The vines around Yuffie's ankle came apart under Luffy's voracious onslaught. From a nearby bulb, there came a hissing sound. The same hissing could be heard coming from all the bulbs scattered around the dirt-filled field. A moment later, they all sprouted into beautiful flowers. One look would confirm to any of the Heroes that these were not the blooms they were looking for.

The flower by Yuffie and Luffy turned, as if to look right at them. After a moment it coughed, for lack of a better term. A cloud of pollen enveloped the air, traveling swiftly towards the two Heroes.

Elsewhere, Ashelia gasped as she struggled with the vine encircling her right ankle. She drew her sword to cut it loose, but had to stop when she got a face full of pollen. She sputtered, resisting the urge to wipe at her eyes; that only ever seemed to make these kind of things worse.

At the opposite end of the field that the Heroes had come onto the plateau from, something stirred under the dirt. They were too far away to notice, but something was there. Growing.