One Piece: Waves of Destiny

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Sengoku could already sense Roja's growing ambition.

"If Aokiji doesn't step up, he truly won't stand a chance," he sighed, continuing to handle other pressing naval matters.

Meanwhile, Roja stood aboard an Admiral-class warship, sailing toward Punk Hazard alone. Standing on the deck with the official document in hand, his mood was visibly light.

"The scientific unit's combat strength isn't particularly impressive," Roja mused. "But Vegapunk… now he's the one I'm betting on."

Dr. Vegapunk, a genius scientist said to be 500 years ahead of his time, was the primary reason for Roja's interest. His research and capabilities alone made this trip worthwhile.

As the warship cut through the sea, Roja's sharp eyes noticed a dark, looming island approaching on the horizon. A closer look revealed a massive pirate ship disguised as an island. Flying above was a distinctive pirate flag: a skull with a bizarre onion-shaped haircut, framed by flaming bat wings.

"This must be the Thriller Bark, the so-called largest pirate ship in the world," Roja muttered with a smirk. He noted the ship's imposing appearance, including a giant mouth-shaped gate seemingly designed to trap passing vessels.

Compared to his own Noah's Ark, though, the structure looked small.

"So, Gecko Moria," Roja murmured. "After failing to challenge Kaido, you've resorted to waylaying ships on the Grand Line. Quite bold of you to block my path."

An unknown glint flashed in Roja's eyes as a small smile played on his lips.

On Thriller Bark

Within the eerie halls of the floating ship-island, Perona used her Horo Horo no Mi powers to project her ghostly form across the island. She floated happily through the dark corridors, speaking to Moria.

"Captain, this place is so cool! I've never been somewhere this amazing before!" Perona exclaimed excitedly.

Moria, slouched on his throne, responded with his signature laugh: "Kishishishi! Perona, if only I had met you earlier. With your powers, we could've crushed Kaido's crew and left those pirates utterly useless!"

Moria's tone darkened. "But back then… I didn't even get to face Kaido directly. His underlings wiped out my crew before I had the chance! So many zombies wasted… it's infuriating!"

As he vented his frustrations, Moria noticed Perona wasn't paying attention. Instead, she floated around the room, admiring the dark decor with sparkling eyes.

"You're hopeless," Moria muttered. "You look so cute, but your taste in creepy, dark stuff is impossible to understand."

"Dark? This isn't dark—it's adorable! You just don't have an eye for these things!" Perona retorted.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted their banter.

"Adorable? You're serious?"

Startled, Perona turned to see an unfamiliar figure floating beside her. It was Roja. He exuded a commanding presence, his arms crossed as if he were sizing up the ship.

Moria, slower to react, finally noticed the intruder and shot to his feet. "The Navy?! How did you get in here?!"

His eyes narrowed, studying Roja's uniform and posture. Yet, Moria had no idea who he was dealing with.

Thriller Bark had no newspaper delivery service, and Moria had been so consumed with scheming revenge against Kaido that he hadn't paid attention to current events. He had no clue the Navy had a new Admiral, let alone someone like Roja.

Roja, floating effortlessly, raised an eyebrow. "You really don't recognize me? Interesting. I thought my face and title were well-known by now."

Perona chimed in, "Hey! You're thinking something rude, aren't you?"

Roja smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment. How about I give you a reward?"

Perona blinked in confusion. "Reward?"

Roja's grin widened. "Join my crew, and I'll reward you handsomely. What do you say?"

The audacity of Roja's words sent shockwaves through the room.

Moria's patience snapped.

"Enough!" Moria bellowed, his voice echoing across the chamber. "I don't care who you are, Navy! If you dare step onto my ship, you won't leave alive!"

Fueled by lingering rage from his defeat at Kaido's hands, Moria prepared to unleash his full strength.

But Roja's expression remained calm. With just a glance, his spiritual pressure surged like a tidal wave, crushing down on Moria.

Moria froze. His massive frame began to tremble under the sheer weight of Roja's presence. The oppressive force made it impossible to move, as if his entire body had been encased in ice.

With a sudden thud, Moria collapsed to his knees. The ground cracked beneath him, and a faint gasp escaped his lips.

Perona, stunned by the display, could only stare.

"Captain? Why… why did you kneel?!"

Moria, too overwhelmed to respond, felt his very soul being suffocated. The pressure was so intense that he feared his internal organs might rupture.

Every survival instinct screamed at him to surrender.

In a final act of desperation, Moria slammed his forehead into the ground, creating a small crater as blood seeped from the impact.

"Please!" he gasped. "Take Perona if she's what you want… just spare my life!"

Roja raised an eyebrow at the unexpected display.

"I've seen groveling before, but this is… impressively sincere," he remarked, loosening the spiritual pressure slightly.

Moria's body slackened, and for the first time, he could breathe again.

Without wasting another moment, Moria stammered, "Perona… go with him. Don't resist. Just… just leave me out of this!"

Perona, still floating, looked between Roja and Moria, completely dumbfounded.

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