Chapter 26: Gold Ants
In another remote corner of the island, a man sprinted frantically, his face twisted with fear and despair. He was part of a group of 13 people who had narrowly escaped a devastating tornado from the seas, hoping for a peaceful relaxation in this island, only to find themselves plunged into a nightmare.
Now, their numbers had dwindled to a mere seven survivors, as six others had perished in the treacherous, dense forest. "Keep running, it's too dangerous here!" one of them screamed. This voice belonged to a sailor who had drawn a blood-stained long knife.
From behind them, a deafening cacophony of "boom," "boom," and "boom" echoed through the air. These thunderous footsteps heralded the approach of a colossal beast. The very earth quivered beneath their feet, and the trees rustled incessantly as an ominous figure pursued them.
"It's the end, it's all over. How could such a colossal dinosaur exist on this island? Could we have stumbled upon a Beast Island!?" one man sobbed, unable to hold back his tears. The menacing sounds from behind drew nearer with each passing moment, but he dared not glance back, for he feared he would come face to face with a gaping maw if he did.
Amidst the chaos, a fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, measuring 15 meters in length, charged forward with jaws agape, traces of fresh blood still clinging to its teeth. Countless of their companions had met their gruesome end in those gaping maws.
The scent of fresh flesh and blood drove the beast into a frenzy, intensifying its pursuit, eager to savor the morsels ahead.
The group of seven fled desperately, every ounce of their strength expended, yet the Tyrannosaurus rex rapidly closed the gap.
"Help! Someone, please help!" A terrified voice rang out. One of the sailors, running at the rear, barely managed to turn his head. In that instant, the Tyrannosaurus lunged, its enormous head capturing the sailor in its jaws and tossing him skyward.
"Help me!" His cries abruptly ceased as he disappeared into the Tyrannosaurus rex's gaping maw. A sickening crunch followed, the grisly sound echoing in their ears. The survivors dared not pause, driven to their limits as they sprinted away.
Suddenly, a figure materialized, leaping from a tree, drawing a pistol from his waist and firing several shots at the Tyrannosaurus rex's eyes. The behemoth, keenly perceptive, deftly evaded the bullets by shaking its head. While the powerful rounds grazed its skin, they hardly fazed the colossal creature.
The man had clearly anticipated this reaction. He swiftly drew a longsword from his waist, revealing that his earlier shots had been a ploy to divert the Tyrannosaurus rex's attention. The beast's focus squarely shifted to the man.
Undeterred, the man landed gracefully and raised his longsword to face the formidable Tyrannosaurus rex.
"Captain!" The rescued survivors joyously recognized the man as their captain. His unexpected arrival filled them with hope.
"Go on, hurry! Our companions are up ahead. I'll hold this creature here," the old captain bellowed, determined to buy them precious time.
Amidst the commotion, the vice captain in another part of the forest was alerted. They had been searching for survivors and retrieving those who had met unfortunate fates in the dense forest.
"There's quite a disturbance over there. I'll go check it out. It's possible someone's in trouble," the vice cap declared, turning to those around him. "I'll go ahead, and you all follow closely."
With those words, he dashed into the thick forest at remarkable speed. His extensive experience in the New World had endowed him with exceptional strength and resilience. Along the way, he confronted numerous beasts and venomous snakes, dispatching them with ease. Devil's Island was not a place for the faint-hearted, teeming with ancient horrors and creatures that had survived brutal battles.
As he ventured deeper, he bore scars from encounters with a saber-toothed tiger and the bite of a dire wolf. Devil's Island harbored these terrifying ancient beings, as well as those who had clawed their way to survival amidst fierce competition, monstrous adversaries descending upon them.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Teach found himself confronted by a horde of formidable adversaries—dozens of giant gold-eating ants. These creatures were rare and dreadful, enormous ants with an insatiable appetite for metal and the flesh and bones of other creatures. They possessed an exoskeleton as tough as steel and sharp teeth capable of effortlessly crushing metal.
These ants secreted a toxic metal substance that proved highly lethal to most organisms, including humans. However, it held little effect on the gold-eating ants themselves. Their most terrifying feature was their sheer strength, as ants, and Teach was astounded by their incredible power. They could lift objects a hundred times their weight, and their formidable size magnified the force they could exert.
During his free time, Teach would read books to kill his boredom. Among his readings, he had encountered descriptions of these gold-eating ants in a book dedicated to various horrifying creatures.
Teach found himself facing a horde of gold-eating ants, and the confrontation was nothing short of astonishing. He had read about these creatures in a book about horrifying creatures, but their true power was beyond anything he had imagined.
As the gold-eating ants focused on Teach, he didn't hesitate. His body went into action, enveloping his hands with armed and domineering Haki. These enormous ants, though formidable, were now facing an man of tremendous strength.
The ants surged forward, driven by their instinct to hunt. They were overlord-level beings on this island, blessed with innate talents that made them nearly invincible at their level. They always hunted in groups, and their favorite prey was strong creatures.
What set these ants apart was their obedience to the "king's order." They followed this mandate without question, making them a unified and unstoppable force.
The confrontation began with the two lead gold-eating ants launching a claw attack at Teach. Their terrifying mouths opened wide as if they intended to seize Teach with their claws and tear him apart.
In a flurry of bloody flashes and metal scraping sounds, Teach power became evident. His hands clashed with the gold-eating ants, and the force was so immense that it sent two of the creatures flying into trees, causing a series of thunderous crashes as the trees shattered.
This display of power stunned the remaining gold-eating ants. They had never encountered such strength before. Although the chests of the two ants had caved in, their exoskeletons, harder than steel, had not broken.
The gold-eating ants, lying on the ground for a brief moment, slowly rose to their feet. They shook their heads, fixated on Teach, and let out a collective hiss. The battle was far from over.
The gold-eating ants, undeterred by their earlier losses, surged forward once more, their collective intent clear: they were determined to take down Teach. Teach also continued to advance, one step after another, his arms-covered claws ready for whatever came his way.
As the gold-eaters rushed at him, Teach responded with precision and power. Each strike of his claws was devastating, and the ants had little chance to withstand the sheer force he unleashed. Behind him, the fallen bodies of the gold-eating ants littered the ground.
Teach them kept moving along after killing those ants. Along the way the ants kept coming at him, seeming endless.
At some point during the battle, he had removed the black turban from his head and stored it on his chest. His long hair hung down, disheveled and untamed.
Finally he reached a massive mine.
The figure several hundred meters away from Teach, the ant king, was now looming closer. Teach's aura exploded, and his long hair fluttered in the wind, creating an otherworldly and demonic presence. Nature itself seemed to tremble in response to their confrontation.
Teach had heard about the ant king earlier but was witnessing it for the first time. He couldn't deny that it was a masterpiece of nature. The ant king resembled a golden exoskeletoned behemoth, standing tall on two powerful legs with limbs that exuded who knows how much strength.
The very air seemed to hum with the anticipation of violence. Both Teach and the ant king radiated a palpable fighting spirit, and their silence spoke volumes. This was a meeting of two powerful beings, and the world around them bore witness to the titanic clash that was about to unfold.
In just a short period since leaving the Moby Dick, Teach had made remarkable progress, especially in honing his Haki. The confrontation with Blood Sickle Button had pushed him to new limits, and he could feel the improvements in both quantity and quality of his Haki.
However, the most significant growth lay in his conquer Haki. Freed from the constraints of the White Beard Pirates, Teach had undergone a profound transformation. His conquer's haki was advancing at a rapid pace, and this battle with the ant king was a testament to his newfound strength.
Mutual silence lasted for three seconds, then Teach and the Ant King shot one after another almost at the same time, taking the entire mine as the battlefield.
As Teach and the ant king collided in mid-air, their respective powers clashed violently. Thunder and fire crackled around them, invisible bolts of black and red lightning flashing between their forms. Teach was relentless, using his full strength from the start, his claw shaped hands enhanced by armament Haki.
The ant king, a creature of immense power and strength, felt the pressure from Teach's relentless assault.
The impact force generated by the collisions of the 2 spread to the surroundings, setting off waves of smoke and dust.
Both combatants were locked in a fierce struggle, their bodies surrounded by swirling dust and energy. Teach's veins bulged as he exerted tremendous force, seeking to press the ant king into submission. Yet, the ant king, a true monster of strength, wouldn't back down easily, and the battle raged on.
The battle between Teach and the ant king raged on, a brutal clash of power and skill. Both fighters refused to back down, and their confrontation was far from over.
Their first encounter had ended in a stalemate, a test of their overall abilities. Neither had gained a significant advantage, and the battle was still in its early stages.
As they circled each other for their next move, their bodies collided once more. Teach displayed impressive agility, narrowly avoiding a claw strike from the ant king. He countered with a powerful backhand blow, aiming to threaten his opponent. The ant king, quick to react, used one of his lower limbs to block Teach's attack, preventing it from landing.
Teach, using his leg imbued with armament haki, launched a fierce kick at the ant king's waist, a vulnerable joint in his armored body. The ant king sensed the danger and responded, blocking Teach's kick with his own leg. The ant king, the apex predator of Devil Island, had evolved to fight teach's armament haki with each attack. He adapted quickly, learning to integrate it into his fighting style.
Their battle continued with lightning-fast strikes. Teach deflected the ant king's claws with his forearm, his armament Haki providing enhanced defense. In return, the ant king's claw aimed for Teach chest, but Teach swiftly blocked with one arm while reinforcing his chest with armament Haki. Simultaneously, Teach launched a counterattack, aiming a claw strike at the ant king's head. The intensity of their clash showed no sign of abating.
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Note: Sorry for the late releases, just very busy. I will try to upload more often