He left the room, picked up two twigs with leaves from the ground outside, and returned.
He placed the two twigs separately on the table. Wilder picked up one with his right hand, and swamp ooze secreted from his palm, covering the twig. He controlled the swamp, causing it to engulf and devour the twig.
His consciousness could clearly sense the twig's presence within the swamp in his body. As the swamp shifted, a small bulge appeared on its surface. Wilder controlled the swamp to release the twig.
The twig was perfectly intact, unchanged.
Wilder picked up the other twig. This time, he secreted a small puddle of swamp onto the tabletop. He held the twig over the swamp and released it. The twig fell, and then... rapidly dissolved without a trace. The first twig he'd experimented on was also tossed into the puddle, and like the second, it merged with the swamp and vanished.
"As I thought, if I consciously control the absorption, the twig is merely contained within the swamp. That means... the absorption property hasn't been replaced," Wilder said, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the swamp on the table.
He extended his Observation Haki, focusing it on the swamp. His special scanning talent allowed him to "see" through the swamp with incredible clarity.
"There isn't even a trace of additional swamp." Wilder wasn't surprised by this result. He continued to scan with his Observation Haki, and finally, after several attempts, he noticed something unusual.
The swamp hadn't increased in volume, but its properties had changed.
"What's this...?" A layer of concentrated, yet un-dispersing gas enveloped the swamp. Wilder narrowed his eyes, trying to "capture" this gas.
To Wilder's surprise, he was able to "capture" this gas very easily. However, the real difficulty lay in "controlling" it after capture.
Wilder found that no matter how he tried to manipulate it, the gas remained completely still, as if he were playing the lute to a cow – a futile effort.
Unwilling to give up, Wilder continued to experiment. After more than two hours, Wilder decided to temporarily set the matter aside.
"Heh, for now, I'll focus on training my Armament Haki."
The next afternoon, Wilder, having finished lunch and enjoying a drink, appeared at the docks dressed in a loose-fitting robe.
As for the others, Wilder had sent them all to carry out the tasks assigned last night. Even Claire was incredibly busy these days.
The people of Chenoat were still unaware of some of the changes in the kingdom. Wilder had no intention of deliberately making a show of it, so for now, the people of the kingdom only knew that the king had changed, the Cloud Sea Merchant Guild had been renamed the Black Serpent Merchant Guild, and... rumors were circulating about a terrifying new power emerging in the kingdom. That was all.
Waves crashed against the rocks, creating fine, white spray. Wilder stood on a boulder, occasionally taking a sip from his wine glass, his gaze fixed on the distant sea. This location wasn't too close to the docks, but it was a necessary route for any ship traveling to or from the Kingdom of Chenoat. It was also... the spot where pirates collected their "protection" money.
Wilder was standing here to wait for the Giant Lizard Pirates.
The impact of the Summit War was immense. At this moment, the New World was in turmoil. Pirates, Marines, and other forces clashed constantly. At the same time, more and more rookie pirates were emerging into the Grand Line, while among the established powers, a new round of reshuffling was underway.
The reconstruction of Marine Headquarters had been put on hold. Akainu had been promoted to Fleet Admiral, while Aokiji had left the Marines, his whereabouts unknown. The situation in the Grand Line was even more tense than before, and the Marines were stretched thin. Akainu, now Fleet Admiral, focused his attention on the New World and decided to build the new Marine Headquarters directly within it. Despite facing considerable pressure, he succeeded.
As a result, Marine forces began to shift towards the New World, weakening their presence in the Four Blues, to the point where it was almost negligible.
While Wilder stood on a rock in the East Blue, drinking wine, a heated debate over a meeting regarding the Warlords of the Sea was taking place in the yet-to-be-completed Marine Headquarters!
After the Summit War, Blackbeard Teach, Gecko Moria, and Jinbe had been stripped of their Warlord titles. These three vacancies needed to be filled, so the current meeting's problem was who to choose.
If it were just that, it wouldn't have led to an argument. The crux of the matter was the Warlord system itself! Akainu had decided to abolish the Warlord system, which sparked fierce opposition! This had turned the originally simple meeting into a debate about whether or not the Warlord system should continue!
Akainu's face was grim, but he remained silent. He knew he had been too hasty. Abolishing the Warlord system now was too difficult. He simply left the office, deciding to ignore the issue for the time being.
Without Akainu present, the others couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. To be honest, no one wanted to offend their superior. But given the current situation at sea, the Marines were already stretched thin. Abolishing the Warlord system at this time would be like adding fuel to the fire!
"So... what about the candidates?"
"I suggest we don't rush. Plenty of people want the Warlord position. Let's take it one at a time. Perhaps we won't even need to choose; I estimate there will be no shortage of self-recommendations. We can use this opportunity to have those interested in the Warlord position crack down on pirates!"
"I agree!"
"Seconded! But I suggest we still make a list of qualified candidates."
"Let's do that."
"Then my suggestion is to choose one from the Supernovas."
"I disagree. The Supernovas are strong, but they're still a bit wet behind the ears to control this sea. They lack the power and experience."
"I see... so do you have anyone in mind?"
"Of course. Does everyone remember the guy who blew up Impel Down?"
"Are you kidding? Do you want to recommend him? Are you crazy?!"
"Heh... Aren't we all discussing something crazy right now? The Marines are choosing pirates to cooperate with... Isn't that crazy?"
"You bastard! It's not the same!"
"How is it not the same?"
"Wilder is now the Navy's number one enemy! That guy blew up Impel Down, just that alone makes it impossible for him to become a Warlord! Otherwise, where would the Marines' reputation go!?"
"Hey, hey... everyone, calm down. If that won't work..." A slow, languid voice spoke up. Kizaru, whose head had been resting on the table, lifted it. His eyes, beneath his glasses, flashed with a golden glint.
The drawling voice reached everyone's ears: "If that won't work... I'll use my one-time appointment right to recommend Lucifer Wilder for the Warlord position."
"What?!" The numerous officers were shocked, their eyes wide with disbelief and astonishment.
Why? Everyone wondered why Kizaru was so adamant about recommending Wilder for the Warlord position, even going so far as to use his appointment right.
Kizaru looked at the expressions on their faces, raised his hand, and brought his teacup to his lips, taking a slow sip. He smacked his lips, then drawled, his eyes beneath his glasses holding an unreadable meaning, "That guy... if we don't reel him in, he'll be a huge problem."
"Finally... they're here!" On the rocks, Wilder grinned, his eyes fixed on the distant sea. A pirate ship was sailing towards them.
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