On a lone island in the middle of Paradise, the whole area was surrounded by a large amount of trees.
Many dangers lingered within the area whether they came from the island itself or the dangerous creatures that lived within.
Clifford had been able to avoid death many times thanks to the tools he had on his body, he had just finished being pulled out of the ground which almost swallowed him up like quicksand or a muddy swamp.
He did not have long to rest as a large praying mantis quickly appeared by him and slashed at him with its blade like arms. "Not you again."
Clifford raised his two swords after he removed them from the sheathes then he blocked the path of the two mantis blades. "If you are here then.."
It did not take long before he was ambushed from another angle by another one as more joined in their attack on him.
The island was one of the uninhabited places which most humans dared not visit due to the dangers involved.
One slight change in weather could increase the chances of a person dying on the island as it was already very dangerous because of the different creatures on it but when the environment was affected by the changes in weather, all kinds of dangers awaited those who ventured around the island.
Whether it was sinkholes, quicksand, unstable ground or even falling ash or molten lava which came from the volcano in the middle of the island.
Only strong beasts which were quick and light would be able to survive and have a dominant place on the island so the mantis were one of the main bosses of the island .
The praying mantis were well known for their dangerous blades and quick speed but the ones on the island were a very dangerous breed which had a much tougher body and an especially sharp and strong scythe like arms.
If there was one thing that Clifford was lacking in his swordsmanship then it would be combining his wild instincts and swordsmanship with his more hones and refined techniques so that he could make his own style.
To overcome the challenge, he entered the island and lived there only to come out to help the White Storm within Paradise.
Under constant threats from many of the mantis, he was forced to completely focus on his survival and his swordsmanship.
The mantis were better known and named as Mantis Knights due to their excellent ability to replicate sword techniques, they had encountered all kinds of strong opponents and they defeated them one after another.
While they were called Mantis Knights because of their impressive abilities, they did not have the chivalry of a knight as they were very sneaky and did not play fair when they fought an opponent.
Many wind blades came from each of them and Clifford was forced to block them with his own wind blades, he found an opening then ran away so that he could escape the encirclement. "While I do want to learn how to get better with my techniques.. these things just will not give me a second to rest."
It was proven true as another caught up to him and slashed at his back.
He did not turn around and continued to run forward but one of his hands flicked the blade in his hand backwards to send a wind blade to meet the mantis which had attacked him.
A long time had passed as he continued to survive on the island and he was surrounded yet again but he chose not to retreat.
His overall look had changed as he had a look of wildness in his eyes.
Clifford raised his two swords in front of himself and readied himself for the mantis to attack him.
Just as they begun, he charged recklessly towards their blades and blocked it which followed up with a wild attack from his other sword.
Before the other mantis could land a killing blow, he narrowly escaped it and countered with the previous sword. "Two Sword Style: Feral Dog!"
He and his swords acted like a feral and wild dog which was fighting brutally in a small space without any fear for its own life.
Each sword cut through the tough body of the mantis even without the assistance of Haki as he relied purely on his technique and strength.
The mantis were cut down and were left injured but they were not that badly wounded so they would be able to live on and heal from their injuries over time.
Clifford did not look too happy over his achievement as he sensed more approaching figures nearby. "They just do not give me a moment to rest."
His swordsmanship techniques had reached a stage where they had the essence of himself within it so it could rightfully be named as its own type of sword style or martial art which would be named as something like Dog or Wild Dog style.
It had a brutal and savage nature suited for real combat but it did not have many desperate self defence moves as it focussed more on toughened and powerful attacks.
Many techniques which he had developed were quick enough to allow the opponent to be opened up for strikes and so one of his swords could reach the opponents vital points.
Clifford took in a quick breathe and then quickly left the area before he was tracked down again.
While the mantis were learning his techniques and growing too, he was gradually learning to better survive and improving himself when he could but he never became too proud of his achievements because he knew how dangerous the mantis could be.
Just like the others that had some form of insurance to keep them alive, he had to occasionally rely on the Devil Ape that was not too far away from him which was also picking up many techniques on the island as is mimicked everything it saw.
While the Devil Apes did not interfere with their opportunities for growth like they had been taught, they were always prepared to save the lives of those Alyssia considered important to her.