The courtyard.
Oars lay sprawled across the broken stone.
One massive arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
One eye half-open.
Tongue hanging out.
Absolutely motionless.
Chunks of rubble were embedded in his body.
The crater beneath him smoked faintly.
The Straw Hats stood frozen.
No cheers.
No victory poses.
Just disbelief.
Usopp slowly lowered his slingshot.
"…Is…"
"…Is the nightmare finally over?"
Chopper blinked. "…Did… Luffy really do that?"
Brook stared at Oars' massive corpse.
"…Yohohoho…"
"…That blow contained the power of several lifetimes."
Zoro smirked faintly.
"Heh."
"Serves him right."
A strange breeze swept across the courtyard.
Not wind.
Something heavier.
Something cold.
Robin's eyes narrowed. "…Something's moving."
From Oars' shadow—
A dark shape began to peel away.
Not many.
Not dozens.
Just one.
A single shadow.
It stretched unnaturally.
Like liquid being pulled from the ground.
Brook's hollow eyes widened. "…That's it."
Robin narrowed her eyes. "The shadow that was controlling him."
Nami clenched her staff. "…Luffy's shadow."
The shadow dragged itself across the shattered stone.
Slow.
Unstable.
As if weakened.
Usopp swallowed.
"It's… coming back…"
The shadow reached Nightmare Luffy's feet.
It hesitated for half a second—
Then snapped upward.
It slammed into the ground beneath him.
Merged.
Perfect.
Luffy flinched. "Huh?"
He looked down at his feet.
"…Oh yeah."
"My shadow."
Brook nodded.
"As expected."
"Without your shadow…"
"Oars has no will left."
They all turned.
Oars' massive body lay completely limp.
No twitch.
No breath.
No movement.
Franky crossed his arms.
"So knocking him out forced the shadow to return."
Robin nodded.
"Yes."
"The core has been reclaimed."
Zoro smirked.
"Good."
"One problem down."
The night, however—
Was far from over.
—————————
Moria stood on a shattered rooftop.
Staring.
His mouth slowly opened.
"…You beat Oars."
No laughter.
No theatrics.
Just disbelief.
"…You beat my ultimate warrior."
Luffy rolled his shoulders.
"Yeah."
Moria's face twitched.
A vein bulged.
"…Unacceptable."
His lips peeled into a furious grin.
"KISHISHISHI!"
Moria slammed both palms into the ground.
BOOM.
Darkness burst outward like an explosion.
Black waves rolled across the courtyard.
The shadows inside Luffy began to convulse violently.
Luffy grabbed his head.
"WHOA—!"
Steam sputtered unevenly.
His swollen Nightmare muscles started shrinking. "What's happening?!"
Brook shouted. "Moria is forcibly recalling the shadows!"
The shadows inside Luffy screamed.
Literally screamed.
They tore out of his body.
One after another.
Like smoke ripped from a furnace.
Luffy dropped to one knee.
"HEY! DON'T TAKE THOSE!"
More shadows ripped free.
His massive frame rapidly deflated.
Steam burst out wildly.
Muscles shrank.
Veins faded.
His eyes returned to normal.
Within seconds—
Nightmare Luffy was gone.
Luffy panted on his hands and knees.
Back to normal size.
"…That felt… weird."
Usopp screamed. "HEY! HE JUST LOST HIS SUPER MODE!"
Moria stood tall.
Arms spread wide.
"All shadows…"
"COME TO ME!"
Every loose shadow in the area responded.
From fallen zombies.
From cracks in the ground.
From inside broken walls.
From the corpses littered across Thriller Bark.
They flew toward Moria like a hurricane.
They slammed into his body.
One after another.
His torso expanded.
Arms ballooned.
Neck thickened.
Veins bulged grotesquely.
Skin stretched tight.
Teeth lengthened.
Moria's body warped into a monstrous giant shape.
He threw his head back.
"KIIIIISHISHISHISHI!"
"THIS is power!"
The Straw Hats stared in horror.
Chopper squeaked.
"He's… even bigger than Oars was…"
Franky clenched his metal fists.
"Great."
"So we beat the boss…"
"And now we fight the final boss."
Usopp screamed. "THIS ISN'T FAIR AT ALL! ONE PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER"
Brook trembled. "This situation is extremely unpleasant!"
Zoro drew his swords. "Captain."
Luffy stood.
Cracked his knuckles.
Blood trickled from his forehead.
Still smiling.
"Guess round two."
Moria lunged.
The ground exploded under his step.
He swung a gigantic fist.
Luffy barely rolled aside.
The punch obliterated an entire tower behind him.
Nami shouted. "Luffy, don't get hit by that!"
Luffy sprang upward.
"GOMU GOMU NO—"
"JET BAZOOKA!"
Both fists slammed into Moria's face.
BOOM.
Moria's head snapped back—
Then returned.
He laughed.
"That tickles!"
Moria grabbed Luffy midair.
CRUSH.
Luffy's ribs groaned.
"Gah—!"
Moria hurled him like trash.
Luffy smashed through three walls.
Skidded across rubble.
Nami screamed. "LUFFY!"
Dust settled.
A hand pushed up from the debris.
Luffy stood.
Blood on his face.
Breathing heavy.
Still grinning.
"Heh."
"You're big."
He wiped blood off his cheek.
"Guess I gotta go fast."
He inhaled sharply.
Steam exploded from his body.
"GEAR SECOND!"
Blood accelerated.
Skin flushed red.
Veins surfaced.
Moria snarled. "Struggle all you want!"
Shadow arms erupted from Moria's body.
Dozens.
They lashed toward Luffy.
Luffy vanished.
Reappeared.
Dodged.
Bounced between arms.
"JET PISTOL!"
"JET STAMP!"
"JET BULLET!"
Explosions hammered Moria's torso.
Holes formed—
Then instantly closed.
Moria laughed.
"You can't beat infinite shadows!"
Luffy clenched his teeth.
"Yeah?"
He stretched both arms skyward.
They expanded.
Bigger.
Bigger.
Steam poured off them like geysers.
Wind howled.
"Then I'll blow them all out at once!"
Moria's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Luffy crossed his gigantic arms.
"GOMU GOMU NO—"
The air warped.
"GIGANTO…"
His fists swelled even further.
Veins bulged.
"…JET SHELL!!!"
Both colossal fists rocketed forward.
Spinning.
Drilling.
They smashed into Moria's chest.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A blinding explosion of compressed air and shadow erupted.
Shockwaves tore across Thriller Bark.
Buildings collapsed.
Fog was blasted away.
Moria's body folded inward like rubber.
Shadows erupted from him in a massive black fountain.
Moria screamed.
"GAAAAAAAAH!!!"
He was launched skyward.
Then slammed straight down.
CRASH.
A massive crater formed.
Silence fell.
Shadows drifted away into the night like extinguished embers.
Luffy stood at the crater's edge.
Chest heaving.
Steam fading.
"…Told you."
Zoro smirked.
"He did it."
Nami dropped to her knees.
"…We're alive."
Brook clutched his chest.
"Finally…"
"We finally beat him…"
Franky grinned wide.
"SUPER finish!"
Deep inside the crater—
Gecko Moria lay unconscious.
And at last—
Thriller Bark began to loosen its grip on the endless night.
———————
Footsteps echoed from the edge of the ruined courtyard.
Slow.
Careful.
Multiple.
The Straw Hats turned.
From between shattered walls and fallen stone, several figures emerged.
Ragged clothes.
Bandages.
Exhausted faces.
At their front—
A large woman with pink hair, sharp teeth, and a big face.
She raised both arms.
"YOU FINALLY BEAT HIM!"
Usopp instantly hid behind Nami. "WHY IS THERE ANOTHER MONSTER?!"
Franky squinted.
"…They don't feel hostile. Also she's not a monster you idiot"
Robin studied them quietly.
Nami stepped forward.
"…Who are you?"
The pink-haired woman puffed out her chest.
"I'm a pirate captain!"
"Captain Lola!"
She pointed behind her.
"These are my crew!"
The group waved awkwardly.
Lola continued.
"We were all captured by Gecko Moria!"
"He stole our shadows!"
Brook's eyes widened.
"Ah…"
"So you are victims as well."
Lola nodded vigorously.
"Yep!"
"We've been hiding and collecting shadows ever since!"
Nami tilted her head.
"…Wait."
She leaned closer.
"…Your voice sounds familiar."
Lola blinked.
"Huh?"
Nami snapped her fingers.
"…YOU!"
"You're that pink pig!"
Lola gasped.
"Pink pig?!"
Usopp peeked out.
"…You were chasing us earlier."
"With an axe."
Lola froze.
"…Oh."
"…That was me?"
Nami pointed.
"So that was your shadow!"
Lola scratched her cheek.
"Hmm… maybe?"
"I don't really remember."
Brook nodded.
"That aligns with what we know."
"When shadows are placed into corpses…"
"They act independently."
Robin added.
"And the shadow's original owner has no control over it."
Lola gestured around wildly.
"Our shadows were scattered all over this island!"
"Some got stuffed into zombies…"
"Some into giants…"
"Some into weird animals!"
Usopp shuddered.
"This island is a nightmare recycling center…"
Lola clenched her fist.
"But now that Moria's defeated…"
"We finally got our shadows back!"
She looked at Luffy with sparkling eyes.
"You're amazing, Straw Hat!"
Luffy grinned.
"Heh."
"I told you i'd defeat him."
Zoro snorted.
Nami exhaled slowly.
"…Great."
"So everyone here has a personal grudge."
Lola nodded aggressively.
"Absolutely!"
The battlefield grew crowded.
And the final collapse of Thriller Bark had truly begun.
——————-
Far away from Thriller Bark—
Marineford.
The heart of Marine power.
Towering walls.
Endless cannons.
White-coated officers moving with rigid discipline.
Inside the highest command chamber—
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood before a large Den Den Mushi.
Its eyes snapped open.
"Moria has confirmed it hours earlier."
"He claims the Straw Hat pirate has infiltrated Thriller Bark."
Several officers murmured.
Sengoku's expression darkened.
"That boy is becoming a problem."
He turned slowly.
"Bartholomew Kuma."
A massive figure stood silently near the wall.
Towering.
Still.
Unmoving.
A living weapon or so they thought….
Sengoku faced him. "I'm dispatching you to Thriller Bark."
Kuma said nothing.
Sengoku continued.
"Find Straw Hat Luffy."
"Kill him."
A brief pause.
Then—
"Bring me his head."
The room fell silent.
Deep within Kuma—
Shock.
Monkey D. Luffy…
Ada's son?
Dragon's son?!
Have they discovered his lineage already?!
His massive face remained expressionless.
But inside—
Waves of thought collided.
So soon…?
Kuma spoke calmly. "…Why the sudden order?"
Sengoku's eyes narrowed.
"Gecko Moria reported his presence."
"But I do not trust Moria."
"He is careless."
"He underestimates rookies."
Sengoku folded his arms.
"Straw Hat has already defeated Crocodile."
"Declared war on the World Government."
"Invaded Enies Lobby."
"He cannot be allowed to grow further."
A tense beat.
"You will make sure the problem ends."
Kuma lowered his head slightly.
"…Understood."
Inside his mind—
So the gears have already started turning.
Dragon…
Ada…
Your son is walking a dangerous path.
Kuma turned toward the exit.
Each heavy step echoed through the chamber.
It seems…
We will meet again.
Monkey D. Luffy.
And this time—
The world expects me to be your executioner.
But fate…
May have other plans.
Far away—
Thunder rolled over Thriller Bark.
—————————
The courtyard was still littered with rubble.
Broken stone.
Cratered ground.
A defeated Warlord buried deep below.
The Straw Hats slowly caught their breath.
Robin tilted her head slightly.
"So you were victims of Moria as well."
Lola nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep!"
"He stole our shadows too!"
Robin folded her arms.
"And they were scattered across the island?"
"Most of them," Lola replied.
Brook stepped forward and bowed.
"I am relieved to hear your shadows have returned safely."
Lola turned toward him.
"Oh hey, skeleton guy!"
"Congrats on getting your shadow back too!"
Brook placed a hand over his chest.
"Yohohoho! Thank you very much!"
Robin smiled softly.
"It seems our goals were aligned from the start."
Lola grinned.
"Guess so!"
"Beating Moria fixes a lot of problems!"
She suddenly clapped her hands.
"Anyway!"
"Since your captain saved us…"
"And helped us get our shadows back…"
She leaned in dramatically. "Wanna split the loot?"
Nami froze. "…Loot?"
Lola nodded.
"Yeah!"
"This island is packed with treasure!"
"We've been collecting it for a while."
"We'll share!"
There was a half-second of silence.
Then—
"TREEEEASURE?!!!"
Nami's eyes turned into glowing money symbols.
She grabbed Lola's hands. "YOU ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON I HAVE EVER MET!"
Lola blinked.
Nami shook her violently. "I THINK WE MIGHT JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS!"
Usopp stared. "That was fast."
Sanji lit a cigarette. "…Money really does heal all wounds."
Zoro crossed his arms. "So typical."
Franky grinned. "Super predictable."
Brook clasped his hands. "Yohohoho! Friendship forged through capitalism!"
Chopper looked confused. "…Does treasure make people happy?"
Robin smiled.
"In Nami's case?"
"Yes."
Nami turned back to Lola, beaming.
"So!"
"Where's the treasure?"
Lola pointed off toward a ruined tower.
Nami immediately grabbed Lola's shoulders.
"Take me there!"
Lola waved her hands.
"Ah—no need!"
"My crewmates are already bringing it here!"
Nami froze.
"…They are?"
Lola nodded proudly.
"Yep!"
"They'll carry everything over!"
Nami clasped her hands together.
"How considerate!"
"I love it!"
She spun toward the crew.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
Usopp squinted. "For what?"
Nami beamed. "For wealth!"
Brook clasped his hands. "Yohohoho! Nothing lifts spirits like gold!"
Franky grinned. "Post-battle reward, SUPER style!"
And just like that—
The post-battle atmosphere shifted…
From nightmare…
To negotiation.
Thriller Bark's long night was finally beginning to fade.
———————
Fog drifted silently across Thriller Bark's ruined landscape.
The celebration echoed faintly through the broken courtyard.
Laughter.
Shouting.
The clatter of treasure being dumped into piles.
Hidden among the drifting mist—
A massive figure materialized.
No flash.
No sound.
Just… there.
Bartholomew Kuma stood motionless atop a shattered tower.
His blank eyes surveyed the island.
Below—
The Straw Hats crowded around heaps of gold, jewels, and chests.
Nami was practically swimming through coins.
"Careful with that chest!"
"Stack the gold properly!"
"THAT ONE'S MINE!"
Usopp stared at a gem the size of his fist.
"I've never seen money sparkle this violently!"
Brook laughed. "Yohohoho! Wealth truly brings out one's inner musician!"
Zoro sat on a broken pillar, arms crossed, eyes half-closed. "…Idiots."
Kuma watched silently.
So these are the Straw Hat Pirates.
His gaze shifted.
Far beyond the courtyard—
A gigantic crater scarred the earth.
Smoke still rose from its depths.
At the bottom—
Gecko Moria lay unmoving.
Kuma's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So, Monkey D. Luffy…"
"You defeated him after all."
A breeze passed.
Kuma spoke quietly.
"Sengoku was correct."
"You underestimated the rookies."
His gaze returned briefly toward the celebrating crew.
"…But it seems your luck was especially poor."
"The rookie you underestimated…"
"…Is the son of the Revolutionary Dragon…"
"…And one of the Five Emperor of the Sea."
Silence.
Kuma vanished.
——————
Deep within the crater—
Moria lay sprawled among broken rock.
Bloodied.
Breathing.
Barely conscious.
Suddenly—
A massive hand grabbed him by the collar.
Moria's eyes shot open.
"GAH—?!"
Before he could scream—
The world warped.
Air compressed.
POP.
They vanished.
———————-
Inside Moria's dark throne chamber—
Two figures appeared.
Kuma gently lowered Moria onto his throne.
Moria slumped forward.
Groaning.
"…Ugh…"
His eyes slowly focused.
"…Kuma?"
Veins bulged across Moria's forehead.
"What the hell are YOU doing in my turf?!"
Kuma stood still. "Sengoku sent me."
Moria sneered.
"Tch."
"So you're the Fleet Admiral's dog now?"
Kuma didn't react. "He sent me because of the call you made hours earlier."
Moria froze.
"…Call?"
"Regarding Straw Hat Luffy."
Moria clicked his tongue.
"So what?"
Kuma continued.
"Sengoku did not trust you to handle Straw Hat."
"That is why he sent me."
A pause.
"…It appears he was correct."
Moria's teeth clenched.
His shadow twitched violentlysly.
"YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME?!"
The chamber darkened.
Shadows writhed along the walls.
Kuma remained unmoving.
A silent mountain.
Moria glared.
Then—
He looked away.
"Tch."
"Do whatever you want."
"I'm exhausted."
He slumped back into his throne.
"I'm taking a rest."
Kuma turned.
No further words.
He stepped forward—
And vanished.
—————————-
Outside the courtyard—
Mist swirled again.
Kuma appeared at the edge of the ruined courtyard.
The Straw Hats were still gathered around treasure.
Nami hugged a chest. "This island is officially my favorite horror island!"
Usopp laughed. "I almost died twelve times but it was WORTH IT!"
Brook bowed dramatically. "A profitable brush with death!"
Zoro opened one eye."…Huh?"
A towering shadow loomed at the edge of the fog.
Zoro slowly stood. "…We've got company."
Kuma stepped forward.
Expressionless.
Silent.
Towering.
The celebration died instantly.
Nami swallowed. "…Why do I suddenly feel like we're still in danger?"
Sanji lit a cigarette.
"Yeah…"
"This guy doesn't look like he's here to party."
Kuma stared directly at Luffy.
"…Monkey D. Luffy."
The air grew heavy.
And a new nightmare quietly announced itself.