"The shame of the Seven Warlords…"
"Moria may not have been a good man, but he was without doubt a great captain!"
"He never had a protagonist's destiny, yet he bore a protagonist's curse. The state he's in now—it's all because he was too good to his crewmates. Their deaths shattered him completely."
"I didn't get it before, but now that I'm older, I finally understand Moria's pain. I love this character!"
As Moria ventured alone into the territory of the Emperor Blackbeard, people's opinions across the pirate forums began to shift. The man once ridiculed as a disgrace to the Warlords of the Sea was now seen in a new light—tragic, loyal, and deserving of respect.
Year 1510 of the Sea Circle Calendar—twelve years had passed since the execution of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
West Blue.
From afar, an island appeared to be slowly drifting across the ocean. But upon closer inspection, that "island" revealed a massive sail—it was no island at all, but a colossal ship, once belonging to the ancient giant Oars.
That was centuries ago. Now, the vessel had been refitted and renamed: the Thriller Bark.
The ship loomed like a ghostly citadel, its decks silent, its halls steeped in a bone-deep chill. Who could have imagined that over a decade ago, this same place had once echoed with laughter and song?
Within the Gothic spires and towering halls, candles flickered weakly. Shadows moved across the walls—not of the living, but of the dead.
In one darkened room, a pair of bloodshot eyes snapped open. They drifted slowly, burning faintly in the gloom.
The eyes belonged to Gecko Moria, captain of the Thriller Bark Pirates, and master of this monstrous floating fortress.
For eleven long years, nightmares had plagued him—ever since the war that destroyed his crew. But this awakening was different. It wasn't a nightmare that roused him.
"West Blue? Thriller Bark? Don't tell me… I've become Gecko Moria?"
His voice trembled. His head felt heavy and fogged.
He remembered falling asleep in his own world—on a planet of blue skies and steel cities, far removed from this oceanic age. Somehow, impossibly, he'd crossed over.
If there was any connection at all, it was probably that video he'd watched before bed—a character analysis of Gecko Moria. He'd felt a strange sympathy for the man's tragedy.
And now, he was him.
Moria groaned. "If I'd known this was going to happen, I would've thought about the Celestial Dragons before I fell asleep. Maybe then I'd have woken up rich and powerful, not as this… fat, broken mess."
He looked down at his round belly and sighed. Years of indulgence had softened what was once sharp and fearsome.
"Well, too late for regrets," he muttered. "Guess eleven years of slacking makes one an expert at it."
He tried to sit up, but his body felt impossibly heavy, as if weighed down by molten lead.
"Ugh… I really did eat too much," he groaned. "I swear, I'm getting back in shape. If I can't rebuild my strength, I'll at least get my looks back. Power fades, but style is forever."
He frowned, recalling the timeline. "Year 1510… that means I haven't become a Warlord yet. Good. I still have time."
A grim smile tugged at his lips. He could still change things—avoid the defeats, the humiliation, the betrayal by the World Government, and finally, the capture by Blackbeard.
His life had been nothing but pain and irony.
As he brooded, a sudden pulse of energy surged through his mind.
Then—
"Congratulations! You have successfully bonded with the Shadow AFK System. Initializing…"
"Scanning for suitable AFK locations… please wait."
Moria's eyes widened. "A system? The Shadow AFK System?"
He'd read countless transmigration stories, and every protagonist had their "golden cheat." But this one… this one sounded perfectly suited to him.
Within seconds, knowledge of the system's functions filled his mind. The Shadow AFK System allowed him to "train" through his shadow—whatever his shadow did while idle, his body would gain the corresponding experience and stats. And on top of that, it rewarded him with Dimensional Fragments.
Moria's heart raced. "This is it… my comeback!"
He eagerly activated the system.
"You have selected: Combat Training."
"Location: Thriller Bark Cemetery."
"Shadow AFK System activated."
His shadow stirred. It slowly stood up, stretched, and began walking away on its own.
Moria followed curiously, wanting to see how it worked.
From the dark hallway came the sound of metal scraping against the stone floor.
Clang… clang…
A figure appeared, carrying a shovel, dressed in fine but tattered clothes, with a round hat perched on his head. His face was marred by grotesque scars, but his posture remained dignified.
It was Absalom, one of Moria's earliest crewmates—later known as the "Invisible Man."
Twelve years ago, Absalom had barely survived the war with Kaido. Though his transparent Devil Fruit helped him escape, it couldn't save his face from being permanently disfigured. Because of his low rank, no one noticed his survival, leading the world to believe only Moria had returned alive.
"Hm hm hm~ Digging here, digging there, in the little graveyard la~"
He hummed cheerfully to himself, unaware of Moria's presence.
Watching him, Moria felt an ache in his chest. He remembered the original story—the loyal subordinate who died trying to serve him, only to have his fruit stolen by Blackbeard's crew.
Not this time.
If fate had made him Moria, then he would rewrite that fate.
"Absalom," Moria called softly. "You seem rather cheerful today. What's the occasion?"
The scarred man froze, then turned around, eyes lighting up. "Ah, Lord Moria! I—uh—I found a lead! They say there's a legendary swordsman buried in the Abida Kingdom. They called him the Thousand-Slasher. I was just about to go dig him up!"
Moria blinked. "A thousand-slasher, huh…"
Well, in a world of pirates, murderers, and monsters, grave-robbing was hardly the worst sin.
He clapped Absalom's shoulder. "Good work. Bring him back—and when you return, I'll make sure you're rewarded."
Absalom's eyes brightened. "R-rewarded? You mean…?"
"Yes," Moria said with mock solemnity. "You can pick a few brides from the zombie corpses."
Absalom nodded eagerly. "Make sure they're… soft and gentle, Lord Moria."
"Of course," Moria smirked. "Obedient ones only."
With his captain's approval, Absalom marched off proudly, shovel resting on his shoulder like a soldier's rifle.
Moria couldn't help but chuckle. Foolish as he was, Absalom's loyalty was genuine—and that was worth more than gold.
A soft ding echoed in his mind.
"AFK location confirmed. Shadow combat training initiated."
"Sword Intent +0.1"
"Physical Strength +0.02"
"Sword Intent +0.02…"
Moria grinned. For the first time since waking up in this world, he felt hope stir in his chest.
A system perfectly tailored for the Shadow Master himself.
This time, Gecko Moria would not be a tragedy—
He would rise again.