Adam slipped into a narrow corridor tucked between two massive stone wings of the castle, the kind of place servants might use rather than agents or guards. It was quiet there compared to the grand halls outside.
He leaned his back against the cold wall and exhaled slowly.
Only now did he allow himself to feel it.
The fatigue, it hit him all at once.
His legs felt heavier, his breathing slightly uneven, and there was a dull strain lingering behind his eyes.
"…So that's the cost, huh."
He lifted a hand, staring at it for a moment before letting it fall to his side.
"I have managed to do Shadow Exchange… Shadow Extraction…" he muttered under his breath, voice low so it wouldn't carry. "But I know this power has much more to offer."
His gaze lowered slightly, thoughtful.
"Human-Human Fruit, Model: Monarch of Shadows…"
Even saying it out loud felt strange.
Unreal, out of place in this world.
"…Though I noticed that by doing Shadow Exchange, I've lost a considerable amount of stamina…"
He let his head tilt back against the wall, eyes half-lidded.
"I'm almost… exhausted."
A faint, dry chuckle escaped him.
"It really acts like a Devil Fruit…"
Which meant limitations, which meant he needed serious training and growth.
Adam straightened slightly, forcing his posture back into control.
"I need to train once I'm in the New World. Get used to this. Prepare… and get stronger."
His eyes hardened.
"Because that sea isn't merciful."
Images flashed briefly through his mind, monsters, emperors, chaos that defined the second half of the Grand Line.
"Having this power doesn't guarantee anything," he continued quietly. "Not if I want to do what I want."
He flexed his fingers slightly, grounding himself.
"I'm a decent swordsman… I have the Six Powers like every World Government officer…"
A pause.
"And… no Haki."
That part lingered longer than the rest.
"…But this will do for now."
His gaze shifted, scanning the corridor again, alert despite the fatigue.
"I better not get caught here."
Then, a faint flicker appeared in front of his eyes.
Adam's expression sharpened immediately.
"Let me see.."
The familiar interface unfolded before him.
SYSTEM DISPLAY
[SYSTEM INITIALIZED]
Host: Adam
Devil Fruit: Human Human Fruit – Model: Monarch of Shadows (Mythical Zoan)
Status: Incomplete
Devil Fruit Mastery: 3/100
???
Six Powers:
Geppo/Tekkai/Rankyaku/Soru/Shigan/Kami-E.
Haki:
???
???
Basic Observation Haki
Devil Fruit Powers:
Shadow Exchange
Shadow Extraction: Current Limit: 3/4
??? (Locked)
??? (Locked)
??? (Locked)
"Devil Fruit mastery is key to unlocking further abilities."
Adam stared at it in silence.
Then his brow twitched.
"…Still weak."
He leaned his head back again, letting out a tired breath.
"Three out of a hundred in a mastery…"
His eyes moved down the display, scanning every line carefully.
"Shadow Extraction… current limit three out of four…"
He frowned slightly.
"So I can still extract one more shadow…"
That was useful, very useful.
But his gaze shifted to another part.
"Basic Observation Haki…"
His eyes narrowed.
"I'm on the level of the casual new world pirate."
A faint smirk appeared.
"Just barely."
It made sense.
Observation Haki was often the first to awaken.
Still
"It's incomplete."
Just like everything else.
Just like the fruit.
Just like him, in this world.
His eyes lingered on the locked abilities.
Three of them.
Unknown.
Unreachable, for now.
"You gave me the power… but locked it behind effort and the laws of the world."
His smirk deepened slightly.
"Fine."
There was no frustration in his tone now.
Only resolve.
The system flickered slightly, as if acknowledging his intent, before fading from view.
Adam pushed himself off the wall, rolling his shoulders once more to shake off the lingering fatigue.
His body still felt heavy, but manageable.
He adjusted the stolen armor, pulling it into place.
Then his eyes lifted toward the deeper sections of the castle.
"…Alright."
Adam stepped out of the shadows, moving deeper into the castle.
The armor he wore helped.
No one questioned a guard who walked there.
Still something felt off.
His eyes scanned the long corridors as he walked, passing towering pillars and polished marble floors. "…It's too quiet."
His voice was barely a whisper, for a place like this, the heart of the world's power, it felt… empty.
There were guards, yes. Stationed at intervals, disciplined and silent but there were no one walking around.
No officials, just long, endless hallways that seemed to stretch forever.
Adam's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Not that I expected this place to have people around.. But why I'm feeling like there is something wrong.."
He kept walking, blending in naturally whenever he passed other guards, giving slight nods when necessary, never speaking more than required.
Then he saw her.
A woman, dressed in what looked like refined servant attire, clean, elegant, nothing like the rags worn by slaves.
She walked with composure, carefully holding a tray in both hands.
Adam slowed slightly, watching her.
"…Not a slave."
That much was obvious.
Her posture alone gave it away, a servant, maybe. or someone more trusted.
His eyes followed her movements carefully.
She was going deeper, toward a section of the castle that felt… different.
Adam's instincts stirred.
Without hesitation, he adjusted his path.
Following her, not too close and not too far.
Keeping his presence natural.
The further she went, the quieter it became.
There was no guards here.
Adam felt it immediately.
This wasn't a normal part of the castle.
"…Restricted."
He kept his head slightly lowered, careful not to draw attention.
The woman continued forward without hesitation, as if she had done this many times before.
Then, she stopped.
In front of a massive door.
Adam slowed.
His eyes lifted.
And for a brief moment, they widened.
The door was unlike anything else in the castle.
Large and ancient-looking.
Covered partially in creeping moss and vines, as if nature itself had claimed part of it.
It didn't match the polished, pristine image of the rest of the castle.
It felt… Forgotten.
The woman didn't hesitate.
She pushed the door open just enough to slip through.
And disappeared inside.
Adam stood still.
Watching, something in his chest tightened slightly.
A strange feeling, familiar.
"…Is this…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…the Room of Flowers."
The words left his lips slowly, almost unwillingly. Adam stared at the door for a few seconds longer.
Then exhaled quietly.
"…Of all places…"
A faint smirk appeared, though there was tension behind it.
"…I hit the jackpot."
/-\
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