"Your voice is decent, but your strength is average." Rosen stood with his foot on the massive figure beneath him, his expression unchanged as he casually smoked a cigarette.
"Bronk was defeated? Is this outsider really that strong?" A crowd had gathered around, with warriors arriving from all directions.
"It looked like he only used two or three moves."
"This man was brought back by Warrior Chief Lisa. He shouldn't be an enemy, right?"
"Hard to say. Outsiders have no credibility. I think we should just let the warriors capture them—it's the safest option."
"Bronk calls himself a fighter, yet he couldn't even handle an outsider? How embarrassing. I'm not going hunting with him next time."
"Damn it, let me go!" Bronk, the green-skinned giant, struggled under Rosen's foot, his face filled with humiliation and rage. Rosen glanced at him indifferently.
If he weren't in enemy territory and didn't want to cause too much trouble, he would have at least broken a leg.
"Let him go!" A number of warriors surrounded Rosen and his companion, enclosing them. Among them were over a dozen mutated humans, all towering and imposing.
"My lord, should we hold back a little?" Pittas, looking at the dense crowd of warriors, couldn't help but feel nervous.
The Shichibukai were truly dominant. Even in enemy territory, they never hesitated to act when necessary. But he himself was just a fragile human—one mistake, and he'd be dead.
"Disperse. Stop crowding around. And you, let him go. His family was killed by outsiders, and though he survived a viral infection by sheer luck, his mind isn't quite right." Lisa spoke briefly, pleading for Bronk's case.
Hearing this, Rosen released him. He had only been waiting for the real authority to show up. Since she had spoken, there was no need to make a fuss over minor matters.
"I…" Bronk got up, still unwilling to back down, ready to strike again.
"Bronk, stand down." Lisa's cold voice commanded, her eyes locking onto him.
"Oh…" Bronk lowered his head, touching his chest where he had been stepped on, then left in dejection.
"Come inside. The rest of you, get back to work. Night is falling—don't let your guard down." Lisa addressed the crowd.
"Understood." The people began to disperse, though many cast curious or hostile glances at Rosen.
"It's clear you're not very welcoming to outsiders," Rosen remarked with a smile, unconcerned. He could understand why.
"That depends on why you outsiders come here. If you're with the Marines, we'll hunt you to the last man. If you're just treasure seekers and not hostile, we won't bother with you." Lisa replied.
"Did you get the information you wanted?" Lisa asked as soon as they entered the house.
"Lisa, I told them everything they asked!" Natalie eagerly raised her hand, her voice filled with enthusiasm.
"We have no secrets here, nor do we fear you knowing the truth. In fact, if you can leave this place alive and spread the truth to your world, we would welcome it. It might even help expose those hypocrites. Outside, I hear people still think this place is a functioning country? Ha…" Lisa scoffed with disdain.
Rosen remained silent. Before coming to this island, he had expected some level of chaos, but he never imagined that not only had the nation ceased to exist, but even the survivors had been forced to live underground.
Even a child like Natalie, no older than seven or eight, was already armed.
The entire island was overrun with zombies and mutated creatures. Calling it hell wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"What exactly happened to Lantis Island? When I visited a few years ago, it wasn't like this at all." Pittas was deeply shaken.
"A few scattered words can't break the Marine's blockade. As long as they and the World Government control the narrative, the truth will never reach the people. And even if it did, what difference would it make? It wouldn't change anything." Rosen understood the overwhelming power of a world-spanning institution.
Still, he wanted to know the truth about what had happened to Lantis.
"It was all caused by the Celestial Dragons. When I get stronger, I'll capture that bastard and bring him back here!" Natalie clenched her tiny fists, her voice filled with determination.
"The Celestial Dragons? Weren't they the World Nobles who visited Lantis Island years ago? Do they have something to do with what happened here?" Pittas looked incredulous.
He clearly remembered how the entire nation had celebrated when the Celestial Dragons arrived on Lantis Island.
"I hope we can understand each other better. I know most outsiders see us as demons, so I will tell you the truth." Lisa had already decided on how to establish some initial trust between them.
Then, Rosen and Pittas listened as Lisa narrated a history deliberately buried by the World Government and the Marines.
Seven years ago, the Celestial Dragons arrived on Lantis Island. The reigning king saw this as an opportunity to join the World Government, so he catered to their every demand.
First, he purchased and transported slaves from all over the world. Then, following the Celestial Dragons' orders, he had a facility constructed near the royal palace, based on blueprints provided by the Marines' science division.
Only later did they discover it was a massive research institute—now known as the Ninth Garden.
At first, the Celestial Dragons only had the royal army capture wild beasts and collect rare medicinal herbs. Occasionally, they organized gladiator battles for entertainment, despite such bloodsport being unpopular in the once-prosperous and peaceful Lantis. But because of the Celestial Dragons' status, the king obeyed and concealed the truth.
Then, valuable mineral resources were transported to the research facility, and individuals with Devil Fruit abilities began to be captured and imprisoned by the Marines.
By the time the people of Lantis realized something was wrong, it was too late. Strange, mindless creatures had already begun attacking villages and towns.
The royal army attempted to intervene, but the Celestial Dragons forbade them, ordering the installation of surveillance Den Den Mushi across the island. These were not just to monitor the monsters but also the civilians—anyone who harmed or killed a creature would be punished.
Without the ability to resist, the people could only flee. Casualties were inevitable. Darkness crept over the land as more and more civilians perished. Chaos engulfed the nation.
Pressed by the people's demands, the king finally requested permission to eradicate the creatures. But this angered the Celestial Dragons.
That very night, countless monsters were released from the research facility, overrunning the royal palace. The entire royal bloodline was wiped out.
The monsters were uncontrollable. With the king's lineage extinguished and a horde of creatures roaming free, Lantis Island plunged into unparalleled chaos.
The people fought back. A war between humans and monsters began. But before it could spread beyond the island, disaster struck.
One fateful night, a dark mist engulfed the entire island. Corpses piled up. Monsters ran rampant.
Anyone with even a minor wound was infected by the mist, transforming into a monster. Survivors, vastly outnumbered, were either slaughtered or turned into part of the monstrous horde.
The black mist seeped into the earth, warping the landscape, especially under the influence of some particularly mutated creatures.
From that moment on, Lantis was consumed by darkness. The Celestial Dragons, under heavy escort, fled that same night and immediately ordered the island's quarantine…
(End of Chapter)
=========================================================
DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE
SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS
PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).