't have divulged nearly as much.
Kui, throughout the exchange, answered when questioned and otherwise stood silently to the side, almost like a robot.
"How strong are you two?"
The voyage wasn't spent merely standing still. Wilder wasn't one to lose his composure at the first sign of provocation or threat. Apart from his initial, uncontrollable display of anger that made him seem unapproachable, now that he understood the situation hadn't reached its absolute worst, he had managed to somewhat suppress his inner turmoil. Outwardly, at least, he appeared calm once more.
Seated on the deck, Wilder poured himself a glass of red wine and posed the question to Kui and Karai, who stood before him.
Truthfully, Wilder had never witnessed the true extent of either of their abilities. Karai, from their first encounter, had been preoccupied with fleeing for his life, ultimately losing even the chance to escape properly, never even attempting a counterattack. Thus, Wilder had no measure of his strength. Kui, on the other hand, had been caught at a severe disadvantage from the outset; her fate sealed by the explosion. She'd had no opportunity to display her capabilities before being incapacitated.
So, Wilder was curious. More importantly, however, if neither of them possessed strength that met his standards, he would have to seriously consider their future roles or whether to retain them at all.
Kui remained silent for a moment, apparently in deep thought.
After a while, she suddenly pointed a finger at Karai and declared, with astonishing seriousness, "I can kick that idiot into uselessness with one foot."
"Hey! Make yourself clear! Who are you calling an idiot, you half-finished woman!" Karai exploded in a fit of rage, his eyes practically bulging from their sockets.
"Like this…" Kui didn't even spare him a glance. She simply lifted her foot.
POW!! Karai went flying as if he'd been struck by a large ship!
Unconsciously, the two had begun to bicker. Meanwhile, the ship continued its journey, gradually drawing closer to its target sea area. By evening, a small, deserted island appeared on the horizon.