Inside the ancient castle, shrouded in darkness,
Gecko Moria slowly made his way into a massive ice chamber.
"Kishishishishi!" Moria gazed at the towering, frozen giant. Standing 67 meters tall, it had red hair, upward-curving bull horns, pale green skin, long fangs, three skull markings on its body, and wore a horned hat.
A terrifying sense of oppression showcased its immense power!
"That damn Straw Hat brat, even though I couldn't find a suitable shadow, still...!"
After a moment of silence, Moria waved his hand, and hundreds of black shadows surged into Oars' body.
Soon, the giant Oars opened his eyes and forcefully broke free from the ice. His voice was slightly deep, "Master...!"
Moria's gaze flickered, "Kishishishishi, go out and stretch your legs!"
Oars punched through the freezer and leaped from a great height towards the forest.
"Boom!"
Oars landed on both feet, sending rocks flying and trees toppling!
Just as Oars began to wreak havoc,
A blue lightning bolt appeared in the sky, crackling and converging with blue electric arcs.
Gradually, a hundred-meter-long trident formed, then began to spin, stirring up wind and waves!
"This is!? Kaido??" Moria, looking through the hole, saw this scene, his eyes widening with fear, but even more so with anger and hatred!
"Heavenly Punishment Lightning Halberd!"
The lightning trident moved, falling at light speed, striking directly at Oars.
The powerful impact shook the ground for a hundred meters around.
Oars roared incessantly,
The attack, capable of splitting mountains and rocks, seemed to have no effect on him.
No, the lightning halberd pierced through Oars' body, pinning him firmly in place.
"Kishishishishi! Straw Hat brat!" Gecko Moria looked at the figure in the sky, feeling the exploding electric arcs around him.
He was nearly seven meters tall, corpulent, with pale skin and gruesome stitches on his neck.
His onion-shaped head had two small horns, and his mouth was filled with sharp fangs.
"Yo, Moria!"
No sooner had the words fallen than the figure, whose face was previously indistinct, suddenly shot forward.
A fist, wrapped in dark blue lightning, slammed heavily into Moria's enormous belly.
"Bang!"
Huge Mach rings rose, and Moria's figure crashed through the entire ancient castle, flying into the distance.
"Ugh!"
Moria's nerves convulsed, the pain almost making him faint!
But having experienced battle with Kaido, he still kept his nerves taut!
Indeed, within the dark clouds, lightning flashed and thunder roared!
"Armament - Gum-Gum Thunder Axe!"
Luffy's extended leg, wreathed in dark blue lightning, descended from above.
"Shadows Asgard!"
Moria instantly transformed into countless bats, dodging the attack.
The thunderous kick slammed into the ground, plowing a crack hundreds of meters long and of unknown depth!
Countless bats surged into the sky, seemingly wanting to tear at Luffy.
Suddenly, dark red Conqueror's Haki lightning erupted from his body, densely filling the entire space.
Each bat was violently torn apart, turning into black mist.
"Conqueror's Haki!!"
One of the bats in the distance widened its eyes. Ever since his defeat by Kaido and the beginning of his revenge plot, he had never encountered a Conqueror's Haki user.
This level of Conqueror's Haki wasn't far off from Kaido's back then (when Kaido was still in his growth phase).
Just as he was stunned,
A fist grew larger in his vision,
"Bang!"
The bat was punched from above, 貫穿 the ground, transforming into Moria's figure, seemingly unconscious.
Blue electric arcs landed at the edge of the pit, and the figure appeared.
"Too weak, no improvement at all!" Luffy shook his head. He had made great progress in his two battles with Aokiji. But now, the gap was too wide. While crushing was satisfying, it didn't provide much experience.
Now, among the Seven Warlords, apart from Mihawk, no one should be able to put pressure on him.
Luffy glanced at Oars, who was struggling desperately, but didn't pay him any mind.
This was just an experience package for everyone to build teamwork.
"However, his skin is really thick!" Although that move wasn't a full-power attack, it wasn't a casual strike either.
Yet Oars was still full of vigor, with only parts of his skin charred black.
"As expected of a giant capable of transporting an entire kingdom. If you were alive, I truly wish I could have fought you!"
...In Hogback's courtyard,
Brook, leaning casually on his cane, slowly walked towards a corridor.
Suddenly, the paintings that were originally for decoration came to life, transforming into strange and grotesque creatures, one after another.
They were on both sides of the corridor, dancing wildly, as if trying to prevent Brook from approaching.
Brook said nothing, pressing his bony hand on his cane, and instantly drew his sword!
As he advanced, sword light flashed chaotically!
After passing through the corridor, Brook slowly sheathed his sword into his cane.
"Aubade Coup Droit - Swallow Banderole!"
The moment the sword was sheathed, sword marks appeared on each of the painting monsters, and they shattered with a crash!
Brook walked slowly, his gaze growing more resolute.
Soon, he entered a room emitting a faint green light—this was Hogback's laboratory.
"Tap—tap!"
A skeleton man in wooden clogs and a kimono slowly emerged from the shadows, holding a simple-looking sword!
"Yohohoho! You've come again, my former master!"
"I've come to reclaim you, my shadow!"
"No, you'll just beg for mercy like you did back then, 'Spare my afro, spare my afro!' You'll just humiliate yourself!" Ryuma drew the sword from his waist.
It was a black blade, its body dark purple with red jagged patterns, its edge a chaotic hamon, and its pattern a grand inverted choji, visually striking—the Black Blade Shusui!
"No, not anymore!" Brook drew his cane sword, tossing the scabbard aside.
He lunged forward at extreme speed, his sword stabbing and slashing with incredible swiftness!
"Clang, clang, clang!"
Ryuma and Brook exchanged blows, sword and blade clashing, sparking profusely!
"For five years, to get a chance for revenge, I... I've grown stronger!"
Brook's sword chopped heavily onto Shusui!
"Oh?" Ryuma lightly flicked his blade, cutting off Brook's hat with a single strike!
Then, with a backhand, he stabbed through Brook's bony body!
"Even if you've improved in these five years, do you think... I've been standing still? Our ways of thinking are... the same!"
Ryuma cut off Brook's hair strands with a single slash,
"No, don't!" Brook parried with his sword, deflecting Ryuma.
Ryuma slowly landed, "Yohohoho! Still so concerned about your afro. This... is a weakness you'll never be able to shake off!"
Ryuma, holding Shusui, charged at Brook!
"Shut up!" Brook stood with his sword ready.
Blades clashed, sparks flew!
'Laboon, do you still remember us?'
Ryuma's blade struck Brook's bone.
'On the perilous Grand Line, we were too weak, and all our comrades died!'
"Crack!" The Black Blade Shusui cut horizontally, shattering his facial skull, and Brook fell to the ground.
'Though I survived, my face, my body... everything was lost!
Even if you saw me, in this skeletal form, you surely wouldn't recognize me!'
Brook stood up, holding his cane sword, and charged at Ryuma.
'Though I have nothing left, at least this hairstyle, which everyone made fun of for looking like Laboon's.'
Swords clashed, Brook retreated five steps, then charged again.
"This memory, I... will protect it to the very end!"
Shusui pierced through Brook, and he slowly fell to the ground.
'I will definitely come find you. I hope... you can wait for me, at... the promised strait!'
Ryuma, the samurai holding Shusui, slowly approached Brook. "Yohohoho, what a boring sentiment! If I didn't die when you died, do you think you would have survived until now?"
Suddenly, a dragon-like sword energy shattered the wall and struck towards Ryuma.
Ryuma blocked with Shusui, but the powerful impact still sent him sliding back dozens of meters.
Then, Ryuma stomped his left foot hard on the ground and flicked Shusui!
The sword energy was deflected, hitting the adjacent wall!
"Boom!"
The sword energy shattered the wall, flew into the air, and disappeared!
Ryuma's body tensed, trembling not from fear, but from excitement.
"A swordsman after all this time!"
Brook looked at the figure, his expression excited, "Zoro-kun!"
"...I've been searching for so long, and I finally found it!" Zoro held Yukibashiri, sword energy raging!
He drew his other two swords, his eyes filled with fighting spirit, "Come on! I'll take over now, fight me... the legendary Dragon-Slaying Samurai—Ryuma!"
Power Stone Bonus: Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter
🌟 5-Star Review Bonus: Every 5 (5-Star) Reviews = +2 Extra Chapters
💬 Comment Speed-Up: If any chapter reaches +10 Comments = The Next Chapter Will Be Released Faster!
🔥 Want to Read Ahead? If you want to read advanced chapters, check out my Patreon.com/Laktozlu