A Brief Moment

Moke stood there steadily, slowly extending his right hand, pointing straight at the sun in the sky. As he softly uttered, "C!" a wondrous thing happened: his body began to emit a dazzling light and gradually became transparent. In the blink of an eye, Moke had completely transformed into a pure light elemental form!

Immediately afterward, he shouted, "Light Gathering!" In an instant, an invisible force erupted from his body, changing the direction of the surrounding light at an astonishing speed. All the light seemed to be summoned by some mysterious force, converging towards his outstretched palm.

In a short moment, a dazzling ball of light condensed in his hand. However, this was only the beginning. As time went by, the range of light gathered by this ball of light continued to expand, first to ten meters, then twenty meters, thirty meters... all the way to one hundred meters, two hundred meters... Finally, all the light above the entire island converged into the small ball of light in Moke's hand, like all the rivers flowing into the sea.

"Boom..." Accompanied by a deafening roar, an extremely terrifying energy surge suddenly erupted. Under such a powerful focusing effect of light, even the surrounding air seemed unable to withstand the high temperature and was directly ignited. Even more shockingly, a ring of blazing white flames appeared out of nowhere outside the originally pure and flawless sphere of light!

Looking at the island now, it was shrouded in darkness. The once bright sunlight had vanished without a trace, as if night had suddenly fallen, enveloping everything in endless darkness. In stark contrast, the orb of light in Moke's hand still Shine with dazzling brilliance, like the most brilliant star in the night sky. However, in this strange scene of extreme light and absolute darkness, an eerie and chilling atmosphere pervaded the air.

Indeed, the old saying proved true—absolute light is equivalent to absolute darkness! For in the face of absolute light, not even the slightest hint of other colors could exist. As more and more light gathered, the sphere of light expanded rapidly at an astonishing rate. By the time it had controlled all the light on the entire island, the sphere had reached a staggering twenty meters in diameter! Moreover, it was surrounded by a layer of blazing flames, making its overall size a hundred meters! Hanging high in the air, it shone brightly like a small sun, radiating boundless light.

At this moment, Blackbeard, standing on the ground, trembled violently in shock, muttering to himself, "Why does this move feel so strangely familiar? It almost makes me think Captain Ace himself is here!" Knowing the gravity of the situation, Blackbeard dared not be careless for a moment. He suddenly unleashed his most powerful technique, condensing the endless darkness he had just released into a massive, terrifying sphere of darkness, as deep and dark as Black Hole.

"Drink..." At this critical moment, accompanied by a booming, deafening roar, both sides seemed to be of one mind, and shouted out in unison! In an instant, this powerful sound wave swept out in all directions like a surging sea, as if the whole world was trembling at this moment!

In that instant, the entire world seemed to freeze, and everyone's eyes were focused on the earth-shattering battle that was about to unfold. Without any warning or hesitation, this epic duel, which was enough to shake the heavens and earth and startle even the gods, suddenly began in such an unexpected way!

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Moke's usually resolute face now appeared unusually solemn, his brows furrowed, and his eyes flashing with a fierce light. Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide and let out a deafening roar, "Holy Light — Flame Emperor!" With this roar, an incomparably powerful aura surged out from his body, like a surging torrent, sweeping across the surroundings.

In an instant, as if summoned by some mysterious force, all of Moke's power surged wildly into his arms. In the blink of an eye, his arms were filled with immense power, muscles taut, veins bulging, as if containing boundless might. At this moment, his hands were tightly gripping the enormous sphere burning with raging flames. The fireball was entirely crimson, like a blazing sun fallen from the heavens, its surface flaming with flames dozens of feet high, the intense heat illuminating the surrounding space in a fiery red glow.

Moke took a deep breath, then without hesitation swung his arms, slamming the enormous fireball in his hands down onto the ground. The fireball streaked across the sky like a meteor, carrying a terrifying, world-destroying force. Wherever it passed, the surrounding air was scorched and distorted by the intense heat, crackling and popping like thunder, terrifying and chilling to the bone.

Meanwhile, Blackbeard, standing opposite him, was equally unwilling to back down. His eyes were wide open, bulging like copper bells, as if they were about to burst open, burning with a raging rage that seemed capable of incinerating everything in front of him. Veins bulged on his ferocious, twisted face, and he let out a deafening roar, "Dark Star..." Before he finished speaking, he used all his strength to lift the heavy black sphere in his hand high, and then hurled it into the vast sky with overwhelming force.

In an instant, the black sphere, like a bomb with its fuse lit, suddenly burst forth with an unparalleled and extremely powerful energy. With lightning speed, it transformed into a dazzling beam of light, as black as ink and seemingly endless, shooting straight into the Nine Heavens like Inazuma ripped through the night sky. Its speed was astonishing, like a giant meteor roaring forth from an endless abyss of darkness, carrying a boundless power capable of destroying the world and a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine.

Just then, the Straw Hat Crew, who had been leisurely and unhurriedly strolling towards the town, were suddenly startled by a deafening roar. At the same time, shouts of battle surged from all around, shattering the tranquility. They all looked astonished, abruptly stopping and simultaneously raising their heads, their gazes fixed on the direction from which the sound came. Initially, the distance obstructed their view, but as time passed... A second passed, and when everyone finally pierced through the layers of fog to see the scene unfolding in the distance, they all gasped in shock, their expressions freezing instantly. The breathtaking, gripping confrontation between Moke and Blackbeard had nearly made everyone's eyes pop out of their sockets. Even Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, usually fearless and headstrong, were deeply shaken. This life-or-death struggle, so intense and unimaginable, far exceeded their current understanding of combat.

Looking at Nami, Chopper, and Usopp, this cowardly trio was utterly terrified. They huddled together, trembling, their faces ashen. Even the usually quick-witted Usopp was now stammering, "What... what kind of monster is this? It's terrifying!" Nami's screams echoed through the air, Chopper's tongue lolled out involuntarily as he stared in utter horror at what was happening before him.

"Run! Quick!" Luffy roared hoarsely, his voice seemingly piercing the sky. In an instant, he snapped out of his shock, his eyes widening, flashing with fear and determination.

In the blink of an eye, Luffy's figure shot out like Inazuma, creating a gust of wind. He was already beside Nami. Without hesitation, he stretched out his strong arms and hoisted the petite Nami onto his broad, sturdy shoulders. Then, without even a glance back, he fled like an arrow, headlong into the distance.

At the same moment, Roronoa Zoro and Sanji naturally wouldn't sit idly by or lag behind. Roronoa Zoro suddenly exerted force with his feet, and like a green phantom, he appeared in front of Chopper in an astonishingly fast step. With a wave of his hand, he easily picked up Chopper as if he were a chick, firmly grasped him in his hand, and then smoothly tucked him under his arm.

Meanwhile, Sanji displayed his agile and nimble skills. In a flash, he appeared beside Usopp like a ghost. Without a word or a movement, Sanji bent down and, without hesitation, hoisted Usopp onto his broad back. Then, he pushed off the ground with both feet, took long strides, and followed closely behind Luffy, sprinting forward together.

The three men were incredibly agile, each movement flowing smoothly and seamlessly, without the slightest hesitation or delay. However, despite their swift and decisive actions, their hearts were filled with fear and anxiety. They were acutely aware of the formidable strength of their enemy, and any moment's hesitation or lapse in concentration would undoubtedly lead to unimaginable and terrible consequences.

Therefore, at this moment, all they could do was run with all their might. They wished they could sprout wings so they could escape this dangerous place full of perils and dangers in an instant.

However, despite their swift running, they were still too late. Just then, Sanji shouted, "Over there..." Following the direction he pointed, everyone saw a small hill on the left. Without hesitation, Sanji changed direction and led everyone to race towards the hill.

In the blink of an eye, just as they were about to reach the hillside, a deafening roar suddenly erupted in mid-air—"Boom!" It turned out that two enormous spheres had collided violently in mid-air. In an instant, light burst forth, like a dazzling bolt of Inazuma ripped through the sky. The intense impact distorted the surrounding air, creating an invisible force that spread outwards.

This power was so terrifying that it seemed to tear the entire world in two. One half was shrouded in darkness, while the other half Shine with blinding light, the boundary as distinct as two completely different rivers.

When everything finally calmed down, people were astonished to find that Blackbeard had vanished without a trace. Standing there, Moke gasped, muttering to himself, "... Good heavens! Good heavens, he got away really fast." But then, Moke thought it made sense. After all, this guy wasn't an ordinary person; he was the renowned Marshall D. Teach, a member of the mysterious and powerful Clan of D., and one of the Four Emperors who would later Might-Shaker the Four Seas. Even now, before he had consumed the terrifying Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he had managed to escape unscathed after severely Red-Haired Shanks. Thinking of this, a hint of awe appeared in Moke's eyes.

This shows just how awe-inspiring and terrifying his strength was—it was simply beyond imagination! Just then, Luffy and his crew slowly rose from behind a hillside. This seemingly insignificant hillside, no matter how small, would have been at least ten meters high! However, at this moment, the entire hillside appeared to have been sliced off by an enormous, incredibly sharp blade, leaving only a pitiful half-meter remnant on the ground... If they hadn't all been desperately lying prone on the ground, they would probably have suffered the same fate as this unfortunate hillside, mercilessly sliced away...

"Hiss..." Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper all gasped in unison. The reason was simple: the area before them, which had just been a picturesque and beautiful island, had instantly transformed into a lifeless, desolate wasteland. If they hadn't witnessed it firsthand, they would never have believed it. Even after witnessing such a bizarre and terrifying transformation, they were still filled with disbelief. Nami, Usopp, and Chopper, the three relatively timid individuals, instinctively rubbed their eyes vigorously, seemingly wondering if they were hallucinating or seeing things.

"Gulp..." Luffy swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. At this moment, he was filled with shock and doubt, even beginning to waver in his unwavering beliefs. Luffy had never hesitated or retreated before, but now, facing such powerful opponents, he couldn't help but ask himself: could he really defeat these strong individuals, beat them all up, and ultimately become the coveted One Piece? This question swirled in his mind, like a dark cloud hanging over his heart.

He subconsciously turned to look at Roronoa Zoro beside him. In that instant, he deeply understood the complex feelings Roronoa Zoro had when he fought against the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk —a mixture of boundless longing for great power and profound despair at the insurmountable gap between them.

Just as everyone fell silent and pondered, a sharp whistling sound suddenly came from the sky. "Whoosh..." A dazzling beam of light streaked across the sky like Inazuma, falling straight down at an astonishing speed, and instantly crashed in front of Luffy and the others.

Nami, Usopp, and Chopper were startled by the sudden turn of events. Instinctively, they jumped away like frightened rabbits and hid behind Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Sanji. Then, they cautiously peeked out and peered nervously ahead.

Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Sanji kept their eyes glued to the spot where the beam of light had struck, not daring to look away for a moment. As the light gradually faded, a figure slowly emerged. When they saw who it was, all three of them widened their eyes in unison, their faces showing disbelief. Roronoa Zoro, in particular, had his usually resolute and cold eyes filled with astonishment, as if he had witnessed the most incredible sight in the world.

Just after the thrilling battle ended, amidst the lingering smoke, a figure gradually became clear. Someone pointed at the figure in surprise and exclaimed, "One of the two people fighting just now was you...?!?" The speaker's eyes widened, staring incredulously at the person before him, as if witnessing the most impossible thing in the world.

Before Moke could answer, the man muttered to himself in a low voice, "How is this possible?" Luffy, witnessing the whole thing, was equally astonished and incredulous. Then, as if driven by an invisible force of fear, he involuntarily took several steps back. Only he knew firsthand the terrifying, despair-inducing power of Logia Devil Fruits. Therefore, facing Moke now, he felt absolutely no desire to resist.

Moke smiled slightly, revealing a row of clean, white teeth, and said in a relaxed tone, "Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, long time no see! We meet here again." Hearing this, Chopper, who had been a little confused, quickly turned his gaze to Luffy and Roronoa Zoro, his eyes flashing with surprise. "So it's someone you know! Oh my god, that really scared me..." He then patted his chest, looking like he was still shaken.

However, Luffy didn't relax like Chopper. On the contrary, he remained tense, staring at Moke warily and asking, "You wouldn't happen to be someone Smoker sent to capture me, would you?" As soon as he said this, Chopper, who had just relaxed a little, was struck dumb, frozen in place, unsure of how to react.

Nata cautiously peeked out from the corner and whispered, "It shouldn't be, he's a pirate now." Sanji, standing nearby, frowned and retorted, "But he's Shichibukai, he's with the Marines!" Just then, Roronoa Zoro, who had been silent all along, suddenly took a few steps forward, his expression unusually serious and earnest, and said, "I want to have another match with you!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was startled, especially Na, who couldn't help but exclaim, "Huh?" This was truly unexpected. Then, someone reacted, asking in confusion, "Wait a minute, why did you say 'again'? Does that mean you've already fought this guy before?" For a moment, everyone's eyes widened, their faces filled with disbelief. They had all witnessed the fierce battle just now, and in their minds, although Roronoa Zoro was strong, the difference between him and this monstrous opponent was immense.

However, faced with the surprised gazes of the crowd, Moke paused slightly, then his lips involuntarily curled into a smile, and he nodded gently, indicating his agreement to Roronoa Zoro's request. "Of course..." Upon receiving Moke's affirmative reply, Roronoa Zoro's previously tense face finally relaxed slightly, and even a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared. He slowly extended his right hand, swiftly drawing two of the three swords from his waist, gripping them tightly, ready for battle at any moment.

"Yoho..." Moke stared intently and instantly recognized the three swords Roronoa Zoro was gripping tightly. Among them, the unsheathed Wado Ichimonji resembled a sleeping dragon; though its sharpness was not yet revealed, one could feel an invisible pressure emanating from its very appearance. The other two drawn blades, on the other hand, emitted a chilling light that sent shivers down one's spine, clearly no ordinary weapon.

"Tsk tsk tsk, truly worthy of being the second-in-command of the main characters!" Moke couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "After losing such peerless swords as the Sandai Kitetsu and Shusui, he still manages to possess such powerful weapons. He must have had many extraordinary encounters along the way!" With that, he raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a sly smile.

Just then, with a crisp "whoosh," Moke's Sandai Kitetsu was drawn from its sheath as swiftly as Inazuma. In an instant, a sharp sword aura shot into the sky, reaching straight for the heavens.

Faced with Moke's sudden action, Roronoa Zoro showed no fear. His eyes narrowed, and with a burst of power from his legs, he shot towards Moke like an arrow. At the same time, he shouted, "Two Sword Style no Suki!" Before the words were even finished, Roronoa Zoro's twin swords slashed out at an extremely unpredictable angle, creating gusts of wind that swept towards Moke.