"Is it over?"
Looking down at Kōta, who blocked his full-powered punch with just one finger, Moria’s frantic pupils flashed a hint of clarity. He then turned his head to Perona, a look of apology and a trace of tenderness in his eyes.
He did cherish his crew dearly, and perhaps it was precisely because he cherished them too much that he no longer recruited crewmates after they were all gone!
In these past few decades, Absalom was the only one he had officially recruited.
Perona was found and raised like a daughter, a family member, not a subordinate.
As for Hogback, he was purely a collaborator, not even a subordinate, let alone a crewmate.
"Do you want to leave last words?"
Kōta glanced at Perona before speaking to Moria, "I'll give you time."
"Brat, who do you think I am?"
Casting aside the last glint of humanity in his eyes, Moria looked down at Kōta and said coldly, "Even if I die, I will die standing."
Who was he? He was Moonlight Moria, who, decades ago, could contend with Kaido, one of the current Four Emperors, in the New World!
Even in death, he would die with dignity. He would not flee like other pirates, nor would he beg for mercy or shed tears.
This was the last shred of dignity he held as a former powerhouse.
"Roar~"
He threw his head back and roared, and the shadow beneath him was suddenly stretched by an inexplicable force, causing his real body to also grow immensely tall in an instant.
Then he lowered his head, clasped his hands together, and smashed his fist, the peak of his current life, towards Kōta.
Bang—!
It was the same hands, the same finger, easily blocking this attack.
"If you have no last words, then die!"
Kōta looked at Moria, his spatial domain instantly expanding to envelop him. He then vanished and reappeared on Moria's abdomen, extending his hand and clenching his five fingers.
One punch.
Dong—!
Like striking a bell, a colossal sound echoed across the entire island. The immense force instantly caved in Moria’s abdomen, making him lift his head and open his mouth.
The countless shadows he had swallowed earlier erupted from his mouth like countless beams of black light, rushing towards the sky, scattering in all directions like meteors.
Deprived of Moria's control, these shadows should return to where they belonged.
Looking at Moria, who was now unable to move and significantly shrunken within his domain after the shadows left him, a red light flashed in Kōta's eyes.
This guy was by no means an overly evil person in his eyes; he was simply chaotic. He hid here, luring countless people to this place, stealing their shadows. Most of these people were pirates who deserved to die.
Furthermore, this guy wasn't as cruel as other pirates who would attack civilians at the slightest provocation. In fact, he was a decent person.
One could tell from the fact that he raised Perona.
But that was not enough. Just the act of toying with the dead, of toying with countless civilians and merchant ships trapped in this sea, was enough reason for this guy to die. Therefore, he would not show him any mercy.
Extending his hand, the nebulae in Kōta's eyes swirled, his gaze sharpened, and he then clasped his hands together.
As Kōta moved his hands, the space around Moria suddenly collapsed, rapidly shrinking inwards. The extreme pressure caused his body to crackle.
Agony, extreme agony, instantly pervaded Moria's entire body, causing him to open his mouth and roar incessantly.
However, due to the surrounding pressure and the isolation of Kōta’s spatial domain, the outside world remained utterly silent.
Yet, one could tell his pain from his contorted face.
The surrounding space itself groaned under the compression.
"Forget it."
Kōta thought for a moment and released his grip, loosening the surrounding space.
"Let you die a quick death!"
He had many ways to kill Moria, the most agonizing of which would be using his spatial domain.
In consideration of this guy and his crew's camaraderie, he might as well give him a decent end!
Zing—!
The clang of a sword, like the frost of a winter night, instantly permeated the entire space. An extreme chill froze Moria's soul within the space, granting him a moment of clarity.
What followed was a light that illuminated his path to the underworld, as cold as the moon, yet carrying a sky-shattering killing intent and unparalleled sharpness.
With a *poof*, the blade's light, like a silver thread, sliced through his neck, shattering his soul.
Turning around, Kōta released his control over Moria.
Moria's body, as if suddenly losing all strength, became like a pile of soft flesh, or perhaps like the corpses he had once carelessly toyed with. His head separated from his body and plummeted downwards.
The ground, as if someone had used an ink brush on the surface of water, created ripples and a deep, dark chasm.
The chasm, like the gates of hell, instantly swallowed Moria's falling body. Then, with a rumble, the earth seemed to be healed by a physician's skillful hands, instantly closing up, leaving no trace.
If one hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, no one would believe that another Shichibukai had been so silently eliminated and buried beneath the earth.
Ding—!
Kōta lowered his gaze, performed a stylish flourish with his right hand, and sheathed his sword.
Then, with a single step, he instantly appeared beside Kuina.
"It's over."
He turned and gave Kuina a gentle smile.
"I thought the Shichibukai were supposed to be powerful?"
"Is this all?"
Kuina glanced at the ground, pursed her lips, and turned to take Kōta's hand, smiling, "This guy isn't even as good as Crocodile. He looked big, but his strength was really weak."
"For you, he's certainly weak, but for this sea, for ordinary pirates, he was a true demon king."
Kōta looked at Kuina and smiled.
"Yes!" Kuina thought for a moment and nodded, "Indeed, thinking about it now, he was truly the undisputed demon king of this sea. Countless people who entered here feared him. It seems my standards are too high."
"You're only realizing that now!"
Kōta playfully pinched Kuina's nose and laughed, "Not everyone in this world can possess the strength to look down upon the seas at our age. Many more are stopped in the first half of the Grand Line, not even knowing the existence of the most wondrous energy in the human body, Haki."
"When they reach the New World, an ocean where Haki is generally known and many can use it, they will understand how high the heavens are and how thick the earth is."
"The New World?"
A look of anticipation appeared in Kuina's eyes.
In the first half of the Grand Line, there were indeed few people who could put them under pressure.
Now that the Marines and the World Government weren't bothering them, ordinary pirates, even the Shichibukai, no longer sparked any interest in Kuina.
"Soon. After sailing through this sea, we'll reach Sabaody Archipelago. From there, we can cross the Red Line continent or pass through Fish-Man Island at ten thousand meters underwater to reach the New World."
Seeing the anticipation in Kuina's eyes, Kōta reached out and ruffled her hair.