Chapter 131: Thriller Bark – The Price of Underestimating an Opponent

Shichibukai Gecko Moria was an imposing figure, standing well over six meters tall.

In contrast, Takumi, at fourteen years old and only 1.5 meters tall, looked like a mere child in front of him. But appearances didn't matter—what counted was strength. And as Moria stood arrogantly before him, Takumi was already weighing which technique to use to take him down.

Using Raikiri could end the fight in one clean blow.

Or he could channel all his power into Divine Departure, leaving no room for Moria's escape.

Even a quick burst of Conqueror's Haki and some well-placed smaller techniques would be enough to put Moria on his knees.

The key was simply avoiding Moria's ability to steal shadows.

Having made up his mind, Takumi decided to return Moria's taunt with one of his own: "Seems like you don't know how terrifying I really am."

Moria was silent for a moment.

Nearby, Perona's eyes were wide in panic, "What do I do... Will I ever get my body back?"

Moria laughed, "Yohohohoho! Perona, don't worry. I'll beat him so badly you'll have your body back in no time! Stupid brat, I'll show you what it means to face a Shichibukai!"

As he spoke, Moria used his Devil Fruit ability to control his Doppelman, silently sending it toward Takumi's shadow from behind.

But just before Doppelman could seize Takumi's shadow, Takumi reacted. In an instant, Star Fragment, his cursed blade, was covered in Armament Haki, and he slashed through Moria's shadow, splitting it in two.

Though the attack didn't strike Moria directly, the Haki-imbued sword prevented the shadow from quickly reforming.

"Impressive... Armament Haki at this level?" Moria's eyes widened. "Seems like you're no ordinary swordsman, kid."

"It's pointless," Takumi said calmly. "You have no chance against me."

"Yohohohoho! Such arrogance!" Moria taunted, motioning for Takumi to come closer. "Come on, kid! Let's see what you've got!"

Takumi smirked. With a burst of Shunpo, he disappeared from Moria's sight and reappeared right in front of him, slashing downward with Star Fragment.

But Moria was prepared. At the last second, he retracted his Doppelman, positioning it between himself and the sword. The strike hit the shadow, but this time, Moria's shadow was far stronger, reinforced by his Shadow Asgard technique.

"That's my Shadow Doppelman—a lot tougher than you might think. Yohohohoho!" Moria laughed. "If you want to reach me, you'll have to get through it first!"

"A mere shadow," Takumi scoffed.

In a flash, Takumi performed Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating a second Takumi who caught the cursed sword Star Fragment mid-air.

Perona's jaw dropped. "What... He can do that too?!"

Moria frowned. "That... that clone has a real presence. Is he also a Devil Fruit user?"

Takumi only grinned. "A moment's hesitation in battle can be fatal." He tossed the sword to his clone and said, "Take care of his shadow."

The clone smirked and nodded. "Consider it done."

Moria's eyes widened in shock as he watched the clone move independently. "A clone... with consciousness?!"

Before Moria could react, Takumi had closed the gap once again, his hand crackling with lightning as he prepared to unleash Raikiri.

Desperately, Moria attempted to call back his shadow to protect himself, but Takumi's clone intercepted it, using Armament Haki to pin it to the ground.

"Going somewhere?" the clone taunted as he slashed the shadow with Star Fragment.

Moria, realizing the danger, used his Shadow Asgard technique to transform his shadow into a stream of dark energy, allowing it to bypass the clone.

But just as the shadow escaped, Takumi's clone leapt up, slamming his Haki-infused foot down, pinning the shadow back to the ground.

"You won't escape," the clone smirked.

"Dammit!" Moria cursed as he lunged at Takumi, aiming to grab his shadow.

But Takumi easily dodged, activating Moonwalk to soar above the battlefield. With a final burst of speed, he brought his lightning-charged hand crashing down toward Moria's head.

A system message flashed in his mind:

[Ding! You've engaged in battle with Shichibukai Gecko Moria. Sign-in progress +20%. Current progress: 50%. Reward: Mastery level Shadow Imitation Technique.]

Distracted for a split second by the notification, Takumi's strike narrowly missed its mark, giving Moria just enough time to escape the full brunt of the attack.

The Raikiri slammed into the ground, sending cracks rippling through the iron floor.

Moria quickly seized the opportunity, grabbing the clone's shadow in desperation.

But before Moria could make the final cut, Takumi canceled the Shadow Clone Jutsu, leaving Moria holding nothing but empty air.

"WHAT?!" Moria roared in frustration.

Realizing he was cornered, Moria prepared his ultimate move: Shadow Asgard. His shadow spread across the ground, absorbing every shadow on Thriller Bark. "This is your fault, brat!" Moria bellowed. "Now you'll see my true power!"

But Takumi had no intention of giving him the chance to finish.

With a burst of Conqueror's Haki, Moria froze in place, his body trembling under the sheer pressure.

In one swift movement, Takumi unleashed his most devastating attack, Divine Departure. A single, massive slash cut through the air, striking Moria with full force, sending him crashing into the ground below.

"MO... MORIA-SAMA!" Perona shrieked as she rushed to the bloody heap of her fallen commander. She tried to touch him but, in her ghost form, she could do nothing.

Takumi sheathed his sword. He could hear Moria's faint heartbeat. "Still alive, huh? Guess I'm not strong enough yet… If my swordsmanship were at the next level, you'd be dead."

As he turned to leave, Perona summoned all her remaining courage. "I'll avenge Moria-sama!"

Takumi paused, then calmly removed her physical body from his system storage, placing it on the ground. "He's still alive," he said, looking back at her. "Take care of him."

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