Chapter 114: The Musketeers' Shock!
[Zou - The Whale Forest Border - The Landing Site]
The descent was surprisingly gentle for a vessel weighing over ten thousand tons.
Under Rem's precise gravity manipulation, the heavy cruiser Pola drifted down through the canopy of the ancient forest like a falling leaf made of steel. The massive branches of the millennia-old trees parted with a groan, making way for the alien technology.
HISSS... THUD.
Hydraulic landing gears, manifested from Pola's rigging, extended and touched the soft, mossy earth. The ship settled with a heavy, final vibration that sent ripples through the puddles on the forest floor. The engines powered down, leaving only the sound of the wind rustling through the giant leaves.
The gangway lowered with a mechanical whine.
"Wow... we are really on the back of an elephant!"
Nami was the first to run down the ramp, her boots sinking slightly into the thick, sponge-like moss.
She leaned down, poking the ground curiously. It felt like soil, but beneath the layer of earth and roots, there was a strange, leathery texture—the skin of Zunesha itself.
"This feeling..." Nami breathed out, her eyes wide with incredulous amazement. She spun around, taking in the alien flora. The trees here were twisted and ancient, shaped by centuries of wind and isolation. "The world is truly amazing! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, who would believe that a creature capable of carrying an entire country actually exists?"
She looked up at the sky, which was now filtered through the dense canopy.
"It defies gravity! It defies biology! It's... it's a miracle!"
Suzaku walked down the ramp behind her, his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed.
"We've conquered a Sky Island floating ten thousand meters in the air, Nami," Suzaku teased, stopping beside her. "You haven't forgotten your good friend Aisa so quickly, have you? If there are islands in the sky, then having an elephant as big as a mountain walking in the sea isn't so unreasonable, is it?"
"Hmm..." Nami tapped her chin, pouting slightly. "Okay, now that you put it that way, it does seem to make sense!"
She grinned, her navigator's curiosity taking over.
"Wait, what sense? They are clearly two unrelated anomalies! But it's still pretty miraculous! And look at these trees! This timber must be incredibly rare. I wonder if there are unique spices or treasures hidden in these ruins?"
Nami was successfully convinced. Her previous moment of awe was instantly replaced by surging curiosity (and the potential for profit).
She stood up excitedly, like a child entering an amusement park. She wandered a few meters away from the group, pulling out a notebook to sketch the flora.
"I need to map this! A moving island... the Log Pose won't work here, so I need to map the stars relative to..."
However, her defenseless "tourist" appearance was undoubtedly the perfect target in the eyes of the scout observing from the shadows of the dense canopy.
Rustle.
The sound was faint, masked by the wind, but it was there.
High in the branches, a pair of sharp eyes narrowed.
Wanda, the canine Mink Musketeer, gripped the hilt of her sword. She had watched the steel monster land. She saw the strange humans disembark.
Intruders, Wanda thought. They smell of oil, iron, and... blood.
Her gaze locked onto the orange-haired girl. She looked weak. Distracted. A navigator or a civilian.
Capture the weak one. Use her as a shield. Force the others to surrender.
It was a sound tactical decision.
ZOOM!
At that very moment, Wanda burst out from the dense woods like an arrow shot from a bow!
She moved on all fours initially, then transitioned to a bipedal sprint, her speed enhanced by her animalistic strength. Her green cape fluttered behind her.
"Trespassers!"
Wanda didn't aim to kill immediately; the longsword in her hand traced a sharp yet restrained arc, aiming for Nami's shoulder to incapacitate her.
The strike was as fast as lightning and as powerful as thunder. Nami, busy looking at a flower, didn't even react.
"Got you!" Wanda thought.
Unfortunately, she had chosen the wrong opponent. Or rather, she had failed to notice the monsters guarding the tourist.
Excluding Nami, who was just a normal person relative to the New World standards, which of the others present was not a powerhouse possessing Observation Haki?
The instant Wanda's figure first appeared—the moment her killing intent spiked—Ulquiorra had already moved.
ZWOOP.
There was no sound of footsteps. No rush of wind.
A black afterimage, faster than Wanda's movement and preceding her sword, silently materialized in front of Nami.
Nami blinked. The sunlight was suddenly blocked.
In her line of sight, she only saw Ulquiorra's cold, white back blocking her way. His white coat hung still, undisturbed by his movement.
"Eh?" Nami squeaked.
Immediately after, a flash of silver light barely registered in her vision. Wanda's sword sliced straight towards Ulquiorra's neck, intending to force him back.
Yet, Nami felt not an ounce of fear. Instead, she felt an incredible calm wash over her.
Oh. Ulquiorra is here.
Sure enough.
Facing the fierce attack of a New World warrior, Ulquiorra didn't even lift an eyelid. He didn't draw his sword. He didn't shift his stance.
He merely slowly extended his hand. His skin was so pale it looked like marble, completely devoid of color.
CLANG!
A crisp sound, like a hammer hitting an anvil, echoed through the clearing.
Wanda's inevitable sword strike... was caught.
Ulquiorra had caught the blade between his thumb and forefinger. He held it gently, as if he were holding a feather, yet the sword stopped dead.
The blade was still a palm's width away from Ulquiorra's body.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Wanda's eyes widened in shock. Her momentum was arrested instantly, jarring her arm.
What?!
Her perfectly timed surprise attack... stopped simply by one hand? Without Haki? Without gloves?
Electro!
She gritted her teeth and channeled electricity through the blade. Blue sparks flew.
"Electro!"
BZZZT!
The electricity rushed into Ulquiorra's fingers.
He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. His Hierro (Steel Skin) was an insulator stronger than rubber.
She tried to pull her longsword back, but found the blade was welded fast in the opponent's grip. It felt like it was stuck in the mountain itself.
"Weak," Ulquiorra whispered.
The next second, he flicked his wrist slightly.
SNAP.
An irresistible force surged through the blade, traveling up Wanda's arm.
"Gah!"
Wanda felt the world spin. She instantly lost her balance. Carried by this casual momentum, she was dragged forward, spun around, and thrown.
THUD.
She fell to the ground with a heavy smack, sliding across the dirt until she hit a tree root. Her sword clattered away, out of reach.
The entire process was smooth and fluid, happening too fast for anyone but the elites to follow.
In the silence, two gentle voices sounded almost simultaneously from the ship's ramp.
"Elder Sister, Elder Sister," Rem looked at Wanda, who had fallen to the ground, tilting her head curiously. "Is this dog-headed person with canine features the 'Mink Tribe' that Lord Suzaku mentioned?"
"Rem, Rem," Ram's tone was her usual sharp-tongued and calm one. She adjusted her maid headdress. "Looking at that fluffy fur, it probably feels nice to touch. She is indeed a dog-headed person! Perhaps we can brush her?"
Wanda's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.
Defeated.
Completely and utterly defeated in one move.
Her speed and swordsmanship, which she prided herself on as an official member of the Inuarashi Musketeer Squad, were a joke in front of this opponent.
The expressionless man hadn't even looked at her directly from start to finish. And the others? They didn't show a hint of surprise or fear on their faces. They were discussing her fur texture!
This meant... that her strength, in their eyes, wasn't even qualified to pose a threat!
Humiliation, shock, and a trace of fear instantly seized her heart.
But her dignity as a warrior of Zou forced her to grit her teeth. She raised her head, glaring at them with defiant eyes.
"Who exactly are you people?!" Wanda demanded sharply, struggling to sit up. "Why are you invading the Mokomo Dukedom? What exactly is your objective?!"
However, before Suzaku could answer, a rush of heavy footsteps and shouts came from deep within the forest.
"WANDA!"
"ALL HANDS! PREPARE FOR BATTLE! RESCUE OUR COMRADE!"
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Dozens of Mink Tribe warriors poured out of the woods.
It was a motley crew of animals standing on two legs. There were lions, bulls, bears, monkeys, and wolves. They were armed with swords, muskets, and cannons. Each one crackled with the blue light of Electro.
It was the main force of the Musketeer Squad, having rushed over after hearing the news from Carrot.
They immediately saw their comrade Wanda lying on the ground, disarmed, surrounded by a group of mysterious "humans."
Instantly, the eyes of all the Mink Tribe warriors turned red with rage!
"Vile invaders!"
Sicilian, the lion Mink and captain of the Musketeers, roared in fury. His mane stood on end.
"Release our comrade! ATTACK!"
He charged ahead with his rapier drawn, leading his enraged squad members in a suicidal charge toward Suzaku and his group!
"Kill them all!"
Ulquiorra's hand drifted to his sword hilt. He was about to make a move to exterminate the threat efficiently.
"Wait."
A deep, resonant voice stopped him.
"Let me handle this."
Uchiha Madara slowly stepped forward. His crimson armor clanked softly in the quiet forest.
He walked past Ulquiorra. His Sharingan spun slowly, glowing red in the shadows of the canopy.
The previous dog person (Wanda) was alone and weak, so he had no interest in fighting her. It was beneath him.
But now? Dozens of warriors? Charging with killing intent? A Lion man leading the charge?
It finally piqued his interest slightly!
"Hey, Madara," Suzaku called out, leaning against the gangway, not even bothering to draw a weapon. "One of our goals is to recruit the Mink Tribe. We need them alive. So... don't kill them! Just break their bones. Teach them a lesson."
Hearing Suzaku's words, Wanda's heart, still on the ground, sank. Recruit? They are slavers?
"Hmph. I know!"
A slight, arrogant smile appeared on Uchiha Madara's lips.
"I can control my strength. Unlike you."
Facing the mass charge of dozens of elite warriors—warriors capable of fighting Jack's Pleasures and Gifters—not only did he not retreat, he instead took a step forward.
Blur.
His figure transformed into a black line. He actively met the charge.
What followed was a scene that would be unforgettable for every member of the Mink Tribe for the rest of their lives.
It wasn't a battle. It was a dance.
Uchiha Madara moved like water. He strolled leisurely into the forest of flashing blades and shadows.
Every one of his movements was utterly simple, efficient, and humiliating.
Swish.
He turned sideways, evading Sicilian's powerful, heavy slash by a millimeter. The rapier passed right by his nose.
Simultaneously, he extended two fingers.
Tap.
He precisely tapped Sicilian beneath the ribs—a pressure point strike.
"Guh!"
Sicilian, the captain of the Musketeers, was sent flying backward rigidly. He maintained his charging posture, frozen by the strike to his nerve cluster. He crashed into a tree, paralyzed, his sword falling from his numb fingers.
A bull Mink charged, roaring. Madara lifted his foot.
Bam.
He delivered a seemingly casual kick to the chin. The resulting gust of wind sent three or four Mink Tribe warriors sprawling behind the target like bowling pins.
He waved his hand. A seemingly feather-light palm strike.
Smack. Smack. Smack.
Yet it always sliced into the most awkward positions—necks, joints, solar plexus. It instantly incapacitated the charging enemies, cutting their puppet strings and causing them to collapse onto the ground.
"Thump, thump, thump, thump..."
It wasn't a fierce battle; it was a one-sided "cleanup."
Accompanied by a series of dull thuds, when Uchiha Madara's figure finally stopped moving, he had already passed through the entire charging formation.
He stood behind all the Musketeers Squad members, his back to them, his arms crossed.
And behind him...
From Captain Sicilian down to every single squad member... all were lying on the ground in various postures of defeat.
There were no exceptions.
They moaned and groaned, clutching their stomachs or limbs. Not a single one could stand up again.
Total annihilation.
All in a matter of mere seconds. And Madara hadn't even used Ninjutsu. He hadn't used Genjutsu. He hadn't even used his Sharingan's predictive abilities fully. He had just used basic Taijutsu.
Uchiha Madara slowly turned around, surveying the "results" of the battle from above. His red eyes glowed in the shadows of the forest.
He lightly dusted off his hands, brushing away non-existent dirt from his gloves. He curled his lip in boredom.
"Is this all there is?"
He shook his head in disappointment.
"It doesn't even count as a warm-up. Is this the 'warrior tribe' you spoke of, Suzaku? They are slower than Genin."
Deathly silence.
In the forest, only the heavy breathing and gasps of pain from the Mink Tribe remained.
Wanda lifted her head from the dirt. This was the sight she beheld.
Her trusted and strong comrades—the elite defenders of Zou—were utterly helpless before that man. They looked like children who had tried to fight a giant.
Her mind went blank.
What... did that person do?
He didn't even use a weapon! He didn't use Electro! He didn't use Haki!
The Musketeers Squad was... just wiped out?
This was no longer a matter of strength disparity; this was a chasm between beings of different dimensions.
And Sicilian, lying paralyzed against the tree, felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation and terror.
He could feel that the opponent had held back. Every strike merely rendered them temporarily immobile or stunned. If he had wanted to kill them... they would all be headless corpses right now.
It was precisely this effortless "mercy" that made him feel even more despair.
Their proud fighting strength probably didn't even qualify as a game in the eyes of these invaders.
"A monster..." Sicilian whispered, blood trickling from his lip. "This guy... is a monster."
He knew the strength of the Musketeers Squad best. Although they weren't top-tier powerhouses like the Yonko Commanders, in the New World, the Mink Tribe was considered very strong. They were born warriors.
Furthermore, the Musketeers Squad was only open to the strongest members of the tribe; not just anyone could defeat them so effortlessly!
Who exactly are they?
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