"That was quite the commotion," Jin said, glancing toward the distant tower.
He had clearly seen the battle on Zoro's side just now.
To be honest, Zoro's swordsmanship was truly terrifying. Even the so-called legendary samurai had been no match for him.
"What are you looking at?" Oars asked curiously, following Jin's gaze, though he didn't see anything unusual.
"Nothing," Jin replied. "Just checking on my companions' fight."
Zoro's battle was already over.
That meant he needed to speed things up on his end as well.
With that thought, Jin glanced at the Kusanagi Sword at his waist and drew it in one smooth motion.
Clang—
The moment the cold blade flashed, Oars's eyes lit up.
"Th-that sword looks amazing!"
How had he not noticed such a cool-looking weapon at Jin's waist earlier?
"Cool, right?" Jin grinned. "This is the famous Kusanagi Sword. It can conduct chakra and fully carry the user's abilities."
Because of the Expansion Jutsu, the sword had grown along with him.
He had to admit—Akimichi techniques really were incredible.
Oars tilted his head and scratched his scalp.
"What does that mean?"
Clearly, this single-celled brute hadn't understood a word.
"What it means is—" Jin smiled widely, "I'm about to cut you with it."
"Better be careful, big idiot."
Oars frowned.
If the other guy had a weapon, and he didn't… that felt unfair.
He began looking around for something he could use, but nothing suitable caught his eye.
"Wait a second, let me—"
"Like hell I will!"
Jin roared and charged forward, swinging the massive blade straight down.
"Damn it!"
Oars shouted and raised his right arm to block.
Clang!
"Hm?"
"Your bones are pretty tough, huh?"
Jin looked surprised. He hadn't expected the Kusanagi Sword to fail to cut through.
"Looks like without wind-style chakra reinforcement, its power drops a lot…" he muttered.
"Huh? That's weird… it doesn't hurt," Oars said, staring at him in confusion, as if wondering why the attack had done nothing.
"Don't worry," Jin said calmly as he pulled the blade back. "I've got other methods."
Before Oars could react, Jin thrust straight toward his chest!
This time, Oars raised his arm again—but it was too late.
The sharp blade pierced through part of his arm muscle, slid between his ribs, and skewered him completely.
Then Jin followed up with a brutal kick, smashing Oars flat onto the ground and pinning him there with the sword.
Looking down at the giant nailed to the earth, Jin said coldly:
"The same move doesn't work twice, Oars."
He glanced toward the shoreline.
"All right. Time to get to work."
"Even if you're a zombie and won't die from being torn apart… tossing you into the sea will purify you just the same."
During their fight, he had tried to knock Oars toward the ocean, but Oars's strength had made that difficult.
So Jin changed tactics.
"The sea?" Oars muttered.
"I don't want that—I'm a landlubber…"
He paused.
"Huh?"
"Am I a landlubber?"
He vaguely remembered that he might be—but also maybe not.
Jin's mouth twitched.
There had to be a limit to how dumb someone could be.
With a cold snort, Jin shifted his gaze to Oars's legs.
"Hey… what are you looking at?" Oars said nervously, instinctively tensing his legs.
"Breaking your legs first," Jin replied casually.
"I nailed you to the ground specifically so you wouldn't move."
He lifted his massive foot.
"Once your legs are broken, I'll toss you straight into the sea."
With Oars pinned, this would be easy.
"Damn it, let me go!" Oars struggled.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stand up.
"Keep dreaming!"
Jin brought his foot down toward Oars's joint, aiming to shatter it.
If this stomp landed, even if it didn't fully break the leg, it would cripple the joint.
Just then—
A shadow rushed in and instantly expanded into an enormous black curtain!
"Shadow's Lick—no—Shadow's Asgard Curtain!!"
Buzz—!
BOOM!!
Jin's foot slammed down, crushing the shadow and warping it violently until it finally shattered.
But the impact was absorbed just enough.
Oars's leg wasn't broken.
Jin frowned at the familiar shadow.
"Moria?"
"Zehahahaha! Can't let you crush my precious Oars!"
Moria appeared nearby, laughing wildly as he looked at Jin with increasing obsession.
"What kind of look is that?" Jin snapped.
"And what did you do to Luffy?!"
Luffy had chased after this guy—but now Moria was here alone.
Had Luffy been defeated?
Jin's eyes flicked toward Oars.
Oars was still lively—meaning Luffy wasn't dead.
Good.
"Let me go!!"
"Shut up!" Jin barked, stomping down on Oars again to pin him in place.
"Zehahaha, how violent," Moria chuckled.
"Relax—your captain's fine."
"As for where he is… I don't know. I couldn't find him either."
Moria had searched the forest earlier but found no trace of Luffy.
Then he noticed Oars being beaten half to death and rushed over.
Only to find Jin about to break Oars's legs—forcing him to intervene.
"Didn't find him…" Jin murmured.
He glanced in the direction Luffy had gone.
That was where Lola's group had set up their temporary base.
Had they taken Luffy with them?
Otherwise, with Luffy's personality, he'd be shouting Moria's name at the top of his lungs by now.
Heh… looks like that fat garlic's in for a surprise later.
"Kid," Moria said, staring straight at Jin, "I came here to ask you something."
"Do you want to become my subordinate?"
"If you join me, I'll release your companions' shadows and let them leave safely."
"I won't treat you like a tool—I'll treat you sincerely."
For once, Moria's expression was serious.
He meant every word.
If Jin joined him, he truly intended to consider him family.
"You? Someone who plays with zombies—talking about caring for subordinates?" Jin sneered.
Moria fell silent, then gave a bitter laugh.
"You might not believe it… but it's precisely because I care about my comrades that I became obsessed with zombies."
After what happened back then, he never wanted to see his companions die again.
That was why, after all these years, only three living people remained by his side.
Zombies could be destroyed and remade.
He didn't have to watch them truly die.
Taking a deep breath, Moria said:
"I'm telling the truth. You can ask Perona and the others if you want."
"The ghost girl…" Jin muttered.
He recalled her face—more like a mischievous child than someone cruel.
That personality probably existed because Moria had protected her too well.
He might've even raised her like a daughter.
But—
That still wasn't enough.
"So what's your answer?" Moria asked.
"I refuse."
"Refuse?!" Moria stared in disbelief.
"I'm one of the Seven Warlords! You won't even think about it before rejecting me?!"
His face darkened as he glared at Jin.
"You know what happens when you reject me, don't you?"
"I'll give you one last chance—"
"Save it, Moria," Jin interrupted coldly.
"You, who've lost your fighting spirit—what right do you have to say that to me?"
"In my eyes, you're nowhere near Luffy."
"Not even close."
"Bastard!" Moria roared.
"How is that brat better than me?! He's just a rookie with a bounty barely over four hundred million!"
"What makes you think I'm inferior to him?!"
"Because you're a coward who's lost his resolve," Jin shouted.
"And Luffy—"
"Luffy is the man who will become Pirate King!!"
His voice echoed across the island.
Almost everyone heard it.
The Straw Hat crew smiled instinctively—
Because that was something they all believed.
"Pirate King…"
From atop the tower, Kuma smiled faintly.
Dragon's son…
He really had found good companions.
"Pirate King?" Seac asked blankly, staring at the massive figure.
"Straw Hat big brother… is he talking about you?"
"Yeah," Luffy said confidently.
"That's me."
"I'm gonna be Pirate King!"
In his Nightmare form, Luffy vanished the instant he finished speaking—rushing straight toward Jin's location.
"Hey, at least let us go with you—!"
"Go find the proposal lady at the tower," Luffy's voice echoed back.
"Leave this to us!"
The group exchanged looks.
"…Do we listen to him?"
"Jin said earlier we stay here…"
"Idiot," another whispered.
"Jin meant we stay here to guard the shadows."
"But now the shadows are on Straw Hat big brother."
"Staying here doesn't matter anymore."
"Then we—"
"Go find the captain. Don't get in the way of those two."
They knew it well.
If they stayed, they'd only become burdens.
With giants fighting nearby, one wrong step meant instant death.
"Move!"
"Yeah!"
...
"Pirate King…"
Moria staggered back a few steps, as if struck.
In Jin's eyes, he was nothing—
And that Straw Hat brat would surely become Pirate King?
Rage exploded uncontrollably in his chest.
"Fine! Since you rejected me—don't blame me for being ruthless!!"
His shadow writhed violently—
Then shot straight into Oars's abdomen.
"Shadow's Shadow Doppelman—no—Shadow Lick!"
In an instant, Moria's body was replaced by shadow.
Jin's eyes widened.
So this was the trick he'd used earlier.
He'd hidden inside Oars.
"I see… special modifications," Jin sneered.
"But too bad—Oars can't protect you."
He raised his arm to strike—
"Shadow Spear!!"
A long, sharp shadow shot upward toward his lower body.
"Damn it!"
Jin's pupils shrank as he instantly withdrew and leapt back.
After confirming he was unharmed, he cursed:
"Moria, you bastard—using dirty tricks?!"
He hadn't even aimed there when fighting Oars!
And this guy went straight for it?!
As Jin retreated, the Kusanagi Sword embedded in Oars began shrinking back to its original size.
The pressure vanished.
Oars immediately pushed himself up.
"Oh!"
"I'm free again!"
"Zehahahaha!"
The cloth on Oars's stomach opened, revealing Moria seated inside a specially prepared control chamber.
Clearly, this had been designed long ago.
Controlling Oars from within his shadow, Moria laughed:
"Kid, what do you think pirate battles are?"
"As long as you win, any method is acceptable!"
Lost resolve?
Called a coward?
Did that matter?
As long as he could defeat his enemies—
As long as he could gain stronger zombies—
As long as he could defeat Kaido!!
If it meant avenging his fallen comrades, he'd gladly descend into hell!
His eyes were bloodshot—completely unhinged.
"You're right," Jin said grimly.
"In pirate battles, methods don't matter."
Just like a ninja mission—
Only the result mattered.
Whoosh—
The sword flew back through the air, shrinking to normal size.
"Kid, I don't know what that sword is—but without it, you're no match for us!"
"Oars! Kill him!"
"Why should I—"
Oars suddenly froze.
His expression changed completely.
"…That voice."
"Is that… my master?"
"Yes! It's me!" Moria laughed ecstatically.
"You finally recognize me!"
"Kill him, Oars!"
Oars's remaining memories vanished completely.
He was now a perfect servant.
"Yes, Master!" Oars roared.
"I will kill him!"
"ROAR!!"
"So his memories are gone…" Jin murmured.
Now he understood.
Over time, shadows forgot their past—becoming utterly loyal zombies.
Jin narrowed his eyes at the falling Kusanagi Sword.
"Looks like I'll have to fight normally and—"
Before he could finish—
A shadow flew in from afar, catching the sword midair.
The figure landed on Oars's back.
"One-Sword Style — Rhino Slash!!"
CLANG!!
The immense force made Oars stagger forward uncontrollably—straight toward Jin.
"Jin!!" Luffy shouted.
Seeing Luffy in midair, Jin froze—then burst into a grin.
"Got it, Captain!"
That blue-skinned form—
Clearly the result of shadow power.
Nightmare Luffy.
As Oars closed in, Jin raised his arm, muscles bulging.
"Moria—watch closely!"
"This is the bond between us!"
"Recruit me?"
"Try again next life!"
BOOM!!
His massive punch smashed into Oars's jaw, launching the giant skyward.
At the same time, Luffy stretched his arm, grabbed Jin, and slingshotted himself onto his shoulder.
They exchanged a glance—
Then laughed.
"Let's do this, Luffy!"
"Yeah!!"
Inside Oars, Moria roared with fury.
"You bastards!!"
"Oars!!"
"Sorry, Master—I can't move!!"
Gravity took hold.
Oars began falling toward the sea.
Inside, Moria clung desperately to his seat.
"Then I'll just—"
Before he could finish—
Two figures appeared in midair.
"You—!!"
No more words.
Jin and Luffy each threw a punch at the same time.
"Violence — Home Run!!"
BOOOOM!!
The titanic body was sent flying straight toward the shoreline.
Inside Oars, Moria's face turned green as the ocean rushed closer.
"You bastards—!!!"
Hearing his scream, the two in midair looked at each other—
And burst into laughter.
"Tasted it yet?!"
"This is our combo technique!"
"Hahahahaha!"
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