Pirate Sanji vs Enigma Absalom

Inside Thriller Bark, the entire ship-island shakes violently. Luffy looks upward and says, "I wonder what's going on!" then adds, "It's shaking really hard!" Moria sits nearby and casually explains that the ship was probably caught in some weird current, but he blames Luffy anyway: "I think it's most likely your fault, kishishishi!!" Luffy has no patience for jokes. He demands, "Give me my shadow back, and also Zoro's, Sanji's... Brook's too, and also that zombie old man's! All of them!!" Moria laughs at the greed of it, and the confrontation settles into its real issue: Luffy wants every stolen shadow returned, while Moria treats those shadows as property already under his rule.

Moria explains that simply beating him will not free the shadows. Even if Luffy kicks his ass or kills him, the zombies will not lose their shadows by losing their "governor." Moria says his ability is to govern shadows, and there is only one way to make Luffy's wish come true: Moria himself must face all the shadows and, as their current governor, command them to return to their masters. Luffy understands the simple part immediately: "And by doing that, you'll make all the shadows come back?" Moria confirms it, then mocks Luffy's chances. If Luffy can make him weak enough to do it, that is fine, but with Luffy's level of power, he cannot even lay a finger on Moria. Luffy answers by starting "Gomu Gomu no...!!!"

Luffy lunges with "Pistol!!!" and his stretched fist slams into Moria's body. For one instant it looks as if the hit landed, but Luffy realizes something is wrong: "A shadow!?" Moria grins, "Kishishishi, try winning... against my clone..." and the black shape pulls itself free. He names it "Doppelman!" The shadow copy wriggles and rises beside him, a living silhouette with claws, teeth, and the same mocking presence as its master. The fight has become stranger than a direct duel. Luffy is not merely trying to hit Moria; he must deal with a mobile shadow clone that can take his attacks and answer them.

Moria boasts about the philosophy behind his power. In the past, he says, he was filled with overestimation and aspiration for his own power, but now he has learned the importance of excellent underlings. He declares, "I'm the man who'll become the Pirate King by using the power of others, not by using my hands!" Luffy snaps back, "I'm the one who'll become the Pirate King!!!" as Doppelman moves in front of him like a living wall. Moria notes that Luffy's own zombie said the same thing, but he also observes a large physical difference between shadow and body. The previous master's will remains stronger in a shadow than expected, though he calls that only a question of time.

Moria says that when Oars finally loses all memory of being Luffy, he will become a zombie completely obedient to him. No matter how powerful Oars's ego is, every zombie will eventually meet "absolute obedience." Luffy demands that Moria return the shadow immediately and launches "Gomu Gomu no...!!!" into another attack. But Doppelman intercepts him again, and Moria counters with "Brick Bat!!" The shadow splits into a swarm of dark bat-like pieces and pelts Luffy from all sides. Luffy tries to answer with "Gatling Gun!!!" but each strike is swallowed by the moving shadow mass. Moria is not fighting with strength; he is forcing Luffy to fight something his fists cannot hold.

Doppelman's pieces surround Luffy in a spinning storm. He grits his teeth and punches into them, but the black shapes scatter and reform faster than he can connect. Luffy shouts, "Damn!! He's completely guarded!!! I can't hit him!!!" while the shadow bats rebound around him and strike from blind angles. Moria hums smugly nearby, completely relaxed as his clone does the work. When Luffy is hit and cries "Ouch!!!" Moria has already proved his point: attacking the shadow directly is useless if it can split, dodge, and reform. Luffy is trapped in a fight where every punch seems to hit nothing solid.

Moria watches Luffy struggle and laughs, "Kishishishi, rest assured, they won't suck your blood! What will kick my ass? Don't make me laugh!!" Luffy is buried in the attack, shouting "Ouch-chch-chch!!!" as the shadow bats bite and strike. He tries to throw them off, yelling, "Let go of me!!!" but the swarm keeps circling. Moria says a young brat with little experience underestimates people and will only be embarrassed in the end. Luffy, however, notices the connection between the shadow and its owner. His face hardens as he realizes, "You bastard, it's already gone to your head!!" The weakness is not in Doppelman itself, but in the body casting it.

Moria starts to move, and Luffy notices that Doppelman follows. Luffy begins another "Gomu Gomu no...!!" while Moria asks, "What is that? You jumped off like that? Are you planning to run away?" Luffy drops from above and slams down with "Stamp!!!" His foot strikes Moria himself, not the shadow, and Moria cries out, "That hurt, you brat!!!" Luffy grins because he has found the rule: "Look!! What was that about not being able to touch you!? You big leek!!!" Doppelman may guard Moria from the front, but when Moria's body is exposed and forced to move, Luffy can still hurt the real target.

The scene shifts back to Thriller Bark's church. The building is broken open from the earlier chaos, and smoke drifts across the altar. Absalom and Nami are still there, but suddenly Sanji spins into view with a sharp "Skiiinp" sound and lands between them. The officiant and guests stare in shock while Sanji calls, "Nami-san!!!" Absalom mutters "Huh!?" as the man who crashed the wedding stands in the aisle. Sanji has finally reached Nami, and the rescue is no longer distant or theoretical. It is standing in the church, facing the groom, with Nami unconscious in the middle of them.

Sanji attacks without waiting. His kick smashes Absalom away as he shouts, "Let go of her, you!!!" He catches Nami gently before she falls and apologizes, "Sorry to make you wait, Nami-san. It's your knight!!!" Then he sees her sleeping face and is overcome: "Huh!? A goddess!!?" The officiant, completely fooled by the drama, says he was surprised because he thought Sanji was saving a goddess by mistake, while Sanji insists, "O... oh!! I was surprised...!! Nami-san... it's Nami-san!! No doubt about it!" His rage has brought him into the church, but the moment he holds Nami, his fury turns into adoration and relief.

Absalom staggers upright and recognizes Sanji as part of the crew that was on the Thousand Sunny. The priest and zombies are confused, asking whether Nami's pure white fits the pirate just like rice, while Absalom yells, "Hey, wait!!! You are a pirate!! There is no logic in me getting along with you!!!" Sanji, still holding Nami, ignores the logic entirely. Absalom roars, "Let go of my bride!!!" and charges, but Sanji is not intimidated. The room's absurd wedding talk collapses into a direct confrontation: Absalom still claims Nami as his bride, and Sanji will not allow even that word to stand.

Sanji protects Nami in his arms and scolds Absalom for nearly hitting her: "Hey, that almost hit Nami-san! In a place where there is a lady... You should avoid using attacks that can hurt uninvolved people!" Absalom notes that Sanji dodged well and notices something else: Sanji seems to have no shadow anymore. He concludes that Sanji was most likely the zombie who had joined the general zombies and calls it a shame because that zombie was only penguin-sized and weak. Absalom remembers a new guy who had been weirdly interested in that woman and realizes Sanji's shadow must have been placed in Inuppe. The battle suddenly gains another insult: Absalom not only stole Nami, but his side turned Sanji's shadow into a ridiculous zombie.

Absalom mocks the underling who thinks he can oppose him, the man known as "Enigma," and the idea of commanding the general zombies. Sanji, however, is focused on one line: Absalom says, "Leave that woman to me and go live a life of hiding in the shade!" Absalom admits he does not say anything bad, but he has no time to waste fighting small fry because he must seal the vow by kissing his bride. Sanji's face darkens. The words about hiding in the shade, Nami, and the stolen wedding all converge into one fury. He calls Absalom out with a cold "You..." and prepares to answer with violence rather than argument.

Sanji's kick smashes Absalom across the church as he shouts, "Shut up, you 'wild, beast-faced festival man'!!!" The impact sends Absalom crashing so hard that the guests cry out, "Whaaa!! Absalom-sama!?" and one screams that it is impossible for someone to blow away a man weighing 300 kilos. Sanji calmly says, "The 'invisible man' that Usopp talked about... It was you, right?" Absalom lies stunned while Sanji connects the stories: the invisible beast that appeared on the Thousand Sunny and licked Robin was Absalom too. His anger is no longer only about the wedding. It now includes every violation Absalom committed under cover of invisibility.

Absalom is shocked by Sanji's kick and thinks his body should not have been blown away because of all the wild power Hogback put into it. He reveals one of his grotesque tricks: "The 'hands of the deceased'!!!" Invisible hands clap around Sanji with a "Papah!!" Absalom asks whether Sanji knows what he is going to do next, then Sanji answers by kicking him again with "Basses Cotes!!!" The strike lands cleanly and Absalom screams "Gyah!!!" Sanji's composure makes the invisible gimmicks look worthless. Even with enhanced body parts, hidden hands, and the advantage of surprise, Absalom cannot stop Sanji once Sanji has chosen him as the target.

Sanji unleashes a string of named kicks: "Tendron!!!" "Longe!!!" "Flanchet!!!" and "Quasi Queue Cuisse!!!" Absalom is battered from every angle, crying "Woo!!" and "Gaah!!!" while wondering where Sanji's strength comes from. Sanji keeps naming Absalom's offenses as he beats him: he was the invisible beast on the Thousand Sunny, he licked Robin, and he was the one who looked at Nami naked in the shower. When Absalom asks why Nami fainted, Sanji answers, "It's because you did something dirty, for sure!!!" Then his rage turns personal and absolute: "What was that about marriage!!? Try saying it while looking at me!! I'll kick you into pieces and make a croquette out of you!!!"

Absalom realizes this is only a temporary retreat and uses a desperate trick: "Usopp's special... Salt Balls!!!" He scatters them like a smokescreen, and Sanji notices the salty burst with confusion: "Whaaa!! What is this!? Salty..." Absalom tries to escape through the smoke, but Sanji exhales and fires "Yeah Shot!!!" The kick blasts through the cloud with a huge impact and sends Absalom flying. Absalom screams a nonsense sound, "Sobe-bebe-beba!!!" as the attack crashes into him. Sanji has turned even Usopp's anti-zombie tool into part of the beating, using the opening to deliver a decisive strike.

Absalom is thrown across the room while the crowd shouts, "Impossible...!! There is no bounty on that bastard...!!?" Sanji stands in the smoke, no longer joking. He tells Absalom, "You told me you were irritated...!! I'm not such a thing!!!" Absalom's body swells with rage as he cries, "My body is about to explode with anger!!! It did~~~!!!" But Sanji's expression stays cold and wounded. He says, "...And it's really unlucky... There is another... connection between us..." The chapter ends with Sanji's serious eye fixed on Absalom, suggesting that the fight is not only about Nami or Robin. There is another reason Sanji personally despises the invisible man.

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