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"I wouldn't dare do such a thing to you." Hikaru smirked, completely ignoring Moria's fury.
"Perona, this is your last chance. If you don't make a decision now, it'll be too late…" His voice was calm but carried an undeniable weight.
"Once I truly attack, Moria won't last a single blow—he'll die instantly."
"What decision!? Perona! Don't listen to him!" Moria roared, his massive frame trembling. He didn't fully understand what Hikaru was proposing, but he knew it couldn't be anything good.
Perona's lips trembled. She glanced at Moria, reluctance flashing in her eyes. After a long pause, she finally shut her eyes and whispered in a trembling voice:
"Hikaru, I… I promise you. Please don't hurt Lord Moria!"
The moment she spoke, Hikaru's lips curled into a satisfied smile. His goal had been achieved.
"A wise choice. Since you're so obedient, I'll mercifully give you a warning…"
"Damn you, Hikaru!!" Moria clenched his fists, his veins bulging with fury. He now understood—Perona had just sacrificed her freedom for his sake. "Using my life to threaten Perona… You bastard!!"
Shadow Asgard!
Moria threw his arms wide, pressing his palms to the ground. Immediately, countless shadows from all over Thriller Bark swirled in, forming a black storm of energy that surged into his body.
His enormous frame swelled even larger, his wounds rapidly healing. However, his eyes grew hollow, lifeless—his mind clouded by the overwhelming influx of power.
"You steal the strength of others, depend on borrowed power, and yet you can't even control your own abilities," Hikaru remarked casually, his tone laced with disdain. "Moria, you're a pathetic excuse for a warrior."
But Moria could no longer hear him.
His bloated form stumbled forward, thrashing about in an uncontrollable frenzy.
Seeing Hikaru's indifferent stance, the priests swiftly ordered the divine soldiers to intercept Moria's rampage.
Perona couldn't bear to watch. She turned her back, whispering, "Hikaru… What were you going to warn me about?"
Hikaru silently wiped away the tears she had just shed, then took out a Recording Dial and handed it to her.
"This is a phonograph shell. Press this button to record your voice—say whatever you want to Moria."
Then, his voice lowered as he leaned in.
"What I wanted to warn you about… is that you should convince Moria to abandon his position as a Shichibukai and disappear for a few years."
"Otherwise, in a few months, the world will change drastically. And as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea… he will be among the first to die."
His words sent a chill down Perona's spine.
"You don't want to see Moonlight Moria—who treated you like family—die in such a meaningless way, do you?"
"The world… is changing?" she murmured, gripping the shell tightly.
Deep down, she knew Hikaru had no reason to lie to her. Everything he said… was for her own good.
"Lord Moria…"
A determined look flashed in Perona's eyes. She turned to Hikaru, nodding in silent gratitude, then floated to the side, clutching the phonograph shell. A soft voice echoed as she began recording her farewell message.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on.
Thanks to their Observation Haki, the priests easily evaded Moria's wild swings, while the divine soldiers struggled to avoid his attacks.
Despite his overwhelming size and strength, Moria's blows only landed on the slower-moving warriors. The priests, on the other hand, struck back strategically.
Using Armament Haki, Impact Shells, and Repulse Shells, they launched relentless counterattacks. While each individual strike didn't deal critical damage, the accumulated blows were taking their toll—Moria's bloated body looked as if it could burst at any moment.
Then, in a coordinated flash, the four great priests dashed toward Moria, striking his abdomen simultaneously.
BOOM!
A massive dent caved into his stomach.
Moria let out a guttural scream, his body wracked with pain. His control over the stolen shadows wavered—dark wisps of energy spewed uncontrollably from his mouth.
Desperately, he clutched his lips shut, trying to contain them.
But it was futile.
"Moria, stop your pointless resistance."
Hikaru stepped forward, his right hand enveloped in a dense, concentrated Armament Haki.
The moment his fist touched Moria's stomach, his Haki surged inward.
"Ryuo—Internal Destruction."
A single, short, and crisp punch landed.
WHAM!
Moria's massive frame exploded backward, crashing through the castle walls. His body flew across Thriller Bark before finally smashing into the distant forest.
There was no visible damage on his exterior, but inside… chaos.
His organs ruptured from within.
His vision blurred. His massive body convulsed, and his mouth burst open—countless shadows erupted, soaring back to their rightful owners.
Moria's body rapidly deflated, shrinking back to its original form.
His eyes rolled back.
With a final, agonized groan, he collapsed into unconsciousness.
As the King of Killers, his expertise lay mostly in firearms and artillery. However, that didn't mean he neglected his close-combat skills.
Through rigorous training, he quickly mastered various advanced techniques of Armament Haki—from Hardening and Entanglement to Flowing Haki, External Release, and even the devastating Internal Destruction.
More impressively, he could combine these techniques with his own unique fighting style, creating advanced applications of Armament Haki. One such skill allowed him to strike an enemy hiding behind obstacles, a technique akin to hitting a bull from behind a mountain.
There are different levels of skill when using Armament Haki, but mastery of techniques does not directly correlate to one's overall strength.
However, in the world of pirates, the primary path to dominance was still Devil Fruit abilities and raw Haki strength. Few warriors truly dedicated themselves to refining combat techniques, with the Navy's Rokushiki being one of the few widely recognized martial arts.
Hikaru had no intention of pursuing such combat styles. Their ceiling was too low compared to the limitless potential of Devil Fruit development.
Even the legendary "Eight Impact Fists" of the Flower Country's Eight Treasures Navy, a martial art refined over centuries, remained largely confined to its homeland and was unknown on the world stage.
Hikaru exhaled and turned his gaze toward his subordinates.
"Drag Moria back. Wake up the God's Assault Team, and retrieve the divine soldiers who were lost in battle," he ordered indifferently.
"By your command, my lord!"
The priests and divine soldiers immediately sprang into action, following the commands efficiently.
Hikaru's eyes then shifted toward Perona. She stood silently, clutching the Phonograph Shell tightly in her small hands. Her gaze lingered on the distant woods where Moria had fallen, her expression filled with hesitation.
By the time the divine soldiers dragged Moria's unconscious body back, several injured warriors had already been sent to the ship for treatment.
Perona hesitantly approached Hikaru, her voice soft and uncertain.
"Lord Moria… he… he'll be okay, right?"
Hikaru smirked, his confidence unwavering. He reached out and lightly ruffled her cotton candy pink hair.
"Don't worry. I was careful not to kill him."
Perona awkwardly pouted, swatting his hand away before floating toward Moria's limp body.
With a sigh, she gently slipped the Phonograph Shell into the small pocket on Moria's chest.
Beside it, she placed a neatly folded piece of paper, carefully writing out instructions on how to use the recording shell—though she had no idea if Moria could even read them.
After a brief silence, she turned back toward Hikaru.
"Have you said everything you needed to?" Hikaru asked.
"Yeah~" Perona murmured, floating back beside him.
Satisfied, Hikaru turned to his men.
"The matter here is settled. Return to Sky Island."
Just then, Shura hurried over, holding a Den Den Mushi in his hand, his expression serious.
"My lord!" he called out. "The Sixth Squad of the God's Guard, who couldn't arrive in time, just sent a report."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
"They encountered a lion man… and an egg man with two long legs."
Shura swallowed before continuing.
"Both of them… want to meet you."