"Gecko Moria's pirate ship is called the Thriller Bark," El said calmly.
"It's one of the very few island ships in the world."
Before the Pegasus could locate Thriller Bark, El shared everything he had learned about the Gecko Pirates with the three girls.
"Besides Moria himself," El continued,
"the Gecko Pirates have three top cadres, collectively known as the Mysterious Four."
"According to the memories I read from those pirates, aside from the genius surgeon Doctor Hogback, the other two cadres are Devil Fruit users."
"One of them is a man named Absalom," El said.
"He's a Paramecia-type Clear-Clear Fruit user."
"I'll be using English Devil Fruit names from now on—it's easier to understand."
"As the name suggests," El explained,
"his ability allows him to make himself and anything he touches transparent."
The moment El finished speaking, all three girls showed disgusted expressions.
"Of course," El added calmly,
"this ability is far from invincible."
"Transparency only hides the body. Sound and smell can't be concealed."
"And if an attack lands, the damage still applies."
"As long as his position is determined," El continued,
"Nami's Flame-Flame Fruit can use area-of-effect attacks, and he'll be forced to reveal himself."
Hearing this, Nami immediately raised her hand.
"In that case, let me deal with the Clear-Clear Fruit user."
"That's exactly what I planned," El said with a smile.
"I've already locked onto his position using Observation Haki. I'll notify you when he enters your attack range."
"In addition to Absalom," El went on, his tone growing noticeably heavier,
"the other cadre is the Paramecia-type Hollow-Hollow Fruit user—
the 'Ghost Princess,'Perona."
"The Hollow-Hollow Fruit is as rare as a Logia," El said seriously.
"And it belongs to the rule-type category within Paramecia Devil Fruits."
"Although its raw destructive power is far inferior to any Logia," he explained,
"its conceptual nature is even more troublesome than Logia elementalization."
"The Hollow-Hollow Fruit has an ability called Negative Hollow."
"Anyone touched by it will become overwhelmingly pessimistic—
unless they're already extremely negative, or their Haki is powerful enough to ignore rule-type abilities entirely."
"Otherwise," El said coldly,
"the induced negativity will make them lose the will to fight."
Carina clicked her tongue softly.
"As expected of the cadres of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea," she said.
"Both subordinates have absurd Devil Fruit abilities."
"As their captain," she added thoughtfully,
"wouldn't Gecko Moria himself be an even stronger Devil Fruit user?"
"He is," El nodded.
"But interestingly, in the memories I read, there's no record of him actively fighting."
Then El turned to Kuina.
"Kuina—the Hollow-Hollow Fruit user, Perona, is yours to handle."
"With your speed, Negative Hollow won't be able to touch you."
"And don't kill her," El added.
"Just stun her."
"Okay."
Kuina nodded, then frowned slightly.
"Why not kill her?"
"Aren't we taking powerful Devil Fruits?"
El fell silent for a moment.
He realized he had underestimated his own influence.
From the CP agents, to Enel, and onward, the three girls had grown used to a simple pattern—
Kill the enemy. Take the Devil Fruit.
El didn't immediately correct that mindset.
Instead, he smiled faintly.
"This girl, Perona, is… different."
"I've already locked onto her with Observation Haki," El said,
"but I don't sense the kind of aura that disgusts me from her."
"So," he continued calmly,
"I plan to let her go—and recruit her."
"That way, the Hollow-Hollow Fruit will still be used by us."
This time, El wasn't lying.
His Observation Haki had indeed locked onto Gecko Moria and his three cadres, and none of them carried the kind of malice that would immediately provoke him.
Perona, in particular, felt much like the three girls themselves—
A child shaped by her environment, not by inherent cruelty.
That gave El the idea to recruit her.
If he had sensed a revolting aura from Perona, El wouldn't have hesitated to take her Devil Fruit—
just as he had done to the women in Bonney's crew.
Carina smiled with interest.
"For someone to make Nii-san consider recruiting her…"
"Looks like our next companion will be a very special pirate."
El nodded.
He deliberately didn't explain how Perona had been taken in by Gecko Moria as a child, or how her personality had been shaped by that environment.
If he said even a little more, Carina, with her sharp sensitivity, would notice something immediately.
El stayed silent.
And Carina, sensing that silence, didn't press further.
At that moment—
A mountain-like black shadow appeared directly ahead of the Pegasus.
As the distance closed, an enormous ship gradually came into view.
It looked much like the ghost ships drifting through the Florian Triangle—
Dilapidated.
Eerie.
Reeking of death.
At the front of the ship was a giant mouth, lined with exposed teeth.
It could open and close freely, designed specifically to swallow passing vessels.
Surveillance structures were clearly visible near the entrance.
As the Pegasus approached, the mouth automatically opened—
And swallowed the Pegasus whole.
Moments later, the world shifted.
A so-called "ghost island," filled with thick purple fog, appeared before them.
After mooring the ship, the four stepped ashore.
The first battle of the Pegasus—
Was about to begin.
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