One Piece: I Loaded the Game Panel

[The loser had no words]

Gecko Moria's strength far exceeded Adrian's expectations. After every pirate aboard his ship had died, the ridiculous man who would one day become a zombie-figurine collector and castle-dwelling shut-in had actually powered up like a manga protagonist!

He had jumped straight from level fifty-something to level 65, crossing an entire tier!

As for Moria's claim that "shadows can touch ghosts," the fight so far had proved him right.

Both the white ghosts and the Mini Hollows had been stopped by the shadows Moria controlled. Even Adrian's trump card, Withering Heart-Piercer, had achieved nothing.

But could shadows bypass the protection of Ghost Body?

Adrian refused to gamble on it.

Even if the odds were one in ten thousand, the versatility and reach Moria's shadows had shown meant that one touch would let him swap places with Shadow Clone and deal Adrian a fatal blow!

Testing the shadows with Ghost Body was a desperate plan with almost no margin for error!

That left only one option...

"You're destined to die by my hand, White Ghost!"

The shadow beneath Moria's feet surged like flowing water. As the seconds passed, it slowly merged with his body.

"A shadow changes when its owner changes. That's common sense. And an owner's shape must match his shadow. That's the rule."

"Conversely, if the shadow changes, its owner should theoretically change to match!"

"Now witness my strongest attack, White Ghost!"

"Shadow Revolution!!"

The shadow beneath Moria's feet writhed and changed shape. His body swelled like an inflating balloon, enormous black bat wings appeared on his back, and he shot up to a towering ten meters!

Moria now looked almost exactly like a demon from the depths of hell—and perhaps even more vicious!

Even hovering in midair, Adrian could feel the immense pressure of his presence below. It was astonishing.

Still awkward with his new wings, Moria flew toward the sky.

Adrian coughed softly. He had not expected Moria to abandon the ground fighting he knew best and take the battle into the air.

It no longer mattered.

The attack Adrian had prepared could not be dodged, whether in the sky or on the sea.

Moria had him outclassed in raw attributes, and Adrian clearly could not win a head-on fight. What else could he do?

Bombard him from a distance, of course!

Mini Hollow: Nova Fire!

A small wave of Mini Hollow bombs sped toward Moria, only to be blocked by a swarm of shadow bats he summoned with a casual gesture.

"White Ghost, these childish Ghost Bombs are useless against me! Stop wasting your strength and wait for death! Kishishishi..."

"That was just the appetizer, Mr. Gecko Moria." Adrian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gave him a polite smile. "I hope you can take the next attack as easily."

As soon as he finished speaking, he created a giant ghost nearly half the size of the Cruel Moonlight. It loomed across the aerial battlefield.

Sweat beaded on Moria's forehead. "A Ghost Bomb this big..."

Giant Hollow: Peacemaker!

BOOM—!!

A violent shock wave erupted in midair. The towering Shadow Screen surrounding them nearly shattered, its surface webbed with white cracks that let the light through.

Moria, who had only just taken flight, was blasted straight back onto the pirate ship by the sudden Peacemaker. If he had not reacted in time and used his power to shield himself, he would have been injured!

"I can make plenty more giant ghosts like that," Adrian said quietly. "Gecko Moria, are you ready?"

Four more enormous Peacemakers appeared in the sky. Like floating airships, they drifted downward with a deceptive slowness that concealed their speed.

Then the deadly bombardment began.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!!

Already on the verge of collapse, the Shadow Screen could bear no more. It broke into fragments that dissolved in the air.

The Cruel Moonlight fared no better under the four consecutive blasts. It broke apart completely, scattering wooden debris across the water while its main hull sank into the sea.

Yet Moria still had not been defeated!

Just before the Peacemakers exploded, he canceled Shadow Revolution and used his shadows to bind several of the largest planks beneath his feet together.

When the smoke cleared, Moria looked like a shipwrecked fisherman, standing on a crude raft of broken boards.

Pale-faced, Adrian created four more Peacemakers. This time, he did not send them down at once. Instead, he made them slowly fuse together.

Before Moria's despairing eyes, a white Ghost Bomb appeared, nearly twice the size of the Cruel Moonlight.

"You probably won't have enough of a body left for a proper burial, legendary Zombie King of the West Blue." Adrian waved his right hand, directing the giant ghost toward his enemy on the sea. "But with a title that outrageous, you won't mind a burial at sea, will you?"

Giant Hollow: Demon-Breaking Requiem!

Time seemed to stand still.

Then—BOOM!!!

A white wave a hundred meters high erupted from the mirror-smooth sea. At its crest was Moria's blood-soaked body. The Zombie King's eyes had rolled white, and he had lost consciousness completely.

"Cling to your dreams and drown in this sea!"

Great waves rolled outward, slowly erasing every trace of the Moonlight Pirates.

[B-rank quest: Moonlight Pirates. Quest complete. You gained 2,000,000 EXP.]

[Reward obtained: randomly draw two skills or specialties from the enemy.]

[Random selection in progress... Selection complete.]

[Choose two of the following five abilities as rewards:]

[1: Shadow Clone — Skill: Allows your shadow to swap places with your body.]

[2: Intermediate Hand-to-Hand Combat Technique — Skill: An advanced version of Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Technique.]

[3: Conqueror's Cleave — Skill: A sword technique involving a powerful slash, complete with the visual effect of "Haki bursting outward."]

[4: Well-Built — Specialty: Each level gained grants an additional +1 Strength and +1 Stamina.]

[5: Basic Navigation — Skill: Increases familiarity with the sea and improves mobility on it.]

[Level 40 advancement quest]

Of the five randomly selected abilities, four were skills and one was a specialty—the same spread as the rewards from the Freedom quest.

Overall, his luck was average.

Adrian studied the rewards on the panel.

First, there was no question: he had to take the specialty!

The name Well-Built sounded oddly suggestive, and its effect was far less impressive than his other two specialties, Low-Level Toughness and Ghost Fruit.

But a specialty was still a specialty. Its effect was far stronger than an ordinary skill, especially since it grew with him, adding attributes every time he leveled up.

Stamina had always been one of Adrian's weaker attributes. He almost never invested Free Attribute Points in it, so it rose painfully slowly.

Now that he had found a specialty that raised Stamina, he could not pass it up.

As for the remaining four skills, Basic Navigation was the first to go.

For Adrian the Navigator, it was not merely redundant—it was obsolete!

Adrian looked at the third reward.

Conqueror's Cleave...

If its description had not explicitly said "visual effect," he might have gambled on it for the mention of Haki.

But this was plainly a flashy skill that dealt no damage!

What would he use it for?

Showing off in front of a bunch of small fry?

It was completely useless to Adrian!

That left Intermediate Hand-to-Hand Combat Technique and Shadow Clone.

After some thought, Adrian gave up on Intermediate Hand-to-Hand Combat.

As an advanced form of Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat, Intermediate Hand-to-Hand Combat was fairly common on the seas.

He had seen a similar skill on Instructor Kumadori Yamamba. Hers, though, was Intermediate Marksmanship, an advanced form of Basic Marksmanship.

Adrian was certain he would meet plenty of enemies with Intermediate Hand-to-Hand Combat. Close-quarters fighting was the prevailing way to battle in this world, after all.

By comparison, until another Shadow-Shadow Fruit appeared on the seas, Shadow Clone was a one-of-a-kind ability. Adrian was willing to take the gamble.

[You gained the specialty: Well-Built!]

[You gained the skill: Shadow Clone!]

A swelling sensation erupted through his body!

"Hiss—"

Adrian sucked in a sharp breath and gritted his teeth.

Agony shot through every part of him, leaving him barely able to stand. Every muscle felt as though it were melting and being reshaped, every tendon torn apart and knitted back together. The pain was no less intense than when he had gained Low-Level Toughness!

He had no idea how long it took for the pain to recede like an ebbing tide.

"I knew a physical specialty like this would hurt like hell!" Adrian's eyes were bloodshot, and he breathed heavily. Several choice words for the system hovered on his lips.

"It was the same when I got Low-Level Toughness!"

"Wait! Well-Built isn't Low-Level Toughness!"

"That specialty's name describes a physique!"

Adrian descended rapidly until he hovered a meter above the sea, then looked at his reflection.

"My face hasn't changed... Well, maybe I'm a little more handsome..."

"But... when did I develop all these muscles?"

Adrian reached out and felt his broad pectorals, chiseled abs, and sharply defined V-line. He could have cried.

"Give me back my handsome, well-proportioned, ordinary build!" Adrian wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

He had been too distracted to check the panel earlier. Now that he had calmed down, Adrian turned his attention back to it.

Adrian was currently level 39. Thanks to his new specialty, both his Strength and Stamina had increased by 39 points.

Stamina had overtaken Agility, becoming his third attribute to pass 100.

Then Adrian noticed a panel message he had overlooked. It was not about Well-Built, but about his new skill.

[Detected consumed Devil Fruit: Paramecia-type Hollow-Hollow Fruit. Shadow Clone's effect has been modified!]

[Modifying...]

[Shadow Clone has been removed. You have learned a new skill: Demon Swordsman!]

[Demon Swordsman Lv. 1 (0/100,000): Allows a ghost you create to swap places with your body.]

Lady Luck was smiling on him. The gamble had paid off!

Adrian was delighted.

He had suspected as much. As a Hollow-Hollow Fruit user, he had no way to control his own shadow. Swapping places with it should have been impossible.

But the system panel had offered Shadow Clone as a reward, which suggested the skill might still work!

He had picked it to test that possibility, and the gamble had paid off.

Resisting the urge to try the skill immediately, Adrian checked the EXP he had accumulated. His lips curled into a smile.

Today really is my lucky day!

"Finally, my second advancement!"

"Level up!"