The two exchanged blows, sword light intertwining, making it difficult to determine a victor for a time.
Moriah stood to the side, his face terribly grim.
"Damn it! This guy, he clearly has a swordsman's shadow, so why is his own swordsmanship still so strong!" Moriah said through gritted teeth.
He hadn't expected Cheng Xiaoyu's swordsmanship to be so powerful that even the Ryuma zombie couldn't suppress him.
Just then, a figure silently appeared behind Moriah.
"Moriah-sama, do you need my help?" a chilling voice whispered in Moriah's ear.
Moriah spun around, only to see a tall, hat-wearing figure.
"Fufufufufu… Absalom, go help Ryuma end this fight quickly," Moriah said.
The next second, Absalom's figure vanished again, reappearing behind Cheng Xiaoyu, his dagger plunging fiercely towards Cheng Xiaoyu's back.
Cheng Xiaoyu's lips curled into a cold smile; his advanced Observation Haki had already covered everything around him.
An invisible man? In front of him, it was like a naked streaker, with no secrets to hide.
"A Transparent-Transparent Fruit user? Interesting," Cheng Xiaoyu looked at Absalom with interest. "However, do you think this is enough to ambush me?"
The instant Absalom's dagger was about to touch his back, he suddenly turned, and the Shadow Blade, imbued with sharp Haki, slashed down fiercely.
"Ah!" With a scream, Absalom's transparent body shattered like glass, then fell heavily to the ground, his life unknown.
The Shadow Blade in Cheng Xiaoyu's hand was dripping with blood.
"Absalom!" Moriah cried out in anguish!
It must be said that although Moriah was not a good person, his regard for his companions was absolute!
He would risk his own life for his companions!
Seeing Cheng Xiaoyu kill Absalom with his own hands, he became enraged.
The battle between Cheng Xiaoyu and the Ryuma zombie was also nearing its end.
Although the Ryuma zombie's swordsmanship was exquisite and his speed incredibly fast, under Cheng Xiaoyu's formidable strength and understanding of the Frost Moon Style swordsmanship, he gradually fell into a disadvantage.
"Now, it's time to end this!"
The Shadow Blade drew a perfect arc, sweeping towards the Ryuma zombie with overwhelming force.
"Boom!"
With a loud bang, the Ryuma zombie was split in half, falling to the ground, lifeless.
Guina's shadow was also retrieved by Cheng Xiaoyu.
"Now, only you remain, Moriah," Cheng Xiaoyu turned his gaze to Moriah, his eyes filled with killing intent.
"Fufufufufu… Don't be too arrogant, brat!" Although Moriah was terrified inside, he still feigned composure on the surface. "My shadows are far more numerous than yours!"
As he spoke, Moriah's body suddenly swelled, transforming into a giant shadow, and then countless shadow bats flew out from him, overwhelming Cheng Xiaoyu.
"Shadow bats? Why are you still using such childish tricks?" Cheng Xiaoyu chuckled disdainfully.
"Shadow Spikes!"
Countless sharp black spikes erupted from the ground, like a hedgehog's quills, piercing through all the incoming shadow bats.
The bats let out piercing screams, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating into the air.
Moriah's face changed drastically at the sight.
He hadn't expected his shadow bats to be so easily neutralized by Cheng Xiaoyu.
"Is that all you've got, Moriah? You disappoint me greatly. Your strength doesn't even deserve the title and bounty of a Shichibukai."
"Shadow Asgard!"
Moriah roared hysterically, and a giant shadow rose from the ground, wielding huge black scissors, striking fiercely at Cheng Xiaoyu.
The Shadow Asgard created by Moriah was fast and powerful, but for Cheng Xiaoyu, it was still not enough.
Cheng Xiaoyu's figure moved like a ghost through the Shadow Asgard's attacks, always dodging them perfectly, not even a corner of his clothes being touched.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Moriah was furious, seeing that his famed Shadow Asgard was useless against Cheng Xiaoyu, and his heart grew increasingly anxious.
He took a deep breath, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.
"Shadows Asgard!"
All the shadows, including those stolen and stored by Moriah, as well as the shadows of buildings and trees on the island, were drawn by some force, surging wildly towards Moriah.
Moriah's body became like a giant black hole, greedily devouring all the surrounding shadows.
His body rapidly expanded, and in an instant, he transformed into a hundred-meter-tall super giant, standing like a demon god on Thriller Bark.
"Fufufufufu… You're scared now, aren't you, brat! This is my ultimate trump card!"
Moriah's maniacal laughter was deafening, like a roar from hell.
However, Cheng Xiaoyu showed no fear, instead observing the giant before him with interest.
"Interesting, but… are you sure this bloated combat form will be useful?"
He slowly raised his right hand, and a black sniper rifle, condensed from pure shadow, appeared in his hand.
The gun body emitted a cold, eerie glow, as if it could devour everything.
"Shadow Raid Sniper!"
Cheng Xiaoyu aimed at Moriah's giant head and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Bang!"
With a muffled gunshot, a black bullet shot out like lightning, instantly piercing through Moriah's head.
Moriah's enormous body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The shadows he had absorbed also dissipated, shrinking rapidly like a deflated balloon, eventually returning to their original state.
"Moriah, it's not me saying this, but you are too weak, no wonder you are called the weakest Shichibukai!"
"So many years you've placed all your hope in Devil Fruit development, not cultivating Haki at all; that is your biggest weakness…"
Cheng Xiaoyu put away the Shadow Raid Sniper, a hint of disdain in his tone.
Afterward, Cheng Xiaoyu walked to Moriah's corpse, preparing to extract his shadow.
"Stand up."
Unexpectedly, the extraction process was unusually smooth; Moriah's shadow offered no resistance whatsoever, obediently standing up in one go.
Suddenly, a voice rang out: "Kaido… I must kill Kaido…"
This was Moriah's lingering obsession…
Only then did Cheng Xiaoyu understand that the reason Moriah was so easily extracted was because his revenge was unfulfilled, and he could not rest in peace.
He only wanted to take revenge on Kaido but was powerless to fight him. Now that he had been killed by Cheng Xiaoyu, it was a form of release.
"The Four Emperors Kaido, huh…" Cheng Xiaoyu murmured to himself, "Don't worry, Moriah, I will get justice for you from Kaido."
"Fufufufufu… Cheng Xiaoyu, are you planning to conquer the world with shadows?" Moriah chuckled eerily.
"Of course, I will become the strongest in the world."
The title of Shadow Monarch will surely echo throughout the entire sea…