Build The Strongest Family in the Prirate World

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

---------------

Just as Absalom was on the verge of death—whether it was due to his desperate struggle or the cries of Hogback and Perona—Gecko Moria finally regained consciousness from the depths of despair. With a furious roar, he bellowed:

"Let go of my crew!"

"You won't hurt them again!"

"Shadow's Ascent!"

Shadows from all around surged toward Gecko Moria, merging with his body. He began to grow larger, and his presence became more intense and fearsome. But before he could absorb enough shadows to complete his transformation, a spear formed from blood struck him directly, piercing through his body and pinning him to the ground.

Why wait for the "boss" to power up when you can stop the process outright?

Pinned by the blood spear, shadows started fleeing from Moria's body. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. Yet, as he looked at Absalom struggling in Vladimir's grip, Hogback frantically trying to treat him, and Perona crying in terror, a powerful resolve ignited within him.

His blood boiled, and his spirit burned. With a cold, determined look, Moria gripped the blood spear lodged in his chest. Slowly, inch by inch, he pulled it out.

With a clang, the spear fell to the ground and dissolved into a pool of foul blood. The wound it left behind was massive, but Moria seemed unaffected, as though pain no longer existed for him.

Ignoring the injury, Moria launched himself with surprising speed and agility, leaping toward Vladimir like a predator.

"Let go of my crew!" he shouted with unyielding rage.

But just as he was about to close in, a surge of blood erupted from behind Vladimir, engulfing Moria in an instant. The overwhelming difference in power was clear—raw willpower alone couldn't bridge the gap.

Not everyone in the pirate world can rise like Luffy, suddenly finding strength in moments of crisis to overcome impossible odds.

The next day, Gecko Moria awoke from the depths of darkness. As he opened his eyes, he saw Perona, Absalom, and Hogback gathered around him, unharmed. He instinctively touched his round belly, searching for the wounds that should have been there.

Finding none, he froze in disbelief before a gentle smile crept across his face. He had thought they were all dead.

It was then that he noticed Vladimir sitting calmly on a nearby chair, casually playing with an armband.

"I'm not dead?" 

"Thank goodness you're all okay!" 

After talking with Perona and Absalom, Gecko Moria learned that Vladimir had finally released them and healed all their injuries. 

With a complicated expression, Gecko Moria walked up to Vladimir and asked directly, 

"Why?" 

In pirate battles, the victor usually doesn't show mercy to the defeated. 

"I only want your treasure, not your lives!" 

Vladimir put away the armbands, stood up, and locked eyes with Gecko Moria. 

"Besides, I'm very interested in your Devil Fruit ability." 

"How would you like to join my army?" 

The Shadow Fruit combined with Vladimir's flesh-and-blood transformation could make for an unstoppable force. 

What kind of zombie army would that be? It's clearly an ideal army of workers—no need for rest, no wages required! 

"Hehehe, I've never thought about joining anyone else!" 

Gecko Moria refused without hesitation. 

Even if he couldn't defeat Vladimir, as a former hero of the West Blue, Gecko Moria would never submit easily. 

"Then, don't you want to get revenge on Kaido?" 

Vladimir's quiet words hit a sore spot for Gecko Moria. 

"You should know that with your current strength, revenge is impossible!" 

Revenge against Kaido had been Gecko Moria's greatest desire ever since his crew had died trying to save him. 

But now, at forty-five years old, even if Gecko Moria began training immediately, he could never catch up to Kaido, who had become one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. 

In the pirate world, a person's peak strength is usually before the age of thirty or forty. From now on, it would be a struggle just to maintain his current level of power. 

Time, like a blade, had cut down countless heroes of the sea. 

When the topic of revenge against Kaido came up, Gecko Moria's expression hardened. His eyes darkened with anger. 

"By joining you, could you help me get my revenge?" 

"Kaido of the Beasts… The Four Emperors?" 

"With your current strength, you're still far from ready."

"Do you know how long it took me to defeat you after setting sail?" 

"Huh, Four Emperors? Kaido of the Beasts?" 

"Is he strong?" 

Vladimir spoke calmly, a flash of disdain in his eyes. 

As a master of blood magic who inherited the terrifying legacy of the dark descendants, Vladimir was just one step away from transcending the boundaries between humans and gods. 

To Vladimir, Kaido of the Beasts was nothing more than a stepping stone. Given time, he was confident he could surpass him. 

And if, by some chance, he couldn't? Well, he had Duke behind him. 

A Four Emperors-level threat like Kaido was hardly a challenge for Vladimir. 

With that confidence, Vladimir wasn't prepared for what happened next. 

Suddenly, the sky above the Sea of Nations, now called Bilgewater, changed. 

A massive dark cloud, swirling with storms and lightning, was heading directly toward Cake Island. 

"Glanck the Imp," 

"Hand over all the nations to me!" 

From the dark clouds, Kaido's terrifying dragon head emerged. 

"Linlin's territory is now mine!" 

"Hot Breath!" 

Kaido unleashed a terrifying stream of flames from his mouth, forming a massive pillar of fire that could incinerate anything in its path. Wherever the fire touched, 

The plants withered instantly, and even the strong, tall castle was reduced to molten lava. 

But just as the flames were about to consume Cake Castle, a wave of dark, sticky rice surged up, blocking Kaido's breath. 

"Kaido, this is not your territory!" 

The burnt rice cake, still glowing with heat, released a tempting aroma, and behind the dark wave, 

Katakuri stood firm, sweat dripping from his forehead from the heat, but he did not step back. 

Next to him, Perospero and the others looked on, puzzled by the situation. 

Before anyone could react, Kaido, who had been spewing flames, suddenly shut his mouth and, with his razor-sharp teeth, bit down on a bullet gleaming with dark light. It spun rapidly as it headed straight for his throat. 

"This is my territory!" 

"If you want it, come and take it!" 

In the flames, Gangplank emerged slowly, gripping a scimitar in one hand and a pistol in the other.