They bicker at each other for a while and an electrifying spark flash between them.
"Hmph" as an ancient will, the Guardian Forest chose to back down while Pate smiled thinking he won the round this time.
Seeing this, Pate wants to tease the phantom cat one more time. It is just that there is a sudden feeling of shaking in the ground that he stops midway "Did you feel it?" asking the phantom cat as he squatted on the ground, putting his ear on it trying to sense it again.
"Again?" the phantom cat couldn't help but complain because every time Pate would ask like this, crazy stuff would happen after.
"It's like footsteps but it's so fast that I can't deduce from it." Pate wanted to use his perception but he was too exhausted and without the support of the forest that was wrecked to smithereens, he wouldn't be able to use it to its maximum potential.
"Eyy, it's getting heavier and heavier and… getting nearer and neare-" this is so wrong on many levels!
"Idiot, run!" phantom cat urged him as he looked at his back with shock.
And when he looked back a humongous crab monster was looking at them, it's much bigger than the two mountain skulls earlier "Shit! running again!"
"It's your fault for saying something that would jinx yourself!" the phantom cat just hovered in his side that successfully added to his complaint.
"F*ck, jump to the side!" he didn't know which side he would jump on to but he just jumped on the left side, and a massive pincer slam to his previous place.
And it's not over as he rolled because of dodging the pincer attack, its impact pushed him to the bottom of the mountain skull.
Fortunately, he ended up in the shrub and was completely hidden so that the gigantic crab didn't bother to search for him.
The phantom cat just looked at the departing monster crab, he was thankful that he is just a spirit's will that could not be seen and touched by others.
except for Pate, who could see him because of their link using Pate's fruit power as a linking bridge that connects them to each other like a spirit contract.
But it is still a lingering question to him, how Pate could slap him in the ethereal form.
Pate peered out the shrub when he felt that the monster crab was gone and saw the phantom cat who didn't even bother to hide "What is that!?"
"I don't know but it has many similarities to the one that the infant fishwheel would prey upon." the phantom cat thinks hard and it has many similarities to it but it was a thousand times much bigger this time.
"That massive creature? was preyed upon by an infant fishwheel? Did I hear wrong?" Pate looked confused but he shrunk his neck this time to hide again because this time, two monster crabs arrived.
"Is this place infested by this kind of monster? and I think we kinda attract their attention because of the loud disturbance that we created as we landed here." he said while thinking for a while
"Yeah, that sounds plausible and you jinx too much every time." phantom cat tried to annoy Pate but he was ignored.
They saw another three monster crabs arrive this time, they just loiter around the numerous boulders and land pieces like they are searching for food or something.
And after seeing nothing it would leave after a dozen minutes though it would be replaced by some monster crab that would do the same.
Pate used this chance to let the exhaustion get the best of him and closed his eyes, he need to rest for a bit.
Even though he didn't feel the hunger because of the substance of the blood and meat that was he absorbed in the massacre with the marines and pirates, he still need to eat 'I need to rest for a bit and deal with the food later, I'm too tired.'
Closing his eyes, he let himself drift in the dreamland and the phantom cat just lay in his side wanting to rest too even though he didn't feel weary because he was just an ethereal will.
They think that the monster crabs curiosity would cease in the end and leave this place then they can investigate the happenings here but there is still a saddening feeling inside of the Guardian Forest.
Because he recognizes what kind of sea king is the two mountain like skulls beside them, it's the allied force of the Fishwheel Sea Kings - the Pearl Tail Sea Kings.
With this kind of settings here, a devastating loss was plain to see here where a powerful lineage of Sea Kings under the Legendary Poseidon perishes in battle.
Closing his eyes, the Guardian Forest ignores the slight dimming of his phantom like body 'My true body was dangerously damage, there's only a short amount of time left in me.'
Hours passed by and numerous monster crabs visit the area. Some of them even stay for a longer time than expected but even then, like they expected the curiosity of the monster stopped.
With this, the phantom cat waited for a bit as he understand that the kid needed rest.
After all, almost all of the jobs in controlling the whole forest was fell on the shoulders of an eight years old boy and he couldn't control much.
Even if the forest is his true body, he sacrificed too many of his functions to focus on securing the well being of the eggs after he was sent to the surface.
And he left some of his body in here as a food supply for their upcoming war back then.
As The phantom cat was thinking, Pate woke up and sat down while rubbing its eyes "Did the monster crabs leave?"
"Yeah, though there are too many to count. You should be careful not to be seen." the phantom cat jumped at his shoulder and Pate peaked out in the shrub, assuring himself that the coast was clear.
Then he left his hiding place and walked back to their supposed forest land but it was just a numerous boulder land with destroyed trees here and there.
It's a messed up view, where there are too many trees scattered around and even the red roots were smashed to pieces.
"Firstly we need a place where we can hide, well I'll just need to rejuvenate some of the trees that have complete roots." With a plan in his mind, Pate started to sense some of the trees that can be used to rebuild a new forest.
"For an eighth-year-old kid, it's quite surprising that you have knowledge in this kind of field." the phantom cat can't help but praise the kid.
"Yeah, even I was surprised hehehe." With level one perception power, Pate patiently scanned every place and tried to memorize it as he took note of each of the locations of the trees and tried to form a suitable place to form the center of the newly born forest.
"It's kinda pity that the pond landed slightly to the right, if it landed center point then it would be quite easy to rehabilitate the forest. What do you think?" Pate asks while he munches a fruit in his hand that he happens to see while scanning the whole place.
The phantom cat just looked at him and said "You make things so complicated that even I can't understand."
With restored strength, he plans to start to work "Well, it's decided then." Pate's back tattoo symbol of a black cat flash in a second where dozens of red blood vines poked out, it slithered in every tree that he deemed that still had used and intended to plant them in the ground properly.
It takes a while to complete but Pate is satisfied after the completion of his masterpiece, the phantom cat felt that his timely disappearance fade and can't help but look at Pate with a complicated look.
"Now, we need to scan the mysteries behind this place. Even a powerful pressure of a 20,000 meters deep sea can't pop up the one layer bubble here." Pate was curious to see how this kind of thing happens, is this kind of bubble that was used in Fishmen Island?