Among the strong who sailed the seas, conviction could not waver. The stronger they were, the purer they became, the more fiercely they pressed forward—and the reverse was equally true.
If Moria, now stripped of his conviction, faced Kaido again, it would take nothing more than an ordinary swing of the club. He might not even get to see Thunder Bagua; Moria had long since lost the sharpness and strength he once possessed.
Dawn studied Moria, who could barely remain standing, a flicker passing through his eyes. He slowly descended from the air, his feet touching the ruins strewn with dust and broken stone. As he landed and dismissed his ability, his own shadow reappeared behind him.
He emerged from the swirling dust and smoke, looked at the spent Moria, and declared his final victory:
"Looks like... I won this four-day battle, Senior."
"Heyshishishi... brat..."
Moria's voice was as hoarse as a broken bellows. His previously unfocused eyes suddenly gathered their last glimmer of light, becoming bright and sharp.
"Let me tell you something... before the enemy draws his final breath... the battle... is never over!!"
The instant he finished speaking, his entire body seemed to melt, sinking completely into the shadow beneath his feet. In an instant, he crossed the short distance between them and appeared in Dawn's shadow behind him.
Moria burst from the shadow, his long blade wrapped in the last remnants of Armament Haki within him, and viciously stabbed toward Dawn's back!
"Die!"
Moria's lips curled wide, his face filled with madness and the exhilaration of imminent success. This was his trump-card ambush technique, one he had never used in their previous battle, all so it could achieve its greatest effect at this very moment.
The blade pierced the target's body without the slightest resistance, even