Chapter 12: A Shadow's Revenge

As the first light of dawn painted the horizon, Jin Woo woke before anyone else. Stepping onto the deck, he ordered one of his new shadows to prepare breakfast and tea.

He leaned against the railing, flipping through the morning newspaper he had just bought from the news co. One headline immediately caught his eye:

"Mysterious Disappearance of the Entire 153rd Marine Branch!"

Jin Woo sighed. So Helmeppo hasn't reported what happened yet… or maybe the Marines are trying to keep it quiet for now. Either way, it wouldn't stay a secret forever.

Closing the newspaper, he pulled up his system menu, checking his new ability from the battle with Buggy's crew.

[King's Domain]

All shadow soldiers within the domain receive a 50% boost in power.

Jin Woo smirked. Not bad.

Soon, the navy soldier shadow returned with breakfast and tea. He took a bite of the egg—it was barely cooked. The tea was just as bad. Grimacing, Jin Woo set it aside. Yeah… I really need to get a cook.

As he pondered this, Nami stepped onto the deck, stretching as she greeted him. "Morning."

Jin Woo nodded. "Morning."

He turned to her. "Where are we headed next?"

Nami glanced at the map in her hand. "We're heading to the Gecko Islands Archipelago. There aren't many villages, but there's one called Syrup Village. We'll stop there to restock before heading to the next island. If we stay on course, we should reach the Grand Line by the end of the week."

Jin Woo raised an eyebrow. "That fast?"

Nami smirked. "Traveling in the Four Blues is easy. Normal compasses work, and the islands are close together. If you don't get attacked by pirates and have a tireless crew—which you conveniently do—you can visit multiple islands in a day."

Jin Woo glanced at his shadows moving silently around the ship, maintaining course. It was true—he had no need for rest, but even with that advantage, he knew the real challenges lay ahead.

The Grand Line was getting closer.

As the ship sailed steadily toward the horizon, Nami turned to Jin Woo, curiosity in her eyes.

"So… your powers. The people you bring back as shadows—are they really the same people who died, or are they just empty shells?"

Jin Woo's expression remained unreadable. He had asked himself the same question many times.

"I don't know everything about my power," he admitted. "But I can feel their emotions. They're not just puppets to me."

Nami studied him for a moment before nodding.

Jin Woo then shifted the conversation. "What about you? Why did you decide to become a thief?"

Nami's face darkened. "It wasn't a choice," she said, her voice steady but heavy with something deeper. "I had to—for my family."

Jin Woo didn't push further. He simply nodded, understanding more than she might have realized. He thought back to his own past—how he became a Hunter to support his family, how every fight, every risk, was for their survival.

Their moment of quiet was interrupted as Zoro finally woke up. He stretched, yawned, and walked over to them. His eyes landed on the untouched egg from Jin Woo's failed breakfast attempt.

Smirking, he grabbed it. "Breakfast for me, then."

He popped it into his mouth without hesitation.

Jin Woo and Nami exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

As their laughter faded, Jin Woo noticed the island emerging in the distance. The shadows on deck immediately began preparing the ship for docking.

Syrup Village was in sight.

After docking the ship, Jin Woo left twenty shadows behind to guard it while he, Zoro, and Nami headed into the village. Syrup Village wasn't much different from the other places he had visited in this world—quiet, simple, and peaceful.

As they walked through the marketplace, they bought supplies for the ship, with Jin Woo casually storing everything in his inventory. Nami, watching him, couldn't hide her fascination.

"You have no idea how much I wish I had that ability," she muttered, imagining how easy it would be to steal and hide things instantly.

Jin Woo smirked but didn't respond.

They stopped at a small shop that sells Transponder Snails, Jin woo looks confused and asks Nami

"Why are we buying snails? You eat these or what?"

Nami laughs at Jin woo's ignorance. "You don't know what a Transponder Snail is? We use these to call each other, and they have lots of uses other than just calling, and the best part is you can customize it."

She takes out her snail which has short orange hair on top of it. "I didn't see you use one so I thought you could buy one now."

Jin woo is still confused that they use snails as phones but he rubs it off with the other bizarre things he saw in this world so far.

As they were shopping for groceries, a young black guy with an absurdly long nose suddenly came sprinting through the village, waving his arms frantically.

"The pirates are coming! The pirates are coming!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Zoro's hand instinctively went to his swords, ready for a fight, but the shop owner just sighed and waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't worry, that's just Usopp," he said. "He's a delusional kid. His dad became a pirate when he was a toddler, and ever since then, he's been running around yelling nonsense like this. Just his way of gaslighting himself into feeling important."

Nami's expression softened. She could empathize with him, but Zoro just scoffed.

"What a dumb way to live," he muttered.

Jin Woo remained silent, watching as Usopp continued his act, wondering if there was more to the story than the shopkeeper let on.

As Jin Woo walked through the village, a sudden ding echoed in his mind—his system had issued a side quest.

[Side Quest: Investigate the Island and Capture the Cat's Shadow

Reward: New Job Ability – Shadow Exchange]

Jin Woo's eyes narrowed. "A cat's shadow? What does that even mean?" He had no idea what the system was referring to, but the reward intrigued him. Gaining a new ability for his job was too good to ignore.

Without wasting time, he discreetly sent out his shadow soldiers, hiding them within the shadows of every person in the village—including Usopp. The shadows would gather information while he focused on preparing for their next move.

Returning to the ship, Jin Woo ordered the shadows on deck to restock the supplies, pulling everything out of his inventory.

Nami, watching the shadows work tirelessly, turned to him. "Where's Zoro?"

Jin Woo sighed, already annoyed. "Don't tell me he got lost again."

Nami raised an eyebrow. "Again? What do you mean?"

Jin Woo crossed his arms. "Back at a Marine base, we were walking together, and somehow, he got lost inside."

Nami burst into laughter. "Who even gets lost like that?"

Shaking his head, Jin Woo ignored her amusement. "Stay on the ship and help the shadows prepare for sailing. I'll go find Zoro."

As he walked through the village, he thought to himself, "It would be useful if I could hear or see what my shadows are experiencing." For now, he could only sense their rough location—nothing more.

Jin Woo suddenly felt his mana draining rapidly. His eyes sharpened as he realized—some of his shadow soldiers were being killed.

Without hesitation, he rushed towards the building where it was happening, activating Stealth to conceal his presence as he slipped inside.

Inside, he saw a tall, slim man with glasses and slicked-back black hair. He stood calmly, speaking to two other men.

"I just killed a monster that was hiding in my shadow. Be careful."

Jin Woo's eyes narrowed in intrigue. "His observation and speed… impressive. Normal civilians in this world aren't this strong. He's hiding something."

To confirm his suspicions, Jin Woo discreetly checked the three wanted posters he had—Buggy the Clown, Don Krieg, and Arlong the Saw.

"He's not on the board… which means he's not a known pirate. So who is he?"

Keeping his distance, Jin Woo silently followed the man, hoping to uncover his identity. Soon, he saw him speaking with a young blonde girl who looked sickly and frail.

"Miss Kaya, I saw you talking with that long-nosed liar again. You should stop."

The girl replies with a cough. "Klahadore, you should stop worrying about me… I'm not a kid anymore."

Jin Woo noted the way he spoke—his tone was soft, but there was a hidden sharpness behind his words.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island…

Zoro, as expected, had gotten lost in the woods.

As he wandered, he suddenly spotted a skinny man with blondish-gray hair, wearing flamboyant clothing and a pair of red, heart-shaped glasses.

Zoro's hand instantly went to his sword as he recognized him.

"I knew I'd seen you before… You're One-Two Jango, first mate of the infamous Captain Kuro… didn't think you'll be in such a small village"

Jango takes out his chakram ready to fight, Zoro smirks as he takes his bandana off his arm and put it over his head, but he covers his eyes too

Jango throws the chakram at Zoro, which he manages to dodge it but it cuts the tree behind him

"Pirate hunter Zoro, it seems like you are familiar with my hypnosis, but fighting me without using your eyes? Now that disrespectful"

Zoro takes out two swords. "Your captain is dead right? Don't worry—I'll make you meet him soon."

Zoro clashed with Jango, dodging and blocking his chakram attacks as the deadly discs sliced through trees effortlessly. The forest echoed with the sound of blades clashing, leaves falling like rain.

After what felt like endless dodging, Zoro finally smirked. "My turn."

With a swift two-sword strike, he cut through Jango, sending him crashing to the ground—unconscious.

Zoro sheathed his swords and grabbed Jango by his hair, dragging him along the ground as he tried to find his way back to the village.

Nightfall.

Jin Woo remained hidden in the shadows, watching Klahadore from a distance using Stealth.

His eyes narrowed as he observed something strange—every time Klahadore's glasses slipped down his nose, he pushed them up… with his palm.

Jin Woo thought, "Weird way to do that… almost like he's avoiding using his fingers."

Realizing his Stealth ability was draining his mana, Jin Woo stepped outside to take a break, drinking mana potions to restore his energy.

Just then, his Transponder Snail rang.

It was a baby snail with a black coat, its little eyes blinking as Jin Woo picked it up.

On the other end, Zoro's voice came through. "I caught the vice-captain of the Black Cat Pirates. Be careful—the rest of his crew might be close by."

Jin Woo's eyes widened slightly. Black Cat Pirates?

His mind immediately flashed to the system message about killing a cat.

"Tell me about their captain," Jin Woo asked.

Zoro's voice remained casual. "He's dead. Axe-Hand Morgan killed him."

Jin Woo frowned. "Morgan? The guy I killed at the Marine base?"

"Describe him to me," Jin Woo said.

Zoro responded, "His name was Kuro of a Hundred Plans. A tall, slim guy with glasses and slicked-back black hair. His weapon was the Cat Claw—a pair of black furred gloves with katana-length blades at each fingertip."

Jin Woo smirked, his suspicions confirmed.

He glanced back at Klahadore's silhouette in the house and whispered to himself—

"So that's why you push your glasses like that."

Kuro stood in the dimly lit room, his sharp Cat Claws gleaming under the moonlight. His piercing eyes glared at the two men in front of him.

"Have you seen Jango?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying an underlying menace.

The men shook their heads. "No, Captain."

Kuro's expression darkened. "We won't wait any longer. We proceed with the plan—now."

Outside the mansion…

Jin Woo moved silently around the building, his eyes locking onto an open window on the second floor.

There, Usopp sat on a tree branch, chatting with Kaya. The young girl laughed, clearly entertained by Usopp's wild stories.

But then—

BAM!

The door to Kaya's room burst open, slamming against the wall.

Kuro stood there, Cat Claws extended, eyes locked onto Kaya.

In an instant, he lunged forward—

THWAP!

A small rock flew through the air, smacking Kuro in the face.

It was Usopp.

"Stay away from Kaya!" he shouted, gripping his slingshot tightly.

Kaya gasped, collapsing to the floor in fear.

Jin Woo, seeing his chance, jumped from the tree branch—landing smoothly inside the room.

He smirked. "Calm down, big kitty."

Kuro's eye twitched. "Who the hell are you?"

Jin Woo shrugged. "That's not important. But I do want to introduce you to someone."

He raised his hand. "Come out, Slash."

A dark figure rose from the ground, forming into the towering, armored shadow of Axe-Hand Morgan.

Kuro's eyes widened in shock. "Morgan?!"

Jin Woo folded his arms. "I heard you two know each other. Funny thing—my shadows usually retain their personalities, but this guy… He was different. Like his mind had been altered before I turned him. Anyway, looks like Slash here wants revenge."

As Jin Woo finished speaking, Slash charged forward, his massive fire-imbued axe swinging down at Kuro.

Kuro barely dodged, his movements eerily fast. In a blur, he countered—driving his Cat Claws deep into Slash's stomach.

Kuro laughed. "You're still weak, Morgan."

But then—

Slash's wounds regenerated instantly. His glowing eyes burned with rage as he lunged at Kuro again.

The fight grew intense, their battle tearing apart the room.

Usopp, realizing the danger, rushed to help Kaya escape. The mansion shook as shadows clashed against the infamous Black Cat.

Downstairs…

As Usopp and Kaya rushed downstairs, they suddenly stopped.

Blocking the exit were two men—Kuro's remaining subordinates.

Usopp clenched his fists, stepping in front of Kaya.

"Kaya, run!" he said, voice shaking but determined.

She hesitated. "But—"

"Just go!"

With a nod, Kaya turned and sprinted outside.

Usopp, breathing heavily, pulled out his slingshot, hands trembling.

He was scared—but he stood his ground.

Upstairs…

Jin Woo observed the battle between Slash and Kuro, analyzing Kuro's inhuman speed.

"Slash, you could use some help," he said casually.

Slash, wanting to prove himself to his King, smirked.

He suddenly hurled his axe at Kuro—a reckless-looking move.

Kuro dodged instantly, his reflexes sharp as ever.

But then—

The axe reformed in Slash's hand mid-air.

And before Kuro could react—

SLASH!

A single devastating blow tore through Kuro's chest.

He screamed in agony before collapsing—dead.

Jin Woo smirked. "Good job, Slash."

With a flick of his wrist, he unsummoned Slash, then casually approached Kuro's corpse.

"Arise."

Kuro's body twitched, shadows enveloping him—and in seconds, he kneeled before Jin Woo as his new shadow soldier.

Ding!

[System Notification]

Side Quest Completed!

New Job Ability Unlocked: Shadow Exchange!

Shadow Preservation skill has leveled up to Level 2!

Slash has leveled up!

You've leveled up!

Jin Woo grinned. "Nice."

Outside the mansion…

Jin Woo stepped outside, noticing Usopp standing over the defeated bodies of the two men.

He won? Jin Woo thought, impressed.

Usopp was breathing hard but unharmed. Kaya stood beside him, looking relieved.

Jin Woo let them be and focused on his system menu.

With Shadow Preservation now at Level 2, he could see and hear through his shadows.

He immediately checked the shadow he had left inside Zoro's shadow.

And what did he see?

Zoro… sleeping on the deck of the ship.

Jin Woo sighed. "Somehow, that guy found his way back."

Then, he turned his attention to his new skill:

[Shadow Exchange]

[ Allows the user to teleport to any location where a shadow soldier exists.

Consumes no mana.

Cooldown: 3 hours. ]

Jin Woo's smirk widened. "Now this… this is useful."

Jin Woo turned to leave, but Usopp and Kaya stopped him.

Kaya looked at him sincerely. "You saved our lives."

Jin Woo shrugged. "It's fine. You don't owe me anything."

Usopp hesitated, then asked, "Are you… a pirate?"

Jin Woo sighed. "I guess I am."

Immediately, Usopp dropped to his knees. "Then let me join your crew!"

Jin Woo raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Usopp clenched his fists. "My dad is a pirate… and I want to prove myself to him!"

Jin Woo shook his head. "Sorry, I don't think we have a place for you."

But Usopp didn't give up. "Please! I can fight! I can—"

Jin Woo sighed, not wanting to drag this out.

He activated Shadow Exchange, swapping places with one of his shadows on the ship.

But the moment he arrived—

Usopp was with him.

Jin Woo's eyes widened. "It can bring others along…?"

From the side, Nami's voice broke the silence.

"Where did you come from?! And why is that long-nosed liar with you?!"