Kailo quickly found the target from the bounty posters he carried.
[Mushroom Tyrant Morris]
[Bounty: 43,000,000 Berries]
[Paramecia-type, Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit user. Specializes in utilizing and catalyzing various fungi for combat. Extremely dangerous. Dead or Alive.]
Kailo's expression became somewhat solemn.
"This island is practically a tailor-made paradise for Morris. No wonder he risked his life to flee here even while being chased by the Marines."
Sammy took the bounty poster, glanced at it, and nodded.
"Indeed. Although Morris's bounty is only forty-three million, considering the characteristics of his Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit and the unique environment of Rongrong Island, his danger and actual combat power likely far exceed that figure."
He paused and added, "For certain ability users, the environment is a power multiplier."
Sammy looked up, his gaze piercing through the gaps in the forest, looking once more at the mountain-like Giant Mushroom in the center of the island, the words of Old Mushroom Head and the villagers repeating in his mind.
(The pirates who landed in the west went straight toward the center of the island...)
(There's nothing in the center of the island...)
"Tsk, it's really unsettling..." Sammy murmured in a low voice.
"Boss?"
Sammy retracted his gaze and turned to look at the Executives beside him.
"Aldo, Marcus, Kailo, you three come with me. Everyone else,"
He turned to Isaac and the remaining Crew Members, "Keep an eye on the ship and maintain maximum alertness. Hans, keep a close watch on the log pose. Notify us immediately once the magnetic force is full. We'll be quick."
"Understood!"
"Boss, what are we going to do?"
Aldo shouldered his mace, a look of confusion on his face.
"Aren't the Marines already dealing with that group of pirates? Why are we getting involved?"
"I have a bad feeling. That Morris... let's go take a look. It would be best if the Marines can handle him smoothly. But if..."
He didn't finish, but the coldness in his eyes made Aldo and the others understand the unspoken words.
The four-man team quickly left the ship, disappearing once more into the colorful yet peril-filled mushroom forest, stealthily advancing toward the Giant Mushroom at the heart of the island.
Meanwhile.
Deep in the Mushroom Forest · Morris's Group
Unlike the Sammy team's cautious and rapid movement, although Morris and his group continued toward the island's center after their unpleasant encounter with Marcus's team, the atmosphere of their group grew increasingly dismal, and their pace became much heavier.
The light in the forest was dim, and the air was thick with the scent of spores, dust, and damp humus.
Prolonged hunger and exhaustion were constantly eroding what little morale these pirates had left.
"Ow... I, I can't... Captain... I really... can't walk anymore..."
A sallow-faced pirate finally couldn't hold on and slumped onto the muddy ground, clutching his growling stomach, barely having the strength to speak.
"Useless! Get up!" Morris turned back and barked, his eyes bloodshot.
"Captain... I, I can't either... I have... I have to relieve myself..."
"All of you are useless trash!"
Morris glanced at the subordinates slumped on the ground, irritably scanned the surroundings, and casually tore a large piece off a greyish-white Umbrella Mushroom nearby, throwing it over without even looking.
"Eat! You'll have strength after you eat! There's food everywhere on the island!"
The pirate took the mushroom, and looking at the unknown Umbrella Mushroom in his hand, his expression became even worse.
"Ah? Raw mushrooms ag-again... Captain, we've been eating various raw mushrooms for nearly ten days straight... Now, as soon as I smell this, I want to... bleh..."
"Yeah, Captain,"
Another Executive nearby echoed with a bitter face.
"Even if these mushrooms aren't poisonous, eating them raw like this is cold and fishy. My stomach has been aching constantly these past few days, and I've been having such bad diarrhea that my legs are weak... Can't we... find a place to start a fire and roast some meat? Even just roasting some mushrooms would be fine..."
"Can't eat it? It's just two days of raw mushrooms, what's so hard about that?"
A fierce glint appeared in Morris's eyes. He snatched the piece of mushroom from his subordinate's hand and viciously stuffed it into his own mouth, chewing forcefully a few times.
"Urgh—cough, cough..."
Morris's stomach also cramped reflexively. He wiped the corner of his mouth, hiding that moment of embarrassment.
"Forget it, just hang in there a bit longer! We're almost there! Once we arrive and drive off those annoying Marine flies behind us, all the resources on this island will be ours! Then, you can eat whatever you want, however you want! Roasted whole pig? Venison stew? Whatever you like! But for now, everyone pull yourselves together!"
However, the only responses were the even more listless groans and pleading gazes of his subordinates.
Not everyone can maintain their drive on empty promises alone when in a state of extreme weakness and discomfort.
Morris's patience soon ran out, and he coldly scanned his swaying subordinates.
"Since you can't walk, then stay here! Those who can still move, follow me! You guys, stay here and don't move! We'll come back for you after we've handled things!"
"Captain! The Marines are chasing us!"
"Captain! Don't abandon us!"
Pleading voices rang out, but Morris ignored them. With the remaining ten or so members who were in relatively better condition, he headed toward the massive shadow ahead that looked like a pillar holding up the sky, without looking back.
Similar scenes played out repeatedly along the way.
Every so often, one or two pirates would collapse from hunger, diarrhea, or pure exhaustion, only to be ruthlessly abandoned in the forest by Morris.
Shortly after, the tracking squad from the Marine G-10 Branch, under the command of Major Fox, quickly discovered the first batch of pirates abandoned by Morris on the roadside.
"Don't move! Marines! Drop your weapons!"
These guys didn't even have the strength to run; they could only slump there groaning.
The well-trained Marine Soldiers quickly secured these captives who had lost almost all ability to resist.
They didn't even need to use torture; after a simple interrogation, these abandoned pirates quickly spilled everything they knew.
"Morris is in terrible shape, but he still abandoned his weak subordinates and is heading straight for the Giant Mushroom in the center of the island with a few members?"
Major Fox's brow furrowed as an ominous premonition rose in his heart. He immediately ordered the entire force to speed up.
"Pick up the pace! We must stop him before he causes irreparable damage!"
All of this was witnessed by Sammy's team, who were quietly tailing them from behind and using the complex forest environment to hide their presence.
"The Marines have caught up to them; they're quite efficient."
"Morris abandoned his dead weight, so he's definitely moving faster. Combined with the intelligence the Marines gathered... his goal in risking his life to come to this island is likely that Giant Mushroom itself. A Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit user wanting to control the largest and oldest mushroom on the island..."
Sammy didn't speak, but only looked toward the shadow of the Giant Mushroom that blotted out the sky, his gaze becoming increasingly grave.