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(Vanku Brothers—> Funk Brothers)
Within the Fairy Tale Forest.
“Xiū Xiū Xiū!”
The shrill sound of air being torn apart rang out, accompanied by crackling flames.
“Transformation · Solid Shield!”
Covered in wounds, Baby 5 instinctively turned around, her hands transforming into a massive shield, and in the next instant, a hail of arrows, fired by a group of centaurs behind her, slammed into the shield.
As a user of the Weapon Devil Fruit, BABY 5 knew very well that the shield she had created could withstand artillery fire.
But now…
She could clearly see that the countless arrows were made of ice, yet strangely, the ice was burning with flames without melting.
Upon closer inspection, whether the ice arrows or the flames themselves, they were actually living beings.
[Dreamland Spirit · Immortal Spirit Fire]
[Dreamland Spirit · Ice Elemental Sprite]
At that moment, the flames and ice each wielded short, flaming, frosty swords and charged straight at her.
“Transformation: Multiple Short Guns!”
Baby 5 hurriedly transformed her shoulders into numerous short firearms.
“Bang, Bang, Bang!”
Bullets burst forth and she just managed to escape the pursuit.
“What kind of monsters are these things?!”
Looking at the few remaining mercenaries around her, Baby 5 gritted her teeth. She already knew what had happened in this forest in such a short time. Those Dreamland creatures, beings of legend that countless biologists longed to capture and study were, in reality, utterly terrifying monsters!
She had personally witnessed their power.
She had seen a goblin effortlessly shatter a massive boulder in the forest and a chimera tear a hitman to pieces with ease.
Their individual strength might not be among the strongest in the seas, but they were powerful enough to make even someone like her, a Devil Fruit user considered strong in the seas, treat them seriously.
If there were just one or two, it wouldn’t be a problem, but the key issue was that she had no idea as to how many of these Dreamland creatures existed in this forest and how many types there were.
Beyond their numbers, the more critical problem was…
“Stop attacking them, you idiot woman! It’s a complete waste of effort; you already saw what happened when your companion died. These monsters are undying.” A voice sounded beside Baby 5.
It was Kelly Funk; more precisely, ‘Kelly & Bobby Funk.’
The top-tier hitman, who had merged with his younger brother using the Jacket Devil Fruit, was also breathing heavily at this moment.
Baby 5’s expression darkened upon hearing this.
She knew he was right. Gladius, the Donquixote Family combatant who had come with her to Dreamland Island, had died not long ago. His Pop-Pop Fruit had considerable destructive power, but it lacked defensive capabilities.
Before he died, he triggered a massive explosion, killing dozens of Dreamland creatures alongside himself.
But, as Funk had said, it was meaningless.
She had seen those dozens of Dreamland creatures blown to pieces with her own eyes, only for them to regenerate moments later.
Baby 5 didn’t particularly care about Gladius’s death, their relationship was merely that of co-workers, and her feelings towards the Donquixote Family were complicated.
But…
“If we don’t attack them, do you think we can escape?”
Even though she knew he was right, she couldn’t help but argue back.
“Escape?” Funk sneered.
“Escape to where?” As he spoke, he lowered his head.
Grotesque wounds, deep enough to expose bone, marred his chest, the main reason for his weakened state.
And one had to know that among the Funk Brothers, Bobby Funk, the younger brother, was born with an exceptionally powerful body. After consuming the Jacket Fruit, his physical toughness became comparable to someone constantly coated in Armament Haki.
Yet, despite his formidable physique, when he tried to leap out of the forest and escape through the sky, he was struck down by some terrifying creature in a single blow.
Funk didn’t know what the creature was. He hadn’t seen it before he was knocked down.
But he understood.
“We can’t escape this forest. The real monsters here haven’t made a move yet. They’re not even taking this seriously.”
As he said this, Baby 5 fell silent.
From the corner of her eye, she could see an Immortal Spirit Fire arguing noisily with another nearby. Both had been hit by bullets earlier yet were now rapidly repairing themselves.
“It’s your fault for tripping me! If you hadn’t tripped me, I wouldn’t have been hit!”
“It was your sword that scratched me first!”
“It’s all fire anyway! The sword is made of fire, too, what’s the big deal if it scratches you?”
“All right, all right, stop arguing. Reform ranks quickly. The next round of training is about to start. If we perform well, I heard that the Phantom Beast Lord and the Island Spirit might reward us with ‘golden’ today!”
Such conversations were carried out openly, without the slightest attempt to hide them.
Yes, by now, all the survivors here already knew.
Those Dreamland creatures could have wiped them all out in an instant.
But they didn’t.
The reason was simple: They were training.
Even Baby 5 could sense it: the coordination between the various Dreamland creatures was precise and organized, resembling a true legion.
“The entire island…” She let out a bitter laugh. “This isn’t Dreamland Island; it’s clearly Monster Island.”
“Isn’t that the truth…” Funk shook his head.
The next moment, he and Baby 5 both halted abruptly and leapt aside, dodging the claws of a massive nine-headed lion in front of them and the vines attacking from behind.
“Transformation · Giant Cannon!”
“Funk Killing Fist!”
With a blast of cannon fire and a crushing punch, the two shot forward, passing the giant lion. Two of its heads had been blown apart, but they were already regenerating at an astonishing rate.
They said nothing more, simply fighting in coordination.
Even now, there was no goodwill between them. They were only cooperating for one reason. They both knew that this was their only chance to survive.
“The fleets from the various nations should already be on their way…” Baby 5 thought to herself. “As long as we can hold out until then, there’s a chance to escape.”
To survive until that moment, the survivors in the forest had no choice but to unite.
But just then…
“Buzz!!”
Baby 5 suddenly saw a legion of knights clad in flames and mounted on skeletal warhorses silently forming ranks not far away in the forest.
[Phantom Dream Legion · Flame Knight Legion]
All the survivors’ faces fell.
Having made it this far, they all knew what would happen next. These knights would charge at them at incredible speed and anyone pierced by their lances would be engulfed in flames.
But…
“Huh?!”
In the next instant, they froze.
Because suddenly, the entire Flame Knight Legion had stopped mid-charge. Then, as if they had received an unseen command, they all withdrew back into the shadows.
Not only that, but…
“Rustle!”
The vines that had been relentlessly pursuing them also stopped.
“Neigh!”
The centaurs halted. The harpies that had been sending out wind blades like blades also ceased their attacks. At that moment, the survivors could almost hear an invisible voice giving orders.
Training had been temporarily halted.
Even more shocking was the scene as they saw that the forest, which had once been tightly sealed, had clearly opened up.
“An exit!”
Without hesitating or questioning what had happened, they all rushed straight towards it.
They escaped that terrifying forest in just a few moments.
The long-lost sunlight shone on their faces, bringing many of them to tears.
“We… we survived!” Funk muttered.
But only moments later…
“Huh?!”
They noticed something strange. This anomaly certainly didn’t come from the terrifying forest behind them as it came from the sky ahead.
Looking up, they could clearly see a figure flying through the air. Behind him, supporting his flight, seemed to be… a flower?”
At the same time, in the center of the forest…
Inside the massive sheep-headed mask, Hitsuji also gazed towards the distant sky.
“This… was not something I expected.” A trace of surprise flickered in his eyes.
Indeed…. Just as Baby 5 and the others had guessed, Hitsuji hadn’t taken these intruders seriously at all. To him, they served only two purposes.
First…
Devil Fruits analyzed: Weapon Fruit, Jacket Fruit, Pop-Pop Fruit. He had already acquired the Devil Fruit abilities of the users among them. After all, his body was the island itself, so anyone who set foot on it would naturally have their Devil Fruit analyzed.
Beyond that, he had also intended to use these uninvited guests as training material for his Phantom Dream Legion.
But what he hadn’t expected was…
“…he actually came.”
Looking at the figure in the sky, Hitsuji’s expression grew slightly serious. This was also why he had ordered the Dreamland creatures to stop attacking.
“Although I’ve already stored a considerable amount of vital life essence, the losses would still be too great if the lower-tier Dreamland creatures fight that guy.”
The vital life essence he had painstakingly gathered was crucial for his next plan; he had no intention of wasting it here.
But then again…
“… this person’s ability might solve the essence problem.” Hitsuji muttered softly, deep in thought.
“However, the fleets of other nations will arrive soon, before they get here, I must deal with this guy…”
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly sensed something else.
His gaze instantly shifted toward another direction of the island. He had detected another familiar presence… returning at this exact moment.
Hitsuji raised an eyebrow, then a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
“Well now… what perfect timing.”
(End of Chapter)
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