"Moria..." Kuma stared at Moria and said, "You woke up quite fast..."
Not long ago, this guy had been knocked unconscious by the Straw Hat Boy, yet now he was standing here, full of energy? How did he manage that?
"Ah, I should thank you for that," Moria grinned. "If it weren't for that lightning ability earlier, I wouldn't have woken up so quickly."
"Lightning?"
Meiser was puzzled. He was sure he hadn't used Lightning Release anywhere else.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Meiser's mind.
"Could it be... the Thunder Water Dragon Bullet Technique?!"
Kuma frowned as well. He hadn't expected the Ninjutsu he deflected to land on Moria. At the time, he had simply intended to redirect the attack to another part of the island to avoid harming anyone else.
But... it hit Moria instead?
The realization made Kuma's mood somewhat complicated. Who would've thought that an offhand action would end up reviving this unconscious guy? It was... absurdly unexpected.
"Did you come here for revenge?!" Echo shouted. "Don't think we'll just stand by and—"
"Enough. I'm not interested in you," Moria cut Echo off. "I'm here for something else."
As he spoke, Moria glanced at Meiser, who had swiftly rushed over, and simply watched as he rescued Usopp.
Seeing Meiser return, Chopper quickly ran over and checked Usopp's condition. "He's fine—just unconscious."
The others sighed in relief. At least he was okay.
Meiser, however, kept his gaze locked on Moria. He wanted to know what the man's true objective was. If Moria had intended to attack them, he wouldn't have just stood by and let Meiser save Usopp. But if it wasn't revenge... then why had Moria returned?
Could it be that he had a grudge against Bartholomew Kuma?
With that thought, Meiser shifted his focus to Kuma, staring intently.
Moria paid no attention to Meiser and instead turned to Kuma. "Kuma... You saw a little girl earlier, didn't you?!"
"A little girl..."
Kuma's mind immediately conjured up an image of Perona.
"Seems like you know who I'm talking about." Moria nodded, then his expression darkened. "Where the hell did you send her?!"
Moria knew Kuma's abilities well—this man could effortlessly slap someone away, sending them to any location he desired. If Kuma had intended to kill Perona, he might have flung her into the sea... and that would mean certain death for her.
In the past, Moria wouldn't have suspected such a thing. But this time, Kuma had come to invite Meiser to become one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea—meaning Moria's own title had been revoked. Without the protection of that status, the likelihood of Kuma resorting to lethal measures was high. After all... his name was Tyrant Kuma.
Yet, in response to Moria's accusation, Kuma merely replied indifferently, "Who knows?"
Crack—
Moria's veins bulged on his forehead as his anger visibly surged.
"That calm tone..." Moria sneered. "Kuma, you've pissed me off."
"So what?"
"'So what'?"
"I'll make you tell me yourself!"
After saying this, Moria strode toward Luffy's direction, startling everyone.
Zoro immediately rushed over, scooped up Luffy, and carried him back to the group.
Moria paid no mind, merely glancing their way before looking away again.
He walked to where his weapon lay, bent down to pick up his massive blade, and ignored Echo and the others nearby as he advanced step by step toward Kuma.
But after just a few meters, Moria suddenly halted. This abrupt movement instantly put everyone on edge.
"Ninja kid, take your people and get out of here," Moria said without turning around. "Don't interfere with my business."
What he planned to do next was teach Kuma a brutal lesson—to force him to reveal his daughter's whereabouts.
And in the process, the entire island might sink!!
If these guys stayed, they'd undoubtedly be caught in the crossfire and killed.
He owed Meiser a favor and also admired this group. He didn't want them to die here.
"Take them and leave..."
Meiser wore a strange expression, never expecting Moria to say something like this.
This was completely out of character!
His words sounded harsh, but the underlying message was clear: leave now, or die here...
But the question was—was he really that kind?
If he were truly a good person, they wouldn't have fought so viciously in the first place.
The others exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of Moria's intentions.
"Whatever the reason, let's just go!" Nami urged.
Given this rare chance to survive, she wasn't about to waste it.
The others understood too, so without hesitation, they turned to leave.
"Quick, grab the unconscious ones! Let's get out of here!"
"Move! Back to the ship!"
"Got it!"
Echo and the others started running one after another, heading into the distance.
Only Meiser remained, standing still, frowning at Moria's back as his confusion lingered.
What was the reason behind this?
And... for some reason, he felt like this Moria was a completely different person now—his aura had changed.
Perhaps sensing Meiser's puzzlement, Moria spoke up. "Ninja kid, it was you who showed me those visions, wasn't it?"
"Thanks. Consider this a favor I owe you."
Hearing this, Meiser froze.
Was he referring to... the Illusion Technique?
Right before Moria lost consciousness, Meiser had indeed cast an illusion on him—the Vision of Hell Technique.
This technique forced the target to witness their deepest fears, though it wasn't particularly lethal.
But Moria now...
...
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Meiser's mind.
During the previous conversation with Moria, it became clear that he had once fought against someone named Kaido and was defeated by him... And most of his comrades were likely killed in that battle as well."
This was the reason Moria became obsessed with researching zombies—something he had openly admitted himself.
Because zombies don't die!
And now, the other party was expressing deep gratitude toward him... Was it gratitude for allowing him to see his comrades again?
An Illusion Technique meant to show people their worst fears had instead shown Moria the companions he longed for?
For a moment, Meiser was at a loss for words.
After a brief silence, Meiser spoke up, "So... you're saying that's why you—"
"Don't flatter yourself, bratty Ninja," Moria snorted, cutting him off. "I stepped in because I have a score to settle with this guy, not because of you."
Meiser: "..."
For some reason, he sensed a faint hint of... tsundere energy from the other man. Was it just his imagination?
"I never said they could leave," Kuma said flatly.
The moment his words fell, he vanished from his spot, reappearing right in front of Meiser!
Seeing this, Moria let out a cold snort and swung his massive blade at Kuma!
"CLANG!!"
The sword, coated in Armament Haki, slammed hard into Kuma's arm, forcibly stopping him in his tracks.
Not giving him a chance to counter, Moria swiftly closed the distance, locking Kuma's arm with his own to prevent him from using his Paw-Paw Fruit abilities.
"Moria..." Kuma stared at him. "You know what this means, don't you?"
"The World Government will—"
"I'm not one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea anymore!" Moria snapped, cutting him off. "And those bastards have no right to control me!"
After saying this, Moria glanced at Meiser and barked, "Kid, get out of here!"
"Don't blame me if you end up dead!"
This time, Meiser didn't waste words. After giving Moria a deep look, he turned and left.
Now that he understood the situation, there was no reason to stay.
But... has Moria gotten stronger? Meiser wondered silently.
And that strange energy emanating from him—what exactly was it?
Lost in thought, Meiser departed.
Watching Meiser leave, Moria turned his attention back to Kuma and sneered. "Now it's time for us to settle things!"
"Kuma!"
Today, he was determined to beat this bastard to the ground and extract the whereabouts of his daughter.
At the very least... he needed to know whether Perona was alive or dead.
"Haki..." Kuma narrowed his eyes. "I never expected you to regain your confidence... What exactly happened to you?"
As a top-tier fighter, Kuma understood Haki all too well.
If Moria hadn't regained his fighting spirit, there was no way he could have reawakened his Armament Haki.
"Ah... but so many people have spoken to me," Moria said. "I couldn't let them down, so I had to pull myself together."
After a pause, Moria grinned and added, "It's been decades since I've had a proper fight. Today, I'm going to enjoy myself to the fullest."
"Do you really intend to fight me?" Kuma said. "You know what it means if we clash. Do you really want to lose your Thriller Bark?"
"Sink it if you must!" Moria replied coldly. "Perhaps this is a form of rebirth!"
Kuma said nothing more and instead swung his foot fiercely toward Moria.
Clang!
Boom!!
"Quick, let's set sail and get the ship out of here!" Nami urged.
A battle between two Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea could have an enormous impact, so it was best to leave as soon as possible.
"But Meiser hasn't returned yet..."
"Don't worry about Meiser," Nami said. "Have you forgotten Merry's ability?!"
Chopper froze for a moment before realizing—of course! Merry had the power to summon Meiser back, even if they left without him.
Just then, Meiser leaped down from above, landing precisely on their pirate ship. After scanning the surroundings, he asked in confusion, "Where's Lola and the others?"
Why were only his own crewmates here? Where were the others? Could they still be on the island? That couldn't be—they had left with Nami and the rest earlier.
"They have their own ship," Nico Robin explained.
At that moment, a pirate ship drifted over from the distance, carrying Lola's voice.
"Hey, Meiser! Nami!"
"Oh, Lola!"
Seeing the group on board, Meiser grinned. "Your ship looks pretty good too!"
"Of course! Our ship is—"
Before Lola could finish, a terrifying explosion erupted from the island, startling everyone.
Boom!!
Boom!!
Boom!!
"As expected of the Royal Seven Warlords..." Echo gulped.
A battle between two Warlords of that caliber might just sink the entire island.
"Hurry, Merry, let's get out of here!"
"Right!"
Under Merry's control, the Thousand Sunny swiftly moved toward the entrance of Thriller Bark.
"Quick, close the—"
Before Nami could finish, she noticed that the gate, which should have been shut, was somehow already open. Though puzzled, she still had Merry steer the ship away at full speed.
And so, two massive pirate ships safely escaped Thriller Bark.
Gazing at the rising sun in the distance, everyone finally relaxed.
"We made it out alive~"
"Ahahaha!"
They burst into laughter—after so many hardships, they had survived after all!
Of course, they knew this wasn't a place to linger. Who knew if those two would come after them once their fight was over?
With that in mind, Lola said, "Everyone, let's get out of here fast."
"No one knows what will happen after their battle ends."
"Where are you heading?" Nami shouted. "If it's on the way, maybe we could—"
"We're not planning to go to the New World right now."
"Not going now..."
Nami froze for a moment, clearly realizing they wouldn't be traveling together anymore.
Though regrettable, there was nothing to be done—after all, Luffy was currently unconscious.
So they could only stick to their original plan and head toward Fish-Man Island, unable to change their course.
At this thought, Nami sighed quietly and slipped her hand into her pocket.
There, she felt the item Lola had given her—something called a Vivrecard.
According to Lola, this might come in handy for them someday.
Though she didn't know what it was for, since it was a gift from a friend, she decided to keep it.
"Well then, if fate allows, let's meet again in the New World!" Meiser said.
"Alright!!"
"Take care, Meiser!"
"Hahahaha."
Watching the Pirate Ship gradually disappear into the distance, Meiser felt a mix of emotions—he hadn't expected their farewell to come so soon.
But he wasn't the sentimental type. After all, friends couldn't stay together forever, right?
Besides, temporary partings only made the next reunion sweeter.
He believed that one day, they would all meet again on the vast seas.
"Alright everyone, it's time for us to move out too."
"Yeah, yeah! Off to Fish-Man Island!" Sanji wriggled excitedly, his whole body brimming with enthusiasm.
"Destination—Fish-Man Island! Let's go!"
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