Cloud Wanderer Pirates Appear, Part 1

Brook swept his gaze over the partners behind him, who had long been unable to contain themselves and were eagerly flexing their fists.

"All right, boys, time to get to work. Our objective—cover the Whitebeard Pirates' retreat from Marineford."

He paused.

"As for anyone in our way, clear them out."

"Understood! Captain!"

Amid the perfectly synchronized response were excited roars and strange cackles.

"Jihihihihi! Shadows, start stirring."

Moria fired the first shot.

His massive body rapidly swelled and transformed as though inflated.

His skin took on an eerie grayish-brown hue interwoven with earth and shadow, while hard carapace and savage bone spurs emerged across its surface.

Eight thick, spear-tipped jointed limbs burst from his body and plunged deep into the ice.

In the blink of an eye, he became a giant spider radiating an aura of death.

Zoan Ancient Zoan Underworld Mother Nest Form.

"Shadow Burrowing Path · Heavenly Net!"

All eight of his enormous legs slammed heavily into the ground at once.

The ice beneath his feet was instantly dyed a deep, lightless black.

Like something alive, the darkness spread and intertwined madly in every direction at an astonishing speed.

In just a few seconds.

A gigantic "spiderweb" with a radius exceeding a thousand meters, formed from pure shadow and earth energy.

Centered on him, it covered a vast portion of the battlefield.

Countless fist-sized, pitch-black "Shadow Earth Spiders" rustled into existence across the web like a tide.

They appeared and vanished unpredictably across the web.

Some sprang forward to bite, some spat sticky webs that caused paralysis, and some self-destructed to produce small clouds of corrosive poison mist.

This endless spider army caused immense disruption and casualties among the Marine soldiers attempting to pursue the Whitebeard Pirates.

Next, Laki took a deep breath, and her aura changed.

An