Chapter 79 - CHAPTER 79 - The Swarm of Black Insects on the Eighth Level

"Not bad. You've made great progress recently. When did you learn to do this?" Rosen was genuinely surprised. Although Valentine had only manipulated the weight of the laser arrow and attached her ability to it, allowing her to control it like a puppet on strings, it was already an impressive feat. Since the arrow had no weight, it could accelerate to high speeds and trigger a laser explosion, though it was still far from the power of military crossbows or Moris' projectiles. However, its greatest advantage was that she could control it freely. Rosen had never really paid much attention to Valentine. Perhaps it was due to his first impression from the original storyline—she had never been portrayed as a formidable fighter. But unexpectedly, she had not only mastered Moonwalk recently but could also manipulate an arrow infused with a Devil Fruit. Her progress was remarkable. "Two days ago. I had been training continuously, and with BOSS around, it wasn't as exhausting, which helped me improve faster. "When you gave me this thing, I kept wondering if I could put it to good use. "Later, I experimented with infusing my Devil Fruit ability into it, and surprisingly, the pangolin inside quickly accepted it. "With my zero-gravity floating ability, I can now control the arrow freely. "But I have to focus entirely, and I can't control larger objects unless they have a consciousness to communicate with," Valentine explained in detail, looking somewhat flattered by Rosen's inquiry. "It seems your ability still has a lot of potential for development," Rosen mused. He hadn't expected Valentine to showcase an ability reminiscent of Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit. Thinking about it, the Float-Float Fruit and the Kilo-kilo Fruit (her ability) were similar—one controlled objects, while the other controlled weight. But in essence, if Valentine awakened her power or if she could attach it to conscious beings, making everything weightless, wouldn't that also create a floating effect? And if she could increase weight as well? Imagine making a mountain float, then slamming it down with added weight. Even Marine Headquarters would be in serious trouble. Could it be that the Float-Float Fruit and the Kilo-Kilo Fruit were actually from the same category, with hers potentially being the superior version? Rosen's thoughts wandered momentarily, but he quickly accepted the reality of Valentine's rapid progress. Whether she could awaken her ability was another matter, but even if she could only control this one object for now, it had already doubled her combat effectiveness. "Now that the trash is cleaned up, let's continue searching for the treasure." Rosen smirked slightly, feeling a bit more at ease. "Desert Sunflower." He pressed his hand to the ground, descending to the eighth level. But the moment they landed, everyone's scalp tingled. The eighth level was a massive hall, and the moment they arrived, they were met with the sight of countless black, mushroom-like insects crawling everywhere. They covered the walls, the floor, and every surface—staring at Rosen and his crew. To these creatures, Rosen's group was the intruders. This was their domain. Individually, each insect was only about the size of a baby's fist. But their numbers were overwhelming. "Be careful," Rosen warned. He noticed four passageways leading out of the hall, and from each one, swarms of insects were pouring in. "AHH!" A crew member let out a scream. One of the insects had latched onto his leg, tearing off a large chunk of flesh. "Desert Sunflower!" Rosen immediately attempted to sandify the ground and break through to the next level. But this time, after the surface layer turned to sand, it didn't continue penetrating downward. Instead, Rosen's hand touched something ice-cold—sapping nearly all of his strength. "Seastone?!" Rosen was stunned. Although he had never been struck directly by Seastone before, he instantly recognized the sensation. It was clearly stone, yet it completely negated his Devil Fruit abilities. That could only mean one thing—it was Seastone. Rosen quickly pulled his hand away. Did this mean that the entire floor was paved with Seastone? Such luxury. But that wasn't the biggest problem. The real issue was: "We've got trouble. Prepare to fight. "Watch your footing—don't break the surface layer of dirt and stone. "The floor beneath is made of Seastone. "If you stand on it, Devil Fruit users will lose their powers." "What?! The floor is Seastone?!" Robin and the others were shocked. That meant they had no choice but to fight these creatures head-on. This was bad. "Sandstorm!" Rosen didn't dare use too much power, fearing he might strip away the dirt covering the Seastone. A small-scale sandstorm swept across the room, shredding a large portion of the insects. But more swarmed in from the passageways. "So annoying," Robin muttered, stepping behind Rosen. She had no intention of using her ability to touch these disgusting creatures. Valentine, Urouge, and the others also engaged in battle. Even Urouge, usually unfazed, found the insects repulsive. He ripped a stone slab from the ground and used it like a massive swatter, smashing hordes of bugs into pulp. "Pierce!" Valentine guided her laser arrow through the swarm, cutting down many insects and triggering explosions. But the horde kept coming. The other crew members used swords and guns, but many were bitten. Rosen wasn't worried—since he was a Logia user, as long as he didn't touch the Seastone directly, the insects couldn't harm him. "I'll seal the passageways. "If we don't stop them, this will never end." Rosen transformed into sand and flew toward the nearest passage. Ascending slightly, he pressed his hand against the ceiling, turning the upper floor into sand and gathering it. "Sand Fist." He manipulated the gathered sand into a giant fist and launched it into the passage, blocking it completely. The corridor was now sealed by dozens of meters of compacted sand and rubble. Even if the insects could tunnel through, it wouldn't be easy. And at the very least, it would prevent another overwhelming swarm. Using the same method, Rosen sealed the remaining three passageways. Now, they only had to deal with the bugs already in the hall. "Sandstorm Blades." Rosen unleashed thousands of razor-sharp sand blades, clearing out most of the remaining insects in an instant. The rest were eliminated by the crew working together. Everyone spread out, ensuring that any insects burrowing out from beneath the sand were killed on sight. These creatures were surprisingly tough. Their limbs could carve deep scratches into stone with a single swipe. "Check on the wounded. "Make sure their bites aren't poisonous. "Creatures that live this deep underground aren't necessarily clean," Rosen instructed. "There's no sign of infection." "They don't seem to be venomous." "But how did these things survive down here?" "Are they being kept here deliberately?" "Do they feed on each other?" Robin stroked her chin, considering the possibilities. "What now?" Urouge asked Rosen. "If the floor below is entirely Seastone, then we're in trouble. "But if only the ground is covered, I might be able to tunnel through the walls." Rosen walked to the side of the hall and began sandifying a section of the wall, creating a passageway. He advanced about ten steps, effectively moving beyond the boundaries of the hall and into the deeper tunnels. This new passage was isolated—free from insects. After traveling some distance, Rosen pressed his hand to the ground again. He attempted to turn it into sand—and failed. Returning to the group, he reported, "No good." "The ninth level is completely sealed by Seastone on all sides." "It's like a giant box." "Whatever treasure is here must be inside it." "Then there must be a mechanism to open it." "There's no point in creating a box that can't be accessed." "If they truly wanted to keep it shut forever, they would've just thrown it into the ocean," Robin deduced. Everyone began searching the walls and floor for any hidden mechanisms. "This mural looks familiar... "It resembles a legend from Skypiea," Urouge suddenly remarked, staring at an ancient carving on the wall. (End of Chapter) ========================================================= DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).