Exploration

After a full day of exploration, the pirates returned to their campfire camp on the west coast and reported their encounter to Buggy.

They didn't see any human signs on the island, but almost all of them encountered a strange insect that looked like a locust. However, the color of the insects encountered by different groups was also different. Some people encountered insects with pink shells, some with bluish-brown shells, some with turquoise shells, and some with light white shells.

These insects are highly aggressive and will sting anyone they see. Fortunately, there were only a few of them, and the pirates from several groups worked together to deal with them. The pirates who were stung were immediately taken to Kaya for treatment and their lives were not in danger.

Besides this insect, some pirates also encountered crab-like creatures in the shallows, which were also quite aggressive, appearing in large numbers in groups.

Two wooden watchtowers were also discovered in a deserted plain, in the southwest of the island, less than seven kilometers away, but no one was seen patrolling or monitoring the area.

Listening to the report, Buggy nodded. He didn't find anything wrong with the strange creatures, after all, this was the New World, the most dangerous and difficult sea area.

He planned to continue exploring the island tomorrow, using the two watchtowers as clues to trace the path towards the island's center.

After dinner, everyone rested around the campfire, the flames illuminating the entire western forest.

It was probably late at night when the flames of the campfire dimmed considerably.

A slight rustling sound came from behind the tree, and a faint shadow flashed by.

Gradually, a covetous gaze peeked out, looking towards the campfire in the woods and the people resting there.

The moment the figure turned its gaze back, it suddenly sensed something, hurriedly drew its curved blade from its waist, and held it to its side to defend itself.

Clang!

A fine, delicate line streaked across the air, and the curved blade snapped in two.

Cabaji, his back to the man, held the Sakura Blizzard, which gleamed coldly in the dim light, and said indifferently, "Tonight... it's my turn to keep watch."

Without saying a word, the man took a short breath and then fled in a panic into the depths of the woods.

The dark clouds on the horizon dispersed, and the clear moonlight poured down.

As countless birds took flight from the forest, Cabaji slowly emerged from the darkness, tossing the figure in his hand toward the campfire, awaiting Buggy's decision.

Buggy had already been alerted and, in the moonlight and firelight, was able to make out the man's appearance.

He wore a wooden mask with a missing corner on his face, was bare-chested, and wore ordinary dark blue shorts on his lower body. His blue and black striped stockings were pulled up to his knees, and three somewhat stiff feathers hung from his waist, like specially made tokens.

"Take off your mask." Buggy looked at the other person.

The man slightly turned his head, looked at the huge crowd around him, hesitated for half a second, and then, knowing that escape was hopeless, took off his mask.

It was the face of a very ordinary middle-aged man, with a somewhat dark complexion and thick eyebrows that arched towards his temples. At first glance, he looked rather strange, but after looking at him for a while, he became somewhat pleasing to the eye.

"Who are you people?" he asked first.

"We are pirates who have just arrived in the New World..."

Buggy didn't hide anything, looking calmly at the other person, "And you, you're a native of this island, right?"

"Pirates... So you're pirates."

The man seemed to understand what kind of identity this was. Although he didn't show any unease on his face, he had no choice but to answer due to his situation, "My name is Angli Fengbo, and I'm a Level 3 Sentinel stationed in Amber Village..."

He then said in a deep voice, "It's very dangerous here. I advise you to leave this island as soon as possible."

Buggy ignored him for the moment and continued asking, "How many people are in your village?"

"I've already said it, this island is dangerous..." Angli Fengbo reiterated, but seeing the unmoved crowd before him, he swallowed back what he was about to say, and sighed, "Less than a thousand people."

Approximately how many similar villages are there on the island?

"Twenty-one." He glanced at Buggy, whose face remained calm, and answered truthfully.

"Besides villages, are there any others?"

"Hmm... and the [Ritual Hall]..."

What is a [Ritual Hall]?

"It's a large town in the middle of the island."

Buggy SMILE. "You know how to read the room."

Angli Fengbo sighed with a worried expression.

Without even asking for the other's opinion, Buggy said in an unyielding tone, "Stay here and be my guide. I have some questions for you."

After hesitating for a moment, Angli Fengbo asked, "When... will you let me go back?"

"Tomorrow."

"Really?!"

Buggy said, "I was just kidding."

The surprise on Angli Fengbo's face vanished instantly, replaced by a deep, unfathomable sorrow in his eyes.

"Cabaji, keep an eye on him."

After giving instructions to Buggy, who was on night Cabaji, Bucky leaned against a large tree by the campfire and fell asleep to recover from a long day's work.

The next morning, everyone woke up one after another. The island's climate was very warm, and even though the campfire had long since gone out, there was no chill in the air; on the contrary, it was quite warm.

In contrast to Buggy and the others who were refreshed after a good night's sleep, Angli Fengbo's eyes were bloodshot and his face was tired, indicating that he hadn't slept all night.

Shuma got up early and diligently prepared breakfast for everyone. He used a large pot brought from Bear Paw Island and a makeshift grill, which made him very efficient. Even feeding hundreds of people was no problem for him. Moreover, there were dedicated logistics pirates who transported fresh ingredients from the pirate ship, so there was no need to worry about a shortage of ingredients or anyone going hungry.

Buggy was eating a freshly made pancake when a pirate handed Angli Fengbo one wrapped in a leaf. The latter hesitated for a moment, then gratefully accepted it and wolfed it down, finishing it in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that the other person still wanted more, Buggy had someone hand him another piece. This time, Angli Fengbo didn't eat it. Instead, he carefully wrapped the leaf and put it in his pocket.

Seeing the other person's strange behavior, Buggy asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"

With gratitude, Angli Fengbo's tone became much more sincere, "It's delicious, so I wanted to bring some for my daughter to try."

"Oh..."

Buggy followed the other man's movement, his gaze settling on his waist. "What's the meaning behind these three feathers?"

"These are Rainbow Bug Feathers, made from the hindwings of Rainbow Bug. They symbolize courage, and each feather represents a rank. I am a Level 3 Sentinel, so I can wear three."

"What's the highest level?"

"Only those of the ninth rank, [national sacrifice], are entitled to nine feathers."

"Is the division based on your strength?"

"Um... yes."

Angli Fengbo was very cooperative, answering almost every question without hiding anything. Perhaps he knew that resisting this group of foreign pirates was pointless, or perhaps it was because of the small favors Buggy earlier.

Now that Angli Fengbo is the guide, there is no need to go to the watchtower along the pre-planned route. He can directly guide us to his village. He himself seems eager to return quickly, as can be seen from his hurried steps.

Buggy brought about a hundred skilled pirates with him, while the rest continued to explore the island, set up camp, and advance, so they could provide support and prevent any unforeseen events.

As they ventured deeper into the island, Buggy asked Angli Fengbo for information, which led him to learn about recent events on the island.

It was a large-scale riot caused by the Rainbow Bug, probably the same insects that attacked my men yesterday; they are highly venomous.

When a rodent stings, the toxin seeps into the bloodstream. Within moments, the victim's entire body will swell, and the blood on their body will gradually turn into pus. If not treated in time, the victim will die on the spot. Moreover, the victim's head will be swollen and their limbs will be shriveled, resulting in a very gruesome death. Even if the victim is lucky enough to survive, they will basically end up with total paralysis.

Although these Rainbow Bug are dangerous, they never attacked humans before. However, recently, Rainbow Bug activity has become more and more frequent, and they attack people whenever they see them. Nearly ten villages have been affected, and even the large town in the center of the island, the [Ritual Hall], has injured many people. The total number of dead and injured on the entire island has reached nearly a thousand!

Amber Village, where Angli Fengbo lives, is a relatively devastated village. There were no defensive fences around the village, and even with traps, antlers, and sharp wires, it was difficult to stop the invasion of the Rainbow Bug. These insects have amazing jumping ability and can easily jump over fences. Moreover, their hard shells are so tough that even ordinary iron tools cannot hurt them. Only by being quick and striking their heads can they be killed.

However, dealing with a single Rainbow Bug is somewhat manageable; with everyone working together, they can kill it. But when hundreds or thousands of Rainbow Bug swarm in, everyone can only flee in panic and await their fate of death.

Fortunately, these insects are terrified of fire, so the villagers had ways to protect themselves. However, starting yesterday, several Rainbow Bug recklessly rushed over the flames and into the village. Fortunately, their numbers were small, and they were all killed on the spot after injuring two people.

However, the villagers were also deeply worried. They knew that the fire's effect on the Rainbow Bug was gradually weakening, and sooner or later, the entire village would die at the hands of these terrible insects.

After dark, Angli Fengbo saw the campfire burning deep in the forest and was sent out to investigate during a discussion among the village sentry team. However, he was discovered and captured by Cabaji.

With the entire village facing imminent annihilation, Buggy and his group posed no real threat. That's why he told them everything truthfully. He was afraid that if he didn't speak up, Buggy would keep him confined to the shore. It wasn't that he was afraid of dying, but he had family to care about.

"Then what about that [Ritual Hall] in the center of the island?" Buggy asked. "Isn't anyone there stepping forward to resolve this matter?"

Angli Fengbo shook his head, a hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes, his tone heavy, "No."

"Since the swarm of Rainbow Bug has never rioted before, why is this suddenly happening?"

"Have no idea."

Buggy continued to ask Angli Fengbo if there were any rules for dividing the different levels of the Feathers, but the latter was not very clear about it. He only knew that strength and status were the criteria for judgment, and that the higher the level, the more attention people would pay to what one said. At the level of the Nine Feathers, such as the [National Sacrifice], one's word was basically law, similar to the existence of a monarch.

Buggy then asked if there were any special industries on the island, Angli Fengbo said that there was a mine on the island that had been mined for hundreds of years.

As they walked further into the island, the Rainbow Bug that Angli Fengbo had mentioned finally appeared. The Rainbow Bug were very eye-catching and could be seen from the surrounding environment at a glance. They were clustered in groups of three or five under the shadow of the trees, and there were roughly thirty or forty of them.

"Oh no, we have to go!!"

Seeing so many Rainbow Bug, Angli Fengbo felt his scalp tingle. If he were surrounded by these insects, he would definitely die. Before he could take a step, Mohji immediately pulled him back.

Without a word, Buggy kicked out with his right foot, unleashing four consecutive Tempest Kick to clear away the insects in front of him.

The Rainbow Bug were hit by the oncoming slashing airflow and were immediately sent flying. Several disgusting yellow liquids splashed in the air. Some Rainbow Bug were hit in vital areas and died instantly, while many more were hit on their hard shells or had their thin wings sheared off.

Buzzing--

They flew towards Buggy from all directions at low altitude, the sound of their wings flapping was extremely loud.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Angli Fengbo shouted excitedly. This native, who had been fighting against the Rainbow Bug for so many years, naturally knew how powerful it was. He didn't want to die here, but he was restrained by Mohji's powerful strength and had no way to do anything about it.

If his scimitar hadn't been confiscated long ago, he would have already wounded Mohji and fled for his life.

"That's really dangerous..."

Buggy narrowed his eyes slightly, and using the power of Life Return, he suddenly expanded his body, instantly entering a fragmentation mode where tens of thousands of fragments vibrated continuously. His hands, which were clasped at his abdomen, slowly bent their fingers, then suddenly clenched, and he blasted forward.

A stream of somewhat transparent, pure white energy burst forth from his fragmented hands, swirling and twisting like a moving tornado. Wherever this pure white tornado passed, an increasingly violent explosion erupted, engulfing all the Rainbow Bug in front of him, covering an area of dozens of meters in radius!

The surrounding trees were swept away by the immense energy, snapping to both sides, and everything in sight was plowed into flat ground.

The air was filled with a foul, fishy stench, and yellow liquid was splattered everywhere.

When visibility improved and everything returned to calm, only the scattered corpses of Rainbow Bug remained on the ground.

Angli Fengbo stared in disbelief, unable to process what he had just witnessed. "Is... is this real?"

Buggy returned to normal, glancing at Angli Fengbo indifferently. "Keep leading the way."

"There's... there's hope!"

Angli Fengbo is talking about the village.