One Piece: Rising to Power as a Warlord of the Sea

"Waaah! Boss, please don't scare me!" Kumo whimpered, clinging tightly to Natsu's leg, trembling all over as Natsu's story got more and more outlandish.

"Alright, alright, just kidding. There aren't that many strange things out here," Natsu said, gently patting Kumo's fluffy head as he tried to shake his leg free.

Honestly, the little furball was getting pretty heavy.

"Really? Boss?"

"Yes, of course! Gotta have faith in science, Kumo," Natsu replied calmly, although he thought to himself, In this world? Science? Yeah, right. The existence of Devil Fruits alone defies logic.

So, really, only half of his reassurance was true.

Karina, who was nearby, seemed a bit skeptical. Glancing around the eerie surroundings, she knew that the Smile was already deep in the dreaded Triangle. Legends abounded about this place, and one confirmed fact was that at least a hundred ships vanished here every year.

Without realizing it, Karina edged closer to Natsu. In the Grand Line, anything could happen, but sticking by someone strong definitely improved her chances of survival.

After seeing the terrifying strength of both Natsu and Enel, Karina was pretty sure that even zombies wouldn't pose much of a threat.

As the Smile sailed on, the mist around them grew thicker. The ship's lights illuminated barely ten meters ahead.

Then, strange sounds began.

Creak… creak…

"Hee-ho-ho-ho! Hee-ho-ho-ho!"

As they ventured further, light rain started to fall, accompanied by a haunting song that echoed through the mist. Suddenly, an old, broken ship appeared ahead, and as the Smile neared it, the singing stopped abruptly. A tall figure with an afro flashed into view on the other ship's deck, holding a teacup.

"Ah! Boss, a—a skeleton is singing!" Kuno yelped, peeking out from behind Natsu, his curiosity overriding his fear.

"Wha—there's a ghost!" Karina also shrieked, diving behind Natsu from the other side. They hadn't even seen zombies yet, but here was a living skeleton.

"Yahaha! I didn't expect to find such a fascinating creature in the Blue Sea," Enel said, his usually blank face lighting up with a grin. He took a bite of his apple, sparks of lightning flickering over his skin, clearly eager for action.

"A living skeleton, huh? I bet it'd make for an interesting study," Hiro murmured, his eyes gleaming as he flexed his hands, already thinking about how to examine it.

"A skeleton, huh?" Gin muttered, closing his eyes as he focused on the Devil Fruit power within him. "I wonder if my new ability will work on it."

"Haha, what a lively bunch we are! Seems I've chosen the right crew to join. A Sea of Demons with skeletons! This will make fantastic material for my writing," Noriyuki said as he steered the Smile, scribbling notes in his journal.

"Noriyuki! Close in!" Natsu called out, raising his arm.

"Aye, captain!"

"Nooo! Don't do it!" In that moment of shared fear, Karina and Kumo clung to each other, trembling.

BOOM! "Nose Song Three-Chime Arrow Slash!"

"Hand of the Dead!"

An explosive noise shattered the silence ahead, as if some fierce battle were raging. The sounds of clashing weapons filled the air, mingling with pained screams.

"Enel, go check it out!"

"Been waiting for this, yahahaha!" Enel brandished his golden staff, transforming into a bolt of lightning that shot forward, crackling through the darkness. The Smile followed closely behind.

"Thirty-Million Volt: Thunder Bird!"

Enel's voice boomed across the battlefield as he unleashed his attack, a massive thunder phoenix descending from the sky. Thunder and lightning tore through the gloom as cries of terror echoed from the enemy's ship.

"Who are you?! Do you know who you're messing with? We're the Three Dreaded Sails Pirates! Our captain is Warlord Gecko Moria!" a short, chubby figure with a human head and bat's body yelled at Enel, clearly intimidated by this unexpected encounter. His group had come to hunt shadows but had instead stumbled upon this uninvited menace.

"Oh, Gecko Moria? Perfect. We were looking for him," Natsu announced, appearing on the enemy ship. He glanced around, spotting a bound figure lying on the deck – the skeleton, Brook – and numerous zombie soldiers, most of them lying scorched from Enel's attack.

"Well then, lead the way. I'd like to see what the famed Warlord of the Sea can do."

"Hahaha! You're here to join up with Moria? Excellent! Right this way! You two, take this skeleton aboard!"

"Yes, sir!"

The bat-creature, Hilton, gave them a wicked grin as he led them forward, convinced that they were no match for his master.

"I'm such a genius," he thought gleefully. "With shadows from such powerful folks, imagine the terrifying creatures Moria could create!"

"Natsu, I've got a bad feeling about this. Do we really have to go?" Karina, now off the Smile and trailing Natsu, asked nervously.

"Relax. It's all part of the plan. You know, the best hunters often appear as prey. And don't you want to see just how much treasure a Warlord like Moria has?"

"Treasure?!" Karina's eyes lit up, looking like a woman possessed by Nami's spirit – though, in truth, the two were alike enough. Any fear of the unknown was overpowered by the promise of treasure.

"Of course!"

"Phew, Boss, you really scared me," Kumo whined, putting on a sad face as he tried to blink away nonexistent tears, looking up at Natsu pitifully.

"Alright, alright. When we get out of here, cotton candy and bamboo shoots are on me," Natsu sighed.

"But I wasn't lying about the talking skeleton. Look over there," Natsu said, pointing. Brook was awake now, though his mouth was gagged. He lay there like a mummy, wriggling and making muffled sounds.

"Ah! A gh—ghost! Save me!"

Kumo froze in place for a moment, then leapt a full three feet in the air, his fur standing on end as he pointed at Brook with a trembling paw.

"Ahaha! This guy resisted Moria's orders. We're just following instructions to capture him," Hilton quickly explained, sensing suspicion.

"Now, everyone, please board the island's signature zombie carriage. Next stop, Moria's castle!"

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