Led by Cerberus, they followed the deep ravine for a while before coming upon a staircase leading upward.
Then they passed through a gloomy cemetery filled with tombstones of every shape and size.
This place looked exactly like something out of a horror story. Nami asked nervously, "There aren't going to be zombies here, are there?"
Eh?
"Nami, did your Kenbunshoku Haki awaken too?"
"No, it didn't."
"I see."
Luffy spoke as if delivering a weather forecast: "Heads up a big wave of zombies is coming."
This sent Nami, already on edge, into a panic. She practically curled herself entirely against Luffy's neck, afraid to lift her head.
Merry, on the other hand, was full of enthusiasm, looking left and right.
Sure enough, as they ventured deeper, the soil in the cemetery began to shift.
Shortly after entering, rustling sounds emerged from all around. Dry, withered arms burst from the ground, followed by grotesque heads and stiff bodies. Zombies crawled out of their graves one by one, closing in on them.
"AAAAH, there really are zombies!" Nami took one look, nearly fainted from fright, and squeezed her eyes shut. "Hurry up and punch them!"
In her imagination, zombies charged straight at you, snarling and gnashing their teeth, ready to bite. Some of them were especially fond of brains, after all. If Sanji were here, he'd have charged right in—there were women around.
And who doesn't love girls going 'nom nom nom'?
But these zombies, with their tattered clothes and grotesque expressions, moved in stiff, jerky motions, as if they were trying a little too hard to be frightening.
"Are you guys trying to be funny?" Luffy couldn't help but comment.
He didn't sense any aggressive intent from these zombies whatsoever. It seemed like they had simply come out to scare people.
But Nami was genuinely terrified of things like this.
And honestly, what girl isn't afraid of ghosts and monsters?
If Robin were here, she might raise her hand.
Cool older ladies don't count as "girls"!
Luffy wanted to tell Nami to channel her inner ship tyrant.
But then her chest brushed against him, and he fell silent.
Dammit!
Nami had actually brought it out!
Before Luffy could act, however, several translucent white ghosts drifted over and passed through the zombies' bodies.
The zombies, who had been so menacing moments ago, suddenly had all their fighting spirit drained away. They dropped to their knees one by one, beating their chests and wailing in tearful repentance:
"I'm such a failure I can't even scare people as a zombie."
"I shouldn't have snacked on my comrade's brain, even though I don't actually have a brain."
"To be born human—no, to be born a zombie—I'm so sorry."
Nami was baffled by this bizarre scene. "What's going on?"
Just then, a Negative Hollow turned and drifted toward Luffy and the others.
"AH! A ghost! The ghost is coming this way!" Nami shrieked.
Luffy raised an eyebrow. His fist, coated in Busoshoku Haki, swung out without hesitation.
BAM!
With a dull impact, the Negative Hollow was sent tumbling through the air. When it finally stopped, a giant question mark seemed to appear over its bald little head. It scratched its head in a very human-like gesture, as if wondering:
How could it hit me?
Then all the ghosts drifted over, preparing to attack Luffy.
Afraid of Haki?
Luffy was actually quite interested in these ghostly entities. But because of them, Nami had been trembling against him the whole time.
He couldn't let her keep shaking like that.
"You're scaring Nami!"
HUM—
A wave of Haoshoku Haki swept over them. All the floating ghosts began vibrating as if they'd been hit with a tremor, then dropped stiffly to the ground. Their bodies slowly faded until they vanished.
Meanwhile, in a room somewhere within Thriller Bark's central castle—
"MONSTER!"
A young girl with pink twin ponytails suddenly bounced up from her bed, shrieking. She grabbed onto a giant stuffed bear wearing a spherical cap with its mouth sewn shut, trembling in fear.
"Perona-sama, are you alright?"
"If you speak, you're not cute anymore." Perona, who had just been terrified a moment ago, immediately scolded Kumashi.
Kumashi waved its paws in panic, at a complete loss, and dared not speak again.
It had only wanted to show concern for Perona-sama.
"Not speaking is the cutest."
Perona hugged Kumashi's big belly and rubbed against it. Only after the fear subsided did she let go. "I just met someone terrifying. I need to tell Moria-sama right away!"
Ghost Princess Perona put on her black-and-white striped stockings, donned her princess hat, and went straight to Moria to tattle.
Deep within the castle stood a massive figure, nearly seven meters tall. Anyone who didn't know better might have mistaken him for a giant onion. But upon closer look, his face resembled a demon's.
This was Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Moria usually spent his time sleeping. His daily routine was quite simple: cut shadows, sleep, cut shadows, sleep...
Ever since the day he was defeated by Kaido in the New World, Moria had stopped believing in his own strength. Shadows and zombies were the true power!
With his shadows and zombies, he would return to the New World and seize the throne of the Pirate King.
But today, for once, he was awake and sitting on his throne.
"One of my ghosts was just dispersed by a person! So scary!"
Hearing Perona's report, Moria blinked and let out his distinctive "Kishishishi" laugh. "Oh? Someone who can disperse your Negative Hollows with their fists? Sounds like a guy who's mastered Busoshoku Haki. Looks like I might get some high-quality shadows!"
Moria's standard procedure for acquiring shadows was: release a drift barrel → flash bomb signal → Perona sends Negative Hollows to locate and weaken the targets → subordinates steer the ship nearby → lure them ashore → capture alive → cut shadows.
And now someone had come to him willingly a strong fighter who had mastered Haki at that. Moria was delighted. He was just short of a powerful zombie general to bolster his army!
His massive frame stirred as if to act personally, but a few small bats flew back and whispered something in his ear.
Moria lazily settled back into his throne, grinning. "They've already gone to Absalom and Hogback's place. Kishishishi, don't worry. My subordinates will deal with them."
He had great confidence in his men especially Absalom, the Suke Suke no Mi user, and Hogback, the genius surgeon.
On the other side, led by Cerberus, Luffy, Nami, and Merry indeed arrived before a gloomy but still somewhat lavish mansion. The sign on the gate read "Hogback's Mansion."
"Is this Moria's castle?" Nami hurriedly dismounted from Luffy. The jostling along the way had made her suspect that this dog was doing it on purpose.
Another ten minutes of that and she'd be trembling for a different reason.
Her cheeks slightly flushed, Nami looked ahead and cautiously tugged at Luffy's sleeve. A perfectly normal-looking castle appearing in a place like this was itself deeply unsettling.
"Oh? We have guests?"
The door creaked open. A middle-aged man stepped out—obese, wearing glasses, his hair meticulously combed. The kind of person who rarely left the house but secretly spent time in front of the mirror at home, carefully grooming himself.
He gave Luffy and the others a once-over. Honestly, the combination was a bit strange. At first glance, Hogback even wondered if he had forgotten sewing them together at some point.
How are they stuck together so tightly?
"Hello there. I'm Hogback, the master of this house," Hogback greeted them.
"I asked Cerberus to take us to Moria."
Upon hearing that Luffy could communicate with Cerberus, Hogback's eyes lit up. "Then you've come to the right place."
The ability to communicate with animals was something he needed!
Hogback rubbed his hands together, hinting at his own importance. "I'm the only one who knows where Moria is."
"What's your relationship with Moria?" Luffy asked.
"Ah, well, I'm also someone whose shadow was stolen by Moria. If your goal is Moria, I can show you the way."
Hogback displayed unexpected hospitality. Upon hearing that Luffy and the others were looking for Moria, his face broke into a broad smile. "But since you've come from afar, why not have some refreshments first? Then I'll guide you."
If you don't play along, I suppose I could choose not to guide you.
Nami wanted to refuse.
But Luffy had already pulled her and Merry inside.
A strange castle. A strange maid.
At the dining table,
Hogback chatted on about being a doctor engaged in great research.
"Did it succeed?" Luffy asked.
Do you know how to have a conversation?
"Fosfosfosfos..." Hogback forced a laugh to cover his embarrassment. "Great research takes time."
The maid arranging the food on the table didn't spare his feelings: "Excuses. The research has never succeeded once."
"Hey, Cindry, could you give me a little face?"
"Please enjoy your meal." Cindry held the plate and dumped all the food directly onto the table.
"Where are the plates?!"
Cindry's expression turned terrifying in an instant. "Plates should not exist in this world!"
Beside her, Luffy and Nami looked at the food on the table, unsure whether to eat or not.
Luffy, honestly, didn't care.
Any time,
Any place,
Super stomach,
Serious eating!
But Nami held him back. Who knew what kind of ingredients these strange people might have added?
"My apologies. Cindry absolutely despises plates. In her mind, plates should not exist." Hogback explained while discreetly signaling to Cindry with his eyes.
Then, Cindry—still expressionless—"accidentally" spilled red wine all over Nami.
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
Nami: "..."
Could you be any less convincing?
You aimed that right at me.
Hogback immediately offered helpfully: "Don't worry, don't worry. There's a bathroom upstairs. The young lady can clean up there.
I'll have the maid prepare some clean clothes for you."
The sticky wine stain on her clothes was extremely uncomfortable. Though Nami still had her doubts, under Hogback's sincere apologies and guidance, she decided to go clean herself up first.
***
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