Moriah's eyes were bloodshot. Shoving other people's shadows into his body was no small burden; it was an immense strain on the user's spiritual power.
Living people already have their own shadows, and absorbing a large number of shadows would cause them to compete with each other, usually leading to a rejection reaction within minutes.
The more shadows there are, the greater the rejection reaction.
If he wanted to maintain high-intensity combat, this number of shadows was just right for Moriah, which is why he carried around this number of shadows.
The average height of an adult member of the Giant Race is twelve meters, and Moriah's current size was rare even among the giants.
The small horns on his head had turned into a pair of gigantic bullhorns, somewhat similar to Kaidou's.
His massive fist struck the ground, creating a deep crater, and the nearby residents of the Ringo District felt the massive tremor.
Then Moriah landed several punches in Kaidou's position, shaking the snow-covered layer of Ringo, exposing the frozen land below, with many cracks spreading outward.
What was once a small hill was now a small basin due to Moriah's attack.
Kaidou, who was originally standing there, had disappeared into the center of the basin.
Moriah believed that with so many attacks, it was impossible for him to continue fighting, so he turned to leave; his companions were waiting.
"Shadow... hmm?!"
Just as he was about to head to another battlefield, a threatening sensation came from behind, and Moriah displayed a reaction far beyond what his size suggested, shifting his body to one side as a scorching beam grazed past him.
"Ohohoho, you're an interesting opponent, but I've had enough fun."
The place where Kaidou once stood now had a large pit, and Kaidou had transformed into the Cyan Dragon, soaring in the sky.
"An Ability User?!"
It wasn't that Moriah was surprised by the existence of an Ability User. Over more than a year of sailing, he had encountered all kinds of people with various troublesome powers.
But what he couldn't accept was using almost his full power against a Kaidou who hadn't even used his ability.
It wasn't until he used his strongest move that Kaidou employed his ability.
"Your strength is impressive, but your Haki is too weak; such an extent won't hurt me!"
Haki was inherently a power of one's own. Throughout the journey, Moriah gradually learned some uses of Haki through battles, much like most people.
Only a few received systematic guidance, while most honed their Haki through fighting. Compared to Kaidou, who had unknown years of Haki training, Moriah's Haki appeared insignificant.
"What a pity, you have some decent ability, but since you refused my invitation, it's better for you to die here. Hot Breath!"
The dragon's mouth spewed fire once again. Although Moriah dodged it, he immediately sensed something amiss when he turned to see that the members of the Moonlight Pirates were engulfed in flames.
Because of the massive tremor he caused earlier, both sides had paused their battle, giving Kaidou the opportunity to launch a wide-ranging attack.
"Bastard, Kaidou, you bastard, what have you done?!"
Seeing the tragic state of his companions, Moriah nearly broke down, afterward madly charging toward Kaidou, but compared to before, his attack now lacked any form or strategy, just a frenzied swing of his fists.
"Since you've set sail, you have to be prepared, and this is my turf. You're the ones who intruded and plundered my subordinates; don't act like victims. From the moment you attacked, you declared war!"
Haki was entangled on Kaidou's head, and the dragon horns struck toward Moriah's body. Moriah had better ways to deal with it, but the tragic sight of his companions made him lose his reason, choosing to clash head-on with Kaidou in this state.
The outcome was obvious; two bloody holes appeared on his body as he was slammed into the fiery area.
"Since you declared war on me, be prepared for the consequences!"
Moriah's massive body extinguished the flames, and the corpses of many deceased companions came into view. At this moment, he couldn't hear a word from Kaidou.
"Captain Moriah… I can't make it, you must live on, I believe you can… become the Pirate King…"
"I'm sorry, Captain, it looks like our journey ends here..."
"Kaidou!!!"
The dying words of his comrades drove him completely insane, as he climbed to his feet and charged for Kaidou without a care, but this Moriah made Kaidou completely lose interest.
Initially, he considered Moriah a worthy warrior, but now he saw him merely as a deranged beast.
"Fool, what can you accomplish like this?"
Earlier, Moriah was worth his serious consideration, but now...
Kaidou reverted to human form, dodged Moriah's attack, and assumed a classic stance.
"Elbaf's Spear, Overlord's Might!"
Overlord's Might struck Moriah's abdomen, but with five hundred shadows empowering him, Moriah's strength far exceeded that of ordinary Sea King Types, causing Overlord's Might to leave a massive wound rather than piercing his body.
Blood sprayed out, and the shadows within him escaped uncontrollably, as Moriah's size visibly began to shrink.
"Captain, you must live on."
"Moriah, stand up, you can't die here!"
"Captain Moriah, aren't you going to become the Pirate King?!"
In Moriah's chaotic mind, the voices of his companions echoed incessantly, but one by one, they faded away, and the scene of his comrades' deaths replayed in his mind.
"I can't die here…"
His own shadow also merged with the fleeing shadows, and as Kaidou prepared to deliver the final blow, Moriah suddenly vanished.
"Brother Kaidou, should we pursue?"
"A beaten dog, let him go. Clean this place up; I have other matters to attend to." He had just finished the first round of games with Yamato, and by his estimation, Yamato could last at least three rounds.
He was already contemplating what other exciting games there could be, naturally, ones that were quite dangerous.
Compared to Moriah, he was more concerned about Yamato's growth.
And the commotion in the Ringo District naturally drew others' attention, as everyone in Ringo saw Kaidou soaring through the sky, and shortly after the battle ended, a man with hair the color of forgiveness, accompanied by a fox and a team of samurai, appeared there.
The Daimyo of Ringo, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, looked at the devastated ground of Ringo, his face, similar to Zoro's, showing a complex expression.