One Piece: Power-Power Fruit

Chapter 204 The Monsters Attacking the Island

Chapter 204: The Monsters Attacking the Island

Mu Chong and his companions were unaware of what was happening on the sea under the cover of night; they were currently resting in a dilapidated farmhouse.

After entering the strangely shaped island, Mu Chong and his group discovered that the island was sparsely populated, with only about a dozen households living in the middle of the island.

Filled with doubt, the group searched for a tavern or inn to rest, but after a long and fruitless search, they were greatly disappointed. Just as they were about to return to the Freedom, an elderly man with white hair and a white beard, leaning on a cane, invited them to his home.

A small wooden cabin that could at least provide shelter from the wind and rain, barely enough to accommodate Mu Chong and his group of six, plus a cat.

Night fell over the island, and the once starry sky was obscured by thick clouds, making the already dimly lit cabin even darker.

"Elsa! Add a few more candles!"

Inside the cabin, Mu Chong, sitting on the floor, slowly spoke to Aisha beside him.

"Yes, Captain!"

Aisha nodded gently upon hearing this, then took out a few more candles from the bundle Baku was carrying and lit them, instantly illuminating the small cabin.

Boom!

"Ugh! This awful weather! It's probably going to pour tomorrow during the day!"

The white-haired, white-bearded old man tapped his pipe, sighed calmly, and slowly said...

The old man's name is Farug, and he is the village chief of the village on this island. He is now seventy years old and is a native of this island.

Upon hearing Farug's mutterings, everyone sitting around turned to look at Slad, who was standing to the side.

"Yes! This old man is right, the weather had already changed when we entered the island! However, I couldn't tell exactly when this rainstorm was coming!"

Slad felt everyone's gaze and, while slowly explaining, kept his eyes fixed on Farug.

"Hmm? Not bad, young man! I remember when you arrived in the village, the weather was only slightly unusual, and you noticed that! You're quite something!"

Slad's words made Farug look up, his weathered eyes gleaming with wisdom.

"Hahaha! Of course! Old man! I am the best navigator on the Liberty!"

Farrug's praise made Slad laugh out loud with pride, his confident expression overflowing.

"Hehehe! What an energetic young man! Sigh! Getting old! Getting old!"

A glint flashed in Farug's eyes as he looked at Slad, then he gently shook his head and said...

"Hehehe! Uncle, have you ever been to sea before? From what you're saying, it seems you were quite good at predicting weather changes when you were young!"

Just then, Aisha, sitting next to Mu Chong, gently asked Farug, because Aisha's Observation Haki sensed Farug's inner sorrow.

"Oh? You're quite observant, young lady! That was a long time ago! Let's not talk about it, let's not talk about it!"

call!

Farrug lit his pipe again, took a deep drag, and then spoke.

"Uncle! When we landed on the island, we found that besides the wooden houses that are currently inhabited, there are many empty or even destroyed houses. What happened? Where are the people who lived there before?"

Since Farrug was unwilling to discuss the past, the others tactfully refrained from pressing him for details. However, Belinda, standing to the side, took the initiative to ask the question that had been bothering her.

"Cough cough cough... Hmph! You're all ungrateful bastards! Instead of building up your own home, you insist on leaving your homeland to find a new life on an island!"

When Farrug heard Belinda's question, his expression changed slightly, a hint of anger flashing across his face. But with a sigh, this anger vanished instantly.

"Alas! They say it's hard to leave one's homeland! But we are powerless in the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities, not to mention that man-eating monster that frequently attacks this island..."

At this point, Farrug's face revealed a look of helplessness and sorrow.

"A man-eating monster???"

Farug's words aroused great curiosity in everyone in the room, and Slad even asked directly.

"Yes! A man-eating monster! Whenever the people on this island go fishing in the nearby waters, they will be attacked by that monster. If they are lucky, they can barely survive, but the unlucky ones will never come back!"

A look of reminiscence crossed Farrug's eyes, and as he spoke, he forgot to smoke the pipe in his hand.

call!

A cool breeze blew in through the slightly ajar window, flickering the candle flame and causing the fire in the cabin to waver and nearly go out.

Click!

Baku got up and closed the window that hadn't been fully closed, allowing the flickering light in the cabin to settle. Everyone's attention returned to Farug, eager to hear a story.

"Twenty years ago! The island's land area was twice its current size, and the population was much larger. Everyone was living happily!"

"However, ever since that day when a gigantic monster appeared in the sea, attacking a fishing boat, only one of the fifteen people on board survived! But this person also succumbed to the aftereffects of the extreme terror!"

"Since then, the villages on the entire island have never had a peaceful day again!"

The pipe in Farrug's hand had long since been extinguished, and by the dim candlelight, one could vaguely see tears welling up in the corners of Farrug's eyes.

"Old man! What happened next?"

Seeing Farrug's emotional change, Belinda stepped forward to comfort him and also helped check his body.

"Thank you, little girl! Later, under the attack of this monster, the villagers on the island finally gave up their belief in continuing to struggle and live on the island, and some people began to choose to leave! Until now, it has become the scene of financial ruin that you see here!"

Farrug expressed his gratitude for Belinda's actions, and then gave the story an ending.

"Grandpa, what happened to the land area of ​​this island? Why has half of it disappeared?"

At this moment, Baku, filled with doubt, couldn't help but ask.

"Alas! This is all caused by that monster. Every time it comes, it comes from the eastern sea. Its huge body causes damage to the island every time. Over time, the land on the east side of the island has disappeared!"

Upon hearing Baku's question, a flicker of fear crossed Farrug's eyes.

"captain?"

Slad, who had been listening intently the whole time, frowned deeply. Farug's description of the monster kept replaying in his mind. Somewhat uncertain, he turned to look at Mu Chong.

"Yes! That's right! Slard! The old man must be talking about the Sea Kings! The guys from the East, right?"

Mu Chong gently swirled the teacup in his hand, his deep eyes fixed on the candlelight before him, his expression subtly shifting.

"Grandpa! Is the sea area east of this island a calm zone?"

After a moment's thought, Mu Chong slowly raised his head to look at Farug and asked in a calm tone.

"Ok?"

"The calm zone?"

Mu Chong's question startled everyone in the room; some looked puzzled, while others were slightly surprised.

"what?"

Upon hearing Mu Chong's words, Farug's expression became quite complex. Only then did the white-haired, white-bearded old man begin to seriously examine Mu Chong.

"Young man! How do you know that the sea area to the east is a calm zone?"

Farug slowly sat up straight, for under his careful observation, he sensed a faint but palpable aura emanating from Mu Chong.

"Hehehe! Because my ship has always been heading towards the Calm Belt to the east of the Grand Line!"