After sharing a good meal and checking in on Koby and Usopp, everyone gradually retired for the night. Nami had decided to sit out the next dungeon, and Koby had done the same. Tomorrow, it would be Luffy and Usopp accompanying me into the Hard Mode of Deep Jungle.
But I remained awake.Tokina's words still echoed in my mind. The darkness had tried to drag me under… and if it happened once, it could happen again. I couldn't let those shadows infiltrate my heart without a counterforce.
So, I had a plan. One as simple as it was symbolic: if darkness needed to be balanced, then I would bring more light… to compensate.
I couldn't do it as myself. "Heartless D. Jordan" already carried a past, suspicion, and a reputation often misunderstood. And certainly not in the image of Sora—I had turned him into a darker liberator in our story. I needed someone new. Someone neutral. Someone kind.
So I closed my eyes, stretched out my hand… and summoned two silent Shadows.I gave them no orders, only an intention. They understood. Slowly, their small clawed hands began weaving a black cloak around me—fluid and flowing, like that of a monk or a wandering pilgrim. A third Shadow slipped toward my Keyblade, wrapping it in ethereal matter, stripping away its menacing elements and restoring it to its purest, most symbolic form: a large silver key with a noble, almost sacred silhouette.
To complete the look, I shaped a mask: a smooth, round white face, expressionless… except for two black eyes and a painted smile.A wide smile. Peaceful. Almost childlike.
I looked at myself in a mirror of water. The figure that looked back at me wasn't threatening. He inspired… a strange gentleness. A reassuring aura, almost protective. Not a hero. Not a savior. Just someone… good."Perfect," I whispered into the night. "I'm no longer Jordan. I am the Preacher."
After making sure everyone was asleep on Heartless Island, I donned my cloak of shadows and serene white mask once more. With my imposing Keyblade strapped to my back, I activated the invisibility ability I inherited from the Stealth enemy. In a breath, I vanished from the visible world… and teleported to my first destination: Goa.
The night was calm, almost motionless. The high moon bathed the cemetery in a soft, surreal light. The rows of tombstones formed a silent army… but I was looking for those who hadn't found rest.
I saw them quickly.Three presences hovered in the air: an old woman with a kind gaze, sitting on a worn bench as if still waiting for someone… and a little farther away, what looked like a couple frozen in a protective pose, their hands still linked—souls tied to each other even in death.
I made myself visible, appearing slowly in a gentle glow, like a silhouette drawn by moonlight. My large hood cast a shadow over my masked face, and the light shimmered on the cross hanging from my Keyblade.
I bowed deeply."I am only a ferryman. A bearer of light. You may call me… the Preacher. I come not to judge, nor to impose. Only to release."
The old woman slowly raised her eyes to me. Her wrist glowed faintly, where a spectral bracelet seemed to bind her to this world. I gently laid the Keyblade against that shackle, which shattered into a shower of silver sparks. She placed her hand over her chest and, with a peaceful expression, turned into a trail of light that rose to the sky… then suddenly veered back toward the town, as if her last attachment still called her. But before vanishing entirely, she left me a shard—an essence of pure light, which I collected with reverence.
The couple didn't speak. They simply approached, still holding hands. I repeated the gesture. One last look of love passed between them, and their souls faded gently—like a long-held breath finally released.
I stayed there for a moment, alone among the graves. Then I resumed my walk.
That was the beginning of my pilgrimage.I visited every island we had passed through, every place where I had left a mark. At each stop, I remained invisible to the living… but clearly visible to the dead. The ghosts I encountered were few—barely fifteen across the entire archipelago. Perhaps because my past actions had already soothed many wandering souls. Perhaps because some had found their own path to peace.
But no matter how few there were, I repeated the same rite for each of them: introduction, bow, liberation.And for each one, a shard of light was left behind—a token of gratitude. Next time, I'd wear my Preacher persona before releasing Heartless. That way, I could bring peace to both the living and the dead… and gain a layer of protection for myself against the darkness.
I collected the gifts left on each island along the way—barely fifty thousand berries, but better than nothing. After all, it's for the crew. I returned to Heartless Island and slept for six hours after dismissing the Shadows and reverting to my normal appearance.
We rose at dawn. I let Koby and Nami handle their day while I took Luffy and Usopp to the dungeon.
• You are about to be teleported to Deep Jungle – Hard Mode – with your team.• Objective:
Defeat 800 Coastal Primates, 800 Cheeky Primates, 200 Patrol Primates, 800 Green Requiems, Sabor (Hard), and 4 Stealths.
Save Kerchak, Jane, and her father Archibald from death.
• Rewards: Random item/equipment/skill for each team member.• Full assimilation of all defeated Heartless under your command + Sabor's physical attributes.
I immediately turned to Luffy, looking serious."Careful, Luffy… This dungeon isn't just about fighting. There's going to be an actual story here. Like with Alice. Be ready to use your shield to protect others the moment we arrive. Not just us."
He nodded, unusually serious. "Don't worry. If it's like with Alice, I'm ready. I'll protect everyone—promise of the future Pirate King."
Usopp furrowed his brows, confused. "Uh… Jordan, can you explain what you two are talking about? What's all this about a shield, Alice, and… plot?"
I placed a hand on his shoulder with a knowing smile."See, every dungeon is more than just a battlefield. They represent fragmented, broken worlds. And as we increase the difficulty, those fragments start to reveal stories to us… people to save, events to change. When we help them, they help us in return."
"And it's not just combat rewards?" he asked, surprised.
"Yes, but it runs deeper than that. From what I understand, the people we save were once the protectors of their world—before corruption set in, like the gorilla from yesterday," I said, glancing at Luffy, who nodded in agreement. "And in my case, I gain all the new Heartless for our ranks. So yes—by helping them, we grow much stronger."
Usopp swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Whoa… This is way more intense than I thought."
Luffy burst into laughter. "Let's go then, Jordan!"
We arrived at the cabin—but this time, everything was different. The atmosphere, the air, the light… or rather, the lack of it. Night had fallen over this dungeon fragment, stifling and unnatural. A shadowy veil covered the jungle, and only the eerie blue glow of Heartless lit the area with unsettling clarity.
The cabin itself appeared larger, but also more sinister. Its wood creaked, shadows moved between the planks, and the branches around it formed claw-like arches. The ground vibrated with a nearly primal tension. And when the enemies appeared, I immediately understood this wouldn't be the same kind of challenge.
The Coastal Primates were the first to emerge from the shadows. They no longer resembled the ones we'd fought before. Their figures were larger, massive—almost Luffy's size. Their black fur seemed to absorb all nearby light, and their eyes shone with a piercing yellow. Their tense muscles were wrapped in silver bands, making them look like real warriors. In a silent leap, one of them sliced through the air with a spinning kick that forced me to instinctively leap back.
"These monkeys aren't messing around," muttered Luffy, dodging a powerful strike with his shield raised. "They're faster than the ones in Normal Mode!"
But that wasn't all. Above us, the Cheeky Primates darted along the railings. They had changed too—smaller, but far more agile. They wore ritualistic hunter outfits, their reddish fur marked with strange patterns. In their tiny hands, they carried slender bows made of glowing wood, and at their fingers—arrows crafted from pure light. Their large yellow eyes gleamed with an almost innocent intensity, but their shots were lethally precise.
The Green Requiems didn't offer any real surprise—their behavior, power, and healing light were already known to us from our previous Hard Mode run. While still annoying, they were no longer a major threat at this point.
"Jordan? Same tactic as usual—can we get a little backup?" called Luffy, rotating his shield slightly in his hands, ready to charge.
"Of course," I said, raising my right hand to summon a squad of Shadows and a flight of Airborne Soldiers. The Heartless erupted from the ground and sky in a silent storm, diving onto the primates like a dark wave. The impact was brutal: the creatures clashed in frenzied chaos, distracting our enemies as we launched into action.
Usopp had positioned himself on a wobbly beam of the cabin with the help of a flying Soldier, using his slingshot to take down the Cheeky Primates perched up high. Every arrow of light they fired was intercepted or deflected by his precise shots. One of his projectiles struck a rope, sending the arrow back into another Cheeky Primate's leg, making it scream in a strange voice before falling into the melee below.
Luffy, meanwhile, launched himself across the room like a cannonball. His Gum-Gum Shield Bash crushed a Coastal Primate in one blow, then he backflipped, unleashing his Gum-Gum Whip, which swept through three enemies at once with a deafening crash of splintered wood and Heartless screams.
As for me, I simply commanded the waves of Shadows like a silent conductor, ordering them to surround the toughest enemies. Then, spotting an opening, I dove toward the Requiems, methodically cutting down their numbers with the help of the Flying Soldiers, chaining my attacks.
But the strangest part was Sabor's absence. No roar, no ambush. Just a heavy silence after the storm, like something was lurking in the shadows, waiting.
Upon reaching the next area, the jungle opened into a rocky clearing bordered by twisted branches, bathed in an eerie moonlight. The Patrol Primates were there… but different. Their appearance had changed: more humanoid, their short fur now resembled dark uniforms, and their eyes glowed gold. One of them floated slightly above the ground, fingers pointed skyward, chanting a spell while magical circles spun around him.
I didn't hesitate: two hundred Flying Soldiers dove down in a piercing formation, shattering their magic setup. Luffy and I leapt into the fray, a perfectly synchronized duo.
One Patroller tried to launch an energy sphere, but Luffy deflected it with a clean shield block, the sphere exploding behind him like a blue firework. I used the moment to leap over him and strike one of his companions from behind, sending it crashing into a gnarled trunk.
As the dust settled over the remains of the Patrol Primates, Usopp quickly reloaded, pulling a handful of modified metal capsules from his bag.
"These guys have seriously leveled up…" he muttered, panting, a drop of sweat sliding down his temple. He briefly checked his ammo before grumbling, "I'm gonna have to craft more now that I got that gunpowder reward…"
I stepped a bit closer. "You should also think about using your new skill, Usopp."
He spun a small energy sphere in his palm, eyeing it thoughtfully."I'd rather save it for an emergency. At close range, it could do some real damage."
We continued on to the next area. Usopp swung through the vines—more skillfully than usual—while I floated through the branches and Luffy leapt from limb to limb, using his arms like grappling hooks.
But a bad feeling gnawed at me. I activated my Observation Haki at full power, scanning every vibration in the air, every tremor on the ground. Yet… still no sign of Sabor. And that was worrying.
"This is only the beginning of hard mode," I muttered, eyes scanning the sky darkened by choking foliage. "Get ready. If the next area's calm, that means the camp is going to be hell."
And I wasn't wrong.
We had barely set foot on the heights overlooking a clearing with deep, dark pools after sliding down the massive branch…
Below us, a nightmarish scene awaited: Jane and her father Archibald were cornered just beneath the tree where we'd landed, surrounded by a horde of Heartless. Sabor, the bloodthirsty feline, was there—larger than before, his body now cloaked in a sinister purple aura. And worse still… Kerchak.
The king of the gorillas. But not as he once was.
His fur was now completely blackened, as if consumed by a living shadow. His gaze shone with a glowing red hue, and every step he took seemed to crack the earth beneath his massive feet. He was protecting Jane… but in a way that felt too aggressive, as if he was constantly torn between killing her or shielding her.
"No time to talk!" I shouted, summoning a wave of reinforcements. Fifty Fat Bodies burst forth from a flash of darkness, positioning themselves between the scientists and their attackers to block the first waves of enemies.
I dove at Kerchak without hesitation, my Keyblade leading the way. Our weapons—or rather, his fists and my strikes—clashed with a muffled violence. Each of my blows released wisps of darkness from his fur, as if I were purifying him with every hit. But his endurance seemed limitless. He absorbed my assaults without flinching, countering with raw power that forced me to retreat again and again.
Luffy, meanwhile, had lunged at Sabor. Their fight was nothing short of ferocious: the beast leapt in every direction, striking with speed enhanced by the darkness. Luffy, quick as he was, struggled to keep up. His shield absorbed blow after blow, each block ringing out like a steel bell struck by a storm. His laughter had faded, replaced by rare, focused intensity.
Usopp, hidden beneath the protection of my Fat Bodies, was firing relentlessly. His explosive rounds tore through the enemy ranks, slowing the advance of the Cheeky and Coastal Primates—but the waves were endless. A quarter of the dungeon's total forces bore down on us. Dozens of glowing silhouettes moved between the trees, unleashing arrows and magical attacks.
I released Shadow after Shadow, shouting mental commands, coordinating the defense around the humans we had to protect. But despite all our efforts, Kerchak refused to yield. He roared, wild and unrelenting, and each cry made my own limbs tremble.
The fight lasted nearly half an hour. A war of attrition. A brutal dance of strikes, feints, and fury. But in the end, Luffy succeeded.
With a phenomenal leap, he grabbed Sabor by the leg, wrapped him up mid-air, and used a technique I had never seen before.
"Gum-Gum… Clutch!"
The beast's body was folded against itself, its breath knocked out, and with a snap, it went still. The legendary feline crashed to the ground, unmoving, and didn't get back up.
Panting and soaked with sweat, Luffy turned his head toward me amid the chaos. His arms were still outstretched from the technique he'd just used on Sabor, and he shouted:
"I'll take care of the healers! Hold on with Kerchak, Jordan!"
I nodded, eyes still locked on the simian colossus. Though still tainted by darkness, Kerchak was starting to show signs of change. His fur, once stained a sickly black, was slowly regaining gray-brown tones. His glowing red eyes dimmed, pulsing with weaker, more confused light. But his fists didn't falter. He continued fighting me with the instinct of a leader willing to do anything to protect his own—even while corrupted.
That's when I heard it.
"Clayton! NO!!"
Jane's voice, raw and anguished, echoed through the entire clearing.
I whipped my head around… and my heart sank.
Emerging from the shadows, a familiar figure stepped forward slowly into the dark.
He had the same smug and cruel look I remembered from the world of Kingdom Hearts. Dressed in his colonial hunter's outfit—beige shirt, leather cartridge belt, and muddy expedition trousers—he stepped forward, double-barreled hunting rifle at the ready, his crazed gaze locked on Kerchak. A dark aura pulsed around him. He was either possessed… or worse, an ally of the darkness. His smile was that of a man convinced of his superiority—and ready to kill to prove it.
I didn't think.
My Haki burst out around me, sharpening my senses to their limit. I dashed forward, skirting around Kerchak with swift, fluid steps, placing my body just in time between the gun and its target.
BOOM.
The shot fired. A flash of fire and metal.
I had no time to raise a barrier or chant a spell. My only instinct was to cross my arms and twist, shielding my throat and head.
The impact was brutal. A shockwave slammed through my chest, as if a battering ram had struck me full force. My breath was knocked out, and pain surged through my body. I was thrown backward like a ragdoll, crashing hard against Kerchak's massive back. The gorilla, startled, staggered and fell to his knees, groaning in pain and confusion.
"JORDAN!!!"
Usopp screamed, his voice trembling with panic.
He didn't hesitate for a second. He leapt out of hiding, his slingshot glowing with energy. He used his new skill: a magical bullet of pure, bright blue energy, thrumming with power.
WHAM!
The projectile shot like a comet, striking Clayton square in the temple. The hunter staggered.
WHAM! Another hit slammed into his hand, knocking the rifle from his grip.
WHAM! A final shot landed clean on his forehead, knocking him out cold. He collapsed backward, unconscious, his weapon falling into the mud.
I groaned as I pushed myself up, my arms trembling. Blood was pouring from my chest, and I could feel metal fragments lodged in my flesh. With a shaky motion, I summoned a pale green glow between my hands, a healing spell wrapping around my body.
The magic light seeped into my skin, extracting the shards of metal with a wet, sucking sound, then closing the wounds as if they'd never been there. A gentle warmth spread through me, in stark contrast to the lingering pain.
I stood as Kerchak began to stir. His breathing was heavy, disoriented, but more human… more lucid.
"Not yet..." I whispered.
In a flash, I summoned four hundred Blue Rhapsodies. The ground froze beneath them as they surged forward in waves, crashing into the remaining Coastal and Cheeky Primates as they tried to retreat. Shards of ice pierced through the shadows, partial freezing slowed the enemy's advance, and glowing lights danced around me.
But Kerchak, though weakened, still tried to rise, his fist poised to strike again.
I had no choice but to restrain him—at least temporarily. Chains of frost coiled around his arms and torso, and I placed my hand over his heart, just above his chest, letting the ice slowly creep up to hold him still.
"Sorry… But this is to save you, not defeat you."
My voice trembled with emotion, but my resolve remained firm. I watched Kerchak, frozen in place by chains of frost, his breathing still heavy, his eyes half-cleared of darkness, flickering between red and brown.
I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath… and then my Keyblade split in a flash of light, transforming into two twin daggers made of pure energy. Their blades seemed to resonate in sync with my heartbeat.
I leapt toward him.
My body began to move like a dancer, the blades slicing through the air with precision and speed. Each strike was aimed not to wound, but to purge—to sever the dark tendrils still writhing in his fur like poisonous veins. The ice cracked under the force of my movements, but held just long enough to complete the exorcism.
With each blow, a puff of darkness hissed into the air, vanishing with an eerie screech. I kept striking, guided by my Haki, my glowing blades carving arcs of light through the night.
Then finally, a ragged cry escaped Kerchak—a sound of release. His shoulders eased. His eyes, once crimson with corruption, regained their natural brilliance. The fur on his chest returned to its noble gray hue. He was back.
I stepped back, panting, as the daggers reformed into a single Keyblade. I hesitantly reached out a hand toward him. Slowly, the great gorilla lifted his head, then solemnly nodded. He placed a massive hand on my shoulder.
"Thank you, friend of the gorillas…" he rumbled in a primal whisper only I could understand.
A portal of light appeared, steady and radiant, in the center of the clearing. Jane and her father, Archibald, turned to me one last time.
Jane ran forward and hugged me briefly. "You saved our family… and more. Thank you."
Archibald gave me a respectful nod before guiding his daughter toward the portal. Kerchak, however, paused at the edge, staring at me with intensity.
"Save Tarzan. My son… he fought to the very end to protect us."
I nodded, my heart heavy but proud of his trust.
"I promise you."
He vanished into the light.
But the peace didn't last.
A grating laugh rose behind us. I turned to see Clayton—who had been unconscious just moments earlier—sinking slowly into a pool of black, viscous shadow. His eyes opened briefly, now completely black, and his grin twisted into a monstrous sneer.
"This isn't over. I'll have my revenge… and my trophy. And you, long nose—I'll blow your head off."Then his body was completely swallowed, leaving only a patch of blackened grass behind.
Usopp cautiously approached me.
"I think I'll sit out the next level. Not really ready to take a shotgun to the face…"
Luffy clenched his fists.
"Doesn't matter what level it is—we're gonna take him down too."
I looked one last time at the spot where Clayton had vanished.
"No need to worry. I've decided we won't do any dungeon above 'Hard' until we're stronger. The best benchmark is clearing hard mode without relying on my Heartless."I said that before we cleared out the rest of the dungeon.
With all the surprises behind us, only the Heartless remained. Even the Stealths, despite their increased power, were overwhelmed by my twenty Darksides.
(Author's note: That's it for this week! A bit longer this time, and I'll reveal the reward in the next chapter as we move on to exploring East Blue. No new dungeon until we recruit two or three more nakamas ^^ Attached: image of dark Kerchak, the Stealths, and the monkey-type Heartless.)