Moria Joins! The Violent Development of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit

After returning from the pirate island, Lin Yuan's life settled back into a peaceful routine: training, managing things, and waiting.

Every day, Kaido and Bullet traded blows on the training ground, fists pounding into flesh as neither gave an inch. King practiced Observation Haki on the lookout tower. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense the movements of every ship within three kilometers.

Lin Yuan hadn't been idle, either. The range of his Space Folding had increased from twenty meters to thirty-five, and his Space Cutting could now slice through ordinary steel, though Seastone was still beyond it.

"Seastone is too dense." Lin Yuan sat on the ground, pinching a small piece of Seastone between his fingers. "The spatial rift gets bounced off when it hits."

"Then keep training." Kaido walked over with an iron club over his shoulder. "Train until you can cut it."

"Oh-ro-ro-ro-ro... you're right."

Just then, King flew down from the lookout tower.

"Lin Yuan, a ship has arrived at the harbor. There's only one person aboard."

"Who?"

"Gecko Moria."

Lin Yuan stood up, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Heh heh heh... he's here."

Two

The harbor.

Moria jumped off the ship, covered in wounds, his clothes torn in several places. He didn't look well, but his eyes were as fierce as ever, like those of a beast that had been trapped for too long.

"Lin Yuan." He walked up to Lin Yuan, his voice hoarse. "Does what you said before still stand?"

"It does," Lin Yuan said. "What, have you run out of options?"

Moria gritted his teeth but said nothing.

After leaving the edge of the New World, he had run into several more groups of pirates. Every time, he fought with everything he had, but every time, he was alone. He won, but at a terrible cost. He lost, and lost even more terribly.

"One person can't beat a whole group," Lin Yuan said. "It's not that you're weak. This world just isn't fair."

"I don't need fairness," Moria said. "I need power."

"Then stay." Lin Yuan turned and headed toward the island. "You'll get food and a place to live, and people to fight with."

Moria watched his back in silence for a few seconds, then followed him.

Three

In the castle hall, Lin Yuan had someone prepare a room for Moria.

"Rest and recover first. We'll talk after you're healed."

Moria sat in a chair, looking at the people in the hall. Kaido leaned against the wall, gnawing on meat. Bullet was cleaning his weapon. King stood by the window, looking outside.

"Are they all your crew?" Moria asked.

"Partners," Lin Yuan corrected him. "Not crew. Partners."

Moria was silent for a while.

"What do I need to do?"

"Get stronger," Lin Yuan said. "Then follow me and fight the people who bullied you."

Moria clenched his fists.

"Fight the Celestial Dragons?"

"Fight the Celestial Dragons."

"Count me in."

"Oh-ro-ro-ro-ro..." Kaido laughed. "Another one who's not afraid to die."

"Not afraid to die?" Moria glanced at him. "I'm afraid of dying. But I'm more afraid of dying a miserable death."

Kaido paused, then laughed even harder.

"Oh-ro-ro-ro-ro... interesting! This kid's got more guts than you, Bullet."

"Bullshit." Bullet didn't even look up. "I've got plenty of guts."

Four

A few days later, Moria's wounds had mostly healed.

Lin Yuan took him to the training ground.

"Your Shadow-Shadow Fruit isn't just for cutting shadows," Lin Yuan said, standing opposite him. "Shadows can become weapons or doubles, and you can take other people's shadows and use them yourself."

"Easy for you to say." Moria frowned. "How do I train?"

Lin Yuan raised his hand and opened a small door in the ground. Beyond it was pitch darkness—an alternate space created by the Door-Door Fruit, without light or shadows.

"Go in."

Moria hesitated, but went in anyway.

In the darkness, he couldn't see his own shadow.

"Your fruit ability won't work in there," Lin Yuan's voice came from outside. "But remember, shadows aren't a product of light. They're an extension of yourself. Even without light, your shadow is still there."

Moria closed his eyes and tried to feel it.

There was nothing.

"I can't feel it." He walked out, looking unhappy.

"Then take it slowly," Lin Yuan said. "There are no shortcuts to developing a fruit. You just have to keep trying."

"Oh-ro-ro-ro-ro..." Kaido laughed. "Don't rush, kid. Back when I was training in physical techniques, I lost count of how many bones got broken."

"You've had bones broken?" Moria asked.

"Of course." Kaido patted his chest. "How else would I get stronger?"

Lin Yuan glanced at Kaido.

"Don't be a bad influence on him."

"How am I a bad influence? I'm telling the truth."

Five

In the days that followed, Moria doubled the intensity of his training.

During the day, he sparred with Kaido and got beaten black and blue. At night, he studied fruit development with Lin Yuan, trying to control his shadow again and again.

"Shadow Horn Spear!" Moria shouted. The shadow beneath his feet transformed into a long black spear and stabbed forward.

The spear pierced a wooden post on the training ground, but dispersed when it was only halfway through.

"Not powerful enough." Lin Yuan shook his head. "Your Haki is too weak, and your shadow isn't hard enough."

"Then what do I do?"

"Train your Haki. And practice compressing your shadow at the same time."

Lin Yuan used Spatial Perception to help him analyze how his shadow flowed. He opened a "door" inside the shadow with the Door-Door Fruit, letting Moria "see" its structure.

"A shadow isn't solid, but you can make it look solid. The principle is similar to Armament Haki: concentrate energy at a single point."

Moria gritted his teeth and tried again and again.

His hands were covered in cuts, and the corner of his mouth had split, but he never called for a break.

"Oh-ro-ro-ro-ro..." Kaido sat nearby, gnawing on meat. "That kid's pretty tough."

Bullet wiped the blood from his fists.

"Tougher than you were when you got here."

"I was tough back then too."

"Back then, all you knew was how to charge in."

"What's wrong with charging in? You can win that way too."

The two started bickering again.

Lin Yuan ignored them and kept his eyes on Moria's shadow.

Six

A week later.

Moria stood in the center of the training ground, facing a steel plate one centimeter thick.

"Shadow Horn Spear!"

A black shadow spear shot up from beneath his feet and struck the steel plate with a sharp clang. It punched a small hole through the plate, leaving jagged edges.

"You did it." Lin Yuan walked over and examined the hole. "It's still not very stable, but at least it's usable now."

Moria panted heavily, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"It's not enough. I want to be able to pierce Seastone."

"Then you'll have to train for a long time yet." Lin Yuan patted his shoulder. "No rush."

"Oh-ro-ro-ro-ro..." Kaido laughed loudly. "This kid's as stubborn as me."

"You can't survive if you're not stubborn." Moria wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Lin Yuan glanced at him.

"You're right. If you're not stubborn, you can't survive."

Seven

That night, Lin Yuan sat alone on the terrace at the highest point of the castle, gazing at the starry sky.

The sea wind was strong, making the hem of his clothes flap loudly.

He had been planning his next move. He had gained a firm foothold on Hachinosu, and though Kaido, Bullet, King, and Moria were only four people, they could all fight.

He needed more people.

But not now.

"Lin Yuan." King came up to him. "A black-market intermediary sent word that a batch of 'goods' from the South Blue will soon be escorted to Mary Geoise."

"What goods?"

"People who oppose the World Government, apparently. A few of them are receiving special attention."

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes.

"Keep an eye on them for now. Don't make contact."

"Why?"

"The time isn't right."

King asked no more questions and turned to leave.

Lin Yuan continued gazing at the starry sky.

Moria came back from the training ground, covered in sweat.

"Still awake?"

"Can't sleep." Moria sat down. "I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"About why you're helping me."

Lin Yuan was silent for a while.

"I told you. It's an investment."

"An investment?" Moria turned to look at him. "Aren't you afraid I'll betray you someday?"

"No." Lin Yuan smiled. "There's nothing in it for you to betray me. Follow me, and you can fight the Celestial Dragons. Betray me, and you'll have nothing."

Moria stared at him for a few seconds, then lowered his head.

"You're right."

He stood up and brushed the dust from his pants.

"I'm going to sleep."

"Go ahead."

Moria left.

Lin Yuan continued gazing at the starry sky.

In the distance, moonlight spilled over the glimmering surface of the sea, like a layer of scattered silver.

"Heh heh heh..." He chuckled softly.

"Soon."

(End of Chapter 17)