Pirates: I Loaded the Game Panel

Not long afterward, the distant scene was transmitted back into Adrian's mind by the Mini Hollow.

It was a gigantic three-masted sailing ship, many times larger than Adrian's small boat. Its sails and most conspicuous flag depicted an abstract skull resembling a moon, with scattered blood-red bats around it.

"That flag looks vaguely familiar. I think I saw it when I first arrived in the West Blue... I remember now. It's the flag of the Moonlight Pirates!"

A look of excitement flashed through Adrian's eyes.

"Let me see how high Moria's bounty is at this stage... Hmm, 57 million Beli! I remember that when I first arrived in the West Blue, Moria's bounty was only a little over 10 million. It nearly doubled in just three or four months. That's a frightening rate of growth..."

"Gecko Moria, huh? He seems like a pretty good opponent..."

On the deck, a burly man with a head of bright red hair raised a brass telescope and looked toward the lone boat on the distant sea. He muttered, "Tsk, tsk, what an unbelievably shabby little boat. It's completely incomparable to our Cruel Moonlight! It doesn't even have a ship's insignia. Is it a fisherman's boat that got lost? Why isn't there a single person aboard? Could they have been blown away and killed by the wind and waves? Hahaha..."

"What are you muttering about all by yourself, Red-Haired Jacks?"

A strong, pale arm rested on Red-Haired Jacks' shoulder. Its owner was an extremely tall man, at least six meters tall by estimation, and perhaps nearly seven.

The man had dark-purple hair that jutted straight into the sky. Two small protrusions resembling demonic horns grew from either side of his forehead, while a cross-shaped scar resembling a stitched wound ran between his brows. He looked exceptionally vicious.

What was rather unusual was the leather collar around his neck. Whether it was purely a personal preference was anyone's guess...

This man was the most prominent rising-star pirate in the West Blue of late, Gecko Moria.

"Moria, it's just a small boat."

"Give it to me!"

Moria snatched the telescope from Jacks' hands. After taking a casual look, he tossed it back to him in boredom and said disappointedly, "That's it? A boat like this caught your interest? Why not just tell the gunners to blow it up?"

"That does sound reasonable..."

"Oh dear, I don't think that's reasonable or acceptable. After all, that little boat is a rare work of art I made with my own hands!"

Moria instantly looked up toward the top of his ship's mast, while reaching for the long blade at his waist.

The other pirates reacted as well and looked up. A handsome black-haired man stood lightly atop the mast. He had a tall, lean build, a faint smile on his fair cheeks, and wore a black trench coat, white shirt, and black trousers. His bearing was distinctive and carefree.

"Brat! Get down from that mast right now!"

Red-Haired Jacks gripped his blade in his left hand and shouted at Adrian atop the mast, "This is the Moonlight—"

"I heard your name is Red-Haired Jacks?"

Adrian's gaze shifted. He had realized that lately, he kept running into pirates with remarkably strange names.

First there had been Beast Kaido.

And now there was Red-Haired Jacks.

It sounded like it could make the Four Emperors weep...

Just then, Adrian pushed off with his left foot and shifted one body-length to the right, dodging a cluster of shadows that attacked from below.

"Hey, Gecko Moria, don't you have even a little pirate's pride? Sneak attacks aren't a good habit."

"Hee hee hee hee..." Moria let out his sinister, distinctive laugh. He narrowed his eyes and pointed his blade at Adrian on the mast. "You dare act this arrogantly on someone else's territory, brat? State your name!"

Looking at Moria's compact, muscular build, Adrian felt deeply uncomfortable. From beginning to end, he felt that the chubby, chinless version of Moria was cuter...

Adrian looked down from above and said, "My name? When I was a bounty hunter, I had the title 'Tao Ya,' though plenty of people also like to call me 'White Ghost.'"

A person's name cast a shadow.

The moment the title White Ghost was revealed, a commotion broke out.

After three full months of spreading and circulation, the name White Ghost had become known throughout the West Blue. At the very least, not a single member of the Moonlight Pirates, who made their living on the sea every day, had failed to hear of him!

Red-Haired Jacks clenched both hands, his expression instantly darkening. He stared intently at Adrian atop the mast and said solemnly, "Moria, this isn't an opponent who can be dealt with easily! Don't underestimate him."

Moria grinned viciously, completely unconcerned. "White Ghost, Black Ghost—I'll turn him into a dead ghost! My Zombie Army just happens to be short a leader!"

"Don't underestimate people, Gecko Moria." Adrian folded his arms and spoke one word at a time. "As it happens, I was planning to use you as the stepping stone for my advancement!"

[You have triggered the B-rank random quest [Moonlight Pirates]!]

[Quest Description: On the vast open sea of the West Blue, besides the infamous traditional criminal organizations, the Cruel Moonlight wandering the seas is likewise one of the untouchable taboos! Now, another newcomer has come to challenge that taboo.

Will the legendary Zombie King continue his renown, or will White Ghost write a new legend?]

[Quest Hint: Hold nothing back!]

[Quest Requirements: Defeat/Kill Gecko Moria; Defeat/Destroy the Moonlight Pirates]

[Quest Reward: Randomly draw two skills or specialties from the enemy]

[46. Chapter Forty-Six: Ghost VS Shadow]

As soon as his words fell, Adrian's figure vanished from the top of the mast.

"What incredible speed!"

Moria had no time to react and merely raised his right hand on instinct.

Clang!

The next moment, Moria felt a considerable force travel up through the hilt. The tremendous impact made his arm tremble slightly despite himself.

But that was all.

"Is that the extent of your strength, brat?" The tall Moria swung his long blade and sent Adrian flying with a single slash, as if he were hitting a baseball. His ferocious voice echoed across the deck of the Cruel Moonlight. "You're tickling me!"

[Based on your level and attributes, you have obtained the following information.]

[Gecko Moria] (Red Name)

[Level: LV58]

[Attributes: Strength 163, Agility 149, Stamina 187, Intelligence 9, Charisma 34, Luck?]

[Abilities: Shadow-Shadow Fruit, ?]

[Danger Level: High]

--

As Adrian flew through the air, his eyes narrowed slightly. Ever since he had gone to sea, nearly every enemy he faced had been a higher level than him without exception.

Gecko Moria before him was not only the highest-level enemy he had encountered, but also possessed the highest attributes!

A level of LV58 meant that Moria's strength had already surpassed that of the overwhelming majority of Paradise-stage pirates.

He was only two steps away from the floor of the New World.

No wonder that after witnessing Roger's execution in 1498 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Moria had managed to lead a crew into the depths of the New World and confront Kaido's Beasts Pirates head-on within just a few years!

No wonder that after witnessing Roger's Execution in the year 1498 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Moria was able, within just a few years, to lead his crew deep into the New World to Wano Country and clash head-on with Kaido's Beasts Pirates!

"Let me test the weight of a fellow West Blue legend, White Ghost!"

"Shadow Horn Spear!"

Moria held his blade in his right hand and crouched slightly, then pressed his left hand against the deck. He pulled a huge, bizarrely shaped spear from the shadow before him and hurled it with all his strength toward the sky, aiming straight at Adrian.

By Moria's estimation, White Ghost had been knocked into midair with no point from which to borrow strength. There was no doubt that this brutal Shadow Horn Spear would pierce his body and bring this boring battle to a neat conclusion.

However, what Moria had never expected was for Adrian to simply turn in midair and flutter about like a honeybee playing among flowers, effortlessly dodging the Shadow Horn Spear he had considered virtually certain to hit.

"Flight ability?!"

Moria's expression changed slightly as he reluctantly voiced his guess.

The rarity of flight abilities was beyond question.

Above the boundless sea, mastering flight meant mastering air superiority—and the even more lethal initiative in attack!

"Don't think you're so great just because you can fly!" Moria looked up at the sky and roared, "Scattering Bats! Attack!"

The Shadow Horn Spear, which had originally continued forward under its own momentum, instantly shattered into hundreds of black fragments at a single thought from the shadow's wielder.

In the space of a breath, those scattered black fragments transformed into shadow bats once more. They opened their mouths, revealing sharp shadow fangs, and swooped toward Adrian with overwhelming force.

Mini Hollow: Nova Fire!

With a thought from Adrian, specks of white light appeared around him and transformed in an instant into hundreds of Mini Hollows.

The densely packed Mini Hollows flew toward the swarm of shadow bats, with nearly every Mini Hollow matched against a single shadow bat.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The collision of black and white exploded into brilliant sparks across the sky. The deafening detonations seemed capable of reaching through the heavens.

Adrian turned his gaze downward, his eyes cold.

Mini Hollow: Fireworks Festival!

The Mini Hollows that had not yet been exhausted, together with the newly created ones, gathered into a massive sphere of light. Like fireworks raining down, they launched an indiscriminate bombardment at the Cruel Moonlight below in a storm of explosions.

"Damn it, I hate people with flight abilities!"

Moria grumbled, but he did not dare underestimate the explosive power of the Mini Hollows.

Shadow Summoning!

Shadows surged constantly beneath Moria. Then, like a spring erupting, they gushed out from the deck. The shadows condensed into a gigantic protective barrier, enveloping Moria and all the other pirates aboard the Cruel Moonlight.

The Mini Hollows struck the shadow barrier, merely causing faint ripples to appear across its surface.

After more than ten seconds, the Mini Hollows were exhausted. Moria slowly withdrew the shadow barrier and shouted at the sky, "Hey! White Ghost! Don't you have any other moves? This isn't enough fun!"

He could lose the fight, but not his spirit. Besides, Moria had never thought himself weaker than his opponent. It was just that, unfortunately, his shadow abilities truly posed little threat to a flier...

Adrian frowned slightly in midair. He faintly sensed something special about Moria's shadow abilities, but he still needed to test it.

He extended a finger and released his previously invincible finishing move—Mini Hollow: Withering Heart-Piercer.

Moria merely yawned lazily on the ship. He casually summoned a shadow curtain, successfully keeping the Mini Hollow outside.

"Those dense bombs just now couldn't do anything to me. What can one little thing do?" Moria sneered, completely failing to notice the difference between this Mini Hollow and the ones before it.

But Adrian had already confirmed his suspicion.

Just as he thought!

The Shadow-Shadow Fruit really was different from other Devil Fruits!

As a supernatural creation, the shadow could likewise shift between reality and illusion according to its wielder's thoughts.

Although Moria himself had not noticed this, Adrian had.

Moreover, as the ability user, Moria could freely infuse every corner of the shadow with his will, shaping and transforming it however he pleased.

Lord of Shadows was probably the true title that a Shadow-Shadow Fruit user ought to have!

On the pirate ship below, seeing that their captain had not fallen at all against White Ghost, the pirates of the Moonlight Pirates were overjoyed. Carried away with themselves, they began shouting provocatively at the sky.

"So this is the Death Messenger that the legends make sound so terrifying? How scary~"

"With Captain Moria this powerful, how could he possibly lose to a brat?"

"He's all alone! Everyone, let's attack together!"

The arrogant laughter abruptly ceased. Everyone turned toward the pirate who had shouted last, looking at him as though he were an idiot.

Their gazes all conveyed the same message: He can fly. If you think you can, go on up there.

The Pirates' stares all seemed to say, “He can fly. If you think you can, go on up there,” leaving that pirate red-faced and utterly embarrassed.

In the sky, Adrian shook his head slightly. The lackeys should leave the stage as soon as possible. They were simply ruining the mood!

He spread open his palm toward the Cruel Moonlight below and said coldly:

“White Ghost: Heart-Ravaging Maze!”

[47. Chapter Forty-Seven: The Weak, Begone]

A surging mass of White Ghosts poured from Adrian's palm.

As one of the most basic abilities of the Hollow-Hollow Fruit, creating White Ghosts was effortless for Adrian, as simple as breathing.

Countless White Ghosts descended from the sky and surrounded the Cruel Moonlight below like dense fog.

Moria furrowed his brow and likewise released a large quantity of shadows.

A torrent of black shadows surged upward to meet the White Ghosts descending from the sky, but unlike before, they accomplished nothing.

The densely packed White Ghosts scattered evenly the instant they collided with the shadow current, spreading out like cloth and covering it completely. They neither exploded directly as they had before nor showed any intention of piercing through the shadow current.