Absalom's stitched-up lion paws pounded against the cold stone floors of the mansion, echoing like frantic drumbeats in the dimly lit corridors. His top hat was crooked, fur matted with sweat from the earlier humiliation on the Strawhats' ship. That rubbery brat had pinned him down like a bug, and then the cook had kicked him into oblivion. But now he was back in his domain, invisible if he wanted to be, but too panicked to focus on his Clear-Clear Fruit properly. Flickers of transparency came and went as he ran, making him look like a glitchy ghost.
"Damn pirates," he muttered between heaving breaths, his sharp teeth bared. "Those intruders in Master Moria's territory… they'll pay, especially that orange-haired vixen. No, wait, her hair was... luscious, perfect, flowing like silk. And her figure! Her personality is so feisty, so incredible. She's the one. My bride!"
He skidded around a corner, nearly crashing into a suit of armor that leered at him with empty eye sockets. The mansion was a labyrinth of traps and shadows, but Absalom knew it like the back of his paw. He needed reinforcements. The commander zombies, his big guns. Master Moria would be furious if he didn't rally them fast.
Pushing open a heavy iron door at the end of a forgotten hall, he burst into the chamber of rest. The room was vast, shrouded in perpetual twilight from high, barred windows that let in slivers of foggy moonlight. Lining the walls were massive coffins, each one the size of a small boat, carved from dark wood etched with runes of resurrection. Dust motes danced in the air, and the faint stench of embalming fluid lingered like a bad memory.
Absalom slammed the door behind him, his chest heaving. "Wake up, you lazy corpses! We've got invaders! Those Strawhat pirates led by that glowing freak of a kid! Master Moria wishes to crush them!"
He banged on the nearest coffin with his fist, the sound reverberating like thunder. The lid creaked open with a groan, revealing Jigoro, the zombie samurai, his body a patchwork of stitches and mismatched limbs, sword at his side. Yellow eyes snapped open, glowing faintly in the dark.
"Intruders... must... eliminate," Jigoro rasped, sitting up stiffly.
Absalom moved to the next. Inuppe, the bulldog-faced zombie, snarled as he emerged. "Grrr... fresh meat..."
One by one, the commander zombies rose: Tararan with his spider-monkey agility, Kumashi the massive bear, and the others, their bodies groaning in protest as Hogback's sutures held them together. They were Moria's elite, shadows stuffed into corpses to make unstoppable warriors. Absalom grinned, his lion muzzle twisting into a predatory smirk. "That's right, boys. Time to play. Head to the graveyard, rally the rest of the soldiers. We'll bury those pirates alive!"
As the zombies shuffled out, forming a lumbering line toward the main hall, Absalom turned to leave, satisfaction blooming in his chest. But before he could take two steps, he felt a chill go down his spine as a massive shadow loomed over him.
"Absalom-darling~!"
He barely had time to yelp before Lola tackled him from the side, her enormous pig body slamming into him like a runaway barrel. They tumbled across the floor in a heap of stitches and squeals, Absalom's hat flying off as Lola's massive arms wrapped around him in a bone-crushing hug.
"Mwah! Mwah! I've been looking for you everywhere, my sweet lion hubby!" Lola puckered her stitched lips, aiming sloppy kisses at his face. Her breath smelled of stale pork and desperation, her warthog snout inches from his.
Absalom dodged her assaults to the left, then to the right, his invisibility flickering in panic. "Lola! Get off me! Not now, we've got a crisis!"
But Lola was undeterred, her eyes (one stitched shut) sparkling with undead affection. She planted a wet kiss on his cheek, leaving a slimy mark. "But Absalom! You've been avoiding me for days! Don't you love me? We're meant to be together! Even Master Moria said so! Just marry me already!"
She leaned in again, lips pursed like a vacuum. Absalom wriggled free just in time, scrambling to his feet and backing away. His fur stood on end. Lola was one of Hogback's "masterpieces", a warthog zombie with the personality of a lovesick creature. She'd been hounding him for marriage ever since her shadow was implanted, convinced he was her soulmate.
"No, Lola! For the last time, I reject you!" Absalom shouted, straightening his coat. "I've found someone else, someone absolutely perfect! A gorgeous human woman named Nami. Her hair is luscious, flowing like the finest silk in the wind. And her personality.. oh, it's incredible! Fiery, smart, with curves that would baffle any man. She's the bride I've always dreamed of!"
Lola froze, her massive frame trembling. The words hung in the air like a bad omen. Then her eyes widened, stitches pulling taut. "N-Nami? Long luscious hair? Incredible personality? You... you love her instead of me?!"
Absalom nodded vigorously, too caught up in his fantasy to see the storm brewing. "Yes! She's everything you're not. She is beautiful, alive, not... piggish. Now go bother someone else!"
That did it.
Lola's face twisted into a mask of rage, her snout flaring. "NAMI?! That human harlot stole my Absalom?! I'll find her! I'll rip out her luscious hair strand by strand! I'll make her pay for taking my hubby!"
She let out a deafening squeal, half-roar, half-sob, and charged out of the room, hooves clattering on the stone. "Where are you, Nami?! Come out and face Lola, you man-stealer!"
Absalom watched her go, dusting off his hat. "Phew. Dodged a bullet there. Crazy pig." He chuckled to himself, imagining Nami in a wedding dress. But duty called. He slipped out after the commander zombies, his steps lighter now. After all, he's sure he can find his dear bride before the cursed pig can.
In the main graveyard outside the mansion, the night air was thick with fog and the moans of the undead. The commander zombies had rallied the troops consisting of hundreds of stitched-up soldiers, generals with animal features. They shambled together in a grotesque parade, their shadows (stolen from the living) animating their decayed forms.
At the center of it all, a group of burly zombies strained under the weight of a massive sphere, hoisting it high on poles like a palanquin. It was no ordinary ball, it was a gigantic disco ball, salvaged from some long-lost party ship, its facets cracked but still gleaming under the moonlight. Absalom's eyes lit up as he approached, his pervy grin widening.
"Yes! The Disco Ball of Doom! Perfect!" He clapped his paws together in delight. Master Moria had enchanted it years ago, when spun, it refracted light (or moonlight) into hypnotic beams that could disorient enemies or empower shadows. But to Absalom, it was just shiny and fun. "With this, those Strawhats don't stand a chance. Spin it up, boys! Let's light up the night and crush those intruders!"
The zombies grunted in unison, beginning to turn the ball slowly. Fractured lights danced across the graveyard, casting eerie rainbows on tombstones and undead faces. Absalom laughed maniacally, imagining Nami's "incredible" personality crumbling under the assault. Lola's rampage? A minor annoyance. The real party was about to start.
.
"Kishishi! What's this? More zombies purified? Losing control in the west wing... then the kitchens... heading north. Those pests are using salt!" Gecko Moria's beady eyes narrowed, piecing the trail together. The locations matched the path of intruders, specifically, the group led by that bratty child, Strawhat Luffy. "The ones with the skeleton's friends. They're after shadows, my shadows!"
He slammed a fist on the armrest, the room trembling. "Perona! Get in here!"
The ghost princess floated in, pouting in her frilly dress, umbrella in hand. "What now, Moria-sama? I'm busy napping!"
"Keep those fools pinned! Use your Negative Hollows, flood the north corridors with them. Trap them in one spot so my zombies can swarm. Don't let them move an inch, kishishi!"
Perona huffed but summoned her ghosts with a wave. Pale, giggling specters phased through walls, racing toward the untold group. "Fine, but if they depress me, it's your fault!"
Moria grinned, teeth gleaming.
.
Nami's heart pounded like a war drum as she gazed at the twisting corridors of Hogback's mansion, her Clima-Tact clutched in white-knuckled hands. The fog outside had been bad enough, but inside, the air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid sting of chemicals. Shadows danced on the walls from flickering green lanterns, and every creak of the floorboards sounded like a zombie's groan.
She ran into the room, which had its door slashed open by the Samurai zombie, as it seemed to be the only place left to run.
"Why did we split up? This was a terrible idea!" she muttered under her breath, glancing back to see Sanji hot on her heels, his face a mask of determination mixed with hearts.
"Nami-san! Stay close, I'll keep you safe! Nothing's touching you while I'm here!" Sanji called, his voice echoing off the stone walls.
Behind them, the sounds of swords unsheathing echoed as Brook and Zoro encountered Ryuma, the legendary zombie samurai. Brook's violin had transformed into his cane-sword, and Zoro held a blade in each hand, the air humming with the promise of a fierce duel.
Brook seemingly muttered something that made the samurai zombie still for a moment.
Nami didn't stick around to watch. She glanced around the room she just entered, followed by Sanji close behind. The room looked as if it came out of a nightmare, with shelves lined with jars of floating organs, surgical tools glinting under harsh lantern light, and in the center, a massive operating table where Dr. Hogback hunched over a writhing corpse. His scalpel sliced through dead flesh with precision, stitching in a fresh limb from some unfortunate donor. The zombie's eyes rolled back, a low groan escaping its stitched lips as Hogback hummed a twisted tune. The doctor muttered under his breath and a different tool was handed to him by the assistant they just noticed, Cindry.
Nami's eyes widened in horror. The sight of the mad doctor casually carving up the carcass like a butcher prepping meat hit her like lightning. A scream bubbled up in her throat, raw and uncontrollable. "Oh my gods–"
But before it could escape, a warm hand clamped over her mouth from behind. Sanji's other arm wrapped around her waist gently but firmly, pulling her back into the shadows of a supply closet. "Shh, Nami-san," he whispered urgently, his breath hot against her ear. "We don't want to alert the whole mansion of our presence. I'm here, I've got you."
Nami's heart raced at the thought that the horrid doctor had done this to so many people, but she nodded frantically, her scream muffled into a whimper. Through the crack in the door, they watched Hogback work, oblivious for the moment.
Cindry, the blonde zombie maid, stood nearby, her hollow eyes scanning the room as she handed him tools. Her stitched face twisted into a sneer as she began to polish a stack of plates, her weapon of choice. Suddenly, her head snapped toward the closet. "Men... intruders... not allowed."
Sanji tensed. "Damn, she spotted us."
Cindry didn't hesitate. With mechanical precision, she hurled a plate straight at the closet door, shattering it against the wood with a CRASH! "Men are scum! Leave Doctor's lab!"
Hogback jolted upright, scalpel dripping ichor, his wild purple hair standing on end like a mad scientist from a nightmare. His stitched face contorted in shock as he whirled around. "What?! Intruders in my lab?! How dare you! This is sacred ground, my domain of resurrection! Get out, or I'll have you turned into specimens for my next masterpiece!"
Sanji kicked the door open, releasing Nami and stepping forward with a flourish, his leg already heating up for Diable Jambe. "Sacred? Looks more like a slaughterhouse to me, you quack. Touch Nami-san, and I'll turn you into mincemeat."
Nami peeked out, her face pale but determined. "Sanji! Be careful, that zombie woman's got infinite plates!"
Cindry threw another barrage, plates flying like deadly frisbees. "Men... liars... abandoners... die!"
Hogback laughed maniacally, wiping his hands on his bloodstained coat. "Fools! You have no idea what you've stumbled into!" But then his eyes flicked to the grandfather clock in the corner. The hands read 11:45 PM, the minute hand ticking inexorably forward. His laughter faded into a sly grin. "Oh? The time... yes, soon the night raid will commence. Anyone wandering these halls past midnight will be alive no longer. The shadows awaken fully then, Master Moria's grand hunt begins. You won't survive the hour!"
The door at the far end of the lab burst open with a bang. Zoro stormed in, swords drawn, his coat billowing like a storm cloud. He appeared calm, trusting Brook with the ongoing fight outside, but his eyes were sharp, focused. "Oi, cook! You two okay? That dead swordsman outside is tough, Brook's got him handled, but we need to wrap this up."
Sanji smirked, dodging a plate that embedded itself in the wall. "About time you showed up, marimo. Thought you'd get lost again."
Zoro ignored the jab, leaping into the fray with a whirl of steel. "Onigiri!" His blades sliced through the air, shattering incoming plates and forcing Cindry back. "You fat doctor. You're the one stitching these abominations together. Time to cut you down."
Hogback backed up, grabbing a vial of glowing serum from his table. "You dare challenge me? I'm a genius! My work defies death itself!" He hurled the vial at Zoro, but Sanji intercepted it with a flaming kick, vaporizing it mid-air, causing colored blueish-purple steam to take it's place.
"Collier Strike!" Sanji's leg connected with Hogback's side, sending the doctor stumbling into a shelf of jars that shattered in a cascade of preserved eyes and limbs. "Nobody threatens Nami-san on my watch."
Nami stepped out from the closet, Clima-Tact extended, her hands steady despite the fear churning in her gut. "You guys handle the front, I've got your backs! Thunderbolt Tempo!" She created a small storm cloud, zapping Cindry with a bolt that made the zombie maid scream and drop her plates.
The lab descended into chaos. Hogback scrambled for his tools, injecting himself with a syringe that made his muscles bulge unnaturally. "You'll regret this! Cindry, full assault!"
Cindry's eyes glowed with misguided determination, her movements faster to the point her stitches started loosening, plates flying in a whirlwind. "Men... must... perish!"
Zoro pressed forward, blades clashing against Hogback's improvised defenses–a surgical saw and forceps wielded like weapons. "You're no fighter, doc. This ends right now."
Sanji spun, his kicks a blur of fire. "For once, I agree with the moss-head. Let's finish this before midnight hits."
Nami nodded, charging another attack. "Right! We can't let that 'night raid' catch us off guard. Brook's counting on us too!"
"Midnight.. Night raid?" Zoro, cluelessly, mumbles to himself.
Outside, the clock ticked louder, as if Thriller Bark itself was counting down. The fog thickened, carrying distant moans, the undead stirring for the hunt. Hogback laughed through gritted teeth. "Too late, pirates! The shadows are coming!"
But Group 2 stood firm, a united front in the heart of madness. Zoro's swords sang, Sanji's flames roared, and Nami's lightning crackled. Whatever horrors midnight brought, they'd face them together.
.
Group 1 burst out of the mansion's endless corridors like a cork from a shaken bottle, lungs burning and legs screaming. Luffy led the charge, cloak flapping wildly. Behind him Franky carried Usopp piggyback-style since the sniper had twisted an ankle dodging a collapsing chandelier trap, Robin ran with calm precision, and Chopper scampered in his walk Point to keep pace.
"There!" Luffy shouted, pointing ahead. A narrow stone archway opened to the night sky. Moonlight spilled through, illuminating a long, precarious stone bridge that arched between two wings of the sprawling mansion. Below it yawned the same bottomless canyon they'd skirted earlier, fog swirling like hungry ghosts, the faint rush of black water far beneath.
"An exit! Finally!" Usopp wheezed, sliding off Franky's back and limping forward. "I thought we were gonna be lost forever in haunted-mansion hell."
A shadow detached from the underside of the arch and dropped with terrifying speed.
Tararan, a spider-monkey commander zombie, landed in a crouch at the center of the bridge, eight furry limbs splayed, multiple stitched eyes gleaming with malice. His body was a grotesque fusion: monkey torso, spider legs sprouting from the back. He screeched, a sound like nails on rusted metal, and lunged.
"Intruders! Shadows for Master Moria!"
Franky reacted first. "Strong Right!" His massive fist rocketed forward, but Tararan skittered sideways on spider legs, dodging with unnatural agility.
Robin crossed her arms. "Clutch." Dozens of hands sprouted along Tararan's limbs, yanking him off-balance.
Luffy stretched his arm back. "Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!" His fist connected with Tararan's chest in a meaty thud, sending the zombie staggering.
Usopp, still limping, fumbled in his satchel. "Salt shot incoming! Eat this, you eight-legged freak!" He fired a salt-pellet barrage from his Kabuto. The grains missed the target and lands on Tararan's fur, sizzling like acid on undead flesh. The zombie howled, shadow flickering as purification began.
Chopper pops a rumble ball in his mouth and shifts to Guard Point, puffing up into a fluffy shield to block a retaliatory swipe. "Now, Franky SUPER salt cannon!"
Franky grinned, popping open a compartment in his shoulder. "Cola-powered salt launcher SUPER mode!" A pressurized blast of salt grains erupted, coating Tararan head to toe. The zombie convulsed as it breathed in the salt, causing its shadow to peel away like smoke, body collapsing into a twitching heap as the stolen soul fragment dissipated.
Luffy dusted his hands. "Another down! Nice teamwork, everyone!"
Before anyone could celebrate, a new voice squealed from the far end of the bridge.
"THERE YOU ARE, HOMEWRECKER!" Lola barreled across the stones like a runaway siege engine, warthog snout flaring, eyes locked on Robin. "You stole my Absalom! A girl, Luscious hair and a 'curvy' body. Die, Nami!"
Robin blinked calmly. "I'm afraid you have the wrong woman."
Lola didn't listen. She charged, massive arms swinging. Franky stepped in front, catching her wrists in his iron grip. "Whoa, lady! Calm down!"
Luffy stretched an arm around Lola, yanking her off her feet and pinning her gently but firmly to the ground. "Oi, stop! Robin's not Nami!"
Lola thrashed, snorting. "Liar! Absalom said luscious hair and gorgeous! That's her!"
Usopp, still catching his breath, waved his hands. "Wait wait wait! Nami's in the other group! Orange hair, not black! You've got the wrong target!"
Lola froze, snout twitching. "…Orange?"
Robin smiled faintly. "Indeed. My hair is quite black."
Slowly, Lola's struggles lessened. She sniffled, stitches pulling at her cheeks. "I… I chased the wrong bride? But… but Absalom loves me! He said–"
"He said he loves Nami," Franky supplied helpfully. "The real one. Sorry, big lady."
Lola's shoulders slumped. Then her eyes narrowed again. "Then I still have to kill her! Homewrecker! Let me go, I must find this orange-haired witch!"
Chopper shook his head frantically. "No killing! That's bad! Nami doesn't even like anyone!"
Robin tilted her head. "She's not herself. The shadow inside her is amplifying negative emotions. Purification seems the kindest option."
Luffy nodded. "Yeah. Salt time."
Usopp stepped forward, pulling out his largest salt pouch. "Okay, big girl, open wide. This'll sting, but you'll feel better after–"
A pale, translucent ball floated silently through the bridge's railing. It was a negative Hollow. It passed straight through Usopp's chest in an attempt to stop the sharpshooter from purifying the bride-dressed pig.
The sniper froze. His eyes went wide, then dull. The salt pouch slipped from numb fingers and clattered to the stones.
"…I'm useless," Usopp whispered. He dropped to his knees, hands covering his face. "The most useless in the group. Couldn't even be there when my captain died at the Marine Base. Should've been me instead. I should be reborn… as a rock. A useless, moss-covered rock no one notices…"
Everyone stared.
Chopper blinked. "Usopp? What's wrong?!"
Before anyone could react, three more Negative Hollows drifted out of the fog. One passed through Franky.
The cyborg collapsed to his knees with a metallic clang, head bowed. "I'm… useless junk. Couldn't save Tom-san properly. Couldn't protect the crew here. Just scrap metal pretending to be a man. Being a tin can would be more useful than this… worthless existence…"
Another Hollow sailed through Chopper. The reindeer curled into a tight ball, fur fluffed in misery. "I'm a horrible doctor… couldn't even help Luffy when he died. One of my role models, Hogback, is evil, so I must be evil too. Monster. Useless monster…"
The last one phased through Robin.
She staggered, then slowly sank to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest and hiding her face. Her voice came out small, trembling. "There's no point… I'll never find the truth of the Void Century. I truly am the devil child. Everyone who gets close to me dies. I should just disappear…"
Luffy, who had cartwheeled sideways at the last second to dodge the fourth Hollow aimed at him, spun around in alarm. "Oi! What's wrong with everyone?!"
He stood alone in the middle of the bridge, cloak billowing, golden flickers dancing in his eyes as the Negative Hollows circled like vultures. His crew, his family, lay soul crushed on the stones, their voices murmuring self-hatred.
And Lola, the warthog zombie, had wriggled free while everyone was distracted. With a triumphant squeal, she bolted across the rest of the bridge and vanished into the west wing. "Must find Nami! Must kill the homewrecker!"
Luffy spun on his heel, cloak snapping, golden flickers already dancing at the edges of his pupils. The Negative Hollows circled him lazily, moaning their hollow despair, but he bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, eyes sharp and grin feral. "You made my friends sad. That's not allowed."
One ghost drifted toward him again, slow, inevitable, trailing pale mist. Luffy twisted sideways in a rubbery blur, letting it sail harmlessly past. "Shishishi! Too slow!"
But the others weren't so lucky. Usopp was still on his knees, hands pressed to his temples, muttering about rocks and uselessness. Another Hollow phased toward him, drawn by the fresh negativity like a shark to blood.
Usopp's shoulders hunched further, then suddenly stiffened. His eyes snapped open, wide and wet, but no longer dull. The garlic necklace around his neck swung as he jerked upright, staggering but refusing to fall again.
"…No," he whispered, voice cracking at first, then hardening. "No. I'm not… I'm not gonna let you win twice."
The second Hollow brushed his shoulder. Usopp flinched, knees buckling for half a second, then he snarled, yanking a salt pouch from his belt with shaking fingers. "I said NO!"
He hurled the entire pouch like a grenade. Salt exploded outward in a glittering cloud. The Hollow passed straight through it, unaffected, and continued drifting but Usopp didn't collapse again. He stayed standing but couldn't help coughing from the salt cloud. After a few seconds, he remained chest heaving, but his face looked determined as he wiped his tears away, jaw set.
Perona materialized, phasing through the stone wall beside the bridge like an illusion given form. Her frilly pink dress fluttered in an unfelt wind, umbrella twirling lazily, but her face was twisted in genuine irritation. Three Negative Hollows hovered at her shoulders like obedient pets.
"You!" she shrieked, pointing a gloved finger at Luffy. "Stop dodging! It's annoying! And you–" Her gaze snapped to Usopp, eyes narrowing. "Why aren't you crying anymore?! You were perfect! Useless, pathetic! What kind of power do you even have?!"
Usopp wiped his face once again with the back of his hand, long nose twitching. He straightened to his full (still unimpressive) height, Kabuto already loaded with a fresh salt round.
"I don't have any power," he said, voice steadier than it had any right to be. "I'm just… naturally negative. All the time. Every day. You think your little ghosts can make me feel worse than I already do to myself? Nice try, ghost princess. But I've got a lifetime of practice."
Perona's mouth fell open. For a heartbeat she looked genuinely wounded, then horrified and finally worried. "That's… that's awful! How do you live like that?! Here, let me cheer you up! Positive Hollow, wait, no, that's not a thing!"
She waved her umbrella frantically, trying to summon something encouraging, but only managed to make another Negative Hollow pop out by accident. It floated toward Usopp again.
He didn't flinch this time. Instead, he fired.
The salt pellet streaked through the ghost, harmlessly, of course, but the motion felt good. Defiant. He reloaded in a blur. "Luffy!"
Luffy glanced back, still dodging with lazy cartwheels.
"Trust me!" Usopp shouted. "Take the others, find Nami and the rest of Group 2! I've got this pink ghost princess in the bag!"
Luffy's grin widened, all teeth and sunlight. "Got it! You're the best, Usopp!"
He didn't hesitate. Arms stretched like rubber bands, wrapping around Franky, Chopper, and Robin in one fluid motion. The slowly-recovering crew dangled limply at first–Franky mumbling about scrap metal, Chopper curled tight, Robin trying to stand right–but the contact with Luffy's warmth seemed to help. The negativity ebbed, not gone, but dulled.
Robin, however, tapped Luffy's stretched arm before he could retract it fully. "Wait." Her voice was quiet, but firm. "The Hollows don't affect me much either," she said. Hands bloomed along her own shoulders, steadying herself. "I've carried worse thoughts for longer than most people live. Let me stay. Usopp shouldn't fight alone."
Luffy blinked, then beamed so brightly the fog around him seemed to thin. "Okay! Robin's with Usopp! You two kick ghost butts! We'll find Nami and others and come back!"
With that, he bounded off the bridge back into the mansion in one massive leap, carrying the other two toward the west wing. His cloak flared like wings.
Usopp swallowed hard, turning back to Perona.
The ghost princess hovered there, umbrella clutched tight, expression torn between fury and something almost like pity. "You're both freaks! How are you not depressed?! I'm the queen of negativity here!"
Usopp managed a shaky, crooked grin. "Guess you've got competition."
He fired again, salt scattering uselessly through her intangible form.
Perona shrieked in frustration and sent another wave of Hollows. They phased toward both Usopp and Robin.
Robin crossed her arms. "Mil Fleur: Gigantesco Mano." A massive hand sprouted from the bridge itself, swatting at the ghosts like flies. They passed through, but the motion disrupted their paths.
Usopp reloaded. "Keep 'em busy! I'll figure something out!"
Perona floated higher, cheeks puffed in outrage. "You can't win! My Hollows will make you both despair forever!"
Robin's lips curved, just a little. "Despair is an old friend. It no longer surprises me."
Usopp laughed, weak, but real. "Yeah. And I've got salt, a slingshot, and the world's best liar streak. Let's see who breaks first."
The bridge trembled under the weight of negativity and defiance.
.
Meanwhile, Luffy burst back into the mansion's shadowed corridors like a comet trailing warmth through the chill. Chopper and Franky dangled over his shoulders like oversized potato sacks. Chopper in his small form, fur still fluffed from lingering negativity, Franky's massive metal limbs clanking awkwardly against Luffy's back. Both were awake now, if groggy and muttering half-hearted complaints.
"Put me down! I can walk!" Franky grumbled, though his voice lacked its usual boom.
Chopper clung tighter. "Luffy… my head still feels fuzzy… but I'm okay! I think…"
Luffy didn't slow. His rubber soles slapped against cracked marble floors,his red cloak billowing behind him, the bottle with Merry bumping gently against his chest like a second heartbeat. "You're fine! We're close, I can feel it! Brook's fighting some guy somewhere ahead!"
He turned a sharp corner without warning, the hallway widening into a grand, ruined atrium. Moonlight slanted through shattered stained-glass windows, painting the floor in fractured colors. And there, mid-duel, stood Brook and Ryuma.
Brook's cane-sword flashed in elegant arcs, parrying Ryuma's heavier blade with the same fluid grace he once had in life. "Yohohoho! Your shadow may be mine, but your technique is rusty, old friend!"
Ryuma's decayed lips curled. "The dragon waits… for no one."
Steel rang against steel, sparks flying like dying stars.
Luffy's grin widened. "Brook! We're–"
He didn't get to finish as the air grew heavier, colder, darker, and a massive shadow detached from the far wall and swelled until it filled the entire hallway like spilled ink given monstrous form.
Gecko Moria's shadow stepped forward, his jagged silhouette towering even taller than Luffy's current height. Long, spindly limbs stretched from his body like twisted marionette strings, and his mouth split into a wicked, toothy grin that gleamed in the dim light.
"Kishishishi… kishishishishi…" A laugh rolled through the corridor like thunder trapped in a bottle, low and wet and delighted. It vibrated in the bones, making the shattered glass tremble on the floor. It wasn't coming from the shadow infront of them but instead echoed through the large hallway, making it seem like someone was talking from all directions at once.
Luffy skidded to a halt so fast Chopper and Franky nearly tumbled off his shoulders. He set them down gently, eyes narrowing under the brim of his straw hat. Golden flickers danced in his pupils, faint but growing.
The shadow tilted his head, a horrid grin forming, matching its master, yet the voice continued. "Strawhat Luffy… or should I call you the Red Maniac Cyra. You've been quite the nuisance, purifying my zombies left and right. With salt, was it? Cute trick."
He spread his arms wide, the hallway seeming to shrink under the weight of his presence. "But you're too late. My shadows are stirring. The night raid has begun. And you–" His beady eyes locked on Luffy, pupils narrowing to slits. "–are gonna become one of them."
Franky pushed himself upright, cola fizzing as he powered up. "This guy is SUPER bad news…"
Chopper shrank back, hooves trembling. "H-He's huge… and scary…"
Brook glanced over his shoulder mid-parry, skull tilting. "Captain-san! It's Moria's shadow… this is not good!"
Ryuma pressed the attack, forcing Brook to spin away.
The voice laughed again, louder this time. The sound echoed off the walls, multiplying until it felt like a dozen mouths were cackling at once. "Kishishishi! Look at you, carrying your crew like a child with broken dolls. How touching. How pathetic."
The shadow, copying the original body, raised one massive hand as if to press a button.
Click
Suddenly, the room was brightened by a hidden powerful torch in the wall. Shadows cascaded from everything including the candles to the trio standing in the middle of the hall, their shadows enlarged and stretched towards Moria's doppleman.
"I was going to let my commanders handle you… but I think I'll take your shadow for myself, it would make a fine warrior for my collection."
Suddenly, the large shadow that stood infront of Luffy, Chopper and Franky was replaced by Moria's physical self. Causing the large man to also cast a shadow because of the torch, but his shadow stood up from the ground and stood in front of Moria.
"Neat trick right? I can swap places with my shadow at any time and it will fight for me." Moria gloats, "Go ahead Luffy-, Cyra, or whoever you are. You won't be able to touch me. Soon you'll lose your shadow along with your friends and become my faithful soldier, I'll rid you of-"
"Shut up!" Luffy's voice echos inside the atrium, "Your island sucks, your people suck, and you're going down!"
Luffy steadies himself into a fighting stance, closely followed by Franky and Chopper, as Moria cackles at what he believes will be his certain victory.