"Moria-sama, what do we do?"
Absalom looked towards the giant figure standing in the center, fear surfacing deep in his pupils.
2.5 billion Berries, the entire pirate crew's bounty exceeding 5 billion Berries.
In the first half of the Grand Line, who could stand against the silver-haired group?
Not long ago, he had seen this guy kill Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords. How could this not make him tremble?
If he said his master Moria could fight Crocodile to a draw, he'd believe it. He hadn't seen top-tier powerhouses fight either, but if his master Moria could kill Crocodile, he wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death.
Don't forget Crocodile was a Logia type!
The Logia type, known as the strongest among the three devil fruit types, was an invincible existence.
He couldn't imagine what kind of power could harm a Logia, let alone kill a Logia user.
This was precisely why they were so panicked upon learning of the silver-haired one's arrival.
They had never been to the New World. Except for Perona, whom Moria might have picked up from Wano Country, the other two companions were found in the Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line.
And Moria wouldn't tell them about the New World, so they had no idea that such a power called Haki existed in this world.
They didn't know, but Moria did!
That's why Moria was also panicking about the silver-haired one's arrival.
He had long lost the ambition of his prime when he contended with Kaido decades ago. He returned from the New World to the Grand Line and hid in this dark and lightless Thriller Bark, because all his companions had died in the battle with Kaido, which made him hide.
His ambition, his spirit, had long since vanished decades ago.
The death of his comrades had been a huge blow to him, even leading him to later believe the absurd theory that "because you are alive, you lose."
That's why he went around stealing shadows from those who entered this sea, hoping to one day create a zombie army that would be immune to pain and fear of death, giving him a chance to seek revenge on Kaido.
But this was just a fantasy.
Having adventured in the New World, he knew how powerful Kaido was, he knew about the existence of Haki, and Wano Country produced Seastone, which countered Devil Fruits.
How could he possibly get revenge?
So perhaps this was the reason he became despondent and lazy about training Haki.
But now, the enemy had reached his doorstep.
He couldn't possibly flee with his subordinates, could he?
Although he knew Sora was very powerful, powerful enough to kill the Logia type Crocodile, the last shred of dignity in his heart wouldn't allow him to flee.
So, he gazed at the distant edge of the island. Within his round body, for the first time in front of his three subordinates, he revealed a fierce and violent side.
He straightened his back, stomped his feet on the castle floor, and then charged directly towards the wall in front of him.
Bang—!
The thick castle wall was directly smashed open by him, and his body plummeted downwards. During the descent,
A sharp voice, tinged with seriousness yet also a hint of gentleness, reached Absalom and Perona.
"If you see that the situation is dire, then flee!"
After saying this, his body crashed down below the castle with a bang. Amidst the immense noise, the entire island seemed to tremble.
Then he stared ahead, his pupils filled with solemnity. His own shadow split from beneath him and burrowed into another giant castle nearby.
There lay the strongest corpse he had found over the years. Although it might not have been completed, he couldn't afford to worry about that now.
"Roar~"
As soon as the shadow entered the adjacent castle, a roar that echoed throughout the entire island, and even far beyond, a colossal roar like that from ancient times, sounded.
Boom—!
The wall collapsed, and a giant, castle-sized, double-horned giant, covered in wounds, some of which had been stitched up, but many more left unhealed, appeared beside Moria.
"Even Little Oars has been deployed?"
Perona and the other two stood in the giant hole created by Moria's impact in the castle wall, anxiously watching Moria below.
"No, I have to help."
Saying this, Perona turned around. She wasn't fleeing, but rather looking for a safe place to put her body.
When her soul left her body, her physical form was very fragile. Therefore, every time she unleashed her power, she had to hide, to a place where the enemy couldn't find her.
Among the three monsters, she had been with Moria the longest. She had followed Moria since she was little and had always seen him as a father figure, respecting him greatly.
So now, facing danger, how could she possibly flee?
"I'll go too!"
Absalom glanced at Hogback, his expression more serious than ever, and then his figure disappeared from his spot.
He didn't disappear; his Devil Fruit ability had turned him invisible.
Or one could say he had gone into hiding.
Although Moria had told them to act according to the situation and flee if they couldn't win, it wasn't the most desperate moment yet.
Moria treated his subordinates very well. Absalom sincerely regarded Moria as his most important captain, boss, and comrade.
Therefore, he couldn't possibly flee at this moment.
However, Hogback was different. His relationship with Moria, while on the surface he was Moria's subordinate, was more of a cooperative partnership due to his unique nature.
If one were to ask about his loyalty to Moria, it was entirely impossible.
That's why Moria didn't say anything about fleeing when he left.
Because Moria also knew that when danger struck, this guy would definitely be the first to run.
Indeed, seeing Absalom and Perona leave, Hogback's eyes gleamed. He glanced at Moria and Little Oars, who were gradually moving away below, and then turned around, walking into the castle.
He was truly going to escape, not to help Moria.
Although his strength was pathetic, it didn't prevent him from knowing the terror of the silver-haired one.
Due to his excellent medical skills, he had traveled to many places in his youth, even the New World.
From snippets of information, even without having met the silver-haired one, he could tell what a terrifying existence the one who could kill Crocodile was. This was not something that the despondent Moria, who had been a shut-in for decades, and Little Oars, let alone Perona and Absalom, could contend with.
So, when he was alone, he turned and fled without hesitation.
There was a ship at the rear of the island. He was going to the center of the castle, to take his beloved woman, and then flee far away.
However, whether he could truly escape depended on whether Sora would let him.
Humans, truly are a fickle species.
Some people, when disaster strikes, will go to great lengths to help their companions, regardless of their own lives.
While others, who usually act like good companions, scatter like birds and beasts when disaster strikes.
In fact, this choice is not wrong. Everyone has the right to choose.
After all, people!
There are indeed significant differences.