stonecrandall Chapter 166 Entering the Iron Island Jungle
Chapter 166 Entering the Iron Island Jungle
Chapter 166: Entering the Steel Island Jungle
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The following day at noon, under the blazing sun, the sound of cannons roared from Iron Island, followed by a cacophony of gunfire and shouts of battle. The Davis Pirates had once again launched their attack on the Kingdom of Driggs.
"Sandra, inform the team members that they don't need to attack so fiercely. Just make sure the enemy doesn't have a chance to breathe. That damned Brutus is a tough nut to crack!"
Davis, the captain of the Davis Pirates, stood some distance away under a large tree, watching a group of pirates attack the Deriggs Palace. His expression was somewhat irritated. He turned to a burly pirate and said...
"Understood, Captain!"
Sandra, the captain of the first division, who is over two meters tall, is a seemingly honest and simple-minded pirate. However, beneath this kind of appearance lies a cruel heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hold onto his position as captain.
As Davis watched Sandra leave to take her orders, his gaze shifted from the battlefield to the village to the east, where First Mate Olo was negotiating with that group of shady characters.
In a place even more unexpected by Davis the Bear, located directly west of Steel Island, on the edge of a dense jungle, the Liberty was slowly approaching the shore.
At this point, it's necessary to mention the situation on Iron Island. Iron Island is a large island on a route along the Grand Line, and its area is 1.5 times the size of the island where the Alabasta Kingdom is located.
Half of Iron Island is covered by mountains and forests, specifically this dense jungle on the west side. It gets its name from the rich metal ore deposits within the mountains and the fact that the Kingdom of Driggs is a major producer of iron.
The other half of Iron Island consists of plains and rivers, which nurtured the Kingdom of Driggs and its numerous villages.
However, the east is now mired in a quagmire of war.
The Freedom, sailing eastward, has arrived today on the west coast of Steel Island.
"Captain! We hear gunfire on the island. Have we encountered another island invaded by pirates? If so, does that mean we won't be able to replenish our food supplies?"
On the mountainous coastline, Mu Chong and his crew secured the Freedom and landed on Iron Island on a relatively flat area.
Baku frowned, listening to the faint sounds of artillery fire, and couldn't help but ask...
"It's alright! I used my Observation Haki to sense the size of this island. Perhaps we don't even need to contact the island's natives; this jungle in front of us alone will provide enough food!"
Upon hearing Baku's question, Mu Chong glanced up at the eastern sky, then looked at the dense jungle before him and said...
"Chaos in the Grand Line is normal, Baku! Don't be so surprised if pirates attack your island. As long as they don't provoke us, we don't need to pay them any attention!"
Slad straightened his white robe, smoothed his dreadlocks, and began to speak.
It's worth mentioning that the iron rod that always hung on Slard's back is gone. He has now developed a new technique, mimicking the cloud path of Skypiea. By compressing clouds without limit, he can create a cloud rod that rivals steel, and its weight is no less than that of an iron rod. As for hardness, it's not a problem for him, who has mastered Armament Haki.
This makes Slade exceptionally dashing in everything he does; with a flick of his white robe, he looks incredibly handsome.
After some discussion, it was decided that Enel would remain on the Freedom during this island landing, responsible for the ship's security, primarily to guard against pursuers from the World Government or the Navy.
Besides Enel, there's also Laura, the mermaid who was just rescued from the World Government ship by Moku and the others. The human islands hold a strong aversion for her now.
As for CP member number four and Vice Admiral Lorian, who were imprisoned in the ship's cabin...
Number Four is dead. He was used as an experimental subject for Mu Chong's Devil Fruit extraction technology. The cause of death was an error in the training method he wrote for shaving. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, death was inevitable. Unfortunately, the Jump-Jump Fruit was not successfully obtained.
Vice Admiral Lorian was still in the ship's cabin, but the chains binding him had disappeared. He had gained his freedom because, verified by Aisha's exceptional Observation Haki, Lorian had genuinely submitted to Mu Chong.
As for whether he might betray him in the future, Mu Chong couldn't say for sure. However, he had already planned out how to use this guy. A vice admiral who was proficient in the Six Styles of the Navy could cultivate a lot of combat power for Mu Chong. Of course, he would never send him to a sky island. Magic Valley Town was his final destination.
Lorion hasn't fully integrated into the Freedom yet and prefers to stay in his cabin. Why is that? No one knows; after all, you can't judge a book by its cover.
"Wow! This jungle feels like an ancient jungle! These trees and the surrounding vegetation seem untouched by human intervention; there must be countless natural medicinal herbs here!"
Unbeknownst to them, the group had moved deeper into the jungle. Feeling the fresh air around them, Belinda had already exclaimed several times, her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
"Mmm! Belinda is right! I feel like I can breathe much easier here! The air is so fresh!"
After training on the Freedom, twelve-year-old Aisha has grown to over 1.6 meters tall. Although she is not the tallest among Mu Chong and the others, she is still quite graceful.
At this moment, she is happily playing and frolicking with her white cat, Mumu, in front of her—a truly idyllic scene of young girls.
"Hahaha! Belinda! The task of preparing the medicinal herbs is yours, Aisha will be in charge of selecting the vegetables and fruits based on their nutritional value, and as for the meat, that's up to Slad and Baku!"
Being in such an oxygen-rich environment, Mu Chong felt refreshed and invigorated. With a wave of his hand, he fully demonstrated his duties as captain.
"Huh? What are you doing, Captain? You've handed over all the tasks to us. Are you trying to slack off as the captain?"
Slad was taken aback by what he heard, then looked at Mu Chong with a puzzled expression and a malicious tone.
"Hey, hey, hey, Slade, I'm the captain! Of course I don't have to do anything! All I need to do is enjoy the beautiful scenery. Do you expect me, the captain, to do any work?"
Mu Chong immediately understood Slad's meaning, so he put his hands behind his back, raised his chin, and strode forward with an air of indifference.
"Meow!!!"
The white cat Mumu followed closely behind Muchong, imitating his walking posture in a very convincing way.
"Hehehehe! Slard, you actually want the captain to do the work? You must be overthinking this!"
Belinda casually tossed a handful of green grass into the white cloud frame behind Baku, and smiled at Slade, saying...
"Tch! So what if he's the captain? He still has to..."
Roar! ! !
Just as Slard was about to say something, a wild beast's roar came from the mountains to his left.
Fluttering sounds!
The next moment, countless birds suddenly took flight from the jungle sky, scrambling to leave the area as if facing immense danger.
"Meow!!!"
"A wild beast???"
The sudden roar tensed the relaxed atmosphere among Mu Chong and the others, who all turned to look at the mountains on their left.
Roar!Roar!Roar!
Rumble!
After a brief silence, it was as if a door had been opened in the mountains, imprisoning countless wild beasts, and a continuous roar echoed out, followed by a tremendous earthquake.
"Captain! They're here!"
Slad's playful expression vanished, replaced by a serious gaze fixed on the direction of the mountains. As he spoke, a cloud staff slowly materialized in his hand.
"Belinda, Aisha, you two go to the back first. I didn't expect such a grand welcome ceremony as soon as we entered. This jungle is no ordinary place!"
Mu Chong calmly faced the constantly breaking vegetation and fallen tree trunks in front of him, and slowly began to speak.
The next moment, Mu Chong, Slad, and Baku stood tall, facing the approaching horde of beasts.
"Roar!!!"
The white cat Mumu, standing in front of the three, roared loudly.
Because the massive herd of beasts finally revealed themselves from the dense jungle.