When Don and Ging's conversation died down, Akira wasn't surprised.
Even though they were related, they were generations apart and had never met, so of course, they didn't have much to talk about.
Akira, on the other hand, had a few questions for the legendary man.
First, if there was a New Continent Chronicle: East, was there also a West?
Second, why was he here of all places?
Akira stepped forward, breaking the silence.
"I've heard of New Continent Chronicle: East," he said. "I was wondering—is there a West version?"
Everyone knew he was talking to the book's author, Don Freecss's ancestor, Ging.
Don smiled, seeming a bit surprised.
"I didn't expect my book to be so well-known." He paused, getting a nostalgic look on his face.
"Basically, New Continent Chronicle: East is a collection of everything I saw and experienced in the eastern part of the Dark Continent. I even put an 'E' on the cover to make that clear."
"As for a West version, of course, there will be one," Don continued. "I'm actually getting ready to head there now. The distance between east and west is huge, and it would take me a long time to travel. That's why I came here—for a special food found in these swamps. If you've read my book, you should know what I'm talking about..."
Akira knew exactly what he meant. "You're talking about Nitro Rice, the ultimate food that can extend a person's life."
Don's words had just answered Akira's questions.
A New Continent Chronicle: West was in the works, and the reason he hadn't started yet was that he was still preparing.
There were probably other details he wasn't sharing, but Akira understood that some secrets were best kept to yourself.
Seeing Akira was done with his questions, Don eyes lit up a little.
"That's right. I'm here for Nitro Rice. It's an incredible treasure, but the place is guarded by a two-tailed snake with a terrifying trump card. Back then, I wasn't strong enough. I paid a heavy price just to get two stalks and confirm its effects."
Don sounded a bit sad, remembering his narrow escape.
Akira nodded.
The Hellbell Snake was no joke; its Demon King phantom alone could take out tons of people.
The fact that Don managed to get even two stalks back then showed just how skilled he was.
This also cleared something up for Akira.
He'd wondered why Don would come back for something he'd already found.
Now it made sense: Don must have realized he could eat Nitro Rice several times before building up a tolerance to it.
His plan was probably to get the rice, then travel from the southeast to the western part of the Dark Continent.
Don sighed. "There are a lot of things on the Dark Continent that can extend your life. But every single one of them is incredibly hard to get."
Akira could imagine it.
You might find something amazing, only to be blocked by a deadly trap or an impossible obstacle.
You'd have to give up, because staying alive is always the top priority.
It also seemed like life-extending items weren't super rare, just super hard to obtain.
So far, the only one Akira knew about was Nitro Rice, and getting it was definitely not easy.
Plus, there were probably other items that extended your life in weird ways, maybe with horrible side effects, kind of like zombies in old movies.
Overall, Don knowledge was on another level.
The most valuable thing about him wasn't just his power, but the centuries of memories and wisdom he'd gathered.
A thought popped into Akira's head: he really wanted Don memories.
They would be way more valuable than Jin's, who was just a big shot in a small area.
Suddenly, Don felt a warning bell go off in his head, as if someone was watching him.
He scanned the area but saw no danger.
Was I just being jumpy? he thought.
He figured his emotions were just all over the place today.
Being a lone wanderer had its perks.
You didn't have to worry about backstabbing partners, and it was easier to escape danger alone.
But there was a big downside: being alone for so long meant his feelings started to fade.
If he didn't occasionally talk to himself, his voice might have just stopped working.
Today was the most emotional he'd been in a long, long time.
Shaking off the weird feeling, Don suddenly got serious.
"I was about to head into the swamp forest, but I sensed a creepy, evil feeling," he told Akira.
"It was the Demon King's power. I knew the two-tailed snake had used its trump card again."
Don face grew even more grim. "Then, something totally unexpected happened. Right after the Demon King's aura appeared, a completely different presence came out of the swamp forest. It was an aura I've never felt before!"
He looked right at Akira. "It felt like I was standing in a bottomless ocean—huge and suffocating! As soon as it appeared, it started pouring rain, and storm clouds just appeared out of nowhere. If it had rained any longer, this whole area would've become a giant lake."
Don looked pale. "You might not get what this means, but any disaster that can change the weather like that is extremely dangerous! They usually only show up in the deep parts of the Dark Continent. This is the first time I've seen one on the fringes."
"And this thing was strong!" Don added. "After a flash of energy, that wisp of the Demon King's aura just vanished. It was completely wiped out. That means this new 'Calamity' is way more powerful than the Demon King's phantom."
Maybe because he hadn't talked to anyone in so long, Don just kept going on and on about what happened.
But with every word he said, the looks on Akira's and the others' faces got weirder and weirder.
If they were hearing him right, the "Calamity" he was describing sounded a lot like...
"Because of that," Don finished, "I decided to wait it out before trying to get the Nitro Rice. So, I have to ask, since you guys just came from the swamp, you must have been there when it happened, right? How in the world did you manage to get through?"
This was what Don really wanted to know.
He couldn't figure out how they had survived.
Seeing Don completely terrified of Kyogre, Akira didn't know what to say.
He never thought Don would be nearby, let alone be so scared by his Nen Beast's grand entrance.
By now, everyone realized Don was talking about Akira's own creature.
Their expressions were a mix of shock and amusement.
Ging, who had been quiet and embarrassed before, now looked like he was trying his hardest not to laugh out loud.
He couldn't wait to see his centuries-old ancestor's face when he found out that terrifying "Calamity" was just one of Akira's pets.