"One Piece:The True Codex"Chapter 359: Torment
Perona was the quintessential lucky individual who, through a series of coincidences, had consumed a powerful Devil Fruit. Her Ghost-Ghost Fruit had been nearly unstoppable in every situation—until she encountered William. When she realized her Negative Hollows were ineffective against him, she was at a complete loss. Beyond her Devil Fruit abilities, she had no other means of defense.
As William approached her bedside, Perona instinctively shrank back, but the movement tugged at her wounds, causing her to let out a muffled groan.
William chuckled softly and reached for a chair to sit. Before he could grab one, Hogback quickly stood up and offered the chair he had been sitting on.
"Do you know why I didn't kill you?" William asked as he casually picked up an apple from a nearby fruit platter and began peeling it with a small knife.
Perona didn't respond. Seeing her silence, William continued speaking to himself, "It's because I think your ability might be useful. It could help us avoid Marine warships."
Perona bit her lip. "Why should I help you? You killed Master Moria!"
In just the time it took for her to say those two sentences, William had already finished peeling the apple. Holding the end of the peel, he gave it a gentle tug, and the entire peel came off in one perfect, unbroken strand.
"I never expected you to be so loyal," William said with a smile, handing the peeled apple to Perona. "Life and death are normal in the world of pirates. Even Moria himself understood that. If you miss him so much and refuse to help me with this small favor, I can send you down to join him."
"I won't eat it. It's too hard; I can't bite it. I'm a patient," Perona replied petulantly, refusing the apple. "Aren't you afraid I'll bring the Marines here?"
William's smile remained unchanged as he placed the apple back on the platter. "What's there to be afraid of? I avoid the Marines because they're troublesome, but if they come, my crew and I can leave easily. They can't hurt us or catch us. But you..."
William glanced at Hogback. "If the Marines catch you, it'll be a different story. That would be truly miserable."
"...I'll think about it," Perona finally said after a long silence.
William stood up, straightened his coat, and said, "I suggest you decide quickly. My patience isn't as abundant as you might think. All I need is a small favor from you, and in return, you get to stay alive. Think it over carefully."
After William left the room, it wasn't long before Portia entered, carrying a set of clean clothes.
Once the owner of the Starlight, this young lady had been relegated by William to the role of nurse, tasked with caring for Perona.
"Perona, you should just cooperate," Hogback said awkwardly, trying to persuade her. "That's Morgan William, a newly rising super-criminal. You've heard of his name. He always means what he says."
Perona pouted, but after a moment, she couldn't hold back her tears and began to cry uncontrollably.
Her feelings toward Moria were deeply complicated. On one hand, Moria had taken her in and raised her since she was a child. She had grown up by his side, relying on him like a child relies on a father.
On the other hand, Moria's image was far removed from that of a father figure. As Perona grew older and more aware, she realized that their relationship was more of a partnership. Moria had raised her because he valued her abilities and wanted to use her powers. There was no genuine familial bond between them.
This was why, in the original story, when Perona sensed danger and believed staying on Thriller Bark would cost her life, she abandoned Moria without hesitation. Yet, when she later heard of Moria's death, she was deeply saddened.
Perona did care about Moria, but not to the extent of sacrificing her own life for him.
As she cried, Perona picked up the apple William had left on the fruit platter. She bit into it fiercely, as if taking out her anger on an enemy, swallowing the fruit along with her tears and snot.
Portia, who had been watching coldly from the side, remained silent. If the girl crying on the bed had been anyone else—even a stranger—Portia might have sat by her side and offered comforting words.
But this crying girl was Perona. Even though she was just a sixteen-year-old, Portia hadn't forgotten that it was Perona who had helped Moria capture the Starlight's crew, nearly leading to her own assault by a half-human, half-beast monstrosity.
William's decision to assign Portia to care for Perona was hardly coincidental. Knowing the history between them, he was confident they wouldn't conspire together.
Meanwhile, William left the room and headed straight for the captain's quarters, where Gin, the Marine woman Karslana, and the Starlight's captain, Joey Fello, were waiting for him.
When William arrived, Gin was lounging casually behind the desk, his legs propped up, playing with two Den Den Mushi. The communication devices on the snails had already been removed by William and discarded into the sea, leaving the snails as mere decorative curiosities.
In contrast to Gin's relaxed demeanor, the other two occupants of the room looked far more uneasy—especially Joey Fello, whose face was pale and haggard.
This cautious but dutiful captain, along with several of his crew members who had been captured by Moria, had their shadows stolen before William killed Moria. Their shadows were now somewhere within the bodies of the zombies.
William had always believed in the principle of "preserving people over territory." For him, the most important goal was securing a position among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
With that title, even if he left the massive Thriller Bark ship behind in the Florian Triangle, he could always return for it later. Conversely, if he tried to hold onto the ship now, he would eventually lose it—and possibly some of his crew as well.
Abandoning Thriller Bark for the time being was no real loss to William. On the contrary, he had gained plenty from this venture, including the black blade Shusui. But for Joey Fello and the other shadowless crew members, what they had lost on Thriller Bark was invaluable.
Despite this, they had no choice but to follow William. Not only were there no other large ships left on the island, but the remaining zombies—though fewer in number—were still a nightmare for ordinary sailors.
Some of the stronger General Zombies had stolen the smaller boats and fled the island, but the remaining zombies were still too numerous and dangerous for the crew to handle alone. Recovering their shadows through their own efforts was impossible.
William had promised Joey Fello that as long as he and his crew cooperated obediently on this journey, William would help them retrieve their shadows.
Karslana had tried to persuade Joey Fello and the other victims to seek help from the Marines, but she couldn't convince anyone. She also failed to understand their mindset.
It was obvious to them: Moria had terrorized the Florian Triangle for years without intervention from the Marines. Yet, as soon as William encountered Moria, he had decisively killed him. In such circumstances, it was natural for people to place their trust in William's promises.
They were fully aware that William was a pirate—and a dangerous one at that—but losing their shadows had turned their lives into a living nightmare. Without shadows, they couldn't be exposed to sunlight, nor could they see their own reflections in mirrors. The warmth of sunlight, once ever-present, had become a deadly threat. This dual torment—both psychological and physical—was enough to drive anyone mad.
During the day, Joey Fello now hid in his cabin, sealing the windows, doors, and every crack of light with heavy curtains. Whenever someone opened the door, he would recoil in fear, terrified that sunlight might accidentally touch him.
This kind of suffering was beyond what most people could comprehend.
(End of Chapter)
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