Every evening, Moonlight Moriah would stand beneath the looming spires of Thriller Bark, imagining a glorious future—Kaido defeated, his own power unmatched, and his name feared once more.
But today, something felt off.
"Perona, why the panic?" Moriah asked, frowning as he noticed her floating toward him under her tiny parasol. "Another pirate crew intruding again? Just send Absalom's zombies to handle them!"
Yet as he spoke, he realized something was wrong. Even a powerful pirate crew shouldn't make Perona, who had faced the horrors of the Grand Line, this pale with fear.
"Ren Takashi is here," Perona said breathlessly. "And he's not here in peace."
"I… I didn't even have the courage to attack him."
Her voice trembled as she admitted her fear.
Moriah stood stunned for a moment before breaking into a loud, guttural laugh, his sharp teeth flashing. "Heh heh heh! What was I doing all this time?! Good—good that he came!"
He turned to the slumbering form of his most prized zombie deep within the castle. "My demon giant, Oars... The shadow I've been waiting for is finally here!"
Of course, if Ren Takashi's bounty ever reached the levels of a Yonko or an Admiral—if it surpassed two billion berries—then even Moriah would hesitate to act. But right now?
He was ready.
When Ren and his crew reached the castle gates, the entire zombie army had already assembled.
At the center stood Moriah, bloated and scowling, flanked by his twisted family:
On his left, the mad scientist Hogback.
On his right, the Ghost Princess herself—Perona.
"Where the hell is Absalom?!" Moriah grunted, looking around with a scowl. "Why hasn't he reported in?"
"Absalom! Stop using that invisibility and get out here!" he shouted. These were more than just subordinates—they were his family.
Could Ren have killed him?
No! Unforgivable! Moriah clenched his fists.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The zombies, at his command, howled as one, their claws and teeth bared as they charged the invaders.
But the women didn't flinch. Light flashed as they surged forward like vengeful spirits, meeting the undead wave head-on.
To these elite warriors, the zombies' attacks were nothing. Their fists and kicks landed like divine judgment.
"Thirty Blossoms Blooming Tree!"
"Rain Kick!"
With each strike, the zombie ranks crumbled—helpless against the overwhelming power.
Moriah's face contorted with rage. In just moments, his undead army—his masterpiece built over years—was reduced to scraps.
"Ryuma," he snarled, turning to the swordsman at his side. "Kill them all!"
Ryuma, the former dragon-slaying samurai, was Moriah's strongest creation—aside from Oars.
Without a word, Ryuma unsheathed his black blade, Shusui, and darted straight toward Robin and the others. His movements were a blur—deadly fast.
But then—clang! A long sword intercepted him, forcing Ryuma to skid to a halt.
A superior blade—only slightly better than Tashigi's Wado Ichimonji—blocked his path.
Without exchanging a word, the two swordsmen clashed.
The battle began.
Meanwhile, Moriah cackled at Ren Takashi. "So! Your bounty's finally over a billion? Good! Let's see what that's worth!"
Zzzzzap!
Thunder roared as bolts of lightning rained down toward Moriah.
"Shadow Horn Gun!!!" Moriah countered, his technique forming dark energy in the shape of jagged spears.
But—
CRACK!
With a snap of her fingers, Nami shattered the attack. Thunder crashed, scattering the dark spears like brittle glass.
"What?! That's impossible!" Moriah's eyes bulged.
He had trained in the Shadow Realm for a decade—he knew he hadn't weakened. But now…
"Shadow Bat Swarm!!" he screamed. A cloud of black bats swirled toward Nami, fangs flashing.
But Nami didn't flinch.
With her right fist clenched, a deadly cone of compressed lightning Haki erupted from her arm, slicing through the swarm like divine judgment.
"Just a bunch of tricks," she muttered.
"You little—!!!" Moriah roared, veins bulging on his temple.
But what infuriated him more was her composure. He could handle Ren's strength, but the navigator?
"This is UNFORGIVABLE!!"
In a burst of rage, Moriah split his own shadow from his body—an enormous, ghostly clone launched toward Nami.
"Shadow Mage! Tear her apart!!"
But Nami only rolled her eyes and counterattacked, unimpressed.
Ren, watching briefly, lost interest. "Moriah still thinks it's ten years ago..."
Elsewhere, the zombie hordes were falling like autumn wheat. Dole, Robin, Kalifa—each one slaughtered dozens effortlessly.
Tashigi, already clashing blades with Ryuma, had taken the advantage. Victory was near.
Ren turned slightly and raised a brow. Perona, still hovering nearby, looked up—only to realize too late...
Her twin ponytails were caught in Ren's fingers.
He gave a slight tug. "Still planning to run?"
Perona froze. "Y-you—!! Just wait!"
Ren only smiled and shook his head. The outcome was clear.
The battlefield was wreckage and carnage. Moriah, once proud and terrifying, now stood scorched. His skin was blackened as if struck by divine lightning.
"MORIAH-SAMA!!!" Perona screamed, her pupils shrinking.
She wanted to rush to his side, but Ren's hand held her ponytails fast. She couldn't move.
"Let me go! I have to save him!!"
"Cough, cough..." Moriah clutched his chest, blood trickling from his lips. But in his eyes—determination burned.
He wouldn't give in.
Absalom was dead. But Perona and Hogback must live. Even if it cost him his life, he would ensure their escape.
"REN TAKASHI!! I'LL FIGHT YOU TO THE END!!"
Moriah roared and activated his ultimate technique—Gathering of Shadows.
From all around, the shadows of fallen zombies were ripped from their hosts, surging toward Moriah and sinking into his body.
This was the culmination of his Devil Fruit—his strongest move.
The more shadows he absorbed, the more his power grew. His aura expanded rapidly, visible even to Kaya and Vivi watching from afar.
But...
"…You really thought I'd just wait for you to power up?" Nami tilted her head, raising her hand again.
Ren had once taught her: In battle, never let the enemy breathe.
BOOM!
Thunderclouds gathered overhead.
BOOM! BOOM!
Silver lightning tore down from the heavens, crashing like divine wrath into Moriah's body.
His screams were drowned in a sea of electricity. His body convulsed violently, flesh burning, shadows tearing apart from the overload.
THUD!
He collapsed—smoke rising from his charred body.
Moriah wasn't dead.
But he was finished.
His body was broken, his organs scorched by residual lightning. Breathing had become a struggle.
"L-Lord Moriah…" Perona sobbed. Tears streamed from her eyes as she struggled, held fast by Ren.
He looked down at her. Calm. Detached.
She knew then—everything had changed.