BOOM—RUMBLE—
As the furious winds finally died down, everyone turned to look back, and froze.
A massive creature was barreling down the corridor, crashing through the walls with thunderous force, leaving behind jagged, crater-like scars in the stone. The spines on its back pierced floor and wall alike, gouging deep trenches as it rolled.
"What the hell?!"
Wolf's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. The sheer size of the thing sent a jolt of panic through him. "Screw this, RUN!" He bolted instinctively. One hit from that beast and your bones wouldn't just break, they'd be dust.
"What is that thing?!"
Even Aeridar and his crew were left gaping at the hulking monster, its entire body covered in dark indigo scales that shimmered with arcs of electricity. It wasn't a sea king, and it definitely wasn't an electric eel!
"Captain?!"
Marcus and the others blanched. Wasn't that their captain's hybrid beast form?! What the hell was going on? Was he knocked out of the fight and sent flying down here?
The electric beast rolled nearly ten meters before digging its claws into the walls on either side, carving out two massive gouges nearly as long, finally screeching to a halt.
"Damn it, that actually hurt, you bastard!"
The creature growled as it rose, shaking its massive head. Standing at a towering five meters tall, its shadow engulfed everyone in the corridor. Though its scales were cracked and blood seeped from deep wounds along its sides, the feral pressure rolling off it made even the bravest hesitate.
"That... is that really that wide-eyed bastard?" Arlan asked, stunned.
"I don't remember Galan ever saying he was a Devil Fruit user. And that electricity... Is this a Mythical Zoan?" Dimitri muttered in disbelief.
"He's... taller than me," Backan said flatly, staring in a rare moment of speechless awe. He'd never seen anything like this beast before.
"Hm?"
Sensing the presence behind him, Vito turned around slowly, his bestial eyes narrowing as he locked onto Aeridar's crew.
"You guys... wait, aren't you the ones who were supposed to be dead today?!"
Even Vito looked shocked. Back at the entrance, he'd overheard the Guardians mention that the man with the golden ring earring was a newly appointed member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. If that was true... what was someone of that rank doing here?
"Zoan-Type: Lizard-Lizard Fruit, Mythical Model: Thunder Basilisk."
Aeridar's eyes glinted as he studied the beast's electrified scales and crackling arcs. He muttered with fascination, "First time seeing a Mythical Zoan in person... What a marvelous power."
Back on Fish-Man Island, Aeridar had made time to thoroughly read the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. And now that he was seeing the creature up close, he recognized it instantly.
The Thunder Basilisk, a legendary reptile said to be blessed by lightning. Known for traveling in family packs, even dragons were wary of provoking them. Any creature foolish enough to challenge one was said to be reduced to charred ash by divine thunderbolts.
ROAR—!
A savage roar echoed down the tunnel. Heavy footsteps followed. Something else massive was coming.
"Zoan-Type: Cat-Cat Fruit, Ancient Model: Cave Lion."
Even in his hulking hybrid form, Vito's massive frame didn't completely block the corridor. Through the gaps, Aeridar caught sight of the second beast:
A bipedal lion, towering nearly four meters, with gray-brown fur and primal battle wounds running down its body. Though not quite as tall as Vito, the sheer pressure it emitted was equally terrifying—raw, untamed savagery.
Aeridar's face twisted with something close to mania.
"How fortunate! To stumble into a clash between a Mythical Zoan and an Ancient Zoan at the same time? This calls for a damn celebration!"
In that moment, the blood in his veins practically ignited.
Arlan broke into a cold sweat. He knew that look, Aeridar was about to lose it. The captain's fascination with rare powers and dangerous creatures had always been a little unhinged.
"Captain, breathe! Calm down," Arlan whispered urgently, gripping his shoulder. "If there's a clue or key to the treasure in here, we can't risk bringing the whole place down."
"Tch. Fine."
Aeridar exhaled sharply, calming the fire just enough to stay focused.
"Wait… more people?
"Them again?" Lion glanced beyond Vito, and finally connected the dots. "Wait, those are today's arrivals... That guy's one of the Warlords!"
His eyes widened in realization.
"Damn it... Not only did I fail to take anyone down, now another monster shows up, and this one might be even stronger..."
Lion had fought Vito long enough to know: it was a draw. Neither could finish the other.
But now another high-level threat had entered the mix, and he wasn't alone. Aeridar had brought some dangerous-looking subordinates with him.
One misstep here, and it was game over.
"I am Chris T. Aeridar," Aeridar declared with a sneer, stepping forward. "So? Who's going to tell me where the treasure is?"
There was nothing fake about his bloodlust, he fully intended to claim whatever was hidden here.
"Heh heh heh... You've got a real mouth on you," Vito chuckled darkly. But there was no hostility, more like amused respect.
He knew all too well that big-name pirates tended to come with rotten personalities. He'd seen plenty like that before.
"The key to the treasure is in my hands," he said, tapping the golden triangular pendant hanging around his neck. "The map's with them. But the treasure's buried in a subterranean tomb nestled deep within the mountain. The place is riddled with traps. Without the map, the only way in is to disarm them one by one, and that's a slow process that'll get a lot of people killed. Try to brute force your way through, and the whole place will collapse in on itself. Boom. Gone."
He gave a knowing glance.
"So here's the deal: we work together. We take the map from them."
"And you're not worried I'll turn around and eat you alive afterward?"
Aeridar's lips curved in a noncommittal smile, his tone laced with amusement.
Vito didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he calmly laid out his case.
"I've been researching this treasure for five years. Kept my head down for two. Spent almost a year and a half on this island alone. You think I'd go through all that just to hand a share over to someone else? No chance." He narrowed his eyes. "Still... the fact that they've managed to protect that treasure for centuries makes me think they're hiding something."
That got everyone's attention. Even Arlan and the others, listening quietly, fell into deep thought.
"You don't guard a treasure for hundreds of years without it getting stolen unless you've got something big backing you, something powerful. I'd wager they've got a trump card up their sleeve. Something ancient. Maybe even something like a weapon from the Void Century."
Yes, Vito was convinced.
Aeridar raised a brow at that, visibly intrigued. Arlan and the others exchanged tense looks. No one said it aloud, but they were all thinking the same thing: That guy might actually be right.
Just outside the basement door, "Lion" stood frozen, his heart pounding wildly.
For a moment, he nearly lost control, he wanted nothing more than to leap in and kill Vito where he stood. But he clenched his fists and held back.
He knew Vito's strength too well.
——————
TN: Regarding how long they stayed on the island, one chapter says half a year, the next says over a year, and now it's one and a half years, a more specific number. I don't know what's going on, it might be the author's typo, but for consistency, I'm going with "over a year," since that version appears more than once.
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanFiction [remove the parentheses ( )]
There are over 100 advance chapters available for you!