Under Moria's horrified gaze, Luo Wen raised his fist and gave him a brutal beating.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With a barrage of punches from Luo Wen, Moria's body, which had swelled up after swallowing the shadow, could no longer withstand the strain.
"Vomit!"
Moria opened his mouth wide, and the shadows he had swallowed surged out like a tide, returning to the original zombies.
Having lost the power of his shadow, Moria reverted to his original form.
But at this moment he looked particularly miserable; his originally pale face was covered in bruises and deep red bloodstains.
"This is terrible! Please stop hitting Lord Moria!"
Perona looked at Luo Wen with teary eyes, pleading.
He had originally hoped that Moria could rescue him, but he never expected Moria to be so easily defeated by Luo Wen.
Now, let alone saving himself, even saving his own life is a difficult task.
"That depends on whether he's willing to become my subordinate."
Luo Wen stopped swinging his fist and smiled at Moria.
"I don't!"
Moria turned away from the bruised and battered pig's head and said arrogantly.
He's a pirate with dignity and dreams; how could he succumb to a brutal beating?
If you're so capable, then have another meal!
"Good, I admire people with backbone like you!"
"A guy like you would be absolutely loyal to me if you became my subordinate!"
Luo Wen crouched down and patted Moria on the shoulder.
What, you're not going to hit me anymore?
Moria looked at the amiable Luo Wen with some disbelief.
But what followed was a barrage of punches from Luo Wen.
"Awooo! Awooo! Awooo!"
Moria tried to hold back, but Luo Wen's technique was so cunning that he always managed to hit the most sensitive spots on Moria's body, causing him pain from the depths of his soul.
"Lord Moria, just give in to him!"
"If you keep fighting, you'll get killed!"
Perona couldn't bear to look at Moria's horrific state and pleaded with Moria through tears.
She was adopted by Moria when she was a child and has a very deep affection for Moria. She can't just be beaten to death like this!
"This little girl cares about you so much!"
Luo Wen stopped punching again and whispered in Moria's ear, "Moria, you don't want to hurt her, do you?"
Perona, she...
Moria felt a pang of sadness as he looked at Perona, who was sobbing softly.
Perona was like a daughter to him, his most cherished companion.
He could no longer bear the pain of losing his comrades.
Moreover, after being brutally beaten by Luo Wen, he realized just how ridiculous his idea of making a comeback with an army of zombies was.
Even if he were to complete his most prized creation, Oars of the Continent Puller, it would likely be a matter of a single punch in Luo Wen's eyes, and the same applies to Kaido.
Moria, who had been numbing himself for years, suddenly faced reality.
Looking at the high and mighty Luo Wen, Moria made a decision that went against his ancestors' wishes.
"Hahaha, if that's the case, then there's only one answer."
Moria raised his head with difficulty, revealing a wild smile.
Perona watched Moria nervously, not wanting him to make a suicidal choice.
"I swear allegiance to you! To be your comrade!"
Moria grabbed a chair leg and snapped it off, then knelt down on one knee before Luo Wen and bowed his head.
Rather than continuing to fight and getting killed by Luo Wen, and dragging Perona down with him, it's better to avoid a bad end.
It would be better to pledge allegiance to Luo Wen and give Perona a place to stay.
"Okay, then I accept!"
Luo Wen nodded in satisfaction and gladly accepted Moria's surrender.
Although Moria was trying to glorify himself by being promoted from subordinate to comrade, Luo Wen didn't dwell on it much in his joy.
"You had a conflict with Kaido before, right? As a gift for joining us, I'll deal with him later."
Seeing that Moria was so sensible, Luo Wen reciprocated.
Since they're going to fight Kaido sooner or later anyway, giving Moria a pie in the sky is just a convenient thing to do.
Are you serious?
Moria, who was initially depressed, was suddenly overjoyed and found Luo Wen much more agreeable.
Kaido was his greatest enemy, wiping out all his subordinates in one battle and turning him from a genius into a useless piece of trash.
No matter who wants to fight Kaido, Moria will always step in to help!
As for whether Luo Wen had the ability, he had no doubt.
It's nothing for Luo Wen to treat him like a ball, after all, Kaido can do that too.
Luo Wen defeated Marine Admiral, a truly impressive feat. It was far more realistic than his plan to seek revenge through Oars the Zombie.
"Of course it's true! To avenge you, I will inevitably fight Kaido!"
Luo Wen's expression turned solemn, and he spoke with an air of righteous indignation.
He certainly wasn't going to fight Kaido for Moria's sake; it was Kaido's teachings and his rebellious daughter that were the key reasons why Luo Wen longed for a battle.
Three quick steps to Ryuo, Conqueror's Coating, and Devil Fruit Awakening, plus a white-haired wife with horns—who wouldn't be confused?
"I am truly honored!"
Although Moria didn't believe Luo Wen's nonsense, Luo Wen's willingness to fabricate lies for him showed that Lowen valued him enough.
A feeling of emotion welled up inside him; perhaps following Luo Wen wasn't such a bad thing after all.
The thought of seeing that arrogant Kaido being trampled underfoot by the relatively new Luo Wen fills Moria with immense anticipation.
"Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Moria felt deeply aggrieved, recalling the two beatings he had received from Luo Wen.
If this had been done earlier, he would have given in after a beating.
"What, you have a problem with that?"
Luo Wen glanced at Moria, his tone extremely dangerous.
"No, no, I'm very satisfied!"
Moria broke out in a cold sweat, remembering Luo Wen's heavy punch.
"Very good."
Seeing how sensible Moria was, Luo Wen was very satisfied.
Saying it early is negotiating terms; saying it late is bestowing a favor. The effects are worlds apart.
Seeing Moria back down, Luo Wen turned to look at Perona beside him.
"Good boy, you'll be in for a world of trouble if you stay with me from now on!"
Luo Wen gently stroked Perona's pink twin tails and spoke softly.
"Waaah, can you please not want me?"
Perona looked at Luo Wen, her large, watery eyes filled with pleading.
"Perona, since Lord Luo Wen values you so much, you should go with him."
Moria watched as Luo Wen teased Perona and couldn't help but feel a little strange.
It seems that Perona is the real target of Luo Wen, while he, as Shichibukai, is just an afterthought.
Moria shook his head, thinking it was just his imagination.
He's a strong person, after all; surely he can't be weaker than a little girl?
"No way, Perona, you don't want Moria to get beaten up by me again, do you?"
Luo Wen also chimed in at the opportune moment, whispering in Perona's ear in a low voice.
"I... I agree!"
After hearing Moria and Luo Wen's advice, Perona realized that she couldn't escape Luo Wen's clutches.
Satisfied with the two men, Luo Wen turned his attention to his other gains.
There are still many treasures on the Thriller Bark.