The group immediately picked up speed and continued forward.
They had barely left the spot where they had stopped when a dull tremor suddenly came from the woods ahead. Something enormous battered the treetops, making them shake continuously. Then a huge red shadow slowly rose from the trees, almost completely blocking everyone's view.
The thing appeared too quickly, and it was far too massive. The previously relaxed group fell silent at once. Everyone aboard looked up, and even Brogy, who was leading the way, lost his casual expression.
He stared at the red figure for a moment before saying gravely, "So you've appeared? The Island Eater."
"Then let me clear a path for you!"
As soon as he spoke, Brogy held his stone sword across his body. The other giant beside him did not hesitate either, immediately raising his enormous axe. The two stood ahead, one on either side, their presence like two moving city walls. Even the air around them seemed to freeze under their pressure.
Watching this, Naruto could not help grumbling inwardly. Weren't we just supposed to be leaving Little Garden? How did we run into a sea monster this size as soon as we set off? This luck feels a little like someone's deliberately targeting us.
The giant fish had already opened its mouth. Its jaws were absurdly large, their pitch-black interior like a valley opening up. As it drew closer, the ship looked smaller and smaller on the sea, until it resembled a scrap of wood that could be swallowed at any moment.
Worse still, this creature was even larger than the two giants. As it raised its body out of the sea, its scales gleamed bright red. Its enormous bulk bore down on them, squeezing even the waves into expanding rings of water walls.