"Outsider, let go of Natalie, or you'll all die here."
At that moment, eight warriors dressed in primitive animal hide emerged from both sides of the passage, brandishing swords and advancing toward Rosen.
A trap? No, this wasn't a trap. If it were, they wouldn't have sent a little girl first. This must have been a coincidence.
Among the eight warriors—six men and two women—the one who spoke was the eldest-looking female leader.
She had a scar of corrosion on the left side of her face, making her appearance quite fearsome. She was strong and wielded two short blades, her fierce eyes locked onto Rosen and his companion.
The rest of the warriors, weapons drawn, steadily closed in.
"Battle-hardened soldiers," Rosen muttered, frowning slightly. From these people, he could sense an overwhelming killing intent—intense and untamed. The leader, in particular, had a powerful aura.
"I'm only here for a trade." Rosen pondered for a moment before releasing the little girl's wrist. If he wanted to achieve his goal, it was best to avoid unnecessary conflict, or things could become far more complicated.
"Natalie, come here. We'll deal with you later. How many times have I told you not to wander off alone? You never listen!" The leader stepped forward and pulled the girl back to her group.
"I'm sorry, Lisa," Natalie said softly, her head lowered in sincere apology.
But the others still kept their hostile gaze fixed on Rosen and his companion, ready to attack at the slightest provocation.
"Now, get out," Lisa said coldly.
"Relax, I've shown my sincerity. Likewise, I hope we can reach some form of understanding. If I had ill intentions, this little girl would already be my hostage," Rosen stated plainly.
"You should be grateful you didn't. Otherwise, do you think you'd still be standing?" Lisa remained expressionless.
If Rosen had taken Natalie hostage, they wouldn't have negotiated. She would have died first, followed by the enemy.
However, to their surprise, Rosen had given up his leverage so easily. That alone was reason enough for Lisa to let them go.
"I believe that if the price is right, any deal can be made. I came to this island looking for someone—Trafalgar Law. If you have any information, I'm willing to trade for it. Money, food, weapons—whatever you need. If it can be bought, I can provide it," Rosen said calmly.
"You really have food?" Natalie suddenly interrupted, her blue eyes filled with longing as she looked at Rosen.
"I can contact people outside the island. If necessary, I can arrange for food shipments. It'll come at a cost, but it's entirely doable," Rosen continued. This wasn't just an empty promise—he had contingencies in place on Frans Island.
If needed, he could use a Den Den Mushi to contact Robin, manipulate Blunt, or even pay the price to dispatch a ship loaded with supplies. It wouldn't be too difficult.
"Natalie, be quiet. We do not trade with outsiders."
"Leave now! The undead are coming—hurry!" One of the warriors behind Lisa suddenly called out in alarm.
No sooner had he spoken than the sound of frenzied roars and trembling walls echoed through the tunnels.
They stood at a crossroads, with five passages extending in different directions, dimly lit by faint light sources.
Now, zombies were pouring in from every tunnel.
"Roar!"
A rotting corpse was the first to appear in Lisa's passageway.
The moment it spotted the living, it went berserk—its speed and strength surging as it lunged at the warrior behind Lisa.
Slash!
But just as it got close, the warrior decapitated it with a single stroke of his blade.
This was only the beginning.
Sensing the commotion, more and more zombies swarmed from the depths of the tunnels—an overwhelming horde.
Rosen's side wasn't spared either.
"Looks like there's a zombie nest nearby. Did we linger too long and get noticed?"
Rosen raised his hand, and the walls around them turned to sand, forming dense, razor-sharp blades.
With a push, the bladed sandstorm swept forward, instantly severing the heads of a dozen zombies.
"Desert Bastion."
He manipulated the sand, shaping it into a sturdy wall that sealed off the passage.
Then, pressing his hand against the surface, he compressed the sand further, reinforcing it into an impenetrable barricade. For the time being, unless an exceptionally strong zombie appeared, this route was sealed.
Having done this, Rosen observed the unfolding chaos indifferently.
Lisa and her warriors were engaged in battle with the undead. Their swordsmanship was precise—each strike cleanly severing a zombie's head. Their teamwork was seamless.
In just a short time, many zombies had fallen at their feet. Even Natalie wielded a dagger and a wooden shield with surprising skill—her dagger piercing zombie throats with precision, her shield blocking incoming strikes.
She moved nimbly, almost like she was dancing.
"This way!" one of the warriors called out, pointing to a passage where the number of zombies was relatively lower.
"Roar!"
But Lisa's passage had now given rise to a new threat—a towering, mutated zombie.
One of them emitted a thick mist, swirling around its body, giving it an almost divine presence—if it weren't so grotesque.
"It's a Mist Red Beast! Run!"
The moment the creature appeared, Lisa and her warriors' faces turned pale. They no longer paid attention to Rosen.
"Normal attacks won't work."
Lisa drew a specially made Seastone dagger from her waist, ready to face the monster.
Boom!
The Mist Red Beast, as large as a bear, swung its massive palm down.
With a puff, its hand disintegrated into thick mist, surging forward like a tidal wave.
"A Logia-type mutant zombie?"
Rosen was momentarily stunned.
It was clear—this Mist Red Beast was a Devil Fruit user, specifically a Logia-type, with abilities similar to Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit.
Smoke and mist might seem alike, but there was a key difference—smoke was made of fine combustion particles, while mist consisted of tiny water droplets formed from condensation or evaporation.
"Just how many variants of these things exist?"
Rosen clenched his fist, summoning a longsword of sand that continuously absorbed the surrounding grains. He wasn't planning to intervene yet—but he was ready.
Slash!
Lisa struck first, her Seastone dagger stabbing into the misty arm.
A wound appeared, leaking foul, black blood.
"Roar!"
The Mist Red Beast opened its jaws, launching a spiraling mist spear straight at Lisa's head.
She raised her dagger to block it—crack!
Her entire arm fractured, and her weapon flew from her grasp.
"Run!"
But Lisa showed no sign of pain. With her other hand, she swiftly retrieved her Seastone dagger and swung it, severing one of the creature's fingers.
Yet the beast, feeling no pain, didn't retreat—it lunged forward, jaws wide, aiming to tear her apart.
"No!"
Natalie and the others wanted to flee, but they had only just reached the other passage. Their comrades were still cutting down zombies to clear a path.
"I can save her. But I need to know if we can reach a temporary agreement. What do you say?"
Rosen glanced at Lisa.
At the last moment, her battle instincts helped her dodge the bite—but the Mist Red Beast pinned her down with its massive foot.
"Save her! I promise, we'll tell you everything we know. Please, save Lisa!"
Natalie's voice trembled with urgency, tears in her eyes.
"What about the rest of you?" Rosen looked at the other warriors.
They hesitated, their expressions conflicted.
Lisa had stayed behind to hold off the enemy—if they abandoned her now…
"Save her," a middle-aged warrior finally gritted out.
"Pleasure doing business."
With that, Rosen shot forward like a raging storm.
(End of Chapter)
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