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

"You… you know about that?" Moriah's eyes widened in shock, staring at the young man before him as though he were dealing with a long-studied nemesis. The way this kid spoke felt like it had all been some grand, premeditated scheme.

"Of course I know," Natsu said with a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "And I know more than you'd ever expect."

"Kishishishishi! Then, brat, you can die with that knowledge!" Moriah's arms stretched wide, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

"Shadow's Gathering!"

At his command, countless shadows darted across the ground, swarming toward Moriah and merging into his body. His figure swelled in size, and with each shadow, his strength multiplied.

"Perish, little punk!"

With the power of nearly a thousand shadows coursing through him, Moriah threw a massive fist down, aiming right at Natsu's head.

Boom!

"A fistfight, huh? Other than a certain old geezer, I haven't found anyone who can even make me sweat."

"Serious Punch: Five Thunder Fist Style!"

Natsu focused his energy, blending the Five Thunder Technique with his punch. Golden lightning sparked around his fist, and the air quivered. In a thunderous clash, the two fists collided. The shockwave shattered walls, splintered the ground, and sent debris flying, only to be reduced to dust under the force of the collision.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Natsu's fists kept raining down, each strike making Moriah struggle to keep up. Even with the power of a thousand shadows, his moves started to falter. Gradually, he found himself completely outmatched.

"Tai Chi Fist: Crushing Punch!"

One punch, wrapped in Armament Haki, struck Moriah's gut, and the powerful blow made him double over like a prawn, his massive form hurtling back and crashing through several walls before skidding to a stop a good distance away.

Thud!

"Argh… damn it!"

Moriah gasped, spitting blood as he forced himself up. He was unable to rise under the weight of the injury, inflicted by both the power and Haki of Natsu's punches.

"Moriah, I'll give you a choice," Natsu said as he appeared before Moriah, looking down at him. Pulling out a Transponder Snail, he opened the line to hear Gin's icy voice confirming the battle's outcome: "The Thriller Bark Pirates are finished—only the captain remains."

"Moriah, sir, don't worry about us! Run! These guys are monsters!" cried a distant voice.

"Perona…"

With a "clack," Natsu disconnected the line, his eyes glinting as he looked down at Moriah.

"So, your treasure or your crew—take your pick, Moriah."

Moriah paused, a deep sigh escaping him before he made his decision.

"Fine. You can have the treasure… but my crew walks away unscathed. Otherwise, I'll fight you to the end!" he declared.

Natsu chuckled. "Not a bad choice, Moriah. Less talk, then. Bring the treasure and your crew to the eastern shore, where we'll be waiting. Oh, and don't get too cocky with that weakling strength of yours."

Moriah watched as Natsu walked away, seething but knowing his strength was far outmatched. Out here, in the Grand Line, weakness was a curse. Survival followed the rule of the strong. The fact they'd been allowed to live was mercy enough.

An hour later, deep in the Magic Sea region, Moriah approached with his battered zombie crew, carrying as much treasure as they could haul.

"Master Moriah!" Perona cried, tears streaming down her face as she ran to him.

"Uuuugh…" Absalom groaned, lying on the deck with his mouth gagged. He wanted to speak, but as he struggled, Kumo plopped onto him, nearly cracking his spine with the weight.

"Quiet! Captives don't get to talk so much!" Kumo chided, sitting firmly on him.

Moriah shot a hard look up at Natsu, who stood on the deck of the Smile Pirates' ship.

"Here's all the treasure. Now, release my crew," he demanded.

Natsu gestured for the crew to start loading the treasure onto the ship. As they worked, a soft ping sounded in his mind, accompanied by the system's melodic voice: Ding! Congratulations, host! You've acquired ten billion Berries! Converted to one hundred thousand points.

"Ah, nothing like that boost," Natsu muttered, smiling as he browsed the latest items in the system shop.

"Looting Card: Allows the host to plunder one skill or item from a defeated enemy. Price: 20,000 points."

"Pet Growth Card: Speeds up the growth of pets by altering time flow. Price: 10,000 points."

"Paramecia-type Silent Devil Fruit: Price: 20,000 points."

"Skill Enhancement Card: Price: 10,000 points." He wasted no time, purchasing five of them immediately.

The points he'd earned were gone in seconds. With the boost, Natsu upgraded his Serious Punch, Normal Punch, and Golden Light Incantation, though the latter reached level ten and no longer accepted upgrades.

"Unbelievable! I'm supposed to be OP! Now you're forcing me to 'comprehend' skills?" Natsu shook his head, slightly offended at the system. Even so, the level was sufficient—it would easily allow him to withstand even a high-level Conqueror's Haki attack.

"Well then, take care!" Natsu bid farewell to Absalom, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder, flashing a smile that, to Absalom and Perona, was anything but friendly. In their eyes, he was a demon. They didn't want to see him again if they could help it.

As Natsu was about to leave, the system pinged once more: Ding! Host successfully used Looting Card. Acquired the Paramecia-type Transparent Devil Fruit.

"Sweet! Transparent fruit in the bag," he murmured, pondering who to give this rare power to.

"Seems like it's time to recruit a sniper for the crew," Natsu mused, scanning the sea. The Transparent and Silent fruits would make a deadly combination for a marksman in the crew.

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