"One Piece:The True Codex"Chapter 354: Good Deeds Rewarded
Gin's appearance could be summed up in one word: intimidating. His nickname "Demon Man" on his bounty poster wasn't just due to his brutal combat style—it also stemmed from his menacing visage.
Just moments ago, Gin had torn apart a group of zombies with his bare hands, leaving himself covered in blood and viscera. This only added an even more terrifying edge to his already fearsome image.
Hogback had witnessed Gin's zombie-slaying rampage firsthand. When Gin issued his threats, Hogback immediately fell silent and submissive.
Seeing this, William smiled faintly. He valued skilled professionals immensely, so playing the role of the "bad cop" wasn't something he intended to do himself.
If possible, William still hoped to recruit Hogback. After all, Hogback was a renowned authority in the medical field. Even if he couldn't be fully trusted, sending him to teach at the academy would still be a worthwhile arrangement.
William ordered the now-docile Hogback to treat Perona, who lay unconscious on the ground. The blood pooling beneath her had already formed a small puddle.
Neither William, nor Gin, nor Selkirk were the type to show mercy, even to women. When Perona had attacked William earlier, Selkirk had used "Tempest Kick", one of the Six Powers, to leave a horrifying wound stretching from her chest to her abdomen. He then closed the distance with "Shave" and knocked her unconscious.
William was quite interested in Perona's Devil Fruit ability. It was excellent for distracting opponents and highly useful for reconnaissance. If she were willing to cooperate, her powers could greatly aid his upcoming plans.
Earlier, when William had been trapped in Moria's shadow box, one of Perona's Negative Ghosts had passed through him. For a brief moment, William had indeed fallen into a deep state of negativity, doubting everything he had done.
No one could claim their plans were absolutely flawless. Even the most meticulous strategy could be derailed by unforeseen circumstances—natural disasters, human error, and so on. No one could account for everything. But if one became overly cautious because of such fears, they would find themselves paralyzed, unable to move forward.
From the very beginning of his journey, William had taken immense risks with every step. Whether it was fighting Red-Beard, colluding with Nezumi to assassinate Captain Roy, overthrowing the government of an allied nation, or outmaneuvering the Marines in the East Blue and ambushing elite forces from Marine Headquarters—every action carried the potential for catastrophic failure, which would have spelled his doom.
And now, even knowing that the Marines and the World Government were hunting him with full force, William still dared to venture into the Grand Line. To say he wasn't at least a little apprehensive would be a lie.
He now carried the weight of more than just his own life. He bore the responsibility for countless subordinates who trusted and followed him—people like Gin, Sherlock, Aramis, and Edmond.
These followers were not just his power and influence; they were also his responsibility. Before leaving, William had even instructed Edmond and the others to retreat to Sky Island if the situation turned dire, providing them with a contingency plan.
When the Negative Ghost had passed through him, William had momentarily fallen into intense self-doubt. He felt he had made a mistake—he shouldn't have secretly rebelled against the World Government, shouldn't have provoked the Marines, shouldn't have captured Garp, and perhaps shouldn't have even set sail in the first place. He feared that countless people would die because of him if he failed.
But years of experience and his hardened will, bolstered by his special trait [Heart of Iron], quickly dispelled these emotions. Instead, they ignited a spark of anger within him. That was why, after escaping the shadow box, he had brutally killed Absalom in a fit of rage.
William believed that any modern individual transported to this world would likely feel the same as he did. They wouldn't be able to tolerate the World Government or its feudal rule and would inevitably find themselves on a path of resistance, whether willingly or unwillingly. The outcome was already determined; only the process would differ. And opposing the World Government meant inevitably clashing with the Marines.
The series of conflicts and battles William had experienced were filled with both chance and inevitability—inevitability stemming from the growth of his power and influence. There was no need for regret or complaint.
Hogback examined Perona's injuries before turning to William with a pained expression. "She needs surgery. I don't have the proper tools here. We must take her to my lab immediately."
"Perform the surgery here," William replied indifferently.
"The conditions here are terrible, and if we waste too much time, I'm afraid she won't make it."
"Then let her die," William said with a smile. "Just let me know when she's about to take her last breath. I'll personally finish her off."
Hogback felt a chill run down his spine. William's tone and smile were far more terrifying than any feigned cruelty or malice.
"Is there a Transponder Snail on this island?" William asked next.
"In Lord Moria's—uh, I mean, in Moria's bedroom, there's one," Hogback answered honestly.
William chuckled, as if chatting with an old friend. "Just one? Surely you don't think you'd have a chance to hide another snail and secretly contact the outside world right under my nose, do you?"
"No, no!" Hogback waved his hands frantically. "The island's environment isn't suitable for Transponder Snails, and there are zombies specifically assigned to deliver messages. Plus, Moria preferred it that way. So there's only one snail, and it hasn't been used in a long time."
"And what about those zombies?" William dragged a chair over, sat on it backward, and rested his arms on the backrest as he pondered. "When I killed Moria earlier, I saw a zombie run off. These things were created by Moria's ability, weren't they? Why haven't they disappeared?"
"Ah, the zombies!" Hogback's expression shifted as he realized something.
He quickly explained the origins of the zombies and the problem that had arisen after Moria's death—the zombies had lost their sole master.
Because the zombies were infused with various peculiar shadows, their personalities were influenced by the original owners of those shadows. Many of them, especially the General Zombies, contained the shadows of vicious criminals with violent and malevolent tendencies. Now that they were free, there was no telling what chaos they might cause.
Compared to these undead monstrosities he had created, Hogback found William to be the more "reliable" option. Of course, this was only in relative terms.
"So, by killing Moria, I've also inherited the task of dealing with these troublesome rotting pests?" William frowned slightly.
"They're afraid of salt because it carries the essence of the sea. With your skills, it shouldn't be too difficult to deal with them," Hogback quickly added.
William stroked his chin thoughtfully and was about to ask more questions when Karslana, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "Where was Portia taken?"
Selkirk shot her a glare and growled, "Shut up! William is asking the questions here!"
Karslana, however, refused to back down and glared right back at Selkirk. "When you pretended to be castaways, it was Portia who kindly gave you a ride!"
(End of Chapter)
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