Inside the castle, Gecko Moria was leaning back in his throne, half-asleep, when the doors burst open.
"Master! This is bad, Master!"
Absalom shouted as he stumbled in.
"That Marine is way too strong! He wiped out all of our prey in the blink of an eye!"
Moria's eyes snapped open.
"What? Who is this Marine? A Vice Admiral?"
"N-no… I heard them saying he's only a Colonel."
Moria's mouth stretched into an exaggerated grin.
"Heh-shi-shi-shi~ Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!
A mere Marine Colonel easily slaughtered a pirate crew with a total bounty of over a hundred million…"
He licked his lips.
"Just imagine how powerful his shadow must be!"
"With him, my plan can finally succeed!"
Absalom scratched his head nervously.
"B-but Master, that Marine is really terrifying. Maybe we shouldn't provoke him?
After all, you are one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea…"
That gave Moria pause.
According to his agreement with the World Government, he technically wasn't supposed to attack Marines.
But that wasn't really a problem.
This was the Florian Triangle.
If something unfortunate happened here… that would be perfectly normal.
As long as all those Marines were turned into zombies in the end, who would be able to complain?
Such perfect "materials" had already walked right up to his doorstep—how could he possibly let them escape?
"Absalom," Moria said lazily,
"go tell Hogback to prepare himself."
"You and Perona take the zombies and deal with the other Marines."
"As for that Marine Colonel…"
Moria's grin widened.
"I'll handle him personally."
"Yes, Master!"
"Wait."
Absalom quickly turned back.
"Master, is there anything else?"
"How strong is that Colonel?"
Absalom shuddered as he recalled the scene.
"I-I don't really know… I just saw a flash of blade-light, and then all those pirates dropped dead in an instant."
"Oh, right! That Marine's swordsmanship is insane! He can even release those… what do you call them…"
"Flying slashes?" Moria interrupted.
"Yes! Yes! That's it!"
Absalom nodded rapidly.
"They're horrifying! He sliced through steel like it was paper!
If I hadn't hidden fast enough, I'd have been cut in half too!"
"Alright, I get it. Go on."
"Heh-shi-shi-shi~"
After Absalom left, Moria rubbed what passed for his neck.
"Flying slashes… a swordsman, huh?
That is a little troublesome."
"But in front of my invincible power, he's still no match!"
His eerie laughter echoed through the castle, startling a flock of bats before the silence returned.
"That shadow would fit Ryuma's zombie perfectly…"
Moria muttered.
"…what a shame. Still, better give it to Oars.
A shadow that powerful mustn't go to waste."
At the Entrance of Thriller Bark
"C-Colonel, this place is way too creepy…"
Nelson gripped his saber tightly, his voice trembling.
"Are there really… ghosts here?"
After passing through the gates, there was only a single downward path ahead.
Darkness swallowed everything in front of them, and the ground was littered with bones.
Anyone would be terrified.
"Relax," Karl said lazily.
"They're just skeletons. What's there to be afraid of?
Look at me—have I ever looked scared?"
"And besides, there are so many of us.
You think a bunch of ghosts would scare the Marines?"
Nelson forced himself to straighten up.
"N-no! I'm not afraid!"
Karl smiled and patted his subordinate's shoulder.
He really liked this type—stubborn pride over common sense.
"Rooooar~"
A low, indistinct growl echoed from the darkness ahead, making the already grim atmosphere even more unsettling.
Nelson immediately raised his rifle.
"C-Colonel! Something's making noise up ahead!"
"Raven, go take a look."
The black bird on Karl's shoulder spread its wings and flew into the darkness.
A moment later—
"ROOOAR!! WOOF! AOOOO!"
A deafening howl echoed through the passage, half wolf, half dog, accompanied by the sound of heavy footsteps.
Raven flew back toward Karl—and right behind it came a massive monster.
"Th-three heads!"
Someone shouted.
"It's the legendary gatekeeper of hell—Cerberus!"
Karl glanced at the fox-like head and chuckled quietly.
Just as he expected.
Raven transformed midair into a blade and dropped perfectly into Karl's hand.
With a single smooth motion, Karl swung.
"One-Sword Style — Jade Severance!"
"AAOOO!!!"
The three-headed beast slammed face-first into the ground, its body split cleanly in two.
The Marines behind Karl stared in absolute shock.
"See?" Karl said calmly.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. Don't scare yourselves."
"We're Marines. And Marines fear nothing."
"Karl–Colonel is right!"
"We're Marines! We fear nothing!"
With Karl taking the lead, the fear in their hearts quickly faded.
"As long as Colonel Karl is here, what is there to fear?"
"Move out. Keep advancing."
The Graveyard
The passage opened into a vast cemetery.
Crooked tombstones.
Bulging graves.
It looked like something straight out of a horror movie.
"Ooooh—"
CRACK—THUMP!
Pale hands burst out of the soil.
Then heads.
Then bodies.
One by one, skeletal figures climbed out of the graves, eyes empty as they turned toward Karl and his men.
"So these are zombies…" Karl muttered.
"Nelson, shoot one."
"Yes, sir!"
Nelson forced down his fear, aimed at a zombie's head, and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet lodged into the zombie's skull.
"AAAH! That hurts!!!"
"…It talked?!"
Nelson froze.
"Can't you tell?" Karl said calmly.
"These aren't real zombies. They're just the products of a Devil Fruit ability."
"Devil Fruit…?" Nelson frowned.
Karl nodded.
"That's right. They're man-made.
So don't be afraid. We just need to find the pirate hiding behind all this."
"And if he dares lay a finger on us…"
Karl smiled coldly.
Nelson immediately understood.
Turning around, he shouted, "Fire! Kill them!"
BANG—BANG—BANG!
Volley after volley tore through the zombies, riddling them with bullet holes.
Yet they kept moving as if nothing had happened.
Karl scratched his head.
"Right… salt and seawater should work, I guess.
Whatever—I'll handle it."
"Sever!"
A golden flying slash cut through the horde.
The zombies were split apart, collapsing to the ground and wailing helplessly.
Elsewhere
"So he finally made a move…"
"Terrifying…"
Perona glanced sideways.
"Oi, creepy pervert, since when are you afraid of anything?"
Absalom snorted.
"Shut up, Perona!
Send in your animal zombies already!
My zombie soldiers can't hold them back!"
"Heh-hah~ Easy!" Perona giggled.
"My cute animal zombie army is the strongest in the world!"
"Kumashi, go!"
Back at the Graveyard
"Nelson," Karl said,
"where's the salt I told you to bring?"
Nelson raised his hand. Several soldiers stepped forward carrying three large sacks.
"All here, Colonel."
Karl nodded.
"Good. These creatures' weakness is salt.
Shove it into their mouths, and they'll lose all fighting ability."
"What to do next doesn't need explaining, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
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