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After the Marines issued the bounty, they typically included nicknames and details of the criminal's exploits in the accompanying intelligence reports. When assigning nicknames, the Marines never considered the opinions of the criminals themselves. These nicknames generally summed up the criminal's appearance, abilities, identity, or any striking personality traits.
Noir had fantasized countless times about his nickname, something like "The Devil King" or "The Emperor," those cool, edgy titles...
But reality had slapped him hard.
There was no way the Marines would give a criminal such a grandiose title; that would only scare the citizens and elevate the pirate's status while diminishing their own. Those with truly fearsome titles were already widely known and couldn't be hidden, like "Pirate King," "Dark King," "Soul King," or "Empress."
Oh, and then there’s the most absurd one: "GOD Usopp..."
Noir’s title, "Devil Shadow," was severely lacking in flair.
Noir didn’t want to be just a shadow!
He wanted a god-like title...
Enel eyed Noir's bounty poster, envious. "This bounty poster looks pretty well-made."
Wyper nodded, sighing. "They say a bounty poster is the first step to fame in the Blue Sea. It seems our captain is about to become famous!"
Conis, holding a sleeping Sky Fox, curiously asked, "Really? Will our photos become famous too?"
Enel and Wyper exchanged awkward glances and fell silent. Famous? They’d barely had a proper fight since descending from Skypiea. The only time they went against the government, Enel got pounded.
The thought infuriated Enel, who spat at the unconscious Blueno.
In the days that followed, both Noir and Robin became wanted criminals, so most of the shopping fell to Wyper and the others. It's worth mentioning that Enel’s temperament had gradually improved since they brought him out, at least he now listened to Noir and refrained from attacking his own crew.
Noir didn’t know why this change had happened, but it was a good sign, so he didn’t push it.
Enel didn’t want to compromise either, but after spending time in the Blue Sea, he realized something: there were people stronger than him here, and they had more tricks up their sleeves. Rather than running off into unfamiliar territory, he figured he was better off sticking with Noir.
Some time later, the Ark Maxim underwent another modification by the skilled shipwrights of Water 7. When they first saw the gold-plated room inside the ship, they were all stunned. However, out of professional integrity, the shipwrights restrained their greed and returned the newly improved Maxim to Noir in perfect condition.
After bidding farewell to Water 7, the crew of the Maxim set sail. Mayor Iceburg was still a bit dazed, not quite believing he’d met Franky without any attempt to seize the Pluton blueprints.
When Iceburg learned that his secretary and two foremen had gone missing, he knew Noir might have been telling the truth, that government agents had indeed infiltrated his ranks. Noir was not lying.
Noir... what a mysterious man...
On the Ark Maxim, Enel finally had his own room and no longer had to stay in the energy supply chamber. Satisfied, he settled into his room, lying comfortably on the bed.
Wyper, with Noir’s permission, transformed into a Pteranodon and soared through the skies, reveling in the sensation of high-speed flight.
Noir studied the Log Pose, which pointed toward Fish-Man Island. To reach Fish-Man Island, they first had to go to Sabaody Archipelago for a coating, which meant passing through the Florian Triangle.
Another encounter with a Shichibukai was inevitable.
Noir gazed eagerly out at the sea. Gecko Moria’s Shadow-Shadow Fruit was just what he needed, and it was crucial to Noir’s plans.
Noir aimed to fuse three types of Devil Fruits into a unique, high-grade ability. Of the Paramecia fruits, Noir coveted Big Mom’s Soul-Soul Fruit the most. With the Soul-Soul Fruit, he could wield nearly every elemental attack, and one of the fruits that could combine with it was the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
One fruit granted power over shadows, allowing control over corpses; the other granted the ability to bestow souls on inanimate objects, animating them. Their functions were quite similar.
Another possibility was the Yomi-Yomi Fruit, which had a simpler yet similar soul-related ability.
Both of these fruits had attributes that closely matched the Soul-Soul Fruit.
And conveniently, both were in the Florian Triangle.
Once this business was settled, Noir could head to Sabaody to meet up with Ace.
I wonder who will get there first, he thought...
Just as Noir was lost in thoughts of the future, Enel suddenly rushed out, shouting, "Wyper’s fighting someone out on the sea ahead!"
Hmm? Noir's expression darkened. Who's looking for trouble?
"Activate Power Drive! Fly me over there!"
Ahead on the sea, Wyper, in his Pteranodon form, angrily swiped his massive claws at a ship.
A towering masked man, nearly three meters tall and wielding a giant axe, blocked Wyper’s strike with a grunt. Behind him, his crew stood nervously, weapons at the ready. Among them was the mature woman who had been tailing Noir, now standing calmly in their midst.
She had let down her hood, revealing a cascade of silver hair. Her eyes were full of uncertainty as she looked at Wyper.
An Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit... Noir entrusted it to him. Such trust...
The silver-haired woman hastily shouted, "This is a misunderstanding! We’re not your enemies!"
Wyper’s dragon eyes were fierce, showing no intention of holding back. He had been flying peacefully when suddenly attacked, and there was no way his fiery temper would let that slide.
Wyper pressed down on the giant man, causing the entire ship to tilt as though it would capsize.
The giant man strained with all his might, sweat pouring down his face. Seeing the ship in danger, the woman decided to intervene.
In a flash, she gracefully leaped to Wyper’s front, her slender fist striking lightly at Wyper’s claw.
Wyper sneered, but as her fist connected, it was as if his boundless strength had evaporated.
His mighty claw, normally so strong, was overwhelmed by her delicate hand.
Wyper quickly withdrew his attack, but even after pulling back, the sense of weakness in his claw didn’t dissipate. It was as if his power couldn’t flow properly.
Wyper glared at the woman in suspicion. "Are you a Devil Fruit user?"
The woman withdrew her hand, smiling politely. "I am. I possess the Paramecia-type Calm-Calm Fruit. Anything I touch, whether physical or energy-based, becomes soft and powerless."
Wyper’s eyes widened in shock.
This ability... seems... kind of unbeatable...
The woman placed a hand over her heart, her other hand behind her back, and bowed gracefully. "My companions were rude earlier. This is all just a misunderstanding. I hope we can talk things over."
Wyper, having taken a hit, retracted his wings and landed on the ship. "What do you want to talk about?"
Just as the woman was about to speak, a loud whooshing sound filled the air.
Enel, having summoned lightning, eagerly descended with a roar of thunder. "A fight without me? Not happening! Take this!"
The woman frowned, her delicate hand flicking as she lightly tapped the air. The raging lightning suddenly softened, passing through her like a gentle breeze. Her hand reached through the electrical net and slapped Enel on the head.
With a thud, Enel crumpled to the deck like a lifeless ragdoll.
Wyper couldn’t help but chuckle. This is more like it...
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