The Fruit Men Want Most

The island was shrouded in thick fog, and the air was thick with the stench of decay.

The source of this putrid stench is not any animal or food.

They all came from human corpses.

After Gecko Moria lost to Kaido, he swallowed all the passing ships with the help of Thriller Bark.

Using the properties of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, they cut off the crew members' shadows, stuffed them into the corpses, and resurrected them as zombies for their own use.

This shadow contains some of the previous owner's abilities and personality. The more powerful the shadow's owner, the more powerful the zombie will be.

However, there are also problems.

The shadows that Gecko Moria could steal weren't particularly strong, and they had a fatal flaw: to preserve a shadow, its owner had to be alive. If the owner died, the shadow would disappear. Moria couldn't kill the shadow's owner, so he could only banish them.

So the huge island was divided into several parts, and besides the zombies, there were also many pitiful creatures who had lost their shadows and were barely surviving.

These zombies were shocked when they saw the Pirate World Fang Yu. Although there was no sun on the island, there was still a faint light, and they could see that there was indeed a shadow following behind him.

If he's not one of Gecko Moria's subordinates, then who is this guy?

A large tree, seemingly holding a coffee cup, looked at Fang Yu with curious eyes and quickly greeted him, "oi~oi~oi~"

"What's up?"

Fang Yu tilted his head. He recognized the tree. Luffy had later invited this strange thing to join his ship, but Luffy gave up after Nami punched him hard on the head.

Big Tree put the coffee cup aside. "Ah, if that's how you put it, then it's alright."

"Oh."

Fang Yu continued walking forward as he spoke, when the big tree suddenly snapped back to reality. "Don't move! Who are you! Why are you on the island!"

Why should I tell you? Do you even know how to repair boats?

Big Tree paused for a moment, "Repairing the boat? I don't know how."

"I won't waste any words; a good tree doesn't block the way."

"You! Hmph, just wait until you meet that great one, then you'll know what terror truly is, hehehehe."

The tree branches swung wildly, as if to say, "Before that, let's see if you can get past me first!"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless hands burst forth from the surrounding earth—all of them were zombies created by Moria!

As they broke through the soil, they let out a low, guttural roar that sounded quite frightening!

Just as the giant tree was about to rush towards Fang Yu with overwhelming force, an extremely terrifying aura swept across the entire area like a tidal wave!

This aura was cold and malevolent, as if it came from an endless abyss, carrying a sense of oppression that made one's soul tremble! But it vanished in an instant, like lightning, leaving only a trace of chill in the air.

The tree froze on the spot, its arrogant aura vanished, and large beads of sweat rolled down its "forehead," frightened into kowtowing to Fang Yu.

"I... I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know you, I..."

It couldn't even speak clearly anymore, and kept apologizing.

The zombies that had reached out their hands quickly retracted their claws, their phlegm no longer stuck in their throats, and some even helped cover the zombies next to them with soil.

That's so damn scary!

Overpowered! Conqueror's Haki!?

What does this mean?

A primary school student saw a stranger who threatened him, saying that his cousin was in fifth grade and had a stick, and that if the boy knew what was good for him, he should pay 50 cents in protection money.

Then?

Then Fang Yu pulled out his gun.

"Sir! Sir, spare my life! Spare my life!"

Fang Yu had never seen a tree kowtow before; now he had.

"Sir! How can I help you? Please tell me! Oh, right! You need help repairing boats, right? I'll go find one for you!"

"You're looking for someone? Okay, here's your service fee."

"No! No need! It's my pleasure to serve you!"

Having someone to guide you is a good thing, so you don't wander around like a headless fly.

Fang Yu followed the strange tree, striding forward.

Along the way, the zombies around him secretly sized up Fang Yu with curious yet fearful eyes.

However, due to the intimidating aura from before, not a single zombie dared to approach.

They knew that anyone who could frighten the usually arrogant and domineering strange tree like this must be a powerful figure they couldn't afford to offend.

Soon, led by the strange tree, Fang Yu arrived at a junkyard that exuded an aura of decay.

It's called a junkyard, but it's more like a "graveyard" for ships. Countless dilapidated ships are piled up here in a disorderly manner, with rotten planks and twisted masts, as if telling the tragic story of their past.

Fang Yu stepped into this place, a keen sense made him instantly aware of hundreds of weak auras around him, like candles flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

He frowned slightly; the owners of these auras must be those pitiful people who had lost their shadows and were barely surviving here.

The strange tree stood in the center of the field, cleared its throat, and shouted at the top of its lungs, "We need a few ship repairmen. There will be a generous reward for repairing the ship!"

The sound echoed through the empty junkyard, startling several crows perched on the wrecked boat. They flapped their wings and made unpleasant cries.

Upon hearing the strange tree's words, Fang Yu couldn't help but curl his lip and coldly said, "I didn't say how much money I would give."

The strange tree quickly winked and put on a fawning smile, saying, "We'll fix it first, we'll fix it first."

Soon, several figures emerged from various corners.

They were thin, haggard, and their eyes were filled with despair and numbness.

One of the elderly men, with a hunched back, cautiously Earth Flow Fang Yu and stammered, "Sir, what's wrong with your ship?"

Fang Yu sized up the old man and said, "The hull is damaged, and the keel has some problems. Can it be repaired?"

The old man nodded slightly, glanced at the mountains of wrecked ships around him, and said, "It can be repaired, it can be repaired. As long as we have the materials, we can fix it. How will we pay? Beli or food?"

Fang Yu nodded slightly. "That's fine. My boat is just in the direction of the shore. You can find the materials yourselves and carry them yourselves."

Just as the other poor souls who had lost their shadows were about to start searching for materials, the old man who was leading them suddenly stopped what he was doing. His expression was a little nervous but also a little expectant. He mustered up his courage and said, "Sir, we don't want money, but we have a few questions. May I ask which pirate crew you belong to? How many people are on your ship? What is the highest bounty of your captain? This is very important to me."

Fang Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, not surprised by the old man's series of questions. He casually replied, "Three hundred million Beli."

Upon hearing this, the strange tree standing to the side screamed in terror, its massive body trembling uncontrollably, as if it had heard some terrifying number.

Those who had lost their shadows and were like walking corpses cheered as if they had heard great news.

"Great! That's wonderful!"

Their eyes shone with a long-lost glimmer of hope, and their previously dull faces were revitalized by this unexpected surprise.

Gecko Moria's bounty was just over 300 million Beli, and now this mysterious figure before them also had a bounty of 300 million Beli. In their hearts, this might mean a turning point, and perhaps, just perhaps, this person could change their tragic fate.

The elderly man leading the group blushed deeply and said with great embarrassment, "Sir, we don't want any reward. We will repair your ship to its original condition in the most efficient way possible. But could you... could you please help us retrieve the Shadow? If you can do so, we are willing to serve you for the rest of our lives!"

As they spoke, hundreds of people knelt down and kowtowed in unison, creating a spectacular scene.

Looking at the scene before him, Fang Yu slowly said, "Well then, since you only want the shadow and not the money, could you use the ships here, plus my existing ships, to build me a bigger ship, something sturdier?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other and nodded vigorously.

The old man stood up and said respectfully, "Rest assured, we will do our best! Although these ships are old and dilapidated, they contain some sturdy materials, and we will definitely build a large ship that will satisfy you!"

Inside that gloomy yet luxurious room, candlelight flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls in the dim light.

Gecko Moria leaned languidly against his enormous throne, holding a delicate wine glass in his hand. The red wine in the glass shimmered alluringly in the candlelight, like fresh blood.

He gently swirled the wine in his glass, filling the air with its aroma.

Below the throne, his Three Oddities subordinates were all relaxed.

Ghost Princess Perona, dressed in a Gothic Lolita dress, holds a bright red tomato in her small hands and is enjoying it, with a little tomato juice still on the corner of her mouth. Her bright and lively eyes look especially bright in the dim light.

Absalom stood to the side, dressed in splendid attire, also holding a glass of red wine, taking sips now and then, a smug smile on his face.

At this moment, they looked extremely comfortable; this gloomy world was their Paradise.

Gecko Moria tilted his head back slightly, downed the glass of red wine in one gulp, and then slowly spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "Food has been running low lately; it's time to start the hunt."

Upon hearing this, Hogback, who was standing nearby, respectfully replied, "Yes, Captain, I'll take care of it right away."

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar, breaking the silence in the room.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a strange tree rushing in in a panic.

Upon seeing Moria, the strange tree turned deathly pale. It knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly and stammering, "Ship, Captain, the lord asked me to deliver a message: surrender to the lord only if you hand over the shadow."

Before he could finish speaking, Absalom flew into a rage. Using the power of the Clear-Clear Fruit, he vanished instantly, leaving only the sound of a gust of wind.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the strange tree, his eyes wide with rage, and roared, "You traitor, daydreaming! I will kill you on behalf of Lord Moria!"

As he spoke, a sharp dagger appeared in his hand, its cold light flashing, and he thrust it straight at the strange tree.

The tree wasn't stupid; it immediately turned and ran, crying as it ran!

"What can I do? They're both worth 300 million Beli; I can't afford to offend either of them."

The strange tree ran out, and Absalom returned to the room with a dagger.

Gecko Moria swayed his obese body slightly, his gaze slowly turning to Absalom, his tone tinged with displeasure and suspicion. "Absalom, go see what's going on. I didn't even know when these people arrived on the island. Is Hill slacking off? Is he sleeping upside down in some tree?"

Absalom snorted coldly, his face full of disdain, and replied, "Hmph, daring to run wild on our turf, I'll definitely teach him a lesson."

With that, he vanished instantly, activating the power of the Clear-Clear Fruit, leaving only a slight ripple in the air as proof of his mere presence.

Meanwhile, on a certain floor of the castle.

Fang Yu was in a corridor at this moment. The candlelight on the wall flickered, and the cold wind howled through the broken windows, making a sound like Kikoku howling, echoing in the empty corridor.

Fang Yu walked slowly forward, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the ancient paintings on the wall.

In an instant, he felt as if the figures in the paintings had come to life, their eyes fixed on him, filled with eeriness and malice.

Fang Yu frowned slightly, stopped in his tracks, and turned his gaze back to the paintings.

However, when he looked closely, the paintings returned to normal and hung quietly on the wall, as if everything that had just happened was just his illusion.

Without hesitation, he swiftly Hand Seal and uttered a low shout, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Instantly, a powerful burst of flame shot out from his mouth, heading straight for the painting on the wall!

The paintings seemed to "jump" in fright at the sudden attack, and just as the fireball was about to hit them, strange figures emerged from the frames.

They bared their teeth and claws, leaping and bounding about, emitting pitiful howls as they tried to escape the scorching flames.

Looking at the chaotic and bizarre scene before him, Fang Yu scoffed, "You're trying to act in Horror Film without any real talent? You're at best a Harry, maybe with a touch of fantasy."

Just as Fang Yu was watching these guys running around in a panic

Suddenly, with a loud "whoosh," a Rocket flew over and headed straight for the Pirate World Fang Yu!

Fang Yu narrowed his eyes, and without saying a word, he raised his hand and threw a punch!

"Boom!" The punch collided with the Rocket, and the sound was deafening! The castle walls couldn't withstand it and were blasted with a huge hole, bricks flew everywhere, and dust instantly filled the air.

The terrifying zombies that crawled out of the painting, who were originally shouting nonsense, were now completely terrified, their eyes wide open and their mouths agape enough to fit two big apples.

They stared blankly at the cave entrance. After a while, one of the zombies, for reasons unknown, suddenly shouted, "Lord Absalom is incredibly brave!"

Upon hearing this, the other zombies cheered, and their awful cries filled the entire corridor.

But the cheers didn't last long. One of the zombies seemed to be frozen in place, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.

The other zombies, curiously following its gaze, were so shocked that their jaws nearly dropped to the ground!

As the smoke slowly dissipated, Fang Yu was at the center of the explosion, stood firmly in place as if nothing had happened, still in the punching stance, without even a wrinkle on his clothes!

When Absalom, who was hiding in the corner, saw this scene, his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his throat!

He had never seen anyone who could blow up Rocket with a single punch and be completely unharmed!

'It must be that this guy has an incredibly strong physique, or maybe it's some kind of Devil Fruit ability.'

Although Absalom was shocked by Fang Yu's move, he was still thinking of using dirty tricks. After all, he Devil Fruit User, so even if he couldn't win, he could still run away.

Absalom's eyes were fixed on Fang Yu's figure, like a hungry wolf eyeing a piece of meat, secretly thinking: 'I'll find a chance to stab him in the back!'

He crept around from the side, gripping the dagger tightly in his hand, and slowly approached Fang Yu.

Suddenly, Absalom was stunned!

He noticed that the young man in front of him was staring straight at him!

Absalom's heart skipped a beat, and he almost tripped over his own foot, his expression freezing instantly.

What a coincidence! It must be a coincidence!

He screamed wildly in his mind, his head a complete mess, and he hurriedly darted to the other side.

As a result, Fang Yu's gaze followed him again, like sticky chewing gum.

Absalom was stunned. He stood there, scratching his head, his hair a mess, looking like a bird's nest.

'Impossible! Another coincidence?'

He was full of doubts, but this had never happened before, so he decided to go all in. In a moment of impulsiveness, he kicked his legs and, like an agile Monkey, "whoosh," he landed at the top of the corridor!

He clung to the wall, barely daring to breathe, his eyes stealthily glancing at Fang Yu, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

It's impossible that they'd be looking this way from up there, right? It can't be that coincidental, can it?

But reality slapped him hard in the face!

Fang Yu's eyes, like searchlights, instantly locked onto the space above!

Absalom's face immediately turned red! He steeled himself, jumped down from the corridor ceiling, and quickly lay down on the ground, still fantasizing: 'Even if it were a coincidence, would you possibly be looking down again? Maybe this guy just had a cervical spondylosis flare-up.'

However.

Fang Yu's gaze remained steadily fixed on the ground, as if Absalom had not become invisible at all.

Absalom was completely dumbfounded. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes vacant, as if his soul was leaving his body!

However, this guy was still unwilling to give up, after all, such a bizarre situation had never happened before.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. He quietly approached a strange zombie next to him, raised his hand and punched it, making the zombie stagger!

The strange zombie looked bewildered, glancing left and right, scratching its head, and muttering, "Am I hallucinating?"

Upon seeing this, Absalom's face turned deathly pale, his eyes widened like Copper Bell, and his mouth gaped open!

The Devil Fruit Ability is still there.

How did this guy see me?!

Everyone has different knowledge reserves. The strange tree recognizes Conqueror's Haki because it retired from the New World and was preparing to return to its hometown to live out its old age in seclusion. It was swallowed by Thriller Bark and had seen and eaten a lot of things.

Absalom lacked that kind of insight.

He was still immersed in extreme fear and shock, his legs were weak, like two cooked noodles.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke, her voice trembling, "You... you can see me, right?"

He stared intently at Fang Yu, his eyes filled with fear and anticipation, hoping to find some comfort in the other's answer.

Fang Yu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mysterious smile, and he nodded slowly.

That slight nod was like a boulder crashing down on Absalom's heart!

Absalom's eyes widened instantly, his face filled with disbelief! His voice trembled, and he groaned softly.

Hearing the voice in the dim light, Fang Yu scratched the back of his hand. "Ah, should I pretend I can't see it?"

"Wh! What! This is too, too humiliating!" In his extreme panic, Absalom's mind went blank, and he subconsciously canceled the power of the Clear-Clear Fruit, instantly revealing his figure to everyone.

Just then, Fang Yu, looking at the exposed Absalom, suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter echoed in the empty corridor, making Absalom feel uneasy.

Fang Yu said with a smile, "I really couldn't see it just now, I was just guessing, but I can see it now, hello."

Absalom's heart skipped a beat when he heard this!

Oh no! We've been tricked!

Absalom let out a strange cry and hurriedly activated his Clear-Clear Devil Fruit Ability again, trying to escape this terrifying place as quickly as possible!

However, he had only taken one step and had no time to react when he felt a powerful force coming from behind him!

Fang Yu instantly appeared behind him, his large hand like a vise, grabbing his neck!

Absalom felt a tightness in his neck, making it difficult to breathe!

Did I let you leave?

Absalom struggled desperately, waving his hands wildly, trying to break free from Fang Yu's Binding Vow, but all his efforts were in vain.

"Let's go, take me to see Moria. I have a score to settle with him."