The crescent moon hung high in the silent night sky.
It hid behind a few wisps of cloud, snickering to itself.
There was hardly any moonlight.
Only a faint tremor came from the land, as if some dreadful giant were drawing near.
In fact, that was exactly what was happening.
A suction-cupped gecko's hand, slick and sticky, slapped onto the cliff. The enormous, corpulent gecko slowly poked its head out from beneath the red earth.
Like the morning sun gradually rising above the sea.
It suddenly blocked a third of the night sky beneath the crescent moon.
The darkness deepened.
And a smell of sea salt mingled with rotting flesh filled the air.
The gecko's movements were anything but gentle—in fact, they were rather rough.
Its hind legs kicked hard against the cliff while its forelimbs pulled it forward step by step, the suction cups on its palms clinging to the rock.
It dislodged boulders the size of small hills as it climbed.
After finally hauling itself up, it stuck out its tongue toward the crescent moon.
"Does Mr. Buggy call that Giant Beast Little Cutie?"
Swan's face was deathly pale.
The soundproof barrier hung in the sky like a cloud that had suddenly drifted by, muffling the noise the gecko made.
Watching from the swaying cable car, she had never imagined the gecko would be this enormous.
Jacques opened his mouth, but said nothing.
In his hand was a crude rag doll. The loose threads showed that he had only just tried making it.
"Hee hee hee!"
"Navy, World Government, I'm back again!"
Moria stood atop the gecko's head, shouting loudly.
He had grown much thinner—well, from excessively obese to merely obese.
"Full speed ahead, my Zero Zombie!"
Moria was too fired up to pay much attention to the