Chapter 111

Perona, Absalom, and the others felt their hearts skip a beat.

Moria’s body also gave a violent shudder.

Death itself might not be terrifying, but this process of waiting for death was enough to drive anyone to despair.

Furthermore, having to face a situation where their close subordinates would die regardless of whether they themselves lived or died made it even more unbearable.

The first shot was a blank.

Luo Xing did not hesitate and prepared to pull the trigger for the second shot.

"Wait!"

Moria finally spoke up. He crawled up from the ground, his face twisted in an agonizing struggle, and looked at Perona and his other subordinates who were deeply worried for him.

He closed his eyes, and after a fierce internal battle, Moria opened them and said:

"I can submit to you, but only to you—not to the Beasts Pirates, and certainly not to Kaido!"

Moria could never submit to Kaido, the man who had killed his subordinates!

Luo Xing tossed the pistol aside, looked at Moria with a smile, and said:

"Welcome to the team that will destroy the world, Mr. Moria."

104. Subjugating the Zombie Army, Letting Oars the Continent Puller Eat Dragon-Level Monster Cells

At the moment Luo Xing subjugated Moria,

the battle between Zoro and Ryuma had reached a fever pitch.

The speed at which both sides exchanged blows was so fast it was hard to follow.

Amidst the clashing sword waves, countless buildings were destroyed.

"Two-Sword Style: Two-Sword Flash, Climbing the Tower!"

Zoro slashed down from above, like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, unstoppable.

Ryuma, worthy of being a legendary Great Swordsman, remained calm and held the Black Blade Shusui horizontally before him.

He then crossed paths with Zoro.

"Humming: Arrow Notch Slash!"

This was a sword technique belonging to Brook’s shadow, but in Ryuma’s hands, its power far exceeded Brook’s.

*Slash~*

A sword mark appeared on Zoro’s back, and blood began to flow.

A larger sword mark appeared on Ryuma's shoulder, but since he was a zombie, he did not bleed.

"It has been a long time since I encountered a swordsman like you."

Ryuma slowly turned around, looked at Zoro, and said earnestly:

"On the path of the swordsman, what is your ambition?"

Zoro answered without the slightest hesitation.

"To be the strongest, of course! I will become the world’s greatest swordsman!"

Ryuma laughed: "In that case, you are worthy of this Black Blade Shusui."

Ryuma held Shusui high.

"Come, this is the final strike, swordsman of the future!"

Zoro grinned, sheathed the Wado Ichimonji, and left only the Second Generation Kitetsu in his hand.

Zoro took a deep breath and gripped the Second Generation Kitetsu tightly.

A layer of black mist immediately permeated the blade of the Second Generation Kitetsu.

"Is this the demonic aura of the Cursed Blade Kitetsu?" Ryuma’s pupils constricted. "No, this eerie feeling is perhaps better described as ghost aura."

Ryuma was increasingly satisfied with Zoro and felt happy that Shusui had found a worthy new master.

Ryuma gazed affectionately at the Shusui in his hand.

"Before you belong to a new master, old friend, let us fight one last time!"

Ryuma suddenly swung Shusui downward.

A massive sword wave, seven or eight meters long, shot out!

Facing such a terrifying slash, Zoro did not retreat but advanced.

"Ghost Aura: One-Sword Style, Ghost Slash!"

The ghost aura seemed to condense into a demon that manifested over Zoro’s body.

The demon was ferocious, tearing the massive sword wave to shreds, and the Second Generation Kitetsu then slashed across Ryuma’s neck.

Ryuma fell to the ground at the sound.

Zoro sheathed his sword, walked up to Ryuma, and picked up the Black Blade Shusui.

Ryuma, with his last breath, said:

"I entrust Shusui to you. Although I have lost, can you tell me how Wano Country is doing now?"

Ryuma was, after all, a samurai from Wano. His original surname was Shimotsuki, and he actually belonged to the same clan as Zoro’s master, Koushiro Shimotsuki.

Zoro said:

"I haven't been in Wano for long, so I don't know much. However, from my own observations, the people of Wano are living quite well, and the current Shogun, Yamato, is a kind-hearted person."

Upon hearing this, Ryuma finally closed his eyes in peace.

Zoro buried Ryuma’s body on the spot before returning to Perona’s palace.

"Just in time."

Luo Xing, having just subjugated Moria, said to Zoro:

"Let’s go take a look at that legendary giant."

Moria led the way.

He now wore a collar around his neck, made of Seastone just like the ones worn by Enel and Trafalgar Law, which could expand and contract freely.

Under normal circumstances, it did not affect their movements or the use of their Devil Fruit abilities.

But once Luo Xing contracted the collar, they would immediately lose all ability to resist.

Although Moria had agreed to submit only to him under Luo Xing’s coercion, temptation, and psychological pressure, Luo Xing still needed to add a layer of insurance.

When this insurance would be removed depended on Moria’s performance.

In fact,

a figure like Moria, even with his strength greatly diminished, still possessed pride.

They would not lie, nor would they deign to lie.

Since he had chosen to submit, he would not easily go back on his word.

Absalom followed at Moria’s side.

Ghost Princess Perona floated far behind in the air, her eyes still red from having just cried.

She stole glances at Luo Xing’s back, occasionally gritting her teeth and making various funny faces.

Those who knew her would know this was Perona’s way of showing she was angry but didn't dare to express it.

The group arrived at the massive underground prison.

"My... my lord, this is where the giant Oars is imprisoned."

Moria still found it hard to shift his mindset; calling Luo Xing "my lord" felt very unnatural.

Luo Xing didn't mind; one always needs time to adapt.

He stepped forward to examine Oars’ massive body.

Oars stood a full sixty-seven meters tall, twice the size of an ordinary giant, and even taller than the combined giant form of Queen and Jack.

In the entire pirate world, the only one larger than Oars was likely the "Massive Battleship" Sanjuan Wolf, imprisoned on the sixth level of Impel Down.

Sanjuan Wolf had reached a terrifying height of 180 meters, comparable to a moving castle.

Luo Xing asked Moria:

"Has a shadow been placed inside Oars?"

Moria shook his head: "There is no shadow of a suitable powerhouse."

A zombie’s strength depends on both the strength of the corpse in life and the strength of the shadow; both are indispensable.

Oars’ physique alone was enough to provide the strength he had in life, but he lacked a powerful shadow.

This fully demonstrated that Moria had wasted his time during the ten-plus years he spent on Thriller Bark.

With so many powerhouses among the Marines and pirates, it would have been easy to find one suitable for Oars.

Luo Xing thought that after finding a suitable shadow for Oars, with his formidable body, he might be able to withstand the Dragon-level monster cells.