A trendous shockwave shook the entire Ghost Island of Thriller Bark.
Luffy's figure appeared atop the ruins of the ancient castle.
Countless shadows returned to their original bodies.
The warm sunlight pierced through the nightmare-like fog.
"Whoosh—!"
A tattered, half-dead figure lay in a distant crater.
Gecko Moria's mind was in complete chaos. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest proved that he was still alive.
Luffy leaned against a broken wall. He frowned slightly and tilted his head.
"So… you still want to have a round with … Kuma?"
A massive figure appeared beside Moria.
Bartholow Kuma.
"…He can't die yet."
Kuma calmly raised his right hand and gently pushed forward.
With a soft thump, Moria vanished from the spot.
Luffy did not try to stop him.
"Kuma… you injured my crewmates that badly. So tell … what do you think I should do about that?"
Dark red Conqueror's Haki burst out from his body, stirring the very air.
The once clear sky beca filled with crackling black lightning.
Kuma fell silent. After a mont, he sighed.
"I underestimated you… Monkey D. Luffy."
"But if I want to leave… you can't stop ."
As soon as the words fell, Kuma's figure disappeared.
Before vanishing completely, his voice echoed one last ti:
"Your brother… Portgas D. Ace… has been captured by the Navy."
"Perhaps… we'll et again very soon."
"Ace…"
Fragnts of childhood mories flashed through Luffy's mind.
But the past could never return.
After a mont, Luffy let out a quiet sigh and disappeared from the ruins.
Elsewhere on the Grand Line
On a pirate ship sailing through the Grand Line, a crewman pushed open the captain's door.
"Captain! Please co out to the deck!"
The captain was curled up on his bed, completely wrapped in his blanket.
"Don't say stupid things, idiot! The sun will kill us! Our shadows were stolen by Moria two years ago!"
"Just look at the ground beneath us!"
"Why are you being so annoy—"
The captain got up and looked at the man.
The next second, his eyes widened.
Under the morning sun, the crewman's shadow stretched long across the deck.
"Our… shadow… it's back?!"
The captain rushed out of the room.
Sure enough—his own shadow appeared beneath his feet.
Soon the entire crew gathered on deck.
Everyone's shadow had returned.
"Captain… could soone have defeated Moria?" one of the pirates asked, tears streaming down his face.
"Idiot. That's impossible."
The weathered captain stared at the rising sun.
"…Moria is a pirate who once fought Kaido, one of the Four Emperors."
"…Who in the world could possibly defeat a monster like that?"
Across the Seas
"My shadow… it's back!"
—
"It's been so many years since I've seen sunlight!"
—
"Our zombies… are finally dead on Thriller Bark!"
On a Certain Island
Inside a luxurious villa—
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Plates fell to the ground and shattered.
A maid stared at her reflection in disbelief.
"I can see it…! I can see it in the mirror!"
"What's all that noise, Margarita?"
The master of the house ca running out in his pajamas.
"My shadow! My shadow ca back!"
"What? Your shadow? The one that pirates stole ten years ago?"
Suddenly the man noticed the broken plates on the floor.
"Oh no! Master, I'm so sorry! I was so shocked that I broke your family heirloom plates!"
"I know I used to resent these plates, but I've reford! I truly didn't an it!"
The maid looked at him pleadingly.
The man said nothing.
"I'm very sorry… I'll leave the mansion imdiately."
The maid bowed deeply and turned away in despair.
But after taking a single step, she was stopped.
The master grabbed her arm.
"What are you talking about? Plates don't matter."
"You're not hurt, right?"
"Let's celebrate instead. This is wonderful, Margarita."
He smiled warmly.
The maid burst into tears of joy.
Thriller Bark
The Straw Hat Pirates lay scattered among the ruins, basking in the sunlight.
Luffy sat atop a nearby platform, his slipper-clad feet swinging back and forth.
After what happened with Kuma, Luffy figured everyone's motivation to train would finally ignite.
There was no helping it.
The Straw Hat crew was still too small.
Whether it was the cook, the doctor, or the navigator, everyone would have to train.
At the very least, they needed the strength to protect themselves.
However, two things still surprised Luffy.
First—
Zoro had comprehended true sword intent and stepped into the realm of a Great Swordsman.
Second—
Sanji had awakened his lineage factor, turning into an absolute tank.
One stacked attack power.
The other just kept getting back up no matter what.
"Heh… not bad."
Soon the crew slowly began to wake up.
Sanji woke first.
Then the non-combat mbers.
Zoro was the last to open his eyes.
"How are you all feeling?"
Luffy suddenly jumped down and appeared in front of them.
The next second—
Nami rushed forward.
Her slender arms wrapped tightly around Luffy's neck as she crashed into him.
Luffy blinked.
"Hmm… nice and soft."
He wrapped his left arm around Nami's waist and gently stroked her hair.
"It's okay. I'm here. I'm always here."
"Idiot…!"
Nami buried her face in his chest.
"Do you know how close I was to never seeing you again?!"
She rubbed her tears against his shirt.
"Nami-swan…!"
Sanji clutched his heart in agony.
"My heart… it hurts…"
"Not bad."
Zoro stood up slowly. The blood on his body had already dried.
Now, he had truly stepped into the realm of a Great Swordsman.
I wonder…
How much of your strength would you need to defeat now…
Dracule Mihawk.
The rest of the crew fell silent.
This ti…
It had been a true defeat.
Luffy cleared his throat and gestured for Nami to let go.
Nami glared at him before reluctantly leaving his embrace.
But she imdiately grabbed his arm again.
The terrifying softness pressed against him.
Luffy covered his forehead.
System overheating.
"Hey, don't get discouraged!" Luffy said.
"We're already really strong!"
"It's just that the enemies we run into… are a tiny bit stronger."
He pinched his fingers together to indicate a very small amount.
"So if we train harder, we'll definitely get stronger!"
"You have to endure hardship to beco—uh—soone at the top!"
After Luffy's encouragent, the crew's confusion faded.
A new wave of training motivation was clearly on the way.
Soon, an old man carrying a lantern appeared.
"Who are you? Why is there still a zombie here?!" Usopp shouted, aiming his slingshot.
"I'm just an ordinary old man."
Usopp hesitated and looked at Luffy.
Seeing no reaction, he lowered his weapon.
"I never thought I would walk under the sun again…"
"Thank you."
The old man was trembling with excitent.
Soon, a large crowd ca rushing over.
Leading them was Lola.
"Thank you!"
"Everyone from the Thriller Bark Victims Association will never forget this kindness!"
They all knelt down in gratitude.
"If you need anything, just tell us!"
"Moria had quite a lot of treasure. Should we move it onto your ship?"
"Treasure?!"
Nami's eyes instantly turned into Beli symbols.
"Instead of that… I can marry one of you!"
Lola looked at the crew expectantly.
Nami slowly turned her head.
Oh?
Trying to steal my man?
Her gaze shifted to Luffy.
"No!!"
The entire crew rejected her at once.
"Ah! Rejected by five people at once!"
"Failure number 4449!"
The pirates behind Lola cheered wildly.
Back on the Thousand Sunny
"Hurry up and move everything to the courtyard! The banquet is starting!"
Sanji stood there holding a giant cooking pot.
"Sanji! I'm hungry! I want food!" Luffy shouted.
"Have so cheese first."
"Cheese isn't filling!"
Luffy grabbed two massive blocks of cheese nearly two ters wide and swallowed them whole.
anwhile, a mountain of treasure was piled up near the bow.
Nami was carefully counting every coin.
Luffy walked over and spotted a glass bracelet.
He put it on.
"Nice. I'll take this."
"Whatever. Take anything you want."
Nami glanced over and smiled sweetly.
"Really?"
Usopp picked up a sword decorated with gold and jewels.
"Do you think so?"
Nami's aura suddenly turned terrifyingly cold.
"I-I don't!"
Usopp imdiately dropped the sword.
"Hahahaha! Usopp, you're hilarious!" Luffy laughed.
Soon the banquet began in the courtyard.
Everyone devoured food like starving wolves.
Except for Nami and Robin, no one dared sit at the sa table as Luffy.
Trying to eat with him was like stealing food from a tiger's mouth.
Luffy stretched his arms endlessly—
Grab.
Throw into mouth.
Swallow.
Repeat.
No one could compete with that speed.
"This is amazing! I've never eaten anything this good!"
A holess man happily gnawed on a giant bone.
"How many years has it been since we had a proper al?"
"Being alive is wonderful!"
Chopper sat in a corner watching helplessly.
"No one even made a toast… how did this turn into a banquet?"
He picked up a small cake with his fork.
"One bite."
"So good!"
anwhile, Zoro was in a drinking contest.
Suddenly—
Dun dun dun dun—
A gentle piano lody echoed through the hall.
Everyone looked over.
The skeleton gentleman Brook was playing the piano in the corner.
"Yohohohoho!"
Then he began to sing:
"Binks' Sake, delivered to you…"
The crowd swayed with the music.
The banquet reached its peak.
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