"Hmm? What's that noise?"
Xia Chen, who was talking with Rocks below the luxurious tomb, paused slightly and looked in a certain direction.
In an instant, Xia Chen roughly guessed what had happened, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
With Luffy and his crew's current strength, even without the Enies Lobby incident, they are definitely much stronger than when they arrived here in the original story.
If Moria were to so easily steal his shadow, that would be unacceptable.
Even if it's taken away, it's alright. Luffy and his crew experience some hardship. Thanks to his presence, the pirate crew has basically never encountered any major crises. The number of times Luffy and his crew have faced life-or-death situations can be counted on one hand.
Originally, Xia Chen didn't plan to make a move when he came to Moria. The reason he killed Absalom was simply because of what Absalom had done in the original story—to eliminate any future trouble!
And... he has something even more important to do now!
Xia Chen turned his gaze back to Rocks and asked, "So... why did you lure me here?"
He talked a lot with Rocks during this time and learned many things he didn't know, which made him feel a chill down his spine. This world is not as simple as it is shown in the comics!
Rocks smiled and said, "So that I can fight alongside you against Imu!"
"Fight Imu?" Xia Chen narrowed his eyes and said, " Imu's strength is still a mystery. Eight hundred years is a long time; even a pig would have become a spirit by now, right? Are you sure we can defeat him?"
Rocks was a little surprised by Xia Chen's words and looked at him, saying, "You really do know a lot. I only learned this information by reading countless Poneglyph from all over the world!"
"Then let me tell you some things you don't know, like why Imu wanted to kill me!"
" Imu killed you?" Xia Chen's face showed a shocked expression.
"But wasn't the rumor that you were defeated by Roger and Garp working together?"
To everyone's surprise, Rocks scoffed and said, "The two of them think they can defeat me?"
"The one fighting them back then was no longer me!"
" Imu has the ability to switch consciousness. He had already killed me then, and the subsequent battle was just a show he orchestrated while controlling my body!"
After listening to Rocks's words, Xia Chen remained silent for a long time. Rocks's words had challenged his long-held beliefs. However, a question then arose in his mind.
"How can I be sure you're not lying to me? And didn't you say you were dead? Then what's going on with you now?"
"Do you think I would have any reason to lie to you? I've already said it, we're the same kind of people, and only we can harm Imu!"
Only then can we overthrow the rule of the World Government!
"Why would I overthrow the World Government's rule?" Xia Chen rolled his eyes helplessly. Why would he go looking for trouble and insist on going against the World Government?
Although the World Government does many inhuman things, what does it have to do with him? As long as it doesn't affect him, that's fine!
He's not some saint, doing nothing but using the pretext of saving humanity to overthrow the World Government. And the problem is, even if the World Government really falls, humanity might not necessarily be any better off.
Who knows, if pirates become rampant, things will be even more chaotic! Right now, the World Government at least strives for balance and won't allow any one power to become too dominant!
Of course, if the World Government were to take action against him first, that would be a different story. In that case, he would at least have to shout, "Dare to change the world!"
Rocks said calmly, "Indeed, under normal circumstances you have no reason to overthrow the World Government! But... what if Imu wants to kill you?"
"Huh? Why did he want to kill me?" Xia Chen asked curiously.
Based on what he learned from the anime, even if you are very strong, Imu will not take action unless you pose a threat to the World Government's rule.
Didn't you see that Whitebeard lived for so long?
Because you possess...
" Divinity!"
!!!
The perspective shifts back to Luffy and his crew. When they looked at the enormous giant before them, their cerebellum felt like it was about to shrink.
"How... how can it be so big! It's several times the size of a normal giant!" Usopp said, his legs trembling.
Chopper, standing to the side, was terrified.
"Does this creature really exist? What if it stomps down and kills us instantly?"
"Ah! Calling Xia Chen, calling Xia Chen! Where did Xia Chen go at this crucial moment?!" Usopp shouted.
"Interesting, this physique. I hope he's not just all looks! Otherwise, it'll be too boring!" Zoro said casually.
"Indeed! He was utterly humiliated by Xia Chen back in Sky Island, so he'll make up for all the suffering he endured by taking it out on this big guy!" Sanji said slowly, exhaling a puff of smoke.
"Alright, let's go!" Luffy said with a smile.
As soon as they finished speaking, the three of them shot off like arrows released from a bow.
Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, Robin said, "This guy doesn't look easy to deal with. Let's go help him!"
"Okay!" Nami nodded, and then the two of them ran towards the giant.
"U... Usopp, let's go help too!" Chopper said, his face full of fear, but he still forced himself to speak.
"Okay!" Usopp said firmly, though his body was trembling.
Although he was afraid, his comrades were fighting, and he couldn't just stand there watching them. He would never falter in a crucial moment!
He was a brave sea warrior!
After giving himself a pep talk, Usopp grabbed his newly crafted weapon and charged towards the battlefield, turning to Chopper and shouting, "Hurry up, Chopper!"
"Alright! Here I come!" Usopp's decisiveness greatly boosted Chopper's confidence.
" Chopper! If I'm ever in danger, remember to come save me. I don't care if you have to take the hit with your own body!"
Chopper: "Get lost! (ノ`Д)ノ!"
Seeing the group approaching him, the red giant let out the same laugh as Moria.
"Hehehehe~ I'll kill you all first, collect some interest, and then I'll go kill Xia Chen!"
"All of you... must be buried with Absalom!"
The sudden sound made everyone running stop involuntarily.
Luffy asked curiously, "Big guy, are you Moria?"
"That's right! This is a zombie I specially made, the Oars the Continent Puller! I originally wanted to keep it so I could fuse it with a stronger shadow."
"But since you've disrupted my plans, I'll show you the power of my shadow personally fusing with a zombie!"
"Prepare to die!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Oars threw a punch at the group.
"Get out of the way!"