Moria felt really embarrassed and looked sad. His clothes were torn, and he had burns of different sizes all over his body. The right arm he used to fight with Atlas was hanging weakly.
'My right arm doesn't work! What do I do?'
Moria was suddenly terrified. 'The power of this guy...'
A Vice Admiral shouldn't have such power. Moments ago, he employed the Dopperuman (Doppelman) to temporarily boost his arm's size, multiplying his strength instantly. That move led to his swift defeat. If his shadow hadn't intervened in time, he would've been killed. Now, he's aiming to escape directly!
Suddenly, Moria was reminded of some information he had stumbled upon earlier. The youngest candidate for the position of Admiral in the Marines, just in his early twenties, beheaded the legendary pirate Shiki the Golden Lion from the old era.
Moria instinctively gazed at Atlas's youthful face and couldn't help but exclaim, "Are you the Candidate Admiral Hakuryu!?"
"Correct! What a shame..."
"No reward!"
Tsuno Tokage (Horned Lizard)
Moria is quite cunning. It appears that Kaido has made him more mature. As they conversed, a portion of Moria's shadow discreetly separated, circled behind, and a dark spear emerged, aiming sharply at Atlas's back!
Clang!
Atlas stands firm without dodging or evading. His Haki renders all small movements ineffective. The formidable Armament Haki shields Atlas, blocking Moria's Tsuno Tokage (Horned Lizard) from penetrating his skin!
"What incredible Armament Haki!"
After a few exchanges, Moria has fully confirmed the identity of the Marine before him. However, he's now trapped with no way out.
If Moria's assumption was accurate, the Marine in front of him possessed the ability to fly, surpassing Moria's own maneuverability by a significant margin.
Before the clash with Kaido a few years ago, Moria would have boldly stepped forward to fight to the death without hesitation. However, not anymore. During the years of imprisonment by Kaido, there has been almost no improvement in either Haki or Devil Fruit abilities.
The fact that Hakuryu, standing before him, can match the other three formidable Vice Admirals at such a young age indicates a combat prowess akin to Kaido. Moria believes their strengths are no longer on the same level!
"Rankyaku Kaifu(Tempest Kick Demolishing Wind)!"
Atlas lifted his right foot, unleashing numerous vacuum slashes that formed into a massive sword storm, sweeping towards Moria. Simultaneously, black and red Haki intertwined, carrying waves of terrifying wind pressure. Despite the distance, Moria felt a sharp pain all over his body!
"Kishishishi..."
Observing this, Moria burst into deep laughter, wearing a fierce expression. The shadow behind him surged upright from a flat surface, swiftly becoming more substantial.
Kage Kakumei (Shadow Revolution)
The positions of the two shifted, and the shadow, almost as tall as Moria, stood in front of him, bypassing the blade storm and heading straight towards Atlas!
Moria swiftly enlarged his left arm using the Dopperuman (Doppelman) the armament haki's coating it. As a pirate seasoned in the New World, he had mastered the two Haki's with high proficiency, making his various physical skills even more potent. His combat experience was considerable and shouldn't be underestimated.
Clang!
Moria's left arm kept swinging, locking with the slash that cut through the space. The two collided, sparks flying everywhere, and the clash produced a silent yet intense fight.
On the other side, Atlas observed the advancing Shadow warrior and couldn't help but shake his head. 'Moria is acting recklessly. While the Shadow warrior is immune to damage and has a Logia elementalization, the condition is that the opponent doesn't know how to use Armament Haki, or else it becomes a vulnerable target.'
Regardless of the shadow's strength, it's only 70% to 80% of the main body's power. It might have a synergistic effect against weaker pirates, but facing Atlas, it's only hastening its own demise.
Leaning forward slightly, his arms with haki, Atlas's body collided with the Shadow warrior, both flying towards each other like arrows released from the string!
Bang bang bang!
Atlas was the first to act. Whether in terms of nerve reaction speed or dynamic vision, he was clearly ahead of Moria. His fists relentlessly struck the shadow warrior, creating terrifying air explosions. The head, limbs, and torso were instantly battered with significant dents, and the entire shadow abruptly transformed into a sky full of bats scattering in all directions.
Without showing any mercy, Atlas unleashed a powerful punch and, without pausing, swiftly advanced towards Moria's body with great momentum!
Shadō Asugarudo (Shadow Asgard)
Witnessing this, Moria paid no heed. Shadows from all directions on the island suddenly converged towards Moria. These were the shadows he had saved after escaping from Wanokuni, intended for creating the zombie army he had dreamt of. Unexpectedly, they were being utilized here in advance.
Contemplating this, Moria couldn't help but grit his teeth in frustration, harboring resentment towards Atlas in his heart.
The Shadō Asugarudo (Shadow Asgard) is the most potent ability Moria utilizes with the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. He can absorb the shadows he controls into his body, theoretically allowing him to increase his strength infinitely. However, this not only has a significant impact on his physical stamina but also imposes stringent demands on the spiritual level.
Even at this moment, Moria could barely control the shadows of 1,000 people. This is likely the reason why, more than ten years later, Moria absorbed 1,000 shadows in a single breath. It can only be said that he underestimated the decline in his strength and mental will.
"Kishishishi——! You Marine scoundrel, I want your shadow!!!"
After fully absorbing all the shadows, Moria's figure suddenly swelled, and all the injuries on his body were restored to their original state. His initially pale skin turned blue and black, resembling a ghost in hell!
The Shadō Asugarudo (Shadow Asgard) not only resulted in physical expansion but also unleashed immense power coursing through Moria's body. It even gave him the illusion that he could defeat Atlas, fervently demanding to take away Atlas's shadow.
"Is this... your last resort?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the long sword was unsheathed. Atlas intended to engage swiftly. While the Bushintai body excelled in combat, he had no spare clothes and preferred not to fly in the air naked.
"The secret of Ittoryu...."
Atlas's palm glided slowly over the sword's back, and the blade was promptly thrust forward, muscles across his body flaring as the blade flowed.
"Senkiri Issen!"(A thousand cuts in a flash)
Altering his body shape, Atlas instantly materialized behind Moria as if he had traversed space.
"I sense nothing! Kishishi, you're just bluffing, you scoundrel!"
Clang!
Sheathing the sword!
"Your ship belongs to me now!"
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Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari