In the first half of the Grand Lihere exists a treacherous sea region known as the Florian's Triangle. Shrouded in dense mist all year round, this pce is perpetually cast in shadow, with the sun never breaking through its eerie fog.

  Throughout maritime history, fog has always been a harbinger of danger. After all, one ever know what lurks within its depths, mystery often breeds peril.

  The Grand Line is home to many strange fogs, each with its own legend. There's the ever-present mist of the Florian's Triangle, as well as the Rainbow Mist, which is rumored to allow passage through time itself.

  Acc to statistics, over a hundred ships vanish without a tra the Florian's Triangle each year.

  Most people sailing the Grand Line have no idea why this happens. Strangely enough, these mysterious disappearances only started about seven ht years ago.

  However, the Wover knows exactly what's behind it.

  The Florian's Triangle was always a dangerous pce due to its naturally misleading fog. Many ships found themselves cirg endlessly, uo escape. The magic field in the region is also highly unstable.

  Adding to the peril, enormous Sea Kings, which typically avoid sunlight gather within this darkened expanse.

  These factors alone were enough to turn the Florian's Triao a pyth and fear. Yet, in the past, some lucky sailors still mao escape.

  That was until seven ht years ago, when Georia te there.

  After suffering a crushi at the hands of Kaido in the New World, Moria abahe fight for supremacy among pirates. He retreated to the first half of the Grand Line, recruiting subordinates before disappearing into the Florian's Triangle.

  From then on, his ship—the Thriller Bark, the world's rgest sailing vessel became the stuff of nightmares. Any ship that ehe mist never came back.

  Moria turned every survivor into an undead minion, ensving them as zombies. And because these creatures had no shadows, even if they mao escape the Triahey would disie upon exposure to sunlight.

  Thus, the Florian's Triangle became a true graveyard oh no survivors.

  ---

  inally, Cudius had expected Teach to handle Moria with ease. After all, Teach was exceptionally strong even without a Devil Fruit, he could fight Shanks to a standstill in a chaotic melee. And now, after obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit, his strength had likely surpassed Shanks, if only by a fra.

  Moria, oher hand, was a different story. In his younger years, he had been highly ambitious and truly formidable. His Shadow-Shadow Fruit is among the most powerful Paramecia-type abilities, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it exceptionally broken in the right hands.

  One of its core abilities allows the user to create a shadow e that possesses the same bat strength as the inal.

  If that doesn't sound terrifying, imagihis: if someone like Garp had this power, he could spawn a "Shado" and fight as if there were two of him.

  Not only that, but Moria instantly sces with his shadow at will. Against an experienced fighter, this would be a nightmare to deal with.

  And that's not even sidering the other bizarre and overpowered abilities the fruit grants.

  Yet, despite wielding su incredible power, Moria squas potential.

  After his humiliati by Kaido, Moria's once-fierce ambition crumbled. He became zy, relyiirely on his subordio do the fighting for him. His once-imposing physique grew bloated, and his bat ability deteriorated drastically.

  In trast, Teach was ruthlessly ambitious and tinuously grew stronger. If you put the two side by side, the oute seemed obvious, Moria was destio lose.

  Or so Cudius had thought.

  Because the situation ying out very differently than expected.

  ---

  At this moment, aboard the Thriller Bark, a vicious battle had just cluded.

  Moria stood, covered in blood, his massive, swollen body marred by deep wounds. His chest heaved with exertion, he looked utterly spent, on the verge of colpse.

  Yet, pared to him, Teach looked far worse.

  Despite beiively unscathed, with only minor injuries, his spirit had been utterly broken.

  The once-ambitious Marshall D. Teach who had dreamed of seizing ultimate power was now kneeling at Moria's feet like a defeated dog.

  His face was devoid of hope, and his posture slouched in abject despair.

  "In my life… I want to be a Shit-Shit Fruit user…" Teach muttered, his forehead pressed against the floor. "Yeah… a fruit that turo literal shit… That way, no one would ever dare to step on me again…"

  From a distance, a petite figure in a gothic dress floated toward them.

  Perona.

  The mischievous Ghost Princess had arrived.

  Just moments ago, Teach had nearly killed Moria. He had pletely overpowered the former Warlord. But then, Perona had struck from afar, ung a single ive Hollow that had passed straight through Teach's body.

  And in an instant, Teach had given up on life itself.

  It had to be said, Perona's Hollow-Hollow Fruit was aremely overpowered support ability. Used correctly, it could single-handedly turide of any battle.

  "Grhh… snot-dripping… whiny mess… what a disgrace…" Perona giggled as she floated closer.

  Moria, still gasping for breath, turo her and said, "You really saved my ass, Perona. I owe you one."

  Perona nodded smugly. Meanwhile, Teach tinued his pitiful muttering about wanting to bee literal excrement.

  Moria, regaining some posure, scowled. "Where the hell did this guy even e from? Never seen him before… but damn, he's strong. Nearly had me there."

  "Why would someone like him attack you, Lord Moria?" Perona asked curiously.

  "I have no idea," Moria admitted, his expression darkening. "But he cimed he was sent by the Wover."

  Perona's eyes widened. "The Wover?! But… aren't you one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

  A grim look crossed Moria's face. After a long pause, he muttered, "Looks like we've been hiding in the Devil's Triangle for too long… The Wover must be getting impatient. Maybe they want to repce me with a new Warlord…"

  He then turned his attention back to Teach. Stepping on the defeated man's back, he sneered, "Tell me—who sent you? A guy as powerful as you… What did they promise you? Were you supposed to take my pce?"

  Teach remained unrespo first. He was still drowning iive energy, his mind lost in self-pity.

  But then…

  Moria's words echoed in his mind: "What did they promise you?"

  And in that instant, an image fshed in Teach's thoughts—the Dark-Dark Fruit.

  That sihought shattered Perona's ability.

  Teach's obsession with the Dark-Dark Fruit was s that it became the anchor he o snap himself out of his depression.

  His eyes flickered with sinister light.

  Yet, despite regaining trol, Teach did not react immediately. Instead, he chose to py along, muttering even more nonsense:

  "I want to be the sti pile of shit… The sti shit there ever was…"

  Moria, growing frustrated, raised his foot to deliver a final kick to Teach's spine.

  But the moment his foot lifted—

  Teach struck.

  With zero hesitation, he lunged upward, delivering a brutal, Haki-infused punch directly to Moria's most vulnerable spot.

  The sound of something… bursting echoed through the room.

  A bloodcurdling scream tore through Thriller Bark.

  "ZE HAHAHAHA!!" Teach cackled maniacally, flipping the battle in an instant.

  "You're too careless, Moria!"

  As soon as his ughter faded, Teach stomped his foot, and his figure vanished from sight.

  A sed ter, a ive Ghost passed through the empty space where he had just been, missing him pletely.

  Teach reappeared behind Perona, mimig the same arrogant stance Moria had used earlier. With a wide griepped on the man's bad ughed mogly.

  "That trily works on me once! Hey, girl, why don't you join me? Ze hahahahaha!"

  ***

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