LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 46: Chapter 46
"Moonlight Moria, who was far away in the room at the top of the ghost castle, looked down in confusion, but the usual dark environment prevented him from seeing more abnormalities.
He turned back and continued to work, busy with his plans.
"Hehehe~ These captives are of really good quality, and we can make a large number of superior zombies. Kaido! You wait for me; in the near future, I will launch the ultimate revenge on you!"
Returning to Ethan, after Perona screamed, she immediately rushed to her main body and merged back into herself.
The moment she woke up, she struggled to shake off Ethan's arms.
"Big pervert! Stinky pervert! Damn weird brother!!!"
She groaned and fell against Ethan, her little fists pounding on his chest like raindrops.
"Hey, hey! Don't slander me! I haven't done anything yet!"
Ethan smiled and endured Perona's playful punches. Was this a punishment or a reward for him? Only he would know.
Perona didn't care about his excuses, and kept punching him. Seeing that Ethan didn't resist and even seemed to enjoy it, she became even more irritated.
So, she opened her mouth and bit down on Ethan's shoulder, then pressed her palm against him and fired a blast at close range:
"Negative Ghost!"
The negative ghost easily passed through Ethan's body, but a flash of surprise appeared in Perona's eyes. Why did it feel like it had just gone through empty space...?
At this moment, Ethan collapsed onto the princess bed, his face filled with mock despair, as he spoke in a tone full of exaggerated regret.
"I'm so sorry, Perona, my little cutie. I think I've hopelessly fallen for you. I want to keep you by my side and watch the sunrise with you every day..."
Of course, he hadn't really been affected by Perona's negative ghost. He had simply elementalized his soul to avoid her ability.
These words were just a playful trick to stir Perona's heart.
As expected, after hearing Ethan's words, Perona looked at him in disbelief, covering her mouth and whispering on him.
"Really... really, but... we only just met..."
Ethan dropped the mock sorrow, returning to his normal demeanor, and hugged her petite form.
"True or false, you'll naturally know in time. You're Moonlight Moria's subordinate, and he captured my crew."
"I could have taken his life without mercy, but your presence made me reconsider."
"If you're willing to come with me and become my God Consort, I'll let Moria live..."
"One life for another—that's the contract I offer you. Do you accept?"
"You..." Perona pushed against Ethan's shoulders and thought to herself, Give me back my sense of pride!
"You can't beat Lord Moria! He's invincible!"
"Oh? It seems you don't really know what real strength is~" Ethan said, holding her close as he walked toward the door.
"In that case, I'll capture Moria first and let him fall in defeat, so you can see what true strength really looks like."
"And at that moment, you'd better agree to the contract I've offered you—otherwise, his life might not be worth your hesitation."
"You... Humph! You can talk about it after you face Lord Moria first!"
Perona pouted in dissatisfaction. Her mind was a bit jumbled, and she even forgot to resist Ethan's grip.
"Okay!" Ethan nodded and was about to leave when he noticed the bounty held by the fat bear doll on the floor. He raised his hand, took a closer look, and found that it was his own bounty.
"Eh?? Why do you still have my bounty?"
"Ah?" Perona's face flushed, and she snatched the bounty with one hand, folding it and tucking it into her small purse, lowering her head without another word.
Ethan gently patted her head, not pressing further, and continued toward the door.
...
After walking a while, Perona finally sensed something was amiss and started squirming in Ethan's arms, struggling to break free.
Ethan finally relented, setting her down.
As they moved on, Brook, Shura, and Gadaz could be heard approaching from below.
"Yo ho ho ho~" Brook's light bones allowed him to bound over to Ethan in just a few steps.
"Lord God, my shadow has been restored! This feeling of freedom~ It's been far too long~"
"Well, your efficiency is impressive."
"Lord God, this is the sword of Shimotsuki Ryuma, the famed sword Shusui, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords. Please accept it," Shura said, presenting Shusui with both hands.
Seeing this, Ethan raised his hand and summoned Shusui before him. Then, with a flash of lightning, a crackling sound emerged as Shusui was cleansed with electricity.
"Shusui's blade is unique, with a reverse T-shaped edge. The blade is black and purple, adorned with red serrated patterns. It's said to be a national treasure of Wano Country," Brook added.
"Not bad, not bad. Shusui's craftsmanship is indeed worthy of my collection," Ethan admired it briefly, activated the Door-Door power, and stored it in his collection room.
"Ah!" Perona's jaw dropped, and she circled around Ethan, occasionally tugging at his clothes.
"Where's the sword? Where did it go? Why did it disappear?"
Brook's mouth opened wide in surprise. Could it be that Ethan was using a mythical Zoan fruit?
"Haha, our Lord God is omnipotent. How do you not know this?"
Shura and Gadaz noticed Brook and Perona's stunned expressions and laughed heartily.
They, along with everyone from Skypiea, worshipped Ethan unconditionally, fully convinced that the one who brought them a better life was the true God!
Ethan did not explain. He raised his hand to gently hold back Perona, who was curiously inspecting him, and continued toward the upper level of the ghost castle.
"Let's go. It's time to deal with Moonlight Moria."
Shura and Gadaz led the way for Ethan, while Brook scratched his afro and followed.
...
After ascending a spiral staircase and walking through a long corridor, they arrived at an open area.
The path was littered with zombie fragments, grotesque and eerie.
It was hard to imagine how sweet and delicate Perona could tolerate these hideous zombies.
Could it be she had a unique quirk that made her think zombies were cute? Ethan wasn't sure.