A group of uninvited guests arrived in the bustling town.
However, beneath the island's festive facade, chaos was already brewing due to the Straw Hat Pirates' intrusion. As a result, this new group of intruders went unnoticed, easily slipping into the town on the island known as Totto Land.
The civilians living on the island were completely unaware of what was happening. On the streets, aside from one area that had suffered some destruction, pedestrians still milled about, and the lively atmosphere remained.
Tap, tap, tap…
A group of more than a dozen people rounded a corner at the end of a street. They were all dressed in black robes, their faces obscured by the shadows of their large hoods.
The man in the lead was tall, his gait steady and rhythmic. He looked up, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the bustling street.
The group moved forward, heading toward the palace, but they gradually began to stray from the main flow of traffic, turning into a quiet, deserted alley.
By this time, the Charlotte Family, already on high alert because of the disturbance, had initiated a city-wide search for the Straw Hats. On the streets, especially in less crowded areas, patrols of soldiers armed with long rifles could be seen passing by almost every minute.
"Halt!"
As the robed figures were walking, a sharp command rang out from ahead. The group stopped. Two soldiers carrying long rifles had already raised their weapons, aiming them at the newcomers. They approached slowly, their eyes filled with suspicion and vigilance.
"Who are you people?" one of the soldiers demanded, stopping in front of the leader.
"Who are we?" The lead figure chuckled softly. He raised a hand and waved it dismissively, signaling that they meant no harm. "We are merely a group of believers on our way to worship."
"Is that so…?" The soldier didn't lower his guard, staring intently at the man for a long moment before finally gesturing with his hand. "Go on, then. And stay out of trouble today!"
The robed leader nodded and stepped past the two soldiers. The figures behind him followed in silence.
The soldiers turned, their gazes fixed on the backs of the departing group, their faces etched with uncertainty. Finally, one of them grit his teeth and shouted after them, "Wait! Turn around."
Hearing this, the robed figures stopped and turned back to face the two soldiers.
The leader spoke. "Is there something else, officers?"
"You! Take off your hood and let me see your face!" the soldier ordered, pointing at the leader. He uneasily raised his rifle again, aiming it squarely at the man.
After a brief pause, the robed man slowly lifted his hands to the brim of his hood. He grasped the edge and began to pull it back.
The two soldiers watched his every move, beads of nervous sweat trickling down their faces. Their fingers were already on the triggers.
The soldier on the left kept his eyes fixed on the man while whispering to his partner, "The second anything looks wrong, open fire. Don't hesitate."
"Right," the other soldier replied, swallowing nervously.
Just as the hood was about to be fully removed, revealing the face beneath, the two soldiers began to relax slightly. They could already see part of the man's face.
His cooperation made them feel like they might have been overreacting. They lowered their rifles slightly, but in that very instant—
Thwip! Thwip!
Two muffled sounds cut through the air. The man's movement to remove his hood suddenly froze. Two holes had bizarrely appeared in the palm of his hand, and from them, two sharp spikes shot out. They were gone in a flash. The next time the soldiers saw them, the spikes had already pierced through their skulls.
"Why did you have to make things more complicated?" the leader murmured, pulling his hood back into place. He let his hands fall to his sides, a wicked grin spreading across his lips as he looked down at the two corpses on the ground.
He sighed, turning to the others with a look of feigned helplessness. "Time for a costume change. It seems this look is no longer suitable."
With that, he reluctantly pulled a crumpled object from his coat. As he carefully unfolded it, it was revealed to be a human face.
"Eigg's facial technology still needs some work. This thing is really uncomfortable to wear." Despite his complaints, he pressed the mask to his own face, rubbing it a few times until it was smooth and looked natural.
It was a handsome face.
"Take off those robes and change into something more appropriate for a party," the now strikingly handsome Wilder instructed the dozen officers before him. "For identification, put two small red dots on your faces."
"Yes, sir." The group removed their black robes, revealing exquisite formal suits underneath.
"Alright, we split up here," Wilder said. With a flicker of movement, he was the first to depart.
The remaining people exchanged glances and nodded. They then scattered in different directions, but not before clearing away the two bodies, dragging them into a dead-end alley and covering them with refuse.
After leaving the group, Wilder found a deserted spot, transformed his body into a swamp, and sank into the ground, heading toward the palace.
He encountered no obstacles. It took him just over ten minutes to bypass everyone, traveling underground and then flowing up through the inside of the palace walls until he reached the location of the wedding banquet: the rooftop of the Whole Cake Chateau.
From within the wall, a pair of eyes emerged from the mud, scanned the banquet hall, and then quickly disappeared, the wall returning to its original state.
After circling within the walls until he had a complete layout of the hall in his mind, Wilder found an unnoticed corner. His body "flowed" out of the wall, coalescing back into human form.
When it came to infiltration, no one could compare to Wilder.
Not even Akainu, who could also travel through the ground, could do so as silently as Wilder.
The reason was simple. While the high temperature of Akainu's ability gave him a terrifying boost in offensive power, it also robbed him of any subtlety. His power was destined to lack the finesse of Wilder's.
In Wilder's view, Akainu's ability was a non-elemental power with an added fire-and-explosion attribute. His own ability was purely non-elemental, lacking any additional attributes beyond its inherent force.
A punch from him was just a punch. It wouldn't also burn you.
While his attacks lacked the explosive terror of Akainu's, Wilder possessed advantages that Akainu did not. He might not have an offensive bonus, but he could enhance his "techniques."
And sometimes, techniques could be considered a different kind of offensive bonus.
Take environmental assimilation, for example. Who else could do what Wilder did? He didn't just blend in with his surroundings; he could swallow his prey like a bottomless abyss.
This was somewhat similar to Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit, and the two abilities were arguably comparable in their terrifying potential.
Of course, in a real fight, Blackbeard's ability probably had the upper hand. In theory, it could devour anything. Wilder wasn't sure if he assimilated an area and Blackbeard's darkness spread over it, would the darkness consume that environment?
But one thing was certain: darkness spread faster than his swamp.
Another thing was certain: Blackbeard himself was slow to dodge attacks.
And the swamp had a parasitic quality to it. If he could continuously force it into someone's mouth and nose, then no amount of external force would be of any use, would it?
Wilder imagined a future battle with Blackbeard. He would probably unleash a sea of swamp in an instant, using it to launch an endless barrage of attacks. The swamp would surge and writhe from all directions, lashing out with limbs to entangle and bind Blackbeard. The swamp sea beneath would rise up or suck him down, completely engulfing him.
Blackbeard, in turn, would likely use the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to blast the surrounding swamp away with a single blow.
And how would Wilder counter the Dark-Dark Fruit?
An idea came to him. Perhaps he could use swamp monsters to aid in the fight, to block sneak attacks from the Dark-Dark Fruit. After all, within his Undying Domain, everything reacted with his thoughts, or even faster. They could definitely block the attacks.
And he himself could attack with his physical skills.
So, was hand-to-hand combat the best way to deal with Blackbeard?
Wilder shook his head, his gaze shifting to the banquet hall.
The hostess, Charlotte Linlin, had not yet arrived. The guests were gathered in small groups, chatting, and the hall was filled with a lively and festive atmosphere.
In the center of the hall were all sorts of drinks, fruits, desserts, and cakes, and of course, plenty of meat.
Wilder emerged from his corner, planning to find a spot to have a drink and something to eat, when the Den Den Mushi in his pocket began to ring.
The hall was filled with the buzz of conversation, so no one noticed the sound.
Wilder took it out and saw who was calling. His eyebrows shot up. It was Claire.
Glancing around and seeing that no one was paying attention, Wilder retreated back into the corner and answered the call.
"Boss, I've made it inside the palace, but…"
"But what?" Wilder asked, his brow furrowing.
"The room where the Road Poneglyph is stored is being guarded by one of the Three Sweet Commanders of the Charlotte Family, Smoothie. There are also several ministers with her. But more importantly… I've found the Straw Hat Pirates' skeleton and the jaguar from Zou here as well."
Wilder was silent for a moment before speaking. "Find an opportunity to make contact with the skeleton and the others. Remember, you must keep them calm. Don't let them make a move. With Smoothie there, copying the Road Poneglyph won't be easy. If you're exposed, given how much Big Mom values the Poneglyphs, she'll come personally. That would be troublesome."
Wilder knew that if Big Mom showed up, Claire and the others would be in grave danger. Although Claire was strong, against a being of Big Mom's caliber, there was only one possible outcome: she would be captured and treated as a rare animal, just like Brook in the original story.
"I understand," Claire's voice came through the Den Den Mushi. Wilder hung up.
Meanwhile, Claire, having ended the call, shifted her gaze.
She, Franpetar, and Jacks were currently hiding in a gap between a wall and some wooden crates in the Poneglyph room. From their position, they couldn't get a clear shot to photograph the Poneglyph.
Following her line of sight, about twenty meters away, two figures were hiding behind a giant wooden crate, their backs to them, peering down at the situation below.
Clearly, they were also in a difficult position, unable to make a move.
Below them was the Road Poneglyph. Directly in front of it, a tall, massive woman sat on a sofa with her legs crossed, her expression blank, her eyes fixed on the Poneglyph.
It was obvious that if anyone made a move on it, she would know immediately and be ready to attack.
Behind her was the room's only entrance, a large, locked door. Two soldiers stood guard outside, and two more stood guard inside.
The room was also filled with numerous skilled fighters armed with swords and guns, all on high alert. Next to Smoothie was a large, stout man with a bald patch on his head, also watching vigilantly.
From their positions, no one below would notice them unless they looked straight up. For the time being, neither Claire's group nor Brook's had been discovered.
"What do we do? It's not going to be easy to get the Road Poneglyph in this situation," Franpetar whispered, his fine eyebrows knitted together.
Claire, however, was pondering another problem: how to make contact with Brook.
The main issue was that any move they made would have a high probability of being detected, thanks to Observation Haki.
Under these circumstances, the short distance of twenty meters became an impassable gulf.
Getting the Poneglyph without being discovered seemed impossible at the moment.
"Franpetar, Jacks, do either of you have a pen and paper?" Claire whispered, her brow furrowed. She seemed to have decided on a risky course of action.
Jacks waved a hand, shaking his head. "I have a few sheets of toilet paper, in case I get diarrhea, but no pen."
Claire and Franpetar's mouths twitched. They both shot him a look of utter disgust.
Then, Franpetar spoke up. "I have an eyebrow pencil."
Claire's eyes lit up. "That'll work," she whispered. "Jacks, give me the toilet paper."
Jacks gave Franpetar a strange look. He handed the toilet paper to Claire, then leaned in close to Franpetar's ear and whispered, "You're a man… and you carry an eyebrow pencil around with you?"
His warm breath tickled Franpetar's ear. Claire, watching from the side, saw Franpetar's face gradually turn red, like a ripe apple.
"None of your business!" Franpetar shot back, his face flushed as he glared fiercely at Jacks.