A Lackluster Fruit · Moria's Shadow

Several days later, Fish-Man Island Harbor

The ocean currents gently lapped at the Harbor, sunlight pierced through the water's curtain, and spilled onto the shell-paved harbor. The anchor chains of the Warships slowly retracted, emitting a deep metallic clang.

On the shore, Princess Shirahoshi gazed at that familiar figure, her long pink hair fluttering gently in the sea breeze, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Mr. Roy... is he really leaving?" Her voice was soft, as if it would break at the slightest touch.

Roy turned around and looked at the giant girl who was taller than Warship.

Those once timid and tearful eyes now hold a faint glimmer of light.

"Shirahoshi," he said with a smile, "The future of Fish-Man Island has arrived for you to write."

Shirahoshi lowered her head, her fingertips gripping the hem of her skirt tightly. "But... I don't know if I can... I'm afraid I won't do well..."

"Do you still remember Queen Otohime's dream?" Roy's voice was gentle yet powerful, like waves lapping against Reef.

Shirahoshi was taken aback, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked up. "Mother... she hopes that Fish-Man Island can return to the sunlight... and coexist with humans."

Roy nodded and took a few steps closer to her. "You don't have to become Queen Otohime, nor do you have to be anyone's shadow."

"All you need to do is become 'Shirahoshi,' and lead Fish-Man Island towards the future in your own way."

At that moment, Shirahoshi seemed to be awakened, and tears finally fell, but no longer from fear and confusion, but from determination and emotion.

"I... I will try my best!"

She bit her lip, tilted her face up, and forcefully wiped away her tears. "I will become strong! Like my mother... no, I will change the fate of Fish-Man Island in my own way!"

"Very good." Roy nodded with a smile. "When we meet again, I hope you will be a princess who can truly stand on your own."

He turned and leaped onto the Warship, waving goodbye with his back to Shirahoshi.

Take care, Shirahoshi.

Shirahoshi opened her eyes wide, watching the ship gradually disappear into the distance, and shouted loudly, "I will definitely do it!!"

On a distant high platform, King Neptune and his three princes, Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi, silently watched this scene.

"Shirahoshi... she's really grown up." Neptune sighed, tears welling in his eyes.

"She has finally found her own direction." Fukaboshi nodded in agreement.

Ryuboshi crossed his arms, his gaze steady. "Vice Admiral Roy... he's not just a Marine, he's more like Shirahoshi's mentor."

Manboshi clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. "We have to keep going! We can't let Baixing Shirahoshi all this alone!"

The Warship slowly sailed away from Fish-Man Island, gradually disappearing into the distance in the afterglow of the underwater sunlight...

Meanwhile, in the Florian Triangle.

The fog billowed, and a deathly silence hung heavy in the air.

Deep in the forest, several weary but alert figures moved about.

"Captain, how much longer do we have to hide...?" a pale-faced, vacant-eyed female crew member asked tremulously.

The tall woman leading the group, carrying two swords on her back, stopped and bit her lip.

She is Charlotte Lola —the 23rd woman in the Big Mom Pirates, but she is no longer the lively and reckless runaway girl.

She whispered, "If we find Moria... and retrieve our shadows, we can leave this place and see the sunlight again."

A few months ago, Loki, the Elbaf, fell in love with her at first sight, but she rejected her mother's arranged marriage and fled Totto Land. After setting sail, she became the captain of the Rolling Pirates, wanting to start her own adventure.

Little did she expect that what awaited her was not freedom, but a nightmare.

Upon arriving at the Florian Triangle, Moonlight Moria stole their shadows and transplanted them onto the horrific corpses created by Hogback.

A person without a shadow will instantly turn to dust if exposed to sunlight.

Thus, Lola and the others could only hide in this land of eternal night, barely clinging to life.

"Bang--Bang--"

Suddenly, heavy footsteps came from afar, accompanied by the rustling of broken branches.

A gigantic boar zombie slowly emerged from the mist. Its body was as large as a house, its skin was roughly stitched together, its tusks were exposed, and its eyes gleamed with a sickly red light.

Even more terrifying is--

That was Lola's shadow.

"It's that monster again... Run!!" a crew member shouted in terror.

"That damned Moria... I will never let him get away with this!!"

Lola gritted her teeth and led her shattered Pirate crew back into the forest, her eyes filled with resentment and anger.

Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Thriller Bark.

The eerie candlelight flickered in the hall, casting mottled, ghostly shadows.

Moonlight Moria slumped on the high-backed, Throne -like sofa, crumpling a newly delivered newspaper in his hands, his face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

"Tsk... that Roy, he's made Big News Morgans again."

Beside him, Hogback leisurely held a cup of black tea, swirling the red liquid, and slowly said:

"Lord Moria, shouldn't we... keep a lower profile? After all, that Ray from last time..."

"Shut up!!" Moria slammed his hand on the table, causing the candles to flicker and nearly go out.

His temples were throbbing with anger, and his face was contorted with rage. "Don't mention that again!!"

Absalom shrank back, muttering under his breath, "But we really got beaten up badly..."

In mid-air, Perona floated leisurely, a little ghost swaying above her head, peering over with a curious expression. "Lightning? Who? Who beat you up?"

I went out to buy groceries that day, and when I came back, I only found you all lying on the floor, groaning and moaning..."

She cupped her face and spun around. "Was there some super powerful enemy who came? Who was it? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Moria, Hogback, and Absalom exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and fell silent.

(Perona absolutely must not know about that embarrassing thing!!)

"Hey--you must be hiding something from me!" Perona puffed out her cheeks, her tone relentless.

Moria coughed lightly, forcibly changing the subject. "Ahem... Anyway! Right now, we can only target passing Pirates, understand?"

Hogback nodded in agreement. "Yes, ordinary civilians... can't be moved for now."

"After all, that Annie—"

"Bang!!"

Moria slammed his fist on the table, interrupting him. "I told you not to mention that guy!!"

Hogback immediately shut his mouth, his eyes darting around.

Absalom turned his back and pretended to drink tea, while Perona looked completely bewildered, utterly unable to understand what shameful scene these three men had just experienced...

Meanwhile, the deck of the Warship

The sea breeze howled, waves gently lapped against the hull, and Roy leaned against the gunwale, playing with a strangely shaped Devil Fruit with patterns resembling a bullseye.

It is the ability extracted from Vander Decken IX — the Mark-Mark Fruit.

Feature: Marked objects will automatically track all projectiles thrown by the ability user;

The attack path ignores terrain obstacles and distance limitations;

The tracking duration is theoretically infinite, only ending upon a hit or destruction by external force.

Limitation: Target marking must be completed through direct contact with the palm of the hand;

The speed of a projectile is limited by the laws of Physics; it does not arrive instantaneously.

Physical barriers such as protective barriers and high-strength shields can interrupt attacks.

Roy curled his lip. "If you want a sniper to use it, you have to get close to the target first... That's such a waste of space..."