Chapter 23
22th of February 1522
Little Garden
Moria knelt before the colossal corpses of the two giants, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of awe and ambition. He traced a finger along the dark and blue marks that marred their enormous forms, feeling the latent power emanating from their lifeless bodies. "Too bad I hadn't kept named shadow slots," he muttered to himself. "But this... this is incredible. It will propel me to new heights."
[Brogy]
Class: Giant Combatant
Job: Co-captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates
Dourikis: 4 254
Potential: S
Fate: B
[Dorry]
Class: Giant Combatant
Job: Co-captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates
Dourikis: 4 252
Potential: S
Fate: B
Behind him, the sounds of battle echoed through the clearing. Isabella's grunts and the clash of metal were unmistakable, but Moria paid no mind. His focus was singular, his goal clear. He reached out and began to absorb the giants' shadows, feeling the surge of energy as their essence flowed into him.
The process was both exhilarating and agonizing, the raw power coursing through his veins like liquid fire. He reveled in it, a triumphant smile spreading across his face as he felt his strength grow exponentially. This power, the shadows of giants, would bring him closer to his ultimate goal.
[Gecko Moria]
Class: Baron of Eventide
Job: Warlord of the Seas
Fruit: Kage Kage no Mi
Dourikis: 5,016/8,000
Potential: S
Fate: S
Physique: 2,112
Will: 925
Soul: 1,979
As he absorbed the last of the shadows, Moria stood up.
"Boss!" called Selena. She came running, her footsteps light and quick. Selena skidded to a stop in front of him, her breath coming in excited gasps. She held out an apple, its surface now marked with the swirling patterns that signified a Devil Fruit.
"It just transformed when the rookie died, I saw it!" she said, her voice brimming with excitement.
The smile on her face was one of pure delight, knowing full well what awaited her. Her eyes sparkled with the anticipation of a reward she cherished more than any treasure.
Moria's lips curved into a rare, approving smile. A Devil Fruit! And a strong one, at that : the rookie had quasi-effortlessly defeated Isabella with it. He reached out, his large hand descending gently to scratch behind Selena's head. Her eyes closed in bliss, and she leaned into his touch, much like a pet reveling in affection. Which was not that far from reality. His fingers moved rhythmically, massaging the base of her skull with a rough touch that conveyed his satisfaction. Selena's shoulders relaxed, and a soft, contented sigh escaped her lips.
"Good job, Selena," he said, his voice a low rumble of approval. "You're the best girl."
Selena beamed, her heart swelling with pride. Take that, Isabella.
Hearing Isabella groan of pain in the background, her smile grew even bigger.
Moria took the transformed apple from her outstretched hand.
[Wara Wara no Mi]
Type : Paramecia
Concept : Witchcraft
Soul Increase : from 200 to 2 000
Incredible! It was the first time he could see stats from an object. Did it…Did it mean it was alive?
23th of February 1522
Thriller Bark.
Nami hummed softly as she planted the modified seed, each one slipping into the soil easily. Around her, roses, with petals a blood-red hue, bore thorns that twisted and clawed like grasping fingers. They seemed almost sentient, reaching out for anything that dared come too close. Maybe Hogback had also created these seeds, like the orange-tree one he gave her. Her fingers, dirt-streaked and trembling, moved methodically. Her thoughts flitted back to the training sessions with Absalom. Brutal, relentless, each session left her body more toned, muscles defined beneath her skin, yet her form retained a deceptive softness. She was learning, adapting, becoming more capable with her staff. In the fragments of her mind, a child's voice screamed incessantly, accusingly. Inhuman. Your fault. Everyone's dead because of you. But the voice was distant now, a faint echo in the recesses of her consciousness. She felt a strange comfort among Moria's pirates. They were monsters, yes, but monsters…she was one, too. She belonged.
They were monster. MoNsTERs. Isabella, with her literal bloodlust. Selena, more beast than human, feasting on flesh. Zoro, sacrificing his humanity to become pure, ruthless skill. Like he tried to be a sword. The shadow creatures that lurked in the corners, Absalom's grotesque chimera body, Hogback's mad experiences – they all embodied strength through monstrosity. And at the pinnacle stood Moria, a true pirate, a true monster. The Pirate. MONSTER, she heard the girl scream.
"Ush Ush", she said.
I belong here, she thought, a shiver of excitement running through her. She wanted to be like them, to revel in the darkness, to kill and relish the power it brought. But she knew she wasn't there yet. She needed more strength. MORE!
Raising her head, she saw him. Moria, in his towering, seven-meter form, the one she found nice looking. Not the small one, who looked too human. Not wrong enough - not right enough. She hadn't heard him approach.
"Ullo, Mor-Mor," she greeted.
He regarded her with a curious expression before his lips curled into a smile, revealing far too many teeth. He looked almost endearing in his grotesqueness.
"Kishishishi," he laughed.
"I have a surprise for you."
Her heart leapt with childlike glee. She bounced on her toes, anticipation lighting up her eyes.
"Gimme! Gimme"
"Will you be faithful?" His voice rumbled.
"Of course, Daddy Mor-Mor," she responded without hesitation, her voice carrying a singsong certainty.
His smile broadened as he drew a strange fruit from the depths of his cloak. It was unlike any she had seen. The skin was a dark, mottled green, veins of black pulsating beneath its surface. Tiny nodules, like living eyes, writhed and shifted. The stem curled in a tight spiral, ending in a sharp, menacing accepted the fruit with trembling hands, her gaze locked on its eerie form.
"If I eat this, will I become a monster too?" Her voice was a hushed, eager whisper.
Moria's grin turned darker, more sinister. It really was a nice smile. "Better," he said. "You will become a Witch."
23th of February 1522
Thriller Bark.
Moria watched with keen interest as Nami brought the fruit to her lips. She didn't hesitate, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of madness and desire. She bit into it, the flesh yielding with a sickening squelch. The first bite, then another, and another. She devoured it whole, never gagging, never flinching. The juices ran down her chin, staining her pale skin with dark, mottled streaks. As she swallowed the final piece, her body convulsed. Her eyes rolled back, and a shudder ran through her. Moria's eyes glinted with satisfaction.
Notifications began to flood his vision.
[Oykot Nami]
Potential : B → S
The Quest [A Crew for the New World] is Complete
[A Crew for the New World]
You must have five crew members, besides yourself, with a Potential of A or higher
5/5
List :
Selena Whitefang
Capone Bege
Isabella von Carstein
Roronoa Zoro
Nami
Amazing! He had been waiting for it for so long!
Your Class Upgrade Quest is complete!
[Class Upgrade Quest]
To upgrade your Class from [Baron of Eventide] to [Marquis of Dusk]
Subquests:
1. Have a Fate of at least A: 1/1
2. Have a Potential of at least A: 1/1
3. Main Quest: A Crew for the New World! : 5/5
4. Hidden Quest: Infamous! - 3/3
Congratulation!
You are promoted to [Marquis of Dusk]
Moria felt an exhilarating surge of power. The shadows whispered secrets to him, their essence infusing him with an almost intoxicating energy.
You gained two new class skills
[Shadow Implantation]
You can hide Shadow Soldiers in other people's Shadows.
You can hear and see what is happening around Marked People
Your ability to communicate with implemented Shadows Increase
[Shadow Manipulation - Others]
You can use other people's Shadow to puppet them, taking control of their body. It only works for people with a Will largely inferior to yours
Skill Upgrade!
[Shadow Exchange]
The Player is able to switch places with any of his summons.
Cooldown time: 12 hours → 6 hours
Skill Upgrade!
[Shadow Absorption]
The Player is able to directly absorb shadows of people killed by his Shadow Warriors without him being present.
"Kishishishi!", he laughed.
New Class Upgrade Quest
[Class Upgrade Quest]
To upgrade your Class from [Marquis of Dusk] to [Duke of Twilight]
Subquests:
1. Have a Fate of at least S: 1/1
2. Have a Potential of at least S: 1/1
3. Main Quest 1 : A King without a Crown - 0/1
4. Main Quest 2 : A Court, a Country and a Champion : 0/3
5. Hidden Quest 1 : ? - 0/3
6. Hidden Quest 2 : ? - 0/3
Main Quest 1
[A King without a Crown]
How can you be a Pirate King if you are not even a King?
Take control of the Kingdom of Alabasta
Main Quest 2
[A Court, a Kingdom and a Champion]
Even the Pirate King needs the Kingly attributes
A Court: Have 10 subordinates with more than 1,000 Dourikis - 4/10
A Kingdom : Take control of Three other Territories under a B-ranked or higher Fate Leader - 0/1 (1/3)
A Champion : Have a living subordinates with more than 3,000 Dourikis - 0/1
He felt so powerful! The energy was intoxicating! It felt like he had just experienced an overwhelming surge of pleasure, leaving him both exhausted and excited. He fell into his seat, catching his breath, the sensation still pulsing through him. But now was not the time to revel in ecstasy.
He looked at the new missions with a keen eye.
The quest details glowed before him, radically altering his plans of ransoming Vivi. What could be the best way to take control of the kingdom's underworld - a place already occupied by Crocodile -, dominate the Nefertari family, and become a crowned royal.
And above all…Moria pondered the sapience of the system that guided him. It was clearly pushing him towards a specific direction. Why? What were its ultimate goals? He understood the coherence of the second main mission with his ambition of becoming the Pirate King—building a court, a kingdom, and securing powerful subordinates made perfect sense. But why did the first mission, focused on ruling Alabasta, matter so much? Why?
He leaned back, his mind racing. If he did not guess the goal of the system—well, of his Devil Fruit—how could he guess what the hidden missions were? And above all, did the system's interests align with his own? Could he trust his own power?
24th of February 1522
Loguetown
Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp wandered through the bustling streets of Loguetown. Rumors had reached him about a peculiar scene witnessed by a few terrified townsfolk. They spoke of a clash between Dracule Mihawk and a pale, human-looking figure. Garp's heart had skipped a beat when he heard the name Mihawk had uttered during the confrontation: Moria. Could it be that Gecko Moria had been in East Blue? Was Moria somehow involved in this ? The notion seemed preposterous, but the world had a way of twisting fate in the most unexpected ways.
Then there were the Shigan marks. It could not be Moria. Maybe…a zombie? No : they kept tracks of all the living Rokushiki user's shadows, and they burnt the corpses of all the dead ones. None was missing. The marks…They pointed to the involvement of Cipher Pol. The question that haunted Garp was whether these "rogue" agents had truly deserted or if they were operating under covert orders from the World Government, staging a black ops operation under the guise of defection. Luffy…
How was his grandson doing? He had handed Luffy over to Sengoku, a man he had trusted more than once with his own life. Yet Luffy's life was not the same as his own, it was infinitely more precious.
Lost in thought, Garp continued his stroll through the crowded marketplace, the lively chatter of merchants and customers barely registering in his ears. Suddenly, a high-pitched voice broke through the din, snapping him back to the present.
"Wait! Are you... are you Vice-Admiral Garp?" A young boy with pink hair and glasses stood before him, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and desperation.