"Such a treacherous World Government!"
"Just as I thought, they can't be trusted!"
Moria paced impatiently back and forth across the deck of Thriller Bark, his massive body swaying with every step.
This ordinary-sized Pirate Ship clearly couldn't withstand the repeated trampling of someone as enormous as him.
The ship rocked noticeably.
In terms of size alone, Moria could be called the biggest of the Shichibukai.
He was even taller than Bear.
But his originally pale skin bore numerous burn marks.
"Good thing none of the other Shichibukai got involved."
Standing beside him was Absalom, one of Moria's three chief freaks.
He had half a tiger's face.
He stood with his arms crossed, looking rather stern.
"Heh heh heh, thank goodness that woman Hancock went on a rampage. She actually wanted to meet that lunatic who killed a Celestial Dragon in public."
At the thought, Moria's mouth stretched into a wide grin.
That willful woman Hancock had first caused trouble in the middle of the battle over the death of a Marine.
She'd said the Marine was supposed to be one of her spoils of war for taking part.
Then there was that lunatic named Buggy.
She'd brazenly abandoned the battlefield on a whim.
But what Moria hadn't expected was that even after the other guy had gone that far, the World Government—those spineless cowards—hadn't stripped him of his Shichibukai title. Instead, they'd targeted Moria!
They really looked down on Lord Moria!
The war had barely ended, and they'd already sent five Pacifistas and a Great Axe Fatty to gang up on him!
Even worse, Moria had discovered that he couldn't beat them!
If Absalom hadn't come to pick him up, he really would've been done for.
Moria rubbed the itching wound on his neck, still shaken.
Twenty years ago—not, even ten years ago—those sluggish lasers wouldn't have stood a chance of hitting me!
"The Great Sea's going to be even livelier than it was when Roger died, heh heh."
"The Whitebeard Pirates have been utterly crippled. Just the territories they've left vacant will keep the New World in chaos for a while."
Moria's face resembled that of a strangely colored bat, his red onion-shaped head bobbing from side to side.
"Mm." Absalom beside him agreed.
"I heard even Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, was seriously injured."
"And then there's Blackbeard, who appeared out of nowhere."
Moria felt he'd once again caught the scent of a great reshuffling of power across the sea.
The last time had been when Roger died; the time before that, when the Rocks Pirates fell.
"Don't forget that Joker, too."
"He's one hell of a lunatic."
"The CP Organization has gone mad over him."
"They've not only put a Bounty Order of as much as 1.2 billion Beli on him, but they've also branded him the Enemy of the World."
Absalom opened the Bounty Order in his palm.
The image showed a man in a purple suit, slightly bent forward as he waved gracefully at the camera.
His smile was bright and sunny.
Behind the man, only one corner of an iron cage was visible.
It was impossible to tell who was locked inside.
"Heh heh heh, but for now, none of that has anything to do with us."
Moria raised a Vivre Card belonging to Doctor Hogback and gently waved it toward a certain direction out at sea.
It was an important guide that would lead them back to his base, hidden in the Foggy Sea Area.
Following the Vivre Card's guidance, the thick fog came into clear view in the fading light.
The bat-shaped figurehead was gradually swallowed by the fog as the ship rocked back and forth.
The hateful light dimmed, too.
"It's nice to be back where the atmosphere feels right."
Back at his lair, Moria finally relaxed and lay down comfortably.
Neither the Marines nor the World Government would be able to catch him in these waters.
Having learned his lesson after the Straw Hat Pirates and Bear had invaded so easily last time, Moria had sailed Thriller Bark straight into the depths of this sea.
Without the Vivre Card to guide him, even he might not have been able to find his way back.
As for any other intruders—
There was no need to worry. His old neighbor would give them a warm welcome.
Moria's enormous frame took up the entire deck.
He decided that this time, he wouldn't leave until he'd assembled a Zombie Army large enough to steamroll the entire world!
No matter who came calling!
"You're saying Moria will come back by following this?"
Inside the ruined castle, Buggy took the Vivre Card Doctor Hogback handed him and studied it thoughtfully.
Hogback nodded, utterly certain.
"Unless he's facing a life-threatening situation, he'll definitely come back."
Hogback's certainty came from Moria's ten years as a shut-in who never left home.
Without outside interference, getting someone to suddenly change a habit they'd spent a long time developing wasn't easy.
"I see. In that case, we could play a rather interesting game."
"Yes, it'll certainly be great fun."
Buggy's gaze remained fixed beyond the castle, on the dense fog where not a trace of light could be seen.
He chuckled to himself.
"Want me to teach you how to make a proper nightmare?"
"."
"."
Above the castle,
the deep fog had flowed slowly, like a calm sea.
Suddenly, it churned into towering waves.
A low, "Moo,"-like cry could be heard.
When the Gray Mist finally settled again, it had turned pitch-black.
It looked like the shadow of the entire Foggy Sea Area.
"Don't be afraid of that thing."
Moria, lying on the deck with his eyes half-closed, picked at his ear.
As they sailed deeper into the Foggy Sea Area, the enormous Black Shadow, stretching from sea to sky, appeared alongside them.
"What exactly is that thing?"
Even after spending a long time in the Foggy Sea Area, Absalom still feared the eerie Black Shadow.
Fear of enormous creatures was hardwired into human instinct.
"It's called the Dream Tapir."
Moria didn't even want to lift his eyelids.
He hadn't gone on a trip this far from home in nearly ten years. Now that he was finally back, he naturally had to reward himself by lying around for a few months.
"It likes making people dream. As long as you're not afraid, it won't come after you."
When Moria had first arrived in these waters, he'd spent some time dealing with this neighbor.
He'd even considered making it one of his subordinates.
That would've given his combat power a huge boost!
Unfortunately, he couldn't catch the thing.
In the fog, it was like a Fish-Man in the sea.
"Can we really just ignore it?"
Absalom sounded doubtful.
The Black Shadow seemed to form a hand, waving as if to persuade them not to go back.
But Moria, completely relaxed now that he was home, couldn't even be bothered to look up.
He lay there until Thriller Bark reached the spot where his base stood.
The towering gates were shaped like a row of teeth.
They gaped wide open.
It was as if they were warmly welcoming the return of their master.
The waters inside and outside surged together.
They swallowed Thriller Bark whole.
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