As the zombies lunged at Bai Ye, the surrounding temperature suddenly began to climb, quickly becoming scorching hot.
The next instant, searing flames engulfed Bai Ye's body!
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed as the flames surrounding Bai Ye exploded outwards, blasting the nearby zombies away.
Bai Ye looked at Moria and said, "I think if you really want to get my body, you should come at me yourself!"
"Brat!" Moria gritted his teeth. "Shadow Spear!"
From beneath Moria's feet, his shadow suddenly stretched forward, erupting from the ground and piercing directly towards Bai Ye.
However...
Sizzle!
The moment the shadow spear struck Bai Ye, it passed straight through him.
Bai Ye immediately elementalized, dissolving into countless currents, then rapidly condensed in front of Moria, his form reappearing.
Bang!
The instant he reformed, Bai Ye kicked Moria squarely in the chest, sending him flying.
Bang, bang, bang!
Moria's body, like a giant ball of flesh, repeatedly slammed into the ground, tumbling backward.
"Hey!" Bai Ye called out, "Did you buy your Shichibukai position with money? You're so weak!"
Moria scrambled to his feet, his jaw clenched tighter, and roared, "Brat, you've completely angered me."
Moria let out an enraged bellow, and then, the shadows beneath his feet suddenly split apart, darting out in all directions like venomous black snakes.
Whether they were Marines or pirates, anyone near Moria was ensnared by his shadows and forcibly dragged back to him.
The next instant, Moria reached out, swiped across them, and forcefully ripped their shadows out from their bodies.
"Awoo, awoo, awoo..."
After extracting the shadows, Moria opened his mouth wide and stuffed them all in.
"Become a part of me!"
As Moria continuously consumed the shadows, his body began to swell, growing immense, quickly reaching a size comparable to that of the giants.
And...
The oppressive aura was unlike anything a Marine Vice Admiral of giant lineage could muster. It was clear that Moria had become far more powerful.
"Brat!" Moria roared, "I'll crush you!"
Boom!
Moria raised his colossal palm and brought it down heavily.
Amidst the thunderous roar, the ice surface shattered.
Aokiji's abilities were terrifying; the ice could freeze seawater extending twenty to thirty meters below the surface.
But now, under Moria's punch, the ice surface completely fractured, even lifting a section that scattered in the air.
Moria slowly shifted his body, looking down.
"Where is my body? Where is my body?" Moria demanded, "Brat, come out!"
"Behind you!"
Bai Ye's voice echoed from behind Moria.
Moria turned around and saw Bai Ye standing there, unharmed, crackling with vast currents. Then, Bai Ye's body began to expand.
Thunder God: Unleashing terrifying lightning power, encircling his body. Combined with elementalization and the infusion of thunder, his body continuously expanded, forming the ethereal form of the Thunder God. He was as fearsome as the god of thunder himself descending upon the mortal realm, representing the ultimate form of a Logia-type Devil Fruit user.
Entering the Thunder God state, Bai Ye's body surged to five to six meters tall, enveloped in lightning that formed an ethereal Thunder God phantom.
Even though Bai Ye in his Thunder God state appeared like a mere speck in front of Moria, still...
Boom!
Bai Ye suddenly reached out and swept his arm forward, unleashing a torrent of currents.
The moment it struck Moria, he felt as if he had been hit by a massive object. His colossal frame tilted, and he was forced to take a step back before regaining his balance.
However, Bai Ye clearly gave Moria no chance to recover.
Boom!
Electric sparks flashed beneath Bai Ye's feet, and he then leaped into the air, rising to a height level with Moria's chest.
The next instant, Bai Ye unleashed another punch.
Currents coiled around his fist, and as Bai Ye's fist shot forward, a pillar of lightning formed, striking Moria squarely in the chest.
Bang!
Moria's massive body finally gave way, toppling backward and crashing heavily onto the ground.
As Moria gasped, over a dozen shadows floated out of his mouth like specters, and then, Moria's colossal physique began to visibly shrink.
"So that's how it is."
Bai Ye, suspended in mid-air, watched the floating shadows and understood how to deal with Moria.
Sizzle!
The currents on Bai Ye's body surged again. He straightened his body and rapidly swung his arms downward.
Boom, boom, boom!
With each punch Bai Ye threw downwards, a clap of thunder followed, continuously striking Moria.
With each lightning strike, Moria's body convulsed, and more and more shadows floated out of his mouth like ghosts.
Once all the shadows Moria had consumed were expelled, he reverted to his normal size, his entire body emitting black smoke with a scorched smell. Bai Ye had effectively knocked him unconscious.
Bai Ye stepped forward, intending to finish Moria off.
Although he wasn't particularly impressed with the Kage Kage no Mi, considering it merely average and incomparable to the Goro Goro no Mi.
Still, it was a gold-quality Devil Fruit, and he saw no reason not to take it.
But just as Bai Ye approached Moria, a figure descended much faster from the sky, holding a long spear and thrusting it towards Moria's throat.
Bai Ye saw everything and knew exactly what the newcomer intended.
The rewards for the restricted zone missions stated "elimination." Therefore, the process was unimportant; anyone who defeated the ranked individuals could claim the reward, but only the one who delivered the final killing blow would receive it.
However...
Sizzle!
Just as the spear was about to pierce Moria's throat, Bai Ye's figure flickered. He suddenly appeared beside Moria, reaching out and grasping the descending spear.
"Trying to steal my prey?" Bai Ye looked at the newcomer and asked, "How dare you?"
Sizzle!
Vast currents surged from Bai Ye's body, engulfing the newcomer.
The next instant...
A scream erupted!
...