Chapter 161 Marrow Cleansing PillChapter 161: Marrow Cleansing PillThese days, the three main Straw Hat members have become obsessed with training in the Book Spirit.Mainly, they were unconvinced; Luke had already finished, and they didn't want to fall behind, purely for their competitive spirit.Speaking of progress, Luffy was the fastest. With his exaggerated combat and resistance to blows talent, he was three classes ahead of Sanji.Then came Sanji. Sanji's learning speed in Rankyaku and Finger Pistol was incredibly fast.Zoro, however, clearly slowed down in these two classes. His strength lies in swordsmanship, so Rankyaku and Finger Pistol were not his forte.Ten days passed. Luffy completed six beginner courses, Sanji completed four, and Zoro only completed two, Paper Art and Iron Body, getting stuck on Rankyaku."Why are there no sword techniques? Sword techniques!"Seeing Luffy and Sanji ahead of him, Zoro was going crazy.Luke did not force Zoro to practice Rokushiki; they all did it voluntarily. Although Zoro excels in swordsmanship and is more suited for developing sword techniques.However, through many days of training, Zoro felt his improvement. Although he wasn't practicing sword techniques, it still significantly enhanced him.Besides having the three of them train, Luke also had Kalifa enter the book to practice.Kalifa quickly finished the first six beginner courses, then moved on to intermediate courses, where her speed noticeably slowed, allowing Luffy to catch up.In terms of combat talent, Kalifa was still too far behind Luffy.However, talent, in Luke's hands, could be compensated for.Just today, Luke extended his demonic hand towards the oranges on Nami's orange tree on the ship.These oranges were brought by Nami from her hometown, Cocoyasi Village, holding significant commemorative and cherished meaning.To avoid getting beaten too badly, Luke only appraised the oranges from one orange tree.After the appraisal, Luke obtained two Marrow Cleansing Pills, each the size of an orange.[Marrow Cleansing Pill: A person can only take it once in their lifetime. After consumption, it cleanses the marrow, transforms the body, and greatly enhances comprehension and aptitude, turning an ordinary person into a rare martial arts prodigy.]"Ah!!! Luke, was it you?! Why are the oranges on my orange tree all colorful?!" Nami stood beside the orange tree, frantic.Just as Nami was about to beat him, Lukeimmediately pointed at two oranges on the tree and said, "Look at these two, aren't they familiar? A Diamond Orange and a Golden Orange!"During the appraisal, two oranges were identified as diamond and gold. In an instant, Nami became gentle.Nami picked the Diamond Orange and Golden Orange, holding them in her arms, incredibly happy.Luke let out a long breath, looking at the Marrow Cleansing Pills in his hand. He would definitely take one, but who should he give the other to?Of course, Kalifa, his loyal servant.On this full moon night, Luke and Kalifa sat facing each other on the bed and swallowed the orange-sized Marrow Cleansing Pills.Instantly, a surging warm current spread from their stomachs, flowing through all their blood and meridians, permeating their cells and bone marrow, beginning a complete transformation of their entire being.It wasn't as painful as imagined; under the nourishment of the warm energy, they unknowingly fell asleep.After an unknown period, Luke woke up again to find everything in front of him pitch black.Was he blind?Luke punched out, and light finally appeared before him. He realized he was wrapped in something similar to a cocoon.Breaking out of the cocoon, there was another black cocoon opposite him, Kalifa's.However, Kalifa hadn't woken up yet. Luke pushed open the door, and the warm sunlight shone on his face, feeling incredibly comfortable.The familiar system sound came to his ears.[Marrow cleansing successful. You have become a rare martial arts prodigy. Your physical fitness has improved in all aspects, comprehension has increased, Armament Haki and Observation Hakihave improved, and you have gained the aptitude to train Conqueror's Haki.]Luke was overjoyed. No wonder he couldn't train Conqueror's Haki before; it was because he didn't have the aptitude.Now he had the aptitude to train Conqueror's Haki, but how should he train and perceive Haoshoku? He could only explore it step by step."Xiao, you're finally out!"Robin, reading on the deck, exclaimed in surprise."Finally? I just slept, didn't I?" Luke stretched.Robin smiled slightly: "You slept for a whole week.""A week!?" Luke was stunned; he had actually slept for so long."If you don't believe me, look at the sign on the door," Robin said.Luke looked back and saw a sign on the door."I will be cultivating for a while. Please do not disturb, please do not disturb!"Luke remembered. He had put up that sign himself, to prevent Luffy from disturbing him while he was taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill."Luffy almost went in several times during that period, but he was stopped. How will you repay me, Appraiser Mr.?" Robin's charming, mature voice almost captivated Luke's soul.Robin had indeed been a great help. If he had been woken up by that idiot Luffy during the marrow cleansing, the consequences would have been unimaginable; he might have become a cripple."To repay Robin-nee's kindness, I've decided to appraise all kinds of items for you for free," Lukesaid."Thank you so much, Xiao. I happen to have a set of underwear here that I need you to appraise."With that, Robin took out a set of patterned underwear."Un... underwear!" Luke was shocked for a hundred years."Is that not allowed?""Of course it's allowed, but why do you want to appraise underwear?""I'm just curious about what effect underwear will have after appraisal." Robin flicked her hair. Indeed, scholars have a bit of a heavy taste.Just then, Sanji walked over with a drink: "Robin-nee, this is my new lemon drink creation. On a hot summer day, just one cup will make you feel refreshed. Wait, this... this is underwear? Is this Robin-nee's underwear?!"Sanji, who had been composed, lost his composure upon seeing Robin's underwear, and nosebleeds gushed out.Luke took Robin's underwear, preparing to appraise it."Hey, you bastard Xiao, what are you doing with Robin-nee's underwear?!" Sanji demanded, clutching his bleeding nose."Robin-nee asked me to appraise it. Is it any of your business?" Luke even deliberately rubbed the underwear in front of Sanji.Sanji leaped into the air: "Take this, Skewer Kick!"Sanji's kick technique was easily dodged by Lukeusing Observation Haki. Then, with a light hand chop to Sanji's neck, he knocked Sanji to the ground.Sanji clutched the back of his neck, feeling disbelief. He had made significant improvements these past days, but it seemed he hadn't closed the gap with this monster in front of him; in fact, the gap had widened.Sanji finally stopped making a fuss and accepted the fact that Luke was appraising Robin's underwear, though tears were flowing in his heart as he watched that scoundrel Luke freely caress Robin-nee's underwear.[Ding! Appraisal successful. Robin's underwear has been appraised as comfortable, breathable, self-cleaning underwear, the best choice for women's intimate apparel.]Upon learning this result, Robin was very satisfied, so she took out several more pieces of clothing for Luke to appraise.Luke accepted them all; they were all experience points, the more the better, especially Robin's clothes.Sanji knelt to the side, witnessing Luke appraising Robin's clothes one by one, feeling as if his world had collapsed.
Chapter 162 Flag HunterChapter 162: Flag HunterAfter helping Robin appraise her underwear, Lukewent to find Franky.Franky was currently researching a new weapon."Is there something you need me for?" Frankypushed up his sunglasses."It's about the Pluton blueprints."Luke took out the Pluton blueprints. He had already appraised them before coming.After appraisal, the Pluton blueprints transformed into Interstellar Pluton blueprints.The goal of the blueprints was to build an interstellar battleship.Not a single material required for its construction had ever been seen before, things like'starry sky meteor iron,' making it utterly impossible to build.Upon seeing the appraised Interstellar Plutonblueprints, both those who had seen Pluton and those who hadn't fell silent.Franky pondered for a long time: "Blueprints like these are meaningless even if given to others; no one could possibly build it. These materials and smelting methods far exceed current technological levels."It was a shame to throw them away, so Luke placed the Interstellar Pluton blueprints into his spatial ring as a dusty collectible.Speaking of which, he hadn't seen that guy Luffy. Luke went directly to the game room and found Luffy and Usopp playing billiards, with Chopperwatching from the side.Luffy sank a ball, but it was his opponent's ball."It's my turn, Luffy," Usopp said, picking up his cue."But I clearly sank it!" Luffy looked confused."I told you, this round you're supposed to hit the striped balls. The solid balls are mine! How many times do I have to say it, hey!" Usopp exclaimed."How boring. I want to sing!" Luffy suddenly got excited."Sing, sing!" Chopper's eyes lit up.In a flash, Luffy and Chopper disappeared from the game room, leaving Usopp standing there stunned."Xiao, let's play billiards," Usopp said."Okay," Luke replied, full of confidence. How long had Usopp been practicing billiards? He had been playing for a few years, after all.As it turned out, after a few rounds, Luke was defeated. As long as he made one mistake, Usoppwould seize the opportunity to clear the table with one shot, truly living up to his title as a sniper."I'm not playing anymore, I'm going to sing too!" Luke strode away.Playing billiards against a sniper was absolutely insane. That guy Usopp was born with a talent for hitting the bullseye.Usopp leaned against the billiard table and murmured, "This is the loneliness of a master, kne hahahaha!"In the KTV, Luke, Luffy, and Chopper belted out a song.But it wasn't exciting enough, so Luke specifically dragged Zoro along.Two pitchers of beer were placed nearby, and he played Dice with Zoro.Recently, Zoro had become obsessed with playing Dice, where the loser had to drink.After several rounds, Luke was already feeling tipsy, but Zoro remained enthusiastic: "Keep it coming."Just then, Usopp pushed open the door: "A pirate ship has been spotted!"Luke put down his glass and walked out with the others.Not far from the Thousand Sunny, an old ship was approaching. The figurehead was a phoenix, but the pirate flag was missing.The Phoenix Pirates. Luke recalled, remembering details about this pirate crew.The Phoenix Pirates were defeated by the Archino Family, who hunted pirate flags. Their pirate flag was stolen, Captain Phoenix Pazel was severely wounded, and Vice-Captain Bigaro died in battle.The Phoenix Pirates were forced to obey the Archino Family, reporting the Straw Hat Pirates' appearance. The Archino Family used a trap to lure the Straw Hat Pirates into their pre-arranged route. The Straw Hat Pirates' pirate flag was also stolen without Luffy's knowledge (the others didn't want to be scorned by such an unreliable Captain Luffy, so they kept it a secret, though the flag eventually returned...).Archino Family Head: Don Archino, the father in the Archino Family. He is a Heat-Heat Fruit user, whose body temperature can range from 1 degree Celsius to 10,000 degrees Celsius, allowing him to fall into lava without harm. Due to his high body temperature, he lives in a sea filled with icebergs and enjoys collecting captured pirate flags.Eldest Son & Second Son: Don Cambacino & Don Brandy, twin brothers. They possess a magnetic attraction to each other (not a Devil Fruit ability, they claim it's "brotherly love"), and usually fight together.Third Son: Don Hockley, dressed as a hockey player, he fights with ice hockey and uses a despicable fake surrender tactic.Eldest Daughter & Son-in-law: Don Albel & Salco. The two fight by performing figure skating cooperative techniques on ice, often engaging in overly affectionate kisses and other displays... Due to Salco, Albel and her younger sister Liru's relationship once became strained (Salco is not only perverted, but also has no standing in the family...)Second Daughter: Don Liru, skilled at manipulating plants and raising strange animals. She disliked her brother-in-law because her older sister neglected her after marriage. Later, behind her father and siblings' backs, she returned the Straw Hat Pirates' pirate flag.According to the original plot, the Thousand Sunny was lured into a sea filled with icebergs.Luke was quite looking forward to the Heat-Heat Fruit user. The sun's maximum temperature is 20 million degrees Celsius, and that guy could reach 10,000 degrees Celsius.What does 10,000 degrees Celsius mean? To put it this way, molten steel's temperature is around 1300 degrees Celsius, and the sun's surface temperature is only 5000 degrees. So, 10,000 degrees Celsius is unimaginable; a person would indeed vaporize under such conditions.This sea area was entirely covered in ice. Ordinary ships would find it impossible to navigate, but don't forget, this was Franky's dream ship.The ship was equipped with ice-breaking propellers, and with Luke's electrical system, it could travel unimpeded through this icy sea.As they sailed into an iceberg region, members of the Archino Family arrived on ice skates.Four people came in total: Don Hockley, Don Liru, Don Albel, and Salco."We finally found you," Don Hockley said.Don Albel and Salco immediately struck a loving pose upon meeting."I'm telling you, if you get lost in this icy sea, you'll never be able to return to the outer sea. Give up."After Don Albel finished speaking, she and her husband Salco began to exchange amorous glances, dancing on the ice, and ending with a kiss.This scene infuriated Sanji: "Such a beautiful lady, yet with such a disgusting idiot! Hey, you bastard, fight me right now!"Before Sanji could finish, Nami knocked him down with a punch.Nami shouted at them: "Unfortunately, we don't have time to play with you. We should be leaving soon."Don Albel snorted softly: "You people really don't listen. Didn't I say you can't escape from here? It's impossible, which means you are at our mercy.""Very good, well said," her husband Salco echoed."Right? Right? Right!"The two then began their affectionate circling, dancing, and ending with a kiss again.Ever since seeing these two oddballs, Usopp's mouth had remained agape in surprise.
Chapter 163: Lanjiao·Broken MountainChapter 1: Mountain BreakerThe Arccino Family wanted to keep everyone, but Nami didn't want to get tangled up with them.So, Nami had Franky use Coup de Vent to fly out of the icy sea.The Thousand Sunny landed safely in the outer sea, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.Usopp lay on the grassy deck, gazing contentedly at the sky."The sea is truly wonderful, with a blue sky, white clouds, and a pirate flag shining under the brilliant sun… Wait, where's the pirate flag?!"It was then that everyone realized the pirate flag was gone.Looking closely, they saw a bird carrying the Straw Hat Pirates' flag, flying in the direction they had just come from."Wait, where's Luke?" Sanji asked, puzzled.Chopper said, "Luke seemed to have gotten off the ship before Franky used Coup de Vent."At this moment, Luke was using Moonwalk to wander through this glacier, searching for the owner of the Heat-Heat Fruit, Don Acchino.He was mainly interested in the Arccino Family's treasure; they had robbed many pirates in this area, so there must be valuable items worth appraising.Step one: find Acchino. Step two: eliminate Acchino. Step three: take the treasure. It's as simple as putting an elephant in a refrigerator.The rest of the Straw Hat Crew returned to the icy sea they had just left to retrieve their flag.Luke used Moonwalk for a few minutes and finally found the Arccino Family's house.It was strange; despite being surrounded by icebergs, he felt a wave of heat.In stark contrast to the surrounding glacial environment, the area around the house was lush with green grass.Then, a large, corpulent man walked out of the room.He was bare-chested, wearing a simple skirt, small black sunglasses, a cigar in his mouth, with a bulging belly, a fat upper body, and short, stubby legs.Clearly, the heat wave emanated from this man, the patriarch of the Arccino Family, Don Acchino."Flame Fist Luke, how did you get here?" Acchino asked calmly."I flew," Luke replied."You came here alone without fighting my beloved children. You're not playing by the rules.""Sorry, I'm not interested in small fry." Luke put on his gauntlet, and flames surged on his hand."You absolutely cannot defeat me."As Acchino spoke, his body temperature gradually rose, and the surrounding humid air instantly turned into water vapor upon contact with his body.Acchino said, "It's been a long time since I personally took a pirate's head. This is your honor, Flame Fist. You came to challenge me alone. I've met many pirates as boastful as you. Do you know what happened to them?"Acchino waited for a moment, expecting Luke's answer.Luke just stood there, quietly watching Acchino, with no intention of speaking or replying.The scene became quite awkward."They all melt! Everything I touch melts, do you understand?" Acchino answered his own question, his temper gradually flaring."Oh? That reminds me, fire won't work on you," Lukesaid.This guy's body can reach a maximum temperature of ten thousand degrees, while the Flame King Gauntlet only reaches about one thousand degrees at most, so it couldn't harm Acchino."Your ability is fire, and I'm not afraid of your flame's temperature. That's why you can never defeat me." Acchino took a puff from his cigar, a smile on his face.Then, Acchino began to demonstrate his ability in front of Luke.Using the heat from his feet, Acchino started to glide automatically on the ice."Look, I slide, I slide, I slide, slide, slide!"Acchino slid left and right on the ice, propelled by superheated steam."Under the influence of the heat from my soles, the ice on the surface melts into water vapor, allowing my body to float slightly in the air."Then Acchino began to perform fancy ice-skating spins, sliding while lying down, and sliding while sitting.Luke, not to be outdone, made flames burst from his gauntlet and slid on the ice at an even faster speed.Besides standing and skating, Luke could also perform multiple aerial flips, single-leg slides, and handstand slides, with much more difficult maneuvers than Acchino.The ice-skating battle concluded, and Luke's skating skills were clearly superior to Acchino's."I'm impressed, Acchino, user of the Heat-Heat Fruit," Luke said.Acchino smiled calmly, "As expected of a bounty criminal worth 270 million, you've got some tricks.""However, I'm going to get serious now!" Acchino exhaled a puff of steam and began to spin in place."Blazing Infusion!"A hurricane infused with intense heat blew towards Luke."Rankyaku: Mountain Breaker."Luke casually delivered a Rokushiki Ougi kick.A fierce, crescent-shaped vacuum slash flew out, directly severing the hurricane and bringing it to an abrupt halt.However, the slash didn't stop; it cut through the sky, grazed an iceberg not far away, and even sliced the iceberg in half.The iceberg slid along the severed diagonal line and fell into the sea, creating massive ripples.Acchino stood there stunned, his cigar falling to the ground.What a terrifying attack! With just one kick, he not only extinguished the hurricane but also broke an iceberg.Sweat beaded on Acchino's forehead, and he unconsciously took a few steps back.This was also Luke's first time using a Rokushiki Ougi in actual combat. That kick was incredibly cool, though it did take a bit of effort."You retreated. Are you afraid?" Luke took out an 'Endless Aromatic, Lung-Cleansing, Mind-Awakening Cigar' and took a puff."Heat rising, 3000 degrees."Acchino's body temperature began to rise sharply, his entire body turning red, and the intense heat wave caused a large amount of water vapor to appear around him.At the same time, two heat wave balloons appeared in Acchino's hands. These heat wave balloons possessed extremely high temperatures, their principle unknown.Acchino continuously threw the heat wave balloons in his hands; even iron would be melted by them.Luke extended his right hand, continuously unleashing Flying Finger Pistols, and the air bullets shot down all the heat wave balloons in the air.While Acchino was distracted, Luke's Flying Finger Pistol struck Acchino's shoulder, piercing through it."Ouch!"Acchino knelt on the ground, his right hand covering his injured left shoulder."Surrender, and you won't be killed," Luke said.Acchino, unwilling to give up, declared, "Heat-Heat ability full power! Maximum heat ten thousand degrees!"With maximum heat activated, Acchino's body glowed like a sun, emitting immense heat that instantly melted the surrounding ice.The ice began to disintegrate, the ground started to shake, and Luke even smelled his hair burning."Unforgivable! Watch me turn you into steam instantly! Blazing Tire!"Acchino connected his head and feet, transforming into a blazing tire that rolled rapidly towards Luke, spewing sparks along the way."You don't learn, do you?"Luke once again unleashed a Rankyaku: Mountain Breaker.The Ougi vacuum slash flew from Luke's leg, accurately hitting Acchino, kicking him flying, and sending his entire body crashing into the glacier.Luke used Moonwalk to reach Acchino, who now had a long slash wound across his chest, his eyes rolled back, and he had passed out.Luke raised his right hand, aimed at Acchino's forehead, and activated Flying Finger Pistol.The air bullet, without deviation, pierced through Acchino's hair, giving him a perfect middle part."Missed. Oh well, I'll spare your life." Luke turned and walked towards Acchino's room.
Chapter 164 Devil's TriangleChapter 164: Florian TriangleUpon entering Archino's room, it was predominantly filled with pirate flags.Hundreds of flags adorned the corridor, and continuing along it led to a black iron house.The door was locked. Luke used Finger Pistol to break the key, then opened the door.What greeted him was a vast amount of treasure, and a Devil Fruit.This was the first time Luke had encountered a wild Devil Fruit, excluding those he had appraised himself.As he touched the Devil Fruit, a system prompt appeared.[Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Wyvern Form]Dragon-type Devil Fruits are relatively rare, but the Wyvern form was a bit of a pity.However, what if he appraised it? He hadn't appraised a Devil Fruit before.Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the Devil Fruit. Appraising was like a lottery; good or bad depended entirely on luck."Grandpa Taibai Jinxing, bless me!"Accompanied by Luke's roar.[Ding! Appraisal Critical Hit! The Devil Fruit, Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Wyvern Form, has evolved into Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure-Flame Black Dragon Form!]The Devil Fruit in his hand turned black, even emitting azure flames.Undoubtedly, this Devil Fruit was one of the absolute top-tier Devil Fruits, both in appearance and name.Should he eat this Devil Fruit? Luke swallowed, should he?Luke weighed the pros and cons and decided to put the Devil Fruit away.He would wait until All Things Appraisal reached Level 2. Since it could convert Devil Fruit abilities into items and gain the same attributes as the Devil Fruit, there was no need to eat the Devil Fruit.Once All Things Appraisal reached Level 2, the thunder god blade would activate its elementalization, and at that time, using the thunder god blade would be no different from eating a Devil Fruit.Storing the Devil Fruit in his storage space, and sweeping all the other treasures from the room, Luke finally left, satisfied.However, before leaving, Luke glanced at the pirate flags, then unleashed a Fire Fist.In an instant, the Archino Family's house was engulfed in roaring flames.Passing by the family head, Archino, Luke kicked him into the icy sea. Whether he would survive depended on his fate.Using Moonwalk, he quickly found the Thousand Sunny again. At this time, the Straw Hat Crew had just retrieved their Straw Hat flag and had fought with Archino's family members."Xiao, where did you go?" Nami asked."I went to find treasure."After Luke spoke, he took out half of the treasure he had just found and spread it on the deck."This is truly magnificent!" Sanji took a puff from his cigarette.Nami was already swimming in the treasure."Since we found the pirate flag, Sunny Go, full speed ahead! Let's set off for the New World!" Luffyshouted from the bow of the ship.The Thousand Sunny sailed towards the sunset.Luke looked up at the sunset. The New World, a place of the strong, had a hurdle: Luffy's "uncle," Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino.No matter what the future held, a battle with Kizaruat Sabaody Archipelago was inevitable. Luke was somewhat pessimistic about whether he could reach the Admiral's level before arriving at Sabaody Archipelago.What should he do? When in doubt, go sing karaoke.If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it. If he couldn't win, he'd lie down. There was nothing that a song and a good sleep couldn't solve.After singing karaoke, drinking some wine, and sleeping, he woke up the next day without realizing it.Early the next morning, Luke walked out of his room, yawning. Sure enough, all his troubles were gone.He stepped out and saw Luffy with a bruised face."What did you do?" Luke asked, puzzled."I was beaten by the Book Spirit. I've already learned the advanced Iron Body tutorial," Luffy said.Luke gave him a thumbs up. He was progressing quickly, truly the chosen one.Luke went to Kalifa's room, pushed open the door, and found the black cocoon still there.After taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill, Kalifa had remained encased in the black cocoon, not yet waking up.Normally, it would take a month for someone to wake up after taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill, but Luke's physical foundation was already good, so he only took a week to awaken.Luke wasn't sure when Kalifa would wake up. He just came to check her body's energy every day to ensure it was normal.Once Kalifa woke up, Luke decided to train her into a top-tier secretary + warrior + assassin.At this moment, a commotion came from outside the room. Luke went to the deck.Usopp and Luffy were discussing a wooden barrel floating in the sea nearby.A large character for "treasure" was written on the barrel.It was obviously a trap at first glance. If it were truly treasure, who would be foolish enough to label it "treasure" for everyone to see?Luffy and Usopp immediately believed it.After their persistent efforts, they managed to haul the large barrel labeled "treasure" onto the deck."Treasure, treasure, treasure!" The three idiots began to dance side by side.Nami thought it might contain sealed wine and food, offered by someone to the sea god for a safe voyage.Since they had already retrieved it, they might as well open it to see what was inside.Luffy eagerly untied the rope on the barrel. With a loud bang, a red flame shot into the sky.The flame exploded in the air like fireworks. It was like, "A signal arrow pierces the clouds, and a thousand armies gather."Luke, of course, knew what this treasure chest was. It was a trap designed by Moriah to inform him that someone had entered the Devil Sea, and then have Perona send ghosts to scout or something. The main purpose was to inform them that shadows were about to be stolen.In other words, they were about to enter the Florian Triangle.Luke was quite looking forward to meeting Brook, mainly because Luke was also interested in music and wanted Brook to teach him.Imagine, while Luffy and the others fought, Lukewould play a tune from "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," injecting high morale and recovery abilities into the team.Playing music while enjoying an exciting battle, how wonderful that would be.But then he would become a support character, a diva, a songstress.Thinking of a songstress, Luke also thought of Red Hair's adopted daughter, Uta, who was the true songstress, capable of making people dream with her music.After the fireworks exploded, everyone was a little surprised.Robin cautiously said, "Perhaps our ship will be targeted next.""Could it be a trap? Opening the barrel exposed our location to others! Chopper, quickly go investigate the surroundings!" Usopp exclaimed.Chopper said, "Understood!"Chopper took out his telescope and looked intently: "No suspicious people seen!"After searching around, there were no suspicious people, but Nami noticed a change in the weather.The atmospheric pressure changes were not right, and the movement of the clouds was accelerating."Everyone, to your positions! We need to escape southeast! A storm is coming in 5 minutes!" Namiran to the crow's nest.Everyone began to perform their duties. In an instant, the clear sky was covered by dark clouds.
Chapter 165 Ghost ShipChapter 165: Ghost ShipHeavy rain fell instantly, accompanied by lightning and thunder.The sea was turbulent with strong winds and surging waves.The powerful gale tried to push the ship in the opposite direction, but the Thousand Sunny was more than capable.Activating the cola engine, the propeller accelerated, allowing the Sunny to sail against the wind and charge into the unknown sea ahead.They passed through the stormy waters and then entered an area of thick fog.It wasn't even night yet, but the dense fog here was eerily dark."Could it be that we've entered that sea? I'm not mentally prepared yet," Nami said.Usopp chuckled foolishly, "Are we going to Fish-Man Island so soon?"Luffy said, "No, before that, we have to pass through a haunted sea."Luke said, "Exactly, this sea is the famous Thriller Bark."Usopp was already trembling with fear.Luffy laughed, "Kokoro told us about it. She said there are living skeletons here."Sanji also joined in frightening Usopp, "They say over a hundred ships mysteriously disappear here every year, and there are ghost ships carrying the dead wandering around."Usopp covered his head, "You should have told me about this sooner! I need to arm myself with demon-exorcising tools!""Usopp, lend me some too!" Chopper said nervously.While everyone was discussing this sea, Lukediscovered something interesting.Next to Chopper, a ghost was floating.Luke went over to the ghost and tried to touch it with his hand, but his hand went straight through the ghost's body, feeling as if he were touching air.Luke, not believing it, imbued his hand with Armament Haki, but it still passed through the ghost's body, unable to touch or eliminate the ghost.This was a ghost sent by Perona, one of the most difficult Devil Fruit abilities to deal with.Currently, the only one who can fully withstand Perona's ghost attacks head-on is Usopp. Does that mean only God can do it? Not necessarily; there are two other ways to counter it.To know how to counter it, one must first understand what exactly a ghost attack is. Perona's ghost attack is actually a special energy fluctuation.But ultimately, a ghost is just a form of energy, not a causality weapon like Sugar's Hobi Hobi no Mi. Before the Marineford War, ghost attacks might have truly been invincible, but after Marineford, methods to counter them quickly emerged.The first method is Conqueror's Haki.Conqueror's Haki is also a form of energy, a mental energy. When Luffy uses Conqueror's Haki, he uses his mental power to influence the minds of others. If you are powerful enough with this mental strength, you can even make Conqueror's Haki produce powerful energy fluctuations.For example, in Luffy's clashes of Conqueror's Hakiwith Doflamingo, Katakuri, and Bullet, it's clear that Conqueror's Haki has already produced physical effects, which are also a special kind of energy fluctuation.This energy can block ghosts from getting close.The second method is Ryuo.Normal Armament Haki is useless because it only covers the surface of the body, making it harder, but it cannot block ghosts that can pass through any solid object. But Ryuo is different; Ryuo is externalized Armament Haki that can destroy objects from within. Since it can be externalized from the body and enter the interior of other objects, its nature is consistent with that of ghosts. These two are essentially the same thing. However, to emit ghosts, one must eat the Ghost-Ghost Fruit, and to use Ryuo, one must master advanced Armament Haki.Currently, Luke does not possess either of these conditions, so he cannot touch the ghost in front of him."Xiao, what are you doing?" Nami asked."There's a ghost here," Luke said, turning around."A ghost? Where?" Nami-chan asked in a panic."Right next to Chopper." Luke turned back and found that the ghost had vanished.Chopper, terrified, jumped into Zoro's arms, "Where, where is the ghost?!"Chopper's face was pale.Everyone looked around but found no trace of the so-called ghost."Xiao, you don't have to make it up so realistically just to scare Usopp," Sanji said, taking a puff from his cigarette."Do I look like someone who makes up lies?" Lukehad a look of utter confusion.Robin said, "From Xiao's reaction just now, it doesn't seem like he's making things up. So, what was that ghost?"Robin fell into deep thought.With Robin's words, the atmosphere on the ship became even more tense.Chopper, Nami, and Usopp were already huddled together for comfort.As luck would have it, a strange wailing sound came at that moment."Woooooo~"The strange sound echoed throughout the sea."Wooooo-ho-ho-ho~"Everyone looked around, searching for the source of the sound."There it is!"The sharp-eyed Usopp turned his head and saw a huge, dilapidated ghost ship sailing towards them."A ghost ship!"The Straw Hats exclaimed in unison, dumbfounded.The ghost ship was several times larger than the Thousand Sunny, and in the dark night, it brought an incredibly terrifying sense of oppression."Yohohoho!"Everyone was startled by the sound, but Luke found it somewhat charming.This was clearly the singing of that fellow Brook: Yohohoho, hohohoho, Binks' Sake.The enormous ghost ship slowly passed in front of the Thousand Sunny, and everyone watched it in astonishment."That's the song of evil spirits! Don't listen! Cover your ears, or you'll be cursed!" Usopp cried out."No!" Chopper pulled his hat down, covering his eyes.When the ghost ship reached the middle of its passage, Brook's face finally became clear.At the edge of the ghost ship's deck, Brook stood there.A skeleton head, dressed in a gentleman's suit, a top hat, an afro, a cup of coffee in his left hand, and a cane sword in his right.Brook softly sang, "Binks' Sake, now I'll deliver it."Then Brook raised his coffee and took a small sip.Everyone saw Brook, except Chopper."Did you see that just now? A skeleton singing," Luffy said.Usopp refused to admit it, "Idiot, how can a skeleton sing? It's auditory hallucination, auditory hallucination."Luffy looked at the others, "You all heard it too, right? Let's go, set off immediately! There really are living skeletons!"Luffy's eyes sparkled, showing no fear at all.Sanji held Luffy back.Zoro took out a box of long sticks, intending to draw lots to decide who would go with Luffy onto that ship.Usopp protested, "Why? Why can't whoever wants to go just go?"Nami chimed in, "Yeah, let's do that."Chopper also strongly agreed with Usopp.Despite their strong reluctance, the drawing of lots began.After drawing lots, Luke and Nami were chosen; Luffy was a definite.Jumping onto the Somersault Cloud, the three quickly flew onto the ghost ship's deck and saw Brook with their own eyes.Brook stood there gracefully, looking very happy, "Greetings, yohohoho! I was truly rude just now, meeting you without saying hello. It gave me quite a fright! I don't know how many years it's been since I've seen living people. Here, besides ghost ships, there are only ghost ships, which is truly terrifying. Come, come, don't be shy, come inside, and we can have a good chat."
Chapter 166 BrookChapter 166 BrookLuffy was excited to see the skeleton talking.Brook was immediately attracted to Nami."What a beautiful lady, beautiful. I'm captivated by beauties at first sight. Even though I'm a skeleton with no eyes, yohohoho!"Brook elegantly put down his teacup, placed his cane-sword aside, adjusted the cravat around his neck, and polished his leather shoes.Then he walked up to Nami: "May I see your panties?""Who would let you see!"The furious Nami kicked Brook in the head, leaving a large bump on his skull."Yohoho, oh my, how powerful!"Brook was knocked down by Nami's kick."It hurts to the bone, even though I'm just a skeleton," Brook said, lying on the ground."Shut up!" Nami said, exasperated.Luffy laughed happily at this scene.Why could a skeleton get a bump? This was what puzzled Luke."I say, do you poop?" Luffy asked.Brook stood up straight, walked over, picked up his coffee, took his cane-sword, and said elegantly, "I do poop."Luke regretted coming along. If he hadn't drawn the short straw, he would never have stayed to listen to such a pointless conversation.Then something even more shocking happened. Luffy took two steps forward: "Hey, be mynakama."Indeed, at their first meeting, he invited a complete stranger, a skeleton. Was it ignorance or the intuitive halo of a chosen one?Nami was stunned, and even more surprising things were yet to come.Brook calmly said, "Hmm, okay."Nami covered her face, incredibly shocked and disbelieving. One dared to ask, and the other dared to answer.Luke calmly smoked a cigar nearby, as expected, not surprised at all, just as he predicted.Unlike Nami's shock, Luffy was already laughing happily.And so, Luffy invited Brook onto the Straw Hat ship.Brook stood on the lawn deck of the Thousand Sunny, took off his hat: "Hello everyone, greetings. I apologize for the trouble my ship and I have caused. I am Brook, a skeleton who died. Please treat me well!""What the hell, what is this guy?!" Franky, Chopper, Usopp, and Zoro exclaimed in unison."Yohohoho, oh my, how fierce," Brook said.Then Brook saw Robin again, walked over to her with his coffee: "Oh, beautiful lady, may I see your panties?"Nami directly threw her shoe, hitting Brook on the head: "Shut up, you perverted skeleton!"Usopp even brought out his ghost-exorcism kit.A golden cross, an azure Buddhist rosary, a bundle of garlic wrapped around his neck, and a talisman with 'Evil Spirit Begone' pasted on his back."Damn skeleton, begone at once!" Usopp pointed the cross at Brook."Evil spirit, where is the evil spirit?" Brook didn't realize that the evil spirit they were talking about was himself."It's you!" Usopp and Chopper retorted.Zoro also got angry, pointing at Brook and asking: "Hey Luffy, what is this guy?""He's interesting, isn't he? I've already asked him to be ournakama," Luffy said calmly."What do you mean 'already'? Who would agree?! Why did you two even go with Luffy? Wasn't it to stop Luffy's crazy behavior?" Zoro questioned Lukeand Nami."Sorry, nothing we can do," Luke said calmly, smoking his cigarette.Who could stop him, right? Even if everyone went, it would be impossible to stop Luffy.Brook, however, remained calm: "Everyone, don't be so agitated. Please come inside the ship for dinner."Brook, meeting them for the first time, had already made himself at home."Why do you get to decide!" Nami, Zoro, and Sanjisaid in unison.Luffy just chuckled foolishly, saying how interesting it was.In the luxurious dining room, everyone sat around the dining table.Only Brook was talking incessantly, while everyone else sat there speechless, feeling overwhelmed. This was everyone's sentiment.Sanji was cooking food there."I'm really looking forward to the food. I haven't had a proper meal in decades. Every day I endure the pain of my chest sticking to my back, living with difficulty. Although as a skeleton, I have neither a front nor a back, yohohohoho," Brook said.Perhaps because he hadn't seen people in a long time, Brook was very lively."I love this leisurely time waiting for dinner. Dinner, yeah, dinner, yeah!"Brook sang along with Luffy, holding a knife and fork."Chef, please bring me milk for my drink!" Brooksaid."Shut up! Wait quietly!" Sanji had two dark lines on his forehead.Soon, Sanji's dinner was ready, a table full of very rich and abundant dishes."Come on, let's put the skeleton business aside for now. Let's eat first, octopus feast!" Sanji said.Luke had been hungry for a while and began to gobble down the food, mainly because Sanji's cooking was so delicious.After eating and drinking their fill, they began their post-dinner chat.Brook introduced his experiences.He was originally the captain of a certain country's guard corps, later joining the Rumbar Pirates. Fifty years ago, he promised Laboon the whale that they would reunite at "Twin Capes." Later, he encountered enemies in the Florian Triangle and suffered a fatal blow. Due to the power of the Yomi Yomi no Mi, his soul left the underworld and was about to return to his body when he got lost in the Florian Triangle for a year. By the time he found his body, it had become a skeleton, but his afro remained. Since then, he could only survive as a skeleton."Have you looked in a mirror?" Nami took out a mirror and aimed it at Brook.Brook exclaimed: "Don't point a mirror at me."Everyone was surprised to find that Brook was not in the mirror.They could see Brook with their eyes, but not in the mirror. Both are through light reflection, so what was the principle behind this? Newton's coffin lid couldn't hold anymore.This strange phenomenon also made everyone feel as if they were facing a great enemy. If he wasn't a monster, how could he not be seen in a mirror?Looking closer, Brook didn't even have a shadow.Brook, however, remained calm, sat gently on a chair, and took a sip of coffee."Is this a time to be calm?" Sanji said."It's a long story," Brook sighed.Brook then told everyone about his shadowless state. Becoming a skeleton and being shadowless were two completely different things.He simply stated that his shadow had been stolen by someone a few years ago.Moreover, once a shadow is stolen, it means one cannot live in a place with sunlight; once exposed to sunlight, one will turn to ash.He had survived until now entirely because the mist here blocked the sun.Regarding his lack of reflection in the mirror, Brookexplained: "A shadow is projected onto the ground by light. It's the same principle as not having a shadow. Things like mirrors and cameras, which display objects through reflection, cannot reflect my body. In other words, I am an existence rejected by light."Luke found it difficult to agree with Brook's explanation. It differed from what his physics teacher said. Eyes and cameras, generally speaking, are objects that receive light sources. We can see objects because the light emitted by the objects enters our eyes. Mirrors can form images because the light emitted by objects reflects off the mirror surface. Since eyes can see him, it means there is light, and the mirror should definitely be able to reflect it.However, since Brook couldn't be seen in the mirror, Luke attributed this violation of scientific laws to the power of a Devil Fruit.
Chapter 167 The Terrifying Three Ghostly Sailing ShipsChapter 167: Thriller BarkLuffy was very curious about who took Brook's shadow.Luffy wanted to help Brook get his shadow back and asked Brook who had taken it.Brook was unwilling to answer. He didn't want to implicate everyone because the opponent was too powerful for him.One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gekko Moriah.Gekko Moriah, Captain of the Thriller Bark Pirates, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, a Devil Fruituser with the power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. His original bounty was 320,000,000 Berries. He preferred to rely on others to complete any task for him.He once suffered a crushing defeat in Wano Countryat the hands of Kaido of the Four Emperors. All his companions were killed in that battle, which dealt him a severe blow. He began to believe that "loss only comes from living."No matter how much everyone asked, Brook refused to name the person."If I can see him again, I'm determined to fight to the death."This was Brook's answer.To lighten the mood, Brook picked up his violin, preparing to play a tune for everyone.Just as he picked up the violin and was about to play, he saw the ghost in the room and froze in shock."No!" Brook shouted."Gh-gh-ghost!" Brook exclaimed.The ghost from before reappeared, floating through the wall into the middle of the dining room, visible to everyone.Then the ghost passed through the ship and left, and the ship experienced a huge tremor.Everyone immediately left the dining room and went to the deck to see what was happening.A massive stone wall blocked the ship's path. Looking closely, they saw that they were already surrounded by walls.The Thousand Sunny had entered Moriah's territory. This was his base, Thriller Bark. Brook had clearly seen this place before.Thriller Bark is an island located in the Florian Triangle. Its true form is a gigantic ship from the West Blue, also named "Thriller Bark." Its flag is a skull with the leader Moriah's onion-shaped hair and a pair of flame-tipped bat wings. The front gate resembles a giant open mouth with teeth, specifically designed to capture passing ships.More than 100 ships disappear in the Florian Triangle every year because this island has been here for ten years. It is surrounded by dense fog, initially to prevent those who lost their shadows from being destroyed by sunlight."This is inside the gate," Brook said.Then everyone followed Brook to the other side of the ship. Looking into the distance, the other side was a desolate island, exuding a barren atmosphere.Barren land, withered branches, crumbling ruins, and the occasional Crow flying over the castle made it look more like a massive graveyard."You didn't pick up a drifting barrel from the sea, did you!" Brook said.The drifting barrel was the wooden barrel Luffy had picked up earlier. After sending out the signal, they had been targeted and unknowingly entered Thriller Bark.Here, the Log Pose didn't work because this island came from the distant West Blue.After Brook finished speaking, he picked up his cane sword and then jumped off the ship without hesitation."I'm very happy to have met you today. Such a delicious dinner will be unforgettable for the rest of my life. May we meet again at sea."Brook used his Waterwalk technique to run towards the island, and soon disappeared into the mist.This island was filled with an eerie aura; it clearly boded ill.Luffy turned his head, a look of excitement and a big smile on his face, clearly wanting to go.Robin pointed to a stone gate not far away and said, "The violent shaking just now, if that mouth-like gate closed, it means we've been swallowed. Although it's too foggy to see clearly, the walls extending on both sides seem to surround the entire island, meaning we are now trapped within the wall encircling this island."Franky said, "Since the island is moving, it means we are still at sea, so we can't drop anchor."Nami looked dejected: "Everyone, listen to me, I think I've caught a disease that prevents me from going ashore."Oh no, Nami had been infected by Usopp."Me too, I've got it too," Chopper said, shedding two streams of hot tears.Luffy, holding a bug net and with a small bag slung over his shoulder, said, "Alright, let's dock the ship!"He was ready for an adventure.Luffy had also prepared a cage, intending to catch the ghost he had seen earlier and keep it as a pet.To get to the island by boat, Franky began to introduce his dock system, with Dock 2 being the Mini Merry.Usopp, Chopper, and Nami boarded the Mini Merry and headed towards the island.Nami was very happy driving the Mini Merry.The dock system included Dock 1, the single-seater Waver; Dock 2, the Mini Merry; Dock 3, the three-seater reconnaissance submarine; and Dock 4, the four-seater shopping boat Mini Merry 2. These were all auxiliary vessels for the Going Merry's voyage.Soon, Nami and the other two disappeared from everyone's sight.Suddenly, the manhole cover on the deck automatically opened."What's wrong? Did someone touch it?" Frankyasked, puzzled."No, no one went near it," Luke said.Then Luffy's face was suddenly stretched by an external force, extending and retracting like rubber."Luffy, what are you doing? Why are you messing around at a time like this?" Sanji asked.Luffy waved his hand, indicating, "No, no, it wasn't me, I didn't do anything."Immediately after, Zoro's sword moved on its own. A sword automatically flew out of its sheath and then lunged at Luffy, who narrowly dodged it."Sorry, the sword flew out by itself," Zoro said, also feeling annoyed.Everyone felt that something strange was happening; there was someone else on this ship."Is it really a ghost at work, or some kind of superhuman?" Franky asked.Luffy said, "I feel like someone touched me."Luke took a puff from his cigarette. It seemed Sanji's favorite Devil Fruit had arrived.Absalom, a subordinate of Gekko Moriah, commander of the Zombie Soldiers and Zombie Generals, a user of the Clear-Clear Fruit, a Transparent Man. He can make his own body transparent and can also make people and objects he touches transparent. His jaw and nose were transplanted by Hogback, so he is essentially human and does not belong to the Mink Tribe.After the Marineford War, he rescued Moriah, who was surrounded by Doflamingo. Two years later, he was killed by Blackbeard in the New World, and after his death, his Devil Fruit ability was taken by Blackbeard and transferred to Shiliew of the Rain.Currently, only Luke knew about the invisible man Absalom; the others did not.Concerned about Nami's situation, Sanji leaped into the air, intending to use Moonwalk to go to the island and rescue Nami and the others.However, as soon as he took a step, he was interrupted by an inexplicable force and fell directly onto the ship's deck."Ehh, how embarrassing!" Zoro, Franky, and Luffyscoffed.This was certainly not Sanji's doing, but someone interfering.Then, Sanji could be seen hanging upside down and rising, then swaying from side to side.The invisible Absalom grabbed Sanji's leg and swung him back and forth, then slammed him onto the deck.From everyone's perspective, they could only see Sanji, not the invisible man, so the scene appeared very eerie.Immediately after, Absalom set his sights on Robin.
Chapter 168: PunishmentChapter 168: TortureAccording to the original plot, Absalom would capture Robin and then lick her with his disgusting tongue.This was no laughing matter; Luke hadn't even licked Robin yet, so how could he let Absalom do it?Putting on Sargeras' Cursed Sight, he saw Absalom trying to provoke Robin.Luke unleashed a Rankyaku, kicking Absalom directly into the air.The violent air slash revealed Absalom's true form.If he wanted to lick Robin, he had to ask Luke's permission first.When Absalom fell from the sky, Luke kicked him again, sending him flying into the air like a ball."So this guy was the one causing trouble," Zoro said.When Absalom free-fell again, Luke took out iron pliers from his spatial ring, pulled out Absalom's tongue, and then clamped it tightly with the pliers."Ah!!! It hurts, it hurts!"Absalom's pig-like screams echoed across the deck.At this moment, Absalom still tried to attack Luke, but Luke used a Finger Pistol to pierce his arm joint, rendering him unable to attack."Could it be that this guy just wanted to do that disgusting thing to Sister Robin with his tongue?" Sanji was shocked."Yes," Luke nodded."Ah! This bastard!" Sanji kicked out with his right foot, hitting Absalom's face and sending him flying into the air.Luke used the Demon Binding Rope to tie him up and pull him back from the air.Absalom lay on the ground, dizzy, twitching all over, the pliers on his tongue kicked off to who knows where, and his face was unrecognizable.He took a basin of cold water and poured it over Absalom, making him slightly conscious.Robin was a bit angry now, and two arms grew from Absalom's shoulders.The two hands took turns slapping Absalom, the sound of "piapiapia" incessant.Absalom's lion face was directly beaten into a pig's head.Luke then took out Sea Stone handcuffs from his storage ring and cuffed Absalom's hands."Spare me," Absalom half-knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly."Huh!? Didn't hear you!" Luke lit a cigarette, unmoved."This guy has the ability to be invisible," Luke said.Sanji, hearing this, couldn't stay calm and unleashed an eighteen-kick combo on Absalom.The Invisible Devil Fruit was Sanji's dream Devil Fruit; its ability was very powerful, especially for a gentleman like Sanji."Damn it, Xiao, do you have a way to remove this guy's Devil Fruit?" Sanji asked.Luke shrugged: "Currently, I don't have an item to remove a Devil Fruit. I can only say the probability of appraising such an item is extremely low.""Okay, then let's tie him to the ship first, and we'll remove it when we get the item." Sanji was practically crazy with desire for this Devil Fruit."Keep him tied to the ship and feed him?" Zoroasked, puzzled.Luffy scratched his head: "He looks like a lion in a zoo.""This guy might know something about this island." At this moment, only Zoro remained clear-headed.Next was the enjoyable interrogation session."Impossible, I will not reveal the secrets of that Lord," Absalom said stubbornly."Still talking tough, huh?" Sanji said.Luke said nothing, silently taking out various items from his storage space.There were small knives, long knives, spears, maces, pliers, saws, steel needles, hammers, iron balls, durians, and cactus balls.The tools were diverse and complete, all items Lukehad used for appraisal or that had no use after appraisal, perfect for torture instruments.As the items were taken out one by one, Absalom's face gradually worsened.Luke pointed to the torture instruments laid out on the ground and said, "Choose one to be your tool of punishment."Absalom's body trembled slightly, his face pale: "That Lord is very strong, no one can leave this island, including you.""Stubborn?" Luke took a steel needle and inserted it into Absalom's finger."Ah!" Absalom shrieked, for that was the meaning of 'ten fingers connected to the heart.'"The index finger is done, next is the middle finger." Luke took out another steel needle."Ah!!""Next is the ring finger.""Ah!! Stop, stop, I'll talk, I'll talk about what? You haven't asked anything!" Absalom exclaimed.Luke and the others looked at each other: "Why are you standing there stunned? Ask questions!"Zoro said: "Just tell us about this island, who sent you, and what is the purpose?""Oh, and what was with that ghost just now?" Sanjiasked.Luke said: "Don't lie. If I catch you, it won't just be steel needles."Luke held a long knife, heated it red with fire, and spun it in front of Absalom.Under Luke's intimidation, Absalom began to reveal information about this place and his master, Gekko Moriah.The prominent figures on the island were Moriah, Dr. Hogback, Absalom, and Perona.There was also the zombie army, including zombie soldiers, frightening zombies, general zombies, animal zombies, special zombies, and other zombies.Among them, special zombies referred to Oars the Devil.The general zombies included Jigoro of the Wind, Ryuma the Sword God, Lola, Tararan, and CaptainJohn."Woohoo! Zombies!" Luffy's eyes lit up."Sword God!" Zoro became interested."Hogback, I've heard his name before," Robin said.Hogback was one of the Three Mysterious People. Although not a commander, he could freely choose and command any zombie he wanted from his master, Moriah.He was a genius surgeon. He had saved many patients with miraculous surgeries, earning him the reputation and status a doctor should have. In reality, however, he was a terrible doctor who believed money was more important than saving lives, and his act of mass-producing zombies and defiling the dead utterly disappointed Chopper.Ten years ago, Cindry's death had left him disheartened, but he later became Gekko Moriah's subordinate on the condition that Cindry be resurrected.Chopper, unaware of Hogback's current state, was eager to meet him and discuss medical techniques."Wait, are all the zombies on the island resurrected dead people?" Robin asked.Under Luke's severe interrogation, Absalom revealed information about the zombies and the creation of the dead.The genius surgeon Hogback traveled to graveyards around the world, stealing corpses, then modifying and preserving them. By injecting shadows into the lifeless bodies, they would become zombies, possessing the "personality" and "combat abilities" of the shadow's owner.If a contract was made to deviate from the original owner's nature, the original owner's memories would not be retained. The longer the shadow and corpse were fused, the more the zombie would transition from initial rebellion to complete obedience. Their weakness was salt; these zombies operated using Devil Fruit abilities.As long as salt, which possesses the energy of the sea, was stuffed into their mouths, they would be purified. If the main body died, the shadow would also disappear, and the zombie would die with it. The higher the combat ability of the shadow's owner, the stronger the zombie would become.
Chapter 169 Don't Underestimate ZombiesChapter 169: Don't Underestimate ZombiesThe more Absalom introduced, the more excited Luffy became; he was already eager to go to the island and interact with the zombies."Zombies, zombies!"Luffy excitedly used Moonwalk, disappearing from everyone's sight.Having learned Intermediate Moonwalk, Luffy no longer needed the Somersault Cloud, becoming more free, and his mischief rate increased by eighty percent.Watching Luffy leave, everyone was already used to it."If that's truly the case, Miss Nami will be in danger."Sanji also decided to set off immediately, using Moonwalk to fly towards the island.Seeing two people successively fly away in the air, Absalom was greatly surprised and looked at everyone's strength with new respect."Can you let me go?" Absalom pleaded."No way."Luke tied him up with the Demon Binding Rope, added Sea Stone handcuffs to his hands and feet, and threw him into the warehouse, awaiting punishment after this adventure ended.This guy's fate in the original plot was to be killed by the Blackbeard Pirates, his Devil Fruit ability stolen and given to Shiliew to eat. Therefore, Luke had to break this butterfly effect.Luke and Franky discussed and planned to build a prisoner room on the ship specifically for detaining captives.However, Zoro objected, giving the reason that Luffywould definitely not agree.Luffy is an optimist, and building such a place to detain captives on the ship does not fit his personality.Since that was the case, Luke first tied Absalom with the Demon Binding Rope, and would figure out how to deal with him after returning.After all, he was the owner of the Invisible-Invisible Fruit; letting him go and then having him killed by Blackbeard would indirectly increase the opponent's strength.Next, everyone went to the island together, leaving Luke, Zoro, Robin, and Franky.Luke was also eager to see Moriah's castle; there must be many good things inside."I'm going first."Luke greeted them, then stepped on the Somersault Cloud and flew towards the island.Looking down, a three-headed dog was barking madly at Luke."Woof woof woof!"That three-headed dog was a monster stitched together by Hogback; two heads were dogs, and one head was a fox."Woof woof woof!"Luke originally didn't intend to bother with it, but its constant barking was very annoying.Luke leaped down from the air, directly setting his weight boots to ten thousand kilograms."Ten Thousand Jin Press!"The immense weight instantly hit the ground, smashing a large pit.Luke shivered all over, his legs numb from the shock.The place where Luke fell was only a hair's breadth away from the three-headed dog, yet he didn't hit it.The three-headed dog was completely stunned, scared and slumped to the ground. Such terrifying power; if it had hit him just now, he would definitely be dead."Are you still barking?" Luke jumped out of the large pit and stood in front of the three-headed dog.The three-headed dog stammered and backed away, then: "Woof!""A-da!"Luke delivered a flying kick that sent it flying into the wall.After this kick's 'pacification,' the three-headed dog became incredibly docile, becoming Luke's mount."Lead the way," Luke said, sitting on the three-headed dog.The three-headed dog dared not object and diligently led Luke.Passing through this low-lying wall area, they arrived at a desolate land.Withered trees, old trees, gloomy crows, and pervasive eerie fog—it was perfect for filming a horror movie.Looking to the side, occasionally they would spot a few strange stitched creatures, a unicorn and a treant drinking alcohol.Then, a few of Perona's ghosts flew past Luke.Luke tried to use Fire Fist and Finger Pistol, but they all passed through the ghosts, having no effect on them at all; he could only let the ghosts fly around.The ghosts danced in front of him, making Lukedepressed; he watched the ghosts provoke him but was helpless.Suddenly, a ghost passed through Luke's body.In an instant, Luke's world collapsed, and a question appeared in his mind: why do people live?"To walk on the same land as everyone else, it's truly shameful!" Luke knelt on the three-headed dog's back, filled with negative emotions about life.It wasn't until dozens of seconds later that Lukerecovered, filled with positive and upward emotions.It was terrifying, Perona's Negative Hollow ability. Luke admired Usopp even more; how did he manage to live until now with such negative emotions? It's not easy, go Usopp..."Negative, negative, negative!"The ghosts were still dancing around in front of him, danced for a while, and then flew away.Luke let out a long sigh; the best way to deal with this group of ghosts was to find Perona and attack her main body. He looked around but couldn't find Perona, so he could only go into the castle to look.As he walked, he came to a desolate graveyard.Crosses and gravestones were everywhere on the ground.What does it feel like to eat in a graveyard? Luketook out his bento and began to chew slowly. He wanted to see the zombies in the graveyard because he had never seen zombies before and was very curious.After waiting for a while, he saw an arm break through the soil."Ugh ah~~"Accompanied by a low growl, a zombie crawled out from underground.Luke jumped from the three-headed dog to stand in front of this zombie, staring at its body and observing it carefully.Its skin was grayish, there were many bandages at its joints, its eyeballs protruded, and its mouth was constantly open, unable to see its upper and lower lips."Want some bento?"Luke picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks and fed it into the zombie's mouth.The zombie chewed twice: "Delicious!! Hmm~~ Hey! Are you underestimating zombies?"The zombie was very angry; it was the first time it had seen someone not afraid of it, and even feeding it bento, which was simply damaging to the zombie's reputation.The zombie leaped into the air, striking a White Crane Spreads Its Wings pose.Immediately after, zombies continuously burst out of the ground.A zombie kicked away the soil: "Don't underestimate us."Before long, over a hundred zombies appeared in this graveyard, surrounding Luke.These zombies looked very lively."Let me show you the danger of zombies!" the leading zombie shouted.Luke took out a lump of salt from his pocket and threw it directly into its mouth.Before the leading zombie could finish speaking, its shadow flew out of its body and drifted into the distance."Salt is effective, indeed."Only by putting salt into the zombies' bodies would their shadows fly away, leaving only their broken shells."He actually knows the zombies' weakness!" The zombies retreated one after another."Don't be afraid, he's only one person, let's all go at him!" one zombie incited.And so, the zombies charged at Luke.Luke clenched his fists, then used Rokushiki and fought.Finger Pistol, Rankyaku, using both hands and feet, he quickly dealt with over a dozen zombies.However, these defeated zombies were only physically broken but could still move.Their true bodies were shadows, so physical attacks could only hinder their movement, but attacking them with salt would be too wasteful.So Luke appraised the salt in his hand.
Chapter 170 Zombie Dance TroupeChapter 170: Zombie Dance Troupe"Ding! Appraisal successful. Salt has been appraised as Zombie Happy Powder. Sprinkling it on a zombie's body will make it mentally excited, causing hallucinations within an hour."Luke didn't hesitate. He took the Zombie Happy Powder and began to sprinkle it into the air."Run!"The zombies wanted to escape.But Luke accurately used air bullets to throw the Happy Powder into their mouths.Soon, all one hundred zombies in this graveyard had consumed the Happy Powder and began to wave their arms and legs wildly."Oh, this is so pleasant. Is this heaven?""Beautiful lady, mwah!""I really want to dance."Luke sat on the back of the three-headed dog, took out a tape recorder, and a disco ball.He pressed play on the tape recorder, and boisterous DJ music filled the graveyard. Then he pressed the button on the disco ball, and colorful lights began to flash.Looking from outside the graveyard, it had transformed directly into a disco paradise—a true graveyard rave."Dance!"Luke stood on the three-headed dog and performed a simple dance move.Unexpectedly, the zombies actually started to imitate him.Under the music and lights, Luke danced with the zombies for five minutes."I almost forgot about the main business. My little ones, advance towards the castle!""Roar!~~~"Luke sat on the three-headed dog, and, attracted by the dynamic music and colorful lights, a large group of zombies followed him towards the castle.Any zombies Luke saw along the way, without exception, were given Zombie Happy Powder.Gradually, Luke's zombie army grew, appearing to be about five hundred strong.Suddenly, a light rain began to fall, somewhat disrupting the DJ's atmosphere.Fortunately, they had already arrived at the castle gate, which was wide open.Luke led his zombie legion into the castle and destroyed the castle gate.Inside the castle, there were red stone walls adorned with candles and abstract paintings.On the floor was a huge rug, depicting a large white bear.Ahead was a fireplace, with paintings on both sides. Above it was a pig's head painting, and below the pig's head was a scimitar.These paintings, including the white bear on the floor rug, were actually stitched-together zombies.Suddenly, the pig's head painting on the wall spoke: "Hee hee hee hee, to dare to trespass here, knowing the master's great name, is remarkable courage.""A talking pig? You're even more remarkable," Lukesaid."It's too early to be surprised. Come, let's welcome our guests!"Following the pig's head's roar, the murals on the walls and the white bear on the floor all flew out.Luke then threw Zombie Happy Powder into their mouths, and they instantly entered a state of euphoria.The zombie army expanded again. From the outside, the castle's main hall glowed with colorful lights.With the addition of DJ music, the zombies began to rave inside the castle.The zombies pointed one hand to the sky, stomped their right foot on the ground, and sang loudly: "Surround the entire mansion, let us burn tonight, leave no one behind, tonight everyone is a zombie, spin, go wild, spin, tonight everyone is a zombie, spin, go wild, spin.""Zombie Night!""Tonight everyone is a zombie, spin, go wild, spin.""Zombie Night!"Suddenly, the wooden door on the second floor was pushed open.The genius doctor Hogback appeared: "What are you doing? Why is it so noisy!"After speaking, Hogback looked at the hall in astonishment; the zombies were actually dancing there.Standing in the middle of the zombies was Luke, riding the three-headed dog."Flame Fist Luke, 270 million Berries!" Hogback exclaimed.Seeing Luke there, Hogback turned and ran.Luke lightly leaped up, appeared beside Hogback, and grabbed his collar."Where is Moriah's treasure room?" Luke asked."I don't know, I'm not sure!" Hogback stammered, trembling.Hogback's medical skills were good, but his strength was very poor.Luke directly threw him into the zombie mosh pit."Brothers, step on him!"To the dynamic music, the zombies began to stomp all over Hogback."No, what are you doing, ah! It hurts, it hurts so much!""Ah! Listen to my commands! You were all made by me! Have you forgotten Master Moriah, ah! It hurts!"Hogback's screams echoed through the hall. The zombies couldn't hear what he was saying and just kept stepping on him.Hogback couldn't take it anymore and raised his hands in surrender."I only know Master Moriah's room, but I don't know where his treasure room is," Hogback said, his face bruised and swollen."You don't know?"Luke raised an eyebrow, and flames appeared in his hand, burning off Hogback's silk top.The smell of roasted meat gradually spread, and Hogback screamed in agony—this hurt much more than being trampled."I'll tell you, I'll tell you! It's in the room on the top floor, and only Master Moriah has the key," Hogback wailed."Smart of you."With that, Luke threw Hogback back into the center of the dance floor, letting the zombies trample him.Luke, meanwhile, headed towards the top floor of the castle.Taking the stairs to the second floor, Luke planned to check every room. In a medieval-style castle like this, he might find many good things.There were many knight armors in the corridor, standing there holding spears and shields.Luke didn't let them off either, appraising each of these armors one by one. These were all experience points.For the All-Things Appraisal skill, the rarer the item, the higher the experience value it gives. Appraising things like stones or dirt provides almost no experience.He appraised several armors, which came with decent attributes, but they weren't of much value to Luke, so he was too lazy to put them in his storage ring.After wandering around and checking the entire second floor, he didn't appraise anything useful.Luke began to move towards the third floor.Compared to the second floor, the third floor was much more spacious and clean, and there was even a faint fragrance.Could it be that the third floor was Perona's territory?Perona has the appearance of a cute princess, but her personality is quite tomboyish. She is characterized by wearing a crown, having pink twin-tail pigtails, and often carrying a burgundy umbrella.She is a Ghost-Ghost Fruit ability user, a Ghost Human, possessing the ability to freely generate spiritual bodies. If a spiritual body passes through someone's body, it can make their heart extremely depressed, and her special ghosts can cause powerful shockwaves.Luke didn't want to encounter Perona here; her abilities were a bit tricky.But Luke believed that even if he met Perona, he could easily defeat her, confident in his speed.Having learned Rokushiki, Luke was extremely fast, highly likely able to dodge ghost attacks, and could also use Flying Finger Pistol and Tempest Kick for long-range attacks, which Perona would be unable to parry.Just then, there was a commotion above his head. Luke looked up and saw a giant stitched-together spider gazing down at him.The spider had eight legs, a monkey's face, and let out a cackling laugh.