Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
Moonlight Moria, who was in a distant room at the top of the Ghost Ship, looked down in confusion. However, the usual dark surroundings made it difficult to notice anything out of the ordinary.
He turned around and went back to his work.
"Hehehe~ The quality of these captives is impressive. We can create a large number of high-quality zombies. Kaido! Just wait. Soon, I'll get my ultimate revenge on you!"
Meanwhile, back with Hikaru, after Perona screamed, she immediately rushed towards her original body and slipped into it.
As soon as she woke up, she struggled, wriggling her petite body, and broke free from Hikaru's arms.
"Big pervert! Stinky pervert! Damn weird brother!!!"
She howled, landing on Hikaru, her small fists pounding on his chest like raindrops—neither heavy nor itchy.
"Hey, hey! Don't slander me! I haven't done anything yet!" Hikaru chuckled, enduring Perona's playful punches. Was this a punishment or a reward for him? Only he knew.
Perona didn't care about his explanation and kept punching. Seeing that Hikaru didn't resist at all and even seemed to enjoy it, she grew even more furious.
With a sharp grin, she opened her mouth and bit down on Hikaru's shoulder. Then, she placed her palm against his chest and fired at close range:
"Negative Ghost!"
The negative ghost passed right through Hikaru's body, but Perona's eyes widened with surprise. Why did it feel like it was empty?
At that moment, Hikaru collapsed onto the princess's bed, wearing a look of shame and speaking in a tone full of regret.
"I'm so sorry, my little cutie Perona. I'm such a proud guy, but it seems I've hopelessly fallen for you. I want to keep you by my side and watch the sunrise with me every day..."
Of course, he hadn't been hit by Perona's negative ghost. He had elementalized his soul beforehand, allowing him to avoid her ability by sticking to the ghost.
He said these words just to tease her feelings.
As expected, after hearing Hikaru's words, Perona's eyes went wide in disbelief. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, trembling, and whispered:
"Really... really? But... this is the first time we've met..."
Hikaru dropped his regretful expression, returned to normal, and chuckled, lifting her small body into his arms.
"You'll know the truth later. You're a subordinate of Moonlight Moria, and he captured my subordinates."
"I should have killed him without mercy, but your appearance made me change my mind."
"If you're willing to leave with me and become my consort, I can spare Moria's life..."
"One life for another, that's the contract I'm offering. Do you accept?"
"You..." Perona grabbed Hikaru's shoulders, sitting up, and her thoughts screamed: Give me back my gratitude!
"You can't possibly beat Lord Moria! He's invincible!"
"Oh?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "It seems you don't understand what true strength is."
He began carrying her toward the door. "I'll capture Moria first, make him fall, and leave him severely injured, so you can see what a truly strong person is!"
"When that time comes, you'll have no choice but to agree to my contract. Otherwise, his life may not be enough to justify your hesitation."
"You... Humph! You should see Lord Moria first!" Perona pouted in dissatisfaction. Her mind felt a little hazy, and she forgot to resist Hikaru.
"Okay!" Hikaru nodded and was about to leave when something caught his eye— the bounty poster in the hand of the fat bear doll on the ground. He raised his hand to look at it closely, and found that it was his own bounty poster.
"Eh?? Why do you still have my bounty?"
"Ah?" Perona's face flushed. She quickly grabbed the bounty poster, folded it several times, stuffed it into her small purse, and lowered her head, pouting without saying anything.
Hikaru ruffled her hair, stopped asking questions, and continued walking out.
After walking for a while, Perona finally sensed something was off. She started twisting her body violently, struggling against Hikaru's grip.
Seeing her resist so much, Hikaru finally let out a sigh and put her down.
As they continued forward, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from below. It was Brook, Shura, and Gedatsu catching up.
"Yo ho ho~" Brook's light skeletal frame allowed him to rush to Hikaru's side in just a few steps.
"My Lord God, I've finally regained my shadow! I haven't felt this free in so long!"
"Well, your efficiency is impressive," Hikaru remarked.
"My Lord God, this is Shimotsuki Ryuma's sword, the legendary blade Shusui—one of the twenty-one Great Grade swords. Please accept it," Shura said respectfully, holding out the weapon with both hands.
Hikaru raised his hand, and with a simple motion, Shusui was pulled toward him by an invisible force. Lightning crackled around the blade, cleansing it in an instant.
"Shusui has a reverse-edged T-shaped blade. The steel is black with a purple tint, decorated with a red serrated pattern," Brook explained. "According to legend, it's also a national treasure of Wano Country in the New World."
"Not bad, not bad. Shusui is definitely worthy of a place in my collection," Hikaru said, admiring the sword for a few moments. Then, activating the power of the Door-Door Fruit, he reached into the void beside him and sent Shusui directly to his storage room.
"Ah!" Perona gasped, her jaw nearly hitting the floor. She circled around Hikaru, tugging at his clothes every few seconds.
"Where's the sword?! Where did it go?! How did it just disappear?!"
Brook also gawked, his bony jaw hanging open. A thought crossed his mind—could Hikaru actually possess some kind of Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit ability?
"Haha! Our Lord God is omnipotent! You don't even know that?"
Shura and Gedatsu saw the stunned expressions on Brook and Perona's faces and laughed mercilessly at them.
To them—and to all the people of Skypiea—Hikaru was a true god. The one who brought them a better life. They followed him with unwavering devotion.
Hikaru didn't bother explaining. Instead, he casually lifted his hand, stopping Perona's constant poking and prodding, before continuing toward the upper level of the Ghost Castle.
"Let's go. It's time to deal with Moonlight Moria."
Shura and Gedatsu took the lead, clearing the way for Hikaru. Brook scratched his afro and followed closely behind.
...
After ascending the spiral staircase and walking through a long corridor, they arrived at an open area.
The floor was littered with the remains of defeated zombies—scattered limbs, shattered bones, and torn clothing. The eerie sight sent chills through the air.
Hikaru couldn't help but wonder how someone like Perona, who acted so soft and spoiled, could live among these grotesque creatures without issue.
Did she actually find them cute? Or did she have some strange obsession he wasn't aware of?
Hikaru didn't know.