At this moment, Nami finally reunited with Luffy and the others.
"Everyone!" The moment she saw her crewmates, she nearly burst into tears.
She'd had it rough!
Luffy launched himself forward instantly. "Nami!"
"Good thing you're okay." Zoro finally loosened his grip on his swords.
Sanji rushed over with open arms. "You scared us to death, Nami-saaaan!"
Nami blocked him with a hand to the face, full of disgust.
Chopper, Usopp, and Brook crowded around as well.
They hadn't even had time to exchange words—
"Hehshishishishi! Found you, little rats!"
Moria's enormous figure appeared at the end of the corridor, wearing a savage grin.
"Oars! Crush them!"
The massive demon took a step forward like a walking mountain and swung a colossal fist toward the Straw Hats!
"Scatter!" Luffy roared.
Boom—!
The spot they had just been standing in exploded into a massive crater. The entire castle trembled.
"Gomu Gomu no—Rocket!"
Luffy charged at Oars in fury—but the overwhelming gap in power sent him flying with a single backhand, smashing deep into a wall.
"Luffy!"
Zoro and Sanji attacked at the same time.
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
Zoro's slash left only a shallow white mark on Oars' arm.
"Concassé!"
Sanji's powerful kick fared little better.
Oars countered with a massive swing, the shockwave alone forcing them backward.
"Useless! Hehshishishishi!" Moria laughed wildly. "Oars is invincible! Straw Hat, your shadow is mine!"
In the chaos of battle, Moria seized an opening and grabbed Luffy.
A giant pair of shadowy scissors flashed!
"Shadow's Asgard—Cut!"
"Luffy, watch out!" Nami screamed.
Too late.
Luffy's shadow was instantly severed.
He staggered—then broke free of the Doppelman's grasp.
"Luffy!" Chopper cried in horror.
"Bastard!" Zoro and Sanji attacked even more frantically.
But they couldn't break through Oars' defenses and were forced back again and again.
"Hehshishishishi! How does it feel not being able to protect your captain?"
Moria reveled in their fury.
After all, he had just experienced that same helplessness himself—
even worse than theirs.
He casually stuffed Luffy's shadow into Oars.
Just as the Straw Hats were pushed to the brink—
a group of pirates rushed in, led by Lola and her crew.
"Stuff the shadows into Straw Hat's mouth!"
They forcibly shoved one hundred captured shadows into the unconscious Luffy.
His body swelled instantly—muscles bulging grotesquely, skin turning a bluish corpse-like hue.
His entire appearance changed.
"ROAAAR—!"
Nightmare Luffy let out an inhuman howl.
Even Oars hesitated.
The tide of battle flipped.
Nightmare Luffy's power and speed completely surpassed Oars.
Each punch detonated like an explosion, smashing the giant backward repeatedly.
"How is this possible?!" Moria's grin twisted into shock.
Nightmare Luffy truly became Moria's nightmare.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With one final devastating blow, Oars collapsed.
After Chopper identified Oars' weak point—
there was no comeback.
Oars never stood again.
"No! My Oars!"
Moria's heart bled as he turned furiously toward the now-exhausted Luffy.
"Straw Hat! I'll kill you!"
He joined the battle personally.
"Shadow's Asgard!"
Shadows poured into his body—100, 200, 500, 1000!
Swollen with power, Moria's body expanded to rival Oars in size.
But the overload caused him to lose control.
He attacked indiscriminately—even striking at his own zombies.
The Straw Hats risked everything, holding him off long enough for Luffy to recover.
Finally—
Luffy activated Gear Third.
Together, they launched the finishing blow.
"Gomu Gomu no—Gigant Bazooka!"
It smashed into Moria's face.
"Im… possible…"
His bloodshot eyes bulged as shadows poured out of his mouth.
He couldn't believe he had lost to a bunch of rookies.
His massive body swayed—
and crashed down, a building collapsing onto his stomach as all the shadows burst free.
He lost consciousness.
The battlefield lay in ruins.
The Straw Hats collapsed on the ground, utterly exhausted.
—
From afar,
Perona had witnessed everything.
She saw Moria fall.
She saw Oars defeated.
Her heart tightened with fear.
Without hesitation, she turned and rushed toward the man who had been watching coldly from the sidelines.
Thud.
Perona dropped to her knees on the cold ground, tears streaming down her face.
"Lord Leno! Please! Save Lord Moria!"
"I'll do anything!"
Leno looked down at her impassively.
He reached out, cool fingers lifting her chin.
"For him?" he asked calmly.
"You already belong to me. What do you have left to bargain with?"
Perona froze.
That was right.
She had already been handed over.
Everything she had belonged to him now.
What right did she have to negotiate?
Despair swallowed her whole.
The light faded from her eyes.
Leno watched her collapse inward like a broken doll.
Then he released her chin and lightly pinched her cheek instead.
"However…"
He changed tone.
"For your sincerity in offering yourself, I'll help you."
Perona blinked in disbelief.
Hope shattered her despair.
She nodded desperately. "Thank you! Lord Leno!"
Her eyes shone with gratitude.
A good person!
Leno was definitely a good person!
Leno, inwardly, felt nothing.
Moria was never going to die anyway.
The Straw Hats didn't kill.
He paid nothing—
and gained a Ghost Princess utterly devoted to him.
Pure profit.
—
Elsewhere.
The Straw Hats were barely able to sit up after the battle.
Then—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause echoed from the shadows.
Leno stepped forward slowly, clapping lazily.
"Not bad. Very entertaining."
His eyes swept over the unconscious Moria—and the exhausted Straw Hats.
His sudden appearance snapped the fragile calm.
Every Straw Hat's expression changed.
Luffy tried to stand—
Zoro held him down.
Cold sweat dripped down Zoro's face. His arms trembled, but he stepped forward anyway.
"If you want our captain—crush my head first."
Sanji stood in front of Nami and Chopper, cigarette clenched between his teeth.
"Picking on the exhausted isn't very knightly, you know."
Usopp and Chopper clung to each other, shaking.
Nami could barely stand.
They all understood—
In their current state, they stood no chance.
Even at full strength—
they weren't sure they could defeat this monster.
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