Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Power in Decline
Gecko Moria is almost an embarrassment to the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Except for his Devil Fruit ability, which is somewhat troublesome to deal with, his overall combat power is practically laughable.
Shin's current crew members aren't even the strongest, nor do they have individuals on the level of top commanders. However, if they joined forces, they certainly wouldn't be much weaker than the lower-ranked Shichibukai.
In fact, apart from the most formidable "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk or the highly influential Doflamingo, the other Warlords might not even be able to compete with Shin's crew.
If his group were to swarm Moria, even with his pathetic zombie army, there was an 80% chance they would dismantle his forces with ease.
"Is this a test for us?" Surprisingly, it was Page One, who usually didn't speak much. "Moria's strength isn't something to be taken lightly."
"Remember, he was once a powerhouse who fought against Boss Kaido for an entire day and night!"
"Moria fought Kaido for a whole day and night?" Shin's face showed an expression of intrigue.
Although there was indeed a battle between Moria and Kaido in the past, and the records made it seem as if there was no clear winner, Shin hadn't expected that Moria had actually managed to fight Kaido for such an extended period.
Thinking back to Moria's younger self, with his toned physique and arrogant demeanor, it wasn't too surprising that he had been able to challenge a not-yet-peak Kaido for such a duration.
However, when Shin recalled the current state if Moria, he couldn't help but sigh. The once-mighty warrior had turned into a mere shadow of his former self.
"Not bad! And for over ten years, Moria has been amassing troops in the Florian Triangle. With our current strength, I'm afraid we might not be his match." Ulti also added.
Ulti and Page One weren't afraid of challenges, but they weren't reckless like Luffy either. Fighting opponents at their level or slightly above was a challenge. Taking on an opponent vastly superior to them was nothing short of suicide.
Even if Moria hadn't improved in strength over the past ten years, he was still at least on the level of an emperor's deputy. Coupled with his massive zombie army, it seemed almost impossible for them to defeat him.
After all, they didn't know that Moria's strength had not only failed to grow in the past decade but had significantly declined, reducing him to a pitiful figure.
If not for his Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability, both Ulti, Page One, or even Kyros could have easily taken him down without sustaining a scratch.
Even considering his Devil Fruit powers, Moria would only have a slight advantage in a one-on-one battle.
"Don't worry. The current Moonlight Moria is nowhere near the powerhouse who once clashed with Kaido," Shin said with a smile, then turned his gaze toward Charlotte Pudding.
"Pudding, can you extract an image of Moria from Perona's memories?"
Hearing Shin's question, Pudding nodded. "Of course. That's a simple task."
Without delay, she retrieved a black-and-white photograph and handed it over.
"Take a look. This is the current Moria. Do you still think he possesses the same fighting prowess as before?" Shin said, passing the photo to Ulti.
Ulti and Page One had been adopted by Kaido at a young age, so while they hadn't participated in the battle against Moria more than a decade ago, they had seen his image in old records.
However, after glancing at the photo in Shin's hand, Ulti immediately frowned. "Who is this?"
"This is today's Moria," Shin confirmed, watching as disbelief spread across their faces.
"This is really Moria? Where is his neck?" Ulti finally couldn't hold back her shock. "And his stomach… did this guy eat the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, or the Onion-Onion Fruit?"
"That, I wouldn't know," Shin said with a slight wave of his hand. "But this is what he looks like now. Do you still think he retains his former strength?"
More than a decade had passed. Kaido had transformed from a long-legged warrior into a muscular behemoth, and the once fearsome and ambitious Moonlight Moria had deteriorated into today's Onion Moria.
In the past, Moria could fight Kaido for an entire day and night. Now, against Kaido, Onion Moria would likely crumble under a single Thunder Bagua strike.
"Ha! If he's become like this, then there's nothing to fear!" After seeing the photo, Ulti's confidence soared, and she smirked. "This time, leave this guy to me and Page One!"
Brook, who had been largely ignored until now, observed the casual manner in which Shin's group assigned themselves tasks. He muttered to himself, "Am I just out of touch with the times, or are they really underestimating Moria? It's like their brain don't even consider him a threat at all... Though, I don't have a brain. Hohohohohoho!"
Despite his usual ghostly humor, Brook had already realized that Shin and his crew possessed strength at least equal to, if not exceeding, that of the Seven Warlords. Otherwise, they wouldn't be this confident.
"Before we proceed, I'll give you some power first," Shin said, turning his attention to Pudding. The eerie black mist of his ability emerged as he extracted a Devil Fruit from her body and handed over the Hollow-Hollow Fruit.
Pudding did not hesitate; she took a bite, her face scrunching up at the awful taste, but soon afterward, she regained her composure.
Moments later, Pudding closed her eyes, and a golden light emanated from within her, gradually materializing into an ethereal version of herself.
"Success! This is the sensation of spiritualization? Hehehe," Charlotte Pudding giggled as she admired her golden apparition before shifting her gaze toward Ulti with a mischievous glint.
Ulti's expression immediately froze. "What… What are you planning to do? I warn you… don't come any closer! Aaaahhh!"
As a rival of Pudding, Ulti had been keenly interested in her spiritualization training and had already learned from Shin that it granted the ability to manipulate others' bodies.
The mere thought of Pudding gaining control over her body sent shivers down Ulti's spine. Goosebumps rose all over her arms as she let out a scream of protest.
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Now available - Chapter 292: A Legacy of Freedom (END OF ONE PIECE ARC)