The docks were long deserted, people having scattered and vanished. Wilder stood at the shore, the aura emanating from him like that of a terrifying beast, causing those who had been at the docks earlier to only dare watch from a distance, hearts trembling, not daring to approach.
Only when the distant ship had become a small black dot and completely disappeared over the horizon did Wilder withdraw his gaze. He calmly swept his eyes around and strolled away.
Everyone who had witnessed the scene just now knew that big news would break tomorrow.
"I just hope it doesn't affect my business in the New World!" a lavishly dressed wealthy merchant lamented, returning to the docks with a worried expression.
Others glanced at him but said nothing, sullenly resuming the tasks that had been interrupted. However, they would occasionally look up in the direction Wilder had left, then towards the direction the battered ship had fled, the earlier scene replaying in their minds.
That spectacle had been too shocking, the surging swamp too horrifying. Even members of the Blackbeard Pirates had been pursued with no strength to fight back, ultimately losing a leg. Everyone sensed that this incident would likely become the fuse for something major.
After leaving the docks, Wilder decided to expedite his journey to the New World. He had originally planned to take the opportunity to experience life in the Sabaody Archipelago, but now, on second thought, it suddenly occurred to him that if he headed to the New World sooner, he might just run into Burgess and Van Augur again. That would be quite entertaining.
A wicked smile spread across Wilder's face. "But probably not today. The ship's coating isn't done yet. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see."
As for whether he would face pursuit from the Blackbeard Pirates after entering the New World? Wilder wasn't without such considerations.
But firstly, the Blackbeard Pirates likely couldn't spare the effort to deal with him at this time. Secondly, even if they could, Blackbeard probably wouldn't choose to make a move on him now.
A Warlord was not just an individual; they represented an organization. Otherwise, the world wouldn't be in a tripartite balance of power between the Marines, the Four Emperors, and the Warlords. Even the Four Emperors wouldn't treat a Warlord lightly.
Besides, Blackbeard hadn't even become one of the Four Emperors yet. The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were already enough to give him a headache for a while.
Even if all else was disregarded, if Blackbeard truly decided to come after him regardless of everything, Wilder wouldn't be afraid. A strong individual needed formidable martial prowess, but even more indispensable was a fearless heart.
Wilder was someone who sought stability, accustomed to planning everything meticulously before acting, but that didn't mean he lacked a fearless heart.
"Still, I need to be vigilant. Blackbeard is an incredibly patient fellow, but he's even more so a man who avenges every grievance," Wilder thought as he retraced his steps, mulling over these things.
As he passed the collapsed bar, Wilder's expression suddenly underwent a subtle change. That feeling of being followed had returned.
"Looks like I'm being tailed. Who is it?" Wilder continued walking forward without showing any change, but his Observation Haki had already silently spread out.
His heart was filled with killing intent, yet his face remained expressionless.
However, what surprised Wilder was that within the range covered by his Observation Haki, he didn't detect any hostile gazes directed at him.
"It seems they're outside my Observation Haki's range. Could it just be some grunt secretly following from a distance to observe?" Wilder's eyes flickered. If that were the case, then it likely wasn't an individual targeting him, but an organization.
But Wilder didn't understand their purpose in following him. The vague sensation of being tailed soon vanished. Wilder showed no outward sign of anything unusual from beginning to end.
Hidden enemies were the most dangerous. Wilder mentally reviewed the people he might have offended along his journey. First, Blackbeard could be ruled out, given that he had just pursued Burgess and Van Augur.
"The Marines?" Wilder's eyes shifted. This wasn't impossible. After all, he was a criminal, and the Marines wouldn't possibly overlook such a significant target. But it wasn't certain. Besides the Marines or the World Government, what other factions were there? Wilder thought of the Revolutionary Army, but he somehow felt it wasn't them.
Who else? Wilder's mind raced, yet he found he hadn't really offended many people.
"If it's not a vendetta, then it's about benefits. Someone has their eyes on my interests." Wilder came to this conclusion, his expression turning a shade colder.
"I'll wait and see. I'd like to find out who has such a big appetite."
The ship had only just been sent for coating; it would likely be tomorrow at the earliest before it was ready. Wilder needed to find a place to spend the night.
Arriving at the inn district, Wilder used money to smooth the way, renting a detached bungalow with a courtyard. Though expensive, it was fully equipped, with a refrigerator, hot water, and everything else.
He ordered some food, instructing the inn staff to deliver it in the evening, then closed the door and began to cultivate.
Wilder never dared to slack off when it came to becoming stronger. He would dedicate at least three to four hours each day to training.
Basically, the content and routine of each training session were similar: first, physical exercise to strengthen his body, then deep manipulation of his swamp, and finally, the development of characteristics or skills.
Regarding characteristics, Wilder had recently been focusing most of his efforts on developing Swamp Gas.
Compared to his other characteristics, developing Swamp Gas was proving much more difficult. Even now, Wilder couldn't make the Swamp Gas last for more than five seconds. Each time he generated a bit of Swamp Gas from his swamp, the previously generated gas would dissipate in the next moment.
Wilder knew he couldn't rush it. At least he wasn't without progress; the duration of the Swamp Gas, from generation to dissipation, had increased from the initial two seconds to the current five.
Moreover, Wilder had a feeling that if he persisted, continuously stimulating the Swamp Gas, this characteristic would eventually manifest.
While focusing on developing Swamp Gas, Wilder didn't forget to improve and familiarize himself with his existing skills and characteristics.
Generally speaking, his other characteristics were improving along with his overall strength, so they didn't require specific development. What was needed was more practice and control.
Then there were skills. Besides practicing his previous skills, Wilder would also come up with new ideas, attempting to develop new techniques.
Tonight, Wilder planned to try out a skill concept he had thought of not long ago.
"Control the swamp to form an armor outside the body, covering the entire physique, and then…""Make this armor exhibit three variations: hardening, Non-Newtonian fluid state, and…""Or perhaps combine hardening and Non-Newtonian fluid states. The armor would have two layers: an outer layer of hardened swamp to block attacks, and an inner layer of Non-Newtonian fluid to dissipate any force that penetrates."
"Why does this feel a bit like one of the Three Sweet Commanders, the Biscuit General? But I'm curious, why are biscuits so hard? Shouldn't they be brittle?" Wilder sometimes found himself stumped by the utter lack of logic in Devil Fruits.
"Regardless, it would be inexcusable if compacted, hardened swamp couldn't compare to a biscuit." Wilder didn't know if his hardened swamp could eventually become as hard as, or even harder than, Cracker's biscuits. But based on its current state and comparing it to Cracker's appearance in the original story, it seemed unlikely to match up yet.
"In any case, adding Non-Newtonian fluid would make it more effective. I could even use Non-Newtonian fluid exclusively to form the armor." Wilder knew how heavy Burgess's punch had been when it landed on the Non-Newtonian fluid wall earlier today. Yet, even such a punch couldn't overcome the wall, demonstrating the freakish nature of Non-Newtonian fluids.
Mulling over these thoughts, Wilder finally made a decision: "This technique shall be named Swamp General. Swamp General will have three states: Hard Armor, Heavy Armor, and Heavy-Hard Armor."
"Hard Armor corresponds to hardened swamp armor. Heavy Armor is Non-Newtonian fluid swamp armor. Heavy-Hard Armor is a combination of the two."
Of these three forms of the General, the first would be more suitable against attacks like sword slashes. The second would be better against heavy impact blows. The third should be the most balanced, a form that covered both aspects. However, it also had a flaw: compared to the first two, Heavy-Hard Armor would obviously be much more difficult to control or maintain. After all, both layers were still swamp, and it would be very difficult for Wilder to differentiate them into two distinct solid (or liquid) states adhering together, especially during combat when his concentration was more easily broken.
"I can also cover it with Armament Haki when necessary, but that will have to wait until my Armament Haki is sufficiently cultivated." Wilder thought for a moment and then brushed aside the difficulties of Heavy-Hard Armor.
Actually, regardless of the form, Wilder still felt that using Non-Newtonian fluid alone would be sufficient. After all, it was a substance that yielded to soft touches but resisted hard impacts, effective even against slashes. But in the end, Wilder decided to develop all three. No matter what, having an extra option was always beneficial.
Enemies' abilities were diverse; a small difference could sometimes produce a vastly different outcome. Wilder didn't want to find himself in a situation where he had to make a hasty, last-minute effort.
Having decided on the "Swamp General" technique, Wilder prepared to begin practicing.
This technique was a matter of imagination. With Wilder's current control over his swamp, completing it wasn't actually too difficult. The challenge lay in flexibly applying it in battle. It would be a disaster if wearing the armor actually weakened him instead of enhancing his combat power.
Just as he was about to begin, Wilder suddenly paused. He realized his "choices" seemed to be quite numerous! He retracted the motion to stand up.
"Perhaps… I can also do this?"
Wilder pondered for a moment, and a wide grin suddenly spread across his face. He was very interested in the "work" of developing Devil Fruit abilities. Whenever an idea struck him that was brilliant enough to make his eyes light up, Wilder would feel incredibly excited.
This time was no exception. If he didn't try it now, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
"If… the previous concept is named 'General,' then what should this next idea be called?"
"Giant General?" The grin that had been playing on Wilder's lips suddenly widened even further.
"Release a large amount of swamp, forming armor like a giant. I could even add a shield and a broadsword to the basic structure…""And add another form to the original three, called Trap Armor—a mobile, three-dimensional swamp."
"Manifesting in the swamp's original form, maintained by 'shaping,' it would create a Swamp Giant General. It wouldn't possess powerful defense, but it would have the swamp's most important original characteristic. If that characteristic isn't enough to support its power, then should it be called a property—Containment… or Engulfment?"
Characteristic… Wilder felt there wasn't much difference between a characteristic or a property, but to distinguish between natural swamp and his own swamp, he thought it best to differentiate them. A natural swamp's characteristic is to make people who step on it sink. In other words, engulfment. But natural swamps, after all, don't actively engulf people. The Swamp-Swamp Fruit was different. Under Wilder's conscious control, it could change from passive to active. Therefore, a natural swamp causing someone to sink could only be called a characteristic.
Wilder's swamp causing people to sink (engulf, contain, store) was a property. Passively, sinking would also lead to suffocation and death. Wilder could choose whether to store the corpse within the swamp. Actively, even if people didn't come to him, Wilder would go to them, forcing them to sink—that is, engulfing them, causing them to suffocate and die. Wilder could similarly choose whether to contain the corpse.
This was where Wilder's swamp ability differed from natural swamp; Wilder's ability was an exaggerated version of swamp.
"So… when the swamp forms a Giant General to fight, the massive amount of swamp will be enough to make those who try to shatter it sink in. It's not defensive power, but it surpasses defensive power."
"Once an opponent strikes the Swamp Giant's body, their fist will sink in. Simultaneously, a suction force from within will grab the opponent, even pulling them directly inside." Wilder's smile grew wider and wider. He felt this idea was excellent, especially when facing a large number of opponents.
"Alright then, let's do it." A peculiar expression appeared on Wilder's face as he suddenly imagined himself controlling such a Giant General in battle, his own body hidden within its head.
"This scene… feels a bit familiar." Two images surfaced in Wilder's mind: one was Doflamingo's stone-man subordinate, and the other was from a manga from his previous life.
"I think it was called… Susanoo?"
Wilder didn't remember very clearly.
"Better to develop Swamp General first." Wilder finally suppressed his excitement and decided to develop the first idea.
After all, starting small and progressing, once Swamp General was successfully developed, it would be much easier to develop the similar Giant General.
Wilder stood up, secreting swamp. Gradually, his body was enveloped and covered by it, forming something akin to a cicada chrysalis.
The chrysalis continuously twisted and shifted, beginning to morph into a humanoid shape.