"Sure enough, your Mangekyō Sharingan abilities are related to the Devil Fruits, your desires, and the chakra system!"
Shin looked at Pudding, whose expression was a mix of happiness and frustration, and concluded that she had indeed obtained the ability of the Vampire Fruit to absorb essence.
However, it was slightly different from what she had anticipated. Instead of eternal youth, the absorbed energy was automatically transformed into Yang chakra, nourishing her and restoring her power. Of course, Yang chakra itself had a rejuvenating effect, allowing her to maintain a youthful appearance. While not aging as dramatically as others, it still wasn't the same as the Vampire Fruit's ability to keep the body young until the end of its lifespan. Compared to that, this was a less perfect result, which explained why Pudding was happy but not completely satisfied.
"Alright, isn't this outcome expected?" Shin consoled her. "Whether it's the memory deletion or the soul extraction, while they are linked to the Memory-Memory Fruit and Hollow-Hollow Fruit, their manifestations are completely different. This change likely occurred due to their conversion into the chakra system."
Pudding let out a deep sigh and nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. Actually, this result isn't too bad. I can feel that after absorbing Yang chakra, my body is strengthening... but it seems my body has a limit to how much chakra it can store, and the excess is automatically discharged."
"That's because your body isn't strong enough yet," Shin explained. Then he smirked. "Alright, I'll give you the Vampire Fruit."
"What!? Really?!" Pudding's face lit up before she hesitated. "But what about my Memory Fruit..."
Shin smiled to himself. If his experiment succeeded in fusing the Vampire Fruit, it could potentially integrate hypnosis, memory, and absorption abilities. "If we analyze this correctly, the Mythical Vampire Fruit could fuse with three different Devil Fruits—Memory-Memory Fruit, Shadow-Shadow Fruit, and a standard Zoan-type Bat-Bat fruit."
"That would make it a super Vampire Fruit! If the fusion succeeds, its power might surpass even the most legendary Mythical Zoans!"
After dealing with Moria and taking away his Shadow-Shadow Fruit, the shadows scattered throughout the island began returning to their rightful owners. Moria's massive ship was practically an island itself, housing many victims who had their shadows stolen. The moment their shadows returned, these people realized Moria had been defeated. Overjoyed, they rushed toward the eerie castle in the center, eager to see their savior and confirm Moria's downfall.
What followed was an impromptu grand banquet. The only unfortunate ones were Moria and his subordinates, now imprisoned. Moria lay battered and bruised, his confidence shattered. Perona, dejected, sat in a corner, while Absalom, the modified human, looked like he had suffered a fate worse than death. However, a peculiar, rotund doctor named Hogback had been spared imprisonment. Despite his strange demeanor, Hogback was a renowned surgeon. While his skills were far inferior to Shin's medical ninjutsu and abilities, there were still some techniques Shin found intriguing. Because of this, Shin kept him around for research purposes.
One unexpected twist in this adventure was Pudding reuniting with her sister—Lola. Unlike Pudding's structured demeanor, Lola had the wild, carefree air of a typical pirate. What made the situation even more absurd was that she immediately proposed marriage to multiple people, including Shin, Kyros, and even Brook, despite the latter being a literal skeleton.
Naturally, they all firmly rejected her. After yet another rejection, Lola didn't seem the least bit disheartened. Instead, her crew sighed and murmured among themselves.
"That's rejection number 4,442..."
"At this point, I'm not even surprised."
"When will our big sister finally find her true love?"
Hearing this made Lola furious, while Pudding looked completely dumbfounded. To her, Lola was an idol—a brave woman who had dared to defy Big Mom and flee an arranged marriage. But now, it seemed her sister's romantic pursuits had been an utter disaster. Pudding couldn't help but think, 'Wouldn't it have been easier to just accept the arranged marriage?'
However, Lola was undeterred. She still firmly believed she would find someone who would accept her one day.
Shin could only wish her luck.
Many people in this world seemed oblivious to certain things, but Shin vaguely recalled that Lola did eventually find someone. With the banquet in full swing, the eerie, cemetery-like ship proved to be surprisingly well-stocked with supplies, making for a luxurious feast. Particularly outstanding was Lola's chocolate cake, which was genuinely delicious. It seemed the women of the Charlotte family had an innate talent for making incredible food. Pudding was an excellent cook, and now, Lola demonstrated her expertise in chocolate desserts.
The only ones who weren't celebrating were the remnants of the Moria Pirates, as they had essentially lost everything. With the feast winding down, many pirates dispersed, leaving only Shin and his crew on the island.
Shin wasn't planning to leave immediately. He was well aware that the World Government would not let this incident slide. If he were to run into a full-scale siege, things could get tricky. While he was confident in his abilities against admirals and other top-tier fighters, a prolonged battle with multiple elite forces could become overwhelming. Getting caught in such a scenario wasn't ideal, so for now, he decided to stay put and prepare.