"More testing!"
Yato's mind was racing.
"Being able to silently and instantly slip into anyone's shadow is already powerful, but what about actual combat?"
The Shadow Wraith form, in its default state, was intangible, completely immune to physical attacks, and capable of teleporting to the shadow of anyone in the world. But if it had combat capability on top of that, it could very well be,
"The strongest assassin in the world."
But therein lay the issue: if his form was intangible, and no one could touch him… how could he attack anyone?
"I need a test subject."
With that, Yato closed his eyes again.
In the next instant, he re-entered that vast void, filled with shimmering starpoints, some bright, some dim, countless as the night sky.
But this time, he noticed something new.
One of those starpoints, the one he had previously visited, representing Sengoku, was now faintly linked to him.
"So once I've visited someone, I can find my way back? Not bad. The Shadow Wraith has a 'navigation memory' feature."
That meant…
If he wanted to, he could reappear behind Sengoku anytime.
"Tempting, but Sengoku is a bit too powerful for this kind of experiment…"
Sengoku, the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines, had once been a Marine Admiral before his promotion. His strength was among the world's elite, even stronger than Akainu.
"Let's pick someone weaker. Much weaker."
With that thought, Yato shifted his focus to another starpoint in the constellation of souls.
A wave of vertigo followed.
And when he opened his eyes again, he was somewhere completely new.
"Where…?"
He didn't make a move. Still hidden within the shadows.
In this state, unless someone was actively looking directly at him, it was nearly impossible to detect his presence.
He scanned the area.
A tavern.
The place was lively. Loud, vulgar voices filled the air. Behind the bar, the owner was polishing glasses, while young waitresses hurried about serving drinks.
It wasn't a large place, maybe five or six tables.
All full, save one near the wall where a lone man sat.
The rest were occupied by groups of rough-looking, dangerous men.
"I'm telling ya, that girl earlier had fire, I damn near snatched her right then and there!"
"Don't be stupid. This is Sabaody Archipelago. Pirates are everywhere. You mess with the wrong person, you're dead."
"Captain, the New World's right up ahead. The Four Emperors have carved it up, fighting tooth and nail for territory. Which one should we join?"
Yato's ears perked up.
Sabaody Archipelago?
Of course he knew the place.
The majority of this world was ocean. Apart from the Red Line, a massive landmass encircling the globe, land was scattered and fragmented.
The Grand Line ran perpendicular to the Red Line, forming a cross.
The first half of the Grand Line ended at Sabaody Archipelago,
Which also served as the gateway to the second half, known as the New World.
"So these guys are pirates who just finished the first half. Perfect. Just the kind of test subjects I needed."
The New World and the first half of the Grand Line were two completely different realms.
In the New World, pirates were monstrously powerful. Any of the Four Emperors alone could crush even Marine Admirals.
But in the first half?
Most pirates here were still small fry.
Unless they were among the top elite, their bounties usually didn't even break 100 million Berries.
Sure enough, the ship captain spoke up.
He was a bald brute of a man, broad-shouldered and imposing, with a massive cleaver resting at his feet.
Probably drunk, he stood and bellowed,
"Join the Four Emperors? Don't make me laugh! My bounty is 75 million! I'll be the Pirate King!
First thing I'll do when I get to the New World is kill Whitebeard!"
The men roared with laughter and cheers.
Kill Whitebeard?
Yato couldn't help himself.
He chuckled aloud.
"Who's there?!"
The bald captain snapped upright, momentarily sobered.
"A sharp one, huh."
Since he'd already been noticed, Yato saw no reason to keep hiding.
From the shadow behind the bald captain, a dark figure slowly stepped into view.
"A ghost?!"
"Monster!"
"What is that thing?!"
Panic erupted among the pirates.
But the captain himself just looked baffled.
He followed their gaze, but saw nothing.
"Don't bother. You can't see me," Yato said with a smirk, giving the man a once-over.
"You? Kill Whitebeard? Please. You're worth 75 million. One of Whitebeard's interns has an 80 million bounty."
The voice, echoing from nowhere, made the captain flinch.
He could hear it.
He could even pinpoint where it came from.
But there was nothing there.
"Trying to scare me with parlor tricks?"
Spooked but furious, the man grabbed his cleaver and swung it straight toward the source of the voice.
Yato didn't move.
He stood perfectly still, letting the blade pass right through him.
From the sidelines, one pirate laughed.
"Ha! That freak's too scared to dodge. Get him!"
But in the next instant, their laughter froze.
The blade passed through Yato's body,
Like slicing smoke.
"A Logia?!"
One of the pirates blurted it out in shock.
Yato raised an eyebrow and turned to him.
"Oh? You actually know what a Logia is? You're not as ignorant as the rest."
"Who the hell are you?!" the man asked nervously.
Yato just smiled.
Instead of answering, he turned back to the bald captain.
"You attacked me, so it's only fair I strike back."
"Let's see… can I solidify this form?"
He focused.
The captain instinctively stepped back, knocking over his chair in panic.
Right before his eyes, the black fog took shape.
Starting from the head, a humanoid form emerged.
Thick as ink. Seamless. Featureless, except for two glowing eyes.
Dark smoke constantly flowed off the figure's body like mist.
"So this is what solidification feels like…" Yato murmured as he studied his hands.
"Seems like I can't maintain it for long though…"
Still, it was enough for now.
He raised his arm.
Black smoke gathered around his fist as he reared it back.
"Let's see how you handle this."
"Eat this punch!"