"Anyway… I'll go defeat Moriah, and then all the shadows will return," Luffy said, pointing at the tallest building, holding his straw hat, and looking at Sanji.
"Sanji, I'm counting on you with Nami-san."
Sanji roared furiously, flames of anger emanating from him, making the air somewhat hot. "Ohhhh!!!!! Of course! I don't care if he's an invisible man or a famous potter, I'll kick him to the end of the mist! Who would let them get married! (♯▼dish▼)"
Chopper blinked with bean eyes, staring at the fiery Sanji like a stunned doll. Usopp maliciously added fuel to the fire.
"Ah… that invisible man just now, he saw Nami-san naked in the bathroom, and even touched her."
Doll Chopper nodded, "Mhm… and even pinched her."
"What!!! Bastard!" The flames of fury burned, Sanji turned completely red, his face twisted like a demon, exploding instantly. The flames distorted the surrounding air.
Orochimaru, who was emo and sprawled on Zoro, turned his head in surprise. What was this principle? Could people self-combust when angry? Was Zoro a little too close, was his butt getting hot?
Zoro looked at Usopp speechlessly, "Don't provoke him anymore, I feel like he's about to transform, his species is going to change."
Usopp looked at the burning Sanji, his expression serious, "Nami-san was taken right in front of me, I'm responsible. I'll go with Sanji." He then turned around and hugged himself, wailing, "The most important thing is that I never want to see a Shichibukai again!"
Franky, carrying a giant iron pipe, lowered his sunglasses, "I'm more concerned about that skeleton's fight. I'll go to him. If Straw Hat, you can defeat Moriah first, then the problem will be solved. Before that… it would be troublesome if you were killed by your own shadow."
Orochimaru chuckled sinisterly, "Don't worry… that thing, leave it to me… I'll teach him how to be a corpse…"
Luffy instinctively swallowed, "Or… maybe I'll do it myself."
"Rejected!" Everyone refused in unison. Heaven knows what kind of mess two Luffys would make.
Zoro habitually tapped his shoulder with his sword, feeling that the touch was wrong. He tilted his head and saw Orochimaru's death ray. Looking at the part where the sword had tapped, he quickly put the sword down and cleared his throat, "Anyway… I'm very interested in the legendary samurai zombies. Just how strong are they? Franky, let's go together."
Robin walked forward leisurely, "Nami-san and the skeleton, the top priority is to solve these two issues. The remaining task of defeating Moriah is key to resolving this matter."
Chopper was a bit uneasy, "You guys are taking it too lightly. Our opponent is a Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"It's fine, it'll be just like Crocodile!" Luffy grinned, completely disregarding Moriah.
"It's not the same. If you don't handle it carefully, you really will die. Twenty-three years ago, Moriah was already a famous pirate in this world. Your current advantage isn't because you're strong, but because Moriah has become complacent." Orochimaru stared at Luffy seriously, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
Luffy tilted his head in confusion: "Complacent? Why would that happen?"
Orochimaru's tone paused, then he slowly said, "Because… he once lost all his Companions in one place… Moriah, he was one of the original Shichibukai."
Hearing this, everyone's steps unconsciously paused, as if remembering something, but they quickly returned to normal. They knew that the sea was so cruel, capable of taking people's lives and dreams at any moment. But even so, they would not stop moving forward. The most important thing was their confidence in their Luffy.
However, Orochimaru did not think so. He deeply understood the taste of such despair, but did not explain too much, because those who had never experienced despair could never understand its profound meaning. Fortunately, there would always be someone to help them solve this problem.
At this moment, Usopp threw a bag of something to everyone and said through gritted teeth, "These are my special Zombie Ascension Salt Bullets." Then, he sternly warned everyone, "For you people who have no sense of crisis, I must be frank! No matter how thick the fog covers this sea area, we cannot guarantee complete immunity from sunlight.
Although it's midnight now, so we are safe for the time being, remember, when the sun rises, at dawn, that will be the worst time. This must never be forgotten!"
Listening to Usopp's words, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a little admiration for him. He hadn't expected Usopp to be so thoughtful, to consider these details. It seemed his potential was indeed very high.
Luffy clasped his hands tightly, clenching his fists, his brows furrowed, and his eyes blazing with anger: "You're right… not having a proper meal before dawn is truly terrible! Although Orochimaru's meat is delicious! But! Eating without soul won't fill my stomach!!!"
His voice grew louder, carrying a hint of anger: "Dare to provoke us and you will regret it! Gekko Moriah!"
Luffy's roar echoed in the air, as if to shatter the entire world. Franky and the others nearby echoed him.
However, Usopp looked blankly ahead, then at Orochimaru, who was shrugging helplessly at him, "Um… that's not what I meant… I was talking about the deadline to get our shadows back (￣mouth￣)!!"
At this moment, Zoro calmly said, "Let's go." Then, carrying Orochimaru, he unhesitatingly followed Luffy, who had already run ahead. Sanji, burning with fierce flames and shouting Nami-san, also followed closely, while Franky and Chopper instinctively followed.
"Fine, whatever you guys want!!" Usopp roared helplessly, but still quickened his pace to catch up with the group. Their figures gradually disappeared, leaving only the zombie bats hanging upside down on the sunny, flapping their wings to report the situation to Moriah.
On the other side, Moriah and Orochimaru's Shadow Clone were having a very pleasant conversation. This talkative Orochimaru had many ideas that resonated with Moriah. They discussed various topics, from Ninjutsu to philosophy, from world affairs to personal ideals, each topic exciting both of them.
Orochimaru shared his unique insights on life and death, believing that life is an eternal pursuit, and death, if meaningful, only exists at the moment it can be utilized.
He also talked about his research, attempting to extend human lifespan through scientific means and explore the mysteries of life. These views resonated with Moriah, who had also been seeking methods for immortality, hoping to create truly immortal and powerful zombies.
Moriah also showed Orochimaru his Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability, using shadows to control corpses in battle, which greatly interested Orochimaru.
Orochimaru stated that if this ability was used properly, it could become a very powerful weapon, but at the same time, it needed to be controlled. He suggested using scientific methods to calculate the maximum limit the body could accommodate, rather than blindly absorbing. After saying this, the Shadow Clone realized, wait… I think I'm his enemy right now, but it doesn't matter… he thought of Moriah two years later.
The Shadow Clone looked at Moriah, his voice somewhat serious, "Honestly… after you lose to Luffy… lose some weight."
Moriah was petrified again… He had forgotten again… they weren't on the same side…
Note:
Dear readers,
The Lunar New Year is approaching, and I wish you all a new year filled with success, good fortune, and prosperity!
Holiday Announcement:
I'm writing this to announce that I will be taking a short break from posting to celebrate the holiday from February 15th to February 22nd, 2026. I will officially return to work on February 23rd.
Don't worry though! During this break, I'll be busy prepping a bunch of new chapters so I can post them consistently once I'm back. I promise the upcoming parts will be even more exciting, so please stay tuned!
Thank you so much for your understanding and for always being such a supportive community.
Happy Lunar New Year!