Never mind the Monarch Organization, which never regrets its treacherous ways.
Though Han Shaoqing's group was outnumbered, their strength far surpassed that of the Iwi Tribe. In a real fight, the Sabertooth alone could have wiped out the entire tribe.
Faced with such overwhelming power, the Iwi Tribe had no hope of resistance.
"Relax, we're not your enemies," Han Shaoqing said, signaling his group to lower their guard. Unnecessary conflict was best avoided.
Just then, two dark-skinned men in Air Force uniforms ran out from behind the ancient city.
One was Hank Marlow, an American pilot.
The other was Junping Yiguang, a Japanese pilot.
Both had crash-landed on Skull Island during World War II.
Initially enemies, they had made peace upon meeting the "Skull Island Cuties."
To survive on the island, they had put aside their differences and worked together, becoming fellow castaways in the wilderness.
Han Shaoqing recalled that the main events of *Kong: Skull Island* took place in 1973, eleven years from now. By then, Junping Yiguang would be dead, leaving only Hank.
It seemed that during this period, Junping Yiguang had yet to be eaten by a Skullcrawler.
"Don't be nervous, everyone! Relax! I can't believe it!"
Hank stepped out of the crowd, his face flushed with excitement.
Now in his forties, Hank was a middle-aged man whose skin, weathered by years of sun exposure, was almost as dark as Darwin's. He wore a worn-out flight suit and a full beard.
Junping Yiguang, with only a mustache, looked younger and leaner. He was equally thrilled.
The two had been stranded on Skull Island for eighteen years, attempting to escape multiple times, only to be thwarted by the perpetual storms surrounding the island.
Their years there had been brutal, marked by poor medical care, meager living conditions, and near-death encounters with the island's monstrous inhabitants.
The sight of outsiders naturally sent them into a frenzy of joy.
"I dreamt of this moment every night! I never thought it would actually happen! Eighteen years! You can't imagine what we've been through..."
Hank rambled on, recounting his and Junping Yiguang's harrowing adventures on Skull Island.
Charles and White Queen scanned their memories with Telepathy, finding most of it to be truthful.
Raven asked, "Did you crash-land here?"
"Yes? Oh, shit."
Hank, still shaken, finally got a clear look at Mystique Raven, Red Devil, and Beast Hank. He was startled.
To be fair, Raven and Red Devil did resemble the demons of myth. It was a natural reaction for ordinary people to feel fear upon first seeing them.
Beast Hank's appearance was also unusual, and coupled with the nearly three-meter-tall, giant-like Red Hulk, the team certainly looked intimidating.
The Iwi Tribe, having never heard of demons or Mutants, didn't react with undue alarm.
Charles, having read their memories, smiled. "Lieutenant Hank Marlow of the 45th Squadron, I'm Charles. You can call me Professor. Don't be afraid. We just want to build a home here."
"You want to settle here? Are you crazy? Do you know how terrifying this place is? Where's the ship? Where's the ship? I want to leave this place, I want to go home." Junping Yiguang spoke fluent English, likely taught by Hank, but his voice trembled with a hint of desperation, and his mental state seemed unstable.
Hank, appearing much calmer, composed himself and said, "Let's head back to the village first. I'm sure you don't want to spend the night here."
The group followed the Iwi Tribe to a massive wooden palisade.
Beyond the wall, a river came into view.
On the opposite bank, dense, verdant trees covered the land, rising into towering mountains. At the foot of the mountains, a plain dotted with thatched huts stretched out like a paradise, its primitive charm preserved.
"Lao Wan, you'll stay here for the next few days. Learn some wilderness survival skills from the Iwi Tribe while you're at it, and find a suitable area to establish a proper settlement. More Mutants will be arriving in the future, so Aya and I will go greet King Kong first to avoid any conflicts."
With that, Han Shaoqing took Artoria's hand and soared into the air.
He didn't need to worry about the practical matters of daily life; Eric and the others could handle those themselves.
Compared to that, Han Shaoqing still found Handsome Guy more interesting.
Hank stared, dumbfounded. "They're flying! My God, are they angels?"
"He is the Sea King, the other is King Arthur, and I am the Angel," Angel Salvador declared, unfurling his four wings and soaring into the air.
The Iwi tribesmen around him exchanged gestures and glances, their thoughts understood only by Charles and the White Queen.
Before long, Han Shaoqing and Artoria found the "Handsome Guy" lounging in the forest.
Still in his juvenile stage, he stood nearly thirty meters tall. Though imposing, he paled in comparison to Big G.
Han Shaoqing recalled that the Handsome Guy's parents were only about fifty meters tall, yet in *Kong vs. Godzilla*, he grew to over a hundred meters, becoming a king-tier Titan with extraordinary potential.
Among Titans, two factions typically emerged: Destroyers and Guardians.
Both Godzilla and King Kong belonged to the Guardian faction.
Godzilla served as Earth's balance keeper, treating all beings—monsters and humans alike—equally. When his boundaries were crossed, his atomic breath descended, making all life equal!
King Kong harbored an extraordinary fondness for humans, a cross-species affection that traced back thousands of years.
Though both the Kong and Godzilla clans belonged to the Guardian faction, their volatile tempers and frequent clashes had forged a deep-seated rivalry.
The ancient Kongs, Titan-class behemoths capable of growing over a hundred meters tall, engaged in a devastating war with the Godzillas over this racial conflict, resulting in mutual devastation.
The Kongs suffered heavier losses and, pursued by Skullcrawlers, fled to Skull Island to settle.
At the time, Big G was residing on Skull Island when the Kongs discovered him. They ambushed him with a dishonorable pack attack (according to Big G's account, though its veracity remains uncertain).
After Big G was driven off, the Kongs claimed the island.
Many years prior, the Iwi Tribe, fleeing war, followed their Prophet to the Lost World: Skull Island.
They built walls to defend their territory against monsters and revered the current Godzilla as their deity.
However, when the Kongs attacked the Godzillas three-on-one, Big G fled overnight. The Iwi Tribe, ever adaptable, quickly shifted their allegiance and adopted the Kongs as their new divine guardians.
From then on, the Kongs settled on Skull Island.
Yet Skull Island offered no true safety. For millennia, the Skullcrawlers continued their relentless pursuit. Moreover, the island's radiation levels were far lower than those in Hollow Earth, causing many Kongs to weaken and degenerate. Each generation became lesser than the last, and their numbers dwindled steadily.
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