Hogback and Perona

An indeterminate amount of time had passed. 

Dr. Hogback, Absalom, and Perona had all awoken from their unconscious state.

"Uhhh..."

Hogback found himself bound in seastone handcuffs, completely immobilized with his mouth gagged. 

Everyone's faces changed, struggling against their restraints in a panic born of fear and unease. What terrified them most was the towering, blood-soaked figure lying beside them. Shockingly, it was none other than their master - Gecko Moria himself!

Hogback could scarcely believe his eyes. The gruesome scene of death chilled them to their cores, making their heads spin in disbelief. As a notorious pirate whose bounty had once peaked at 320 million berries over a decade ago before accepting the World Government's invitation to become one of the Seven Warlords, their mentor Gecko Moria had been slain.

"Ah, you're all awake?" 

The door swung open and William's imposing figure strode in. Hogback, Absalom, and the ghost princess Perona could only gape in shock, exchanging incredulous glances as they recognized him. Reports had circulated mere days ago about this youth who had joined CP9 at just twelve years old and brazenly murdered his defected, government-wanted superior. 

Yet what stuck in their minds was his staggering power. Without the Shadow-Shadow Fruit's abilities, even Lord Moria likely could not have defeated him. But they had taken his shadow, rendering this man a seemingly unstoppable zombie before banishing him to the Devil's Sea.

"My apologies, the esteemed Lord Moria has passed away..." William smirked unnervingly at the three stricken captives. Dragging over a chair, he crossed his legs and proclaimed, "From now on, I am the master of this Thriller Bark ship!"

"It was fate's design! Hahaha..."

"Damn you-" 

"Lord Moria..."

"You brat..."

Glaring at Moria's bloodied corpse, Absalom, Perona, and the bound Hogback struggled furiously, united in rage and disbelief. Never had they imagined being so easily captured due to their negligence, much less that their 'invincible' Lord could be slain.

"Uuuu...Lord Moria!!!" Perona wailed in horror, tears streaming down her face in profound sorrow. Taken in at a young age, Moria had been a father figure to her, making his vicious murder all the more devastating.

"Hahaha..." William merely laughed, making no aggressive moves as he calmly sat cross-legged, biding his time.

It was then that a black shadow flew in through the window, clutching a mud-caked black box. "You're still here?"

William grinned, taking the treasure box from the shadow clone. This was something he had snatched from a World Government escort ship before defecting. While being pursued by the Marines, he had accidentally stumbled into the Devil's Sea during a storm. Spotting the ominous Thriller Bark, he realized something was amiss - likely a trap set by the Warlord Gecko Moria. Without hesitation, he had stashed it on the coast in advance. 

"W-Wait, you..." Hogback and Absalom's voices trembled, their eyes wide as ghostly apparitions at the sight before them. "How do you have Lord Moria's power?" 

"What?" Perona, initially consumed by grief over Moria's death, was jolted back to alertness by the shocking sight, staring agog at the upright black silhouette mirroring William's form. "Is this...the Shadow-Shadow Fruit?" She gazed at William in horror. "You actually obtained Lord Moria's ability?"

The three were gripped by dread, chills running down their spines. When a Devil Fruit user died, their power would be reborn randomly - so how had William obtained Moria's specific fruit? 

"Incredible, isn't it? I'm shocked myself..." William made no attempt at secrecy, baring his teeth. "I can only say it chose me!"

"I never thought about becoming a Shadow Fruit user, but it just happened to appear before me..."

It wasn't as though he lacked other options. Initially, William had no intentions of taking the Shadow-Shadow Fruit's power. He knew the odds were low, never considering he might become a Shadow user. Between the Devil Fruits he had privately intercepted on CP9 missions or snatched from the World Government half a month prior, he had highly capable abilities at his disposal. 

However, William's ambitions meant he had been in no hurry to consume a Devil Fruit recklessly, content to simply stash them away while he explored alternatives.

It was only after killing Moria that the Paramecia-type Shadow-Shadow Fruit had miraculously respawned before him, at which point William made his choice and consumed it.

"What!?" The three subordinates reacted with utter disbelief, gaping at William in astonishment. After Moria's death, his Devil Fruit had simply...reappeared before this man? 

"One could say..." William clenched his right fist dramatically. "Destiny is truly wondrous!" 

He leveled his gaze at the trio's horrified faces, baring his teeth in a sinister grin. "Now, it's time for you three to make a choice - submit to me, or follow Moria in death?"

"W-Wait, I'm willing to surrender and pledge my loyalty, Lord William Obask..." Hogback hurriedly interjected.

Of course he knew William's name from the recent newspaper reports - "Black Jail" William Obask, once a CP9 agent who had suddenly killed his boss' young, 200 million berry-bounty defector for unknown reasons. Just days prior, they had witnessed his ferocious battle against Moria firsthand. His strength was simply unbelievable; without the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, even Lord Moria could not have defeated him.

And now, after Moria's demise, that very same fruit ability had inexplicably fallen into Obask's hands. It was only a matter of time before William's power surpassed that of the former Warlord. Under such circumstances, the wise choice was obvious to any fool.

Hogback had no intentions of being buried alongside Moria.

"Dr. Hogback..." Absalom's expression darkened as he glared furiously at his cohort. "Are you going to betray Lord Moria?"

Moria had been Absalom's benefactor. Yet he had been slain by the very man Hogback so readily submitted to now. How could he give in so easily? 

"Feh! What betrayal?" Hogback retorted excitedly. "No, Moria...we merely had a cooperative relationship, nothing more - especially now that he's dead!" 

"Don't forget, I only agreed to work with that Moria in the first place because he could use the Shadow-Shadow Fruit to revive Cindry. But in their battle days ago, that bastard Moria not only absorbed Cindry's shadow, he utterly destroyed her body beyond repair..." Hogback gritted his teeth, unable to contain his anguish. "I had to cremate my beloved Cindry!"

For three long days and nights, Hogback had mourned the loss, nearly severing ties with Gecko Moria over the destruction of Cindry's remains.

"Oh?" William raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Days prior, when he had first invaded Thriller Bark and Moria had set his sights on eliminating him, William had cut a swathe through the zombie horde, directly killing Ryuma before the mansion gates. Originally intending to negotiate with the Warlord, Moria's arrogance led him to reject any possibility of alliance. 

After their brief clash proved Moria could not defeat him, the Warlord, fearing the devastation William could unleash, was forced to swell his strength by absorbing a vast number of shadows. Even with this desperate power increase, William had still crushed the overconfident Moria - inadvertently destroying Cindry's body in the process.

For that poor woman's sake, it may have been a blessing in disguise. 

"Of course, no fault lies with you, Lord William..." Hogback grinned wryly, taking a calming breath before addressing Absalom. 

"The crucial point is that Lord William was chosen by the power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit..." Hogback gave a simpering smile in William's direction. "Doesn't this signify that Lord William is the one destined to become the Pirate King?"

Though his flattery was rather transparent, Hogback believed his own words. Devil Fruit powers randomly reincarnating after their user's death was common knowledge in the Grand Line. Logically, the reborn Shadow-Shadow Fruit should have appeared in some unknown corner of the seas. For it to be reborn directly before William Obask was too coincidental to be mere chance - it had to be fate.

"A wise choice..." William snapped his fingers approvingly, looking at Hogback with newfound respect. "I do prefer dealing with intelligent individuals."

Though the doctor was clearly a villain, his medical expertise remained invaluable. As long as he proved obedient, William saw no reason to discard him. Even someone of his caliber could not guarantee avoiding injury or illness - having a skilled physician in his crew would be prudent.

(End of Chapter)