Xi Yan's Stunned Confusion, M-Marriage?

Looking at the few guys kneeling obediently in front of him, Xi Yan crossed his arms and looked at them with a scrutinizing gaze, saying, "You... you're really not zombies?"

"It really isn't!" Ai Ke quickly said.

This guy is truly terrifying. He just casually slaughtered quite a few zombies. If those few had been a little slower in kneeling, the knife might have already slashed their necks.

"But why do you all look no different from zombies...?"

Xi Yan carefully examined the group. They were so thin they were practically skin and bones, looking like they were severely malnourished. They also had very dark circles under their eyes and gave off a... lifeless feeling.

Is this really a living human being?

Why does it look like a zombie?

If it weren't for the fact that they were still breathing, Xi Yan would have thrown them away on the spot.

"There's no other way. Life has become very difficult for us since we lost our shadows. Coupled with the fact that we haven't seen sunlight for many years, this is how we ended up like this..." Ai Ke said.

The island is teeming with Moria's zombies; they're already quite remarkable to have survived. As for their appearance... they don't care.

"Alright, get up."

Thank you...

"Are you... the adventurer who was tricked by Moria this time?"

"Moria?"

"They are the Shichibukai," Ai Ke said.

"Shichibukai..." Xi Yan narrowed his eyes, not expecting that the person they were facing this time was also one of the Shichibukai.

The Straw Hat Pirates really do have a knack for connecting with the Shichibukai. They defeated Crocodile in Alabasta, and now they've run into Moria.

That's really... interesting!

"We were indeed tricked into coming here," Xi Yan nodded.

"Then we're not enemies," Ai Ke said with a sigh of relief. "We're on the same side."

"That's not necessarily true."

He's not the kind of person who easily trusts others; who knows if the other person is friend or foe?

Upon hearing this, Ai Ke and the others tensed up again, fearing they would be killed by the Ruthless Person in front of them.

"What's your name?"

"Just call me Baoya," the man said with a smile.

Xi Yan's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this; it was indeed a fitting title.

"Okay, look me in the eyes."

The man named Baoya glanced over instinctively, his eyes then became somewhat vacant, but he quickly recovered.

"I have a few questions."

"You said."

"Did you guys just see something that didn't look human fly over?" Xi Yan asked.

No.

"No?"

"Please don't get agitated, listen to us," Ai Ke quickly said. "We really didn't see the guy you're talking about."

"However, we found a crater, as if it had been made by something hitting it."

Ai Ke spoke very quickly, as if afraid that the man in front of him might kill them in a fit of anger.

Ultimately, they haven't gained each other's trust yet.

"Yes," the Baoya nodded, "We came out because of this tremor."

"Take me to see it."

Without further ado, the group led Xi Yan to the pit they had just discovered.

Xi Yan squatted by the pit, looking down at the shattered ground below, and indeed found something unusual on it.

It's like the tissue that falls off after something has been burned.

"Heh, looks like they were rescued by some weirdo." Xi Yan stood up and said, "Was it those zombies from earlier?"

What are you looking for?

"Someone just got blasted here. He's a guy who can turn invisible. Do you guys know him?"

"Know!"

Upon hearing this person's name, Ai Ke became agitated, his eyes flashing with anger, as if that person were his mortal enemy.

"That bastard and his men kidnapped me back then, otherwise my shadow wouldn't have been stolen..."

He and his companions had escaped, but what happened?

The invisible bastard suddenly appeared with a large group of zombies, knocked them all unconscious and took them away, eventually even disappearing from their shadows.

How could he not be furious?

"That person is one of Gecko Moria's subordinates," Baoya explained. "Devil Fruit User, and looks like he's undergone special modifications. He's deeply trusted by Moria."

"Many zombies obeyed his orders."

"I didn't expect him to be a cadre. No wonder he was so tough," Xi Yan said. "It's a bit of a pity."

He had thought he could find that guy, but who would have thought there would be zombies here? This was truly unexpected.

No wonder he saw a tree move unnaturally earlier; it was a zombie.

"They must have been rescued by the zombies here," Ai Ke said. "Zombies have been staying here for years; this is one of Moria's methods of monitoring the island."

As he spoke, Ai Ke also showed a regretful expression.

If they catch that bastard, they can arrest him; it would be a good option whether to get information from him or to threaten Moria.

"Never mind, it's harmless." Xi Yan shook his head and said, "Getting information from you is the same."

These guys seem to have been here for quite a while, and they probably know a lot of information.

"By the way, did you guys see the group of four?" Xi Yan gestured and said, "A little girl this big, a reindeer, a Long Nose conman, and an orange-haired money-grubber."

Ai Ke:???

What a strange description.

The first two are alright, but what the heck are these last two?

Scammers and money-grubbers?

"I think I know who you're talking about," the Baoya said, leaning closer. "The little girl in the green dress, right?"

"Right!"

"They were taken away by Moria's men."

"What?!"

A murderous intent flashed in Xi Yan's eyes, startling the others who instinctively trembled.

Seeing their reaction, Xi Yan suppressed his killing intent and said, "Tell me in detail, what exactly happened?"

"Let me explain," Baoya said. "When we came out just now, we happened to find Hilton ... oh, that is, the zombie created by Moria."

"He said something to those four people, and they got into the carriage with him and left."

"It looks like we're heading to the castle up ahead."

At this point, the Baoya paused for a moment, then said, "That castle belongs to Doctor Hogback."

Some people in their stronghold had experienced similar things, being tricked into going to the castle by Hilton.

Therefore, they are not unfamiliar with this.

"Doctor... castle..."

Hearing the Baoya's explanation, Xi Yan subconsciously frowned.

Although Nami is greedy, she's smart enough not to be easily fooled by a few words.

So... is it because of this doctor?

"Who is this doctor?"

"I've heard he's the World's Number One Doctor, but I don't know if it's true or not."

"That makes sense then," Xi Yan nodded.

It's possible that Chopper was attracted by the doctor's reputation, and coupled with the fact that the forest was rather dangerous and zombies appeared from time to time, they ended up leaving with him.

Of course, there is another possibility: that the Bat Zombie possesses some kind of special hypnotic ability.

Even zombies have appeared, so it's not surprising that the opponent can hypnotize Xi Yan.

What happens after we enter the castle?

"After midnight, they will be attacked by zombies and eventually sent to Moria," Ai Ke said. "Then their shadows will be used to create more zombies."

As for them themselves...

Ai Ke hesitated for a moment before saying, "There's a high chance they'll be sent back to your ship."

"Not kill?"

"We won't kill them." Baoya shook his head and said, "If we, as the hosts, die, then our shadows will also disappear."

"Without the shadow that keeps the zombies moving, the zombies will die, and that's not something Moria wants to see."

Xi Yan immediately understood; this was probably why these guys had survived until now.

Otherwise, with this level of skill, how could they possibly escape the zombies?

However, this news also relieved Xi Yan, at least Merry and the others were not in immediate danger.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for the information."

As he spoke, Xi Yan released the hypnosis.

But Baoya didn't realize there was anything wrong, because revealing that information was his own intention, and Xi Yan had only added some hints.

Seeing that Xi Yan was about to leave, Ai Ke quickly asked, "Where are you going?"

"Of course I'm going to see my companions," Xi Yan said. "While there might not be any danger to my life, having my shadow taken away is still a terrible thing."

Unable to see the sunlight, forced to spend their entire lives hiding in dark corners—this is no way for a human being to live!

So he had to find Merry and the others as soon as possible to save them from having to go through something terrible.

"Please... please wait a moment!" Ai Ke said, mustering his courage.

"What's wrong?"

"Moria has his eye on you this time, and a confrontation is only a matter of time," Ai Ke said. "So before you leave, could you come with us?"

Seeing Xi Yan frowning as he looked at them, Ai Ke explained, "We also have quite a few people at our base, and we're looking for an opportunity to deal with Moria."

"I know you are very powerful, but..."

"Having more people is always better than going it alone."

This might be their only chance, so even if it meant risking their lives, he had to give it his all.

Otherwise, who knows if they'll have another chance to fight before they die?

"You?"

Xi Yan glanced at the few bean sprouts and said, "It's not that I look down on you, but what use are you in your current weak state?"

They could probably use all those zombies in the forest as monsters to farm, and you actually want to fight the Shichibukai with them?

"Although we are weak, we are not entirely ineffective..."

Seeing the stubborn looks in their eyes, Xi Yan sighed and then said, "Considering that you sincerely gave me information, I'll give you some advice."

"Hide quietly in the forest, try your best to survive, and wait for the moment when the shadow returns."

"The Shichibukai are not people like you who can mess with them. Even the aftershocks of their battle could kill you."

Luffy has already decided to help Brook retrieve his shadow, so a conflict with Moria is only a matter of time.

The conflict between pirates is a life-or-death battle!!

After they kill Moria, these people's shadows will most likely return; consider it payment for the information they provided.

The group exchanged glances, Ai Ke cautiously asked, "May I ask if you are... a pirate?"

"Um."

"What is the name of that pirate crew?"

"The Straw Hat Pirates"

"Is that the Straw Hat Pirates whose captain has a bounty of 100 million Beli?"

"How outdated is your information?" Xi Yan asked in surprise, "Luffy's bounty has already exceeded 400 million."

Are those news-selling birds supposed to be flying all over the world, or is it because the environment here is too scary that they dare not come?

"We have no intelligence sources..."

"Information could only be obtained occasionally from the mouths of some victims or from newspapers stolen from Moria."

"That's right, even News Bird might not dare to come to this place in Moria."

Xi Yan nodded in understanding. That made sense; no wonder they didn't know.

"So, your captain's bounty is over 400 million..." the Baoya said excitedly, "Then maybe we really can defeat Moria!"

Gecko Moria, bounty 320 million Beli!

Although his bounty was frozen and would not increase further because he became Shichibukai, the reason for his bounty was not mentioned.

But who can say that the Straw Hat Pirates ' captain can't defeat him?

"Then you should come with us," Ai Ke said.

"I told you, I'm not interested," Xi Yan said. "I still need to find my companions."

"The safety of those four is not a problem for the time being," Ai Ke said seriously. "At least they won't be in danger until their shadows are stolen."

"That's just an ideal scenario," Xi Yan said. "I don't want to gamble."

Who knows if, in an extreme situation, the other side might directly kill Nami and the others?

Furthermore, he didn't want to see anyone bullying his companions, so it was better to go there as soon as possible.

As he thought about it, Xi Yan turned around, intending to leave as quickly as possible and go to the castle to find them.

Seeing that Xi Yan was about to leave, Ai Ke immediately became anxious and shouted, "We have a way to strengthen your combat power!"

"Strengthen combat power?"

Xi Yan stopped what he was doing, clearly not expecting the other party to say such a thing. Could it be that the other party was some kind of special Devil Fruit User?

Thinking of this, Xi Yan turned around and said, "Are you capable individuals?"

"An ability user?" The Baoya paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No."

Xi Yan:...

"Are you kidding me?"

Xi Yan's eyes turned somewhat unfriendly. If these bastards were playing him for a fool, he wouldn't mind beating them up before leaving.

"Hey... please don't get excited." The Baoya said awkwardly, "While we don't have any ability users who can enhance their combat power, we do have methods to enhance it."

"For example?"

"For example, inserting a shadow into a person's body." Ai Ke held up a finger, grinning, "That would increase a person's strength. I think you'd be interested in that."

Upon hearing this, Xi Yan genuinely showed interest. To enhance combat power using someone else's shadow?

That's something we really need to look into, because it means that Moria himself could also use this method to enhance his combat power!

Thinking of this, Xi Yan said, "In that case, I'll use my clone to go with you."

To gather intelligence, I can use a clone to do it, and I can also learn more about what's happening on this island from them.

The information gleaned from the conversation just now was ultimately too limited.

"A clone?"

The group looked puzzled, clearly not understanding Xi Yan's meaning.

Xi Yan offered no explanation and immediately activated his Shadow Clone Technique.

"Bang!"

A flash of white smoke appeared, and an identical Xi Yan appeared on the spot, shocking Ai Ke and the others so much that their eyes bulged out, snot uncontrollably sprayed from their noses, and their tongues stuck out long.

"Eh!!!"

"Creating... a clone?!?"

The group stared at Xi Yan in utter shock, as if they were seeing a god.

"Ah, it's a clone." Xi Yan said with a chuckle, "I'm a Ninja, didn't I just say so?"

Absolutely not!

"Oh, so you know now."

Ai Ke:...

Is this something that can be easily brushed off? This is Ninja, after all!

The legendary Ninja, the Ninja who can do anything!!

"You're Ninja?!"

"Thai Cool Hot!"

"I never imagined I'd see Ninja one day, I'm so moved..."

Ai Ke was so excited that tears streamed down his face. He loved Ninja from Romance Novel, and he never expected to see a real Ninja today.

With such a powerful Ninja by their side, plus Luffy, the Straw Hat with a bounty of over 400 million, they're sure to defeat Gecko Moria this time!

"My clone will accompany you." After saying this, Xi Yan disappeared from the spot, leaving only the identical clone behind.

"Gentlemen, let's go."

"Yes, I'll lead the way for you right away," Ai Ke said.

After he finished speaking, he ran ahead as if to clear the obstacles in front of Xi Yan.

Xi Yan didn't say anything; it wasn't the first time he'd encountered someone who liked Ninja.

It has to be said that Ninja had a significant impact on the people of this world.

The return journey went very smoothly, without encountering a single zombie, which surprised Ai Ke and the others.

Soon, led by Ai Ke and the others, Xi Yan arrived at a peculiar place that looked like a makeshift camp.

Of course, it was very rudimentary.

"Captain Lola, we're back!" Ai Ke exclaimed excitedly, "We've brought back a powerful warrior!"

"A strong person?"

Upon hearing those two words, a group of people ran out with Lola and immediately saw Xi Yan standing next to Ai Ke and the others.

With the help of the camp's dim lights, the group was able to make out Xi Yan's appearance.

"So... so handsome!!"

Ai Ke and the others were also stunned. In the dark forest, they couldn't see Xi Yan's appearance clearly at all, except for his pair of blood-red eyes that were particularly conspicuous.

Now that there were lights, they could immediately see each other clearly. That's so cool!

Hearing so many people exclaim in surprise, Xi Yan subconsciously touched his chin. With Uchiha blood, he was indeed a handsome man.

"Captain, look! It's a handsome guy!"

"I saw it," Lola said.

"Cough..."

Lola suddenly coughed lightly and walked very solemnly to Xi Yan, her expression extremely serious.

Seeing the other person's serious expression, Xi Yan's expression also became serious.

"You..."

"Hello, please marry me."

Xi Yan:???

"Huh?"

"Eh!!!"

Xi Yan stared at Lola in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Is this guy out of his mind? Who proposes to someone right away when they don't even know each other? You jerk!

"Who proposes on the first date?!"

"And I refuse!"

"How could this be..." Lola said disappointedly, "It's rare to meet someone this handsome..."

"Hahaha, the captain's 4444th failed marriage proposal!!"

Xi Yan:...

Four... more than four thousand times?

Is this really... a normal person?

After a brief moment of shock, Xi Yan looked at Ai Ke and said, "Tell me, are you sure this is your captain?"

Is this reliable?

"Well... although Captain Lola's way of doing things is a bit unexpected, she's still a very reliable person," Ai Ke said.

After saying that, Ai Ke looked at Lola and said, "Captain Lola, this is the powerful expert we found. He's a very strong Ninja!"

As he spoke, Ai Ke's eyes gleamed with excitement, as if he greatly admired Ninja like Xi Yan.

"Eh!!"

"Ninja?!"

Everyone stared at Xi Yan in shock, never expecting that this person would actually mention the legendary Ninja.

"Ninja... Ninja?!"

Lola also looked at Xi Yan in shock; even though she came from Four Emperors Crew, this was the first time she had ever seen Ninja.

"Ah, that's right, they're Ninja."

"That's so cool!"

"Ninja, living Ninja!"

"Excuse me, do you know Fire Release?"

"You... you know Water Release?"

"And what about the Clone Technique?"

Listening to the chattering about business, Xi Yan picked at his ear and said, "We'll talk about that later, Ai Ke. Don't forget why you asked me to come here."

"Oh, right, Captain, please show this man our discovery," Ai Ke quickly added. "His enemy is also Moria."

"This time, we might actually be able to take the Shadow back!"

He still remembered why this man had come here.

"Okay." Lola nodded, then, as if remembering something, said, "By the way, my name is Lola, what's yours?"

They can't keep calling them Ninja.

"Just call me Xi Yan."

"Xi Yan ..." Lola paused for a moment, then asked unwillingly, "You really don't want to marry me?"

"If you keep saying that, I'm leaving!!"

"No, no, no!" Ai Ke grabbed Xi Yan and said, "Ninja Bro, please don't leave!"

As he spoke, Ai Ke frantically gave Lola meaningful glances, signaling her to stop.

Lola sighed, looking as if she'd missed out on a good match, then said, "Alright, please come with me."

Xi Yan glanced at Lola, who seemed resigned to her fate, and then at Ai Ke, who was looking at him pleadingly. He paused for a moment, then sighed and said, "Let's go."

Although this person seems a bit odd, well... since we're already here, let's go check him out.