Chapter 25

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Chapter 25

Title: Meeting a Shadow...

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In Gecko Moria's ship, which was more like a small island, Max and his marine crew were at the entrance of the surrounding wall. Max had hit the metal gate a couple of times and created dents in the metal with each 'knock'. The gate looked like a woman's lips with teeth and it was made out of thick metal.

Also, he acted as confidently as he could to inspire his men to not fear anything. After all, they would be fighting against zombies and other undead. Already he had given each soldier a batch of salt and their weapons had been covered in seawater.

Gecko Moria was a Warlord of the Sea so picking a fight with him would have some repercussions on Max. Of course, that would be only if he didn't have Sharlia in his side, she was his ticket to taking the laws and wiping his-

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!" Moria's screams ring out all over the island. 

Max smirked, Moria's fruit was one he needed in his hands and would give to someone he would trust in the future. He needed to make his 'crew' after all. A group of powerful people that he could trust. After all, strength in solidarity isn't a good thing. Even Yonko have their crews. Plus, if Max decided to stay a Marine, then only becoming a Fleet Admiral would satisfy him. Also, he had Sharlia as someone that he trusted, sure the girl might not be the smartest tool in the shed, but she was a Celestial Dragon with enormous influence. 

Of course, from what he learned from here even amongst the World Nobles that had higher status even amongst themselves, like the Five Elders. Those old men were the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons, and Max had plans to make Sharlia with a similar level in power. Sure, there was Im, and even Max didn't know what that person's goal was or even their gender for that matter. 

'Baby steps first before I decide to run.' Thought Max as his eyes burned with ambition. Due to having Sharlia in his ship, in the World Government's eyes, he was just following her fancy so they can't order him around. 

He would like to keep those people in the dark for as long as he could and have them think that he was following Sharlia. Even though he still sends her to bed and she couldn't stay past ten. He usually sent her to bed like a child every night, Max had power over her. But he mustn't let anyone else figure this out or it would be dangerous. 

Suddenly a dozen people appeared at the top of the wall, Max recognized most of them. They were like zombies, and amongst them stood a floating Perona, a proud Absalon, and a casual Ryuma. The others seemed like the normal zombies in his eyes, a drinking humanoid zombie and a spider zombie were the ones who stood out. 

"Who are you to dare and rudely knock on the island of the Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria?!" Asked Absalon, he showed courage in front of them all.

But Max wasn't convinced and he narrowed his eyes. "That's a lot, coming from a man who all he does is hide in his castle. Afraid of a man half a world away. Kaido might be strong, but Gecko Moria has as much cowardice as the beast has strength."

Perona didn't take that well and immediately sent her Hollows out sneakily. She didn't say anything, intending for the attack to come as a surprise. Especially since Absalon had said to them that something about Max was off-putting. His animalistic instincts were saying that he was dangerous. Though Max still didn't look anything more than a slightly above average-sized man, he even seemed harmless with his nice guy smirk. 

If it wasn't for the spiked bat in his hand, then one would say he looked like a nice guy who got lost at sea and accidentally stumbled here.

The hollows went under the ship and came out through Max's body as they came out from the deck of his ship.

"Ugh!" Grunted Max, but except a small wince in his face, nothing else seemed to show externally that it affected him.

"What?! That is impossible!!" Exclaimed Perona, she had never seen someone resist her power, so this was the first time someone had done so. "My powers ignore physical strength and endurance! You should be on the ground weeping!"

Max smiled with confidence. "Well what can I say, there are people like me who have an unshakeable spirit and no thoughts of loss in my mind. That is my confidence to win this battle!!"

Everyone was taken aback by what he said, especially the enemies as they all knew that Perona's powers were absolute. Not even Gecko Moria himself could resist them. 

"There is no way someone like you exists!!" Yelled out Perona in despair, as she sent even more hollows, they hit some of the marines and brought them to their knees.

"I am trash… mom, sorry for being born."

"My life will never amount to anything… I wish I was born as a fish… then I wouldn't bother anyone."

"Between a bug and me, there is only one difference, I waste more air than them."

Max on the other hand got assaulted by over four hollows and his eyes shadowed as he stumbled.

...

-Max POV-

Dying… no matter what I achieve in this world, at the end I will die and become maggot shìt. There have been people smarter than me out there and they still received the same end. 

Similar thoughts ran through my head for a couple of seconds before the effect of Perona's ability ran out. In the end, I smiled confidently at the people atop the gate.

"What the hell!" Yelled out Absalon before pointing his hand at me and a cannon shot rang out.

Booom!

It almost hit me in the face, but honestly, the cannon shot was kind of slow in comparison to the ones Garp threw.

So I had time to pick up my spiked bat and bash the bomb before it could hit me.

BOOOOM!!

The explosion hit close by, but the wind pressure pushed it outward so no damage came to the ship or those around me. Though Perona on top of the wall stumbled due to the strong wind and fell on the ground. "Ugh!! This is annoying!"

Her power worked on me, but I don't know if it was due to how I usually never display my true feelings on the outside or what. But it was easy to stop me from falling to my knees, though the thoughts that come to me are depressing. Was I a pessimist like Usopp? Nah, I doubt it… or maybe I was, after all, in my eyes there were many people stronger than me so I also doubted my abilities during certain fights. Of course, I wasn't satisfied with my strength, but that didn't mean I was pessimistic. Even though I do like to think of the worst kind of scenarios and how I would act in them.

...okay maybe I was pessimistic. But that didn't make me like Usopp! But who knows, there are many kinds of people in the world. As many as the number of people themselves in fact as no two lives are the same.

Suddenly a giant shadow descends over all of the people in the wall. "Shishishishi, Bear D. Max, I have to say. For nobody like you to come all the way here, what the hell do the marines want this time?"

Max smirked. "They want your head."

Gecko Moria clenched his jagged teeth. "You bastard! You think mocking me will do you any good?!!"

Shadows rose from the ground and like a Lovecraftian god and writhed around. But while his men were scared, Max only smirked. "So what? It seems to be doing its job anyway."

"This will be the way you die dumbass!!" Yelled out Absalon in anger.

….