"The Seventh Division Captain, 'Bone Demon' Marklode, is also here," the CP0 vice-leader noted.
"The First, Seventh, Thirteenth, and Fifteenth... all four division captains are present. Excellent. This saves us the trouble of hunting you down individually," the CP0 leader said, a hint of pleasure in his eyes.
"You're from the World Government's Cipher Pol, aren't you? Which number?" Moria's face was dark, his body tensed and ready for battle.
"It doesn't matter if we tell you. We are CP0," the leader stated flatly.
Moria's expression changed instantly. He grabbed two shadow-balls from his pocket, but in that same second, the CP0 leader moved. He lashed out with a kick, catching Moria square in the chest and sending him flying, crashing through the ship's cabin.
Yugdon, who was standing nearby, paled and rapidly retreated. The other pirates on deck scrambled to get away.
Suddenly, the wreckage of the cabin exploded outward. Moria, now the size of a giant, strode out. He had used Shadows Asgard and transformed into his strongest state.
The shadows beneath his feet morphed into Shadow Spears, stabbing toward the CP0 leader at astonishing speed.
The CP0 leader's fist blackened with Armament Haki. He met the attack head-on, shattering every single Shadow Spear. He then vanished with Soru, reappearing in front of Moria in the blink of an eye. His long, black-clad leg cut through the air, kicking Moria viciously in the thigh.
The immense force snapped Moria's leg bone, forcing him to one knee. The CP0 leader attacked again, his foot striking Moria's chin and blowing his head to smithereens.
The CP0 leader frowned. His Observation Haki flared, spreading out instantly. The "Moria" he had just "killed" dissolved into shadows, and the real Moria slipped out from his own shadow, clutching his injured right leg, his face a mask of terror.
Just as Moria was about to move, Yugdon struck. He flung his hands forward, sending a spray of seawater that transformed into a volley of hardened water needles.
The CP0 leader simply punched the air, unleashing an incredible shockwave of pressure that blew all the needles off course.
With another Soru, the leader appeared in front of Yugdon. The Fish-Man's expression twisted in alarm as he threw his own fist at the CP0 agent. It was a ferocious punch, carrying a massive shockwave. The CP0 leader, undaunted, met it with his own fist. His blackened, iron-hard punch tore through Yugdon's shockwave and collided with his fist.
BAM!
Yugdon screamed as he was sent flying, crashing so hard into the ship's railing that he nearly broke it. His entire arm trembled, and he couldn't even lift it.
"This guy... he's definitely Admiral-level!" Moria looked on in horror. To be able to overwhelm him this completely, their opponent had to be on the level of an Admiral.
"Yugdon! Take Zodd and get into the sea! Notify Bege immediately!" Moria roared.
"Trying to escape into the sea? Not so fast. I'll kill you first," the CP0 leader snorted. He used Soru, rushing at Yugdon to finish him off.
Suddenly, a Shadow Spear shot out and wrapped around Yugdon, yanking him out of the way. Another spear grabbed Zodd, and Moria flung them both off the pirate ship.
The CP0 leader's eyes turned murderous. He kicked out, sending a brutal Rankyaku slash flying toward the two airborne figures.
But Moria moved, intercepting the slash with a punch and blowing it apart. Yugdon grabbed Zodd as they hit the water, and a Sea Beast immediately surfaced, allowing them to climb on before it dove and fled.
On the adjacent ship, the CP0 vice-leader leaped into the air to give chase.
"Where do you think you're going?" Marklode immediately made his move. Bone fluid flowed from his hands. With a wave, the fluid solidified into bone spears that shot at the vice-leader.
The vice-leader paused, kicking the bone spears to pieces before continuing his pursuit of Yugdon.
Marklode tried to attack again, but another CP0 agent instantly appeared in front of him, smashing a fist into his shoulder and sending him stumbling back.
"You're not qualified to fight our vice-leader," the agent sneered, looking down on Marklode with contempt.
Murderous intent filled Marklode's eyes as bone fluid began to pour from his body.
Moria watched the vice-leader dive into the sea, a knot of worry in his stomach. But at that moment, he couldn't even guarantee his own survival, let alone worry about Yugdon.
Underwater, Zodd pressed a button, and a bubble instantly enveloped him. Yugdon had the Sea Beast dive deep, but the CP0 vice-leader plunged into the water after them without hesitation.
They dove frantically. Suddenly, a terrifying shockwave shot down from above. Yugdon grabbed Zodd and leaped off the Sea Beast just as the attack pierced its body, killing it instantly.
The CP0 vice-leader pumped his fists, firing off a barrage of Shigan shockwaves. Yugdon, carrying Zodd, dodged desperately but was still clipped in the back by one of the attacks, which nearly shattered his spine.
"I have to wake up Number Zero! Only he can buy us time now!" Zodd pulled a whistle from his clothes and blew into it with all his might. A sharp, piercing sound traveled deep into the ocean.
He blew desperately, as if trying to awaken something from the abyss.
Yugdon grit his teeth against the pain, continuing to dive deeper with Zodd. The CP0 vice-leader seemed hell-bent on killing them both, attacking relentlessly even as he gave chase.
"Dammit, where is Number Zero?! What dark corner did he crawl into to sleep this time?!" Yugdon cursed. He was at his limit under the vice-leader's assault.
Suddenly, a violent, ferocious, and utterly savage aura exploded from the depths, startling Yugdon.
"It's Number Zero! He's awake!" Yugdon roared in delight. A black shadow shot up from the seabed at lightning speed, brushing past Yugdon's shoulder and sending him tumbling.
Yugdon spun through the water, clutching his shoulder, his face twisted in pain.
"He did that on purpose! He absolutely did that on purpose! Dammit, that guy really holds a grudge!" Yugdon's expression was furious.
"He hates it when people talk bad about him. What did you expect when you bad-mouthed him and he heard you?" For the first time, Zodd actually smiled. He looked up at the dark figure that had intercepted the CP0 vice-leader.
The vice-leader's expression changed drastically as he stared at the bizarre humanoid creature before him.
It had purplish-black gills on both sides of its neck, marking it as a Fish-Man. Long, thin horns grew from its head. Its body wasn't particularly large, but it was pure muscle, with triangular-shaped muscles that looked as if they were inlaid on its body. The muscles themselves were red, glowing faintly like armor. Its eyes were blood-red, flashing with a savage and violent light.
A thick, powerful tail, covered in barbs, swished behind it—clearly a vicious weapon in its own right.
Its chest was bare, revealing the Fire Tank Pirates' tattoo emblazoned over its heart. This creature was a member of the Fire Tank Pirates.
This was the true guardian of Dragon Fruit Island and all of Bege's waters, stronger than any Sea Patroller.
His name was Number Zero, and his nickname was "Berserk Beast." He was Ben Kosa's most successful, and most powerful, fusion-modified Fish-Man, responsible for the safety of the entire region.
However, Number Zero had one extremely annoying flaw: he was severely narcoleptic. If he had nothing to do, he would sleep. And if you didn't call him, he would never wake up on his own. He could easily sleep for a year straight.
And his temper upon being woken up was terrifying. If you woke him for no good reason, you would absolutely face his vengeance.