Rumble!
The earth began to tremble, and bottomless cracks split the ground.
As soon as the terrifying tremor began, the Blood Marrow Worms inside Tony and those outside him reacted as if they had encountered an enemy. They wanted to flee.
"What the hell is happening?!" Agony tore through Tony's body. Even a hardened man who had endured countless torments could barely bear it. He staggered and fell to one knee.
The Blood Marrow Worms were parasitic creatures lodged in his spine. When they grew frightened and tried to escape, every movement made him wish he were dead. No external wound could compare. This was pain that truly cut to the marrow!
But no one had time to worry about Tony, Momonga included. Weapons raised, they all stared tensely at the enormous hand emerging from beneath the ground.
The dark hand looked almost fleshless, nothing but skin and bone. Slimy mud and the remains of insects clung to it everywhere, either from where it had been buried or from its climb to the surface.
Of course, a hand alone—even a skeletal one—would not have put the Marines on guard. Plenty of things could crawl out of the ground. So what if it was a real zombie?
But what if a single finger on that hand stood three stories tall?
That was terrifying!
"V-Vice Admiral Momonga, should we attack?"
A Marine soldier approached Momonga and asked in a small voice, swallowing hard.
Wait, are we about to fight this unknown Monster?
Seriously, isn't it bigger than most Sea Kings?!
One slap would turn us into paste. There'd be nothing left to scrape up!
"No. Not yet."
Momonga's answer steadied the soldier a little, but his next words put him on edge again.
"It appears to be intelligent. I'll try speaking with