BOOM!!!
Another earth-shaking clash echoed across the battlefield. Moria braced himself, barely managing to block Hancock's fierce assault.
They had already exchanged blows for over a hundred rounds.
At first, the thrill of close combat had excited Moria, but as the battle dragged on, his physical weaknesses became increasingly apparent.
Across from him, Hancock's icy, beautiful face now carried a hint of arrogance.
CRACK!
Another kick, blindingly fast, slammed against Moria's hastily raised elbow.
Hancock took full advantage of her long legs, wielding them like spears as she relentlessly struck Moria's bloated, sluggish body with increasing speed and precision.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Moria kept both arms raised to protect himself, trying to minimize his vulnerable areas. He blocked desperately as Hancock's attacks rained down, his entire upper body cloaked in Armament Haki. He didn't dare let his guard drop for even a second.
But defense without end is a losing game.
Moria's stamina plummeted under Hancock's dazzling offense. He could barely keep up now.
Seizing a brief moment during one of Hancock's flying kicks, he leapt backward and finally put some distance between them.
Stabilizing himself, Moria gasped for breath, lungs desperate for oxygen.
Time had taken its toll on his body. He was no longer the dominant warlord he once was. If not for his many years of battle experience, he likely would've lost long ago.
He looked across at Hancock, she had barely broken a sweat, her breathing still calm and steady.
He knew it: if he didn't resort to other means, this battle was already lost.
Glancing at the fallen Sea King zombies on the ground nearby, he hesitated.
One hundred Sea King shadows… surely that would tip the scale in his favor against a mere girl...
But after a moment's thought, Moria shook his head.
"Forget it… Those belong to Luffy-san now."
Yes, he no longer considered those shadows his own.
He didn't want to rely on anyone anymore.
This time, he would climb back to the top on his own strength.
"What's the matter? Thinking of surrendering?" Hancock exhaled slowly. She tilted her chin up and looked down at Moria, even though he stood over three times her height.
She still wore a scornful expression, cold and proud.
Even now, she held back. Because she knew, her true opponent wasn't this grotesque giant in front of her.
Her gaze drifted subtly toward Luffy, and for the briefest moment, a flicker of bitterness crossed her face, only to vanish instantly, replaced by unwavering resolve.
Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Moria straightened his posture and looked down at her with a twisted grin.
"Keh keh keh… If this is all you've got, there's no way you'll ever beat Luffy-san."
"Besides, "
Before he could finish, Moria suddenly lunged, swinging a massive fist toward Hancock in a surprise attack.
"You'd better worry about getting through me first!"
BOOM!!!
Hancock raised a leg, intercepting the hammer-like punch. The impact drove her foot deep into the Sea King's flesh beneath her.
Still, she remained composed, glaring at Moria with disdain.
"You're right."
"So I'll just leave you lying here."
In a blink, she lowered her stance. Her body vanished like lightning, reappearing directly before Moria's massive frame.
BANG!!!
The speed was so sudden that Moria had no time to react.
Hancock seized the opening and unleashed her full strength, her signature Perfume Femur kick, sending Moria flying into the air.
"Ack!"
A sharp pain rose in Moria's throat. Blood burst from his mouth and scattered in the air.
But Hancock didn't let up. She kicked off the Sea King's skull, shattering it with the force, and launched herself into the air after him.
The Sea King's skull was already full of cracks from earlier. Now, a third of it collapsed completely.
And still, that wasn't the end.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Luffy watched the battle from a distance, his expression complex.
"Moria's going to lose…" he muttered, watching the warlord tumble through the sky.
Even from afar, he could feel the fire of Moria's Mental Power, flaring hot, refusing to give up.
There was something almost… tragic about seeing him fall like this.
Luffy whispered under his breath, "Am I… catching the fire of an old man's resolve?"
"WHAT?!" Perona gasped in horror, having overheard. She turned frantically to Luffy.
"Luffy-sama! Please, you have to save Moria-sama! He, he…"
Luffy gently reassured her, "Don't worry. He's not going to die that easily. He'll just take a few hard hits."
Nearby, Absalom silently watched the battlefield. His eyes shimmered, voice low.
"Did Moria-sama… lose again?"
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Back in the sky, Moria, barely conscious, sensed Hancock rapidly approaching. He knew he was in danger.
A shadow suddenly tore itself free from his body, darting toward the ground.
"Doppelman"
"You won't get the chance!"
Before Moria could activate his technique, Hancock's graceful figure caught up to him midair.
"Perfume Femur!"
Her long, elegant leg lifted high. The blackened Armament Haki coating destroyed its beauty but added a warrior's majesty.
Before Moria could switch places with his shadow, her leg snapped through the air like a whip, leaving a streak of pink lightning as it smashed into his abdomen.
CRACK!!!
A sickening crunch.
Her power pierced through layers of fat and organs, slamming directly into Moria's spine.
His bones shattered instantly.
"Guh!"
Moria's mouth gaped. His eyes bulged. The light in them faded as blood poured from his lips.
He plummeted like a meteor, crashing down onto the Sea King below.
BOOM!!!
The Sea King had been ordered not to move. It took the full brunt of Moria's fall.
It howled in pain.
The shockwave tore through its muscular frame, bones cracked, and its stitched-together body fell apart.
"Raaaahhh!!!"
The thousand-meter-long beast was reduced to rubble. A thick cloud of dust swallowed half the island.
Poor creature… It hadn't even had the chance to make a name for itself before becoming Moria's personal crash mat.
As Moria's body collapsed into the debris, his shadow slipped free, returning to the unconscious giant Sea King in the castle.
Amid the gore and shattered flesh, Moria's body lay twisted and broken. His once-bulging belly was now sunken and deformed. His eyes stared wide and lifeless, blood trickling endlessly from his mouth.
He had fallen unconscious, completely defeated.
"Moria-sama!!!"
Ignoring Robin's protests, Perona rushed through the air to Moria's side.
Luffy and the others quickly followed.
Hancock finally landed, gasping, drenched in sweat.
Moria had too many tricks. She knew if she kept dragging the fight out, even if she won, she'd have no strength left for that other bastard.
So she'd gone all-in. Before Moria could unleash his full power, she unleashed hers in one explosive strike.
Had he swapped places with his shadow in time, dodging that deathblow…
Then who would've won this fight might've been a different story.
Luckily for Hancock, her gamble had paid off.
But she hadn't finished him off.
Because she knew, even if she won this battle, she might not have the strength to leave the island.
The Kuja Pirates were still here. The woman from earlier might be weak to her, but not to the others. And the Kuja crew had just fought a battle, they were tired. The enemy wasn't.
That, that was what truly worried her.
After a moment's thought, Hancock steadied her breath, regaining some stamina.
Then, as if sensing something, she slowly raised her head.
Luffy and his group were walking out from within the island.
Pride and fury ignited once more in her heart. She forced herself to appear composed, controlling her breath, her gaze arrogant and cold.
She stared down at Luffy and declared,
"You're next."
==========
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