Pure and utter madness. What sort of man worth his sanity spends all of their Zeni on something to help them fight, but not actually to guarantee they can cover their vacation costs. It doesn't come free, after all. Though in his impulsive thinking he sniffed out the rumors of some 'Tree of Might' and shelled out one hundred and twenty thousand Zeni for information. Information. Honestly he just wanted to break the guys legs, but he needed to reserve that leverage for telling him that if the information was a lie, he'd break them then. It's either break them for getting the information for free, or break them if the information is a lie. Ooooh well, the Earthling had to make a living somehow. Still, he had eighty thousand Zeni, and that's more than enough to cover the cost of a trip just to their next door neighbours in the Southern Lands. That could buy a nice relaxing cruise to sail across the sea, allowing Bass to just lay down under the sun with an umbrella to his side to filter the intensity and soak in some rays for a week. Though then he saw this fancy Capsule Corp tech and bought it before he thought about it.
The thing was pretty cool though to be fair. There was a reason he impulse bought it after all. A little palm sized drone that came with an earpiece that you neatly popped an ear to almost silently receive information that it analyzed. It was almost like a scouter but in a different way. You didn't really see power levels and that shenanigans, but it shared attack force in tiers based on user settings. In this particular manner he put light threats to 'boop beep', medium threats to 'ruh roh', and major threats to 'oh $%#@!'. It was easier to understand what those meant than trying to mid-combat pay attention and decipher super specific numerical force values and yadda yadda. He wasn't a genius, he was just a meat-head with a little too much ambition for just some knock-off villain. Plus, he didn't want to destroy the world or wipe the population. He just wanted to be their oppressive overlord watching their every move to make sure they follow his each and every whim. He had heard about some chicken or ostrich problem, and he was honestly tempted to fix it considering if the chickens are free the farmers can't work their magic. If the farmers can't work than what kind of World Dominator is he? A useless one. People need to at least have direction while oppressed, otherwise they get nothing done.
It was with that sentiment and after those questionable choices that when Bass found himself standing at the docks where a towering cruise ship was sitting just waiting for a wiser Bass who hadn't blown all his Zeni to come. Yet this Bass had, and as he saw the admission cost with a measly a thousand Zeni to his name he nearly keeled over from the mental and emotional blow. Not having enough Zeni was one thing. Though this literally meant that he had no choice in his travels. He would have no comfort or relaxation, he would have to cross the waters himself to get to the Southern Lands. What kind of vacation was this?! It was alright though, because it would get better. Right...? Right...? He desperately hoped so as he in shame and defeat turned and wandered through the city. Block by block until the sound of bustling got quieter and quieter leaving him on the outskirts of that place. He was going to have to make it himself. At least he was wise enough to stock up on some of the burritos. Which by the way, were amazing down at South City compared to North City. The people here knew the art just a little bit better than the hardy Northern Folk acclimated to hearty juicy steaks. Not that he minded steak either. Though he didn't have to eat, it was more like a luxury to cope with the loss of cruising luxury. The taste would at least hold his expectations of grandeur at bay from his managerial raise not yet coming through. More importantly though he got a copious amount of water, because ocean water wasn't really going to help him in the grand scheme of things if he actually wanted to survive and not turn into a King Pruneolo.
And so he was off, travelling across the wilderness of South Island. It was an easy place to traverse if you could fly through the sky, a feat which he oh so hoped to master some day in a capacity that wasn't physical. Losing his wings was a bit of a curse, but it let him fit in a little better instead of looking straight up like a Demon. He just looked like one of the many weird denizens of Earth; namely Monsters. However when you were on foot it was a relatively tropical place with pockets of large trees and plenty of dangers if you're not careful in watching your path. Weird snakes and the occasional terrifying spider. Spiders were absolutely horrifying creatures. Even the tiniest one sent tingles down Bass's spine when he considered their twitchy movements and erratic patterns. For a Villain he sure did sort of start liking order over chaos. After all, calm and predictability is great for thinking long term. He didn't want to lead an imploding Earth for four days and then the world come to an end from overwhelming chaos. That'd just suck. Pushing through the dense foliage and massive leaves, to which one had a snake sitting upon it; he quite literally screamed as it fell not on him but rather slid off just behind him. Sprinting forward he blasted between all the leaves and bushes into an open view of the ocean and a beach not two hundred feet forward off of a tapering bit of jungle grass.
After a long journey through a dense tropical forest, that was a welcome sight to see. Finishing his last lukewarm burrito only that temperature because of the scorching sun, he brushed his hands off of any ingredients that fell out and got on him. Taking a long drink of water with a gasp, what now. He looked at the gentle tide rolling in and the empty beach with nothing of significance save for the blond colored sand that was admittedly pleasing to the eye. Though any sentient creature worth the water they're made of knows that that water only keeps them alive because it is always in them and can't escape so easy. So with that line of thought, escaped water doesn't hold Humans because it's a liquid. That means you cannot walk on water. That means he had no boat and needed to cross water, and that meant he should panic. Though he didn't, because obviously he'd already considered this problem long before he got here.
Getting to work, he was going to need to construct a raft. Getting the wood was pretty easy, it wasn't like he was weak or anything even among martial artists. In fact, he had the pure might to literally bust a tree down with a large oversized hand. He decided to forgo the thematic shouting of "CRUSH!" considering the only things that could hear his voice would only cause more trouble. Like giant monsters and predators that while he could maybe handle, he honestly didn't want too right now. Though their hide could make a good wrapping for the raft...
"CRUSH!"
He shouted, delayed long after the tree had already fallen and made a louder noise than his shout did. He'd just have to see if that attracted anything. Anything that wasn't a spider of course. Taking the fallen tree he lugged it out onto the beach, marking it as the first in a long series of trees to follow as he lined them up into the general shape but not artisan form of a proper raft. Looking at it, he could only begin to imagine how he'd hold these logs together. Not only that, but well enough that any binding wouldn't come undone from some of the ocean dangers or just... General usage. Twine was out of the question, thick plants would eventually erode. Maybe he could beat up a snake and tie it around the raft? A long snake... Would that actually work? Maybe three or five snakes? Though the leather wrapping for the raft just showed up. A bellowing roar echoed from behind him, saliva spattering against his back enough so to make him wince. Did he not hear it walk up? What kind of dino-. He immediately fell silent as he turned around to look at the creature. It was more of what one might expect from a monster, some weird unpredictable but giant shape with nothing better than to be a bully and attack people. Come to think of it, he wasn't a monster so why did he just describe himself? Huh, weird.
The big mean monster thumped twice towards him, having gotten close enough being quiet that now with it being known and having 'intimidated' Bass it would just close the distance before talking in an unsophisticated deep and dumb voice.
"Y'ur in Gobble land why in Gobble land Gobble don't like non-Gobble's in Gobble land get out of Gobble land or Gobble gobble your gobbley face. And then your gobbly arms. And then your gobbly legs. And then your gobbly body."
Bass blinked, letting out a perplexed sort of... Wheeze? He was just so stunned from how stupid this thing was added by the fact that it was so much smarter than he expected to actually talk to begin with. Almost taken aback with his hands slightly raised and his torso leaning back he'd respond.
"Wha-... Me go away over water." He said, doing a super exaggerated gesture of the raft riding waves to make this message clear. He got an immediate response.
"You think Gobble dumb don't you. Gobble not dumb, Gobble super smart. Like Gobble mathematters so much that he know six and four make sixty four big number. Gobble know cannot gobble sixty four thing in one meal. More like er... ten gobble things." It said, before getting angrier.
"Because you think Gobble dumb Gobble demand tribute! If want leave must give arm as gobble trophy to mini-gobble." It said, snorting and turning it's head to the side for a moment while crossing it's tiny arms across a massive round body.
"Wait, I thought you just wanted me to go? Now you don't want me to go? I'm so confused right now Gobble. You need to help me out here." Bass asked with hopelessness in his tone.
Angered even more, Gobble's eyes widened before narrowing in rage. "YOU KNOW WHAT GOBBLE MEAN GOBBLE NOT TAKE SLANDER NO MORE GOBBLE GOBBLE NOW!" It said, charging towards Bass who hopped to the side and watched the massive creature fall forward onto the raft. It actually covered the whole thing. Hey, that makes a good hide once dried to wrap around the thing. Nice and leathery, it'll help a little at least and keep the logs together some. Plus use some of the sticky fat and such for a glue and that could just work... Rubbing his chin and thinking to himself, Gobble got up and yelled again.
"NOT SUPPOSED DODGE GOBBLE IN GOBBLE LAND. GOBBLE GONNA GOBBLE NOW AND SINCE IN GOBBLE LAND GOBBLES MUST LISTEN TO GOBBLE!" Charging forward once more it was unfortunately met with the same fate as before. Stumbling by a Bass who avoided the charge, it landed with a thud in the sand. Walking forward Bass raised a hand up in almost a karate chop, speaking.
"Sorry Gobble, but you make a better boat than a conversationalist." In a rapid karate chop Gobble was finished. Massive tongue stuck out and eyes X'd out. Bass had targeted the tip of the spine with a pressured attack. This thing was dead the moment Bass's hand touched it. It was almost sad to see the flabby thing die. Though over the next five hours he'd harvest the body for all the things he needed to make his raft. Call it a blessing in disguise, even if Gobble wouldn't necessarily agree with that sentiment.
Taking a long drink of water his voyage began. This thing was a beast, a monster.
You could say it was so effective that it Gobble-d up the sea. In a days time Bass touched land and his vacation began... Despite being two days into it already and... If he wanted to go back the same way he'd need to reserve another two days... So he had three days to spend here.
Nice.
Ugh...