"What you just said… is it true?" Eneru's voice was hoarse and weak, tinged with disbelief.
"Of course, it's true. Once the three-year period is up, I'll return your freedom."
"Then it's a deal! I'll be your helmsman for three years! Let you experience what it's like to walk with a god!"
Afterward, Cheng Xiaoyu brought Eneru to the Shadow.
This colossal black warship, like a giant beast on the White Sea, lay silently anchored in the sea of clouds.
Compared to the Ark Maxim, the Shadow was in no way inferior in size, even slightly larger.
However, unlike the Ark Maxim's resplendent decorations, the Shadow's deck was filled with an aura of dilapidation, covered in rusty metal and broken planks.
"Is there no one on this ship?" Eneru looked around, asking in confusion.
"What are you thinking? There are no people on my ship, only Shadows," Cheng Xiaoyu said coldly.
As soon as he finished speaking, several figures suddenly appeared on the deck.
Kuina, Roux, Gin… a host of cadres emerged from the Shadows, like ghosts, silently standing behind Cheng Xiaoyu.
"For convenience, they'll enter my Shadow when we leave the ship, and separate when we're on board."
"Let me introduce you. This is the swordsman, Guina."
"This is the strategist, Kuro."
"This is the cook, Gin."
This is…
"They are all my dearest friends and brothers! Of course, from now on, you'll be one of them too!"
Only then did Eneru notice the countless eyes lurking in the Shadows on the deck, staring intently at him.
In particular, there was an extremely powerful aura; although he hadn't shown himself, the aura of this strong individual was even more terrifying than Cheng Xiaoyu's!
A chill ran from his feet to the top of his head, and he finally understood: Cheng Xiaoyu's crew were all Shadows!
[Killed Sky Island God Eneru, gained 500,000 EXP! Leveled up to 85!]
[Extracted Eneru's Shadow, Combat Rating SS!]
Cheng Xiaoyu looked at the system prompt, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Two levels up, a good harvest.
This direct SS-rated Eneru was undoubtedly the second strongest fighter among all his current Shadows.
The only one who could rank above him was that unruly Devil Offspring—the SSS-ranked Bullet.
However, that guy had a peculiar habit: without an Admiral-level opponent, he disdained to appear.
So, currently, the strongest Shadow constantly available for use should be Eneru.
But his Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability had already been developed to near-awakening level, with limited room for growth.
Cheng Xiaoyu's gaze fell on Kuina, who was sweating profusely on the deck, a hint of expectation in his eyes.
In his opinion, Kuina had the potential to surpass Eneru and become the strongest permanent force among his Shadows.
After all, a swordsman who doesn't rely on Devil Fruit abilities theoretically has unlimited growth potential.
"How exciting…" Cheng Xiaoyu muttered to himself.
Over the next few days, Eneru transplanted the entire power system of the Ark Maxim onto the Shadow.
After the power system transplantation was complete, Eneru began generating electricity.
As the current flowed to the control room and the power system activated, the entire Shadow began to vibrate.
"Buzz buzz buzz—"
A colossal roar echoed through the sky as the Shadow slowly ascended, then plunged downwards towards the clouds!
"Hey, Eneru, what the hell are you doing?!" Cheng Xiaoyu's voice came from inside the cabin, tinged with anger.
"Ah ha! Maybe there's a slight wiring malfunction!"
"Damn it!" Cheng Xiaoyu cursed, rushing out immediately.
The Shadow, like a wild horse unleashed, spun and rolled madly in the air, plummeting rapidly towards the sea below.
"Ah ah ah ah ah—" Screams of terror erupted from the ship.
Cheng Xiaoyu's face was ashen, staring intently at Eneru, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Eneru, however, spread his hands innocently and said, "I really didn't mean it. The wiring was too complicated; I got confused for a moment."
"You…!" Cheng Xiaoyu was so angry he almost spat blood.
"Boom—"
The Shadow crashed heavily onto the sea surface, stirring up colossal waves.
Seawater surged wildly into the cabin, and the ship began to shake violently.
Fortunately, the Shadow had been reinforced and its hull was extremely sturdy, so this impact wasn't much of a problem.
Eneru poked his head out of the cabin, his messy blond hair disheveled, and asked innocently, "Captain, are you alright?"
"Cough, cough, cough…" Cheng Xiaoyu crawled out of the seawater, drenched and disheveled.
He glared fiercely at Eneru, gritting his teeth and saying, "You'd better pray this ship doesn't sink, or you're finished!"
"Relax, relax, it didn't sink, did it?" Eneru shrugged, saying nonchalantly, "Besides, even if it sinks, I can carry you up."
"You…!" Cheng Xiaoyu was too angry to speak.
But when he clearly saw the scene before him, his expression suddenly changed.
Thick fog enveloped the sea, and an eerie, sinister island appeared before his eyes.
On the island, three massive black sailing ships, like ghosts, lay silently anchored on the sea.
That sinister aura sent shivers down one's spine.
"Thriller Bark… This is the Florian Triangle!" Cheng Xiaoyu gasped.
This was the territory of Gekko Moriah, the Paramecia Shadow-Shadow Fruit user!
Cheng Xiaoyu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing through them.
"Since we're here, let's deal with him first."
Now, he didn't need to wait for Straw Hat Luffy to cripple him before picking up the scraps, as he did before. He could just confront him directly!
Moreover, the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, to put it plainly, was merely a subordinate fruit to his Shadow Fruit, with too many limitations.
It was Perona's Negative Hollows that made him somewhat wary.
… …
Thick fog permeated the air, and a chilling wind blew.
The Shadow, like a beached giant beast, lay anchored by the shore of the Florian Triangle.
Cheng Xiaoyu stepped onto this eerie land, and a putrid, sickening odor assailed him.
Immediately after disembarking, a large wave of strangely shaped zombies emerged from the thick fog.
These zombies varied in height, fatness, and thinness. Some were missing arms or legs, and some even had only half a body remaining, yet they still bared their fangs and claws, approaching Cheng Xiaoyu.
"Oh, good luck, is it just time for a night raid?" Cheng Xiaoyu snorted, not a hint of fear in his eyes, but rather a trace of excitement.
These low-level zombies were like ants in his eyes, not worth mentioning.
He didn't even bother to act personally. With just a thought, countless Shadow Soldiers surged from beneath his feet, sweeping out like a black tide.
Amidst flashing blades and swords, the zombies fell one after another, dismembered limbs scattered across the ground.
Wails and the sound of bones shattering rose and fell, interweaving into an eerie symphony of death.
"General Zombie? Spider Monkey? Tsk, is that all?" Cheng Xiaoyu curled his lip in disdain.
These powerful zombies, which had given the Straw Hat Crew a tough fight in the original story, were as flimsy as paper against his Shadow Legion, unable to withstand a single blow.
This was also thanks to Cheng Xiaoyu's level; after reaching Level 85, the base attributes of all Shadow Soldiers had also received a significant boost.
Such a huge commotion naturally alarmed the master of Thriller Bark—Gekko Moriah.
"Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee…"
An eerie laugh came from afar, accompanied by the sound of crumpled newspaper. "Cheng Xiaoyu, welcome to my territory!"