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Jason observed Rojen's confident expression and was momentarily stunned. In that brief hesitation, Rojen had already stepped forward.
With just a few strides, Rojen was standing directly beneath the hundred-meter giant bird.
Seeing the enormous Tedoria up close intensified the visual impact even further.
From the ground, the first thing Rojen noticed was its sharp claws. They were as tall as a person, and he had no doubt that if he were caught by them, his body would be torn open in an instant.
"What an amazing creature!"
Those four words seemed to perfectly capture Rojen's thoughts at that moment. Standing beneath Tedoria, he seemed like a mere black dot.
Because of the bird's line of sight, it hadn't noticed Rojen yet. It continued to flap its massive wings, its sharp eyes locked on the sky above.
Other, smaller Tedorias circled in the air around it. Tedoria gazed up at them, its expression majestic and steady, much like a father observing his children.
Seeing that the giant bird had not yet spotted Rojen, Jason and the others nearby let out a collective sigh of relief.
Rojen was undeniably powerful, his body brimming with a mysterious energy. However, facing a hundred-meter bird like Tedoria, known for its formidable attack power, made the situation far from certain.
Moreover, Jason and the others could vaguely sense that Rojen's explosive power, which had been so overwhelming before, was likely no longer available.
In his current state, it was highly uncertain whether Rojen could take on Tedoria.
Rojen stood beneath the bird's colossal claws, his eyes gently closing for a brief moment.
"The King of a Hundred Birds, possessing a pair of eyes that can control all bird species in the world. You can dominate or acquire information from them through eye contact."
This was the system's simple, direct explanation of Bai Feng's bird-controlling ability. But Rojen understood it fully. He immediately exchanged for Bai Feng's power.
This innate ability settled within him almost instantaneously, and unlike the Sharingan, which required mental energy to progress, it was much more convenient.
Rojen briefly considered Bai Feng's movement technique but decided against acquiring it for now. His internal merit hadn't been trained yet, and mastering such techniques without the necessary foundation would be ineffective. For now, skills like Shunpo, which relied on explosive power, were far more practical.
With a slight smile, Rojen walked to the side and plucked a leaf from a nearby tree. He wiped it clean before holding it to his lips.
Jason, watching Rojen, furrowed his brow in confusion. "What is the captain doing?"
"I'm not sure either. Let's wait and see," Rouge replied, shaking her head.
The two of them watched in silence as Rojen, still holding the leaf to his lips, blew a breath through it.
A clear, sharp sound rang out immediately.
Then, Rojen began to play the leaf like a flute.
"Screech!"
The leaf vibrated between Rojen's lips, producing a sharp, bird-like cry.
In an instant, it felt as if a new species of bird had appeared, darting through the forest with joy, its wings spread wide as it soared freely, expressing its carefree mood to the world.
"Screech!"
A grander, more powerful cry followed.
It was the hundred-meter-long Tedoria. Its wings flapped, sending gusts of wind sweeping across the area, its sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, searching for the source of the sound.
A trace of confusion flickered in its eyes.
Soon, its gaze locked onto the small black dot beneath its claws. Upon closer inspection, it realized that the dot was a human.
"Screech!"
Without warning, Tedoria swooped down. In an instant, its massive form descended twenty meters, looming directly above Rojen's head. The sheer size and heavy presence of the bird instantly overwhelmed Rojen with immense pressure.
Jason and the others, hidden in the nearby jungle, tensed up at the sight of Tedoria's sudden appearance.
But Rojen's expression remained unchanged as the bird loomed before him.
He continued to hold the leaf to his lips, playing it with a relaxed posture, showing no sign of preparing for battle.
"Screech!"
Gradually, Tedoria relaxed its posture as well. The tension in its brow began to ease. However, its sharp claws still twitched slightly, ready to strike at any moment. An eagle's swoop was already deadly enough, but Tedoria, the hundred-meter-long bird known as "God's Mount," was another matter entirely.
If it attacked with full force, Rojen would likely have no way of surviving.
The leaf continued to vibrate, its clear, crisp sound ringing out. Rojen's eyes opened, locking onto Tedoria, which was now inches away. Slowly, the immense bird's imposing presence began to relax.
The initial hostility that Tedoria had felt toward him was gradually fading, bit by bit.
"Screech!"
Tedoria let out another cry, one that reverberated through the forest, almost as if questioning Rojen.
"Screech~~"
Rojen blew into the leaf once more, producing a sound that seemed to respond.
For a moment, it felt as though a beautiful, natural melody was unfolding between one human and one bird, their calls intertwining in perfect harmony.
Nearby, Jason and the others, hidden in the jungle, exchanged confused glances.
"The captain… he can speak bird language?" Jason muttered, awestruck.
Elsewhere, a man in a black suit stood atop a treetop, observing the immense bird interact with Rojen. His eyes narrowed deeply, shock rippling through him.
His mission had only been to monitor the target, and he hadn't paid much attention to those around him. But following them this far and now witnessing this unique interaction between the human and the bird left him stunned.
That giant bird was formidable. Even facing it head-on would be no small challenge. But this young boy, he seemed to have mastered some method of communicating with birds. The enormous, ferocious creature had refrained from attacking him.
After a brief moment of contemplation, the man in the black suit silently opened his Den Den Mushi.
"Speak."
A low voice came through the receiver.
"The target is proving more troublesome than expected. If we proceed with the plan, we'll need to escalate the level of force."
"Understood."
After a short exchange, the Den Den Mushi was hung up. The man in the black suit, his expression unreadable, resumed his observation, but his thoughts no longer lingered on fighting Rojen.
He knew his role: he was merely a watcher. The combat would be left to others. Though, in truth, he was confident he could handle the three people and one cat if it came to that.
In the vast expanse of the jungle, one human and one bird continued their eerie duet, their melodious birdcalls spiraling upward, soothing the mind and soul.
Suddenly, Rojen's expression shifted. His eyes, previously calm, changed in an instant. His once clear black-and-white eyes now turned a deep blood-red, and a dark tomoe, slowly deepening from faint to intense, appeared in his pupils.
The Sharingan, this new power he had gained, blended seamlessly with his own mental strength and Uchiha Itachi's experience. In a matter of moments, the eye-opening was complete.
His gaze sharpened, and the leaf at his lips stopped trembling. His blood-red eyes locked onto Tedoria's bird-like eyes with a fierce intensity.
"Controlling birds!"
(End Of This Chapter)