Hogback, who had once lost his beloved, still tried to struggle, but Moriah held him down. Hera's group was clearly stronger than them, and Moriah did not want to experience the pain of losing a comrade again, so he restrained Hogback, deciding to listen to what Hera had to say first.
Although Hera knew the possibility of inviting Perona to join was now very slim, she still wanted to try again. After all, she needed to find ten companions, all of whom had to be beautiful girls, and people who fit that description in the Pirate World were indeed few. Furthermore, she really liked this somewhat Tsundere Loli, so she decided to try harder.
After sitting down at the table, before Hera could speak, Moriah asked first: "If you want Perona to join, will you not treat her as a disposable pawn you can abandon at any time, but genuinely want her as your companion?"
Hera nodded: "I am sincere towards every crew member, don't worry."
Moriah leaned against his chair somewhat dejectedly: "Then take her with you."
Moriah had lost his comrades in Wano Country, and now he had lost his devil fruit ability and his Zombie Army. His ambition was completely worn down. The easy destruction of the Zombie Army also made him realize the ridiculousness of his plan. If Hera could treat Perona well, then this would be the better choice for Perona.
Perona looked at Moriah, slightly annoyed: "I absolutely don't want to follow Hera and become a Marine! How can you make decisions for me?"
Hera hadn't expected the Moriah hurdle, which she thought would be the hardest, to actively offer an opportunity. She quickly persuaded her: "Perona, don't worry. Although we are Marines, my companions are all under my direct command; I won't let anyone else interfere with giving orders."
"Also, Moriah, you've been messing around with this nonsensical Zombie Army here for too long; you've lost the foundation of a strong person—Haki."
Hera didn't understand why he created this Zombie Army. It required the corpses of strong people and the shadows of strong people, yet the resulting creation couldn't use Haki. If he wanted to rely on sheer numbers to overwhelm Kaido, he might as well wait for Kaido to die of old age.
Hera continued: "Your strength is already considered somewhat outdated among the Shichibukai, Moriah. Having been to Wano Country, you should know that the application of Haki is the foundation of a true powerhouse."
Moriah lowered his head, feeling depressed: "How could I not know? But my Armament Haki hitting Kaido was completely useless, like hitting a mountain. Moreover, the terror of Kaido is something a child like you cannot comprehend."
Repeated setbacks had caused Moriah to lose the ambition to dominate the seas; he had become listless. He waved his hand: "Let Perona follow you. My dream of getting revenge on Kaido, I leave it to you."
Hera nodded. Seeing this scene, Perona angrily left.
Moriah said: "I will go and talk to the girl. My era is over, but her life is just beginning. Can I entrust her to you?"
Hera nodded: "Don't worry, I will take her to see greater sights."
Hogback, who was standing nearby, couldn't sit still: "What about me? You killed my beloved, and now you two are happily eating together! What do you consider my dream to be?"
Hogback was furious and questioned Hera, ignoring the reconciliation between her and Moriah.
Hera had nothing kind to say to him: "You should understand that the dead do not resurrect. Moriah never resurrected your lover; he only made your lover move."
Hogback's tightly clenched fists relaxed. As a doctor, how could he not know this truth? But the sliver of hope in his heart and the joy of seeing his lover move had blinded him. He thought of Cindry's final look at him—a look of relief mixed with reluctance—which caused his fists to unclench, and he sobbed uncontrollably at the table.
Moriah also left after eating his fill. As he departed, he asked Hera to stay for a few more days, saying he would persuade Perona.
That night, Moriah knocked on Perona's door and walked in.
When Perona saw Moriah, a ghost floated out of her body, threatening him: "Go away quickly! I won't join the ship. I want to stay with the Thriller Bark Pirates."
Perona's ghost couldn't scare Moriah, and he walked straight over. Perona quickly moved the ghost away.
Moriah said: "My ambition might have died in the battle against Kaido. Now, I am just a Captain without power. But you are different. I can see that Hera values her companions highly, just like I used to."
Moriah then seemed to recall his old comrades and smiled: "But Hera is different. Her strange abilities and immense power allow her to protect her crew members well."
Moriah patted Perona's head: "You are different. Since I adopted you, you've been here. How can you not go out and explore the great sea? You're still so young, about the same age as Hera and her companions. Following them will definitely be interesting."
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