Moria wore a smile on his face, but his gaze was laced with seriousness as he looked at Luffy.
Only just now had he learned that Luffy was also a potential king, someone who possessed the Conqueror's Haki.
But thinking about it again, it made perfect sense.
So young, yet with such overwhelming strength, how could someone like that have poor talent?
And yet…
After enjoying nearly a decade of peace in the Florian Triangle, he had, in such a short time, encountered two monsters like Luffy and the Empress, both young, yet shockingly powerful. It left the nearly-fifty-year-old Moria with a bitter taste… the feeling of being left behind by the times.
But he refused to accept it!
He, Gecko Moria, would not yield!
His legend still circulated in the New World. How could he let himself be erased by history so easily?
His pride wouldn't allow him to bow before time.
Now, yet another powerful figure comparable to Luffy had emerged, and Moria felt fear creeping in.
He feared that, at this rate, he'd truly forget his dream, the dream he once shared with his long-lost comrades.
Even if the odds were slim… even if he already knew the likely outcome… there were some things he simply refused to give up.
Because that dream was the last remaining bond he had with his fallen friends.
Moria also understood that although Luffy always treated him as an equal, it was only because Luffy neither feared nor particularly cared about his inability to use Shadow's Asgard.
In truth, he was merely helping Luffy, under the pretense of an equal partnership.
But he didn't mind.
Luffy's arrival had given him hope again, hope to become stronger.
Thanks to Luffy's influence, the quantity and quality of shadows he could manipulate had both reached levels he'd never imagined before. He was finally able to develop the powers of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit more deeply.
He could endure humiliation for the sake of Perona and the others, but he didn't want to just fade into obscurity because of it.
He wanted to try again, to prove that he still had it.
If possible, he even wanted to fight Luffy again someday, this time as a true equal.
Moria's massive figure suddenly stepped in front of Luffy, blocking both him and his path of attack. His mouth full of jagged teeth curled into a grin as he said, "Kuhihihihi! Luffy-san, let me take this fight!"
But Hancock's words to Robin had truly enraged Luffy.
All he could think about now was giving her a proper beating, one she wouldn't forget.
The scorching energy in his hand didn't dissipate at Moria's suggestion. His uniquely colored pupils stared straight past Moria, locking onto the Empress, who was cautiously defending herself under the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki.
Luffy spoke coldly:
"You'd better move, Moria. I'm in a really bad mood right now."
Words spoken without intent often reveal one's truest thoughts.
To Luffy, Moria wasn't qualified to intervene in this battle between him and Hancock.
Moria's expression darkened slightly. He clenched his fists, his sharp nails digging into his palms.
Then after a moment, he opened his hand, lowered his head slightly, and said in a low voice:
"Luffy-san, I humbly request that you let me fight."
Luffy blinked, brought back to his senses by the unexpected formality. He glanced at Moria with a hint of surprise.
Over the past few months, though they weren't exactly close, there had been a growing camaraderie between them, something resembling friendship.
Now, hearing Moria suddenly speak so respectfully, Luffy didn't know the reason, but after a moment of thought, he canceled the energy in his hand and withdrew the oppressive aura aimed at Hancock.
In an instant, it was like the first light of dawn had broken through the clouds. The sky calmed, and the waves slowly settled.
The women of the Kuja Pirates all breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Luffy hadn't directly used his Haki on them, the air itself had felt so heavy that breathing had become difficult.
With a cold glance toward Hancock, Luffy said nothing more. For Moria's sake, he'd let this one go.
Turning around, he picked up the unconscious Robin from beside Brook and said to him,
"We're leaving."
Then, without another word, he headed off, toward the massive Shukaku in the distance.
"Ah, oh! Right!" Brook quickly followed after Luffy in a hurry.
Perona and Absalom exchanged a brief look, then quietly turned and left as well.
After all, if Moria-sama was going to fight, he would likely use his newly created Tailed Beast Zombie. And if that happened… this whole island might not survive.
They took one last glance at Shukaku, who had remained lying there without orders, then quickly retreated.
"Kuhihihihi… Finally, they're all gone," Moria said, forcing a grin. But though he laughed, no joy could be seen on his face.
Blocking Luffy and taking this battle for himself, it had all been a heat-of-the-moment decision.
But Luffy's attitude had awakened a deep, burning frustration within him.
A frustration not directed at Luffy, but at himself.
Since when had the infamous Gecko Moria, a pirate of legend, fallen so far that he stood back and watched while others fought?
What the hell had he been doing all these years?
Since his return from the New World, not only had his strength not improved, it may have even regressed.
Hancock frowned, glaring at the ugly man before her, then turned toward where Luffy had vanished.
The sudden burst of Conqueror's Haki from Luffy had caught her off guard, a clean hit to her pride.
And just as she was preparing to strike back…
He canceled his Haki and turned away.
At that moment, Hancock felt deeply insulted.
No man had ever,
Dared to ignore her like that.
Unforgivable!
"Sandersonia! Marigold! Handle him! I'll make that brat regret his attitude!"
"Yes, sister!"
BOOM!!!
Before the sisters could even begin to transform into their beast forms, a massive claw slammed down in front of them.
Standing atop Shukaku's head, Moria roared, his face twisted with fury:
"Don't look down on me!!!"
"RAAAAAH!!!"
Shukaku suddenly rose to full height, towering over a thousand meters tall. Looking down at the Kuja Pirates like ants, he raised a colossal foot and stomped down toward them.
"What a pain…"
Hancock's eyes flashed as she looked at the monstrous figure reaching into the clouds. She murmured with irritation.
She could tell, this beast wasn't just for show. Its strength matched its massive size.
And with Moria's control backing it, Sandersonia and Marigold alone wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Perfume Femur!"
Hancock's graceful figure shot into the sky. Her long, pale legs rose high, coated in deep black Armament Haki. She clashed violently with Shukaku's descending foot.
BOOM!!!
Two titanic forces collided with a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves in every direction.
Pushed back by Hancock's incredible power, Shukaku stumbled, nearly falling. Its heavy body crashed backward, kicking up towering plumes of dust.
The spot where Hancock had struck began to turn to stone.
Luckily, Shukaku's feet were several hundred meters wide. That small patch of petrification was nothing, like a callus under a human foot. Harmless.
After the clash, Hancock landed gracefully, breathing slightly heavier. Without turning back, she muttered coldly:
"Tch. You two, take the others and go! Don't get in the way!"
At this point, she had no choice but to defeat Moria and the giant beast first, only then could she go after that insufferable man.
Her two sisters understood they would only be a burden and quickly gathered the Kuja warriors, retreating toward the port they had arrived from.
"Kuhihihihihi! Little lady! You're not planning to run away now, are you?"
Fueled by Shukaku's might, Moria's arrogance soared. After a single exchange, he couldn't help but taunt again.
"Tch!"
The Empress sneered at Moria high above. If it weren't for the Kuja pirates being in the way earlier, she could've easily dodged Shukaku's attack.
With that thing's clumsy speed, catching her would be a joke!
"You damn brat!" Moria shouted, angry that she still didn't take him seriously. He barked,
"Crush her for me!!!"
"ROAAAAAR!!!"
Under Moria's command, the zombie Shukaku roared and raised its enormous foot, slamming it down toward Hancock again.
But with a slight lean and a burst of power from her slender legs, Hancock disappeared.
No fancy technique, just raw speed faster than most users of Soru.
In a graceful spin, she perfectly evaded the attack.
With another blur of motion, she leapt onto Shukaku's foot, sprinting up its stitched-together surface toward Moria. Each step left a deep dent in the beast's flesh.
In just ten seconds, she had reached the top, standing on the giant's head.
"Damn it!" Moria cursed, a drop of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He hadn't expected Hancock to reach him so quickly.
"Mero Mero Mellow!"
Without hesitation, Hancock formed a heart shape with her hands and unleashed a strange, rippling energy aimed directly at Moria.
Suddenly, Moria's mind blanked. A wave of confusion surged over him.
"Not good!" he thought.
As the wave closed in, he activated his Shadow Mimicry at record speed.
In a flash, Moria reappeared between Shukaku's feet, safely away from the attack.
The Moria standing atop the giant's head was just his shadow, immune to Hancock's ability. It gave her a sinister smile before slowly transforming back into Moria's form.
"Kuhihihihi… As expected of a Warlord. You've got skills."
That last attack had nearly caught him off guard, he barely escaped in time.
But now that he was prepared, he wasn't afraid anymore.
"Hmph…" Hancock let out a long breath. She had burned through quite a bit of stamina trying to end the fight quickly.
Only now did she realize, this devil-faced freak… wasn't as simple as he looked.
==========
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