Chapter 160: Heaven's Light Breaks the Mist, You Shall See the Abyss
"Lord Moria... woo woo..."
Amidst the ruins and corpses, Perona's weeping was the only sound around.
Not far away, Brook, guarding Ryuma's body, adjusted his hat.
He was enemies with Perona and Moria.
But it didn't stop him from empathizing at this moment.
"Losing a comrade is indeed painful."
He thought of his own crewmates.
Just then...
"It can't be helped."
A voice sounded beside him. "After all, we are pirates."
"Yeah..."
Brook nodded.
Killing others, or being killed.
Making others lose comrades, or losing one's own.
Choosing to set sail as a 'Pirate' meant accepting this.
Wait...
"Who!? Who's talking!"
Brook snapped back to reality, his skeleton body shaking as he looked at Ryuji, who appeared out of thin air beside him. "R-Ryuji-dono, can you not appear so ghostly? My heart almost jumped out—oh, though I have no heart, Yohohoho!"
"Your body rattles when you shake... amazing."
Ryuji said cheerfully.
"After all, I'm a skeleton."
Brook took it as a compliment. "Speaking of which, thank you, Ryuji-dono, for retrieving my shadow."
Saying this, he shook his body, showing off his shadow.
"I will never forget this great kindness."
He said seriously.
"No need to be polite."
Ryuji was casual. "Watching this corpse for me counts as repaying the kindness."
He looked at the frozen 'Shimotsuki Ryuma' behind Brook.
"Oh?"
Brook raised an eyebrow—though he had none.
"So Ryuji-dono really intends to keep Ryuma's corpse?"
He was curious.
"Yes, after all, he's the legendary Sword God of 'Wano Country'. A guy in our organization might be very curious about him."
Ryuji made up a story.
"A member of your organization? Is he a swordsman?"
Brook was chatty as usual.
"Sort of."
Ryuji nodded.
Of course, this was still a lie—there were no swordsmen in 'The Zodiac' currently.
However, it was also partly true.
Because the reason he kept Ryuma's corpse was that he had a preliminary idea for a future Zodiac member.
"Oh~"
Brook became more curious—though his main job was a musician, he was technically a swordsman too...
And he witnessed Ryuji's power throughout.
The great pirate 'Gecko Moria', who would be considered a powerhouse outside the Florian Triangle and once made Brook feel powerless, was utterly defeated before Ryuji.
The power to manipulate weather like a calamity was already incredible.
But such a member, according to Moria, was merely one of the Top Executives of 'The Zodiac'.
A swordsman in such an organization—Brook was naturally curious.
"But next, I might need you to watch him for a while longer."
Ryuji didn't explain further.
"Eh?"
Brook paused. "Ryuji-dono has other business?"
"Mm... got some intel from Moria just now, need to confirm some things."
Ryuji said calmly.
"Oh!"
Brook didn't ask more this time.
He nodded seriously. "Don't worry, I won't let anyone take this corpse—they'll have to step over my corpse first, although..."
"You are already a corpse."
Helping Brook finish the joke, Ryuji chuckled, looking at the speechless Brook.
Then, he leaped.
"ROAR!"
With a low dragon roar, the crimson dragon soared into the sky.
"Dr... Dragon!?"
Watching this incredible scene, Perona's eyes widened.
Yes, she was sleeping when Ryuji arrived and only saw his 'Hybrid Form' after waking up.
Only now, seeing the mythical creature treading on Flame Clouds surrounded by wind and thunder, stirring the sea just by flying...
Did she truly realize what kind of existence fought Moria and destroyed 'Thriller Bark'.
She also understood Moria's words earlier.
"Do not seek revenge on The Zodiac—this is... Captain's Order!"
It wasn't cowardice, but a final protection for her.
Because the opponent was truly a monster.
At the same time...
"Red Dragon's Majesty · Wind & Thunder Mantra!"
Soaring in the sky, Ryuji closed his crimson vertical pupils slowly.
RUMBLE!
WHOOSH!
In this instant, thunder exploded, gales howled.
Spreading lightning and storms expanded outward with him as the center.
Yes.
Previously, Enel used an ability called 'Mantra'—essentially Observation Haki amplified by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Observation Haki essentially uses five senses to perceive biological and environmental auras, predicting danger.
For Ryuji, who could affect all weather in the nearby sea.
The surrounding weather was his five senses—wind, thunder, clouds, mist, everything was an extension of his 'Mantra'.
This made his Mantra ability even more terrifying than Enel's island-covering range.
"Consumes stamina, but with Red Dragon Fruit's boost... not a big problem."
Muttering, Ryuji scanned everything in his path.
The information Moria gave before dying was significant to him.
Moria being from the Kozuki Clan wasn't surprising to Ryuji; it was stated in the original story—he was even the 'Legendary Hero' worshiped in Ringo, Wano.
Ryuji also knew that although Wano was closed off.
In early years, some Wano people went to the Four Seas—perhaps to preserve the spark, or simply unwilling to be bound.
Shimotsuki Koushirou and Shimotsuki Village seen by Hitsujii were examples.
They often inherited more hidden Wano knowledge, like Shimotsuki Kozaburo's Enma Iron.
So, Ryuji wouldn't underestimate the prophecy song Moria mentioned.
To Ryuji, there were two key points he could confirm in the prophecy.
First, 'Cursed Bloodline'.
Ryuji knew well that in the original story, Rocks belonged to the 'Davy Clan', known as the 'Cursed Clan'.
The cursed bloodline likely referred to this clan.
Second, 'Drums of Liberation'.
Unless unexpected, this referred to the unique drums of the 'Human-Human Fruit · Model: Nika'.
Of course, the latter wasn't important to Ryuji.
Importantly, through the first point, Ryuji could basically confirm.
"Rocks came here for the 'Giant Ship wandering in the mist' mentioned by Moria."
"And the 'First King' and 'Cursed Ones' mentioned in the prophecy should be Rocks' ancestor, the progenitor of the Davy Clan—Davy Jones."
This was the reason for his action.
Realizing Imu seemed to target The Zodiac, Ryuji was now very interested in things related to the world's truth and ancient past.
"Hm?"
But Ryuji soon found something wrong.
Because...
"No traces at all?"
He frowned.
The Florian Triangle was huge.
But if there really was a giant ship roaming in this mist—and if that ship was as massive as Rocks said...
It was impossible for it to leave no trace while sailing, right?
Ripples on the sea, obstruction of wind—there should be some trace.
But the fact was... his Wind & Thunder Mantra found nothing.
In this sea area, only mist and cold sea breeze seemed to exist.
"Did Rocks find the ship and sail it away back then..."
Ryuji muttered internally.
But the next moment, his body froze.
Because...
[Devil Fruit User 'Abyss' Discovered]
[Confirmed Devil Fruit: 'Special Mythical Zoan · Shell-Shell Fruit · Model: Shen (Mirage)', analyzing...]
[Fruit Ability: Breathe out mist, completely hide tracks within mist, and create near-realistic illusions.]
[Effects by Level]
[LV3: Gain full fruit effect. Transform into the mythical beast 'Shen'. This is a special fruit—since 'Shen' has no specific form, the user gains physical enhancement but cannot transform into a specific animal form. User passively releases special gray mist 'Mirage Qi' around them, creating illusions 'Mirages' through it. Requires 1.7 Billion Berries for Unlock.]
[Releasing 'Mirage Qi' consumes no stamina. In Mirage Qi, the user can hide all tracks and traces. Created 'Mirages' can be objects or creatures. Objects can be shaped at will; creatures require seeing the target's appearance and posture to create a corresponding 'Mirage'. Mirages are extremely realistic.]
[LV4: Deep-Dive Development. Change color and nature of Mirage Qi. Created Mirage illusions have substance. Though unable to perform real attacks, even 'Aura', 'Ability', 'Vitality', and 'Strength' can be replicated exactly, almost indistinguishable. Requires 4 Billion Berries for Unlock.]
[LV5: Fruit Awakening · True Mirage Shadow. Gain unique Zoan Awakening transformation. Surrounded by 'Mirage Flame Clouds'. Can switch positions with any illusion anytime. Can designate a created illusion to become a real 'Mirage Shadow' via Mirage Flame Clouds and merge with self. Causes immense burden on the body, but grants the combat skills, strength, and physique of the 'Mirage Shadow' for a short time (cannot gain fruit ability or Haki). Requires 15 Billion Berries for Unlock.]
['True Mirage Shadow' state consumes stamina continuously. The stronger the chosen illusion, the greater the burden and consumption. Max duration 1 minute.]
[Analysis Progress: 0%]
Ryuji: "?"
Where did this Mythical Zoan user come from? Fruit Encyclopedia bugged?
But moments later, he reacted.
"Shen (Mirage)!?"
He heard of this mythical beast.
Some say it looks like a dragon, some like a clam, some say it has no specific form.
In ancient legends, it often appeared with thick fog. The common 'Mirage' (Shen Lou) on the sea refers to illusions created by this creature.
Of course, this wasn't key.
The key was the name of the user prompted by the Fruit Encyclopedia.
[Abyss (Deep Abyss)].
This didn't sound like a person's name, but rather... like a Ship.
"Could it be..."
So, Ryuji had a bold guess.
He stopped flying abruptly, scanning the surroundings.
'Mantra' told him there was nothing in the surrounding mist.
But now, he knew the reason.
"Mirage Qi... hiding all traces..."
Reading the fruit ability in the encyclopedia, he understood the reason.
"If according to the encyclopedia, to break this ability..."
Thinking of this, Ryuji soared into the sky!
Crimson vertical pupils opened wide. In his mouth, claws, and on his body...
Surging storms were brewing.
The next moment, he swept his massive tail, roaring at the sky!
"ROAR!"
Low dragon roar like rolling thunder echoed in the mist.
Gales howled, thunder boomed, mist churned.
"Weather Manipulation · Red Dragon Roar!"
Meanwhile, on Thriller Bark.
"..."
Brook, humming a tune while guarding Ryuma's corpse.
"..."
Perona, wiping tears, dragging Moria's corpse to leave.
They saw the incredible scene.
VMMM!
Silently.
From the distant depths of the mist.
"ROAR!"
A dragon roar came through the howling gale.
The next moment, as if a hand pulled open the gray curtain on the stage of the 'Sea'.
The entire Florian Triangle, shrouded in mist so thick nothing could be seen for unknown years... was cut open from the middle, revealing a massive hollow.
From that hollow...
Layers of Heavenly Light poured down through the torn mist!
Sunlight fell on Brook's face, on the cold ground of Thriller Bark, on Perona's long hair, on Moria's peaceful corpse.
Thus...
"..."
For a moment, they didn't know how to describe this scene.
Just as Ryuji didn't know how to describe the scene before him.
Before him.
Within the dispersed mist, the behemoth he sought... finally revealed itself.
(Author's Note: Moria being from the Kozuki Clan is confirmed, not my fan creation. The manga cover story explicitly states the hero of Ringo is 'Kozuki Moria'.
By the way, the Swordsman clone is still far away; two others are queuing before him.)
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