Reddy stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the clones carry box after box of treasures out from Moria's vault.
After Kaido annihilated his entire crew, Moria lost all his companions and was completely crushed, retreating into isolation in the Florian Triangle to develop his zombie army while also plundering pirate crews and merchant ships that entered the area.
Creating zombies only required corpses and shadows.
For Moria, there was almost no cost involved. Over more than a decade, the wealth he had accumulated was an enormous sum.
Reddy made a rough estimate.
Moria's vault was worth at least two billion Berries or more.
"Moria-sama!"
Perona watched helplessly as the clones carried the treasure boxes into the hall, her eyes pleading as she looked at Moria.
Moria had already regained his composure. "Since this guy didn't kill us immediately, he definitely plans to keep us alive. As long as we wait for an opportunity, we can escape."
Perona: I just wanted to say we're broke now.
At that moment, Reddy ordered the clones to transport the treasure back to Punk Hazard and walked over to the prisoners. He noticed Hogback was already dead and gave Perona a strange look.
Dying at the hands of his own ally—what a tragic way to go.
"It wasn't me!"
Perona shook her head frantically, refusing to take the blame.
"You've already taken my treasure."
Moria glared at Reddy, trying to deduce from his expression how he would handle them.
But he saw nothing.
Reddy smiled faintly. "I heard you've collected the corpses of many strong fighters?"
Thriller Bark was a treasure trove.
Aside from the wealth Moria had accumulated over more than a decade, what interested Reddy even more were the corpses of the legendary giant Oars, who once shook the world 500 years ago, and the dragon-slaying swordsman Ryuma from Wano Country.
Oars was a member of the Giant Tribe, but he was far larger than ordinary giants, standing at an astonishing 67 meters tall.
Because he loved carrying away islands he fancied, he was also known as "Continent-Puller" Oars.
Ryuma, the dragon-slaying swordsman stolen from Wano by Moria, was also a master swordsman, revered as the "Sword God."
Reddy was deeply interested in these two fallen warriors.
What intrigued him even more was that when these two were turned into zombies, they could use the techniques of whoever's shadow was implanted in them.
And what fascinated him the most was that even after being turned into a zombie, Ryuma retained some degree of personal consciousness.
From a scientific perspective, this was nothing short of a miracle.
Reddy hadn't chosen Thriller Bark as his first stop just because it was the most convenient route. The zombies created by Moria and Hogback had given him significant inspiration.
If his clones were turned into zombies and implanted with a target's shadow, they would essentially become near-perfect replicas of the original.
These clones could perfectly replicate the original's techniques. If modeled after the original, they could even serve as decoys at critical moments, infiltrating enemy ranks to sow chaos.
Reddy quietly noted this idea in his mind, naming this special combat unit "Nine Luminaries" for the future.
Since these clones required being turned into zombies first, their greatest utility lay in specific scenarios. There was no need to waste energy on mass-producing them.
Nine special clones would be more than enough.
"I have a condition..."
Moria barely started speaking before Reddy ruthlessly cut him off.
Reddy shrugged. "Unfortunately, you're in no position to bargain with me."
"Give Perona her freedom."
Moria stared intently at Reddy. "I won't ask you to let her go. Just grant her the right to move freely."
Reddy thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "In exchange, I want Hogback's zombie-making techniques."
To put it bluntly, Perona was just a kid who hadn't grown up yet—more trouble than she was worth.
Hogback, on the other hand, was a renowned doctor with unique medical skills. If Perona hadn't accidentally killed him, Reddy might have even considered recruiting him.
With Hogback dead, trading Perona's freedom for his unique techniques was a worthwhile deal.
"Moria-sama!"
Perona burst into tears, her face scrunching up like a crying emoticon. "I'll definitely find a way to save you!"
Reddy chuckled but said nothing.
The bond between Moria and Perona was more like that of father and daughter.
After Kaido wiped out his crew, Moria became a shut-in, but he also grew to value his companions more than before—especially Perona, whom he had raised himself.
Before long, the clones finished transporting the treasure and, under Moria's guidance, retrieved the corpses of Oars and Ryuma.
When Reddy saw Oars' massive, mountain-like corpse, his eyes lit up.
Collect genetic samples!
Send them to the Gene Analysis Lab!
Unable to resist his excitement, Reddy immediately began analyzing Oars' genetic samples.
The results amazed him.
Oars' genes were remarkably well-preserved. Even after being turned into a zombie, his body retained a degree of vitality, preventing decay.
Reddy added Oars' genetic samples to the gene bank.
For now, he didn't have a clear plan for how to utilize Oars' genes.
But if he could fully exploit Oars' advantages, the resulting clones might become his strongest combat assets.
Next, Reddy collected Ryuma's genetic samples and sent them for analysis.
The results were similarly impressive.
Compared to Oars, Ryuma's genetic vitality was even stronger.
Reddy speculated that this might be the reason Ryuma retained some personal consciousness even as a zombie.
Additionally, he acquired a famous sword, Shusui.
Reddy had little interest in famous blades, so he casually tossed it to one of the clones.
After taking stock of the spoils, Reddy had the clones open an Air Door, and the entire group withdrew from Thriller Bark.
About three hours after Reddy left, Hogback, who had been presumed dead, suddenly sat up and took a deep breath.
"That was close. I almost died for real."
Hogback climbed to his feet, still shaken.
Perona's Ghost Bombs were powerful, but he wasn't without his own tricks—and he was clever.
Seeing Moria utterly defeated, Hogback had taken the opportunity to inject himself with a special serum used for creating zombies, putting himself in a death-like state.
"Thank goodness that guy didn't take my Cindry. Moria-sama, I'll avenge you!"
A Marine warship cut through the waves on the open sea.
A Marine lieutenant rushed onto the deck and saluted Borsalino. "Latest report: Dr. Reddy attacked the Thriller Bark Pirates. Warlord Gecko Moria was defeated and is suspected to have been abducted by Dr. Reddy."
"What a terrifying guy."
Borsalino scratched his head from his beach chair.
Thanks to Vice Admiral Tsuru's mediation, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had originally intended to give Kuzan a chance, but Kuzan claimed he couldn't return in time. Left with no choice, Sengoku assigned Borsalino to pursue Reddy.
Borsalino glanced at the Eternal Pose on his wrist, rubbing his chin. "The Florian Triangle... Next stop is Water 7?"
After a moment of thought, Borsalino stood up and ordered, "Change course to the Gates of Justice. Request immediate clearance from HQ."