Hogback followed Moria all the way to the refrigerated chamber where Oars' corpse was stored.
A towering red demon, three times larger than the average 20-meter giant—measuring a colossal 60 meters in height.
"Demon of Cataclysm—Oars."
A brainless brute who wandered naked through an icy country until he froze to death.
But physically? He was an absolute powerhouse—one of the ancient giant race.
And now, his lost intelligence and combat instincts would be compensated by the shadow of Anderson, the underground fighting champion even renowned in the New World.
Though Anderson wasn't strong enough to qualify as a General Zombie—maybe around a 100 million bounty if one were generous—his exceptional raw instincts and beast-like combat sense were what made him a true asset.
Infusing those instincts into the overwhelming physical frame of Oars would produce something monstrous—far beyond normal comprehension.
"It's a bit early, but… awaken, Oars!"
Moria inserted Anderson's shadow into Oars' body.
"Hohohoho! Finally, I get to witness this demon awaken with my own eyes!"
Hogback was practically trembling in excitement at the sight of the monstrous corpse he'd stitched together personally preparing to rise.
"Hogback, sorry, but I've got a mission for you too!"
As Moria and a few General Zombies headed toward Oars' body, he issued an order to Hogback.
"Mission… sir?" Hogback tilted his head in confusion.
"Yes! You'll lead the soldier zombies and attack the Marine battleship! Rescue Absalom and Perona!"
If Perona could use her powers to drive Rengoku into despair, extracting his shadow would become far easier.
"This isn't a plan to kill Rengoku—it's the first step to extracting his shadow and creating the ultimate demon swordsman! To do that safely, we need Perona's Hollow-Hollow powers and Absalom's surprise attacks."
Moria swallowed the drool pooling at his lips as he spoke, excitement leaking from every word.
"With Rengoku's shadow… world domination is no longer just a dream! Kishishishi!!"
"Hohohoho! Understood, I'll head out right away and retrieve Perona and Absalom."
...
Meanwhile, Rengoku wore the black blade Shusui on his left hip, alongside Enrin Kitetsu.
"Hm! I may not use two swords, but having a true permanent black blade like this will be an excellent reference."
He ran his hand along Shusui's ridge, admiring the craftsmanship.
"I will carry your will with honor, Ryuma."
Without delay, Rengoku turned and headed toward Moria's castle.
Thriller Bark was his domain. Rengoku didn't yet know how Ryuma had been turned into a zombie—but he was certain that Moria did. This vile secret—this mockery of immortality.
He had heard that Moria's Devil Fruit was the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, but the detailed abilities weren't listed even in the Devil Fruit encyclopedias.
He'd assumed it only allowed the user to hide in shadows or exert physical control—but now it seemed to be something far darker.
Suddenly, a heavy crashing sound echoed from a distance.
Rengoku, with his sharp senses, instantly unsheathed Enrin Kitetsu again.
"Ever since I arrived here, something's been off…"
The appearance of Warlord Moria…
The strange encounter with zombie Ryuma…
And now, this distant ominous sound…
It was beginning to feel less like coincidence—and more like a well-laid trap.
He activated his Observation Haki, heightening all his senses—and then dashed in the direction of the sound.
A second thud shook the ground—accompanied by a massive vibration.
Rengoku quickened his pace.
The third.
The fourth.
The interval between the crashing sounds was narrowing.
By the time the seventh thud echoed through the air, Rengoku saw it—
A colossal figure emerging from behind the castle.
Even from several hundred meters away, the towering creature easily surpassed fifty meters in height.
Crimson skin.
A protruding lower jaw with sharp fangs.
Messy yellow hair.
And two massive horns jutting from its forehead.
"...A demon?"
Zombies, fish-men, giants—why not demons, too, in this crazy world?
"Uuunnngghhh——?"
The red-skinned monster groaned and slowly turned its head toward Rengoku.
"Found you————!"
"You're the one————! This time's challenger——!"
"What is he talking about…?"
Rengoku couldn't understand the creature's strange words.
"The buzzer... has sounded…"
Suddenly, the monster raised both of its fists to chin level and adopted a boxing stance.
Then—from several hundred meters away—it threw a punch toward Rengoku's direction.
Its arm stretched.
And it stretched fast.
Trees and debris below were swept away like dead leaves as the massive fist surged forward.
Though it didn't reach Rengoku yet, the sheer speed and sudden extension of the arm were clearly dangerous.
Especially at that size—a single fist was as massive as one from a typical giant.
"Fast!"
Another punch came flying, just like before. This time, the massive fist extended to within dozens of meters from Rengoku.
The beast started bouncing in place—adjusting his stance.
"Perfect——I've got the range——!"
BOOM!! BOOM!! CRASH!!
With two thunderous steps, the monster charged forward and launched another strike.
And this one connected.
"Flame Breathing, Third Form—"
"Blazing Universe!"
A massive fireball clashed against the monster's fist.
"Ohhh—yeah. Still can't feel a thing—"
The creature muttered as it withdrew its arm.
Meanwhile, Rengoku looked visibly shocked.
"No sensation at all…?"
Loss of physical sensation—that kind of numbness doesn't happen unless one undergoes rigorous training... or is already dead.
And from its tone, it sounded like the monster had only recently realized it couldn't feel pain.
Then Rengoku noticed the crude stitching all over its body...
Just like with Ryuma earlier—
"A zombie…?! And one that was revived recently!"
The realization ignited a righteous fury in Rengoku's heart.
Life is beautiful and sacred because it has a beginning and an end.
To defy that cycle—like the demons who sought immortality—was a perversion of nature.
He couldn't confirm it yet, but he had a strong guess who was behind this.
Gecko Moria.
As if responding to Rengoku's righteous anger, Enrin Kitetsu burst into a towering column of flame, stretching high into the sky.
The pillar of fire rivaled the size of the red-skinned monster itself, completely engulfing both Rengoku and his blade in blazing heat.
"Flame Breathing, First Form—"
"Unknowing Fire!"
From the very beginning—he went all out.
In the blink of an eye, Rengoku closed the distance of several hundred meters and appeared right at the monster's side.
Shrrrip.
Rengoku's blade sliced clean through the massive horns protruding from the monster's forehead.
The first attack missed its true target.
He had aimed to sever the neck in a single blow—but the enormous size of the monster and the great distance he had to close made pinpoint precision nearly impossible.
Still, it wasn't a fruitless strike.
The flames erupting from the cursed blade Enrin Kitetsu scorched a brilliant path through the air alongside Unknowing Fire, lighting the sky ablaze and burning across the monster's face.
"Hehh—this kind of thing… doesn't bother me anymore——!!"
Like wiping off sweat, the monster nonchalantly rubbed its face with one hand, extinguishing the flames.
Then, locking eyes on the airborne Rengoku, it hurled a fist straight at him with terrifying force.
"Champion—Straight!!"
BOOM!
It was a massive shockwave.
Rengoku barely managed to block it with Enrin Kitetsu, but the sheer power behind the punch from that massive body sent him flying back dozens of meters.
"Moonwalk!"
While still midair, Rengoku regained control and used Moonwalk to stop the momentum and stabilize himself.
"Not bad——"
"But—I'm the Champion——"
"I'm unbeatable——!!!"
The monster dropped back into a boxing stance, hunched his upper body, and lunged forward, throwing a sweeping right hook like a scythe through the air.
"Champion—Overhead Hook!!"
"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form—"
"Flame Tiger!!"
Rengoku unleashed the full power of Enrin Kitetsu.
A colossal tiger of flame surged forward, its size rivaling that of a giant's fist, crashing into the monster's punch.
BOOM!
The flaming tiger swallowed the massive arm whole.
Rengoku immediately followed behind.
"Sky Running!"
"Flame Breathing, Seventh Form—"
"Raging Flames!!"
With the acceleration of Sky Running and the rotation of Raging Flames, Rengoku spun like a flaming drill across the monster's arm, trailing behind the burning tiger.
The enhanced strike, riding the heat of the Flame Tiger, tore through the monster's arm from wrist to shoulder, leaving behind a deep, flaming gash that refused to extinguish.
Flames licked the wound as smoke rose—a true wound, not something the beast could simply shrug off this time.
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