"One Piece:The True Codex"Chapter 357: The Ship's Owner
William pushed open the door and saw Selkirk sitting in a chair, looking rather disgruntled. Although he wasn't injured, he appeared quite disheveled. Next to him was Portia, the owner of the Starlight, hugging her shoulders and looking deeply shaken.
Despite her boldness in risking her entire fortune to open up a new route and personally accompanying the voyage, Portia was still frightened by the events she had experienced after arriving on the island.
When William entered the room, Portia trembled slightly, her eyes filled with fear like a startled deer. While William was still in the hallway, Karslana had already explained the situation to her, and she now knew William's identity.
Turning to Selkirk first, William asked, "What happened?"
"I ran into some General Zombies at the chapel," Selkirk replied, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "With Moria dead, these creatures are running wild like untamed horses. On my way here, I saw many of them aimlessly running and shouting outside."
"I overheard some saying they want to take a ship and leave. We should head to the docks immediately and secure the ships," Selkirk suggested.
The Starlight had likely been hidden at the island's docks by Moria and his crew. Although the Thriller Bark was technically a ship, William had no intention of sailing it to the Sabaody Archipelago. He didn't care if the zombies tore down the mansion to build a public restroom, but he would never allow them to mess with the ships on the island.
"How many docks are there on the island? How many ships?" William asked Hogback.
Though focused on his surgical work, Hogback had to respond to the new leader's inquiry. "There are only the two large ships you arrived on, besides a few small boats that can't hold many people."
William grinned. "I haven't decided how to deal with them yet, and they dare to touch my ship?"
Portia glanced at William upon hearing this, then lowered her head and muttered under her breath, "That's my ship."
"Should I go to the docks?" Gin asked.
"I'll go," William replied.
He surveyed the room, his gaze sweeping over the scattered hospital beds, each prepared by Moria to create new zombies once he extracted the victims' shadows.
On one of the beds lay a corpse dressed in a loose kimono. Although its skin was dry, the body was well preserved. Beside it was a sheathed katana, predominantly black with dark purple patterns. The tsuba, kashira, and kojiri were dark gold, matching William's preference for dark tones. Since he was accustomed to using katanas, he walked over and picked up the sword.
William's swordsmanship was quite exceptional, and he was sensitive to the quality of a blade. As soon as he lifted the katana, he noticed that despite its standard size, it was significantly heavier.
He unsheathed the sword, revealing a blade and edge that were also black and dark purple, with intricate hamon patterns along the edge.
Using the scabbard, William flipped the white cloth covering the corpse. The cloth flew into the air with a rustle before gently floating down.
William held the katana upright in front of his chest, resting the spine on his bent arm with the edge facing upward.
As the white cloth settled onto the blade's edge, it split seamlessly in two, as if it had always been divided, without the slightest pause.
"Excellent sword!" William exclaimed, his eyes shining.
Gin, who had also studied swordsmanship and understood the quality of blades, couldn't help but glance over.
"That's the black blade Shusui, one of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords. It belonged to that corpse," Hogback explained, having been observing William's actions.
William lightly flicked the blade. Despite his considerable strength, the sword didn't budge, unlike other katanas that would have vibrated with a buzzing sound, showcasing its exceptional durability and weight.
The Twenty-One Great Grade Swords were second only to the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords, the most elite blades in this world. William's usual sword, Wado Ichimonji, was among the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords, though he hadn't brought it this time due to his disguise.
"Whose corpse is this?" William asked, looking at the body on the bed. Anyone who wielded such a sword and was specially stolen by Moria to become a General Zombie must have been someone of note.
"It's Ryuma, and that sword was stolen by Moria from the Land of Wano in the New World. Ryuma was said to be a legendary swordsman from that country, and the sword is considered a sacred artifact there," Hogback continued to explain.
"The Land of Wano?" William frowned slightly.
The New World was Yonko territory, and William's understanding of the Grand Line mostly came from news and Gin's Marine intelligence. Since Gin was originally just a major, his activities were mostly confined to the first half of the Grand Line. William had little impression of this unfamiliar country located in the New World.
"It seems to be an isolationist nation in the New World, not affiliated with the World Government," Gin offered, trying to recall what little he knew.
"Oh..." William murmured, pondering the information about the New World and non-affiliated countries. Casually, he said, "Moria should switch careers to being a thief instead of a pirate!"
"Keep an eye on that corpse. It might come in handy later," William instructed Gin before leaving, pointing to the samurai's body on the hospital bed.
After asking Hogback for directions to the docks, William bent his knees, and with a hiss and a burst of white steam, he vanished from the room.
...
The docks of Thriller Bark were bustling with activity. Numerous zombies moved in and out of the Starlight like busy ants, transporting supplies.
Unlike the mindless zombies of horror stories, Moria's zombies were created by extracting part of a living person's soul and implanting it in a dead body. The resurrected zombies retained the personality and behavior of their shadow's original owner. Although they were physiologically undead, their psychology was similar to that of ordinary people, with the ability to think independently. However, due to Moria's power, they had to obey him.
With Moria dead, it was as if the ruler controlling the island's zombies had been removed. The souls of these zombies came from living people with diverse personalities, many of whom were seafarers. Once freed, they naturally didn't want to remain on the island.
Who said zombies had to stay in dark, damp places?
Who said zombies didn't want to enjoy the sea breeze, a drink, and the sun?
Aside from a few loyal zombies mourning Moria's death, many others reacted like unleashed wild dogs, immediately planning to set sail for adventure. Some even proposed forming an Undead Pirate Crew to pursue freedom on the high seas.
(End of Chapter)
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