Deep within the dim, lightless prison cell, the swamp that had covered the entire floor silently receded back into Wilder's body. Only a single mass remained, enveloping Eigg, slowly slithering towards the darkest corner of the cell.
Glug… glug…
The faint, squelching sound accompanied the movement. Wilder manipulated the swamp to part, revealing Eigg's face.
"Hah…! Hah…!"
Eigg gasped, lungs burning from the brief lack of oxygen. His eyes widened to their limits, desperately gulping in the fresh air. The near-suffocation had made him believe he was about to die.
"Nyehehehe…" Wilder's low, suppressed chuckle sounded incredibly grating to Eigg's ears. It served as a harsh reminder of how ridiculous his earlier words had been.
This man… hadn't considered him an opponent from the very beginning!
Eigg was a mess. He could feel the terrifying constricting and crushing force of the swamp around him. Even this limited pressure made his chest feel tight and his head swim. If Wilder wished it, he was certain the swamp's pressure would increase exponentially.
More importantly, he realized that he couldn't even twitch a muscle while completely encased in this muck.
This swamp… besides its constricting power, it also possessed a terrifying stickiness.
Eigg finally understood the kind of monster he was facing. This overwhelmingly powerful man… couldn't be countered by relying solely on his prized Observation Haki!
A flurry of thoughts raced through Eigg's mind. His breathing gradually returned to normal. He knew the moment to decide his fate had arrived.
This man hadn't killed him immediately, so… negotiations?
"Nyehehehe…" Wilder, seeing Eigg's returned deadpan expression, guessed that he'd realized the situation. His chuckle became a few degrees lower. "You're smart."
"So… smart guy, become my subordinate or… die!?"
Wilder always considered himself a man of tactful speech. Like right now, he felt he was being quite tactful.
If…
Wilder tried to make the smile on his face look less strained. If possible, he even wished his smile looked friendly at this very moment.
If this still wasn't sincere enough… then he'd just have to kill him…
The eyes looking down at Eigg were filled with undisguised menace and naked killing intent. Repeatedly inviting the same person had already started to irritate Wilder.
Therefore, he hoped the answer he received would be one given after careful consideration.
Meeting Wilder's gaze, Eigg's numb eyes flickered for a moment. He could clearly feel the murderous aura emanating from the other man – raw, frigid, undisguised, and utterly ferocious.
Was this man… a madman!?
A thin sheen of cold sweat broke out on Eigg's calm face. He looked up at Wilder. "Why do you insist on me becoming your subordinate?"
"Nyehehehe… You might have misunderstood. You've always had two choices. Death, or becoming my subordinate, ensures that today's events aren't known to a third… or even a second person." Wilder's smile deepened. He'd never actually considered taking on a subordinate before, but now he was forced to. Because if he couldn't… it meant he'd have to kill, which went against his initial intentions.
Eigg understood this, too. So… if possible, he didn't want to die.
"I accept."
The resolute voice that emerged after a brief struggle was exactly what Wilder wanted to hear.
A smart man's choice.
But Wilder couldn't fathom why a smart man would have done something so foolish today!
Withdrawing his killing intent, Wilder looked at Eigg. "Then… as my subordinate, introduce yourself. Tell me about yourself."
Eigg's fish-eyes seemed even more lifeless. He nodded, his flat voice recounting his past.
He was originally a hitman from the East Blue. The reason he was imprisoned in Impel Down was because he'd once been tasked with assassinating the leader of a country. Eigg had indeed succeeded, but he hadn't realized it was a trap – a staged performance designed to bring him down, with even the king participating as bait.
The reason was somewhat laughable. Besides being a hitman, Eigg was also a renowned makeup artist. This in itself wasn't a problem. The issue arose from Eigg using his makeup skills in his assassinations.
The Thousand-Faced Killer, Eigg. His superb makeup skills gave him the ability to effectively disguise himself. He appeared with a different face for every assignment.
This caused his notoriety to spread throughout the East Blue. The wealthy and powerful lived in fear that they might one day be killed by someone with a "familiar face."
Therefore, these individuals banded together, setting a trap specifically for Eigg. This was what led to his imprisonment in Impel Down.
Wilder listened to Eigg's narration without expression, his thoughts unreadable.
Makeup artist… disguise…
The two keywords flashed repeatedly in Wilder's mind. He habitually stored away vague ideas for later consideration.
"Now… as my subordinate, your first task is to forget everything that happened today." Wilder gave Eigg a cursory glance.
Eigg silently nodded.
Both Wilder and Eigg understood that this superior-subordinate relationship existed solely to maintain this promise.
The silent swamp gradually loosened its grip. Wilder retracted all of it, freeing Eigg.
"If possible, could you get me a complete set of makeup?" Eigg suddenly looked up at Wilder, his numb eyes showing a flicker of something else… perhaps anticipation?
"I can," Wilder said after a long, silent look.
Thud… thud…
Wilder took a step towards the center of the cage, his face shifting and indistinct in the darkness.
Eigg watched Wilder's retreating back, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
Time seemed to stand still. In the darkness, neither could see the other's face.
Just when Eigg thought Wilder was about to leave…
"Nyehehehe… I despise traitors more than anything, Eigg." Wilder, his back still to Eigg, suddenly stopped. He tilted his head slightly, the smile at the corner of his lips filled with a chilling, bloodthirsty quality. "So… play your role well."
Whoosh!
An overwhelming chill instantly crept over Eigg's entire body. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. The ferocious, icy killing intent gave Eigg the momentary illusion of being in a frozen wasteland.