A cold, sinister laugh, like the cry of a night owl, echoed through the fog-shrouded Thriller Bark.
A tall figure slowly emerged from the dense fog, like a demon crawling out from the depths of hell.
He was bloated, bat-like in shape, with a strange smile on his pale face…
It was none other than one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gekko Moriah.
"Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gekko Moriah, Bounty 320,000,000! Kill him to gain 320,000 experience points!"
The system's notification sounded in Cheng Xiaoyu's mind; 320,000 experience points were enough to level him up to 86.
Moriah was once a notable figure many years ago, but ever since he was defeated by Kaido in Wano Country and his subordinates were all killed, he had been hiding in the first half of the Grand Line, biding his time.
"Cheng Xiaoyu, I've been waiting for you for a long time," Moriah said sinisterly, his thick lips wiggling.
"Waiting for me? Waiting for me to turn you into a shadow?" Cheng Xiaoyu retorted unceremoniously.
"Heeheeheeheeheeheeheehee…" Moriah let out a strange laugh.
"From the first day I saw your bounty poster, I guessed that your Shadow Fruit ability was very similar to my Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability…"
"And from the battle just now, that certainly seems to be the case, except you can directly control others' shadows without needing to insert them into zombie bodies."
"Moriah, you've got it completely wrong, because my shadows are not on the same level as your mindless zombies."
Cheng Xiaoyu paused, "Your Shadow-Shadow Fruit, at its core, is just a lower-tier fruit of the Shadow Fruit."
"What did you say? You said my Shadow-Shadow Fruit is a lower-tier fruit?!"
Moriah's voice suddenly rose, his obese body trembling slightly, clearly enraged by Cheng Xiaoyu's words.
"I'm just stating the facts," Cheng Xiaoyu shrugged, looking calm and unbothered.
"Shadows are just support; the key is the strength of the main body! What good is it for you to hole up here all day, making things up in isolation?!"
Cheng Xiaoyu unceremoniously pointed out Moriah's weakness, his words striking at the heart.
"Stop talking nonsense, let me see what you're capable of!"
Just then, a figure shot out like lightning, blocking Cheng Xiaoyu's path. It was Kuina.
"Wait!" Before Cheng Xiaoyu could finish, Kuina had already rushed towards Moriah like an arrow loosed from a bow.
A flash of gleaming sword light slashed towards Moriah!
However, Moriah merely smiled eerily, and his body twisted like a shadow, instantly vanishing from his spot.
The next second, he appeared behind Kuina, a massive pair of scissors in his hand glinting with a cold light, poised to cut Kuina's shadow.
Kuina naturally reacted, but these scissors surprisingly ignored the shadow's defense!
"Snap!"
With a crisp sound, Kuina's shadow was actually cut off by Moriah!
"Damn it!" Cheng Xiaoyu cursed inwardly.
Moriah's scissors had an absolute counter to shadows; even his own shadows were no exception.
"So, you're a swordsman, are you? Then go inside!" Moriah cackled, stuffing Kuina's shadow into the body of a samurai zombie wielding a black blade.
The next second, the samurai zombie's eyes snapped open, and a sharp sword intent instantly erupted.
This zombie was none other than the legendary Grand Swordsman of Wano Country, Ryuma of the Shimotsuki family, known as the Sword God of Wano Country!
He had been careless!
Cheng Xiaoyu had never expected Moriah to insert Kuina into Ryuma's body!
This top-tier swordsman's shadow combined with a top-tier swordsman's body, to put it bluntly, this was a top-tier swordsman right before his eyes!
Compared to the Ryuma in the original story, who had Brook's shadow inserted, this one was at least ten times stronger!
The next second, the Ryuma zombie, wielding the black blade Shusui, charged towards Cheng Xiaoyu with a fierce sword intent!
Cheng Xiaoyu's figure flickered, dodging the Ryuma zombie's attack.
He knew he couldn't face it head-on.
Moriah's scissors had an absolute counter to shadows, and the black blade Shusui in the Ryuma zombie's hand was no ordinary item; once struck, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The next second, he recalled all his shadows.
If anyone else accidentally got cut, it would only make things worse.
"Shadow Bind!"
Cheng Xiaoyu let out a low roar, and the shadows on the ground spread out like tentacles, tightly binding the Ryuma zombie's legs.
"It's useless!" Moriah's voice sounded again, "He won't be restrained by such petty tricks!"
No sooner had he spoken than a powerful force erupted from the Ryuma zombie's body, and it actually broke free from the shadow's restraint, continuing its assault on Cheng Xiaoyu.
"This is really troublesome…" Cheng Xiaoyu frowned, secretly pondering a countermeasure.
He had initially thought the battle here would end very quickly, but it seemed he had been too simplistic in his thinking.
"Heeheeheeheeheeheehee… Once I deal with you tonight, all the shadows you possess will become mine!"
Moriah cackled, as if Cheng Xiaoyu was already a prey for him to butcher.
Just then, a pink ghost silently floated over, carrying a cloyingly sweet scent.
It was Perona's Negative Hollow! If this thing hit, no matter how strong Cheng Xiaoyu was, he would be depressed for a while, which would be enough for Ryuma to give him a fatal blow.
Fortunately, Cheng Xiaoyu's Observation Haki was not to be underestimated; this little trick was as clear as slow-motion playback in his eyes.
He shifted slightly, easily dodging the Negative Hollow.
To avoid distraction during the battle, his eyes narrowed, and an invisible wave spread out from him!
"Conqueror's Haki?!"
Moriah exclaimed, and before he could react, Perona, who was closer, rolled her eyes and fell straight down.
"Such a mischievous little loli… I'll teach you a good lesson when you're older!"
Cheng Xiaoyu snorted coldly, his gaze once again fixed on the Ryuma zombie.
The black blade Shusui in the Ryuma zombie's hand gleamed with a chilling light under the Moonlight.
His figure was elusive, his speed astonishing, and every move carried a sharp sword intent, as if to cut everything around him into pieces.
Cheng Xiaoyu curled his fingers, and the shadows on the ground surged like a tide, quickly coalescing into a jet-black longsword in his hand.
"Shadow Blade!"
This sword was longer and more intimidating than the previous Shadow Dagger.
Advanced Armament Haki covered it, making its sharpness even higher, enough to cut through ordinary steel.
"One-Sword Style: Iai: Cross Current!"
The Ryuma zombie attacked first, the black blade Shusui cutting through the air, and sharp slashes of sword energy shot towards Cheng Xiaoyu.
Cheng Xiaoyu calmly swung his Shadow Blade, deflecting all the slashes.
"Meteor: Flash!"
The Ryuma zombie's speed was also fast; the next second, it flickered to Cheng Xiaoyu's front, the black blade Shusui, imbued with a fierce sword intent, stabbing directly at his chest.
Cheng Xiaoyu sidestepped, and his Shadow Blade swung towards the Ryuma zombie's waist.
"I've seen all your moves."
"Phantom: Sword Dance!"
The Ryuma zombie was unmoved, quickly swinging the black blade Shusui, and a series of even stronger slashes continuously assaulted him.
Cheng Xiaoyu swung his Shadow Blade, clashing head-on with the black blade Shusui, producing a grating sound of metal colliding.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!" Sparks flew, and two powerful forces canceled each other out.
The two exchanged blows, sword lights intertwining, and for a moment, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand.
The swordsmanship Cheng Xiaoyu learned at the Isshin Dojo now came in handy.
The swordsmanship of the Shimotsuki family was already deeply ingrained in his mind.
As the ancestor of the Shimotsuki family, Ryuma's techniques were largely similar to what Cheng Xiaoyu had learned at the Isshin Dojo.
"Your swordsmanship is indeed good," Cheng Xiaoyu commented while fighting.
"Unfortunately, your body limits your performance."
Ryuma was, after all, just a zombie; even with Kuina's shadow inserted, although both possessed powerful swordsmanship, they couldn't fully unleash its true power.