The news no longer needed to spread; it had already reached the Yonko, Big Mom.
When Cracker re-entered the castle with the newspaper in hand, his face heavy and nervous, Big Mom's blood-red eyes shot open. She saw the newspaper, and before Cracker could react, her massive hand snatched it away.
"Mama…!" Cold sweat trickled down Cracker's face.
"Gulp."
The temperature in the room plummeted. A shadow fell over Charlotte Linlin's face, and her blood-red eyes became even redder, terrifying veins spreading across the whites.
"LU… CI… FER… WIL… DER…!"
Her hand, clenching the newspaper, trembled violently. The entire castle seemed to shake. A terrifying aura radiated from her, filling Cracker's face with terror.
"ENRAGED ARMY!" A voice, suppressed with ultimate fury, escaped Big Mom's lips. Her eyes held nothing but boundless killing intent and rage.
She turned to Cracker, and her horrifying gaze made his heart skip a beat. Big Mom spoke coldly, "Cracker, I want you to lead the Enraged Army and take back Kanjirgis. And while you're at it… kill that brat!"
"Yes, Mama!"
...
Not long after, however, the seas erupted once more. After receiving another piece of news, the Yonko Big Mom's eyes widened to their absolute limit, shot through with blood vessels. Her killing intent erupted as she ground out the words, "Marines! Do you want to go to war with me?!"
[Marine Headquarters: Congratulations on the founding of the Kingdom of Morass. Our sincerest felicitations to its king, Lucifer Wilder!]
The meaning of this message was clear to many. For some unknown reason, the Marines and Wilder seemed to be completely on the same side. And they… were issuing a challenge to one of the Four Emperors, the Big Mom Pirates!
All eyes on the seas turned to the Kingdom of Morass and Big Mom's Whole Cake Island. Everyone wanted to know how the situation would develop and what action Big Mom would take. They were desperate for any news from either side.
And Big Mom had no intention of hiding her movements. Soon, a fleet set sail from Whole Cake Island, a massive, imposing force heading straight for the waters around the Kingdom of Morass.
Onboard were a horde of vicious-looking figures. The terrifying aura of the fleet sent shivers down the spines of anyone in its path.
"They're on the move! Big Mom has deployed her Enraged Army, led by one of the Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Cracker! Wilder is a dead man now!"
Once known, any movement on the seas spread like wildfire. Soon, everyone knew of Big Mom's actions.
The Enraged Army was on its way to crush Wilder.
At that moment, in the newly named Kingdom of Morass, Wilder, who had been sitting silently in the valley for another day, suddenly opened his eyes. The instant he did, all the swamp gas in the valley surged into his body. Then, more gas quickly gathered from the forest above, filling the void.
The corners of Wilder's mouth curled up. He raised his head, his eyes radiating an icy killing intent and a suppressed fury.
His face was devoid of joy or anger. He stood up, gently shaking off the dead leaves and cobwebs, and looked out of the valley. His calm eyes were as still and cold as a deep, dark pool.
"Just as well," he said, his words cryptic.
With a push of his foot, Wilder's body vanished from the valley.
Outside, Claire was waiting quietly. Soon, she saw a small black dot approaching rapidly from the sky, landing in front of her in the blink of an eye.
His body, over three meters tall, exuded an indescribable commanding aura and intimidating presence. The gust of wind from his landing sent Claire's black silk skirt fluttering. She pressed her hands down on the hem, trying to keep it from flying up, a blush dyeing her face the color of an apple.
"Boss~" she chided, glancing at Wilder with a rare look of dissatisfaction.
Composing herself, Claire slowly regained her calm and began to report the current situation to Wilder, her expression turning serious. "Boss, Big Mom has dispatched the Enraged Army, and they are on their way. The leader is one of the Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Cracker. According to reports from the Monitoring Unit, they will likely arrive in less than a day."
As she spoke, Claire moved behind Wilder, gently and meticulously draping his black cloak over his shoulders.
"I know," Wilder replied coolly. He subconsciously reached up to adjust his collar and inadvertently brushed against Claire's soft fingers. Like a startled kitten, Claire reflexively pulled her hand back, her face blushing again.
"Tch…" Wilder gave a mischievous chuckle and shook his head, his gaze turning deep and somber.
"We'll prepare before they arrive. Set up all the cannons. Once their ships enter our waters and are within range, open fire!"
Wilder was not the type to wait for the enemy to arrive at his doorstep before fighting. Since they were destined to be enemies, there was no need for hesitation. He had to be as ruthless and decisive as possible. Waiting for the enemy to land would be too late. The best chance to strike was while they were still at sea.
"Yes, sir." Claire dutifully noted Wilder's instructions and began to issue the orders.
Back in the tent, Wilder dialed the number Kizaru had left him.
The ringing went on for a long time before the call was finally answered.
"Hellooo~…"
"It's me."
"Oh, if it isn't Wilder-kun," the Den Den Mushi mimicked Kizaru's surprised expression.
Wilder paid it no mind. He was used to this man who, in his previous life, would probably have been diagnosed with dementia.
"Well then… I'm counting on you, Admiral," Wilder said, getting straight to the point. He trusted Kizaru knew what he was referring to.
"My, my, being so polite really isn't your style, is it? But then again, this is part of the Marines' duty. It's quite a headache, though. To think we have to fight the Big Mom Pirates… just thinking about it is terrifying," Kizaru's tone was as slow and drawn-out as ever, his expression just as sleazy. This languid tone was, in fact, the most infuriating.
Yet, he himself seemed completely unaware of it.
Of course, the reason this call went so smoothly was because it was part of their agreement. It couldn't be a one-sided deal where Wilder took all the losses. The Marines had to do something for him, such as… intercepting the Enraged Army, preventing them from entering, and protecting the Kingdom of Morass.
After all, such an act was also part of the Marines' justice—saving a nation targeted by a Yonko, even if… that nation had only just been founded today.
After hanging up with Kizaru, Wilder walked out of the tent.
The island was a hive of activity. The internal conflict had just ended, and there were many things to deal with. Weapons, supplies, and other materials needed to be collected from all over.
Leaving the tent, Wilder went to the coastline. This area was in the Calm Belt, and the sea was so unnaturally calm that there wasn't a single wave in sight, only the occasional ripple and whirlpool caused by the movement of sea creatures below.
This coastline would be the only landing point for Big Mom's army. Geographically, this was the case, as the other directions were deeper within the Calm Belt, meaning more danger and more difficulty. No one would take the long way around when there was no practical benefit to doing so.
Therefore, this area would be fully fortified in preparation for the worst.
When Wilder arrived, Claire was already there. A large number of personnel were swinging axes and carrying wood and stone a long distance from the shore.
Further away, on a small, raised slope facing the sea, rows of cannons had been set up, and ammunition was fully prepared.
At the very front line, about a hundred meters from the actual shore, a long trench had been dug. In front of the trench, an earthen wall had been erected, reinforced with steel plates in the middle.
Guns and ammunition had already been transported into the trench.
Wilder felt it still wasn't enough. So he walked to the hundred-meter-or-so open area between the trench and the shore—the place where the enemy would land.
"Claire." Wilder looked down at the damp, soft soil beneath his feet and suddenly grinned.
"If I were to use Swamp Assimilation on this kind of land, don't you think it would be very fast?"
Claire was stunned for a moment, but she quickly understood Wilder's meaning. A bright light shone in her eyes, and a playful smile blossomed on her face. She covered her mouth and giggled. "It would."
Wilder didn't speak, but he nodded in agreement, a smile on his face.
Currently, his Swamp Assimilation ability, at full power, could instantly turn an area of about sixty meters in radius and four meters deep into a swamp, but it depended on the soil or environment.
For ordinary soil, that was about the extent of it. For land that had been walked on for years and had become hard and compacted, the radius might shrink by about ten meters. For stone-paved ground, where the stones and slabs had to be assimilated first before the soil underneath, the radius might shrink to less than ten meters, and the assimilation time would also increase. It would no longer be an instantaneous conversion but more like a gradual expansion from his position outwards.
In fact, for any type of assimilation, the process always spread outwards from a central point. It was just that sometimes, the assimilation took only an instant, making it seem as if the entire area was converted simultaneously.
But that was for unfavorable environments. Land like the one before him—damp, where a handful could be squeezed to produce water or mud—was advantageous.
Both the range and depth of assimilation would be easier and stronger.
Because this land itself was predominantly a swampy environment. Most of the area was composed of this wet, viscous soil.
This open landing area was about seven hundred meters in radius, shaped like a crescent moon.
So, if he were to assimilate it, Wilder was confident he could convert about half of it in an instant. The further away from him, the slower the assimilation would be, and the quality (depth, density) would also decrease. It was possible that after assimilating a distant area, he would find hard soil, bricks, or stones within it.
Wilder would not let such a thing happen at a time like this. He already had an idea.
The best idea, one he had used before in Impel Down.
Claire also sensed Wilder's intention and used Moon Walk to retreat to a safe distance.
The next moment, Wilder slammed his palm onto the ground. The entire area suddenly began to tremble.
"Gurgle, gurgle!"
A ripple appeared on the ground, spreading outwards at a visible speed.
The workers behind them on the shore all stopped what they were doing and looked over, their jaws dropping in amazement.
"What's happening?"
"That's… Boss Wilder's ability."
"The whole… area is…"
"No, the whole area has turned into a swamp!"
With the last cry of astonishment, everyone watching on the shore was dumbfounded.
An entire vast area had now turned into a swamp. Gurgling bubbles still rose to the surface from time to time. The fine, viscous texture made it clear how quickly one would sink if they stepped into it.
"Is this the power of a Logia-type Devil Fruit? Gulp. How terrifying!" one of the workers muttered in disbelief, swallowing hard. Many others imagined themselves as Wilder's enemies… and felt a shiver run down their spines, a lingering fear in their hearts.
"Wait, what is Boss Wilder doing now?" someone noticed that Wilder hadn't moved after completing the assimilation and sensed that there might be more to come.
In fact, what happened next proved his guess correct.
As another ripple spread out from under Wilder's palm, a dense cracking sound reached everyone's ears. They stared wide-eyed, not wanting to miss a single change.
A hard crust of earth began to form on the surface of the swamp. The cracking sound was like that of sun-baked mud forming clods.
And indeed, it was similar. The hardened crust spread across the entire swamp, and in the blink of an eye, it began to solidify, the cracking sound continuing throughout the process.
After finishing all this, Wilder stood up and exhaled. Assimilating such a large area and then hardening its surface, even for the current Wilder, was still a bit taxing. At the very least, it consumed a lot of stamina. And to complete it all in such a short time was even more demanding, like the difference between a long-distance run and a sprint—the latter could easily leave you breathless.
Meanwhile, as Wilder was doing this, Kizaru had begun to move. A warship had already set sail from the newly established military base, about three thousand five hundred meters from the Kingdom of Morass. It stopped about one thousand eight hundred meters horizontally from the base. This would be the inevitable path of any imposing forces that came their way.
Kizaru's ship stopped there. He brewed some tea and, while sipping it, watched the sea ahead.
"The news this time is that Charlotte Cracker is leading the Enraged Army. Big Mom really isn't hiding anything, is she?"
Kizaru pursed his lips. No matter what, for both sentiment and reason, this sea was no longer a place for pirates to trespass.
Not because of Wilder, but because, from now on, this area was classified by the Marines as part of an important military fortress's domain.
Therefore, besides Kizaru, there was also a Vice Admiral on the ship.