Within the gloomy hall of the central castle, flickering candlelight cast the enormous shadow of Moria onto the mottled walls.
This Warlord of the Sea lounged lazily upon a throne made of bones. On either side stood two of his three main subordinates, Hogback and Absalom of the [Three Monsters].
Before them, a 'young lady' with pink twin-tails was pinned to the ground by several zombie soldiers.
"Let me go! My mother is Big Mom!" Charlotte Lola struggled desperately.
Moria's massive body leaned forward slightly, letting out a piercing laugh.
"Kishishishi, the name of an Emperor might scare others, but I am a man seeking revenge on Kaido!"
"You want revenge on Kaido?" Lola stared at Moria's bloated figure, finding it hard to imagine how this guy planned to seek revenge on Kaido.
"Kishishishi, since you're Big Mom's daughter, your potential should be good. I'll take your shadow," Moria laughed, raising his scissors, ready to cut Lola's shadow.
Just then, Perona's ghost form passed through the ceiling, shouting loudly, "Moria-sama! Disaster has struck! Our drifting barrel sucked in the ship of the Warlord, Chiaki Setsuna!"
"What? A fellow Warlord with Moria-sama?" Hogback and Absalom were both terrified. They weren't afraid of Big Mom because an Emperor's power was hard to extend into the first half of the Grand Line.
But Warlords were different. Warlords and Marine Headquarters jointly maintained stability in the first half of the Grand Line. They were truly capable of threatening them.
"Kishishishi, they came just at the right time," Moria waved his scissors excitedly, greed flashing in his eyes.
"I heard that kid is a physical monster like Kaido. If I could get his shadow and stuff it into Oars's body…"
He seemed to already see himself leading an army of zombies to take revenge on Kaido.
Absalom was somewhat worried. "Moria-sama, but I heard that man's subordinates possess the strength to defeat a Warlord. What if they join forces…"
Moria laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't I have excellent subordinates like you? Absalom, I leave that 'Ace' fellow to you."
"Huh? I fight Fire Fist Ace?" Absalom pointed at himself in disbelief, 'Since when did I become that strong without knowing?'
"Kishishishi," Moria's laughter echoed through the castle. "Your and Perona's Devil Fruit abilities are perfect for ambushes. Without knowing your abilities, even the strongest warriors could stumble."
Hearing this, Absalom immediately straightened his back, a smug expression appearing on his face.
If he defeated that Fire Fist Ace, that guy's reputation would become his.
Perona also puffed out her little chest, brimming with confidence.
Just as the two were immersed in their beautiful fantasies, a brilliant sword light suddenly tore through the sky.
The entire upper half of the castle was sheared off amidst the blinding light. Rubble and debris rained down.
Amidst the swirling dust, Setsuna and his subordinates slowly descended through the shattered dome, stepping on the broken ceiling.
"Cavendish, your swordsmanship has improved quite a bit," Setsuna nodded in approval.
"Thanks to your intimidation, Captain. My other personality has become much more obedient. Now, every time I sleep, he takes over my body to practice swordsmanship," Cavendish grinned, showing no shame about 'exploiting his other personality'.
'An officer can have such swordsmanship?' Moria's pupils contracted sharply.
'The newspapers reported mostly on Chiaki Setsuna and that subordinate of his named Ace.'
'But it seemed now, this man commanded many more terrifyingly powerful subordinates under his banner.'
Absalom and Perona's legs felt a bit weak. The aura the opponents exuded upon arrival was far stronger than theirs. They looked like the type you absolutely didn't want to mess with.
Absalom felt their side's momentum was completely suppressed. He wanted to help boost Moria's imposing presence with a fierce glare.
But the moment he opened his eyes wide, Cavendish's other personality switched and glared back, scaring him into retreating behind Moria, trembling.
Lola curiously observed these people. The pressure they radiated was no less than that of her monstrous older brothers and sisters.
"Chiaki Setsuna!" Moria shouted, fierce on the outside but weak within. "What do you want?"
Setsuna elegantly brushed dust from his sleeve, a slight smile curling his lips. "Didn't you 'invite' us in with your drifting barrel?"
Moria was momentarily speechless. How was he to know his fishing would hook a prehistoric crocodile?
Setsuna continued. "Since you're so hospitable, inviting me in as a guest, why not be even more courteous and give me this ship as well?"
"Nonsense!" Moria flew into a rage. "A pirate ship is a pirate's woman! How could I give my ship to you?"
"Hmm, that's troublesome," Setsuna pretended to be troubled, rubbing his chin. "Now that we're both Warlords, if I just take it by force, the World Government's face might not look too good."
Setsuna suddenly clapped his hands, as if struck by a brilliant idea. "How about this? Let's have a 3 vs. 3 officer duel. If I win, your ship is mine."
Moria sneered. "And if I win?"
"Then I won't take it," Setsuna shrugged, his tone casual as if discussing the weather. "We'll have a nice, peaceful afternoon tea, then everyone goes home."
"Bastard!" Moria was furious. "You want to steal my ship, and you won't even offer a proper wager?"
Setsuna looked surprised. "I'm already being merciful by not just killing you and taking the ship. And you still want a wager?"
He shook his head, his tone carrying the disappointment of an elder. "So immature."
Moria was about to go mad with rage, waving his scissors. "I'll kill you!"
Hogback and Absalom held him back tightly. "Moria-sama, calm down! They have the advantage in numbers. We can't start a fight."
Perona also said, "Trust our strength, Moria-sama."
Moria took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "I do have three main officers. But Hogback is just a doctor, with no combat ability. Unless we let Hogback control the zombies he stitched together."
"No problem," Setsuna nodded calmly, then had Ace, Cavendish, Enel, and Uta step forward. "These are my four main officers. You can choose your opponents freely."
"I choose her!" Perona and Absalom spoke almost simultaneously, pointing at Uta.
Perona immediately glared angrily at her colleague. "This is a duel between ladies. Why are you interrupting?"
Absalom stiffened his neck, arguing. "I have more experience dealing with women. How about you pick another opponent?"
Perona gritted her teeth. "Do you want to try my Negative Hollows right now?"
Absalom surrendered in a second. "Fine. You go first."