Throughout the whole time, there were no signs of danger or any sudden threats.
"Looks like it's safe around here. Let's start disembarking," Miru said.
One by one, the team members stepped onto the yellow sand, officially setting foot on the Dark Continent for the first time.
As Larry walked onto this unknown land, the concept of gestation popped into his mind again, not something that surprised him much by now.
What caught his attention, though, was that two more pregnancy bars had appeared in his mind.
One was progressing very slowly, almost like the slow development he'd seen with Kyogre before, barely moving at all.
The other was advancing much faster, especially compared to the slow one, almost zooming ahead.
This was the third time he'd seen two gestation bars show up simultaneously.
He had a pretty good idea which Pokemon the slow one belonged to, based on past experience.
'But the faster one?'
'Maybe it had something to do with the beach beneath their feet.'
He thought about it for a moment, then, seeing everyone had disembarked, casually said, "Everyone's down, so I'll put the boat away first."
No sooner had he spoken than a large spatial portal opened beneath the ship.
In an instant, the entire vessel slipped inside and vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a faint sea breeze.
Having Larry on the team was a real advantage, they could store the ship anywhere, anytime, instead of having to leave it anchored outside.
"Let's move out!" Larry called, taking the lead at the front of the group.
The team formed roughly a prism shape, with Larry, as the strongest and their captain, leading the way.
King positioned himself on the left flank, while Billande stayed at the rear as second-in-command, keeping an eye out for any threats approaching from behind.
Strong fighters like Marionai and Matthew lined up on the right side, and the sturdy members like Golem were spread throughout the formation to reinforce their defenses.
The few remaining, relatively weaker support staff stayed clustered in the middle of the group.
Though not as strong as the others, their nen abilites were crucial.
Among them was Miru, who used her mind power to listen closely to the sounds of nature and survey their surroundings.
"Bah, bah..."
The sound of footsteps echoed along the beach, with the soft yellow sand beneath their feet making faint noises.
The sand here was incredibly fine, almost like it had been worn down over countless years.
It felt soft and easy to sink into as they walked, especially for the heavier members of the group, making it feel almost like trekking through a swamp.
Everyone had to be careful with their steps, avoiding too much force as they moved forward.
If the yellow sand near the shore was soft, that was one thing, but after walking a long distance, the sand remained just as fine and unchanged, even when observed closely.
Some began to think that this beach was lifeless.
Then, suddenly, Miru's expression shifted sharply.
"There's a strong fluctuation underground! Something big is about to break through!" she warned.
No sooner had she spoken than a violent tremor shook the ground beneath them, sending a numbness through their feet.
Instantly, everyone sprang into action.
They pushed off the sand with all their strength, sending countless grains flying into the air as a massive sand pit suddenly opened up beneath where they had just stood.
Their feet were wrapped in a strong mental force, helping them run faster and preventing them from sinking as they scrambled away.
Those who had been standing still moments before now scattered to the surrounding area, quickly forming a defensive "en".
Just two breaths after they moved, the spot where they had been exploded violently, sending sand spraying everywhere.
From the midst of the chaos, a huge, snake-like creature burst forth, its body twisting violently.
Its ferocious mouth was filled with dense, sharp teeth.
The exposed portion of its body alone was as tall as five or six stories, and its sheer presence sent chills down their spines, as if they had suddenly fallen into an ice cellar.
"Is this... the Dark Continent?" someone muttered in disbelief.
"We've only just set foot on this land, and already we're caught off guard."
Ging held tightly onto his hat, trying to keep it from being blown away by the dust stirred up by the enormous sandworm.
Wide-eyed, he stared at the massive creature thrashing wildly before him.
He had seen sandworms before and even tasted some dishes made from them, but those had only been about the size of giant pythons.
He had never encountered one as huge as a building!
And this was just the worm's exposed part, its full length remained a mystery.
Yellow sand swirled through the air, but when it hit people, it made a metallic sound because everyone's bodies were covered in a thick layer of aura, protecting them.
Just as everyone braced themselves, the situation changed suddenly.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Sandworms of all sizes burst onto the scene, baring their teeth and claws.
It was clear they had stumbled into a whole group of these creatures.
"Fight separately! Know your own limits before engaging!" Beyond shouted.
Then, gathering his aura, he stomped the ground and leapt into the air.
In an instant, he was face-to-face with a huge sandworm, his aura blazing like fire.
"Bang!"
He punched the worm's abdomen hard, causing its tough outer skin to burst, but he couldn't see any damage beyond that.
Beyond's expression grew serious.
The worm's skin was incredibly thick and its defense was extremely strong, one punch wasn't enough to make a real impact.
"Hah!"
He surged more aura into his fists, the fierce power shining brightly, packed with the force of a missile.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Since brute strength alone wasn't enough, he relied on speed to compensate.
Though the sandworm was huge with tough defenses, it was slow to react.
While Beyond kept up his relentless fist attacks, others fought in their own unique ways.
Lilith used toxins, Golem wielded mental weapons, and Marionette stood out the most.
She controlled many puppets, each serving a specific role: knifemen for close combat, gunners for long-range attacks, and shieldmen to block incoming blows.
With her diverse puppet army, she was able to hold back numerous sandworms on her own.
She basically relies on puppets, which is like having an entire army on her side.
Everyone was using their unique skills, all focused on winning this first fight on the shore.
The fierce clash kicked up fine yellow sand, filling the air and turning what was once clean and fresh into a hazy yellow haze.
It felt like the whole world was under a yellow filter, creating a foggy atmosphere.
The swirling sand mixed with the tension in the air, and all you could hear were loud explosions and impacts from the battle.
Each fighter faced an opponent that matched their abilities, and naturally, Larry went up against the strongest leader of the sandworm group.
Standing before the massive sandworm, baring its fangs and claws, Larry showed no fear.
Instead, he found himself wondering how these sandworms might taste and
'Would they be good stewed?'
Larry recalled tasting sandworm meat back in the Gordeau Desert, and he remembered it being surprisingly good.
But more than the flavor, he was curious about how much stronger eating it might make him.
The sandworm in front of him now wasn't especially powerful, roughly on par with an S-level creature.