Now that Dan had his past-life memories back, and the Shikigami Temple at his side, he could finally let himself imagine the future.
But reality pulled him back down just as quickly.
After all, Devil Fruits were called the Sea's Greatest Treasure for a reason — they were incredibly rare.
And Mythical Zoans were even rarer.
Trying to collect them was like trying to fish a needle out of the ocean.
Reaching the scale needed for the Chimera Shadow Garden… who knew how long that would take?
"Good thing the timeline's still early. I know scattered hints about a lot of Mythical Zoans. I'll just have to plan slowly…"
He looked at the pale figure in front of him and smiled. "Mahoraga, the early game depends on you."
Mahoraga bared its teeth in a wide grin, as if acknowledging its master's expectations.
The essence of Mahoraga's power could be summed up simply: adapt to everything, and strike back with the strongest counter.
In reality, it was a super combat AI.
The more it was fed, the stronger it became.
As long as it wasn't killed instantly, it would learn through the fight, adapt to each attack, break them down, and forge its own countermeasure.
Take the hit, adapt, create, retaliate…
That was how Mahoraga was meant to be used.
In Jujutsu Kaisen, it was only by adapting to Satoru Gojo's Limitless Technique that it parsed the World Splitting Dismantle, which Sukuna later copied to create the infamous kitkat massacre.
And it had one more trait: the more frequently it was attacked, the faster it adapted.
As its master, Dan could also share every bit of battle experience his innate Shikigami gained.
"First, gather Zoan-type Devil Fruits, especially Mythical Zoans for their bonus rewards, and form a Beast Shikigami Army to build the Chimera Shadow Garden."
"Second, let Mahoraga fight. Let it adapt to the power systems of this world. As it evolves, I evolve with it."
"Yes… these two paths to power are absolutely correct."
"And this warship just so happens to give me the perfect warm-up."
Dan's plans sharpened in his mind.
"Ugh… disgusting!!!"
"What is this garbage?!"
Kaido's voice yanked Dan's awareness back to reality.
He opened his eyes to see Kaido doubled over, vomiting hard. Bits of purple fruit lay on the floor, covered in spit.
Dan stared in silence.
Kaido scratched his cheek and gave an awkward grin. "You took a bite of that weird fruit and closed your eyes like you were enjoying it. I figured it tasted good. Turns out it's worse than eating crap."
You've eaten crap?
Is that really your comparison?
Have some dignity!
Dan had been feeling great moments earlier, empowered by the Dark-Dark Fruit. Kaido's comment actually made him feel nauseous again.
He forced himself to focus and gave a quick explanation.
"That's a Devil Fruit. Eating it grants unbelievable power. But only the person who takes the first bite becomes the ability user. Anything left over is nothing but a terrible meal."
"What's a Devil Fruit? And what's an ability user?"
Kaido had grown up in the military, always fantasizing about strength. Hearing that the fruit equaled power instantly put curiosity in his eyes.
"Big bro, what power did you get?"
Just then, the smell of food drifted down the corridor.
"Perfect timing."
Dan rose to his feet, his voice steady.
"Kaido, you don't have to do anything this time. I have a plan."
"As for my power…"
As he spoke, darkness trickled from beneath his feet, spreading like grains of sand, like water, like silk, like fire, like a swirling veil that coated the ground in a thin layer of shadow.
Black flames leapt upward, crawling up Dan and Kaido's bodies, then sweeping across the iron door of their cell.
Metal groaned as if crushed by invisible force. It cracked apart piece by piece and collapsed to the floor.
At the same time, a white figure rose from the darkness. After nodding politely at Dan, it walked straight out into the corridor.
Kaido stared with his mouth hanging open. "That darkness… that creature… is that your power?"
Dan nodded. "Go grab the Hassaikai."
Kaido jogged down the hall, snatched up the spiked club that had followed him through years of battle, then hurried back.
Dan looked toward the far end of the corridor. "His name is Mahoraga. He's my most loyal guardian."
---
A Marine entered the command room of the warship, carrying a tray stacked with food.
Vice Admiral Olek waved a hand. "Set it down."
"Yes, sir." The soldier retreated quickly.
Olek was alone now. He straightened his coat, took a deep breath, and picked up the Den Den Mushi.
After a few rings, its face shifted.
"Olek, how's the situation over there?"
Olek reported with a cheerful tone. "Fleet Admiral Kong, the Vodka army cooperated well. We arrived to find the targets already knocked out and tied up like rice dumplings. We're escorting the prisoners now."
"But there's something I feel I should report."
"Speak."
Olek hesitated for two seconds. "These two brats have extremely bad tempers. They show obvious hatred toward the Celestial Dragons, cussing nonstop. I'm worried… if we deliver them to the Holy Land, could something go wrong?"
Kong's voice turned stern. "This is your first time handling such a mission. Remember this. Your job is to deliver them on time, without incident."
Details about Mary Geoise were beyond the clearance of a vice admiral.
Many officers never set foot on the Red Line in their entire lives.
But Kong knew the truth. Each year, Mary Geoise gathered "monster children" from around the world.
After the Sheep's House was destroyed by Charlotte Linlin years ago, Mary Geoise lost one of its main sources of monstrous children. So they switched to collecting from war-torn nations.
Dan and Kaido had shone brightly on the battlefield. That alone made them prime targets.
Yet no matter how violent these children were, once they entered Mary Geoise, there were always ways to turn them into the Celestial Dragons' most loyal hounds.
"Yes sir, I understand!"
Olek straightened his back, trying to sound confident. "Fleet Admiral Kong! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
He hadn't even finished speaking when an ear-splitting alarm blared through the warship.
The same soldier burst back into the room, panicked. "Vice Admiral Olek! Something's wrong, the prison… the prison's in chaos!!"
Fleet Admiral Kong was still on the other end of the line. "What happened?"
Olek hated the thought of messing up in front of his superior. His voice was tight. "Explain! What's going on in the prison?!"
The Marine fumbled for words, digging through his brain before blurting out something that barely made sense. "Something came out… a white… a white demon! It's already on the deck!"
Silence filled the phone for a moment. Then Kong's voice rumbled. "A white demon…"
Gunfire rattled across the deck above them.
Olek snapped back into motion. "I'll handle it immediately!"
Kong gave the order in a low voice. "Connect the surveillance Den Den Mushi. I want to see this with my own eyes."
"Yes sir!"