Cipher Pol Reporting

Mission report:

The following is a class 5 secret report authored by an undercover agent of CP-4 

Additionally, the report also contains confidential information about the activities of a new, currently unknown devil fruit wielder.

Access without proper clearance is grounds for fines and/or demotion while sharing the information in this document to unauthorized individuals is grounds for demotion or dishonorable discharge.

This is agent [Redacted for security] reporting impartially on the situation in naval base WB-93 in Radios, Alclara.

At time of writing, just 3 days ago around 2:00 PM there was a raid from the bay by a small group of pirates which caused something of a panic. Given his profile, there's reason to believe Arthur Barryl will not report the incident honestly, hence the existence of this report.

The following consists of firsthand accounts as to both reinforce Commander Barryl's profile and catalogue accounts of the incident itself from alternate perspectives, still of the firsthand. All of this information was collected under the pretext of this agent's cover as a reporter and information broker.

-Tuesday, September 23, 1501: A crew, currently identified as the Bright Iron Pirates, make an unauthorized mooring at the base's on site shipyard. Their motivation is clear.

The bounty of their captain, Bryce Logan Stark, had been cashed in at the base nearly a month ago, on August 25, by one Gecko Moria. A transport ship that would be carrying nearly 42 infamous pirates all the way to Impel Down in the grand line was coming to pick him up in 4 days time.

The pirates intended to free him.

Their de facto leader, identified as Chadwick Miranda, Stark's joint vice captain, transforms into an animal indicating a Zoan type devil fruit has fallen into her possession.

Referencing a devil fruit encyclopedia reveals conclusively that it's a fruit and power seen and catalogued before: Zoan type; Cat-Cat fruit, Model: Jaguar. Her manifestation of this ability specifically transforms her into a melanistic color variant.

Leaving her crewmates behind, she used the Zoan fruit's ability to quickly rush past the Marines and through the yard all the way to the central building. In a matter of four minutes, she had found her captain's cell and freed him from his bindings.

Together these pirates rushed back out, fighting Marines along the way and Stark even wounded Commander Barryl. In less than thirty minutes the Pirates were in and out with only a few wounded, while several soldiers were dead.

In light of the utter incompetence displayed by the 93rd branch during this incident this agent recommends one of two actions.

(1) Engage a cover up and prevent this incident from ever reaching the ears of the general public (this would necessitate extensive bribing of both local authorities and newspapers) or...

(2) Leave it as is and accept the consequences: The demotion and likely replacement of Arthur Barryl as head of the branch, raising Bryce Logan Stark's bounty, and placing a bounty on the head of Chadwick Miranda.

Report End.

---

In the week after the report reached the cipher pol's central command in Mary Geoise, the navy and world government opted for option number 2.

To bolster the Agent's cover as a news reporter, he was allowed to write and release a story in the local paper, the Lightkeeper's Times, concerning an overview of the incident.

In wake of public outcry from incensed members of the citizenry of the port of Radios, a replacement commanding officer was dispatched to Alclara after Arthur Barryl was demoted in rank from Commander to Lieutenant.

Chadwick Miranda was issued a 15 million belly bounty whilst Bryce L. Stark's bounty was raised from 25 million to 42 million belly for an assault on a Marine stronghold.

For now, the newly renamed Black Steel Pirates remain at large.

---

Mission report:

The following is a class 8 secret report authored by an agent of CP-7 of the Zoan Disguised Espionage Division(ZDED)

Access without proper clearance is grounds for dishonorable discharge or worse

This is agent [Redacted for security] reporting on last status of the wielder of devil fruit of interest #34: Paramecia type, Shadow-Shadow fruit.

Additionally this will be the last devil fruit wielder status report from this agent about the wielder in question. This is because, at the time of writing, the wielder is en route by ship to a location outside of my operating jurisdiction.

On these grounds, I'm pleased to inform that the memo regarding the transfer of surveillance duties is already on its way to the proper agent at the time of writing.

The following is a compiled list of noteworthy activities on the part of the subject, known as Gecko Moria, interspersed with my observations of his traits/profile as well as phenomena caused by the subject associated with his possession and manifestation of the devil fruit.

- September 6, 1501, ~7:18 PM: A ship with a dragon figurehead (later identified via eavesdropping as named "the Seeking Drake") and flying no flag moors on a dock in the port town of Toroa, Malstatt.

The ship itself is mostly ordinary except for the captain's cabin being cut in half, one side being the cabin and the contents of the other unobservable from outside. The only entrance into the space is a locked door from the captain's cabin, so I was unable to confirm its contents.

Sources indicate the ship arrived after finishing construction in Fostrum, Alclara just 3 days ago.

It's harboring is negotiated without incident by the Captain of it's three man crew, composed of navigation officer Harriet Stoker, first mate Elaina (no last name found, background check results: inconclusive; suspected tampering/potential collusion with state authorities involved), and the subject: Captain Gecko Moria.

(See report by Alclara stationed agent for information on subject's background)

Subject's unique features display traits (Horns, discolored skin, discolored hair, abnormally large build absent observable giant descent) synonymous with individuals of [Redacted] descent, concerning cases of obtaining devil fruits modified by signs of [Redacted].

Eavesdropping on the conversation among the crew reveals the subject's intention seems to be to grow as a pirate, yet intends to delay flying a jolly roger to avoid the consequences in government allied territories.

- ~7:36 PM: The crew enters the nearest tavern seeking information on the surrounding areas.

- ~8:21 PM: Stoker leaves and returns to the Seeking Drake.

- ~9:55 PM: Moria leaves and returns to the Seeking Drake.

Elaina apparently spends the night in the inn, sharing a room (and all that that implies).

- September 7, ~7:07 AM: The crew reunites in the town square and spend almost the entire day browsing the southern side of the market

The next several days are spent in a similar fashion, scouring other parts of the Market for sailing supplies, rations, and information on notable landmarks, until...

- September 12, ~11:42 AM: A group of four members of a local gang, associated with the Capone crime family, start trouble with Moria due to his stature resulting in swift retribution on the part of the subject's crew.

In the aftermath of the scuffle, Moria demands from one member the directions to the gang's nearest hideout, demands with which he complies.

The crew splits up, reasoning that with the trouble they've gotten themselves in, one of them should stay and defend the ship. Elaina elects to stay behind, telling her crew "No matter how many come, I'll be enough." before they leave.

- ~6:03 PM: After spending the day walking to the next town over where the gang's hideout is, Moria and Stoker break into the hideout and spend the next half hour incapacitating all 47 members.

They move from room to room knocking out members of the gang. The leader of the gang is easily identified by the subject and restrained for questioning.

Here I come to the Subject's use of the devil fruit of interest which he used during these confrontations.

Usage #1: Constructs

The subject forms their own shadow into constructs or lifeforms to be used to their advantage.

Moria seems to prefer small dot-eyed bats that can distract enemies so that he can target a group one at a time but I also observed him commanding one of the bats to his forearm before it transformed, turning into a black membrane which surrounded his arm, reinforcing himself while blocking a physical strike.

The versatility of this ability alone bodes well for him, but used to its full potential may cause problems for non-Haki adept opponents.

Usage #2: Shadow Stealing

The subject grabs at a person's shadow and cuts it loose using a blade (in the subject's case a pair of hand scissors, which he keeps in his pocket). As of writing I have observed the subject using these shadows in only one way. Consistent with archives of previous users, the subject takes the stolen shadow into their body for an increase in strength and the ability to tap into the muscle memory of the shadow's original bearer.

This has the side effect of disabling the owner of a stolen shadow from standing in sunlight, lest the contradiction of not casting a shadow disintegrate their body.

As you know, the reason why this is marked as a devil fruit of interest is that, while shadows taken in by normal people leave the body and return to their home body after a time, no such limit exists for the devil fruit's wielder.

The upper limit of shadows that can be stored in the user's body makes it so that enough powerful shadows can let even the weakest person become a force to be reckoned with.

Such a situation can get even worse and more uncontrollable if the user can get their hands on the shadows of just a few Haki wielders.

These are immensely versatile powers and warrant consideration should he receive a government issued bounty in the future.

Back to events.

Describing to the gang leader the side effect of the Shadow stealing, Moria proceeds to question the gang leader, with the implicit threat of stealing his and his subordinate's shadows, about the Gang's affiliations and storehouses containing the products which the gang engages in smuggling.

The Gang leader complies but when questioned about how he gets his orders from his superiors in one of the "Five Families of the West" he is abstinent.

Gecko Moria begins to make good on said threat. After Moria steals 24 shadows, he asks Stoker to open the blinds which face the setting sun. When Stoker does this one of the Gangsters immediately disintegrates in the sunlight that shines through.

Having born witness to the death of one of his men, the leader asks them to stop before informing Moria that there is an area on the eastern shore of the ruined kingdom of Kovacinus which the Capone family, the Triage, and the Bōryokudan all share and use as a storage and relay point in their smuggling operations across the west blue.

Looking at records, several requests for the marines to raid this exact relay point have been made and ignored in the past. I've thereby decided to put in a request to central command for a higher level agency to investigate.

As for Moria he decided to take that home and sit on that information while spending some more time in Malstatt.

And so he proceeded to travel the country, moving town after spending two days in each town he and his crew came to.

He kept doing this for the next 14 days with little incident, making no trouble with the locals.

Nothing except...

-September 23, ~1:27 PM: While Moria and Stoker explored Ventana, Malstatt, A group of 17 men all carrying rifles, which I have Identified as being associated with the Capone family, walked to the dock which the Seeking Drake was moored to.

They greeted Elaina by opening fire and spraying continuously as their weapons allowed. Elaina took cover before distracting them by throwing a fruit straight out of a nearby barrel, drawing their aim before moving in the opposite direction towards her attackers.

This is what I gathered from these men's conversations after the fact. I was watching the subject at the time and didn't see this firsthand.

17 down in what couldn't have been more than a minute and a half, all incapacitated with quick, precise knuckle and fist strikes to the neck or head, all while evading gunfire. Normal humans mind you, but still. It speaks to an immense skill, or at least physicality, likely more dangerous than the subject currently.

When talking bounties we should probably consider the subject's command of her foremost before any crew member.

These gang members proceeded to be carried away and arrested by local police.

Aside from this the subject's stay is uneventful.

-September 27, ~8:32 AM: The Seeking Drake, fully stocked with nearly a month's worth of provisions, sets sail towards the ruins of the Kingdom of Kovacinus, intent on robbing the mob blind and pillaging what's left in the ruins.

Should an agent of a higher agency be dispatched, he'll need a briefing on the Shadow-Shadow fruit, and a specific warning to be on guard, lest their shadow be stolen.

Report End.