2 chapters will be uploaded on daily basis i.e. 14 Chapters will be uploaded every week apart from the bonus chapters.
1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded for every 50 Power Stones or 1000 Collections.
All interested readers can read advanced chapters on: Free Members of Patreon can read 10 Chapters ahead of Webnovel for FREE.
[email protected]/Heroicverse
×××××××××××××××
The World Government's official statement was that Auguro's group had been defeated by Aokiji and had barely escaped the Buster Call with their lives. Consequently, Sith Auguro's bounty was increased to 400 million Berries.
However, all of this was merely for the sake of the World Government's prestige. The true high-ranking officials knew that Auguro and his crew had fought Aokiji to a draw. If the bounty were determined by the actual battle conditions, Auguro would be worth at least one billion Berries!
One couldn't help but wonder if Gecko Moria would be furious enough to curse when he found out the truth!
For now, he was full of confidence, determined to turn Auguro into his top zombie general.
At this moment, one of Perona's ghosts floated in and whispered something to her. Perona's expression immediately changed.
"Lord Moria! They killed Absalom!"
Hearing this, Moria's face instantly turned dark. To Moria, his comrades were the only things he truly cherished. But now, one of his comrades was dead!
"Sith Auguro!" Moria's hair stood on end, his whole body ablaze with rage.
"I swear I will kill you!"
On the other side, Auguro and the others continued deeper into the castle.
All the various traps inside the castle were activated by Moria, aiming to split Auguro's group and defeat them individually.
Unfortunately, these petty tricks were a joke to Auguro's group.
Zombies blocking the way? Just purify them!
Traps and blockades? Simply blast right through them!
In the face of absolute strength, these traps weren't even good for passing the time!
They hadn't walked far when they heard an angry roar.
"Sith Auguro! GO TO HELL!"
Instantly, a shadow burst out from the depths of the corridor, stabbing toward Auguro like a spear.
Kage Kakuju (Shadow Corner Lance)!
Although it was a shadow, the penetrating power of this technique was no less than that of a high-grade katana!
Clang!
Auguro stood still, and Rukia Kuchiki stepped forward, blocking the attack solidly with Sode no Shirayuki.
The shadow retreated like a tide, and Moria's massive figure emerged from the corridor. At nearly seven meters tall, he was a giant in front of Auguro's group.
The giant stared at Auguro, his face twisted in rage.
"You dare to kill my comrade! Do you know you're looking for death?"
Who was he? A Warlord personally recruited by the World Government! A great pirate with the legal right to plunder! Yet, someone dared to kill his comrade right on his home turf! What was that if not a direct slap in the face?
Without waiting for Auguro's response, Moria started frantically using his Devil Fruit ability.
"Kage Kakuju: Yarijin (Shadow Corner Lance: Lance Array)!"
Countless pitch-black shadow lances rose from every shady spot in the room, stabbing toward Auguro and the others.
Shielding Nami and Robin behind him, Auguro waved his right hand, covering his Zanpakutō with Armament Haki. The blade turned into a cold flash of light, instantly shattering the surrounding shadow lances.
Soi Fan and the others, needless to say, were completely safe. The shadow lances posed no threat and were sliced in two the moment they appeared.
Although Brook's strength was slightly inferior, he was highly experienced. After parrying two shadow lances with his cane sword, he swiftly leaped out of the lance array's range.
The instant the lance array was defeated, a black figure violently lunged out from a corner, attacking Nami and Robin. It was a body condensed entirely from shadow, its outline identical to Moria's.
Kagemusha (Shadow Warrior)!
Moria's clone created by his Devil Fruit ability!
Robin reacted quickly, immediately crossing her arms and activating her Devil Fruit power.
"Treinta Fleur: Colgante (Thirty Flower: Hanging)!"
Facing a Warlord, Robin dared not hold back, going all out from the start!
Thirty arms instantly sprouted on the Shadow Warrior's body, tightly grabbing its neck, arms, and legs. Then, all thirty hands simultaneously pulled backward!
Based on past experience, this technique would either snap the enemy's spine or completely lock down their movement.
But this time, Robin miscalculated. The moment the thirty hands exerted force, the Shadow Warrior's body behaved like smoke. The thirty hands passed right through its form, having absolutely no effect!
Moria's Shadow Warrior was made of shadow and had no physical substance. Pure physical attacks like Robin's could not harm it!
The Shadow Warrior's hand, conversely, descended toward Robin like a mountain collapsing! The terrifying pressure caused cold sweat to break out on Robin's forehead.
"You dare kill my comrade, I'll let you taste the same pain!" Moria's eyes showed a bloodthirsty glint.
"You seek death!"
Auguro roared, using Shunpo to instantly Flash Step above the Shadow Warrior's head. He raised his right hand, his Zanpakutō quickly wrapped in invisible Armament Haki. The blade looked as black and bottomless as ink.
"Armament Haki: Zantō (Dragon Slayer)!"
A ferocious sword pressure descended from the sky, like divine punishment from the heavens, capable of severing all things!
Pfft!
Armament Haki perfectly countered the Shadow Warrior. The massive figure began to break apart from the top down, exploding in the turbulence of the sword pressure and turning into a wisp of black ash.
Moria showed a look of surprise.
"Armament Haki? There are strong users like this in the Paradise?"
Having once contended with Kaido, Moria was intimately familiar with Haki. While such people were common in the New World, they were a rarity in the Paradise.
Moria felt an inexplicable knot of unease in his heart. These people didn't seem so easy to deal with!
"You people! How dare you cause trouble on Lord Moria's ship! Watch me teach you a lesson!"
At that moment, a clear female voice suddenly came from above the group. Perona was floating on the ceiling, surrounded by several ghosts of various shapes.
She pointed at Brook, who was closest to her, and shouted, "Negative Hollow!"
Several ghosts immediately rushed toward Brook.
Brook dodged repeatedly, thrusting his cane sword at the ghosts. Unfortunately, the ghosts had no physical form, and his sword had no effect.
Finally, one ghost successfully passed through his body.
Brook's body stiffened, and he immediately knelt down, beginning an endless stream of self-pitying murmurs.
"I'm sorry! I'm just a useless skeleton. I should find a corner where no one can see me and bury myself..."
"Damn it!"
Seeing this, even the normally composed Auguro's face turned slightly pale. On the terrifying Thriller Bark, Auguro always believed the most frightening opponent was not the captain, Gecko Moria, but the Ghost Princess Perona!
Her Devil Fruit ability was completely broken! The Negative Hollows drain the will to fight from anyone they touch—a complete conceptual ability. It is well known that conceptual powers are truly terrifying!
"Everyone be careful! You absolutely cannot let her ghosts touch you! Otherwise, you will immediately lose your will to fight!" Auguro warned everyone directly.
Everyone immediately raised their vigilance to the highest level. The reason was simple: while losing the will to fight posed no physical danger, seeing Brook's depressed state, muttering about wanting to become an insect, was utterly socially humiliating!