Solid Move, Brilliant Move, Bad Move

Akuta stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him.

He never imagined that the person who saved his life would be the future Shichibukai who would reside aboard Thriller Bark.

Moonlight Moria!

Akuta was somewhat surprised; wasn't the system's challenge mission supposed to allow him to inherit Moria's last wish?

But the person is alive and well now, how can he inherit their last wishes?

Surely he can't be expected to kill himself, can he?

While pondering, Akuta glanced at Moria out of the corner of his eye.

At this time, Moria had not yet grown into the bloated and enormous figure he would later become.

Although he was tall, he was also very strong and muscular, exuding the vigor of a young pirate!

However, this vitality is now dissipating at a visible rate.

Moria twitched the corner of his mouth and, with his last bit of strength, manipulated the shadow net, slowly lowering the Akuta to the sea surface beside him.

His raised arm fell limply to his side, and the large net of shadows in the air vanished with it.

Do you know me?

"Uh..." Akuta said proudly while wading through the water, "I guess you could say we know each other. Don't underestimate my Information Network, of course I know a great pirate like you!"

"Really? Looks like I'm pretty famous! Hehehehehe!"

In the final moments of his life, Moriah once again let out his classic, signature laugh.

He never expected that this guy who fell from the sky would recognize him.

So it seems I've been quite successful.

Akuta looked at the dying man before him and a wave of emotion suddenly welled up in his heart.

According to the original timeline, Moria should have completely lost his fighting spirit after this crushing defeat, left the New World and fled back to the first half of the Grand Line, stealing the corpses of powerful figures everywhere, attempting to create a zombie army to take revenge on Kaido.

Thinking of this, Akuta couldn't help but sigh.

Moriah, Moriah, he never realized the problem until the very end.

His battle with Kaido only appeared to be evenly matched, but in reality, it was clearly an old man toying with a child!

Moria has absolutely no chance of defeating Kaido!

He shouldn't have directly challenged Kaido in the first place; that was a terrible move.

If Moria had gone directly to Kozuki Oden and danced a duet with him, he would have made this move!

Maybe it will move Kaido.

Thinking of this, Akuta couldn't help but look at Moria.

"I not only know you're Moria, but I also know that you led your subordinates in a direct battle against Kaido of the Beasts to save the Ringo region of Wano Country."

Moriah's pupils contracted sharply.

"You... how do you know this!"

Piracy is a dangerous profession.

To prevent enemies from retaliating against their hometown, pirates usually conceal their true identity.

Places like one's hometown are absolutely not something that can be revealed casually.

To prevent Ringo from suffering retaliation from his enemies, Moria's battle with Kaido was generally considered by everyone except his own crew and a few of his fellow countrymen in Ringo to be just an ordinary war between pirates.

He never expected that this young man who had fallen from the sky would actually know...

Akuta grinned.

"I told you, don't underestimate my Information Network."

Moria stared blankly at the Akuta, then after a moment, he suddenly laughed with relief.

"Really... So there are still people who remember me..."

Moria's gaze slowly shifted to the Sky Manipulation.

"My comrades... are all dead..."

"The people after the bell... I couldn't save them either..."

"I'm such a... useless captain..."

His voice grew softer and softer, sounding like a candle flickering in the wind.

Akuta silently watched the dying man, then suddenly spoke:

No, you didn't lose.

Moria's gaze sharpened slightly.

Akuta stared directly into his eyes.

"You fought Kaido to the very end, without running away or retreating."

Your comrades, too, none of them betrayed you; they all fought alongside you to the very last moment.

How could someone like that be a loser?

Moriah's breathing suddenly quickened, and something flickered in his eyes.

"Yeah..."

He managed a strained upward turn of his lips, revealing a genuine smile.

"Then I'm... relieved..."

As he spoke, Moria suddenly reached out his right hand and grabbed the wrist of the Akuta.

Moriah's gaze suddenly became incredibly intense, as if the last rays of his life were burning within him.

"Kid, I know I shouldn't ask you this, but I'm about to die, I have no choice!"

"My comrades, the people of Bellow, they shouldn't have died like this."

"Kaido is still in Wano Country; he'll destroy it sooner or later."

His fingers tightened, and he looked at Akuta with pleading eyes.

"Since I saved your life from the Sky Manipulation, then I can be considered your savior."

"Since I am your savior, please allow me to ask you for one thing."

"Can you save my homeland for me? Take responsibility for defeating Kaido for me!"

Moria's eyes were fixed on the Akuta, his eyes, which had lost their luster, burning with their last glimmer of light.

Akuta was slightly taken aback.

He looked at the dying man before him, and suddenly the system's mission description came to mind.

"Take over Moria's dying wish and save the people of Wano Country from Kaido!"

To take over Moriah's will.

So that's how it is.

Akuta took a deep breath and nodded vigorously.

"Why wouldn't I dare! Even if Kaido's Beasts Pirates have 100,000 men, I can still chew them to pieces!"

"Hehehehehehe!"

Moria burst out laughing.

Although the mention of the Akuta was just casual, Moria felt an urge for some reason.

This young man, who almost fell to his death at sea, could really defeat Kaido in his place!

Moria looked up and first pointed to the driftwood beneath him.

"I'm going to die soon. After I die, throw my body into the sea, and then try to float on the plank beneath me."

Afterwards, Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability was activated again.

A shadowy tentacle emerged from beneath Moria and slipped into his trouser pocket.

Under Akuta's questioning gaze, an ordinary apple was taken out of Moria's pocket and placed in his hand.

"Kid, I once heard a rumor. When a person with superpowers dies, their power will reside in an ordinary fruit nearby."

We're on the sea now, and apart from this apple in my hand, there shouldn't be any other fruit nearby.

I have nothing to offer you as a reward, so let's take a gamble.

Akuta looked at Moria in shock, vaguely guessing what the other was planning to do.

There was no fear in Moria's eyes; he simply waved the apple in his hand.

"If after I die, my Shadow Fruit resides in this apple, then this fruit will be my reward to you."

If you can't find a place to stay, just treat it like regular food.

Before Akuta could react, Moria's shadow tentacles transformed into a sharp spike and pierced his heart.

With a sound of flesh being pierced, Moria's life completely vanished.

In his final moments, as his strength waned, Moria tossed the apple to the Akuta and, with his last breath, tumbled off the driftwood.

The apple flew through the air in a parabola, hurtling towards the direction of the Akuta.

The Akuta caught the apple precisely.

The next moment, a surge of heat, seemingly from nowhere, appeared on the apple.

The once ordinary apple began to twist and change at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Spiral patterns grow from the surface of the apple.

Akuta's pupils contracted sharply.

"This is... the Shadow-Shadow Fruit!"

He looked at Moria beside him in disbelief.

By this time, Moria had already lost all vitality.

But his eyes remained open, still fixed on the direction of the Akuta.

Whether it was just his imagination or not, Akuta vaguely sensed that Moria's lips were smiling.