*Allen's Pov*
When I opened my eyes and bestowed upon this world the glory of witnessing another day with me in it, the first thing I felt was thirst.
I tried to get up carefully so I wouldn't wake the woman sleeping beside me.
Oh, no one's here...
Lately, I hadn't spent a single night without someone in my bed. Even when no one was leveling up, I'd usually have my Robin sleeping beside me. This feels strange.
No, what am I thinking? It's normal not to have a woman sleeping next to me. I think Lenalee's evil plan is starting to work because my common sense is slowly being altered.
To begin with, none of them are my girlfriend. Not Nami, not Kaya, not Nojiko, not Uta...
Images of everything I've done with them began flashing through my mind.
"Damn, I'm turning into a degenerate."
[Yes.]
"This is where you're supposed to show your unwavering support and loyalty and back me up..."
[You're getting way too arrogant... Hmph.]
Whatever.
I got up and yawned. After taking two steps, a couple of things caught my attention. There was a white floor lamp beside my bed and a comfortable red rug beside it.
Although Robin usually sleeps in my bed, she has one of her own, and I'm a minimalist. Not because I don't like owning things, but out of habit.
Back then, I had to move around a lot, so I avoided having anything I'd hate to lose. Even now that I have a ship I can call home, I still have that bad habit of owning very little.
So my cabin only had a closet, a dresser, a nightstand, a desk, a chair, a couple of bookshelves, and, of course, that enormous bed.
Considering that every time the Black Pearl upgrades, the rooms become larger, at this point, now that it was a galleon, I had an enormous and mostly empty bedroom.
"I guess the girls wanted to decorate."
[Did you already forget?]
"Forget what?"
[Yesterday, when you got drunk in the kitchen, Nami, Vivi, and Kaya came to ask for permission to have unlimited access to the shop so they could decorate the ship.]
"...I agreed?"
[You're a stingy bastard, but in the end, you gave in after they praised and admired you.]
"Women are terrifying..."
Being manipulated while in a weakened state is something I never want to experience again.
[Bah, nonsense. You know that even when you're sober, you'll fall for anyone who worships you!]
I shrugged. "I'm only human."
I decided to ignore that and teleported to the kitchen. Nojiko was there, smiling happily.
I couldn't resist teasing her. I walked over and hugged her from behind, wrapping my arms around her waist. Even if it was just a joke, I won't deny that having a beautiful woman in my arms makes life worth living.
"Allen?" After a brief pause, she kept smiling. "Good morning~."
I couldn't help feeling that something was off.
"Nojiko, are you okay?"
"Haha, better than okay. Look, we have a coffee machine!"
"A what?"
I looked at the counter and saw a strange machine with several levers and a digital panel... Wait, why is it digital, and why does it look so familiar?
"That makes coffee?" I asked.
Nojiko laughed, covering her mouth as if the question were silly. She reached for a large spoon-like tool, placed it beneath one of the openings, and, when she pressed a button, freshly ground coffee poured out.
"Oh..."
I'd never seen this machine in my life, yet it felt strangely nostalgic. At the same time, the sound it made while dispensing the coffee was oddly hypnotic.
Nojiko seemed to enjoy it too, maybe a little too much, because she hadn't noticed that I was still hugging her... or maybe she just didn't care. Well, considering her personality and everything we've already done together, maybe she really didn't.
Once the coffee was done, she removed the handle. I don't know what it's called... A name comes to mind... Portafilter... Handle?
After that, she used a tamper to compress the coffee grounds and locked the portafilter into the machine. Then she placed a cup beneath it and pressed another button.
Almost hypnotically, concentrated coffee began dripping into the cup. But she wasn't done yet. She took a metal pitcher and poured milk into it, then held it beneath a small steam wand. Hot steam quickly heated the milk, and when it was ready, she moved a lever, releasing another burst of steam.
Nojiko picked up the cup of coffee and poured the milk into it, creating a heart. Once she finished, she handed it to me with a smile, though I couldn't help noticing the dark circles under her eyes.
"Nojiko, how much did you sleep?"
"Does it matter?" the woman replied.
If I had to guess, I think that as soon as she bought that coffee maker at the "store," she spent the whole night trying to figure out how it worked.
"All right, just don't overwork yourself."
"Haha, don't worry~."
I took the cup and left the kitchen. Once on deck, I saw Mikita sitting in a beach chair reading a book, Nami taking care of her orange trees, and Kaya carrying a bag while knocking on Tashigi's cabin door.
I looked at the sky while sipping my coffee, my heart filled with peace.
The journey felt safer because of my strength. I know that now that I feel capable of protecting this ship and all the girls no matter the enemy, I feel a sense of peace unlike anything I've ever experienced.
No... maybe I'm being arrogant. Even now, there are probably people stronger than me out there. I can't let my guard down.
*End of POV*
....
Nami stepped out of her cabin and saw Allen standing by the railing. She smiled and approached him, wanting to surprise him, but when she saw his expression, she froze as her heart began to race.
When did this guy become so handsome?
Allen had always been handsome, but his eccentricity—or rather, his insanity—along with his ego and shamelessness, usually overshadowed that natural charm.
"Good morning," Allen said. "You look really beautiful."
Nami had tied her hair into a ponytail. It seemed to be growing longer, and unlike before, she no longer intended to cut it.
"Thank you..." Nami said, looking away.
Allen didn't tease her and turned his gaze back to the horizon.
"Something's bothering you." Nami stepped beside him and glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"Yeah," Allen replied calmly. "I've been wondering if it's okay to relax, if my strength is enough to protect all of you, or if I'm just being arrogant."
Nami opened her eyes as her heart started pounding. It was inevitable. She already liked this guy, and now that he'd suddenly become more mature, he was capable of landing a critical hit on her heart.
"You don't have to worry so much," Nami said.
Allen looked at her. Her eyes were serious, filled with confidence.
"You've been carrying everything from the very beginning, but we want to support you too. Don't worry. If trouble comes, we'll face it together!"
Allen was left speechless by Nami's declaration. It was an answer that undoubtedly made him happy. Without even thinking about it, he reached out and gently touched Nami's cheek.
Understanding his intentions, the girl closed her eyes as her lips moved closer to his. But just an instant before they kissed, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked into the distance.
"That air pressure... This is bad. It's a storm! A huge one!"
Allen and several of the girls immediately got to work, helping steer the ship away from the storm's path.
"We're heading northwest!" Nami said.
"The wind is against us!" Hina called out.
"Reef the sails. It's time to use the propeller!" Allen grinned excitedly. "I don't care if the sea hates us. A little storm won't stop us!"
With the Black Pearl's latest upgrade, not only had it grown in size, but it had also gained something ships in this world shouldn't have: a massive propeller at the stern.
Uta and Mikita furled the sails as Allen had ordered.
Suddenly, the ship shook, and the huge propeller began spinning, driving the ship straight against the wind.
"What's going on?!" Kalifa exclaimed as she stepped out of her cabin.
This time, the ship was so large that Allen had given the hostages cabins of their own. Of course, to make sure they couldn't escape, he'd literally stolen their hearts using the Room ability of the Ope Ope no Mi.
"It must be another one of this ship's weird abilities!" Doll shouted.
The Black Pearl was famous throughout the world for its unique capabilities, the most well-known being its firepower and its ability to sail across land and through the sky.
....
Against the storm, the Black Pearl sailed away, and after half an hour, they finally escaped. However, something felt strange. Everything around them was gloomy and covered by a cold, eerie fog.
"What is this place?" Tashigi asked, hiding behind Allen's back.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts?" Allen teased.
"I'm not!" the girl shouted, embarrassed, though she still refused to move away from behind him.
"Don't worry. I already have a contingency plan for ghosts," Allen said confidently.
Robin looked at Allen expressionlessly. "What could you possibly have to deal with creepy spirits that dismember people and are intangible?"
"Don't say things like that!" Vivi shouted.
"No!" Tashigi cried.
"Seriously? And this is a Marine lieutenant?" Doll said, placing a hand on her face.
"Leave her alone. Everyone has their weaknesses," Gion said with a gentle smile.
"This might be the Devil's Sea," Nami murmured while studying a map.
Kaya's eyes widened. "The Devil's Sea?!"
[So they're in the famous Bermuda Triangle. Hehe.]
Uta cleared her throat and put on a terrifying expression with empty eyes.
"The Devil's Sea is a place most people avoid because, for no apparent reason, around a hundred ships disappear there every year," Uta said, frightening Tashigi, Kaya, Nami, and Conis.
"Isn't it because of the fog?" Nojiko asked uneasily.
She didn't believe in ghosts, but they lived in a world with islands in the sky. Anything was possible.
Uta smiled faintly.
"Who knows? This eternal fog, which blocks most of the sunlight, keeps the secrets of this sea hidden. Maybe, as you said, the ships simply got lost and wandered until their crews died of hunger and thirst. Or maybe they were attacked by Sea Kings. Whatever the truth is, it's a mystery no one knows..."
At this point, even several of the girls, like Mikita, Robin, Hina, and even Doll, had serious expressions. After everything they'd been through, dying because they got lost would be the cruelest fate imaginable.
"That's enough." Allen flicked Uta on the forehead. "You're forgetting you're aboard my mighty Black Pearl. If things get complicated, we'll just fly above the clouds."
Allen's words made everyone realize they were indeed aboard a magical ship. There was nothing to fear... or so they thought. Suddenly, an enormous figure emerged from the fog.
It was a gigantic mouth.
"A Sea King?!" Mikita exclaimed.
"No," Allen said, narrowing his eyes. "It's a gate."
The enormous mouth was actually a hatch shaped like one. As if it had detected them, it slowly opened.
"Is it going to eat us?!" Vivi shouted as she clung to Allen's arm. Tashigi did the same from behind him.
"No, it's inviting us in," Kalifa said, adjusting her glasses.
Allen smiled in amusement. With his Observation Haki, he'd already seen what this place really was.
It was a ship.
A gigantic ship the size of an island.
"Do you know whose enormous ship this is?" Allen asked the three hostages.
Kalifa exchanged a glance with Doll before the latter looked at Allen coldly.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Walker. We're not friends. You may have us on your ship, but we're not helping you!" Doll said mockingly.
Kalifa remained expressionless, and Gion looked at Allen apologetically but also refused to answer.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to work harder to change that," Allen said with a mischievous smile.
"That's harassment," Kalifa said with a faint blush.
Gion coughed and looked away, while Doll snorted. She was the only one who seemed unaffected by Allen's attractiveness... or at least that's how it appeared. Beneath that mask, who knows?
"Hey, stop flirting with women! We have a crisis here!" Nami scolded Allen jealously.
"Relax and look."
The fog began to clear, revealing a massive castle.
"Is this an island?!" Conis exclaimed.
"Well, it's actually a ship, but it can be both," Allen laughed.
He explained that although it looked like an island, it was actually moving rather than remaining anchored in one place. It sounded absurd. How could an island like that exist? Then again, there was already one in the sky, so an island-ship wasn't that impossible.
After that came the important question: what were they going to do?
The answer was simple—disembark. The Log Pose might not point to this place, but they were already here, so they had nothing to lose by exploring it.
With that decided, the Black Pearl searched for a dock. Along the way, a powerful current tried to guide the ship, but Allen refused to let anyone else dictate his course, so he activated the turbine and sailed under his own power until they reached a pier.
"There's a giant spider web!" Mikita shouted, pointing ahead.
"Firefly..." Allen said, and countless green spheres floated toward the web. Once they reached it, Allen smiled before making them explode. "Hidaruma."
The giant web, large enough to trap galleons, burned away until nothing remained. Once it was gone, Allen looked at the dock. It was old and neglected, but still usable.
"Nami," Allen said.
"Yes, Captain!" Nami smiled.
"Thriller Bark..." Robin said as she read the sign at the entrance connected to the pier.
"Oh, so that's what this ship is called... Thriller Bark. That name sounds familiar somehow," Allen said with an amused smile as he looked toward the vice admirals.
"So, who's going?" Uta asked, tilting her head.
"The real question is, who wants to go?" Robin laughed.
This place wasn't an attractive or wondrous destination like Skypiea, nor did it spark their curiosity the way Water 7 had. It was simply a creepy island.
Several of the girls expressed their desire to stay behind, either because of the eerie atmosphere or because they simply had no interest in exploring the place. As a result, the crew split into two groups.
The exploration team consisted of Allen, Nami, Robin, Mikita, Vivi, and Uta, while everyone else stayed behind.
A little later, ready to disembark, Allen said goodbye to his crew, leaving Hina in charge. He also didn't forget to warn the two vice admirals and the World Government agent.
"Just a reminder—I can come back at any moment, and I'll know immediately if any of you try something. Besides, don't forget I have something very important that belongs to you," Allen said with a smile.
Doll clicked her tongue, Gion sighed, and Kalifa once again accused Allen of harassment. With that, the exploration team left the ship and ventured into the gloomy forest.
High above in the sky, a ghost watched Allen enter Thriller Bark before turning around and flying toward the distant castle.
It was one of Perona's ghosts, one of the companions of Gecko Moria.
....
As soon as Perona learned of Allen's arrival, she went to inform Moria, and his reaction was uncontrollable laughter.
"Kishishishi!"
Moria held Allen's wanted poster in his hand. However, it was the old one with the 500 million bounty.
"At last, I'll have the perfect shadow to revive Oars!" Moria shouted.
He possessed the Kage Kage no Mi, a Devil Fruit that granted him control over shadows. With it, he could steal other people's shadows.
What were those shadows used for?
They had two purposes. If Moria absorbed them himself, he could temporarily increase his own strength. But if he implanted them into corpses, he could grant them a form of artificial life.
So, while hiding in the Devil's Sea, he had been creating what he called an "immortal army" so he could one day return to the New World and take revenge on the Yonko, Kaido.
The man naively believed he could steal Allen's shadow and create the ultimate zombie.
====
A/N: A broken spirit in One Piece is terrifying. There was a time when Moria was strong enough to fight Kaido. Maybe Kaido wasn't taking him seriously, but Moria wasn't weak. 🍷🗿
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