Chapter 46: Ghost vs Shadow

As soon as the words fell, Adrian's figure disappeared from the top of the mast in an instant.

"So fast!"

Before Moria could react, he instincts took over as he raised his right hand and the sword.

Dang!

The next moment, Moria felt a formidable force transmitted through the hilt. The tremendous impact made his arm tremble slightly.

But that was all.

"Is this the extent of your power, little brat?" Moria, towering in stature, swung his sword like hitting a baseball, lifting Adrian off the ground with a single slash. His ferocious tone echoed relentlessly on the deck of the [Cruel Moonlight].

--

[Based on your level and attributes, you have gained the following information.]

[Gecko Moria] (Red Name)

　　[Level: LV58]

　　[Attributes: Strength 163, Agility 149, Endurance 187, Intelligence 9, Charisma 34, Luck?

　　[Ability: [Shadow Shadow Fruit], ?

　　[Danger Level: High]

　　--

Adrian, soaring in the air, squinted his eyes. Since setting sail, almost without exception, he had faced enemies whose levels were higher than his own.

Gecko Moria before him not only matched this trend but stood out as the adversary with the highest level and attributes encountered thus far!

A level of 58 signified Moria's strength surpassing the majority of Paradise Phase pirates.

Just a couple of steps away from the New World.

It's no wonder that Moria, after witnessing Roger's execution, could lead a successful expedition to Wano, deep in the New World, and engage in a head-to-head confrontation with Kaido's Beasts Pirates in just a few short years!

Even though Moria had forcibly quit his addiction to being a king under Kaido's control, escaping with his life from Kaido's club already demonstrated Moria's level of strength!

"Let me test the weight of the legend from the West Blue, White Ghost!"

"Shadow Horn Spear!"

Moria held the sword in his right hand, slightly crouched, his left hand pressing against the deck. From the shadow in front of him, he pulled out a strangely shaped and gigantic spear, then forcefully threw it into the sky, aiming directly at Adrian.

In Moria's estimation, White Ghost, thrown into the air without any point of leverage, would undoubtedly be pierced through by this brutal Shadow Horn Spear, and the battle would then naturally come to an end.

However, what Moria never expected was that Adrian just turned around and flew around like a honey-gathering bee frolicking in the flowers, dodging the Shadow Horn Spear, which was almost a sure hit in his opinion, with incomparable ease.

"Flight ability?!"

Moria's expression changed slightly as he reluctantly voiced his speculation.

The rarity of flight ability was undeniable.

On the vast sea, possessing the ability to fly meant having control over the skies and, even more fatally, the initiative in attack!

"Don't think flying makes you invincible!" Moria looked up at the sky and roared loudly, "Scatter, Bats! Attack!"

The Shadow Horn Spear, which had been speeding forward along its inertia, instantly disintegrated into hundreds of black fragments.

In just a breath's time, the shattered black fragments, scattered and dispersed, reformed into a swarm of shadow bats. They opened their mouths wide, revealing sharp shadow fangs, and with an overwhelming momentum, they lunged towards Adrian.

Mini Ghost: Star Fire!

With a single thought from Adrian, small white sparks appeared around him, instantly transforming into hundreds of mini ghosts.

A dense army of mini ghosts flew towards the swarm of shadow bats, with almost every mini ghost corresponding to a shadow bat.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The collision of black and white erupted into a spectacular display of sparks in the sky, and the deafening explosions seemed to penetrate the heavens.

Adrian's gaze shifted downward, his eyes cold.

Mini Ghosts · Fireworks Festival!

The mini-ghosts that had just not been fully consumed and those newly recreated gathered into a massive ball of light, falling like fireworks, launching a relentless bombardment towards the 'Cruel Moonlight' below, resembling a storm.

"Damn, I hate Flying Devil Fruit users!"

Moria grumbled, but he didn't underestimate the destructive power of the mini-ghost's bombs.

"Shadow Summoning Technique!"

The shadows beneath Moria churned continuously, then erupted from the deck like a spring, forming a huge shadow protective barrier. It enveloped Moria along with the other pirates on the 'Cruel Moonlight.'

The mini-ghosts collided with the shadow barrier, causing only slight ripples on its surface.

After a dozen seconds, the mini ghost was nearly depleted. Moria slowly withdrew the shadow protective shield and shouted towards the sky, "Hey! White Ghost! Don't you have any other moves? This little trick isn't entertaining enough!"

Not willing to admit defeat, especially since Moria didn't think he was weaker than the opponent to begin with, he just had no choice. His shadow ability wasn't particularly threatening to someone who could fly…

In mid-air, Adrian furrowed his brow slightly. He faintly sensed something unique about Moria's shadow ability but needed to test it.

Extending his finger, Adrian unleashed his previously unbeatable finishing move—Mini Ghost: Withering Heart Attack.

On the ship, Moria lazily yawned, casually summoning a shadow screen that successfully blocked the Mini Ghost previously.

"The densely packed explosions just now had no effect on me. What can this little one do?" Moria sneered, completely unaware of the difference between this mini ghost and the previous mini ghosts.

However, at this moment, Adrian had already confirmed his speculation, seeing even his unbeatable finisher blocked.

Sure enough!

The Shadow-Shadow Fruit is different from other Devil Fruits!

As a Paramecia, the 'shadows' could also transform between reality and illusion according to the wielder's thoughts.

Although Moria himself didn't realize this, Adrian noticed.

Moreover, as a Devil Fruit user, Moria could freely imbue his will into every corner of the shadows, reshaping and transforming them at will.

The Lord of Shadows is probably the true title that the user of the 'Shadow Fruit' should have!

On the pirate ship below, witnessing their captain facing the 'White Ghost' without falling behind in the slightest, the members of the Gecko Pirates couldn't help but be overjoyed. In their ecstatic state, they began to cheer loudly.

"Is this the legendary White Ghost? It's really so frightening~"

"Captain Moria is so formidable, how could he possibly lose to a little brat?"

"There's only one opponent; let's all go together!"

The wild laughter came to a sudden halt, and everyone turned to look at the pirate who had just shouted, staring at him as if he were a fool.

In the gazes of the onlookers, there was a clear message: If others can fly, why don't you give it a try?

The pirate blushed and felt extremely embarrassed.

In the sky, Adrian shook his head slightly. It would be better for the lackeys to leave the stage quickly; they were ruining the atmosphere!

He opened his palm, facing the merciless Gecko below, and said in a cold voice:

"White Ghost · Cursed Labyrinth!"