Chapter 98: The Storm Approaches

"While the rabbit-like Black Guard lack human intelligence, they possess the instinct to accept commands! Absolute execution! Of course," Jesse added, "the commands couldn't be too complex."

"Meaning, the Black Guard cannot be recreated, is that right?" Wilder asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

"Impossible. The birth of the Black Guard was purely an accident. Even now, I don't fully understand how they survived. Besides… all the initial research data was destroyed. Replicating them would be harder than creating something entirely new."

"Creation…" Wilder murmured, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Well then, you can stay locked up a while longer. If you behave well, release isn't entirely out of the question," Wilder said, looking up with a darkly amused smile. Leaving Jesse with that shred of false hope, he turned and walked back the way he came, Ashin following silently in his wake.

Jesse: "…"

Walking through the dim corridor, Wilder's face was calm, but his mind was racing.

Jesse's words had sparked an idea, one that had lingered vaguely in the back of his mind before, never fully formed. Now, Jesse's explanation had given substance to that fleeting thought.

Keeping animals within the swamp…

Wilder had considered this before, even achieved a version of it – the Serpent Demon was a living example. But that was merely keeping a pet, a far cry from Wilder's true ambition.

What he envisioned was unleashing his swamp and having swarms of venomous beasts and ferocious creatures surge forth in attack.

But he couldn't achieve that.

Yes, his swamp possessed the characteristic of infinite capacity, and he could keep creatures within it from suffocating.

However, that only applied to individuals or small groups. If he tried to contain too many living beings within his body, setting aside the risk of his own body breaking down, he simply couldn't guarantee the survival of such large numbers within the swamp.

Perhaps certain specific organisms could survive, but he hadn't found any yet.

Science offered a potential breakthrough; perhaps one day, creatures capable of surviving within the swamp could be developed. This was one reason Wilder valued science so highly, but it remained only a possibility.

But if he discarded that line of thinking…

What about turning the swamp itself into animals…?

Wilder's eyes flashed.

Turning the swamp into animals… the idea seemed fantastical, utterly absurd.

If not for today's conversation with Jesse, Wilder wouldn't have even dared to entertain the thought.

But now, it seemed… perhaps it wasn't entirely impossible.

Jesse's use of the word "creation" had ignited Wilder's interest.

He didn't mean simply shaping the swamp into animal forms, but creating swamp-things with the capacity for independent action.

Like some kind of viscous, living organism.

Swamp creatures capable of independent movement… Just thinking about it made Wilder's shoulders tremble, not with fear, but with sheer excitement.

A grin spread across his face, the light of exhilaration blooming in his eyes.

Creatures composed entirely of swamp – possessing no brain, no internal organs, no blood – capable of reforming even after being shattered…

"Nyehehehe!"

The mere thought made Wilder laugh aloud with excitement. "Faced with creatures like that, most people would likely be utterly helpless, wouldn't they?"

So… how could such beings be created?

Wilder didn't know. Right now, he hadn't the faintest clue, though a vague idea flickered in his mind. He knew the chances of success were probably slim.

Perhaps only after his Devil Fruit abilities Awakened would this idea become truly feasible.

Still, even if the chances were low, Wilder intended to try pursuing that faint idea eventually.

However, time didn't permit it now. With his new officers recruited, the next step was to consider the long-term development of his organization.

Selecting a location for the new headquarters needed to be put on the agenda.

"Summon all senior executives to the conference room," Wilder ordered Ashin behind him as they walked.

"Yes."

Several days passed. After arranging all necessary matters, the Black Serpent once again raised its sails at the docks of the Kingdom of Chenoat and departed.

Aside from Vice, Franpetar, Sherilmo, Bica, and Eigg, who remained to manage the headquarters, four senior executives accompanied Wilder on this voyage: Claire, Yves, Ashin, and Bacon.

The massive black-and-red warship sailed across the open sea, cutting through the waves! In less than five minutes, it was far from Chenoat's port, appearing only as a distant black speck on the horizon.

On deck, Wilder lounged comfortably in a beach chair, wearing sunglasses. Beside him, a small table held a glass of fruit juice, which he occasionally sipped with relish.

He glanced over at Claire, Yves, Ashin, and Bacon, who were engrossed in a card game nearby. A smirk touched his lips; he knew someone was about to suffer.

Sure enough… not long after, Bacon's arrogant laughter echoed across the deck!

"Hahaha! I win again! Pay up, pay up! Hand over the cash and nobody gets hurt! Hahaha!" Bacon threw his head back, laughing triumphantly, his expression an exaggerated mask of smugness.

His laughter was abruptly cut short as a long, straight leg kicked him squarely, sending him flying into the ship's mast.

"Hmph." Claire shot him a dark look, withdrawing her foot.

The game had been sharply polarized over many rounds. Bacon seemed possessed by the god of luck, winning hand after hand, while Claire was apparently cursed, suffering defeat after defeat. Her expression had grown progressively darker, which was how Wilder knew Bacon's downfall was imminent.

"Idiot," Yves remarked coolly, glancing at Bacon slumped against the mast like a dead fish. His tone was as detached as ever.

Ashin said nothing, merely pulling the brim of his sun hat lower in a gesture of clear disdain, as Wilder observed.

Unnoticed until now, a shadow had fallen over the deck. Wilder looked up, his gaze focusing on the sky. Thick, dark clouds had gathered, painting the heavens a grim grey-black.

BOOM!

A low rumble of thunder echoed from the distance, bolts of lightning snaking through the clouds.

The humidity in the air seemed to instantly intensify.

A heavy, oppressive silence settled over everyone.

"Hey, hey… this doesn't feel right!" Bacon scrambled up, his face growing serious as he stared at the ominous sky. "This storm looks really nasty!"

Everyone else, of course, knew he was stating the obvious. Anyone could see this was no ordinary squall.

"Give it your all!" Wilder declared, standing up. His eyes scanned the sea surface below, where massive, dark shapes were fleetingly visible beneath the waves. "A storm like this is rare in the East Blue."

"Even the Sea Kings are fleeing… Tsk, looks like this won't be an easy crossing."

The crew was already in motion. Sails were furled, those at the helm adjusted their course, others worked to secure everything on deck – all proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Five minutes later…

A torrential downpour began to fall!