A breeze swept through the ruins, carrying dust and grit that brushed across his face.
Moria slowly opened his swollen eyes. The sudden light stung them, and he instinctively shut them again. After a moment, he reopened them, more accustomed to the brightness.
The evil glint of his demonic gaze was gone.
He looked utterly wrecked, his battered form told the story. That last strike had hit him harder than the blast that burned him previously.
Above him, the sky hung thick with a purple haze, weighing heavily on his chest like an omen.
"…It's been a long time since I last saw the sun," Moria muttered. His body was covered in blood, a swollen purple welt ballooned around his left eye, and one of his broken fangs had torn a deep gash from the corner of his mouth to his jawline.
After two brutal defeats, something inside him had shifted.
Moria wasn't one to run away, not really. Sure, he'd built a life hiding in the shadows, delegating everything, dreaming of conquest while avoiding direct confrontation, but deep down, he was a fighter. A violent demon who never backed down from a challenge.
And yet… this time, he was afraid.
He'd watched as Perona, even in her supposedly invincible ghost form, was nearly killed by that skeleton-headed swordsman.
He'd seen Absalom, his stealth expert, easily defeated by that woman.
And then there was that boy. The one who had crushed him. Twice. Whose strength filled him with terror and despair.
Moria didn't want to lose anyone else.
But,
"Moria-sama!!"
A delicate voice rang out, followed by the rustle of clothes as someone rushed to his side.
The moment he stirred, Perona, pale and shaken, had noticed.
After the battle ended, Brook used his soul powers to guide Perona's Mental Power back into her body. Her physical recovery had been rapid, thanks to the strange vitality of youth. But the trauma… that remained, lingering like a nightmare she couldn't shake.
"P-Perona…?" Moria croaked. His voice was hoarse, weak. He was clearly in terrible shape.
His vision was still blurry, blood-crusted eyes struggled to see. He could barely make out her silhouette, and his split lip made even forming words painful.
Thankfully, her distinct voice was enough for him to recognize her.
She sounded okay. That alone made Moria let out a small breath of relief.
Perona stumbled toward him, her long legs clad in black-and-white striped stockings, tiny red boots tapping urgently on the rubble-strewn floor. Her petite frame, cute and doll-like, was marred only by the worry and dust on her face.
She knelt beside him, clearly still rattled, and whispered, "It's me, Moria-sama…"
Her voice trembled. She curled up beside him like a frightened child, as if just being near him might make her feel safe again.
"Yo. So, you're awake."
A casual voice cut through the tension.
Moria's body tensed instantly, like a trapped animal. Ignoring the searing pain in his broken ribs, he twisted his torso and looked up toward the source.
"You… What do you want?" he growled, each breath labored. The movement had reopened his wounds, and blood began to trickle down his sides again.
Standing before him, completely relaxed, was Luffy.
Luffy gave him a cool look, then glanced at Perona hiding behind her master. He shook his head and said, in a calm voice, "I don't want anything… Just came to talk about a little cooperation."
His tone was far softer than it had been before. The overwhelming pressure from earlier was gone. After all, whatever Moria had done, it didn't really matter to Luffy.
He'd torn Moria's castle apart, taken down his people, and now he was here asking to work together.
Looked at one way…
Yeah, it was kind of shameless.
But hey, Moria had taken a Devil Fruit that Luffy wanted. And if you couldn't beat Luffy?
Well then, weakness had its consequences.
Moria looked into Luffy's eyes, and felt ice crawl across his skin.
There was no killing intent in his voice… but the chill in his gaze was unmistakable. His presence alone was enough to make Moria's wounds start to freeze over.
That look said everything:
If you don't agree, I'll beat you until you do.
"...Cooperation?" Moria echoed.
Weirdly, hearing that word made the tension in his chest loosen.
Cooperation meant Luffy didn't plan to kill him. That was something, at least.
Still, he couldn't help feeling conflicted. Once upon a time, he'd been hailed as a man who could rival Kaido. And now? He couldn't even stand.
Being forced into an alliance like this, he knew exactly what it meant. But Luffy hadn't humiliated him with words. In its own way, that was a small mercy.
"At least… maybe now they'll be safe."
He looked over at Perona, and with that final thought, the idea of ruling the seas slipped quietly from his heart.
In its place came a strange sense of peace. The kind of peace that comes from surrendering a dream long past its expiration date.
He wasn't fit for this new era anymore.
"…I agree," he said quietly.
Three simple words.
But to Perona, and to Dr. Hogback, who was tending to the unconscious Absalom, it felt like a knife to the heart.
Because it meant that their king… had truly been defeated.
In that instant, Moria's body gave out. Too much blood lost, too much pride shattered. He collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust around him.
"Moria-sama!!" Perona cried, rushing to check on him.
Suddenly, a strange pressure weighed down on her.
"If that's settled," Luffy said casually, "we'll be at the port. When you're ready, come find us."
He spoke lightly, but the air shifted, his Conqueror's Haki flickered for a moment, pressing down on Perona and Hogback like a stormcloud. They froze, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
Seeing their reaction, Luffy lost interest in lingering.
The place was in ruins. Nothing left to see here.
The important stuff was done. Time to get back to the ship, where Robin's care and Brook's music were waiting. A much more comfortable place than watching Hogback slice someone open for treatment.
"Let's go," Luffy said with a smile, turning to Robin and Brook.
"Coming," Robin replied, her voice as warm as her smile. She walked after him, light on her feet.
"Yes, sir!"
Brook followed, brimming with awe. To see someone so effortlessly bring a powerful man like Moria to heel, he felt like fortune itself had smiled on him.
Following Luffy…
Yes, this life was going to be something truly special.
"Let me compose your story into a symphony, and share it with the world, Luffy-san!"
==========
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