The Officers' Duel

On the Training Ground, both sides stood at attention.

The setting sun cast a dark red glow over the entire Training Ground. A sea breeze blew in from the direction of the harbor, carrying the salty smell and the scent of distant cooking smoke. Ten Seastone stones stood at the edge of the field, casting long shadows in the twilight.

The Big Mom sat on a chair that had been moved in, with six officers standing behind her. She crossed her legs, holding a plate of cake in her hand, eating while looking at the center of the arena. Perospero stood to her left, licking his lips; Katakuri stood to her right, his scarf covering half his face, making his expression unreadable; Smoothie, Cracker, and the other two officers stood in a row.

Lin Yuan stood opposite him, hands in his pockets. Kaido, Bullet, King, and Kuma stood behind him. Ginny stood beside him, holding a ledger, her fingers secretly making circles behind her back—she was taking notes, but didn't intend to let anyone know.

Moria stood in the center of the Training Ground.

He was facing Perospero.

The two were quite different in height. Perospero was two heads taller than Moria, his long golden hair gleaming in the setting sun. He wasn't carrying a weapon—the rules forbade weapons. But he had already handed his Candy Cane to the officer behind him, and now he was empty-handed, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips.

Moria handed the scissors to Jhin. He stood in the center of the arena, his hands empty, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun.

"Moonlight Moria." Perospero tilted his head. "I've heard your Shadow-Shadow Fruit quite interesting. But I'm curious, without scissors, can you still use shadows?"

Moria did not answer.

His shadow was wriggling.

It wasn't the wind blowing; he was manipulating it. The Shadow-Shadow Fruit's power doesn't require scissors—scissors are just tools used to cut off other people's shadows. To manipulate one's own shadow, hands are enough.

"Begin," Lin Yuan said.

Perospero made the first move.

He flicked his finger through the air, and a thin thread of candy shot from his fingertip, sticking to Moria's feet like spider silk. His Lick-Lick Fruit ability—he could create candy of any shape, as hard as steel and as resilient as rubber.

Moria jumped up.

It wasn't an ordinary jump; it was his shadow pulling his body along. His shadow bounced off the ground, propelling him three meters into the air like a spring. The candy string, having missed its mark, fell to the ground and stuck to a patch of gravel.

"Shadow Horn Spear!"

Moria spun in mid-air, and the shadow beneath his feet burst forth, transforming into a black spear that pierced towards Perospero's chest.

Perospero dodged to the side, the shadow spear piercing the ground behind him, sending shards of stone flying. He frowned—the speed and power of this spear exceeded his expectations. The intelligence said Moria was just a newcomer with a bounty of two hundred million, but this attack power didn't seem to be at the level of two hundred million.

"Hmm... that's interesting."

Perospero waved both hands, and ten candy threads shot out simultaneously, weaving a net that enveloped Moria in the air.

Moria did not dodge.

His shadow rose from the ground, transforming into a black wall that blocked the candy net. The candy stuck to the Shadow Wall, impossible to tear, but the Shadow Wall also wriggled, constantly extending from its edges until it completely enveloped the candy net.

"Shadow Box!"

The Shadow Wall deformed, transforming into a black cube that locked the candy net inside. Then the cube exploded, scattering fragments of the candy net everywhere.

Perospero's smile faded.

Moria landed, catching his breath. Sweat beaded on his forehead—continuous use of his abilities had taken a toll on his stamina. But he did not retreat.

Perospero looked at him and suddenly laughed.

"Well, your shadow is nice. But how long can you keep this up?"

He took a step forward, and his speed suddenly increased. Instead of sprinting in a straight line, he swayed from side to side, moving like a snake across the Training Ground. His fingers shot out candy threads, not weaving a net, but whipping at Moria like a whip.

Moria dodged left and right, his shadow transforming into a small shield in front of him. The candy thread lashed out at the shadow shield with a crisp "snap," and a crack appeared in the shield.

"Shadow Horn Spear - Consecutive Thrusts!"

Moria pressed his hands to the ground, and five shadow spears erupted from beneath his feet, stabbing at Perospero from different angles. Perospero leaped up, tumbling in the air to dodge three of them, but the fourth grazed his left arm and tore his clothes. The fifth passed under his feet, not injuring him, but forcing him to stumble upon landing.

"You—" Perospero glanced down at the gash on his left arm, his face darkening, "You hurt me."

Moria was panting heavily and didn't say anything.

Perospero's gaze changed. It was no longer a playful smile, but a serious, murderous stare.

"Candy Hammer."

He clasped his hands together, and a huge ball of candy condensed between his palms. It wasn't hard candy, but soft candy, yet compressed to its limit, its density was as high as iron. The candy took shape in mid-air, transforming into a two-meter-long giant hammer, its surface covered with jet-black Armament Haki.

"This hammer blow shattered your shadow. Don't blame me for not warning you."

Perospero raised his giant hammer and slammed it down on Moria.

Moria did not dodge. His shadow erupted from beneath his feet, transforming into a gigantic black fist that met the giant hammer head-on.

"Shadow Fist!"

The Shadow Fist and the Candy Hammer collided.

"Boom--"

With a muffled thud, the ground cracked, and rubble flew everywhere. Moria took three steps back, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. Perospero took one step back, his face ashen—his candy hammer had cracked open.

"Impossible..." Perospero looked down at the cracks in the hammer, "How could your shadow possibly—"

"My shadow isn't hard," Moria wiped the blood from his mouth, "But my will is."

With a wave of his hands, his shadow exploded, transforming into countless tiny black needles that rained down on Perospero.

Perospero quickly retreated, weaving a candy shield in front of him with his hands. The rain of needles struck the shield, making a dense "ding-ding" sound. A few needles pierced through the edge of the shield, grazing his cheek and leaving two bloody streaks.

Perospero lowered his shield and touched the blood on his face.

"You--"

"You've lost," Moria said.

Perospero paused for a moment.

He looked down at his clothes—the gash in his left arm, the bloodstains on his face, and the crack in his candy mallet. He wasn't seriously injured, but his clothes were torn, his face was slashed, and his weapon was broken.

Meanwhile, Moria, despite having blood at the corner of his mouth, was still standing, his eyes still bright.

Perospero was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Well—interesting. Very interesting."

He turned around and walked back behind the Big Mom.

"I lost."

The Big Mom didn't look at him; she just stared at Moria.

"Moonlight Moria." She repeated the name. "Well... you're better than I've heard."

Moria didn't speak, but turned and walked back behind Lin Yuan. His legs were trembling, but he gritted his teeth and walked steadily step by step.

Ginny wrote a line in the ledger, "Moria wins. Perospero concedes defeat."

"The second round," Lin Yuan said, "Who's going to play?"

The Big Mom glanced behind her.

"Cracker, go."

Cracker emerged from behind Big Mom. He was tall, clad in armor, and wore an iron mask that revealed only his eyes. He carried no weapon—the rules forbade weapons—but his ability itself was a weapon: the Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit. He could create an infinite number of Biscuit Soldiers, each as hard as steel.

Lin Yuan glanced behind him.

"Kuma, you go."

Kuma silently walked out of the group and stood in the center of the field.

Cracker was half a head shorter than him, but wider. The two looked at each other, but neither spoke.

"Begin," Lin Yuan said.

Cracker clapped his hands.

"Biscuit Soldiers!"

Five Biscuit Soldiers appeared out of thin air on the ground. They didn't grow out of the ground; Cracker "created" them from the air—it was Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit ability that allowed him to mold soldiers of any shape from biscuits and give them life. Each Biscuit Soldiers was three meters tall, wielding a biscuit shield and a biscuit sword, and covered in jet-black Armament Haki.

Five Biscuit Soldiers charged toward the Kuma.

The Kuma didn't move.

The first Biscuit Soldiers rushed in front of him, raising his biscuit sword to strike. Kuma raised his hand, the pads of his Paw-Paw Fruit aimed at the blade.

"Bang--"

The biscuit sword was deflected, bounced back, and smashed into the Biscuit Soldiers himself, shattering into pieces on the ground.

The second, third, and fourth soldiers charged forward simultaneously. Kuma swung both hands in unison, knocking each of the three Biscuit Soldiers away with a single blow. The fifth soldier attacked from the side, but Kuma didn't even look at it, instead slapping it in the chest with a backhand. The Biscuit Soldiers flew out like a cannonball, crashing into the Seastone beside the Training Ground and shattering into powder.

Cracker's expression changed.

"Your Paw... can bounce everything away?"

Kuma didn't answer, he just looked at him.

Cracker gritted his teeth and clapped his hands repeatedly. One Biscuit Soldiers after another appeared—ten, twenty, thirty. The Training Ground was packed with Biscuit Soldiers, who surged toward the Kuma from all directions.

Kuma took a deep breath.

"Paw Shockwave."

He slammed his palm down on the ground.

The air was compressed into a massive shockwave that spread outwards from him. Wherever the shockwave passed, the Biscuit Soldiers shattered and were blown away like pieces of paper. All thirty Biscuit Soldiers disappeared within three seconds.

Cracker still, his eyes wide open beneath the mask.

"You--"

The Kuma raised its paw and aimed it at Cracker.

"Give up. Or give me another punch?"

Cracker was silent for a moment.

I surrender.

He turned around and walked back behind the Big Mom. His steps were heavy, as if he was holding back a lot of anger.

The Big Mom didn't look at him; she just stared at the Kuma.

"Bartholomew Kuma. Paw-Paw Fruit." The Big Mom licked her lips. "Well... I like you. Want to come to Whole Cake Island? I'll have your babies."

Kuma glanced at her.

"I'm not going."

He turned and walked back behind Lin Yuan.

Ginny wrote another line in the ledger, "Kuma wins. Cracker concedes defeat."

"The third round," Lin Yuan said, "Who's going on?"

The Big Mom's face darkened. Two losses, and none of her players had won. This wasn't the scenario she had envisioned.

She glanced behind her.

"Smoothie, go."

Smoothie emerged from behind the Big Mom. She was a tall woman with long, slender legs, wearing a purple dress and carrying no weapon. Devil Fruit User —capable of squeezing moisture out of any object, including people and living beings.

Lin Yuan glanced behind him.

"Jin, go."

Jhin stepped out from the ranks and stood in the center of the arena. The flames behind him burned silently in the twilight, and his face remained expressionless.

The two exchanged a glance.

Smoothie is half a head taller than Jhin, but Jhin's demeanor is colder than hers. One is like ice, the other like fire.

"Begin," Lin Yuan said.

Smoothie made the first move.

She took a step forward with incredible speed, her right hand reaching for Jin's chest. Her fingers were covered in Armament Haki —any touch would drain the moisture from Jin's body.

Ember did not dodge.

He raised his hand, his wrist blocking Smoothie's palm.

"Bang--"

The Armament Haki clashed, producing a muffled thud. King took a step back, Smoothie took three.

Smoothie's expression changed.

"Your Armament Haki-- "

Jin did not answer. The flames behind him suddenly leaped, and the temperature soared. His right fist was covered with jet-black Armament Haki, and dark red Conqueror's Haki lightning danced on the knuckles.

Smoothie's pupils contracted sharply.

"Conqueror's Haki?!"

Jhin threw a punch.

It didn't hit Smoothie, but the ground in front of her feet. The ground cracked, debris flew everywhere, and a crack spread from beneath the fist toward Smoothie. Steam rose from the crack—the mark left by flames burning the ground.

Smoothie jumped to avoid the crack, but she was in mid-air with nowhere to grab her weight.

The flames behind King transformed into a fire dragon, baring its fangs and claws as it lunged at Smoothie in the air. The fire dragon's body was composed of flames, but its surface was covered with a layer of jet-black Armament Haki.

Smoothie crossed her arms in front of her, her Armament Haki Hardening.

The fire dragon crashed into her.

"Boom--"

Flames exploded, and a wave of heat hit her. Smoothie was blasted away, tumbling several times in the air before landing on the ground, sliding for more than ten meters before coming to a stop. Her arms were charred black, and her clothes had several holes burned in them.

She got up and looked at Jin.

Ember stood still, the flames behind him returning to calm.

"Admit defeat?" Jin asked.

Smoothie gritted her teeth.

I surrender.

She turned and walked back behind the Big Mom. Her arm was trembling—not from pain, but from anger. She was unwilling to accept defeat, but she knew that continuing to fight would only result in defeat. King's Conqueror's Haki was stronger than hers, his Armament Haki was stronger than hers, and even his Devil Fruit ability was more suitable for him than hers.

The Big Mom looked at Jin and remained silent for a long time.

"A remnant of the Lunarian... Conqueror's Haki... Hmm..." She laughed, "You little brat, you're stronger than I thought. Come on, come with me, name your price."

Jin didn't speak, but turned and walked back behind Lin Yuan.

Ginny wrote another line in the ledger, "Jin Sheng. Smoothie concedes defeat."

Three wins out of three.

The Big Mom looked very unhappy. She had come expecting to win at least two out of three matches, but she hadn't won a single one. Perospero lost to Moria, Cracker lost to Kuma, and Smoothie lost to King. She still had Katakuri play, but the three matches were already over, so there was no need for her to fight anymore.

"Well..." The Big Mom stood up, looking at Lin Yuan, "Your men are stronger than I expected."

"They train every day," Lin Yuan said. "I agree to your conditions. Twenty tons of Seastone annually, at a price 15% lower than the market price, with priority purchasing rights for you. The Gold-Gold Fruit 1.3 billion Beli, plus two unknown fruits worth 400 million, for a total of 1.7 billion."

"What if those two unknown fruits are useless?"

"If it's useless, come find me. I'll refund your money."

The Big Mom stared at him for a few seconds.

"Okay... fine. I believe you."

She reached out her hand.

Lin Yuan took her hand.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you."

The Big Mom turned and walked towards the port. Six cadres followed behind her. Perospero brought up the rear, glancing back at Moria.

"Moonlight Moria. We'll fight again next time."

I'm available anytime.

Perospero turned around and left.

The fleet slowly sailed away from the port.

Ginny stood next to Lin Yuan, making circles with her fingers behind her back.

She's gone.

Did you say anything?

"She said, 'Well... this little brat will cause big trouble sooner or later. But not now.'"

Lin Yuan remained silent.

Kaido walked over, carrying Iron Club.

"Oh ho ho... It's over? That's it? I haven't even been on the field yet."

"Your appearance will cause a major incident," Lin Yuan said.

"What major incident could possibly happen?"

"If you beat up that Big Mom, she'll go back and call in the fleet, and then we won't be able to do business anymore."

Kaido scoffed and left.

Bullet stood there, watching the fleet sail away.

Katakuri didn't play.

"It's better he didn't go," Lin Yuan said. "If he had, you definitely would have gone. If the two of you had fought, the island would be gone."

Bullet remained silent for a moment.

"Next time."

"We'll talk about it next time."

The Kuma silently walked towards the sea and continued practicing its palm strikes.

Jin flew up to the lookout tower.

Moria sat on the Training Ground, staring blankly at his hands.

Ginny closed the ledger and walked to Lin Yuan's side.

"Seventeen billion Beli, plus what we saved up before, is enough for us to last a long time."

"It's not for spending," Lin Yuan said, "It's for investing."

"What to invest in?"

"Invest in people, invest in equipment, invest in intelligence."

Ginny nodded.

Lin Yuan.

"Um?"

"What you talked about with that Big Mom today— Rocks, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, the Navy, the Five Elders —do you really think we can survive on this sea?"

Lin Yuan looked at the sea.

"Yes, but not on someone else's ship. It's about living on your own island."

The sea breeze carried a salty, fishy smell.

In the distance, the Big Mom's fleet of boats disappeared below the horizon.

(End of Chapter 53)