"Then let's settle this with strength."
As Wilder's words fell, the atmosphere in the corridor became incredibly tense.
"Yeah, you're right. With strength," Luffy said, pressing a hand to his straw hat before looking up to meet Wilder's gaze.
"Straw Hat, Surgeon of Death, Pirate Hunter, Black Leg... and the rest of you. Quite the welcoming party..." Wilder's eyes swept over the men he'd named, stopping just five meters away from the group.
He grinned.
"You really flatter me."
Gurgle!
As he finished speaking, a massive torrent of swamp erupted from his body.
Law and Zoro's expressions changed simultaneously. "Scatter!"
BOOM!
The viscous swamp instantly filled the entire corridor. Wilder drew his right hand back and then thrust it forward with immense force.
The swamp surged toward them, its leading edge forming a great maw like some man-eating beast.
"Tornado!" Zoro acted instantly, unleashing a whirlwind slash with his Three-Sword Style that tore through the walls of the corridor, carving out a wide-open space.
The others used the opening to quickly disperse as the swamp rushed past them, disappearing into the darkness at the end of the passage.
Their faces were grim as they stared intently at the spot where the swamp had originated.
"That was close..." Nami and the other non-combatants stared ahead, their hearts still pounding with fear.
"Aside from the Admirals, I don't think we've ever faced an opponent like this before," Zoro said gravely. His last attack was meant not only to open up the corridor but also to disperse the swamp itself.
Clearly, things weren't that simple. The force and cohesiveness of the swamp had far exceeded his expectations. His slash hadn't just failed to break it apart; it hadn't even slowed it down. That was what truly unsettled him.
Zoro's words made everyone's heart tighten. Only Law nodded in solemn agreement. Keeping his eyes fixed on the corridor ahead, he said gravely, "You probably don't know what Wilder has been up to these past two years, do you? He is absolutely someone we should not be fighting right now."
Hearing this, all the Straw Hats except for Nico Robin looked at Law in surprise.
Of course...
A few dark lines appeared on Law's face. He should have known this crew wouldn't pay attention to such things.
He explained grimly, "Lucifer Wilder, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"EHHH!? He's... he's a Warlord!?" Everyone's jaw dropped. Nami and the others looked like they had just bitten into a bitter melon.
Even though the man standing with them was also a Warlord, and even though they had fought and defeated Warlords several times before, they really didn't want to face another one.
"Mm," Law nodded, his eyes still fixed on the swamp as it began to recede back into the corridor. "If that was all... you could count yourselves lucky. After all... the captains present here have no reason to fear a mere Warlord."
His words only served to deepen their curiosity and their sense of dread.
Feeling the questioning gazes of the Straw Hats on him, Law's voice grew heavy. "That man killed one of the Four Emperors Big Mom's three most powerful officers—one of her Three Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Cracker."
Silence.
The sound of several people swallowing hard echoed in the space. Zoro and the others looked grim, while the bitter expressions on the faces of Nami's group were frozen solid.
While the Straw Hats didn't know the exact rank of a "Sweet Commander," they certainly knew who Big Mom was. A Yonko! One of the terrifying Four Emperors! To be one of her top officers... one could only imagine how powerful that person must have been.
And yet... such a person had been killed by the man who now stood before them as an enemy.
As if fearing they still didn't grasp the severity of the situation, Law continued, "On top of that, he gravely injured three of the Blackbeard Pirates' key members, forcing them to flee. He tore off the leg of their First Division Commander and declared war on Blackbeard from afar. After that, he seized an island in the Calm Belt from under Big Mom's control, founded the nation of Morass, and fought alongside Admiral Kizaru against Big Mom herself at the new Marine fortress. Straw Hat-ya, if we fight him now... you'd better be prepared to lose here."
"Hiss!"
Law's words struck them like a physical blow. Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets, their mouths hanging wide open.
The next second...
"Ah, we're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die! Why did we have to run into someone so terrifying right from the start!?" Chopper and Usopp clung to each other, streams of wavy tears pouring from their eyes.
The others didn't look much better. Even Luffy's expression had changed slightly. But his thought process had always been different from everyone else's. The thing that caught his attention was...
"I didn't know that mister was so strong! Shishishi!"
"..."
"He's coming!"
Just then, Law's expression shifted, and he warned the others in a low voice.
Everyone tensed, their eyes snapping back to the rapidly receding swamp. In less than two seconds, all the swamp blocking the corridor had vanished. But Wilder's figure was not where they expected it to be. He was gone.
"No! His target is Caesar!"
"When did he—!"
Law, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji's eyes widened in unison, and they spun around. The others reacted a moment later, turning with shocked expressions to face the new threat.
When they turned, their faces fell once more.
Caesar, who had been tied up and thrown to the side after the initial swamp blast, was gone.
On the spot where he had been lying, a few patches of swamp still writhed on the ground before slowly sinking beneath the floor, vanishing without a trace.
Everyone's body was tense. In that moment of high alert, Law's body suddenly went rigid.
"Nyehehehe... Don't move. Hand over the heart." A tall figure had appeared behind Law without anyone noticing. The muzzle of an ornate pistol was pressed against his back, right where his heart would be.
The others' expressions changed at the sight, and they instantly adopted combat stances.
When did he get there?
A drop of cold sweat trickled down Law's forehead, but he remained calm.
Wilder's gaze swept over the others as he let out a low chuckle. "Nobody move. If you startle me, I might get nervous, and my finger might slip on this trigger. That wouldn't be good."
His eyes landed on a restless Luffy, his smile unwavering. "Mr. Luffy, still as hot-blooded as ever. I truly envy that. However, for the sake of your ally's safety, now is not the time for hot-blooded heroics."
"You bastard...! What do you really want!?" Luffy wasn't calling him "mister" anymore. He glared at Wilder, his teeth clenched in anger.
"Hmm..." Wilder feigned a helpless look. "Didn't I already tell you? All I want is Caesar and his heart. I have no intention of making enemies of you, Mr. Luffy, or anyone else here. In fact... speaking of alliances, I'm quite interested myself. How about you let me join your alliance? I have a considerable force at my command, you know. Nyahahaha."
As Wilder was speaking, Law's right hand twitched slightly.
The next moment, a dozen threads made of swamp shot out, weaving through his fingers and palm before yanking back sharply.
Law's fingers were instantly bent backward at a grotesque angle. It was clear that with just a little more pressure, the bones would snap.
"I told you not to move. I'd rather not experience that ability of yours, Mr. Law, so it's best for everyone if you just stay still."
This guy... his reactions are too fast, Law thought, gritting his teeth. A sharp, aching pain shot through his hand, causing his brow to furrow.
"You bastard, let go of Law!" Luffy yelled from the front. This was the quality Wilder admired most in him, and also the one he found most troublesome.
However, Wilder never let his personal feelings show. He judged people based purely on their strength, utility, and influence.
"If you have time, Mr. Luffy, you should come visit my country. I'll be sure to prepare a feast of meat and ale to welcome you all. The same goes for you, Mr. Law. I'd very much like to be friends with all of you." As Wilder spoke, he activated his Observation Haki, scanning Law's body. He finally located a beating heart in his right pocket.
"Meat!" For a split second, Luffy's eyes shone with a golden light, but he quickly shook his head and glared at Wilder. "You bastard! I'd never sell out my friends for meat!"
"Is that so... Then I'll let Mr. Law go." As Wilder said this, a smirk played on his lips. His right hand reached into Law's pocket and pulled out a heart encased in a transparent cube.
He gave it a squeeze, feeling the distorted struggles of Caesar from within his swamp dimension. Wilder smiled.
"ROOM!"
Just then, Law lunged forward, breaking free of Wilder's hold. He spun around to face him, his eyes narrowed. He raised his left hand, and a transparent sphere expanded outward, quickly enveloping the area. A special attack aimed directly at Wilder's heart. "Scalpel!" Law shouted.
"Gomu Gomu no..." Simultaneously, Luffy's arms stretched far behind him before snapping forward. "Rocket!"
Zoro flickered out of sight, reappearing behind Wilder. A dangerous glint shone in his eyes as his three swords carved intersecting arcs of cold steel. A low growl, like that of a beast, echoed from behind him. "Three-Sword Style: Pounce!"
Bang, bang, bang! A series of sonic booms came from above. Sanji, using Moon Walk, appeared over Wilder. His right leg instantly burst into flame. "Diable Jambe!" he roared, bringing his leg down in a devastating overhead axe kick.
BOOM!
In an instant, four attacks converged on Wilder's position. A powerful shockwave radiated outwards, and a cloud of dust and smoke billowed up, obscuring the scene.
After attacking, the four of them leaped back, staring at the center of the dust cloud with wary, grim expressions.
"Clack." Sanji lit a cigarette, his face heavy. Meeting the others' gazes, he said one word. "Failed."
"Yeah," Luffy replied in a low voice, adjusting his hat.
Of the four, only Luffy and Sanji had made direct contact with Wilder. They knew what they had hit wasn't human flesh. The feedback that traveled up their limbs told them that not only had they failed to injure Wilder, but they likely hadn't even broken whatever strange object he had used to defend himself. The attack was a complete failure.
Sure enough, as the smoke cleared, a giant, inverted "bowl" made of swamp stood where Wilder had been. The few dents on its surface were regenerating at a visible rate. In the blink of an eye, it was perfectly smooth again.
Everyone's pupils trembled slightly.
Sanji and Luffy exchanged a look, seeing the shock mirrored in each other's eyes.
That defense... They remembered the hard, thick feeling of their attacks landing on it. Now, seeing it regenerate so perfectly... it was an unbelievable defense.
"Hey, Law," Zoro said, having already assessed the situation. "This turtle shell... it'd be easier for you to open it, right?"
"Yeah," Law replied flatly. He had reached the same conclusion. Without another word, he activated his ROOM.
Swish! Swish!
He drew his sword, and several slashes passed through the giant bowl, instantly slicing it into neat pieces that drifted apart.
"What!?" But the attackers' faces changed abruptly.
The inside of the shell was empty. Wilder was nowhere to be seen.
BOOM!
The ground suddenly exploded as a massive volume of swamp erupted from below, flooding outwards in all directions like a tidal wave.
"Get back!"
Everyone tensed and leaped away.
In an instant, the corridor shook, and the walls were washed away by the swamp as it flowed outside. Within ten seconds, an area with a hundred-meter radius was completely covered in swamp. The sight shook everyone to their core.
"That level of power and range..." Everyone who had retreated beyond the hundred-meter mark was too stunned to speak.
"That's why I said... this was never the right time to fight him," Law said, his face the darkest of all. He had endured for so long for this day, and this was a complication he had desperately wanted to avoid.
"What do we do now?" Usopp asked, his face still pale with fear.
Caesar had been taken. It was a development no one had anticipated. And in Law's plan, Caesar was a crucial hostage.
No one answered. All eyes were fixed on the massive swamp. Just then, it began to contract.
The scene was eerily familiar. They could already predict that once the swamp was completely gone, Wilder would be gone with it.
And just as they expected, after the swamp had receded without a single drop left behind, Wilder was nowhere to be found.
However, their attention was drawn to the ground where the swamp had been. Scrawled in shallow grooves in the earth was a message: