Chapter 80: Moria
The strength of the General Zombies was far superior to that of the regular zombies. These were former powerful warriors whose bodies were turned into zombies after death. With the addition of shadows from skilled individuals, their power became quite formidable.
"Robin, restrain them."
"Understood. Treinta Fleur: Clutch!"
Multiple arms emerged from the bodies of the General Zombies, temporarily immobilizing them. To ensure they couldn't break free easily, Rodney stepped in.
Using his shurikens equipped with explosive tags, Rodney pierced their legs or abdomens. He spoke in a deep voice, "Withdraw your arms. We're leaving."
Holding Robin's hand, he swiftly moved through the group of zombies, and the explosive tags detonated one after another. Rodney targeted areas that would immobilize the General Zombies, ensuring that they couldn't move.
The zombies didn't feel pain and would mindlessly continue attacking even if injured. However, losing their legs meant losing mobility, which significantly reduced their speed.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A thick flame burst from Rodney's mouth, engulfing the room behind them. The burning room trapped the zombies, preventing them from escaping. As the zombies burned, their shadows flew out. These shadows, no longer restricted, would return to their original owners as long as they were alive.
In Moria's zombie army, each zombie corresponded to a living person.
"Fishman Karate: Hundred Tile Fist!"
With an air impact, Rodney and Robin moved rapidly through the castle.
"Rodney-sama, it's in this direction. We don't need to deviate from our path. Three more floors, and we'll be there," Sister Slug said.
"Good. The task of the Shadow Clones is complete. Reiju is coming this way. Robin, you'll support her from behind. I'll deal with that fatso," Rodney replied.
"Alright, but Captain, can you handle Moria alone?" Robin asked with concern.
"Don't worry, I have a trick up my sleeve. Just remember to stand high when the time comes; otherwise, things might get dangerous."
"High position?" Robin seemed to understand something and nodded, "I see."
"I'll go now. You act accordingly."
With that, Rodney leaped, breaking through the walls as he moved through the castle with Robin.
"Rodney-dono, he's in that direction. He used the Shadow Imitation Technique, didn't he?" Sister Slug informed.
"No, only I can use ninjutsu in this world. I'm a special case. This is the special ability of that person. It's a kind of Devil Fruit power, which can grant humans or animals special abilities. You can think of it as a special form of Bloodline Limit." Rodney explained.
Rodney carefully observed Moria, who had turned into a dark silhouette and then back to his original form. Moria's power, Doppelman, allowed him to switch places with his shadow and be tireless, ignoring attacks.
It combined the abilities of the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Clone Technique but was even more advanced, possessing automatic target tracking and attack capabilities.
"I see. Wait, he turned back again," Sister Slug added.
The Shadow Magician, seemingly colored in, transformed back into Moria's original form. Looking up, he said, "You, how dare you attack me? Are you a Shichibukai too?"
"That's right, I am Rodney, one of the Shichibukai. I'm a Pirate Hunter, and I'm quite interested in that bounty of over three hundred million berries on your head," Rodney declared, standing on the ceiling, facing Moria.
Moria looked astonished, "You, a Shichibukai, dare to attack another Shichibukai? Aren't you afraid of the World Government coming after you?"
"Oh? The esteemed Shichibukai, Gecko Moria, is threatening me with the World Government?"
"Hehe, you have guts. As a Shichibukai, you even dare to attack another Shichibukai. I'll make sure the Marines know about this. Oars happens to need a powerful shadow, so Rodney, I'll take yours. Fragment Bats!"
Black shadow bats flew in from various directions, aiming for Rodney.
"Black Box!"
The bats suddenly merged, forming a black box that trapped Rodney inside.
"Die!"
Moria clenched his fist, causing the shadow box to shrink, attempting to crush the creature inside.
Unfortunately, the creature inside wasn't someone who would fall so easily.
"Summoning Technique!"
With a bang, the huge, blue and white-striped slug burst out of the Black Box, landing on the corridor. Looking up, it faced Moria and launched a tongue acid attack.
"Seis Fleur: Clutch!"
Robin landed a basic attack, restraining Moria's movements and preventing him from dodging.
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me, Doppelman!"
Protected by his shadow once again, Moria blocked Sister Slug's tongue acid attack and released Robin from the restraint. The shadow flew out, and Moria's body disappeared.
Rodney emerged from Sister Slug's body and asked, "Did he go down?"
"Yes, he's descending quickly, but the impact is cushioned by the shadow, so he's relatively unharmed."
"Got it, Sister Slug, you lead Robin and move."
"Understood."
With Sister Slug's split body breaking through the walls, the pair rapidly descended. Moria had disappeared, leaving behind only a group of menacing zombies.
"No time to waste with you.Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
The fan-shaped flames forced the zombies back. Suddenly, Sister Slug warned, "Rodney, get out of the way!"
"Shadow Cutter!"
A dark shadow on the ground rapidly approached Rodney like a venomous snake, transforming into a bizarre and sharp spike, aiming for his back.
Bang!
A wooden board shattered under Moria's Shadow Cutter.
Almost indistinguishable in the dark environment, Moria had developed his abilities into his advantage. This guy was excellent in developing his Devil Fruit powers, but unfortunately, he couldn't use Haki like Crocodile.
Both pursued Devil Fruit power development and relied on external objects to achieve their goals. One aimed to get the power of the Underworld Emperor to dominate the world, while Moria wanted to snatch a powerful shadow to create a formidable zombie and avenge his past grudges.
However, Moria might find himself reduced to ashes by Kaido with just one breath.
You see, Moria had to personally take action to seize shadows from others. This meant that he had to be weaker than his target; otherwise, he couldn't defeat them.
Thus, it was nearly impossible for him to take shadows from others, especially considering his large build. The chances of successfully stealing someone's shadow undetected were slim.
Moreover, even if he managed to gather many shadows, it wouldn't be enough to defeat Kaido. One dragon breath from Kaido, and they'd all be gone.
Finding zombies with abilities comparable to those of the stolen shadows would be even more troublesome.
The mist enveloped the surroundings as Moria hid in the darkness. The two old silver coins engaged in a silent battle, wary of each other's ambushes.