NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 23: A Warlord Falls
He wasn't surprised. Clashes between powerful individuals often reshaped the environment. The battle between Aokiji and Akainu for the position of Fleet Admiral had transformed Punk Hazard into an island of ice and fire.
In the worlds of Fairy Tail, Naruto, and Bleach, battles could create moons, obliterate countries, or even reshape entire continents.
Moria had ultimately lost. If he had been like Luffy, capable of imbuing his entire body with Haki before activating his Gear Fourth, he could have maintained his 1000-shadow form for an extended period, as Jinbe had noted.
He had relied too heavily on his Devil Fruit powers. While Admiral Kizaru also heavily utilized his Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit), it was a Logia-type Devil Fruit, far more potent than the Kage Kage no Mi (Shadow-Shadow Fruit). No, the Kage Kage no Mi was a formidable ability in its own right. The problem was Moria's lack of ingenuity and skill.
Donquixote Doflamingo and Emporio Ivankov had taken seemingly mundane Devil Fruits, the Ito Ito no Mi (String-String Fruit) and the Horu Horu no Mi (Hormone-Hormone Fruit), respectively, and turned them into world-altering powers, capable of manipulating strings and hormones to devastating effect, even creating a Birdcage that could encompass an entire island. There were no useless Devil Fruits, only incompetent users.
Even Big Mom's children, many of whom possessed Paramecia Devil Fruits related to food, had achieved power levels rivaling Logia users.
"Mr. Ian, are you alright?" Brook rushed towards Ian, concerned, but stopped as Ian slowly rose from the ground.
He had reverted to his normal appearance, sensing the change in his fusion rate with the Ulquiorra template. It had dropped from 38% to 35%. While absorbing all the ghosts on Thriller Bark would have boosted his fusion rate to 40%, allowing him to achieve his first Resurrección, Murciélago…
He hadn't reached that level yet, and he had used a significant portion of his power, resulting in a 3% decrease and overall exhaustion. This was the best possible outcome.
In the world of Bleach, if a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto was destroyed after activating Bankai, or an Arrancar's core was shattered during a forced Resurrección, they would be permanently stuck in that state.
However, even if he had reached 40% fusion, he suspected achieving Murciélago would still be difficult. He might be able to manifest his Zanpakuto, but no more.
After all, the top four Espada, including Ulquiorra, were all Vasto Lorde-class Hollows, while the remaining six were the strongest Adjuchas, bordering on Vasto Lorde level.
His Dimensional Template System granted him powers based on the Ulquiorra template, and 40% fusion likely equated to a Strong Adjuchas, or a standard captain-class Soul Reaper. In the One Piece world, this would be comparable to a Calamity, a Sweet Commander, or one of the top three Whitebeard commanders.
The strongest individuals in those categories – Marco, King, Katakuri, and even Marine Vice Admirals like Gion and Chaton – were Admiral candidates, possessing power rivaling an Admiral but falling short of true Admiral level.
Therefore, the rain of black energy blades that descended from the sky during Murciélago was still beyond his reach. He was too weak.
Ian approached Moria's massive body and used his soul-sensing to assess his condition. He discovered that Moria was in a vegetative state, a deep coma, although with his resilient physique…
He would eventually awaken, perhaps after a few months. Moria's fragmented soul was slowly coalescing, a black bat-like shadow intertwined within it. This was likely the true form of the "devil" within his Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
"Come out!" Ian placed his right hand on Moria's head, channeling his spiritual pressure into him and forcefully extracting the black bat shadow.
He instantly activated Soul Absorption, devouring the shadow. The green Devil Fruit sapling in his mind grew slightly, a new branch sprouting beside the transparent fruit with black wavy lines – the Suke Suke no Mi (Clear-Clear Fruit).
A dark fruit materialized on the new branch. He now possessed two Devil Fruit powers, both formidable Paramecia-type abilities. He was primarily interested in the shadow manipulation aspect of the Kage Kage no Mi, its ability to control and travel through shadows, not its power to create zombies, which felt morally reprehensible.
While ruthless towards his enemies, he wasn't a bloodthirsty monster. He sought powers like Shikamaru Nara's shadow manipulation or Rogue Cheney's Shadow Dragon Slayer Magic, abilities that allowed for versatile control over shadows.
If he could awaken the Kage Kage no Mi's full potential, he could even engulf the world in darkness. Where there was light, there were shadows, and with shadows at his command, he would be unstoppable. The same principle applied to the Suke Suke no Mi. Absalom had only utilized its invisibility, but…
If he could awaken its true potential and manipulate the surrounding environment, he could make himself and any object invisible, transcending mere invisibility and bending the laws of reality.
His ability to extract the Devil Fruit's essence from Moria stemmed from a device used by Rukia Kuchiki in the Bleach universe to forcefully remove a Soul Reaper's powers, as she had done with Ichigo Kurosaki when he temporarily lost his abilities.
While he didn't understand the mechanics behind it, his Soul Absorption could also extract souls from individuals with weak willpower. He had acted on a hunch…
He had infused his hand with spiritual pressure, and to his surprise, it worked. However, there was a limitation. The Devil Fruit user had to be on the verge of death or already deceased.
But he was hesitant to reveal this ability to Gion. After all, Impel Down was built to prevent the Devil Fruits of dangerous criminals from resurfacing.
Moria's body shuddered violently. Perhaps, upon awakening, he would discover the loss of his powers and break down. Or perhaps he would never awaken, his soul irreparably damaged by the second extraction on top of his existing injuries.
"You defeated him?" Gion arrived, her pink figure landing gracefully before Ian. She stared at Moria, her expression a mixture of surprise and concern.
"Don't worry, I didn't kill him… Although… it's possible he might remain in this state indefinitely." Ian stammered, his words leaving Gion speechless.
She had assumed he would depart immediately after acquiring Shusui. Instead, he had not only confronted and defeated Gecko Moria but had also managed to spare his life. Otherwise, they would have had to rely on the Marines' intelligence network to track down the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, and whoever consumed it might end up becoming another Moria.
But wait… was this young man truly this powerful? While he had single-handedly defeated over a dozen pirate crews and hundreds of pirates a few days ago, those were relatively weak pirates from the South Blue, with bounties in the tens of millions.
She had benefited from his actions. However, considering his Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit… the only other known Mythical Zoan users were Marco the Phoenix, the strongest commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, whose Buddha form could also be classified as a Mythical Zoan.
Both Marco and Sengoku could easily defeat Moria.
She attributed Ian's victory to his hidden strength. Why else would he have ventured to Thriller Bark alone? Even the current Admirals, Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu, hadn't been this powerful at his age, despite their formidable Logia abilities. A Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit indeed possessed such potential. She couldn't quite grasp his true strength.
Every exceptionally powerful young individual possessed either extraordinary talent and luck or unwavering determination honed through countless nights of relentless training. Or, in Ian's case…
A tragic past, a willingness to sacrifice everything to achieve his goals. Such individuals were both pitiable and formidable.
"Well, it is what it is. You deal with it." Ian shrugged, as if to say, "What can you do? He wasn't strong enough."
"..." Gion was speechless. This young man was just like Garp, acting on impulse and disregarding orders.
Fortunately, his actions, while reckless, were ultimately for the greater good. Perhaps he would become a hero someday, but she still wanted to punch that carefree smile off his face, just to teach him a lesson.
"I'll report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku…" Gion sighed, contacting Marine Headquarters through a Den Den Mushi.
At that moment, Sengoku was in his office, dealing with routine matters, such as reports of pirate attacks on various towns… a common occurrence.
Thankfully, the Marines had been able to resolve those incidents swiftly, preventing further chaos. And now, Gion had discovered a promising newcomer, someone who had single-handedly eliminated hundreds of pirates. He had no sympathy for those who disrupted the peace.
While the young man seemed to possess a somewhat bloodthirsty nature, the Marines had numerous skilled instructors who could easily guide him towards a more righteous path. After all, he had faced death and emerged with remarkable mental fortitude. He was a potential Admiral in the making.
"Gion? Have you arrived? Bring the young man in." Sengoku answered the Den Den Mushi, his voice calm and authoritative. Based on their estimated travel time, they should have reached Marineford by now.
"No, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. We're currently in the Florian Triangle. We'll be back in two days."
"Isn't that Gecko Moria's territory? What are you doing there? Don't tell me… you confronted him?" Sengoku exclaimed, his voice laced with concern. Headquarters had already designated her and Chaton as Admiral candidates.
While they might not be able to defeat Moria outright, they could certainly hold their own. However, wouldn't this be interpreted as a declaration of war against a Warlord? Were they no longer needed?
While Gion disagreed with the Warlord system, she understood the importance of maintaining the balance of power. She replied, "He was defeated by Ian."
"… Bring him back, then. We'll have to choose a new Warlord…" Sengoku said after a moment of silence.
Ian wasn't surprised by this decision. In the original story, Crocodile had been imprisoned in Impel Down primarily for his attempted coup in Alabasta and his pursuit of the ancient weapon Pluton. Moria, on the other hand, had been deemed too weak to retain his position as a Warlord after his defeat by the Straw Hats. Doflamingo and Kuma had been ordered to eliminate him.
If not for Absalom's intervention, Moria would have perished in Marineford. It was this incident that had led Absalom to seek out Moria two years later, rescuing him from Blackbeard's clutches.
The Marines needed the Warlords to maintain balance against the Four Emperors, but not just anyone could hold the title. Moria had been chosen for his past battle against Kaido and his willingness to remain isolated in the Florian Triangle, avoiding unnecessary conflict.
He only targeted passing ships, and it seemed he had been thoroughly traumatized by his defeat at the hands of Kaido, becoming a recluse.
This was similar to Buggy the Clown, who had been chosen as a Warlord due to his past connection to Roger, as well as his ties to Shanks and Whitebeard. After all, Buggy was a man with extraordinary luck.
Was this the reason behind Ian's hesitation, his need for time to consider the offer? He had eliminated a troublesome Warlord, offering it as a gift to the Marines, a sign of his willingness to join their ranks.
He was a promising young man, possessing both strength and intelligence. Perhaps he didn't even need the elite training program. He could be appointed as a Vice Admiral directly… He had, after all, defeated a Warlord.
No one could object to such a promotion. Moreover, several new individuals had emerged, pirates who, despite their criminal status, refrained from harming civilians, operating more like bounty hunters or adventurers. Perhaps they would be more suitable candidates for the position of Warlord, such as the young man from the East Blue… "Fire Fist" Ace.
With his Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit), a Logia-type Devil Fruit, he undoubtedly possessed the potential to become an Admiral… comparable to Ian's current strength.
"Wait, Fleet Admiral Sengoku…"