"I really wonder what level those people who came this time are at," Hogback muttered with a frown.
The man who had stared at him earlier had put immense pressure on him.
Even now, Hogback could still remember the cold sweat soaking his back.
Was he a pirate?
"Hey, Cindry-chan," Hogback asked,
"Do we have any information on those people? Has Perona been here?"
"She has not."
"Not?"
Hogback was surprised.
Normally, after Perona dragged enemies into their territory, she would immediately come inform him.
Why hadn't she come this time?
Could something have gone wrong…?
No, no—that couldn't be it.
Perona's Hollow-Hollow Fruit was practically invincible. Nothing could happen to her.
She was probably just delayed by something.
At that moment, two zombie servants that looked like little squirrels rushed in, their faces filled with panic.
"Lord Hogback!!"
"What are you doing here?!" Hogback snapped.
"It's not midnight yet!"
"What if the prey discovers you?!"
He was still in the same building as those people.
If they noticed something strange, everything would be ruined.
He had only just barely convinced them with his story—he didn't want to be exposed now.
The memory of that terrifying man made Hogback shiver unconsciously.
If that guy realized he'd been lying, he might really come and chop him down.
And that Doctor Chopper… just what kind of ability user was he?
Tanuki, gorilla—he could transform into all kinds of things.
"S-sorry, Lord Hogback…" one of the squirrel zombies said carefully.
"But we have something very important to report."
"Speak."
"First—about the pirates who arrived this time," the squirrel said seriously.
"Lord Moria has confirmed that they are the Straw Hat Pirates."
"Their total bounty exceeds one billion."
"W–WHAT?!"
Hogback's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"O-one… one… one billion?!"
An absurd number.
This was the Grand Line!
Why would a pirate crew of that level still be here instead of the New World?!
He swallowed hard.
"Then… that man earlier—could he have been the captain?"
No wonder he wasn't afraid of the title of Shichibukai.
Someone of that level would probably want to fight a Warlord.
After all—
it would make them famous.
"So that's why he gave me such pressure…" Hogback thought bitterly.
In the end, he was just an ordinary human.
"Captain?" the squirrel zombie tilted its head, then pulled out a bounty poster.
"Do you mean this person?"
Hogback glanced at it and shook his head.
"Then this one?"
"Yes—him…" Hogback started to say, then froze when he noticed the number below the photo.
Cold sweat instantly covered his face.
"F–four hundred million?!"
So the man he had just deceived…
was a pirate with a 400 million bounty?!
That meant he had just walked beside death itself.
Too thrilling—far too thrilling.
Thankfully, his acting had been flawless.
Otherwise, that man would have casually killed him.
After taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Hogback asked:
"What are Lord Moria's orders?"
"Lord Moria said—stronger shadows are more valuable."
Hogback immediately understood.
They were going to make a move on this pirate crew.
Even a crew with a total bounty exceeding one billion did not frighten Lord Moria.
After all—
He was a Shichibukai.
Feeling reassured, Hogback quickly regained his composure.
"Cindry-chan, go notify Ryuma," he said.
"Tell him he may act."
Against pirates of this level, Hogback himself would be nothing but dead weight.
Only Ryuma and the powerful zombies could handle them.
"Yes."
After watching Cindry leave, Hogback turned to the squirrel zombie.
"Go inform Absalom. The General Zombies must be deployed."
Ordinary zombies would never be enough against such monsters.
Only the elite zombie generals stood a chance.
Thinking of those powerful creations made Hogback grin with excitement.
"Hohohohoho~"
"T-that's actually the next thing I was going to report…" the squirrel said awkwardly.
"Lord Absalom went alone to ambush the Straw Hat Pirates."
"And he was defeated."
"He's currently unconscious and requires your treatment."
Hogback's laughter cut off instantly.
"…He went alone?"
"Yes."
Hogback: "..."
What kind of brainless decision was that?!
Why challenge an entire pirate crew by himself?!
Wouldn't it make more sense to send zombies first to scout and drain their stamina?!
Now look at this—
No intel gained, no advantage secured, and he got knocked out cold.
Hogback was furious.
"I understand," he said irritably.
"Take me to him. While I'm at it, I'll check whether his brain still works."
That lust-brained idiot—
maybe he should just modify his brain while he's at it.
"Yes, Lord Hogback. This way!"
After grabbing his medical tools, Hogback followed them toward the rear courtyard.
Just as they were about to pass through a gate, a figure emerged from a side corridor.
"Yohohohoho~"
"So… do I finally have enemies worthy of my blade again?"
"Ryuma!" Hogback said with relief.
The moment he saw Ryuma, his confidence rose sharply.
"Here—this is one of their bounty posters."
Hogback snatched it from the squirrel and handed it over.
"Yohohoho…"
Ryuma studied it quietly, then chuckled.
"A ninja from Wano Country…"
"How nostalgic."
Hogback froze.
"Ninja?"
He looked down at the poster again.
He had only paid attention to the face and the bounty earlier.
"Does that mean… he's from Wano?" Hogback asked in disbelief.
Ryuma's origin was no secret.
If he said "from my homeland," then—
"Yohohoho… if my guess is correct, yes," Ryuma said with a smile.
"You may all go about your duties."
"I'll go meet this ninja from my homeland myself."
With that, Ryuma turned and departed.
"Hogback-sama?"
"Let's go," Hogback said.
"We'll treat that idiot first."
As for awakening the zombie generals—
that authority belonged only to Lord Moria.
"Oh, right—Cindry-chan, carry my tools."
Cindry didn't move.
She merely stared at him coldly.
Hogback: "..."
"Cindry-chan…"
"Plates should all be smashed."
"There are no plates in there! None!" Hogback yelled, hair standing on end.
This time, Cindry said nothing.
She opened the toolbox, pulled out the metal tray—
and hurled it away with all her strength.
Hogback: "!!!"
"Plates should all be smashed."
With that, Cindry shut the toolbox, strode off, and slammed the door behind her.
"I—I haven't even… caught up yet…"
Hogback nearly burst into tears.
...
"Ahhh~"
"A bath really clears the mind!"
Nami stretched happily after changing into clean clothes.
"Merry thinks so too!" Merry said cheerfully, also freshly dressed.
"Let's go," Nami said.
"We should head out."
"Mm!"
Hearing footsteps behind them, the three outside turned around—and immediately noticed the difference.
"Eh?!" Usopp blinked.
"You even changed clothes?!"
"Merry has spatial abilities, remember?" Nami laughed.
"I keep spare clothes in there~"
"Right, Merry~"
"Mm-hm!"
"…You really plan ahead," Usopp muttered.
Storing clothes in advance—was this foresight or obsession?
"When you have a convenient ability, you should use it~" Nami said proudly.
Not just clothes.
Most of the ship's valuables were also stored in Merry's space.
That way, even if they weren't on the ship, their treasure wouldn't be stolen.
As a professional thief, Nami would never allow that.
"Let's go find Cindry."
If Hogback wasn't lying, she should lead them to their rooms.
Jin said nothing—he simply followed quietly behind them.
When they returned to the previous room, Usopp frowned.
"Strange… why are the lights off?"
"Hey! Cindry! Hogback! Are you there?!"
His voice echoed down the corridor—
but there was no response.
As if neither of them existed anymore.
Usopp's face stiffened.
"D-don't tell me Hogback really was ly—"
Whoosh.
Before he could finish, the candles suddenly ignited.
Everyone's attention snapped forward.
"It's you!" Nami pointed furiously.
"You bastard—how dare you show up again?!"
"Hilton!" Usopp shouted.
"You idiot! Why did you dump us in the graveyard?!"
If not for this guy, they never would've run into those terrifying zombies.
They might've reunited with Jin much earlier!
"Ohohoho~ how can you blame me?" Hilton said smoothly.
"I merely went to relieve myself with the coachman—"
"Liar!" Nami snapped.
"You think we're stupid?!"
"You freaks are all zombies, aren't you?!"
Now she could tell clearly.
He wasn't a Devil Fruit user at all—he was a modified corpse.
Up close, the stitch marks were obvious.
"Don't get so excited…" Hilton said nervously.
"Where's Hogback?" Chopper demanded coldly.
"They are already resting," Hilton replied.
He floated up the stairs and pointed down the hallway.
"Lord Hogback instructed me to guide you to the bedrooms. As long as you pass through—"
"Enough lies," Nami interrupted.
"There's something dangerous waiting there, isn't there?"
"We're not idiots," Merry added.
"That trick won't work anymore."
Hilton fell silent.
His mission was to lure them down that hallway into the prepared trap.
But now—
they clearly weren't falling for it.
"Hehehe… Hilton, you've been seen through~"
"Who said that?!" Usopp shouted.
A strange woman's voice echoed—but no one could see her.
"It's the mural," Jin said calmly, narrowing his eyes at the wall.
"Don't tell me that thing's a zombie too."
"Correct!" the mural woman laughed as she burst out of the wall.
"I was given life by Lord Moria!"
"Humans—submit quietly, or you'll suffer endlessly!!"
"AAAAH!!"
"THE PAINTING CAME ALIVE!!"
The Coward Quartet screamed and stumbled backward.
"How adorable~" the female zombie giggled.
"Come, let big sister hug you!"
Before she could get close—
BOOM!
Jin kicked her straight into the wall.
Her head slammed in first.
"Talking like you're someone's big sister," Jin said coldly.
"You've been dead for decades."
"Bastard!!" the zombie shrieked.
"H-how dare you say that?!"
"Y-you—damn it, my head's stuck!"
She struggled wildly but couldn't pull free.
Jin ignored her and swept his gaze across the room.
"There should be more like you. Not coming out?"
His words were a signal.
Instantly, every mural in the room began to move.
"Ohohoho! Zombie assault!!"
"Prepare yourselves!"
"We'll eat you!"
"ROAR!!"
Dozens of mural zombies poured out, twisting grotesquely in midair.
The atmosphere instantly became horrifying.
The Coward Quartet was completely petrified.
They huddled tightly around Jin, seeking safety.
The zombies loved this sight.
Nothing pleased them more than watching humans tremble in fear.
Then—
the boar's head mounted on the wall began to shake.
"Hm?"
"Human… aren't you afraid?" said Porkchop, staring at Jin.
"Why should I be?" Jin sneered.
"You're all fixed to the walls. How exactly are you dodging attacks?"
Those words hit Usopp like lightning.
In an instant, he recalled the graveyard—
Jin descending from the sky, flames burning zombies to ash.
"They're afraid of fire…!"
"Fire is their weakness!!"
His courage surged.
"Special Move—Fire Star!!"
Whoosh!
BOOM!!
The explosive ignited, engulfing several mural zombies in flames.
"AAAAH!!"
"Fire!!"
They screamed in agony, as if enduring unbearable torment.
The remaining zombies shrieked in panic and retreated back into the walls.
"D-don't come near me!"
"Stay away!!"
"Heh," Usopp smirked.
"Looks like this strategy works pretty well."
Jin glanced down at Chopper.
"Now do you understand?"
Zombies attacking them meant only one thing—
Hogback had lied.
"…Yeah," Chopper said quietly, head lowered.
"I understand now."
He clenched his fists, anger rising.
"He dared to lie to us…!"
"A man who violates medical ethics like that—"
"He doesn't deserve to be called the world's greatest doctor!"
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/ZoroTL442