Moria was lost in fantasies.....
Acquire Hawkeye's shadow.
Find a powerful corpse.
Insert the shadow.
Gain an obedient zombie version of the World's Greatest Swordsman.
Roam the New World with his swordsman zombie.
Collect shadows from other strong warriors.
Find...
Insert...
Acquire...
"Kishishishi! Eventually, I'll possess shadows from Caesar, Kaido, Shanks, and Blackbeard! I'll create the world's most powerful zombie army! Kishishishi!"
The warlord trembled with excitement at these prospects, his corpulent frame shaking so violently that the scissors in his hand rattled.
Then!
"Hey! Stop right there!"
Seeing Hawkeye about to be "cut," Beckman roared with thunderous fury, his voice echoing across the desolate ice field.
"Waaah!"
Startled, Moria dropped Mihawk's shadow with a thud.
Shivering, he turn around to face Beckman.
"B-Ben Beckman!"
Beckman's features remained obscured by the darkness, rendering his expression unreadable.
In an instant, he vanished from his original position, reappearing directly before Moria.
"Moria... what exactly are you trying to do?" Beckman's voice was cold.
Moria found his hands trembling uncontrollably.
His lips moved haltingly as he stammered, "B-Beckman, let me explain—I mean, let me justify—no, I mean—"
Beckman replied calmly, "Go ahead and explain."
"I... what if I told you I was treating Mihawk's injuries? Would you believe me?"
Moria desperately wanted to use his shadow-swapping technique to escape, but reason reminded him that this was Ben Beckman before him.
Even at full strength, successfully fleeing would be a miracle—let alone in his current wounded state.
"I believe you. I believe you completely."
Beckman's response left Moria utterly dumbfounded.
No way... You actually bought that?
I don't even fucking believe it myself, okay?
Beckman pointed at Hawkeye lying on the ground and calmly said.
"Treat him now. If it doesn't work, you know the consequences."
Moria shuddered, his face twisting as if he'd just lost Absalom all over again.
Beckman's voice grew colder as he snorted, "Well? Where's your healing method?"
Moria forced a dry laugh and slowly picked up Hawkeye, gripping his shadow once more.
Under Beckman's piercing gaze, he gritted his teeth, pulled out his giant scissors and cautiously explained.
"Beckman, I'm not trying to kill him, alright? Watch closely—I'll cut his shadow off first. It's nighttime, so without sunlight, he won't die from losing it. Then I'll attach my Shadow Doppelganger to him, transferring his injuries onto my shadow..."
His tone turned mournful halfway through, sounding like a man who went in for a circumcision only to find little Moria had been snipped off too.
"After that, I'll reattach his shadow. It won't fully heal Hawkeye, but it'll transfer most of the damage. Though... I'm badly injured myself."
Moria's method actually sounded plausible.
As a Shadow-Shadow Fruit user, Moria's abilities were mysterious, but Beckman—Red Hair Pirates' chief strategist—knew these secrets well.
Moria's past defeats, like his loss to Kaido and retreat to the Florian Triangle, weren't exactly secrets either.
Moria wore a pained expression but had no choice.
Steeling himself, he deployed his sole healing technique—a brutal exploit meant to forcibly shift his own injuries onto others via the Shadow Doppelganger.
Who'd have thought this rarely-used trick would now be turned against him?
Since when did Gecko Moria become some self-sacrificing saint?
Life was unpredictable, huh?
After Moria's frantic maneuvers—
Thud!
With a grunt, Moria collapsed stiffly.
Meanwhile, Mihawk's eyes snapped open as he bolt upright.
Swish—
He instinctively reached for his sword, only to find Yoru absent from his grip.
Pausing briefly, he took in Beckman's familiar face and Moria sprawled motionless on the ground.
"Beckman. You saved me?"
Beckman shook his head, gesturing at Moria.
"This guy found you first—tried stealing your shadow. I stopped him. Then he used his power to shift some of your injuries onto himself."
Mihawk arched a brow, eyeing Moria indifferently.
"Then he has my thanks."
Turning back to Beckman, he asked, "Where's Shanks? How did the battle end?"
Beckman sighed, sorrow flickering across his face—though no tears fell.
"Shanks is fine. He's already returned to Tottoland with the Beast God Pirates. There's an important meeting tomorrow. It's just... sigh! Half of our officers died at the hands of Akainu."
"Is that so... What a pity." Mihawk's emotions didn't fluctuate much, though a silent sigh passed through his heart.
Beckman didn't say anything more and only asked him.
"Mihawk, are you coming to the Wholecake island? Shanks and the others are all there."
Mihawk shook his head slightly.
"No, I still need to find my sword."
Beckman thought for a moment, then nodded.
Immediately, Mihawk stood up, gave a slight nod, and then vanished into the night.
"Cough... Ugh, Beckman, get me to a hospital, I'm dying, really dying! It hurts so much, damn Hawkeye, how did he get so badly injured, and all internal injuries too. Where's the hospital, Beckman?"
Moria lay on the ground, barely breathing, groaning in pain.
Beckman replied indifferently, "On Whole Cake Island. Its not far, just about three hundred miles."
"NANIIII?!"
*****
Whole Cake Island.
By the time Yasopp and Lucky Roux arrived, they collapsed on the spot, unable to move another inch.
Katakuri noticed them immediately and ordered the Beast God Pirates' medical team to take the most severely injured away for treatment.
As for Yasopp and Lucky Roux, they only received basic treatment for their burns.
Watching Aokiji sink into a deep slumber, Katakuri's eyes gleamed sharply.
His mastery of Observation Haki was among the best in the Beast God Pirates.
Naturally, he could clearly sense just how weak Aokiji was at this moment.
"Hmph! Serves him right. Kuzan... Father must have his reasons for not killing him outright. Brulee!"
"Brother Katakuri, what is it?" Brulee, who always loved staying by Katakuri's side, was practically at his beck and call.
Katakuri picked up Aokiji and handed him to Brulee.
"Take Kuzan through the Mirror World to Perospero. Have them lock him up as well and wait for Father to deal with him personally after tomorrow."
"Mm!"
Brulee immediately took out a mirror, stuffed Aokiji inside, then handed the mirror to Katakuri before diving in herself.
A few burly Gifters followed her to help carry Aokiji.
"Yasopp, Lucky Roux, come eat something. Your captain has already arrived."
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