"Hmm? That is...!!"
A pirate sitting at the bar was the first to react. "Captain Moria! That's the Drought of the Beasts Pirates!"
"One of the All-Stars?" A tall pirate dressed in Gothic attire looked at the massive mammoth covered in long fur ahead. He stood up, moving around the table, using his enormous body to shield his companions behind him.
Moria's expression remained calm, completely unfazed by the fearsome reputation of his opponent. "What is one of the Beasts Pirates' biggest names doing here?"
His answer came in the form of a black trunk cutting through the air with the sound of the wind. The mammoth's long trunk lashed out like a whip, carrying the force of an army's charge as it smashed toward Moria's head.
"Shadow Lancer."
The shadow beneath Moria's feet suddenly writhed. In the instant before the trunk struck, it split into a humanoid figure that stood in front of him.
"..."
Faced with such an eerie ability, even Jack the Drought was momentarily taken aback. But his experience surviving in the New World allowed him to quickly assess the situation. "A Devil Fruit user?"
Moria frowned. He and his pirate crew were not yet prepared for a full-scale battle against Kaido.
His crew still needed time to adapt to the unique power dynamics and conflict patterns of the New World, and he himself was still refining a technique that had yet to be completed.
This was precisely why he had taken advantage of Kaido's absence to enter the island—to purchase food and gather intelligence.
Even though he had deliberately avoided clashing with any of Kaido's top officers, he still could not escape the tricks of fate.
Due to Sakazuki's arrangements, their evacuation point had been set at the border of Kaido's territory. And as if fate had a cruel sense of humor, a certain troublemaking fox had drawn the Drought straight to their location.
"We bought all our supplies at fair market prices from local stores. There shouldn't be any issue with that, right?" Moria still intended to defuse this imminent conflict.
"Oh my, listen to this guy. You came uninvited, and if we hadn't caught you, you probably wouldn't have admitted to anything, would you?"
A flippant voice suddenly interrupted the conversation.
The pale-skinned pirate followed the voice and looked down, only then noticing the silver-haired young man in strange attire standing beside the massive mammoth.
With a condescending expression, the pirate known as "Moonlight" sneered. "I'm negotiating with your captain. Who the hell are you to interrupt?"
The fox-faced young man smiled brightly. Over the past few days, he had learned quite a bit about the temperaments of those around him.
Jack the Drought was the type who avoided talking when he could settle things with his fists—a short-tempered brute who would start a fight at the slightest provocation.
Lindemann's previous words had not been aimed at Moria at all.
Sure enough, already enraged by the fox's previous provocations, Jack completely ignored Moria's attempt at negotiation and swung his trunk upward in another powerful strike.
The massive trunk, as thick as a siege weapon, thrust forward like a giant spear. In the blink of an eye, Jack's formidable Armament Haki coated the "tip" of this spear.
At the same time, dark streaks shot out from Moria's shadow at high speed. The black wings formed from the shadows of countless bats converged in midair, shaping into a solid, reinforced spearhead that slanted forward to intercept the mammoth's devastating strike.
When the two forces collided, a massive shockwave erupted, sending the pirates inside the bar tumbling in all directions.
"He blocked it! That's Captain's technique—Shadow Horn Spear!"
A scrawny pirate hiding under a table clutched a Devil Fruit tightly with one hand and pumped his fist excitedly.
Moria cracked his neck, his expression darkening. His already menacing face now looked even more like that of a terrifying demon.
"Looks like there's no room for discussion."
When it came to fighting the ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit users under Kaido, Moria was filled with confidence.
There was no doubt that these Zoan-type users had monstrous physical strength and incredible endurance, making them nightmares for most opponents.
But to him, they were far from an insurmountable threat—because the Kage Kage no Mi was simply too versatile.
Whether it was using Shadow Lancer for substitution techniques or manipulating shadows to alter their shape and length, the fruit's capabilities were extensive and adaptable.
If he were alone, Moria had no doubt he could toy with this clumsy mammoth until it was dizzy.
"You head back to the ship first," he signaled to his crew. They could escape through the bar's back entrance and reach the port. As long as his crew left safely, he could go all out and teach this so-called "star" of the Beasts Pirates a lesson.
The scrawny pirate hesitated. "But Captain, what about you?"
Moria burst into laughter. "Have you all forgotten what my abilities can do?"
If he wanted to leave, very few people could stop him.
Absalom wanted to argue, but the old pirate next to him hoisted him up without hesitation. "Move! We'll only be a burden to Captain if we stay!"
Jack the Drought completely ignored the small fries escaping. His gaze remained locked onto the towering pirate before him.
"Boom."
The heavy hooves of the mammoth stomped onto the wooden floor, and at the same time, onto the heart of the bar owner hiding behind the counter.
The floor couldn't bear the weight. After a tooth-grinding creak, it shattered with a thunderous crash.
The crew members of the Mammoth had already reached an understanding. They grabbed the ambassador, who was still watching the fight, and turned to run toward the door.
"Get out quickly! Don't get caught up in Drought-sama's attack!"
The prehistoric beast's enormous body began to move. With each step, it left a deep crater in the floor as it bore down on the unmoving intruder standing in front of it.
"Trample." This was the first word Jack spoke to Moria. He suddenly lifted his upper body, smashing a massive hole in the bar's roof before raising his front legs high and bringing them crashing down.
"BOOM!"
Everyone was thrown off their feet by the violent shaking of the ground. Even Absalom, who was already being carried out through the back door, wasn't spared.
The fierce blast of air sent every wooden floorboard and chair in the bar flying. The liquor cabinet was smashed to the ground without resistance, spilling countless fine wines across the floor.
The bar, now teetering on the edge of collapse, crumbled into a pile of rubble amidst the billowing dust. Even the surrounding buildings suffered varying degrees of damage.
Amidst the chaos, the ambassador from Wano suddenly shouted, "Go! Pursue those who escaped!"
The crew members of the Mammoth looked at each other. Though their orders were to protect that loudmouthed fox, under these unexpected circumstances, they decided to follow this suggestion, which seemed more beneficial to the current situation.
Beneath the massive feet of the mammoth, a flattened, oval-shaped pit was left behind—completely empty.
Just before the attack landed, a black shadow flickered, and the towering, nearly seven-meter-tall behemoth vanished abruptly right under his nose.
"Hee hee hee, where are you attacking, you fool?" Moria's sharp voice sounded from beside Jack.
Leaning against a broken wall, his shadow stretched out from beneath his feet, connecting directly to the center of the crater.
Jack didn't bother with words. He turned and lashed out with his trunk, simple and brutal, yet devastatingly powerful.
But Moria remained calm. Against an opponent of such massive size yet lacking agility, he had long prepared countermeasures.
With a sweeping motion of his large hand, the shadows on the ground dispersed rapidly, splitting into numerous small and nimble black-winged bats. Like a black cloud, they swarmed toward the thick hide of the mammoth.
"Scatter Bats!"
"Damn it…" At this moment, Jack's immense size was no longer an impenetrable defense but a heavy burden.
Without hesitation, Jack canceled his transformation, drawing two curved scimitars from his waist to shred the shadow bats still biting into him.
"Shadow Warrior!"
It was the same maneuver as before. In the blink of an eye, Moria, who had been far away, swapped places with his shadow.
Now standing behind Jack, the master of the Kage Kage no Mi formed his fingers into a blade-like shape. From his fingertips, a swarm of shadow bats emerged.
Before Jack could react, a spear of shadows formed and struck him hard in the lower back, sending the Drought hurtling through the air. "Let Kaido come instead!"
One of the Three Calamities, Jack, was sent flying, his body crashing into another cluster of buildings.
From the gaping black hole in the broken houses, a thickly furred mammoth trunk curled up, tearing half a building apart.
Accompanied by heavy footsteps, the mammoth appeared before Moria once again—completely unharmed.
"Heh, hee hee hee hee, you sure are tough." Moria grinned ferociously. Though he had taken the advantage with his fruit's agility, the fact remained that he was able to suppress Jack.
Meanwhile, Absalom, who was sprinting toward the docked ship at the harbor, was suddenly stabbed from behind and fell to the ground.
The harbor area was in complete disarray. Thick smoke billowed into the air, refusing to disperse.
And from the direction where the sun was rising, a small black dot slowly emerged on the horizon.
"Vice Admiral Prodi Salino! The target location seems to be engaged in battle!"
"Ugh, what's going on? Has he already been exposed?" A strange accent grumbled in response.
___________________________________________________
want to stay ahead of the public release ?
join us on patreon where patron read more than 65 advanced chapters plus 2 chapters everyday
link in THE SYNOPSIS
________________________________________________________