Monster

"Are you sure you won't tell me? I don't think I mentioned that I'm super strong."

Moyun held it up in one hand and made a throwing motion.

"No, no, no! I'll tell you!"

"That's more like it. Just tell me obediently. If you don't cooperate, I won't waste this much breath on you next time."

Luckily, this little ball was simple-minded enough. Otherwise, they would have had a harder time.

But plants on this island could actually talk?

"I'm a Vine-Vine Fruit user. My name is Hisoka."

Hisoka stopped struggling in Moyun's hand and honestly answered his questions.

Hisoka had originally been human. A few years ago, he had come to these waters with his parents.

Because of an undersea volcano, both of his parents had died. When he opened his eyes, he found that he had drifted onto this island.

The fog around him had kept him from seeing the island clearly, so he could only feel his way along. Hungry and exhausted, just as he was about to pass out, he spotted a strange-looking fruit hanging in a thicket.

He had been starving, so how could he care about anything else? He plucked the fruit and wolfed it down in just a few bites.

After eating it, he had passed out.

When he woke up again, he had become like this.

"I see. So you can move freely through that fog now?"

"Yeah, but is there something wrong with that fog?"

Hisoka looked confused. Wasn't it just ordinary fog?

"It can make people lose their senses until they pass out. You never knew that?"

"What!"

The corner of Moyun's mouth twitched as he watched Hisoka's eyes widen.

So this kid really hadn't known all along. And he'd stayed here for so long, too.

"So I didn't pass out from hunger before. It was because of that fog!"

"That's very possible."

Hisoka irritably scratched at his nonexistent hair.

"Do you know if there's an underground space here?"

"What space? I don't really know. This island has something like that?"

Hisoka looked at Moyun in confusion. He had been on this island for so long, yet he had never seen any such place.

But it seemed he had always stayed near the edge of the island.

He had tried going deeper inside before, but he had encountered some terrifying things.

Just thinking about it made Hisoka feel like he was about to sweat.

"You don't even know? Looks like we'll have to keep going. What a waste of all the time you've spent on this island."

Moyun sighed and glanced around. Why did he keep feeling as though something had been watching him?

It seemed this island still had many secrets waiting for them to uncover.

After quite a while, Kuina finally slowly came to.

"Where is this?"

Kuina clutched her aching forehead. Her head still felt a little muddled.

"You're finally awake. You inhaled quite a bit of fog, so you passed out."

"I see. Who's this?"

Kuina looked at the small bundle of vines standing before her.

"My name is Hisoka. I saved you!"

Since he had led all of them out, he had saved all of them, right?

Hisoka was amazing!

Though the little green ball only had a pair of huge eyes, everyone could still tell that Hisoka was very happy right now.

"We're heading deeper in soon. You're coming with us."

Moyun rubbed his chin. This little vine named Hisoka seemed rather interesting.

And his ability wasn't bad either, so they might as well bring him along.

He might be able to help them.

"What! I don't want to go! You can go if you want. It's way too dangerous in there!"

Hisoka shouted and tried to run, only for Moyun to grab him in an instant.

"How do you know it's dangerous? Have you been in there? What's inside?"

Moyun narrowed his eyes. It seemed this little thing had hidden some things from them.

"Uh, there's a monster inside!"

Hisoka struggled as he spoke, his large eyes filled with fear.

That monster had nearly eaten him.

Even now, Hisoka clearly remembered the terror brought by those scarlet eyes.

"What monster? What are you scared of? Just come in with us."

Moyun tucked Hisoka under his arm and swaggered deeper inside with him.

"Put me down already! I want to leave this place!"

"Sigh, Kuina, you're all right now, aren't you? Let's hurry and follow them in too. It's better for everyone to stick together."

Olvia sighed as she watched Moyun's back.

How could Moyun be so careless? What if he ran into danger inside?

He really was a child.

Kuina picked up her sword and hurried after him. She had only just woken up and still had not figured out what was going on.

"What exactly was that thing earlier?"

"That was a creature that attacked us in the fog. His name is Hisoka. He's a kid who ate a Devil Fruit, and Moyun has probably subdued him now."

"No wonder."

Kuina nodded as though she understood, cautiously studying the trees around them.

"Buzz! Buzz!"

"What was that sound?"

Kuina abruptly stopped in her tracks as a figure suddenly flashed past in the trees.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Something just went past."

Moyun's group stopped and carefully observed their surroundings.

They found nothing unusual.

"Did you see it wrong?"

"I heard something too, but the sound was very faint, and it moved very fast. We should still be careful."

Kuina did not let down her guard. She had definitely seen something just now.

The group did not linger and continued deeper into the forest.

"Buzz! Buzz!"

This time, everyone heard the sound, but they still could not see what was making it.

Moyun was getting irritated by it. He hated being ambushed most of all.

"Do you know what that thing is?"

Moyun shook Hisoka in his hand, his voice somewhat cold.

At that moment, Hisoka curled himself up even tighter, shrinking to less than half his previous size.

"Those are the monster's underlings. You've been targeted now, so hurry up and let me go!"

Hisoka was practically about to cry. It was one thing for them to go get themselves killed, but why did they have to drag him along?

"In your dreams!"

Moyun signaled to the other two with his eyes, telling them to keep moving forward.

Several enormous figures watched Moyun and the others silently from behind the cover of the leaves.

"Buzz!"

The strange sound rang out again. Moyun and the others even heard wings flapping, and the source was right behind them!

"That thing is here! It's behind us! Everyone, be careful!"