You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04
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Soon—
Deep underground on the Isle of Love, in a prison personally constructed by Dr. Hawkins, Wilhelm arrived with Smoothie.
Inside the dimly lit cell, Gekko Moria sat in a state of panic.
Wilhelm stepped forward, looking down at him indifferently. "Moria, you wanted to see me?"
His voice was calm, but his golden eyes were piercing, as if they could see straight through Moria's thoughts.
"It seems you've finally come to a decision?"
"Hehehe~"
Moria let out his signature eerie laugh. Even now, he still found it hard to believe.
"No matter how many times I see her, it's still unbelievable… She looks so young."
His eyes flicked toward Wilhelm, his expression filled with something between disbelief and amusement.
Like a miniature giant, the bloated warlord rose to his feet, towering over Wilhelm, yet unable to suppress his unease.
"BIG MOM really gave birth to a monster through and through."
Wilhelm remained unfazed. "Did you call me here just to spew nonsense?"
His gaze remained steady, cold.
"Of course not, hehehe~…"
Moria let out another awkward laugh, but there was no real humor in it. His eyes flickered with something else—awe and fear.
"I never expected… that even Ryuma—who has been dead for centuries—you could bring back to life."
His voice carried a mix of amazement and unease.
"Though I don't believe that's truly the Ryuma, I can't deny his strength."
In Moria's mind, there was no way this was the actualSword God Ryuma.
If Wilhelm could truly resurrect the dead, then a while ago, when that "trembling noble" stormed Mariejois, he wouldn't have just stolen a few Devil Fruits.
No—if Wilhelm really had such power, he would have marched straight to the Empty Throne and taken it for himself.
Even so… what Wilhelm had done was already far beyond his own ability.
Moria had once wielded the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, creating zombie warriors by stealing the shadows of the living. But his zombies had major flaws—they lacked true independence, required constant maintenance, and could never match their former selves at full power.
But Ryuma?
Moria's Observation Haki was no joke.
And what he sensed from that Ryuma was nothing like a mindless zombie.
No, that presence… that raw strength… it was like staring into the eyes of a beast.
He shuddered at the memory.
Wilhelm raised an eyebrow, unmoved. "And?"
Moria let out a slow, defeated breath before slumping back down.
"Even if I chose death over submission, what would be the point?"
His voice carried a bitter chuckle, full of self-mockery.
"Even if I resisted to the end, gritted my teeth, and welcomed death, you'd just take my Devil Fruit anyway…"
He clenched his fists but ultimately sighed, "It would be a worthless struggle."
When Smoothie had first approached him, Moria had already learned about Wilhelm's terrifying ability—the power to strip others of their Devil Fruits.
Back then, he had stubbornly thought he'd rather die than surrender.
But then… he saw Ryuma.
And in that moment, all his defiance had collapsed.
The sight of that "resurrected" corpse wielding a sword with monstrous power made Moria's scalp tingle.
This wasn't an enemy he could fight.
This was something far beyond him.
After struggling for two or three days, Moria still couldn't accept the thought of not only losing his Devil Fruit but also having his corpse toyed with after death. The humiliation was unbearable.
In the end, he had no choice but to give in—albeit begrudgingly.
But above all…
Kaido of the Beasts was still alive.
The very monster who had slaughtered his entire crew, leaving him in a pit of endless pain and humiliation.
Just thinking about Kaido made Moria's face twist with rage.
He gritted his teeth. "That bastard… Kaido… he can never be forgiven!"
His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Veins bulged on his arms, his sharp teeth grinding against each other as uncontainable hatred burned within him.
"I will never forgive that bastard!"
If he couldn't personally witness Kaido's fall—if he couldn't see that monster broken and hopeless—then Gekko Moria would never rest in peace.
Wilhelm, however, remained unmoved.
"You want me to help you get revenge?"
Moria let out a low, bitter laugh.
"Hehehe~… Considering your ambition, there's no way you'd be satisfied ruling over just a small territory like Totto Land."
He stared straight at Wilhelm, conviction in his eyes.
"Sooner or later, you're going to clash with that bastard Kaido of the Beasts. It's inevitable."
He spoke without hesitation.
Wilhelm was a man who revived warriors from centuries past—even the legendary Ryuma hadn't been spared.
There was no way he wouldn't be interested in Kaido.
Moria took a deep breath before speaking his final condition.
"Release Absalom and Perona… and I will follow you!"
Then, without a second thought, Moria fell to his knees.
He bowed his head to the ground, his voice unwavering.
"Of course, if you refuse, then let this be my only request!"
"Please!"
"Lord Moria…!"
Watching this scene unfold, Absalom—still just a teenager—and the five-year-old Perona were overcome with emotion.
They burst into tears, crying so hard they could barely breathe.
At that moment, they wished they could die in his place.
Smoothie, witnessing this, couldn't help but be moved.
She had never expected Gekko Moria—a man who looked like a ghoul—to kneel before someone else.
And for what?
Not for himself, not out of cowardice, but for the sake of his subordinates.
"I have to admit, you truly care about your people… No wonder you hate Kaido so much."
For someone like Moria to bow his head to another—it spoke volumes about his loyalty.
Wilhelm gave a slight nod.
"Fine. I accept your terms."
Moria's head snapped up in shock, but before he could react further, Wilhelm continued.
"However… I still need Absalom's Clear-Clear Fruit."
Instantly, Moria's eyes turned bloodshot.
He glared at Wilhelm, his fury barely restrained, as if he were ready to tear him apart.
But Wilhelm remained calm.
"Don't get worked up."
He met Moria's glare, speaking unhurriedly.
"I'm not talking about killing him and reviving him like Ryuma."
His golden eyes glowed faintly.
"I mean taking his Devil Fruit… while keeping him alive."
"Of course, since he is your subordinate, he is now my subordinate as well. I'm not so cruel as to mistreat my own people..."
Wilhelm met Moria's suspicious gaze head-on, his expression calm and composed.
"As compensation for the Clear-Clear Fruit, I'll grant him a Zoan Devil Fruit—one that will strengthen his body. I assume he's always been insecure about his physical weakness?"
Moria remained silent, but his clenched fists and the way his jaw tightened showed his turmoil.
Smoothie, watching the scene unfold, let out a soft chuckle.
"Moria, let me tell you something interesting."
She crossed her arms, her voice tinged with amusement.
"Our eldest brother, Katakuri—the second son of the Charlotte family—once had the Mochi-Mochi Fruit. But Wilhelm replaced it with a Logia-class Devil Fruit… the Wind-Wind Fruit!"
She let that sink in before adding:
"Now, does that make it easier for you to believe?"
"Gulp!"
Absalom swallowed hard, his scalp tingling.
He wasn't stupid.
If Wilhelm had the ability to strip and replace Devil Fruits, then resisting was pointless.
Moria let out a bitter laugh.
"Fine… I believe you. What choice do I have?"
He exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping in resignation.
"After all, I'm just a prisoner now, aren't I?"
"Don't say that." Wilhelm's voice remained indifferent.
"Now that you're mine, I'll treat you well."
With a simple flick of his finger, the seastone restraints shattered.
Moria, Absalom, and little Perona—all freed in an instant.
The next moment, Wilhelm casually raised his hand.
A sharp piercing sound echoed through the underground prison.
Wilhelm's index finger—sharp as a blade—pierced straight through Absalom's heart.
"Gah—!"
Absalom's body convulsed as an overwhelming coldness surged through him.
It wasn't the cold of death.
It was something far more sinister—as if his very soul was being ripped from his body.
At that moment—
The Clear-Clear Fruit's essence was extracted and transferred to Wilhelm's Ten Rings.
"You bastard—!"
Moria's eyes turned bloodshot, his entire body tensing to attack.
But before he could move—
Wilhelm's golden eyes locked onto him.
Sharp. Ruthless. Unshakable.
It was like being caught in the gaze of a predator—a force that paralyzed him to his core.
"Don't act like a mindless beast."
Wilhelm's voice was calm yet filled with a weight that pressed directly onto Moria's soul.
"Watch carefully."
"See for yourself."
"I said I'd return him to you—alive."
Moria's breath hitched.
A deep chill crept down his spine.
For the first time in decades, he felt something he hadn't since the day his crew was wiped out.
Fear.
His instincts screamed at him—this man was dangerous.
Moria's hands trembled, but he forced himself to remain still.
"...Fine."
His voice was hoarse, but he didn't back down.
"I'll watch. But hear me, Wilhelm—"
Moria's red eyes burned with desperation.
"What I want back is Absalom—the real him. Not some twisted copy like Ryuma!"
"Lord Moria…!"
Perona's small voice quivered.
She had been terrified since the moment Absalom collapsed.
Her little hands clutched at Moria's pant leg, her tiny body trembling.
"P-Please… don't let him die!"
Her usually spoiled, bratty demeanor was nowhere to be seen.
Now, she was just a scared child.
Smoothie sighed and shook her head.
She stepped forward and casually withdrew the faint arcs of electricity dancing around her fingertips.
At some point, she had instinctively prepared to attack—but now, she simply smirked.
"Relax."
Her tone was light, but her crimson eyes glowed with confidence.
"If something goes wrong, and Absalom can't be revived—"
She glanced at Moria and Perona before flashing a playful, yet chilling smile.
"Well… you can't blame us, now can you?"