Usopp and Chopper scrambled to their feet. "No," Usopp shouted. His eyes were wide with dread. They bolted towards the Thousand Sunny. Their feet were pounding against the ground.
"We let her get kidnapped," Chopper said. "We failed Nami," he added.
"We need to find Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji fast," Usopp added as their breath ragged.
Just ahead, they spotted two familiar figures sprinting toward them.
"Porche, Franky," Usopp called out.
Porche skidded to a stop. "Usopp, Chopper. Are you okay?" she asked. Her eyes darted around. "Where's Nami?" she questioned.
"She was taken. Absalom grabbed her. And Luffy's shadow, it's been put into a giant. A really big giant," Usopp said.
Porche's face went pale. "Just like Brook said," she replied.
Franky clenched his fists. "Then we're out of time. Luffy and the others should be back on the Sunny by now," Franky said.
"Let's head there," Chopper said.
The four of them turned and sprinted toward the ship and arrived on the Thousand Sunny.
"Where are they?" Usopp asked as he looked around.
"They should be here," Franky said as he walked around the deck.
Chopper started to sniff around. "They are here," Chopper said as he ran into the kitchen. Chopper saw Zoro, Sanji and Luffy.
Porche ran in as well. "Luffy," she said, however they all were unconscious.
"Let me try," Usopp said. "There is a hot swordswomen giving meat," he shouted.
"Hot," Sanji said.
"Swords," Zoro said.
"Meat," Luffy said.
"You three are hopeless," Chopper said.
Sanji looked around. "Is this the Sunny?" he asked.
"Why are we here?" Zoro questioned as he touched his head. He looked down. "No way, I have lost my shadow," he added.
Luffy then went into the kitchen and grabbed food. "There is a terrible situation, it is life and death, we are out of food," he said with his mouthful.
"The only provisions we had are gone. They took all the food we had been stocking," Sanji said.
"Cheese and crackers are not enough for me. I need meat," Luffy shouted.
"It is a strange feeling not having your shadow," Zoro said.
"By the way I don't see Nami-san anywhere," Sanji said.
"She was kidnapped," Usopp replied.
"WHAT!" Sanji exploded. *Why didn't you chase her to the ends of the earth!" he shouted.
"I'm sorry," Usopp said. "We were in a critical situation and we couldn't go after her," he added.
"Wait, let me explain," Usopp added quickly. The crew gathered around the dining table inside the Thousand Sunny.
"Right now, there are two things we absolutely must recover." Usopp started.
"Food," Luffy said.
Usopp sighed. "Fine. Three things: food, Nami, and shadows," he remarked.
He launched into a rapid explanation, about Gecko Moria, the stolen shadows, Luffy's shadow being implanted into the ancient giant Oars, and Nami being kidnapped for a forced wedding.
"Marry!" Sanji erupted into flames as his rage ignited the air around him.
"He's got guts trying to marry Nami," Luffy said. "I thought only Ben would be brave enough. She's always muttering about him. But now I'm a giant zombie, so that's cool too," he said.
"Ben," Sanji said as his flames flared even higher.
"So Luffy's shadow and the cook's zombie have been confirmed?" Zoro asked as he crossed his arms.
"I didn't even know Moria was one of the Seven Warlords," Usopp wailed as his tears streamed down his face.
"You said the zombies act like the originals," Luffy said. "I met Zoro's zombie," he added.
"What was he like?" Zoro asked.
"He was like you with different clothes," Luffy replied.
"Doesn't matter," Zoro said. "We've got a weakness now. Just throw salt in their mouths. That will purify them instantly," he added.
"There's one more thing," Franky said. "We met the talking skeleton," he added.
"Brook?" Luffy asked. His eyes lit up.
"Yeah. He told us his story, about a whale he promised to reunite with. He's been fighting all this time just to keep that promise," Franky responded.
"Laboon," Usopp said softly.
"We met that whale," Sanji added. *He kept slamming into the mountain, waiting for his friend," he said.
"So they've been waiting for each other all these years," Zoro said.
Luffy grinned. "A musician, a walking skeleton, and he's got an afro. He's joining my crew. Anyone object?" he asked.
Porche sighed. "It's not like you'd listen anyway," she responded.
"Great. Let's go get him," Luffy said, standing up.
The crew stepped out onto the deck of the Sunny. Above them loomed Thriller Bark's mansion, shrouded in fog.
"Moria's up there," Luffy said. ""I'll kick his ass and get our shadows back. Sanji, I'm leaving Nami to you," he said.
"Of course," Sanji said. "I don't care if he's invisible or made of ceramic. I'll kick him straight through the fog. Like hell I'd let that wedding happen," he added.
"Oh, right," Usopp added sheepishly. "The invisible man saw Nami… kind of naked in the bathroom," he added.
"WHAT?!" Sanji said as flames exploded again.
"Stop provoking him," Zoro muttered.
"I just feel awful," Usopp said. "I'm going with Sanj," he added.
"I'm worried about Brook," Franky said. "He's fighting that samurai. I want to make sure he's okay," he added.
"I'll come too," Zoro said. "I want to see this legendary swordsman for myself," he added.
"Everyone, take one of these," Usopp said as he handed out small cloth bags. "My Special Zombie-Purifying Salt Balls," he added.
"So that's what we're working with," Franky said.
"Let's go," Luffy said. "Time to take Thriller Bark apart," he said.
Hildon heard the Strawhats. He flew back to the castle and into the frozen chamber. "Hogback, the three whose shadow we had stolen, woke up and they are heading this way with their friends," he reported.
"Those who get their shadow stolen don't wake up this quickly," Hogback said.
"Their friends found a way," Hildon responded. "It may be their connection to the Humming Zombie," he added. "The Wild Zombie, Surprise Zombie and Soldier Zombie could not lay a hand on them," he said.
Moria sat on his bottom and listened in.
"We will capture them all," Perona said. "Did we find any more of the second crew?" she asked.
"Yes, they have landed on Thriller Bark and they have defeated Cerberus and purified him," Hildon responded.
"Another troublesome group," Hogback said. "Who are they?" he asked.
"We are still looking into it," Hildon responded. "But initial reports say they are mainly women with one man," he added.
"Oars will deal with them," Moria said with a smile on his face.
"We all will deal with them," Hogback responded.
Perona thought it was them.