Clad in his tight black coat adorned with a white cross pattern, Bartholomew Kuma was led into the depths of a tall tower inside the Thriller Bark, where a spacious lounge awaited him.
"Shishishishi—!"
A shrill and sinister laugh echoed through the chamber.
There sat fellow Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria, his vase-shaped body—narrow on top, bulbous at the bottom—crammed into a massive sofa. His round, distended belly protruded toward Kuma.
Kuma even wondered if Moria could still stand. Yet if he did, his towering frame would easily overshadow his ungainly girth.
Height alone could inspire intimidation.
"Shishishishi… Bartholomew Kuma. When my subordinates reported your arrival, I didn't believe them. And yet here you are, in my lair. What could be so important it couldn't be said over a Den-Den Mushi, that you had to come in person?"
Moria split his mouth in a wide grin, the vertical stitch running down his long pale neck conspicuously on display.
"You haven't been taking external calls, not even from Marine Headquarters. They recently held an emergency Warlord meeting. I've brought you the results."
"Shishishi… since when did the 'Tyrant Kuma' become the mouthpiece of the Marines? Oh, right—ever since you became a Warlord."
As though he'd just remembered, Moria smacked his forehead.
"Ah, that's right. Several of my Den-Den Mushi died, and I haven't bothered to acquire replacements yet. You know how it is—out here, so few people stray in alive. Waiting for fresh prey to stumble in, who also happen to be carrying a Den-Den Mushi? That takes forever, you know."
Kuma knew full well this was just an excuse. Like the other Warlords, Moria had his reasons for accepting the position, but he had no desire to be tethered like a puppet to Marine Headquarters.
The giant sat himself down on a sofa. It creaked and groaned as if in agony beneath his weight. Fortunately, all the furniture here was custom-built to fit Moria's massive frame, and so it did not collapse.
Kuma crossed his legs, resting his hands and Bible neatly in his lap.
"In any case, I'll keep it brief. I'll summarize what was said."
"Shishishi, fine then, I'll listen."
For the next five or six minutes, Kuma delivered a dry monologue—recapping the meeting's key points, and mentioning that Marine Headquarters demanded Moria maintain communication with them in the coming months.
Having lived so long in the perpetual darkness of the Florian Triangle, Moria rarely interacted with the outside world. Most of this information was news to him, though all he took away was that the Marines were trying to tighten their leash again. He had no inkling of the storm soon to come.
"Shishishishi… Fleet Admiral Sengoku really can't keep his eyes off me."
To Kuma, the Marines were already being lenient with the Warlords. Beyond them, the others—such as Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress, and Jinbei the Knight of the Sea—each enjoyed considerable autonomy within their own territories.
Moria laced his fingers across his belly, but two names from Kuma's account caught his interest.
"Kuma… this Marshall D. Teach and this Davy Jones… what sort of pirates are these supposed to be?"
He hadn't read a newspaper or followed world affairs in quite some time.
Kuma gave a terse explanation: the former, a traitor to Whitebeard's crew; the latter, a monster known as the "The Lord of the Deep."
"Shishishishi… even Whitebeard gets backstabbed, huh? And that Davy Jones… playing ghost stories, thinking a 'legendary name' alone can make him strong?"
"To my knowledge, Davy Jones does possess real strength—at least equivalent to that of a Warlord."
"That's just because Crocodile's weaknesses were far too obvious! And Garp… I'd wager there were other circumstances at play there."
Moria flatly refused to believe Davy Jones could rise so high in barely half a year. In truth, he saw in Crocodile a reflection of himself: both had once suffered humiliating defeats in the New World at the hands of a Yonko, and retreated to Paradise to lick their wounds.
Crocodile had been crushed by Whitebeard, while Moria had been broken by Kaido of the Beasts.
Both had become Warlords, both had endured over twenty years of silent resentment.
But now their fates diverged—Crocodile had fallen to an upstart, while Moria still ruled the Florian Triangle, unmoved as a mountain. To him, this alone proved the difference between them. He was not Crocodile.
And so, he grew animated, boasting to Kuma—his rare guest—about that fateful battle with Kaido.
It was his greatest defeat, but also his only claim to glory.
"Shishishishi… that's the difference between me and Crocodile! I may not be able to beat a Yonko, but I won't be beaten by some no-name upstart, either."
His disdain and arrogance toward both Davy Jones and Crocodile reached their peak.
Kuma merely listened in silence, offering no comment.
Just then, the human-faced bat fluttered in from outside.
It seemed to have something to report, but upon seeing Kuma, it hesitated, holding its tongue.
Moria waved his hand, irritated.
"Out with it. What happened?"
The bat, Hildon, finally spoke with forced respect.
"Master… a ship is approaching the Thriller Bark."
"…What?"
Moria's expression darkened with confusion and fury. Normally, it was his vessel that hunted down prey, gliding silently to devour unsuspecting ships within the Triangle. For another ship to approach him unnoticed was unthinkable.
"What's wrong with you lot? A ship in the area and you didn't notice? What kind of scouts are you!?"
His anger was justified. These useless subordinates weren't even half the crew he once commanded against Kaido. Their incompetence had been the very anchor dragging him from ever reclaiming the New World.
"T-the thing is…" Hildon stammered nervously.
"It… it didn't sail here directly… It looked like it rose up from the deep sea. When we first spotted it, seawater was still pouring off its hull."
"From the deep sea? What nonsense is this!?"
Moria scoffed outright. Even with coated ships at Sabaody, sailing beneath the sea, it was impossible to emerge here.
Kuma, however, straightened slightly, intrigued.
"What did the ship look like?"
Hildon glanced anxiously at Kuma, then at Moria, awaiting permission to speak.
Moria waved dismissively.
"Answer him. Whatever he asks, speak plainly."
"Yes… Master. The ship… it was tattered, pitch-black, its hull covered in barnacles and seaweed—it really did look like a vessel from the deep sea. But… it was flying a Jolly Roger."
"What kind of Jolly Roger?"
"It showed some kind of monster… covered in tentacles, like an octopus…"
Kuma fell into silence.
Moria noticed immediately, frowning.
"Kuma, my man has answered you. Isn't it your turn now? What's going on?"
Kuma raised his head, meeting Moria's eyes.
"It's simple. The flag your subordinate described is that of Davy Jones. Which means that black ship must be his Terror Ghost. I didn't expect it to be capable of sailing the deep sea… That's new intelligence. Davy Jones never ceases to surprise."
"Davy Jones… and his Terror Ghost?"
Moria hauled his enormous body up from the sofa, proving he could stand, though his drooping gut still hung grotesquely.
"Well, well. He's taken down Crocodile, and now he dares trespass on my territory? This Davy Jones… not content with parading the name of the 'Sea Devil,' now he wants to steal a Warlord's thunder?"
"What's next? Planning to leapfrog us straight into Yonko status?"
He pressed his lips tight, hands clasped behind his back as he paced the hall in agitation.
"He doesn't take me for some soft fruit like Crocodile, does he? That bastard! Hildon! Send word below—tell the crew to stay sharp. We'll give our guest a proper welcome."
"Yes, Master!" Hildon bowed hastily and flew off.
Kuma watched Moria's wrathful bluster, one gloved hand absently brushing the cover of his Bible.
"Do you want my help? Since I'm already here."
"No need! Shishishishi… Terror Ghost? I'll make sure Davy Jones learns—when it comes to ships bearing the name 'Terror,' the only ones in this world are my Thriller Bark… and my Terror Bark Howler!"
Kuma did not press further. He simply opened his Bible and began to read quietly.
He was interested in Davy Jones, yes.
But this was not yet his time to move.
Pls drop some power stones supper me at my
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