Chapter 17: Defeat Moria and Retrieve the Shadows!

Orange Town!

Nami stared at the sky, completely dumbfounded by the sight before her...

Moria's terrifying appearance, like that of a demon.

Just looking at him sent involuntary shivers down her spine.

This sensation was far more unsettling than his original form, a thousand times worse!

Cold sweat trickled down Nami's forehead...

"Can we really defeat an enemy like this?"

With her current perspective, she couldn't comprehend how they could possibly defeat Moria.

Even a minor villain like Arlong was enough to make her wish for death.

Let alone Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, with a bounty in the hundreds of millions!

Just looking at him was enough to drive someone to despair...

In fact, not only Nami thought this way.

Many potential future crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates across the world shared her sentiment.

Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Robin, Chopper, Brook, and others...

As they watched Moria's demonic form on the screen, fear spread through their hearts.

Because at this point, none of them had grown to the level shown in the images.

They were still inexperienced rookies, with neither the strength nor the vision to measure up.

Moria's presence filled them with despair.

Could this really be an enemy they would face in the future?

[Moria's size, comparable to Oars, undoubtedly exerted enormous pressure on everyone present.]

[They never expected that after finally defeating Oars, the battle wouldn't be over.]

[Moria... had such a hidden trump card!?]

[However, to everyone's despair, Moria wasn't the only threat now.]

[Those who had lost their shadows could not be exposed to sunlight.]

[But dawn was approaching, the sky was already turning white, and time was running out.]

[Everyone had to defeat the monstrous Moria in front of them within this short period and retrieve their shadows.]

[Otherwise... they would be stuck here forever.]

[But this task seemed incredibly difficult!]

[Luffy, who had absorbed a hundred shadows, could defeat Oars.]

[How terrifying would Moria be after absorbing a thousand shadows?]

This version of Moria scared countless people around the world...

Marine Headquarters!

Admiral Kizaru looked at the image of Moria on the screen, feigning shock:

"Wow, what a terrifying monster."

"I thought the situation might turn around, but it seems..."

"The Straw Hat kid is in real danger now..."

Admiral Akainu also snorted, "The Seven Warlords of the Sea are our acknowledged power, a symbol of authority!"

"How could they possibly be defeated by a group of rookie pirates?"

For Akainu and others, or even the entire Marine force,

The relationship between the Seven Warlords of the Sea and them was somewhat subtle.

Because, to a certain extent, they not only represented the strength of the pirates but also the face of the Marines.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea were handpicked by the Marine Headquarters from among the strongest pirates.

They had a special relationship and treaty with the Marines.

If such existence were easily defeated by a group of suddenly emerging pirates...

Wouldn't that be a slap in the face of the Marines?

Listening to the conversation between the two admirals, Moria, who had been feeling down, was almost moved to tears.

It seemed there was still warmth in the world.

Why did these two seem so pleasant for the first time?

[Moria's last resort was a sign of his rage reaching its peak.]

[He threw a punch, shattering the ground with his massive fist, and the power contained within it was unimaginable.]

[Numerous pirates who had their shadows stolen were completely hopeless; Moria truly seemed invincible.]

[At the same time, the first rays of sunlight fell, and those without shadows were immediately burned and tormented.]

[Faced with Moria and the sunlight, everyone, driven by fear, could only run towards the dark forest...]

[But at that moment, they witnessed a startling scene.]

[Despite facing Moria's threat and the imminent arrival of the sunlight, the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Luffy, showed no signs of faltering.]

[They stood their ground, confronting the monstrous Moria.]

[The determination and resolve on their faces were so clear...]

[Everyone was shocked...]

[The reason the Straw Hat crew didn't leave was that they were prepared for a do-or-die battle!]

[They were willing to risk their lives to retrieve everyone's shadows and save them all!]

[This scene stopped all the pirates who were about to flee in their tracks, bringing tears to their eyes...]

Meanwhile,

The people watching the live broadcast outside were deeply moved.

This unyielding determination, even in the face of a desperate situation, touched everyone's hearts!

Marines, the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Revolutionary Army, and countless pirates and civilians...

Both those who supported the Straw Hats and those who didn't.

At this moment, they were all moved...

Even though they didn't utter a single word, just standing there silently.

Everyone could see from their expressions that they seemed to be saying...

Their goal was one and the same, and even death wouldn't change it!

And that was...

Defeat Moria and retrieve the shadows!!!