Dragon Fang
Just then, Moke had already boarded the ship piloted by the three siblings. The ship's design was quite similar to the Going Merry, also a small vessel, but perfectly suited to Moke Pirates of only two members. More importantly, after carefully inspecting the entire ship, Moke was astonished to discover that it was meticulously crafted entirely from the finest wood. This superior material made the ship sturdy, durable, and of excellent quality. As he observed further, Moke's smile grew even brighter, clearly increasingly satisfied with the small boat before him...
Before even beginning to meticulously build his own pirate ship, the vessel before him was undoubtedly an excellent and rare transitional choice. Thinking of this, Moke's weathered yet vibrant face involuntarily broke into a wide grin, a smile as bright and dazzling as the sun. As he laughed, he Dark-Dark Fruit pondered, "Could it be that these three sisters really sent this ship to us specifically? Hehe, if that's the case, that's wonderful! Haha..." With each laugh, Moke's mind began to conjure images of sailing this ship across the vast ocean, braving the winds and waves, as if those thrilling adventures were beckoning him.
Just then, a series of "blurt blurt..." sounds came from inside. It was Ata, carrying a package, walking quickly over. Inside the package, a Den Den Mushi was Rumbling incessantly, seemingly eager to convey some important information. Seeing this, Moke's smile deepened, "Judging by this, Sengoku must be getting impatient."
As expected, when Moke quickly answered the phone, Sengoku's familiar yet slightly authoritative voice immediately came through. "Moke, a whole month has passed, why are you still hanging around on Chef Island? You don't have much time left! If you still can't complete the mission I gave you in another half month, then our agreement will be null and void! At that time..." Although Sengoku didn't finish his sentence, Moke knew perfectly well what the unspoken second half meant. This mission was his first "pledge of allegiance" after successfully joining the ranks of the Shichibukai. If he couldn't complete this mission successfully, his hard-earned status Shichibukai would likely vanish.
Moke's lips curled into a disdainful smile as he said, "Heh, isn't this just a bunch of arrogant, reckless Slaver Group who dared to attack my protected Chef Island? Hmph, they're really asking for trouble! So, I slowed down my movements a bit, but don't worry, I've already pinpointed their location and target; they definitely won't escape my grasp!"
Sengoku, who was standing to the side, nodded in agreement and replied, "Well, that's good... As long as things are resolved smoothly." After saying that, Sengoku hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Just then, Ata, who had been standing quietly to the side as if invisible, suddenly changed her previously calm expression. Her slender eyebrows slowly furrowed, trembling gently like willow leaves in a breeze; a clear look of worry appeared in her beautiful eyes, as heart-wrenching as the flickering stars in the night sky. Then, a soft voice came from her cherry-like mouth. "Captain, don't you think half a month is too tight? Perhaps we should reconsider our operation plan..."
Unfortunately, before Ata could finish speaking, Moke swiftly interrupted her with a powerful Zhou Yu of his strong arm. He declared decisively, "Absolutely not! No matter what, we must strictly adhere to the original plan! As for our ultimate objective, we must wait until Mr. 3 delivers news of a resounding success before taking any action. Otherwise, even if we rush to our destination now, in such a short time, we'll only be running around like headless chickens, unable to find any clues or solutions."
Moke's words were powerful and resounding, each word carrying immense weight and striking the hearts of everyone present. His tone was firm and unwavering, leaving no room for negotiation, which inspired awe in all who heard him.
Upon hearing the unfamiliar name "Mr. 3," Ata's face showed surprise, and she asked suspiciously, "Mr. 3? Who is this person? I've never heard of him before." Faced with Ata's barrage of questions, Moke simply smiled slightly, a hint of undisguised smugness on his face, and then replied unhurriedly, "Hehe, he is an outstanding and fierce general in the intelligence organization I lead. It won't be long before you meet and get to know him, and the two of you will definitely need to cooperate and interact frequently in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Ata's eyes suddenly lit up, and she was secretly astonished. She had never expected that Moke would control such a mysterious intelligence organization; this was truly beyond her expectations. However, upon further reflection, the stronger the power Moke controlled, the better it would be for her. After all, adventuring with such a powerful captain would surely fill the future with endless possibilities and opportunities.
A surge of joy welled up within her. However, deep down, only a hint of curiosity remained. Why send Mr. 3 on this mission? He was known for his intelligence gathering! Besides, the Navy had already informed them of the target's location long ago. Logically speaking, this arrangement seemed redundant... But at that moment, a subtle smile slowly crept onto Moke's lips. It turned out that the target Sengoku had assigned him, seemingly an ordinary mission, was actually fraught with hidden dangers, its malicious intent akin to using one enemy to devour another. For Moke, however, this was undoubtedly a windfall, a gift of a powerful ally! When he learned that Sengoku's target was this person, he was so excited that he woke up laughing in his sleep for several nights in a row.
Time flies, and ten days have passed in the blink of an eye. Moke finally arrived at the legendary Florian Triangle. The target he came to find was the Thriller Bark that stood on the vast sea, controlled by Moonlight Moria. However, as soon as Moke stepped into this mysterious sea, his brows furrowed involuntarily. This was because the entire Florian Triangle was shrouded in a thick fog, making it seem as if one was in a chaotic, undeveloped world, with no way to distinguish east from west.
Moke's face showed a hint of helplessness as he muttered to himself, "This is really troublesome..." Hearing this, Ata's eyes twitched involuntarily. He then took a deep breath and mustered his courage to offer his first suggestion since joining the team. "Captain, in my opinion, the most urgent thing we need to do after we get out is to find a good navigator."
Moke nodded slightly, indicating his deep agreement with the suggestion. "Yes, that makes a lot of sense... Once we successfully resolve the problems here and complete the mission assigned by Sengoku, the search for the navigator must be put on the agenda immediately." However, at this moment, Moke did not think too much about future plans, but slowly stretched out his right hand and gently touched the dense fog that was everywhere around him.
Just then, Ata, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly widened her eyes, her face filled with astonishment. She had witnessed a jaw-dropping sight: Moke was gradually becoming blurry and indistinct, as if he no longer belonged to this real world and could disappear into the vast mist like a phantom at any moment.
Just as Ata was still reeling from the shock, a series of astonishing and unbelievable scenes unfolded before his eyes like a tidal wave. The thick, dense fog, which had almost solidified into a physical substance, now seemed to be driven by some mysterious force, as if manipulated by an invisible giant hand, sweeping wildly in all directions at an unimaginable speed.
In an instant, the surrounding fog thinned considerably, and the view, once obscured by the thick mist, gradually cleared. The scene overhead, in particular, underwent a dramatic and wondrous transformation. A warm and dazzling golden ray of sunlight, like an invincible sword, pierced straight through the layers of fog with unstoppable force, casting its rays down without hindrance. Its brilliant light, like the most dazzling star in the night sky, instantly swept away the surrounding darkness and gloom, illuminating the area as bright as day.
Faced with such a magical and spectacular scene, Ata was completely stunned. Her wide, staring eyes were filled with indescribable astonishment and shock. She stared straight at the ever-calm Moke before her, her lips trembling slightly, her voice shaking with extreme excitement. "Captain... how... how did you... do that? This is... unbelievable!"
Faced with Ata's question, Moke simply chuckled, as if it were all a piece of cake. He slowly explained, "It's actually quite simple. I'm Paramecia Absorption Devil Fruit User. As long as I come into contact with any substance, my body can instantly transform into the form of that substance and gain a similar Devil Fruit Ability. For example, if I absorb Tekkai, I can immediately become like Devil Fruit User, able to freely manipulate metal; and like now, I've absorbed this surrounding mist, naturally gaining the Logia — Mist-Mist Fruit —ability. In that case, controlling this mist would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?"
Upon hearing these words, Ata was struck as if by a bolt of lightning. Her body trembled violently, and she involuntarily let out a sharp and loud cry of surprise, "Wh--what?" Her previously composed face instantly contorted, and her expression could no longer be simply described as shock. Her beautiful eyes widened, as if her eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets; her mouth was exaggeratedly wide open, so wide that a whole egg could easily be stuffed inside.
At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through Ata's mind like Inazuma, and all her previous doubts and confusion vanished in an instant. She finally Satori why Moke's bounty poster clearly stated that he possessed multiple Devil Fruit Ability. It turned out that it was all just a serious misinterpretation by the Navy of the unique and extremely rare Devil Fruit ability that Moke possessed... However, what was unbelievable was that such a magical and powerful Devil Fruit really existed in this vast world? That meant that possessing it was equivalent to simultaneously mastering countless extraordinary abilities. Like raging flames! Dazzling light! Scorching magma! Bone-chilling ice! Thick, solid earth, and so on... The possibilities were simply unimaginable.
Thinking of this, Ata felt an indescribable surge of excitement and joy. At this moment, she felt incredibly fortunate—fortunate that she had resolutely chosen to join the captain's pirate crew. After all, if anyone in their crew possessed such an incredible Devil Fruit ability, becoming one of the Four Emperors Four Seas, or even ascending to Might-Shaker coveted One Piece's throne, would likely only be a matter of time. Compared to such immense power, what was that so-called Doflamingo? He was utterly insignificant!