"Fsshh... fsshh... fsshh... Moria-sama, the body is ready," said a strange, chubby man with bizarre proportions.
His upper body was as wide as a water tank, while his legs were stick-thin like a pair of chopsticks. A fishnet covered his torso, stretched awkwardly over a skintight suspender outfit, and he wore a ridiculously flamboyant purple cape lined with fur.
He clapped his hands, and two mummified figures, bandaged from head to toe, slowly wheeled in a surgical gurney.
The man's face twitched, surgical scars running across his forehead and connecting both temples. His long, sharp nose puffed out air as he respectfully addressed the massive silhouette looming in front of him.
"Moria-sama, this is the legendary dragon-slaying warrior from Wano, Ryuma, and his blade, the famed Black Sword Shusui, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords."
On the surgical table lay a corpse dressed in a white kimono, each sleeve embroidered with the kanji for "dragon." His hair was white, his body wrapped in bandages like a mummy, with a third of his head covered. Beside him rested a pitch-black sword veined with crimson, Shusui.
"Gehihihihihi! Hurry up and make me the Pirate King! Hogback! Gehihihihihihi!" cackled a massive figure as it stepped from the shadows, laughter echoing eerily.
He was over seven meters tall, with a flaming leek-like hairstyle. His demonic face bore horns on either side of his forehead, and his ears and fangs were sharply pointed. Stitches crossed his head and neck like seams on a ragdoll. He wore a high-collared bat-wing shirt and Gothic-style clothing.
This was none other than the once-feared pirate of the New World, Gecko Moria.
Once brimming with confidence and chasing his dreams, Moria had fought Kaido in a battle that left him broken and alone. Defeated, he retreated back to the "Paradise" side of the Grand Line, far from the New World.
Now 44 years old, he still lived like a pirate tyrant, but who could say what truly lingered in his heart?
"Moria-sama! This corpse is totally not cute! I don't like it! I want a cute doll corpse!!" whined a small girl beside him, stomping her foot.
She wore a princess dress, a crown atop her head, and had bright pink twin tails. In her hands was a zombie teddy bear plushie.
"Gehihihihi... Next time, Perona," Moria replied with a chuckle. "This time we're making a truly powerful zombie general."
After a short laugh, Moria turned to Hogback and asked, "Where's Absalom?"
With a greasy grin, Hogback replied, "I heard a new ship arrived. He went to check if there were any beauties aboard to make his bride!"
"Fsshh fsshh fsshh!"
Apparently amused by his own joke, Hogback burst into laughter.
Moria simply nodded and let it go. He gave an order into the distance: "Bring him down."
"At once, Moria-sama!" a raspy voice answered.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
Chains rattled as a black coffin in the shape of a vampire slowly descended from the castle above. The eerie castle, the ominous coffin, and the twisted figures below made for a truly unsettling sight.
The coffin gradually approached Moria.
Thud!
With a heavy thump, the black coffin landed. Two mummified zombies stepped forward and slowly opened the lid.
Inside was a skeleton dressed in a full evening suit, tied tightly with ropes. His large afro wobbled as the coffin cracked open and he tumbled out.
He was all bones, no flesh at all, and for a moment it seemed like he might shatter into pieces from the fall.
"Ugh," Perona muttered, wrinkling her nose. "Totally not cute."
"Gehihihihihihi!" Moria's ghoulish laughter rang out again as he patted Perona's head without commenting further.
Then, the skeleton stirred. His skull lifted off the floor, hollow eye sockets glowing an eerie green.
He opened his mouth and said, "Yohohohoho... Whew! Looks like I've escaped."
"Good evening, everyone!"
The skeleton, Brook, user of the Yomi Yomi no Mi (Revive-Revive Fruit), let out a soft sigh and cheerfully greeted the others. Then he added, "Oh, by the way! I ran into some zombies earlier! Scared me half to death!"
He paused dramatically.
"Even though I don't have a heart! Yohohohoho!"
Perona scowled. Watching him crack lame jokes, she grumbled in disgust, "Gross! Moria-sama, you're not seriously planning to use him, are you?"
The usually ghost-loving Perona expressing disgust at a skeleton surprised even Hogback, and slightly Moria as well. Still, Moria replied dotingly, "Gehihihihihi! Then let's rip out his shadow and toss him into the Devil's Sea to rot."
"Shine the light on him!" Hogback ordered the zombies behind him.
Click!
A blinding spotlight hit Brook. One of the zombies stepped forward and hooked a clasp into the ropes binding him.
The hook's line rose, lifting Brook into the air. His tall frame cast a long shadow under the intense light.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing? Put me down!" Brook shouted, finally realizing he'd escaped one nightmare only to fall into another.
After wandering the Devil's Sea for over forty years, he'd finally found an island, only to be chased by horrifying zombies the moment he arrived. He screamed like mad and ran for his life.
Eventually, everything went dark, and he found himself locked in a box.
When humans opened the box, he was thrilled, it had been over forty years since he last spoke to anyone.
But now, he realized he might have celebrated too soon.
"Gehihihihihi!"
Moria snipped a giant pair of scissors ominously. Brook trembled in fear. Though he had no eyes, the green flames flickering inside his skull pulsed with anxiety.
With a casual motion, Moria reached toward the ground and lifted Brook's shadow from it. The dark shape clung to his feet like a stretched thread.
"Hey! Who are you?! What do you think you're doing?!" Brook yelled.
"Gehihihihi..."
"Fsshh fsshh fsshh..."
"Hurrah hurrah hurrah..."
The surrounding zombies joined in, laughing creepily in unison.
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