After the words left Moria's mouth, he lunged towards the crew with startling speed. His first target was Zoro. As Moria reached Zoro, he swung his shadow blade with lethal intent.
"Clang!"
The sharp clash of metal echoed as Zoro blocked Moria's shadow knife with his own blade, holding his ground. But the ground beneath Zoro cracked under the strain, and his hands and legs began to tremble.
"How can he be so strong?" Zoro grimaced, but before he could think further, Moria's kick landed on his chest with crushing force.
"Bang!" Zoro was sent sprawling.
"Damn it! You oversized brute!" Sanji shouted as he launched himself at Moria, kicking fiercely.
"Shadow Shield!"
A shield of shadows materialized between them, and Sanji's kick collided with it, making a loud noise but failing to break through.
"Shadow Box!"
Moria's shield transformed rapidly into a box, trapping Sanji inside before he could react. Moria then slammed the box hard into the ground.
"Crash!"
The impact shattered the ground around them with numerous cracks.
"Sanji!!!" The crew cried out in alarm.
As the shadow box dissipated, Sanji was revealed, battered and bloodied.
"Ahem!" Sanji coughed up blood, his condition dire.
"Sanji!!" The crew shouted in panic, their concern evident.
Moria raised his shadow knife high, pointing it menacingly at the downed Sanji. With a ferocious grin, he declared, "Go to hell!"
"Thirty-six Flower Blossoms!"
In a crucial moment, Robin used her powers to restrain Moria, shouting to Usopp and the others, "Hurry and get Sanji out of here! I can't hold him for long!"
"Oh, right!" Usopp and the crew, snapping out of their shock, rushed towards Sanji.
"You can't hold him for long?"
"You overestimate yourself!" Moria roared, breaking free from Robin's grasp almost instantly, and continued to advance on Sanji.
"I've decided his fate. No one can save him, I assure you!"
"Go to hell!!"
"Clang!"
"Huh? What's this?" A drop of sweat appeared on Moria's brow as he saw a black staff blocking his shadow knife just inches from Sanji's neck.
Nami and the others behind cheered as they saw the familiar figure. "Kai!"
The crew's spirits lifted at the sight of Kai. As long as he was around, they felt reassured.
Indeed, it was Kai who had blocked Moria's attack.
Though initially surprised by Moria's use of Conqueror's Haki, Kai hadn't intervened right away. He believed the crew needed to face hardships to grow stronger, especially in case he wasn't around one day.
But with Sanji's life at stake, Kai couldn't just stand by.
Moreover, he was intrigued by Moria's newfound strength. Moria's abilities seemed to rival those of a top-tier admiral, and Kai wanted to see just how formidable he truly was.
With that, Kai used his staff to push Sanji towards Robin.
Moria, taken aback, took a few steps back and eyed Kai with increased caution.
He hadn't anticipated Kai's sudden appearance. If Kai had attacked him earlier, he might not have been able to defend himself.
"As expected of the Demon King Kai, you live up to your reputation!" Moria remarked.
"No, Shichibukai Moria, it's you who don't live up to your name!" Kai retorted.
With that, Kai and Moria charged at each other.
Their weapons clashed in mid-air, creating a powerful shockwave that shook the already cracked earth around them.
The shockwave swept several meters, and Nami shouted to the others, "Get out of here quickly! This battlefield is beyond our ability to handle!"
As Kai and Moria clashed repeatedly, waves of shockwaves surged forth, and the sea around them was churned.
After another violent collision, Kai faced Moria, his tone calm yet firm. "Why hide such strength? What's your plan?"
Throughout the battle, Kai had been increasingly impressed by Moria's power. Moria's abilities were indeed on par with the top candidates for admiral. Why would someone with such strength choose to hide in the Devil's Sea?
Could it be...
Before Kai could ponder further, Moria snarled, "Why I hide my strength is none of your concern. All I know is... you exposed me!"
"So... none of you will escape! Prepare to be buried in this florian triangle today!"
"Hahaha..." Kai suddenly laughed at Moria's words.
"Why are you laughing?" Moria demanded, annoyed.
"Of course... I'm laughing at your ignorance!"
"You think you've seen all my strength just from a few exchanges, don't you?"
"What do you mean?" Moria felt a sense of dread, his eyes locked on Kai.
But before he could react, Kai's figure blurred and appeared right in front of him.
"Thunder Bagua!"
"Bang!"
Moria was sent hurtling through the air, crashing to the ground as Kai followed swiftly on his Cloud.
Kai's staff struck with tremendous force. Moria, hit hard, spewed a mouthful of blood before plummeting to the ground.
"Boom!"
The island trembled under the impact, cracks spreading throughout.
As the dust settled, Kai hovered above, looking down at Moria in the pit. "Say what you just said again; I didn't hear you clearly!"
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.