Merveille was once home to more than just the extraordinary IQ plants and diverse wildlife—it harbored indigenous inhabitants as well.
These natives closely resembled humans from the surface world, distinguished only by the feathers growing along one side of their arms, giving them an avian quality.
Though their lifestyle remained somewhat primitive, they lived in peaceful harmony, protected by a unique plant called Daft Green. These plants emitted particles that repelled wild beasts, allowing their settlements to remain untouched during the tumultuous early years of the Great Pirate Era. While people on the surface endured countless hardships, the natives of Merveille existed in an almost paradisiacal state, undisturbed by pirate incursions.
Unfortunately, this fragile tranquility proved short-lived. The ruthless and domineering Golden Lion Shiki soon discovered this hidden sanctuary above the clouds and recognized the extraordinary properties of the IQ plant. Shiki not only seized control of this unique resource but also enslaved the entire village, capturing young men and women to serve as forced labor in his palace.
Now, the once-prosperous village had deteriorated into decay. With only the elderly and children remaining, food scarcity had become a pressing concern. Moreover, the Daft Green trees that protected them had become a double-edged sword. Though their protective particles deterred wild beasts, prolonged exposure caused severe paralysis in living beings. The only remedy was the IQ plant—now monopolized entirely by Shiki.
The village, encircled by Daft Green, still suffered from particle exposure, albeit at lower concentrations than the surrounding areas. Over time, the villagers had accumulated significant amounts in their bodies. While this posed no immediate threat to the young, the elderly developed characteristic green spots on their skin—a terminal symptom without access to IQ.
After more than a decade of enslavement, the natives had resigned themselves to hopelessness, believing they had grown numb to their suffering—until today.
The dense cloud layer surrounding Merveille was suddenly pierced by a spindle-shaped vessel. The massive airship, tens of meters long, ascended gradually from sea level, revealing its imposing silhouette to astonished villagers who had been fishing.
Moments later, more airships emerged from the clouds—one, two, three...
In an instant, the once-sunlit village plunged into premature darkness. Over a dozen airships hovered overhead, their shadows enveloping the small settlement like an oppressive storm front, weighing heavily upon the villagers' spirits and leaving them breathless with apprehension.
The inhabitants gathered in the village square, gazing skyward in alarm:
"What are those?" "Is it Shiki's new fleet?" "What do they intend to do?"
A massive Transponder Snail, half the height of an adult human, lumbered from a narrow path, its unblinking eyes fixed on the sky as it transmitted signals to the opposite end of the island.
This surveillance device had been installed by Shiki primarily to prevent the natives from concealing their population. Today, however, it captured something far more extraordinary.
As the airships descended, several dark figures suddenly dropped from the sky ahead of the vessels.
Terrified villagers scrambled to clear the landing zone, creating an open space where the figures would touch down.
One figure descended more rapidly than the others, soon becoming visible to the naked eye—a young man.
Golden-haired and caped, he executed a series of mid-air steps, each movement releasing a burst of white vapor beneath his feet. His crimson cape billowed dramatically until he landed with thunderous impact, generating a cloud of white mist.
Several other men descended similarly, stepping through the air to gather around their leader.
As the mist and dust settled, the Transponder Snail responsible for surveillance pushed through the crowd for a clearer view. Its unwavering gaze focused on the half-kneeling men who had descended from the heavens.
The golden-haired leader rose to his feet, his calculating gaze sweeping across the variously bewildered villagers. Noticing the surveillance snail, he offered it a cold smile before making a subtle gesture.
One of his companions immediately executed a precise kick.
Rankyaku!
A blade-like wave of compressed air sliced through the distance. Though several meters separated them, the Transponder Snail was cleaved perfectly in half.
...
On the opposite side of Merveille, within his palace, Golden Lion Shiki stood with a cigar clenched between his teeth and arms crossed, staring at the now-darkened monitor. His mind replayed the golden-haired man's cold smile.
"Morgan William," Shiki chuckled darkly, his expression rapidly transforming into one of ferocious rage. "It seems I underestimated you. You're not a coward—you're outrageously bold!"
Chaos erupted among his subordinates:
"How did they breach the island?" "Switch to alternative cameras!" "What are their numbers?" "Similar vessels have appeared above the other islands!"
Dr. Indigo turned to Shiki. "What course of action shall we take?"
"They've delivered themselves to their doom. Why wouldn't I accommodate their death wish?" Shiki sneered, flicking ash from his cigar. "Do they believe merely reaching the island constitutes victory? How naive! The beasts of this island will ensure their suffering!"
Before he could finish, the monitor switched to footage from another location, captured by a different Transponder Snail. This surveillance device focused skyward, where additional airships hovered, systematically releasing gas bombs.
Upon impact, these munitions burst open, discharging an ominous purple vapor that spread with alarming speed.
Beasts caught in the toxic cloud emitted agonized howls. The M.H.5 gas possessed extreme corrosive properties, primarily targeting the eyes, respiratory tract, and lungs. Despite their superior strength compared to humans, the island's creatures possessed equally vulnerable sensory and respiratory systems. Their greater vitality only prolonged their suffering, driving them into frenzied rampages as they destroyed everything in their path and even turned upon one another.
The purple cloud soon engulfed the camera's field of view, and the screen went dark. Evidently, even the Transponder Snail had succumbed to the toxin.
Staff members frantically cycled through available cameras, encountering only blackness. Clearly, William's forces had deployed gas bombs across multiple locations simultaneously.
Shiki's expression darkened as he crushed his cigar and hurled it to the floor. He turned abruptly toward the exit.
"Where are you going?" Dr. Indigo inquired.
"To personally slaughter Morgan William!" Shiki snarled through clenched teeth. "You interrogate Kuro and Creek about those gas bombs."
Shiki hadn't yet grown suspicious of Kuro and Creek. In fact, Kuro had previously mentioned both airships and gas bombs, albeit without elaborating. Shiki, dismissing their significance, hadn't anticipated these technologies would pose such a formidable threat. Meanwhile, Kuro and Creek, harboring their own agenda, had deliberately withheld crucial details.
Now, Shiki finally recognized the need to question them thoroughly.
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