Moriah's face twisted as he roared in a pathetic state, "To utter such baseless boasts! It only shows your inexperience!" His words were filled with anger.
Meanwhile, Luffy, with steam rising from his body and an incredibly firm gaze, put his right index finger into his mouth and blew hard. His fist instantly became enormous, as if containing endless power.
Immediately after, Luffy vanished from his spot like a flash of lightning. His half-fist, imbued with Haki, struck Moriah's stomach with an overwhelming force.
Moriah's eyes widened, and he desperately covered his mouth, trying to suppress the urge to vomit that was about to surge forth.
Under Luffy's immense impact, the mast of Thriller Bark groaned under the strain, emitting a "crack" as it broke, then crashed down, landing squarely on Moriah, who was too slow to dodge.
The rising dust permeated the air, as if narrating the thrilling intensity of the fierce battle. When the dust settled, only Luffy, now the size of a five-year-old child, remained.
"Straw Hat, damn you! You bastard! Go and witness the New World! The true devils are in the New World!" As Moriah spoke, shadows uncontrollably spilled from his mouth, returning to their respective owners.
The sun rose, dispelling the fog of Thriller Bark. Everyone cheered under the sun, and a group gathered around Luffy, discussing the mischievous night. Orochimaru checked Luffy's condition, confirmed he was not in mortal danger, and then paid no further attention.
Lola Pirate Crew and the other victims came to thank Luffy. Nami said there was no need, but her eyes were gleaming—treasure... lots and lots of treasure.
Just as everyone was rejoicing, Nami suddenly remembered the Shichibukai she had seen earlier, and she covered her mouth in horror. "That's right... I forgot something important. I forgot about that guy's existence."
Nami turned her head in terror. "Everyone, listen to me, something bad has happened..." However, her voice suddenly cut off, and she looked at Orochimaru's side in horror, unable to speak further.
Everyone followed Nami's gaze and looked over, only to see Orochimaru pulling Moriah out of the rubble. But just then, a giant figure suddenly appeared behind Orochimaru and slammed into him. Moriah and Orochimaru instantly vanished from their original spot.
As soon as Orochimaru pulled Moriah out, his vision blurred, and he found himself in a remote corner. It seemed he was still on Thriller Bark, but it was undoubtedly the furthest place from Luffy and his crew.
Orochimaru's forehead veins bulged, his heart filled with an unquenchable indignation. "Was I tricked by Kuma? If I don't agree, he just sends me away? Should I thank him for not sending me to Loguetown right now?"
Facing Kuma, the others were filled with dread upon hearing the word "annihilation" from his mouth. Zoro and the others re-entered battle readiness, their eyes filled with vigilance and determination. They clutched their weapons, ready to face any impending danger.
By the time Orochimaru flew back, dragging Moriah, the surrounding scene had already settled into silence. Kuma had long since departed, leaving only Zoro standing in a pool of blood, his figure like a resolute sculpture, recounting the brutal battle he had just endured.
Orochimaru unceremoniously dropped Moriah, then stood over Zoro, beginning to channel Chakra to heal him. His voice, filled with anger, roared, "Are you all idiots!!! What is the meaning of this!!! Everyone's physique is different. These injuries would only put Luffy in a coma for a day, but they could take half of your life!!!" His words echoed in the air, and amidst the reproof, there was clearly deep concern.
Zoro spoke with difficulty, his voice weak but firm: "Shut up... Nothing happened." Orochimaru said nothing, his expression somewhat gloomy, only continuously inputting Chakra, repairing the cells within Zoro's body.
By the time Sanji ran over, Zoro had almost fully recovered. Now, it was Sanji's turn to be scolded. Orochimaru began treating Sanji's injured leg, muttering something all the while.
Orochimaru was seething with suppressed anger. Just then, he saw Absalom appear furtively by Moriah's side. Without a word, he kicked Absalom, sending him directly crashing onto Moriah.
Moriah was forcibly awakened, looking at Orochimaru with a bewildered expression, then at Absalom in his arms, and roared, "Absalom!!! Why is there a shoe print on your face!!! What is going on?!"
Orochimaru simply leaped, stomped on Moriah's stomach, and declared Hakily, "I did it... Got an opinion?... If you have an opinion, suck it up."
Moriah was filled with grievances. He had clearly lost, so what was with Orochimaru's attitude? He silently lamented in his heart, indeed, snakes are fickle.
Orochimaru leaned in, staring intently at Moriah, his eyes filled with sternness. "Look at how fat you've become!!!" His voice boomed like thunder, "Not only were you defeated, but you were also knocked unconscious by your own ship's mast. I told you you were fat, but you wouldn't listen! We just agreed, you lost to Luffy! Diet!"
Moriah's face was full of grievance, yet he couldn't refute. Orochimaru continued to scold, "Don't you feel ashamed?! You've been a Shichibukai for so long, yet you were defeated by a Luffy who's only been at sea for a few months. Listen to what you said before!"
With that, Orochimaru pulled out a soul king's conch, from which Moriah's arrogant words blared: "It's impossible for me to lose to a trash Pirate Crew with so few members and no experience!!!!!!!!!"
Moriah's voice repeatedly roared in the air, as if mercilessly mocking his current failure. At this moment, Moriah's expression grew increasingly awkward amidst the constantly echoing words.
Orochimaru's fury, like a surging tide, completely poured over Moriah. "Twenty-three years ago, you were a man who could fight Kaido head-on! Now look at yourself, so fat you pant with every movement.
Who gave you the courage to say you still want to be Pirate King? Because you're the fattest? You still want to fight Kaido? To be Kaido's ball?! Are you trying to lose Absalom again? Also, shouldn't you thank Kuma for sending Perona flying? Otherwise, if she saw you like this now, I'm afraid she'd cry."
Orochimaru's words were like poisoned steel blades, mercilessly piercing Moriah's heart, making his face turn pale.
A profound silence fell. Unbeknownst to them, a group of people had gathered around Moriah, Orochimaru, and the others. Everyone covered their mouths, cold sweat trickling down their foreheads, not daring to make a sound, fearing that in the next moment, that blade would pierce them.
Especially Luffy, who was covering his mouth and sweating profusely. This state of Orochimaru seemed to have only been experienced by Ace, so he'd better not interrupt... otherwise, it would be easy to get caught in the crossfire.
The pirates who were Moriah's victims suddenly felt that having their shadows taken wasn't so bad after all; at least they were still alive, not being publicly executed like this.
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