Gekko Moria had come to Troy Island after hearing rumors of a graveyard of strong warriors. He wasn't there to loot treasures—he was there to steal the corpses of the powerful.
After his defeat by Kaido of the Beasts in the New World, he had lost all his comrades and fled back to the West Blue alone, nearly broken.
But he couldn't let it end like this—especially not with Kaido. He would never forgive him. While escaping Wano Country, he happened upon the grave of the Dragon-Slaying Swordmaster Shimotsuki Ryuma. Stealing Ryuma's corpse and sword gave him an idea.
And indeed, he succeeded. By implanting a living person's shadow into a corpse and sealing the contract, the corpse would reawaken as a zombie, completely obedient to his commands.
Now, he just needed to solve a few problems: the durability and preservation of the corpses, the scarcity of strong shadows, and the creation of a powerful zombie capable of threatening Kaido.
"Click, click."
Badak used a Den Den Mushi camera to snap photos of Moria, whose figure hadn't yet fully deteriorated. If events followed their original course, Moria would soon head to the Florian Triangle in the Grand Line and turn into a bloated wreck.
"Moria, since returning from the New World, why abandon piracy and take up grave-robbing instead?"Badak's words instantly enraged Moria, though he was already furious to begin with.
"Hmph, you destroyed my zombies and let my shadows escape, so I'll take your shadows instead. I'll make you live like rats in the dark corners forever, and your shadows will serve me eternally."
Moria drew the giant scissors from his waist, gripping one side in each hand as they instantly transformed into two blades. With a powerful swing of his right hand, he brought the blade down hard on Badak—a strike of formidable force not to be underestimated.
Badak didn't dare to be negligent and quickly parried with Shuǐqiū. This black blade was sharper and sturdier than white steel, allowing Badak to conserve his Armament Haki for other uses.
With a loud "clang," the two blades collided—this was merely the first probing strike between them.
Badak's legs sank into the ground up to his knees. Moria's strength during this period was immense, making it difficult for Badak to match him in his human form.
"Geehihihihihi! Kid, being able to block that strike means you're no weakling even in the New World. I like your shadow even more now." Moria began a relentless assault with his twin blades, each strike carrying tremendous force. Though his swordsmanship wasn't refined, his raw power and speed were overwhelming.
Badak stopped matching strength with strength and instead relied on footwork and technique to counter Moria's frenzied attacks, retaliating with his superior swordsmanship.
After a while, Moria—the aggressor—ended up sustaining several injuries. His expression darkened further. "Kid, your swordsmanship is better, but the sea isn't just about swordsmanship. Shadow Clone!"
Moria's shadow slowly rose from the ground, pitch black but otherwise identical to him, also wielding twin blades. "Now it's two against one. How will you handle this? Geehihihihihi!"
"Of course I know—Devil Fruit powers. I have them too."
Badak transformed into his Beast-Man Form, his height easily surpassing 2.2 meters, his golden fur shimmering with a faint glow. He rarely used this form, usually only appearing in it when acting as a cover. But now, facing Moria, it was fitting—at the very least, Badak's strength in this form was no less than Moria's.
This time, Badak took the initiative, combining his swordsmanship with the Six Styles' Shave and Moon Walk to press Moria's main body. Whenever Moria's shadow tried to flank him for a two-on-one, Badak would use Shave to reposition, keeping himself, Moria, and Moria's shadow in a straight line, ensuring it remained one-on-one.
Moria gritted his teeth in frustration. "Six Styles... Are you a Marine? No, someone like you wouldn't be unknown if you were a Marine. Who the hell are you?"
"Just an ordinary adventurer from the West Blue. Badak of the Dandelion Organization."
Even as he spoke, Badak didn't let up, adding several fresh wounds to Moria's body.
"I don't care who you are—just die!"
Seeing Badak swing his sword again, Moria didn't bother defending or dodging. Instead, he slashed at Badak in return, seemingly intent on trading blows.
Badak frowned, suddenly realizing Moria was setting a trap. Sure enough, his strike passed harmlessly through Moria as if Shuǐqiū had cut nothing but air.
Moria's blade, however, struck true—the first time he had managed to land a hit on Badak. The ground beneath Badak shattered, debris flying everywhere, some even reaching the area where Robin and the others were watching.
"Geehihihihihi! Shadow Swap, geehihihihihi!"
Moria laughed triumphantly.
"Badak!"Seeing this scene, Robin and the others tensed up and wanted to step forward to help. However, Daz Bones remained relatively calm and reassured everyone, "Don't worry, the boss has mastered Haki. Tricks like this won't hurt him."
As the dust settled, they saw Moria's blade strike Badak's shoulder—yet it didn't even cut through his clothes.
Moria's grin instantly twisted into shock. "Armament Haki! You actually possess Armament Haki of this level?!"
"Oh, Moria, isn't Haki a common ability in the New World? Don't tell me you can't even use it."
Badak's words struck Moria's pride once again.
Moria had surged through the Grand Line with unstoppable momentum, relying on his Shadow-Shadow Fruit and immense strength to crush opponents—whether they were Devil Fruit users or Haki masters. To him, Haki had never seemed like a big deal—until he encountered Kaido. That bastard had utterly overwhelmed him in every aspect, especially with his overwhelming Haki, leaving an indelible mark on Moria. That battle cost him everything—his dreams, his crew, his passion—all lost.
"What do you know?! The New World is a graveyard of dreams! With those monsters lurking there, countless people have met their doom! A brat like you, even if you make it there, will only find death waiting. Your crew cares about you, right? But in the end, you'll lose them too."
"Know why? Because they're alive. As long as they live, they can be lost. But if they were already dead—zombies—then there'd be nothing left to lose."
"Join my Zombie World Project. Zombies are immortal. Even if they're purified, they can be replaced—truly endless soldiers."
Moria stared at Badak expectantly.
"Uh, no thanks. I'd rather not see a world full of zombies," Badak refused without hesitation.
"You bastard! Then die here! Shadow's Asgard!" Moria unleashed his ultimate technique. Shadows flew toward him from distant places. "100... 200... 250... Is this all I've got left? Still, it's more than enough to deal with a brat like you!"
Moria absorbed the shadows into his body, his already towering frame swelling even larger. In an instant, he dwarfed even Saul, whom Robin remembered as a giant. He felt power surging through him.
"Good. Great Ape Form—Maximization!"
Badak, too, went all out. His massive golden-furred ape form loomed even taller than Moria. Not stopping there, he wrapped his fists in Haki, though he knew he couldn't maintain it for long.
"Moria, this is the final round! Let's go!"