On an island south of Chenoat, three intersecting slashes of white light flashed through the air.
Bica's eyelids lowered slightly. With a loud crash, dust billowed as the roof of a nearby bungalow, neatly sliced into three distinct pieces, slid off the structure. A dozen rebels inside screamed as they tumbled down, only to be buried beneath the collapsing debris.
Shing!
Another long wave of dense white energy shot forward. A hint of killing intent touched Bica's usually calm face. The wave twisted and turned, snaking forward rapidly.
"Ahhh!"
A group of several dozen rebels was charging down the street. The white energy wave passed directly through their ranks. Blood sprayed; some were instantly bisected at the waist, while others were flung high into the air, their bodies riddled with cuts by the time they landed. The screams lasted only a moment before Bica sheathed his longsword, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. Everything returned to silence.
No excess emotion showed on his steady face. Bica strode forward, heading deeper into the town. The crew members behind him snapped out of their daze and hurried to follow.
Bica advanced like an unstoppable force, cutting through resistance as if splitting bamboo. Flashes of white sword light erupted continuously from various parts of the town, until a massive explosion roared from the town center!
Bica looked up towards the blast, his brow furrowing involuntarily. A huge mushroom cloud climbed into the sky, the fiery glow visible even from afar, carrying the faint, horrifying screams of the island's residents.
However, it wasn't just one explosion. Subsequent blasts echoing from different locations made Bica's expression grow increasingly heavy.
At almost the exact same time, similar events unfolded on the other islands. After arriving, the other Black Serpent executives had quickly begun purging the rebellious forces. Just as they were closing in on identifying the masterminds behind the uprising, explosions erupted across the islands, catching everyone off guard and causing varying degrees of casualties among their crews.
In a certain underground room, a young man clad in a white robe smiled faintly. He wore a pair of round, rimless glasses, his eyes peering through the lenses at a large screen before him.
The screen was divided into over a dozen panels, displaying real-time situations on the twelve islands currently occupied by the Black Serpent Merchant Guild. Eight of these panels were zoomed in, clearly showing the figures of Vice and the other executives amidst the chaos… and the pillars of fire reaching towards the sky from the burning towns!
"The bait I left behind will soon be discovered, I suppose," the young man murmured, a glint of light reflecting off his glasses as he pushed them up slightly. "Don't disappoint me now, Mr. Warlord."
Across the islands, dozens of explosions continued to detonate, seemingly everywhere.
Back on Apple Island, several flashes of purple light sliced through a collapsed building. Vzzt! The structure was neatly segmented into several large pieces, which slid aside.
Claire's figure slowly emerged from the ruins.
"Those still alive, report," Claire stated, her gaze downcast.
The scene was one of utter devastation. Only about twenty crew members remained unharmed, though they stood frozen in place, seemingly stunned into shock.
"I... I'm alive," a pained voice called out from the rubble. "But… I don't think my family jewels made it."
Claire remained silent for a moment. The other standing crew members regained their senses, looking towards the voice with expressions mixing sympathy, pity, and outrage.
"Are you… Are you sure you want to come out?" one crewman hesitated, calling towards the rubble.
"...I... I want to try…" came the strained reply, filled with a desperate will to survive despite the hesitation.
"Alright… Understood. If you can't make it, please don't force yourself!" several crew members said earnestly, then hurried over to carefully extricate him from the debris.
Just then, a black shadow darted through the collapsed ruins and sped away into the distance.
"Who's there!" several crew members shouted, immediately giving chase. Claire's eyes locked onto the fleeing black figure. Stepping onto the air itself, she launched skyward, following closely behind.
The black shadow moved incredibly fast, reaching the docks in the blink of an eye. It leaped onto a small boat moored below, which then shot away from the shore, leaving a long white wake, quickly shrinking to a mere black dot on the horizon.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Claire's feet blurred, kicking rhythmically against the air, propelling her forward in the sky at immense speed, covering vast distances in moments. Her eyes remained fixed on the distant black dot on the sea's surface.
By the time the pursuing crew members reached the docks, both Claire and the fleeing figure were long gone.
While maintaining the high-speed pursuit, Claire reached into the top of her dress… retrieving a Den Den Mushi. She quickly dialed Wilder's number.
The situation on the other eight islands unfolded similarly. Vice and the others each spotted black-clad figures fleeing the scenes of the explosions. After reporting the situation to Wilder, they immediately gave chase.
In the Black Serpent Merchant Guild headquarters office, Wilder ended the call on his Den Den Mushi, his hardened face showing no ripple of emotion.
He stood up and walked out of the office.
Half a day later, on another island, eight black-clad figures landed one after another. After converging and exchanging glances, they headed off together in a specific direction.
Less than a minute later, Claire was the first of the pursuers to reach this island. Naturally, she hadn't relied solely on Moon Walk for the entire half-day journey; a small, battered boat lay kicked up onto the sandy beach. After landing, Claire didn't continue the chase immediately but stood waiting.
Sherilmo, Vice, Eigg, Bica, Franpetar, and Bacon arrived sequentially, making seven in total who had followed the trails here. Without further hesitation, the eight executives plunged together into the island's interior.
Back in the underground room.
The young man in the white robe, still wearing his rimless glasses, watched the eight figures moving across his screen and smiled faintly. He turned and walked towards a side passage.
The eight black-clad figures entered a large cavern. After navigating a series of twists and turns, they arrived at a dark, narrow passageway. Seemingly familiar with the place, one of them pressed a specific spot on the wall. Lights flickered on, illuminating the passage. The eight figures entered and soon reached the same underground room the young man had previously occupied.
Following the tracks left by the black-clad figures, Vice, Claire, and the others quickly arrived at the entrance to the same hidden passage. The group entered without encountering any resistance.
By the time they reached the underground control room, the eight black-clad figures had vanished.
RUMBLE! A thick, heavy wall slammed down, sealing the passageway they had just entered.
Vice and the others tensed, their expressions turning grave, instantly preparing for an ambush. Suddenly, their senses screamed danger. They snapped their heads upwards, and in the next second, their pupils dilated to the absolute limit!
The ceiling of the underground room was completely covered with densely packed bundles of explosives. Conduits and fuses snaked across the surface, clearly visible. The sight sent shivers down their spines.
Without a doubt, this was a deathtrap with no apparent escape. With such a massive amount of explosives… if they detonated, everyone here…
"…"
The large screen in the room flickered to life, displaying the image of the young man. He offered a warm, gentle smile as he looked out from the screen at the trapped executives.
"Welcome, esteemed members of the Black Serpent Guild. The little fireworks display upstairs was a gift I prepared especially for you. I do hope you enjoy it." The young man's pleasant voice echoed from the speakers. He lifted his hand, showing a silver wristwatch, his smile unwavering. "Don't even think about escaping. Just like your leader, Wilder, you'll all eventually meet him underground. Well then… farewell."
Saying this, the young man raised a remote control in his other hand and pressed the button firmly!
The executives didn't respond. They weren't looking at him. Their eyes were fixed, staring intently at the screen.
No, to be precise, they were staring at the swirling mass of swamp that was steadily rising up behind the young man on the screen.