Low and Deep as the Nine Nether Abyss

"Two-Sword Style - Avici Hell..." Accompanied by this deep and terrifying roar, which seemed to come from the Nine Nether Abyss, the sound seemed to transcend the boundaries of time and the vast universe, carrying endless killing intent and resentment, like a violent hurricane raging wildly in the air and making muffled echoes.

At this critical moment, everyone's eyes were focused on Moke. He had his eyes closed, as if completely isolated from the outside world. His already strong body was trembling slightly from extreme tension, every muscle in his body was taut as if wound up, as hard as steel, and indestructible.

Time seemed to freeze, and all around was deathly silent. However, within this silence, a chilling energy surge suddenly erupted. That invisible power, like an ancient behemoth suddenly awakening from a long slumber, surged forth from Moke's body with boundless pressure and ferocity!

This force instantly swept across the entire area, tearing the air apart wherever it passed, emitting a series of ear-piercing whistling sounds. It spread outwards with overwhelming force, sending chills down everyone's spines. Everyone present stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with astonishment at this astonishing scene, silently marveling, "What kind of terrifying power is this?"

All along, the Ghost Aura hidden deep within his body, like raging volcanic lava suppressed by countless seals for thousands of years, had been silently accumulating power in the darkness, waiting for the moment of its eruption. And at this very moment, this terrifyingly powerful force seemed to have finally found a breakthrough that allowed it to be unleashed to its fullest extent.

In an instant, the previously dormant Ghost Aura surged forth like wild horses, erupting from his body with an unstoppable, overwhelming force, like a flood bursting its banks! The black aura, like billowing smoke, blotted out the sky and instantly filled the entire space, giving people a terrifying pressure from the depths of hell.

In an instant, the entire space was completely engulfed by this unimaginably powerful Ghost Aura. It intertwined and entangled with each other, gradually forming a giant, pitch-black vortex. This vortex spun rapidly around Moke, its speed increasing, bringing with it a howling Gale.

As the cyclone continued to spin faster, the Ghost Aura that had been scattering wildly began to slowly converge. Gradually, this Ghost Aura condensed beside Moke into a gigantic and terrifying phantom of the Avici Hell. This phantom was so lifelike, as if it truly existed in the world, and the eerie aura it exuded sent chills down one's spine.

At this moment, Moke stood proudly in this illusory Avici Hell, like a high and mighty god. He was surrounded by billowing black smoke, each wisp of smoke seemingly containing endless resentment and pain. His tall figure appeared and disappeared in the darkness, giving people an elusive sense of mystery.

Moke slowly opened his eyes, and two blood-red beams of light shot out from them, captivating the soul. He exuded an unparalleled aura of majesty, the pressure of a powerful being forged through countless killings and hardships. Just one glance was enough to send chills down one's spine.

Looking at his once handsome face, it was now completely transformed. His face was contorted and twisted, veins bulging, and his eyes were wide open, revealing a fierce and savage gaze, as if he could easily tear any creature before him to shreds. He opened his mouth, revealing a row of sharp fangs, and occasionally spewed out puffs of black mist, adding to his terrifying aura.

His eyes, in particular, were cold and ruthless, filled with a deep contempt for the world and all things. That icy gaze that disregarded life seemed to tell everyone: before him, all living beings were as insignificant and vulnerable as ants.

Just then, a deafening "boom" resounded. Everyone looked closely and saw that the twin swords Moke was holding— Shusui and Sandai Kitetsu— had suddenly burst into Ghost Flame.

The eerie purple flames flickered and danced, sometimes transforming into menacing demons, and other times into serpentine snakes, a truly terrifying sight. The intense heat emanating from the flames even caused the surrounding air to distort and warp violently, as if it were about to ignite at any moment.

This Ghost Flame was like demonic fire from the Nine Nether Abyss, carrying endless evil and terrifying power. It not only scorched the twin blades in Moke's hands, but also rapidly spread along the blades to his arms. However, facing such terrifying flames, Moke showed no sign of retreating. Instead, he laughed loudly, his laughter filled with madness and unbridled spirit.

Moke gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, slowly crossing Shusui and Sandai Kitetsu in front of his chest. Then, he suddenly exerted force, his arm swinging backward with Inazuma speed! At that moment, an enormous X-shaped slash, wrapped in raging purple Ghost Flame, shot forward with lightning speed.

The speed of this unusual slash was beyond imagination; even Gecko Moria, known as the "Doppelman," had no time to react. In the blink of an eye, the X-shaped attack struck him squarely in the chest.

With a piercing metallic clang, a massive X-shaped slash appeared on Gecko Moria's chest. The slash was so deep that the bone was almost visible, but strangely, not a single drop of blood flowed from such a severe wound. Even more bizarrely, the purple flames clinging to the slash seemed to possess a life of their own, desperately burrowing into the wound as if determined to incinerate Gecko Moria's body completely.

"Ah..." With a bloodcurdling scream, Moonlight Moria's once tall and mighty body trembled as if he were enduring immense pain. The dark shadows that had just been absorbed into his body surged out of his wounds like a flood bursting its banks.

These dark figures writhed and twisted in the air, as if trying to break free from some kind of restraint, but ultimately disappeared into the night. As the figures departed, Moonlight Moria's body began to shrink rapidly at a visible speed, like a deflated balloon. In a short while, he returned to his original normal size.

However, Moonlight Moria was now in a sorry state. He knelt heavily on the ground, his hands weakly bracing against the earth, trying to steady his swaying body. But his efforts were clearly in vain, and mouthful after mouthful of blood gushed from his mouth, splattering onto the cold ground and forming a shocking pool of blood.

Gecko Moria knew that he had truly lost this time, and lost so miserably and so completely. His opponent, Moke, was simply too powerful, and had even been waiting for him to reach his power limit before making his move. Thinking of this, Gecko Moria was filled with despair and resentment.

"Losers have no right to speak, that's the rule of this world... cough cough cough..." Despite coughing up blood incessantly, Moonlight Moria endured the excruciating pain and said haltingly, "But, I want to ask you for something, if possible, please... please spare Hogback and Perona... cough cough!" Before he could finish speaking, another violent coughing fit struck, and even more blood gushed from his mouth like a red fountain. Then, with a muffled "bang," Moonlight Moria finally collapsed, his body sprawling forward and raising a cloud of dust.

Thus, Gecko Moria, once a majestic and invincible Shichibukai, lay lifeless in that pool of crimson blood, his fate unknown. His massive body lay sprawled on the cold ground, seemingly telling the story of his past glory and present desolation.

With Moria's fall, the once bustling and intense battlefield instantly fell into a deathly silence, as if time had frozen. Moke stared quietly at the scene before him, a complex emotion welling up in his heart. He never expected that this seemingly cold and ruthless man, in his last moments, would not be concerned with his own power and status, but with his companions— Hogback and Perona.

Moke shook his head slightly and sighed, "Ah! I really didn't expect this... Since you value friendship so much, fine, I'll give you face. Perona, I can let her stay. But that perverted doctor Hogback, humph! He should come with you. Just thinking about what heinous things he might do for his dead wife, Cindry, sends chills down my spine. We can't let that kind of person stay in the world and cause any more trouble." With that, Moke started walking slowly towards Ata and Brook's direction.

Just at this critical moment, the tiny Den Den Den Mushi in Moke's arms suddenly seemed to be under a spell, bursting out with an unusually rapid ringing. "Brubrub... Brubrub..." This sudden sound broke the brief silence around him and abruptly brought Moke, who had been lost in thought, back to reality. He was slightly taken aback at first, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he quickly realized something, and a faint smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

It's important to understand that this Den Den Den Mushi) belongs exclusively to Baroque Works, and only a handful of people can dial it. Besides Robin, Mr. 1, Mr. 2, and Mr. 3, no one else possesses such privileges. Therefore, the person calling now is either the exceptionally intelligent Robin or the eccentric yet incredibly capable Mr. 2. Whichever one of them is calling, it's undoubtedly a huge boon for Moke.

Thinking of this, Moke's mood brightened, as if the whole world had become much brighter. He quickly reached for the answer button and said in a deep, authoritative voice, "This is Mr. 0!" Almost simultaneously, a familiar, slightly teasing voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi: "Mr. 0, this is Mr. 2. I've arrived at Xiya Island as planned and have successfully located our target." Hearing this, Moke's smile deepened. He nodded in satisfaction and replied, "Hmm, well done. I didn't expect you to complete the mission two or three days ahead of schedule. But remember to be extremely careful and perfectly conceal yourself. Absolutely no one unrelated to you should discover your true identity or our operational plan."

Mr. 2 confidently declared, "Mr. 0, you can rest assured. Before coming here, I not only deliberately changed my appearance, but I did it more than once! I'm now wearing the face of an ordinary resident of this island. Even my signature ballet costume has been carefully hidden and is not worn. So, no matter what, no one will be able to recognize me." Hearing this, Moke's satisfaction deepened. "Hmm... very good. In that case, you can wait there patiently. My matters here are almost settled, and if nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to reach Xiya Island in about three or four days!"

It must be admitted that Mr. 2's unique ability to change his appearance is truly a superb talent for intelligence work. Just then, Moke finished his call with Mr. 2 via Den Den Mushi, and Ata and Brook escorted Perona slowly towards them. When Perona saw the lifeless, stiff corpse of Gecko Moria in the distance, her pupils instantly contracted to pinpoints, and her entire body trembled violently as if struck by a powerful earthquake. Deep down, Perona firmly believed that Gecko Moria was an invincible and unrivaled being. However, the cruel reality before her ruthlessly shattered her illusions—at this moment, the once invincible figure was nothing but a cold, lifeless corpse. Faced with this sight, Moke couldn't help but show a hint of surprise and asked, "You subdued her so quickly?"

Ata said casually, "That lecherous skeleton, Ryuma, and Captain John exchanged a few blows. As for the rest of the henchmen, I took care of them." Moke nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. After all, with Ata's Awakening Armament Haki and his powerful strength as Swordmaster, dealing with these guys was as easy as playing around.

Immediately afterward, Moke slowly shifted his gaze to Brook, who was standing not far away. Brook's skull, leg bones, and hand bones all showed obvious cracks, indicating severe injuries. Moke couldn't help but click his tongue and exclaim, "Tsk tsk tsk... looks like this guy was really put through the wringer!" However, despite this, Moke knew very well that this level of combat might not be a bad thing for Brook. Only by experiencing more intense battles could he continuously grow stronger.

Just then, Ata suddenly asked excitedly, "Captain, now that things here are almost settled, shouldn't it be our turn to deal with that important target?" Moke smiled and nodded in response, "That's right, the timing is perfect. And just now, Mr. 2 sent us a message saying that everything is ready and they're just waiting for us to arrive." After saying this, Moke's gaze naturally turned to Perona, who was standing to the side.

Ata immediately understood and said, "Captain, look at this little girl. Although her own strength isn't particularly outstanding, her Devil Fruit Ability is incredibly useful! How about... we learn from Brook and take her in? When we face Doflamingo, she'll definitely be of great use; she's a force to be reckoned with!"

Upon hearing this, Moke first looked at Perona, then at Ata, a hint of surprise on his face. "Oh? So, she's agreed to join us?"

At this moment, Ata quickly turned to look at Perona, who was nodding frantically as if Perona had been greatly frightened, repeatedly muttering, "I'm willing to join! I'm willing to join..." She looked just like a frightened little rabbit.

Seeing this, Moke's eyes instantly lit up with interest. He thought to himself, "Perona must have suffered quite a bit at Ata's hands, otherwise why would she be so afraid, almost to the point of developing a psychological trauma?" Since things had developed this way, he went along with it and said, "Alright, let's do as you say. From this moment on, she is a member of our team." After saying that, Moke's gaze finally settled on Perona, and he slowly said in a meaningful tone, "However, if you want to truly become my partner, your current meager strength is far from enough... You'll have to train diligently and strive to improve yourself in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Perona straightened up abruptly, as if struck by lightning, her face filled with trepidation. She replied loudly and respectfully, "Yes, Captain!" At the same time, Brook, standing to the side, silently cast a glance at Perona, a deep sense of sympathy in his eyes. In just a few short days, he had already experienced firsthand the life he might face, and had a general idea of what his future would be like. Thinking of this, Brook couldn't help but Dark-Dark Fruit groan, muttering to himself, "Terrible... it's really terrible!"

Time flies, and four days passed in the blink of an eye. During this long and arduous journey, Moke and his crew sailed their magnificent pirate ship, cutting through the waves, and finally arrived at the port of Xiya Island. As the ship slowly approached the shore, Brook and Perona, whose faces had been tense the whole time, breathed a long sigh of relief and said in unison, "We're finally here..." Their expressions showed relief, but at the same time, they looked extremely tired and haggard, as if they had just experienced a terrible nightmare.

Looking back on the past four days, they had been subjected to relentless "beatings" by Moke and Ata almost daily. Whether it was the strict demands of training or the various difficulties they faced in daily life, Brook and Perona suffered terribly. This inhuman treatment was a tragedy for them. Therefore, compared to Moke and Ata, their desire to reach Xiya Island as soon as possible was far stronger. After all, there, they might be able to temporarily escape that terrifying torment.

However, despite being physically and mentally exhausted, Brook and Perona were still filled with curiosity. They couldn't understand why Captain Moke had led them all the way to this unfamiliar Xiya Island. What kind of person was he looking for or what kind of mission was he completing? Just as the two were pondering this, Moke pulled out two crumpled bounty posters from his pocket.

Whitebeard Jr. Weevil, the second Edward Elric, has a bounty of a staggering 480 million Beli! And Miss Bakkin has an astonishing bounty of 230 million Beli! When Brook and Perona heard these numbers, they could hardly believe their ears. Their eyes widened like saucers, as if their eyeballs were about to pop out.

Keep in mind that Brook's bounty is only 33 million Beli, and Perona's isn't much better, at only 41 million Beli. For them, both Edward Elric Weevil with 480 million Beli and Miss Bakkin with 230 million Beli are undoubtedly terrifying beings that they cannot contend with.

"Gulp..." The two of them seemed to be frozen in place, their bodies stiffening, and they involuntarily swallowed a large mouthful of saliva at the same time. The swallowing sound was particularly loud in the silent atmosphere, as if it could be heard throughout the entire cabin. The clear sound of their throats bobbing startled even themselves.

At that moment, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment, they deeply realized an extremely serious and unavoidable problem—since they had resolutely chosen to join a pirate crew as powerful and terrifying as Moke's, it was foreseeable that the enemies they would face in the future would mostly be ruthless characters with such terrifying strength! Thinking of this, Brook and Perona couldn't help but tremble and subconsciously exchanged a glance.

From the depths of their eyes, they clearly sensed the same overwhelming shock and fear. However, behind that panic, a barely perceptible resolve and fighting spirit were slowly rising. Indeed, in this dog-eat-dog, utterly cruel world of pirates, without sufficient strength as a solid backing, their ultimate fate would undoubtedly be a catastrophic and irreversible death.

And so, in that brief instant, a burning, intense desire to win, like a wildfire, suddenly and unexpectedly ignited within their hearts and spread rapidly. Their hearts, previously filled with trepidation over the unknown future, now seemed to be ignited, burning fiercely... And they knew that death was never their desired end. Therefore, the only path before them was to grit their teeth, strive with all their might to become stronger, only in this way could they closely follow the relentless advance of the Shanghai Pirate Captain and Ata, carving out their own place on this blood-soaked ocean.