Chapter 261: Moria fainted

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

As Bai Ye noticed the absence of Moria's shadow, Luffy was already in action, shouting defiantly at Moria, "Hey fatso!!! You just swallowed someone else's shadow!"

Leaping high into the air, Luffy raised his right leg and aimed it squarely at Moria's midsection. "Whether it's got Brook's shadow in it or not, you're spitting it out now!" he bellowed, launching his Gum-Gum Axe attack. His foot, clad in a simple slipper, hammered down hard on Moria's stomach.

However, the situation took a sudden turn. The castle behind Moria began to shake violently before ultimately exploding. From the debris, a gigantic arm emerged and swung towards Luffy, with a voice echoing Moria's shouting, "Straw Hat Boy!!! Go to hell!!!"

Luffy furrowed his brow at this new development. He had been aware of the presence of this massive creature but had dismissed it as inactive. Its sudden assault caught him by surprise, though he found the attack more annoying than threatening.

In the midst of this, Moria's laughter filled the air, clearly pleased with the chaos he had orchestrated. But just as he reveled in his apparent success, the situation took yet another unexpected turn.

Across the battlefield, a figure suddenly darted through the air, shouting incredulously, "How is it possible that you can fight my captain so easily?" It was Sanji, arriving just in time.

"Mutton Strike!" he cried out.

In a flash, Sanji positioned himself between Oars' massive arm and Luffy, his right leg slicing through the air to deliver a powerful kick to the giant's elbow. There was a sharp crack.

"Ah! My arm!" Oars bellowed, his voice filled with pain.

The once formidable arm now hung awkwardly, dislocated by Sanji's fierce attack.

Meanwhile, Luffy had finished gathering his strength. His right foot shot out, striking Moria squarely in the abdomen. Caught off guard by the swift turn of events, Moria could only grunt as the force of the blow hit him.

"Vomit!" he gasped, as the impact forced him to expel more than a dozen shadows that had been lurking inside him.

Bai Ye watched the scene unfold with a hint of surprise, though he remained largely unfazed. Even without Sanji's intervention, he knew the battle's outcome would remain unchanged.

With nothing left for him to do, Bai Ye glanced around casually. He then turned his attention to Lola and her crew. With a flourish, he waved his hand, retrieving the items Luffy had used for the tea party from his internal storage.

Bai Ye addressed the baffled onlookers, offering a light diversion. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.

Indeed, Bai Ye had been right all along. The battle's outcome had been inevitable from the start.

"Party Table Kick Course!" Sanji shouted, confronting the colossal Oars, a giant zombie under Gecko Moria's control. Using his Black Leg Style, Sanji launched into the air with a Sky Walk. He then unleashed a series of powerful kicks, battering Oars from head to toe like a relentless chef tenderizing meat. Each kick packed an explosive punch, pummeling the giant with a full-body assault.

Sanji's landing was followed by muffled thuds emanating from Oars' battered frame. Moments later, the giant crumpled to the ground, resembling a heap of mud. Moria, try as he might, could not coax Oars to rise again.

Meanwhile, the conflict on the other side drew to a close.

"Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!" Luffy roared, engaging one of his mightiest moves in his First Gear state. He concentrated a series of ultra-high-speed punches at Moria's stomach, the force comparable to that needed to shatter a city wall.

"Yuck!!!" Moria groaned as he was overwhelmed by the attack. He collapsed, his eyes rolling back, and a swarm of shadows burst forth from his mouth.

As Moria lay unconscious, the liberated shadows swiftly found their way back to their original owners. This included Lola and her companions, who watched in relief as the ordeal ended.

After Luffy and Sanji had finished their battle, two formidable warriors joined the action.

"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!" Zoro bellowed, unleashing a fierce attack with his Three-Sword Style. His blades radiated a dark, menacing energy. He faced off against a zombie possessed by Brook's shadow, matching the creature's adept swordsmanship with his own superior strength and precision. His slashes cut through the air, tearing massive holes in the already damaged castle walls.

"Hanauta Prelude: Breaking Strike!" Zoro's adversary countered with elegance and precision, echoing Brook's unique fencing style. Their swords danced across the battlefield, slicing through stone and debris effortlessly. The sound of their clashing blades reverberated, shaking the castle to its core.

Spotting his comrades, Luffy couldn't help but exclaim, "It's Zoro!!"

Sanji, observing the intense duel, remarked, "Whoever can match Zoro with such powerful strikes must be the strongest swordsman on this island."

Sanji was well aware of Zoro's capabilities, which made the strength of Zoro's opponent all the more surprising.

Just then, a cheerful voice cut through the tension. 'Yo ho ho, is everyone here?' asked Brook, who had followed Ryoma and Zoro.

"Brook, you're here!" Luffy called out warmly. "I just knocked Moria down, so your shadow must have come back, right?"

"Obviously not," chuckled Bai Ye, who had joined them by then. He teased, "You'd see it yourself if you just looked down."

Luffy, puzzled, looked down and said, "Huh, there really isn't anything? Brook, what's going on?"

Brook began to explain the situation to the curious group, "This is what happened..."

After learning that Zoro was battling a zombie possessing Brook's shadow, Luffy couldn't help but express his amazement. "Wow, Brook is really good to be able to challenge Zoro like this just by lending his shadow!"

Brook responded with a hearty laugh, "Yohohoho, unfortunately, that's not quite right." He continued thoughtfully, "I wasn't sure before, but watching him duel Zoro made it clear."

Observing the figure who was laughing maniacally and clashing with Zoro, Brook explained, "The person who inherited my shadow must have been an incredibly skilled swordsman during his lifetime. And clearly, he never showed his full strength when he fought me."

"Dawn Song: Aurora Burst!" "Three-Sword Style: Tiger Hunt!" Boom!

Zoro and Ryuma collided once again, their weapons crashing together in a fierce clash that unleashed a terrifying shockwave. The force of their impact roared across the battlefield, bending the thick trees of the dense forest under its immense pressure.

The ground cracked and crumbled beneath them, with countless spider-web-like fractures radiating from where they stood.

From the onset, both warriors were locked in a life-and-death struggle, each exchange as fierce as the last, neither holding anything back.

Bang!

Another exchange ended almost in a draw, and both fighters stepped back simultaneously.

However, despite the draw, their conditions were starkly different.