The crewman's shout drew everyone's attention. They all rushed to the side of the ship, and their expressions immediately turned strange.
One of the crew looked at the slithering, unidentified object on the hull and said hesitantly, "Is that… swamp?"
"That's right." Wilder walked over, a knowing smile on his face. As he reached the railing, he secreted a stream of swamp from his right hand, flinging it onto the creature. Once they connected, he slowly retracted it.
"Boss, what's going on?" Vice saw the smile on Wilder's face and knew this was something significant. He looked at him with a curious and excited glint in his eyes.
The others also stared at Wilder, wondering what kind of scheme he had cooked up.
Wilder shrugged helplessly. "It's nothing much. I just took a few things from Big Mom's ship while no one was looking. Don't tell anyone about this."
As he finished, he shot the crew a threatening glare. The low-ranking crewmen felt the hair on their bodies stand on end. They shivered and shook their heads frantically, promising they would never speak of it.
Only Claire and Vice were truly curious about what Wilder had taken, but seeing that he was unwilling to elaborate, they didn't dare to ask. They had to let the matter drop.
Rumble! The ship from Morass moved further and further away from the Marine fortress. When the fortress had shrunk to a tiny black dot in the distance, a series of rumbles echoed from that direction.
Wilder knew that Big Mom was also beginning to withdraw.
"But with that guy Akainu's personality, Big Mom will probably have to pay a steep price to escape. In fact, that mad dog will definitely chase her relentlessly."
But that was no longer Wilder's concern. He had done his best this time, even getting beaten half to death by Big Mom. The small consolation was that he had achieved a significant breakthrough, especially with his Armament Haki.
Wilder decided that when he returned, he would add this to his training regimen, aiming to cover a large area with Armament Haki-infused abilities, just like Katakuri.
"If I can do that, I'll have more than just one new attack method. In fact, achieving that will likely be a qualitative leap in my combat power." Wilder could already envision his future fighting style.
He would keep his body at a safe distance, unleashing countless swamp tentacles coated in Armament Haki to fight his enemies. It would be a perfect blend of offense and defense. He could even stand still while his swamp tentacles engaged any threat that approached.
He wouldn't even fear a sneak attack from behind. After all, in such an environment, his entire vicinity would be covered in swamp, and he would be at the very center of it all. His combat effectiveness would increase by more than just a little.
The ship drew closer and closer to the Kingdom of Morass. Soon, the complete landscape of the country was visible. In the distance, the faint sound of rumbling could still be heard from time to time.
The more Wilder thought about it, the more excited he became. He decided to focus his main efforts on developing the application of his Armament Haki combined with his abilities once he returned.
The ship arrived at the docks of Morass. As everyone disembarked, Franpetar and the others who had been standing guard rushed up to greet them.
Due to his injuries, Wilder couldn't travel on his own. Escorted by Vice and Claire, he rode a Block-and-Roll Cart back to the palace.
The Block-and-Roll Cart was, of course, an invention of Claire's. These light and sturdy vehicles, capable of transporting both goods and people, had become the primary mode of transportation within Morass. Because of their stability and light weight, many people fell in love with them after their first ride. As its inventor, Claire had earned a small fortune and was already a well-known young tycoon in Morass.
With development and the availability of food, signs of commerce were beginning to appear within the kingdom. This was a good omen. As Wilder sat in the cart, he occasionally caught glimpses of this progress and felt a thrill of excitement. This was the country he had created, and it was getting better step by step.
The Path of Light, connecting the capital to the docks, was also nearing completion. Two months after Wilder's return to Morass, it was finally declared finished.
The name "Path of Light" was naturally chosen by Wilder himself. The meaning was obvious. Regardless of who Wilder and his crew were before or what they had done, naming things with a positive, upward, sun-facing theme was never a bad idea.
Besides, weren't the names of many evil organizations also very positive and bright?
With the completion of the Path of Light, travel between various places would become more convenient. This would greatly accelerate the pace of commerce. At the same time, it would allow the displaced people within Morass who were still unaware of the country's situation to gradually gather, step by step becoming members of this nation. With the capital as a central point, it would continuously radiate outward, attracting refugees, increasing the population, expanding land use, and driving development, development, and more development!
Two months had passed, leaving less than a year until Luffy and the others would make their return. Wilder's injuries had long since healed.
Several major events occurred during these two months. First, the battle at the Marine fortress unsurprisingly became huge news.
The Kingdom of Morass and the name Wilder once again became major topics of conversation across the seas. At the same time, details of Wilder's series of actions in cooperation with Akainu and Kizaru were inevitably exposed. The defeat of Sweet Commander Katakuri, the sinking of ships in a naval battle, and other events caused a global uproar.
The world also learned of Wilder's battle with Big Mom. People were shocked by Wilder's strength, but they also felt the seas were becoming more turbulent. Even an Emperor like Big Mom had suffered repeated setbacks, all related to Wilder. This made them feel a certain unease—unease about the turmoil, and a high degree of caution, even vigilance, toward Wilder.
"Lucifer Wilder… just how strong has he become?" This question was on the minds of many across the seas.
Beyond that, the outcome of the battle between Akainu and Big Mom was the most watched development. The final result was that Big Mom retreated after sacrificing some of her sons and daughters. Akainu pursued her for a while but was hit by a counterattack at sea and ultimately gave up the chase.
Wilder paid this only a passing glance before dismissing it.
He didn't train during these two months. His injuries were still healing, and training wouldn't make him stronger; it would only risk leaving behind hidden damage. So, for two months, Wilder spent his time in his kingdom or his office, writing and drawing, planning and preparing for the next major event necessary for the development of Morass.
In those two months, combined with the time before, the Talent Development Department was finally fully established. In the process, a large number of talented individuals were discovered. These people came from within Morass's own ranks as well as from the civilian population. Of course, due to the larger civilian base, the total number of talents from the populace actually surpassed that of Morass's original members.
This was something Wilder was happy to see. It proved that his country had a good foundation; there was no shortage of talent.
Wilder issued a proclamation to the general public, giving them an opportunity while also scouting for talents other than educators.
The call was for, but not limited to, skilled workers such as carpenters, masons, and blacksmiths. Wilder offered these talents two choices. First, if their skills met the required standards, they could join a department within Morass, contribute their skills, and receive a guaranteed salary. Second, they could enter a department for a period of free study and then serve as teachers in the academies under the newly established Engineering and Craftsmanship Department. They could learn theory while selecting promising children from the populace as their apprentices, and they could also take on side jobs. For this, Morass would provide a subsidy based on attendance and cover their meals, but not a salary.
The proclamation was quickly disseminated, and the effect was surprisingly good, far exceeding Wilder's expectations. Almost every skilled craftsman in the capital participated. About a third of them qualified to join a state department, adding new blood to the ranks.
The rest participated in Morass's training and theoretical studies, signing contracts to serve as artisan teachers in the affiliated academies of the Engineering and Craftsmanship Department, regularly teaching students or directly taking on apprentices.
This was the support of the common people for Wilder. Before, they couldn't even guarantee three meals a day. Many would have already died in the darkness of the endless wars. It was Wilder's arrival that gave them a new life, gave them food to eat, and saved them from starvation. So now, faced with Wilder's needs, every one of them felt an unshirkable sense of duty.
There was another matter that pleased Wilder. The Talent Development Department had finally taken action. The schools… were open!
In terms of a complete system and departmental structure, the Talent Development Department was the first in Morass to be considered perfect. So once it was established, it moved quickly.
With the cooperation of the Construction Department, schools that Wilder had specifically ordered were erected throughout the capital. Now, they were finally welcoming their first day of school!
The curriculum was standardized.
Teaching would start from elementary school. From elementary school, they would shape and cultivate the minds of these children!
On this day, the Direct Rule District, now known as the Political District by the common people, witnessed a major event.
It was much like the first time the Kingdom of Morass appeared before the eyes of the nation's people.
On a high platform, far grander than the one at Morass's founding, two rows of honor guard soldiers in crisp uniforms stood ramrod straight, their gazes fixed forward.
Below, a sea of heads surged. The common people had gathered here early, murmuring among themselves. They occasionally looked up at the soldiers on the platform, their eyes flashing with admiration and curiosity. These soldiers felt different from the ones they usually saw. As for what was different… maybe the regular soldiers weren't as neat as these two rows?
No amount of guessing would help them. They didn't know that these two rows, a mere twenty soldiers in total, had been personally trained by Wilder himself. They were the best of the best, selected from the Palace Guard—the unit that wore biohazard-like suits and carried standard-issue weapons.
When it came to executing missions, they were number one in Morass.
The Palace Guard was formed from the Battle Units and the Monitoring Unit, and at Wilder's request, its members had spent time in all of Morass's different types of units. Their operational capabilities were exceptionally strong.
And these men from the Palace Guard had been handpicked by Wilder. They had undergone life-and-death special training in environments filled with swamps, poison gas, and ferocious beasts. Their combat power aside, their professional discipline was second to none. They were the elite of the elite, each one a talent with outstanding intelligence.
Five thousand were selected for training, and only five hundred remained. The twenty men on the platform now were the elite from within those five hundred.
Wilder had a plan for them. These five hundred would serve as his personal guard. He decided to continuously improve their combat strength. Since they were personally selected by him, he trusted them completely. In terms of treatment, Wilder had elevated the status of these five hundred directly to that of senior cadres.
Of course, this didn't mean they had the strength of senior cadres. It was a positional title, meant to signify their importance. At the same time, these men had no authority; they answered only to Wilder. With their senior cadre position and their status as the Palace Guard, not even Claire could make them move a single step.
The reason Wilder had them appear today was, besides giving them some exposure and showing the other soldiers of Morass the gap between them, also to reflect his own status. After all, he was the king, and it was only natural for the Palace Guard to accompany the king to such events.
When Wilder, dressed in full regalia, appeared on the platform, a wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted from below. Everyone looked at their king, their faces filled with excitement.
They had never imagined that any country's king could be so close to the people. Some of the elderly who had experienced the brutal rule of the previous king were moved to tears. These people were Wilder's most loyal supporters. They had never thought that one day they would be able to see their king face-to-face.
Wilder watched this scene with a faint smile, giving off a warm and gentle feeling. His tall frame was majestic, but his smile represented approachability. The reaction from the crowd below grew even more fervent.
It wasn't until Wilder raised his hands to quiet them that the crowd gradually fell silent, watching him intently.
When Wilder announced from the platform the policy of providing free education for every family's children, the entire crowd fell silent, and then…
It erupted!
"No matter whose family, no matter how many children, as long as they want to learn, as long as they want to go to school, it will all be free!"
"WOOOOAH!" The entire crowd cheered, erupted, and was shaken! In the end, it all turned into pure joy.
Although most of them didn't know what learning entailed, they remembered the recent, enthusiastic recruitment of teachers in the capital and could vaguely sense that… learning seemed to be something beneficial for the future.
Besides, it was free.
And this matter was personally proposed by the king, which proved that learning was truly important!
At worst… if a family had two children, one could go to school while the other helped at home, right?
Almost everyone had this thought. However, Wilder's next sentence instantly silenced the scene. "All children above the age of five and below the age of twelve must attend school and learn!"