Three more months slipped by, and the year 1507 was drawing to an end. It had been a fruitful year for Eli Winters and his crew aboard the Silver Dragon.
Eli's mastery over Haki had grown to the point where it could rival even the strongest figures in the world. His swordsmanship had also advanced steadily, brushing against the elusive Seventh Stage. His control over space his most mysterious ability had reached forty-two percent. Yet, progress beyond that point slowed to a crawl, each small improvement taking exponentially more effort than before.
The fishman brothers had both awakened their Haki. With it, their combined strength was now enough to overpower an ordinary Marine Vice Admiral with ease. As for Big Pan he'd become a giant among giants, now standing over five meters tall, his aura dense and oppressive. Eli was convinced that Big Pan could trade blows with even Admiral Aokiji himself.
Fiona had made astonishing progress with her Devil Fruit abilities. Thanks to Eli's detailed explanations of how Doflamingo once refined his own powers, she was developing hers at record speed. She'd now reached Vice Admiral level as well. There was, however, one thing that exasperated Eli ever since she mastered flying with her sword, she simply would not stop. Every day, she took several joyrides through the clouds, laughing like a child who'd just discovered wings.
Felina and Chiyo were both improving at a steady pace, their Devil Fruit techniques growing sharper by the day. Yet, their Haki training lagged behind. Despite Eli's daily supervision, neither of them had broken through to the intermediate level. It was starting to test even his patience.
Reiju's case, however, was more complicated. Her strength came primarily from the Germa bloodline factors within her something still dormant. Without awakening those genes, her Haki training was nothing short of disastrous. Even Felina and Chiyo were ahead of her in that area. But Eli had a theory. Reiju's bloodline, when awakened, could neutralize and absorb toxins. That made him wonder: could he give her the Venom-Venom Fruit? If her body naturally purified poison, perhaps the fruit's deadly effects would be perfectly balanced by her genetics. None of the Vinsmokes in his memory had eaten a Devil Fruit before, but with the purifying serums they had, it might just work and unlike Magellan, she wouldn't turn into a walking chemical hazard.
That night, the Silver Dragon slowed to a stop under the stars. A small island loomed not far away, its shape faintly visible in the moonlight. Yet, Eli and his crew made no move to land. It wasn't just out of courtesy for whoever lived there it was also because, sometimes, sleeping on the ship simply felt safer than anywhere else.
After dinner, the group gathered on deck, gazing out at the dark horizon. Eli's eyes narrowed as he looked at the island. Something was… off.
It was too quiet.
The silence was heavy unnatural. There were houses visible in the dim light, proof that people lived there. And yet, no sound came from the shore. No barking dogs, no flicker of lanterns, not even the creak of wood in the wind.
"Eli," Fiona murmured, her voice uneasy. "Something's wrong with that island."
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Way too quiet."
Just then, his sharp senses caught a faint sound footsteps. Slow, rhythmic. Thud... thud... thud...
Then came the knock. Bang, bang, bang. Someone or something was knocking on doors. There was no reply. After a pause, the figure moved on. More footsteps. Another knock. Bang, bang, bang.
Eli frowned. With a flicker of will, space rippled around him, and in an instant, he vanished from the deck appearing silently above the island below. His Observation Haki expanded outward like a rising tide, sweeping across every inch of the settlement.
What he saw sent a chill down his spine.
A large, burly man was trudging down the dirt path, his movements heavy and mechanical. His eyes were blank gray and lifeless, like glass marbles reflecting no soul at all. In his hand, he carried an enormous axe, the blade glinting coldly beneath the moonlight.
He was knocking on doors one by one, like a grim reaper marking homes. Inside the houses, terrified villagers cowered in silence. Some covered their mouths to stifle their breathing, trembling uncontrollably. Others clutched their children close, tears streaming silently down their faces. Every knock echoed through the night like a death sentence.
When the man reached his next house, a young boy inside accidentally bumped a cabinet. The faint thunk of wood was barely audible yet to the man outside, it was enough. The knocking grew louder. BANG, BANG, BANG!
It was the sound of doom.
Inside, the father's face turned pale, but his eyes hardened with resolve. He grabbed a metal rod, stood between his wife and child, and whispered, "Don't be afraid. Hide with our son. Whatever happens, don't make a sound."
His wife nodded through her tears. She hugged the trembling child tightly, whispering, "Sweetheart, listen to me. No matter what happens, you must stay hidden and stay silent until sunrise. Do you understand?"
The boy nodded frantically, covering his mouth. She closed the wardrobe door and turned to her husband, gripping a kitchen knife with trembling hands.
Moments later CRASH!
The door burst open.
The hulking man stormed in, his empty eyes flashing with a cruel light. The father dodged the descending axe by mere inches and swung his iron rod in retaliation. But before it could land, the axe came from the side, striking him with devastating force and sending him crashing into the wall. The mother screamed and slashed the man's back with her knife but it barely left a scratch. He turned and kicked her brutally, sending her limp body crashing into the floor.
"NO!" the father cried, dragging himself up, rage replacing fear. He charged again but the killer raised his axe for the final strike.
And then
CRACK.
The man's head slammed into the ground, pinned by an invisible force. Eli appeared beside him, his palm pressing down hard. The giant collapsed instantly, unconscious before he even realized what happened.
The father stared in shock. When the stranger in dark clothes turned to him, the man fell to his knees, bowing deeply. "T-thank you, my lord! You saved us! You saved my family thank you!"
Eli quickly lifted him up. "No need for that. I just happened to be nearby. But tell me what's going on here?"
The man steadied his breath before answering, voice trembling. "That man's name is Da Zhuang. He used to be a lumberjack on this island. A month ago, he went into a cave filled with bats... and when he came out, he wasn't the same. His eyes were empty. He stopped talking. The next day, his whole family was gone just blood left behind. We thought he'd gone mad."
He swallowed hard, hands shaking as he continued.
"We tried to report it to the Marines, but when we went to the docks, every fishing boat was destroyed. We tied him up to keep him from hurting anyone, but that night... he broke free. He went door to door, knocking. Anyone who answered he slaughtered them all. Swords, bullets nothing could stop him. He killed seven men before we realized he couldn't be harmed. Since then, every night, he walks the island. If you make a sound... he comes for you."
Eli's expression darkened. "So he's being controlled."
He looked at the unconscious Da Zhuang and nodded decisively. "I'll take him with me. You take care of your family."
With that, he vanished reappearing aboard the Silver Dragon with the unconscious lumberjack in tow.
The crew gathered curiously. Eli explained what had happened on the island, and everyone fell silent, their faces pale with disbelief. Fiona bit her lip. "How horrifying..."
Eli nodded grimly and revived Da Zhuang. The man awoke in a daze, clutching his head in pain before breaking down. "It was the bat! The cursed bat! It... it made me kill them my parents, my wife, my children!" His cries turned into a maddened scream. "I'll kill it! I'll kill that monster!"
Seeing his mind slipping toward madness, Eli sighed and struck him unconscious once more. Big Pan shook his head heavily. The others exchanged looks of pity.
Eli stared out toward the dark silhouette of the island, his voice low and cold.
"Whatever you are... I'll bury you before dawn."
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