At that moment, the first rays of dawn broke across the horizon. The pale light spilled over them.
"The sun," Usopp whispered.
Brook looked up. His hollow eyes widening. "Why, why do I feel uneasy?" he muttered as he stared at the rising light.
From the shadows, Lola appeared with the Risky Brothers and a group of survivors. Her jaw dropped as she took in the scene. "I can't believe it," she said.
"The Straw Hats really did beat Oars," Risky Brother 1 said.
"It was my love who shattered his spine," Alvida declared proudly as she gripped her mace.
"Yeah, Ben dealt the final blow," Zala added with a smirk. "But Luffy tossed him around like a rag doll," she added.
"Ben?" Lola asked as she blinked.
Kalifa gestured toward him. "That's Ben," she said.
The group turned and their eyes widened at the sight of the towering demon-like figure.
"A demon!" Risky Brother 1 shouted.
"He's terrifying," Risky Brother 2 added as he stepped back.
Nami raised her voice. "Hold up. Before we get distracted, Luffy still hasn't gotten his shadow back," she pointed out.
"Oh, right," Lola exclaimed. "Punch that Moria awake and make him return all our shadows. The morning sun is almost here," she added.
Ashivra folded her arms. "I haven't seen the sun in ages," she remarked.
"We will be going on lots of adventures," Marianne added with a smile on her face.
Suddenly, Moria staggered forward from the cockpit of Oars's body. His body was hunched back. His face was battered and there was blood dripping. "There's no need to punch me awake," he rasped.
"He's still up," Mikita muttered as her eyes narrowed.
"He's like a cockroach," Raki said coldly.
Moria panted heavily. His grin twisted despite his wounds.
"Well, it's better now that you're awake!" Lola shouted.
"Who is she?" Maya asked as she looked at Lola.
"Beats me," Nojiko replied.
Lola took a step back. There was sweat dripping down her face. "Now listen, if you don't want to get beaten by the Straw Hats again, you'd better release all of our shadows," she said.
"The Love Pirates are here too," Alvida added firmly.
"Yes, we are," Conis said as her golden feathers glinted in the dawn light.
"We all helped," Marianne chimed in.
Ben smiled. He thought that was unnecessary.
"My mistake," Lola corrected quickly. "The Straw Hat Pirates and the Love Pirates will beat you again if you don't comply," she shouted.
Moria's laughter rang out. "This isn't a child's game," he sneered. "A true pirate cannot be threatened so easily. If you dogs were behind this, then the mystery of the Straw Hats' excessive power-up is solved. You took advantage of my shadow ability," he said.
"Give our shadows back," Lola demanded as her voice cracked as sweat rolled down her face.
Moria's eyes gleamed as he looked at Luffy and Ben. "Straw Hat, Demon, how dare you destroy my Thriller Bark?" he asked.
"You were the one who ruined our trip," Luffy shot back as he clenched his fist.
"You got in my way," Ben added as his eyes flared.
The girls felt the aura. "That made me feel alive," Mikita said suddenly as her cheeks flushed.
"It was intense," Honey admitted as she blushed as well.
Kaya shook her head. She could feel it as well.
Luffy stepped forward. "Give us back our shadows," he demanded.
Moria's laughter echoed across the battlefield. "Shadow's Asgard," he said as from every corner of Thriller Bark, shadows began to writhe and slither. Black strings stretched across the ground like veins of darkness and went towards Moria. The air grew heavy, as countless stolen shadows were ripped from their hosts.
The shadows surged into his body, one after another, like a tide of living darkness. His body began to swell grotesquely. His already massive form ballooned larger and larger. His muscles bulged unnaturally. His teeth gleamed in a twisted grin.
The ground trembled beneath him as his transformation continued. His voice deepened and distorted by the sheer weight of shadows inside him. "All of your strength, all of your lives, they belong to me," he said. His body towered over them. He was on all fours. "Witness the true power of the Kage Kage no Mi," Moria roared.
"He is massive," Maya remarked.
"Oars was bigger," Mikita added.
"We need to work together and get everyone`s shadow," Vivi shouted.
"No, I will fight him," Luffy said as he took a step forward. "He is mine," he added as he punched his palm.
"Luffy I will beat him," Ben said as he jumped forward and landed next to him.
"No, it will be me," Luffy said. "You took my fight this time as well," he said.
"I will beat you both," Moria said. "Come at me together. I have the power of 1000 shadows," he added.
"We are running out of time," Risky Brother 1 said.
Lola looked at them. She saw their confidence and smiled. "I believe in them. We are not going back into darkness," she remarked.
"They can do it," Raki stated.
"They can," Marianne added.
"Go Ben and Luffy," Honey cheered.
"Gear Second," Luffy remarked as he put his hands over his knees. Luffy sped up the blood flow in all parts of his body. He could feel there was more oxygen and nutrients. His body became more red and there was steam emitting from his body.
"Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol," Luffy said as he pointed his other hand via an open palm out to aim at Moria. He was so fast that the fist's movement was almost invisible, and he hit Moria in his long neck.
Moria got hit with the attack. He thought he got hit by a small cannon. He spat blood and black shadows left his mouth.
"There are shadows leaving his body," Sanji commented.
"You," Moria said as blood dripped from his mouth.
"Rakshasa Fist," Ben said as he channelled his energy into his fist. His hand glowed black. He clenched his fist. The air around the fist became distorted. Ben swung his fist and punched Moria in the neck as well.
Moria spat blood and more shadows left his mouth.
"Ben he is mine," Luffy said. "Gomu Gomu no Jet Stamp," Luffy said as he stretched his leg out and hit Moria in the stomach with the bottom of his foot. Moria got hit with the attack and spat blood once again. His stomach caved in and he spat more shadows. He stumbled backwards.
"Rakshasa Kick, " Ben said as he channeled his energy into his leg. It glowed black. He swung his leg at high speed and kicked Moria in the back. Moria got hit in the back and felt his spin get hit. He spat blood once more and more shadows out.
"He is getting overwhelmed," Kaya added.
Moria stumbled back. "You both," Moria said. "Black Box," Moria added as he turned his shadow into several Brick Bats. He sent the shadows at Ben.
"He is trying to trap us," Ben said as the bats covered him and made a black box. Ben was trapped in the black box. He looked around and saw nothing.
"Let him go," Luffy said. "Gomu Gomu no Jet Bazooka." Luffy said as he stretched his arms back and launched them forward at Moria Moria got hit in the stomach and he was sent flying back.
Moria crashed into the building and let more shadow out from his mouth.
"Ben," Ashivra shouted.
"My love will be fine," Alvida said calmly.
"We trust him," Vivi added.
"This will be light work for him," Raki added.
Meanwhile in the black box, Ben looked around. He could feel darkness. He had to get out now. "Rakshasa Shockwave." Ben said as he clenched his fist. A transparent black ball could be seen emitting from his hand. Ben swung his fist towards the bottom of the black box and a shockwave was created. The bottom cracked open and Ben fell out.
"He is free," Maya commented with a smile on her face.
"We knew that was going to happen," Mikita added as she crossed her arms.
Moria got up from the building. He looked in a terrible condition. "I will not lose," Moria added.
Ben`s fists blurred into motion. "Rakshasa Barrage," he roared as he unleashed a storm of punches so rapid it looked as though he had sprouted multiple arms. Each strike hammered into Moria's bloated body. The impacts echoed like thunderclaps.
At the same time, Luffy bent forward, his muscles coiled like springs. His arms snapped upward at blinded speed and vanished into streaks of jet streams. "Gomu Gomu no Jet Gatling," he said as Luffy's fists rained down. A relentless volley that struck so fast the blows connected almost simultaneously.
Together, their attacks merged together. Moria's body convulsed under the onslaught. Each strike drove deeper. He was being pulverized from every angle. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his grotesque body buckled. There were shadows escaping his mouth.
"Too fast, too strong," Moria said as he was starting to lose conscious.
Ben and Luffy didn't relent. Their fists kept pounding him. There were shockwaves rippling across the ground. The force shook the very ground beneath them. The barrage grew heavier, faster, until the final synchronized blow landed with earth-shattering force.
Moria's body was hurled backward and crashed into the ground with a deafening impact. Dust and debris exploded into the air as he collapsed.
From his body, the shadows poured out in torrents. One by one, they returned to their rightful owners, the stolen lives finally freed.
"I got my shadow," Risky Brother 2 said.
"I did as well," Risky Brother 1 added.
"That was a lot," Luffy said as he smiled at Ben. He then let the steam off his body and fell to the ground on his back.
Ben transformed back to his human form and sat down. He panted. He thought that form does take a lot of his energy. "It was but it is not over," Ben said as he looked up.