The deck of the Baratie groaned beneath the weight of tension as the cloaked scythe-wielder stepped forward, each footfall echoing with eerie finality. Splinters littered the bloodstained planks, and the air reeked of smoke and salt. Wind whipped through the gaping hole left by the cannon blast, spreading embers across overturned tables and charred curtains. The fog from the sea crept over the restaurant, shrouding the battlefield in a gray veil that pressed down like an omen.
Luffy wiped the blood from his mouth and stood tall, his jaw tight, his expression hardened. Shadows danced around him erratically, recoiling from the earlier strike that had pierced them. For the first time since awakening the Shadow System, his power wavered. It wasn't just hesitation—it was fear.
"Who are you?" Luffy demanded, voice rough and low, the coiling tendrils of darkness behind him like serpents baring their fangs.
The figure remained silent. He raised his scythe, blackened steel humming with malevolent energy. The blade itself pulsed with a dim violet glow, and strange, twisted etchings lit up along the handle. The air grew heavier with every second.
Sanji stepped forward, his gaze sharp. "He's not just using shadows. That energy—it's corrupted. Tainted. Like it's alive."
Zoro unsheathed his swords, Wado Ichimonji glinting in the low light. "We take him down. Fast."
But Luffy lifted a hand to stop them. "Don't. He's here for me. And I need to understand why."
Before anyone could respond, the cloaked figure vanished in a burst of shadow smoke. A second later, he reappeared behind Luffy, scythe already mid-swing. Luffy spun, a thick tendril snapping up to block the blow—but the scythe carved through it like butter, the dark blade humming as it shredded the defense.
Luffy flipped backward, landing in a crouch near a collapsed table, breath shallow, brow furrowed. "He's cutting through my shadows... like they're nothing."
The attacker didn't speak. He simply raised his left hand, and a sigil of twisting black runes flared beneath his feet. From within the glyph, three twisted shadow creatures emerged. They stood tall and gaunt, with elongated limbs, razor-sharp claws, and glowing crimson eyes. Their bodies flickered like candlelight shadows, never fully solid.
With screeches that pierced the air like nails on glass, they lunged.
Usopp, hidden behind an overturned chair, yelped and fired a flaming shot. It passed through one creature harmlessly. "They're not solid! They're like... illusions, but real!"
Sanji rushed in, flames igniting at his heels. He twirled through the air, a blazing heel slamming into one shadow beast's face. The creature shattered like smoke, only to re-form seconds later with a new snarl.
Zoro clashed blades with another, his swords slicing through its midsection. The beast dissolved, but its form reassembled in his blind spot, claws slashing forward. Zoro spun to parry just in time. "These things don't die. They're stalling us."
Luffy ignored the chaos. He stood still, his fingers curled tightly into fists, eyes shut. He reached deep—past his frustration, past his exhaustion—into the wellspring of his power. The Shadow System pulsed in response, a dark rhythm that echoed inside his bones. Something stirred beneath the surface. Something deeper. Older. Waiting.
"If he wants my darkness... then he's gonna see what it can really do."
He slammed his palm into the deck, the wood cracking beneath the force. "Shadow Ascend!"
The shadows exploded outward from him in a violent pulse, forming a massive ring across the floor. The air shimmered above it. The ground trembled.
From the center, a tall figure rose. A knight clad in thick, dark armor sculpted from shadow, with glowing violet eyes beneath a horned helmet. Its shoulders were broad, its stature towering. In its hands, it held a colossal blade of pure black energy, crackling with power.
Every pair of eyes turned.
Even the cloaked enemy stilled.
The knight slowly raised its sword in salute to Luffy, then turned to face the scythe-wielder. Its stance was rigid, disciplined. This was no mindless puppet. It was a sentinel.
Luffy's jaw tightened. "You want my power? Then take it from him first."
The cloaked enemy said nothing. But for the first time, he moved with purpose. He twirled his scythe behind him, the blade whispering through the air, and dashed forward, cloak billowing behind like wings.
The knight charged.
Their weapons collided with a shockwave that rocked the entire ship.
—To be continued.
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