Now that the Marines were present on Gecko Moria's Thriller Bark, it was no longer feasible to carry out their planned raid. What a shame. It seemed he would have to build his own army and organization, step by step, aiming for Alabasta and ultimately, the blueprints for Pluton.

Rewinding a few minutes...

After defeating Absalom, the lion-masked invisible man, and Ryuma, the legendary samurai with the Shusui sword, Ian, now wielding the newly acquired Shusui, didn't immediately leave. He merely instructed Brook, slightly shaken by the events, to take his broken, unnamed 50 Skillful Grade Blade and depart. He told Brook to build a sword mound for his former beloved katana alongside the skulls of the Rumbar Pirates.

However, Ian remained nearby, observing from a distance. He felt a sense of responsibility towards his benefactor. Only when he was certain that Brook was safe would he truly feel at ease.

He kept his distance, ready to intervene if necessary, and planned to return later to pay his respects at Brook's grave.

For now, he continued to absorb the abundant souls on the island while awaiting the arrival of a certain individual.

"Quite a feast…" Ian sat cross-legged on Thriller Bark, in the heart of the Florian Triangle, sensing countless souls swirling around him, their essence devoured and his fusion rate steadily increasing.

31%, 32%, 34%… It finally stopped at 35%, not due to a lack of souls but because he had only absorbed about two-fifths of the available souls. The remaining three-fifths were enough to push him to 40% fusion, unlocking his first Resurrección, Murciélago.

After all, Thriller Bark claimed over a hundred ships each year. Over time, the accumulation of souls had become staggering, numbering in the tens of thousands, equivalent to a small nation. However, this abundance also troubled him.

If reaching 40% fusion required so many souls, wouldn't each subsequent percentage point demand even more, perhaps even an entire nation or a vast stretch of the sea?

Impel Down, Big Mom's Whole Cake Island… He would have to visit those places, locations that had witnessed countless battles and deaths.

Or perhaps he could compete with Blackbeard, hunting down Devil Fruit users and absorbing their "devil" souls to increase his fusion rate. Admirals, Shiki, Whitebeard, Big Mom, Supernovas… Devil Fruit users were plentiful among those powerful factions. Then there were individuals like Shanks, Fujitora, and Mihawk… powerful pirates with formidable Haki and swordsmanship. Their souls would undoubtedly be potent as well.

He was destined to clash with them eventually. Even the Five Elders, the supreme leaders of the World Government, and Im…

"Bastard! You killed Absalom! I'll turn you into a zombie!"

The ground trembled as a tall, lanky figure with a pale, gaunt face, resembling a vampire, approached, accompanied by hundreds of zombie soldiers. He had small horns protruding from his forehead, pointed ears and teeth, and stitch-like scars running across his neck. He wore a shirt with a bat-shaped collar, a long, flowing coat, and had an unnaturally long head. His skin was as pale as death.

It was Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He had witnessed the carnage, the countless corpses littering the ground, and the bisected body of Absalom, his invisible subordinate.

"You destroyed my zombies, and now you've killed my comrade! Unforgivable! Since you're a Devil Fruit user, your strength must be considerable. You'll make a fine addition to my zombie army!"

Moria glared at Ian, his gaze lingering on his tattered white attire, his pale skin, the horns on his head, and his pale green eyes.

They did bear a resemblance, a demon and a vampire, both associated with bats.

Moria was enraged. Ever since Kaido had decimated his crew, he had become fiercely protective of his remaining comrades. After being stripped of his Warlord title for his poor performance during the Paramount War, he had been targeted for elimination by Doflamingo and Kuma.

It was Absalom, using his invisibility powers, who had rescued him from that predicament. Later, he had ventured into Blackbeard's territory to rescue Absalom, demonstrating the depth of their bond.

After all, one involved confronting two powerful Warlords, while the other involved facing Blackbeard, a Yonko with two formidable Devil Fruit powers.

"Your comrades are precious, but others' lives are meaningless?" Ian scoffed, meeting Moria's gaze without fear, his tall stature imposing.

To cherish your own comrades while trampling upon the lives of others invited retaliation. Someone would inevitably treat your comrades with the same disregard. It was an inescapable cycle.

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Unless, of course, you possessed overwhelming power, the kind of power that could warp one's humanity.

"Mr. Ian, run!" Brook, observing from the sidelines, wanted to scream a warning but feared being discovered by Moria. His imposing physique and monstrous appearance were terrifying.

"What? Zombies, attack! Tear him to shreds!" Moria roared, enraged by Ian's defiance. Instead of fleeing, he dared to mock him?

"They're just fodder. Numbers mean nothing."

Ian declared, unleashing a wave of spiritual pressure that enveloped hundreds of zombie soldiers, paralyzing them instantly. He even incorporated his Soul Absorption ability, instantly purifying and absorbing the weaker souls, effectively countering Moria's shadow manipulation. Dozens of souls were added to his collection.

"Conqueror's Haki? That explains how you neutralized my zombies. But you're just a naive brat from the first half of the Grand Line. You have no idea what true power is!"

Moria bellowed. Conqueror's Haki was rare in the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line, leading many rookies to develop inflated egos, believing themselves invincible. Like Luffy and Kid, who had foolishly challenged Big Mom and Kaido.

And what were the consequences? Conqueror's Coating and Thunder Bagua, followed by imprisonment and solitary confinement to cure their delusions of grandeur. They were truly benevolent individuals.

In his eyes, Ian was no different. He likely believed that he, a Warlord residing in the weaker half of the Grand Line, was an easy target. Moria would simply steal his shadow, transform him into a zombie, and add another naive brat to his collection.

"Don't get cocky, kid. Conqueror's Haki users are a dime a dozen in the New World. Having the potential to become a king simply means you have the right to compete. Nothing more!"

"I am Gecko Moria, a Warlord of the Sea recognized by the World Government! I exist to bridge the gap between the Marines and the Four Emperors!"

He raised his massive hand and slammed it into the ground, shattering the earth for several meters.

"Soru?" He muttered, surprised.

He had clearly felt his attack connect, yet Ian had vanished. He must have used a movement technique similar to the Marines' Soru. It wasn't uncommon in the Grand Line. This newcomer did possess some skill.

"Then try this! Shadow Asgard!"

Moria's massive shadow stretched out, seemingly taking on a life of its own, transforming into a gigantic spear that impaled Ian's body.

"Haha! So much for conceit, kid!" Moria laughed maniacally, his vampire-like appearance adding to the sinister atmosphere. He was still as conceited as ever.

Just like when he had challenged Kaido, resulting in the deaths of his entire crew.

Not everyone could afford to be so reckless and ignorant.

"Mr. Ian…" Brook cried out in alarm, rushing towards Ian, prepared to face even the terrifying Moria.

After all, Ian had helped him regain his soul and brought news of Laboon. He had witnessed Ian's incredible regenerative abilities firsthand.

He believed that as long as it wasn't a fatal wound, Ian might survive. But their enemy was truly formidable.

"Is that all you've got? It's rather… weak." Ian's voice echoed calmly.

It wasn't weak. Moria had used this very attack to pierce through Little Oars Jr., a giant subordinate of Whitebeard, during the Paramount War. And deep within Thriller Bark, Moria possessed the remains of his ancestor.

However, he hadn't brought them with him this time. And he wouldn't have the chance to retrieve them.

Because his life would end here.

"Damn it! How are you still alive? Did you dodge?" Moria exclaimed, panicking. He had clearly felt the shadow spear impale Ian. Why wasn't he dead?

"It pierced through me, yes. But it lacked… impact." Ian raised his head, meeting the gazes of both Moria and Brook, the vampire and the skeleton.

They watched in astonishment as Ian slowly extracted himself from the shadow spear. His waist was partially severed, but it was rapidly healing, his High-Speed Regeneration at work.

"What kind of Devil Fruit power do you have, kid?!" Moria roared, bewildered by Ian's incredible regenerative abilities and his uncanny resemblance to himself.

"Zoan type, Mythical Zoan, Devil form."

Ian lied, deciding to test the limits of his Hierro, enhanced by his 35% fusion rate with the Ulquiorra template. It had been pierced, but his High-Speed Regeneration compensated.

As expected, the attack that had pierced through Little Oars Jr. was no joke. Even with his current power, equivalent to a Gillian-class Hollow, a Vice Captain in the Soul Society, or a pirate with a 700-800 million berry bounty, he couldn't withstand it completely. He needed to increase his power or learn Armament Haki.

"While it didn't have much effect, it still hurt like hell, you bastard!" He roared at Moria.

"A devil? I've changed my mind. How about becoming my subordinate?" Moria's desire to kill had vanished. A devil, a ghost, an invisible man, a zombie, a vampire… what a perfect fit for his crew!

"Are you done attacking? Now it's my turn." Ian ignored the offer and launched his counterattack. Only a fool would become Moria's subordinate.

He was a recluse, wallowing in self-pity after his defeat by Kaido. He had wasted the potential of his Kage Kage no Mi. Look at Shikamaru and Rogue, who also manipulated shadows.

Shadow Possession Jutsu, Shadow Stitching Jutsu… They had mastered their shadow manipulation techniques, even utilizing the shadows of others to their advantage.

Moria's Shadow Asgard was similar to Shadow Stitching Jutsu, capable of piercing through opponents.

He had even developed a Shadow Doppelganger technique. But he was still weak. Buggy was another example. His Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit) could have been incredibly powerful, like Gildarts Clive's Crash magic in Fairy Tail, which could split the earth for hundreds of meters with a single blow.

There were no inherently weak Devil Fruits, only weak users. Doflamingo and Katakuri had turned seemingly mundane abilities into devastating powers. In the hands of others, they would likely be relegated to tailoring and mochi-making.

Doflamingo's Birdcage, an immense web of strings capable of slicing through buildings and even withstanding meteorites, and Katakuri's mochi attacks, exceeding even Luffy's Gear Third in size, could split an entire island. They had turned Paramecia-type abilities into forces of nature.