Chapter 35
25th of March 1522
Punk Hazard
Gecko Moria had seen many strange islands, but this one defied all expectations. Yesterday, Law had pinpointed its location with precision, and Moria had anticipated a simple island with some poisonous gas. Arriving with Law, Bege, and Selena, they were prepared with gas masks and antidotes from Hogback. Yet, as they surveyed their surroundings, they saw enormous lizards—small dragons, really. He hummed. It was the first time he had been in the New World for a long time, and he had forgotten than one should not have any expectation of simplicity here.
"Look at those beasts," Bege muttered, eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon. The dragon-like creatures roamed freely, their scales reflecting the pale light filtering through the haze.
"We're not here for sightseeing," Law scowled. "Let's move."
Moria felt a presence through his Haki, the second strongest on the island, that started to move toward them at high speed. He turned to Selena. "Selena, you handle the approaching one. Law, Bege, with me."
Selena nodded, and she sprinted towards the distant threat. Moria led the others to the entrance of an underground laboratory hidden beneath the island's rocky surface. They were greeted by a massive slime creature, its body shimmering with a sickly iridescence. It lunged at them, but Moria was faster. He unsheathed one of his rapiers, the blade glinting as he infused it with Haki. With a swift, precise motion, he sliced through the slime. The creature split apart, dissolving into harmless puddles.
Moria grinned, feeling the surge of power in his veins. His Haki was getting stronger. Even better than it was twelve years ago. They pressed forward into the underground complex, a maze of steel and concrete. The air was thick with the scent of chemicals. Law's eyes narrowed as he spotted a room filled with children, their faces vacant and bodies frail from experimentation.
Law started talking with them. A few minutes later, Bege's body morphed, and the children disappeared into his fortified interior. Moria dispatched his shadow soldiers and servants to patrol and secure the area, then he separated from his subordinates. He continued down a corridor alone, his steps echoing in the silence. His senses heightened, and arrived behind a heavily fortified door. Its surface was scarred and blackened, a testament to past attempts to breach it. Without hesitation, he kicked it open, the metal groaning before giving way.
Inside, the room was quite small. At its center stood a pedestal, and upon it rested a Devil Fruit, its skin a deep, swirling pattern of black and gold. The sight made Moria's eyes widen.
"What is this?" he muttered, approaching the fruit cautiously.
He reached out, his fingers brushing the fruit's smooth, cool surface. It thrummed with a mysterious energy, promising unimaginable power. For a moment, he stood transfixed, the room around him fading into the background. This discovery was unexpected, a twist in their mission that could change everything.
[Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu - Artificial Copy]
Type : Articifial Zoan
Concept : Dragon
Soul Increase : from 1 000 to 4 000
Wha…How?
"Kishishishishi!"
A dark, satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Amazing," he whispered to himself, his voice echoing in the empty chamber.
Moria had been eager to test a theory for some time. If he could see status screens from Devil Fruits, did it mean they had a soul? And as it gaves soul points…He had also deduced this from the subtle influence his own devil fruit exerted over him, nudging him in certain directions…If it did this, it meant it had a will.
He summoned two of his Named Shadow Soldiers, Killer and Sanji. Moria hesitated for a moment. All his slots were full. If this didn't work, he would lose one of his valuable soldiers uselessly. But if it did work...
Resolute, Moria absorbed the shadow of Killer, feeling the familiar rush of power as the shadow was pulled into him. He then infused this strength into Sanji, sacrificing one of his Named Shadow Soldiers in the process.
[Vinsmoke Sanji]
Class: Named Shadow
Job: Chef
Douriki: 2 297
Rank : SS
Merge shadows to enhance
With determination etched on his face, Moria placed the fruit in the light, its black and gold surface gleaming. He reached out with his power, attempting to pull on the shadow of the fruit. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he concentrated, the effort proving to be more complex than anything he had attempted before. He tried again and again, feeling the resistance of the fruit's will. Finally, with a surge of effort, Moria felt a connection. The shadow of the fruit began to respond, pulling free from the pedestal and swirling toward him. He grinned in triumph, the dark energy of the fruit now under his control.
"Kishishishishi! It works!" he exclaimed, the thrill of his success echoing in the empty chamber.
From the depths of the swirling shadows, an enormous dragon began to emerge. The dragon's body shimmered and pulsed with a sinister energy. As it fully materialized, the dragon let out a deafening roar, the sound reverberating through the room and sending shivers down Moria's spine.
[Shadow Dragon]
Class: Named Shadow
Job: Dragon
Douriki: 1 786
Rank : SS
Merge shadows to enhance
25th of March 1522
Punk Hazard
Caesar Clown panicking.
His lab pulsed with crimson light. Alarms screamed from every direction, a cacophony of dread that gnawed at his nerves. Fuck! Where was Monet when he needed her? The bitch! His breath came in ragged gasps as he fumbled with the controls, sweat slicking his palms.
Then, out of the shadows, they emerged—monstrous knights forged from darkness itself. Their forms were indistinct, a flickering amalgam of shapes that defied logic. Yet their purpose was clear: they were here for him.
Caesar's mind raced, desperation clawing at the edges of his sanity. No! He could not go like that! He summoned the power of his Gasu Gasu no Mi, the gaseous toxins swirling around him in a malevolent dance. A grin, manic and wide, split his face as he released a cloud of poison. But the shadow knights moved through it unperturbed, their forms unaffected by the noxious fumes. He intensified the pressure, the gas condensing into a deadly miasma, but still, they advanced, inexorable and silent. A scream tore from his throat as he tried again, conjuring a suffocating cloud to steal the breath from their lungs. Yet, they did not breathe. He hurled everything he had at them—corrosive gases, explosive vapors—each attack more frantic and wild than the last. All for naught.
Cold, unyielding hands grasped him, the seastone shackles biting into his wrists with a finality that extinguished his hope. The knights' grip was iron, and Caesar felt his strength wane, the power of his devil fruit slipping away like sand through his fingers. He collapsed to the floor, waiting for a demise that never came? Huh? Why had they stopped moving? Why weren't they killing him? Moments stretched into an agonizing eternity. Then, the door creaked open, and footsteps echoed through the lab. Caesar lifted his head, his heart a drumbeat of terror and hope—maybe he would live?—in his chest. The figure that entered was instantly recognizable. A visage he had seen in the news a few days ago.
Warlord Gecko Moria.
Gecko Moria smiled at him, a slow, knowing grin that sent a chill down Caesar's spine. There was a flicker of recognition in Moria's eyes. Huh? Ah! Take that, Vegapunk! Warlords knew who he was!
In a voice dripping with regal politeness, Moria spoke, "My apologies for the cuffs and this little invasion, Caesar Clown. But without them, Doflamingo would have surely prevented our meeting, or you might have attempted to suffocate me."
Caesar blinked, trying to process the unexpected courtesy. Before he could respond, Moria continued, "I will not indulge in grand discourses. I came here with a proposition. Join me."
Surprise flickered across Caesar's face. "Join you?"
Moria nodded. "I know you, Caesar. You desire to pursue science for the sake of science. Your allegiance to Doflamingo is purely for protection and funding. But what does Doflamingo know about science? He cares only for the results, not the process."
Caesar frowned, his mind racing. Moria's words struck a chord. It was true; Doflamingo's interest lay solely in the end products of his experiments. But what difference would it make with Moria? He was a bit weaker , and a lot less influential than Doflamingo, so wouldn't it be a losing deal? Unless... if he refused... Moria clearly had him by the balls. But Caesar was useful to Doflamingo, so maybe he would come to free him? And wasn't Moria's influence changing? He was to be a Prince!
Moria seemed to read his thoughts. "I may not be one of the best scientists myself. But among my subordinates, there is Doctor Hogback. Among my followers, there also is Trafalgar Law, who possesses the Ope Ope no Mi, and genius engineers among my shadows. If you join me, not only would you have the same funding as with Doflamingo—Alabasta is a rich country, after all—but also better colleagues. With them, you will undoubtedly be able to surpass Vegapunk."
Hogback was a renowned doctor, and the Ope-Ope no Mi abilities were legendary. What had Hogback discovered in the ten years he had disappeared? The sheer thought of the potential knowledge he could gain was intoxicating. And with the Ope-Ope no Mi, he could… Caesar's mind swirled with possibilities. The dilemma was simple to understand : less protection, more science.
He met Moria's gaze, excitement mingling with his lingering fear. "Tell me more about the exact conditions…"
Main Quest [A Court, a Kingdom and a Champion]
[A Court] : 7/10 → 8/10
25th of March 1522
Thriller Bark
The stony expanse of the quarry echoed with the rhythmic thud of chisels and hammers, the sounds mingling with the distant, eerie moans of the Thriller Bark. Lyra stood amidst the cacophony, her small frame dwarfed by the towering blocks of stone and the hulking figures of the Shadows Workers that moved with a mechanical precision. Lyra's brown hair was tousled, flecked with dust and fragments of stone. Despite the exhaustion etched into her delicate features, there was a spark of contentment in her green eyes. Sculpting was her lifeblood, and here, she was surrounded by endless possibilities. She had never sculpted so much in her life, her fingers aching with the sweet, familiar strain of creation.
Selena, the towering, muscular woman who had first 'introduced' her to this strange, terrifying place, had proven to be a kind protector. The big woman's gentle presence had eased Lyra's initial fears - even if she should stop petting her. Even the "Alpha" – the captain Moria – was an intriguing figure. She did not see him often, but when she did, his shifting form, sometimes small, handsome and charismatic, sometimes enormous, grotesque and monstrous, left a lasting impression. She avoided the creepy girl with orange hair, but the man with the maw of a lion had been surprisingly kind.
She thought about the recent orders from Moria, his vision demanding nothing less than her finest work. She had spent days on prototypes, small sculptures just a few feet tall, and discovered with a thrill that she could make them fly with her powers. The sensation of making flying creations, seeing them lift from the ground and move with life, filled her with awe and pride.
Two distinct types of sculptures were taking shape under her watchful eye. The first were kind of serpentine Ushabtis, their sinuous bodies coiling and twisting with a lifelike grace. Each one bore a long, armored tail, designed to burrow through the ground, and a heavy, two meters long, two-handed mace. But it was her masterpiece that consumed her thoughts and efforts. This grand sculpture stood as a testament to her skill and creativity. It bore the torso and grinning face of Moria, his expression sculpted in the stone. Even with it being longer and larger than high, it stood at about twenty meters. The body was that of a fearsome desert lion, powerful and majestic, with a tail that ended in a lethal scorpion sting. Its wings, crafted to mimic those of the falcons of the underworld, were ornate and grand, promising both beauty and destruction. In place of hands, it wielded heavy blades, each one coated in Seastone.
Lyra watched as the final touches were applied, her heart swelling with a mix of pride and apprehension. This creature, born of her hands and imagination, would soon serve a dark purpose. Too dark for her. Yet in this moment, she reveled in the pure act of creation, the alchemy of stone and magic that allowed her to bring forth life from the inanimate.
"Keep the lines clean on the wings," she instructed one of the Shadows, her voice steady despite her fatigue.
As the Shadows complied, she allowed herself a moment to dream. Perhaps, one day, her sculptures would be admired not just for their fearsome power, but for the artistry she poured into every chisel stroke. For now, she found solace in her craft, her soul entwined with the stone that surrounded her.
Author Note :
Hey everyone!
I'm thrilled to announce the launch of my exclusive Patre on page, created following demands on this forum and other (notably QQ) to offer early access and exclusive content for "Solo Pirating" and more.
Here's what you can look forward to:
Crew Member :
Join as a Crew Member and enjoy:
- All chapters already published on QQ (right now, chapters 37 to 46)
- Early access to 5 chapters of "Solo Pirating" before they're published on QQ. (right now, 46 to 51, but it will progress with time)
- Exclusive character pictures, both SFW and NSFW.
First Mate :
Step up to First Mate and unlock:
- All chapters already published on QQ (right now, chapters 37 to 46)
- Early access to 10 chapters of "Solo Pirating" ahead of QQ.
- Exclusive SFW and NSFW character pictures.
- Access to additional exclusive NSFW content.
Captain :
For the ultimate insider experience, become a Captain and receive:
- All chapters already published on QQ (right now, chapters 37 to 46)
- Early access to 15 chapters of "Solo Pirating" before anyone else on QQ.
- Exclusive access to SFW and NSFW character pictures.
- Special access to additional NSFW content.
- The power to choose which characters appear in the pictures.
- The ability to decide which character will be the focus of the exclusive NSFW content.
Important Note: Since I'm cross-posting the story on FFnet and have only published up to chapter 36 there, I need to get FFnet up to speed. This will take about ten days if I post one chapter a day. After that, I'll continue posting on QQ. Don't worry if you can't join —the chapters will still be posted on QQ, and ffnet, just (a lot) later. If you have any question, feel free to ask!
Currently, the first 5 chapters, covering the "Impel Down Arc", are already available on . Throughout the day, chapters up to 61 will be posted.
Looking ahead, supporters will also get early access to chapters of my other stories, including "It's Me, Dio!" and "I'm Albus Fucking Dumbledore" in the future.
I'm excited to share this journey with you and can't wait to see you aboard! Check out the page for more details and join the crew!
Link (take out the space): Patreo n. com (slash) LaChenille
Fair winds !
