Rukia slid the elegant Sode no Shirayuki across the floor.
"First Dance, Tsukishiro."
A flash of white light swept out. More than half the hall froze under a layer of ice.
The hundred zombies inside were frozen from the waist down, unable to move.
"Go ahead and purify them." Rukia sheathed Sode no Shirayuki.
"Yohohoho! Amazing! Looks like I'll be getting my shadow back soon!"
Thrilled, Brook purified every zombie in the hall.
He had never fought such an easy battle in his life.
Hiding behind the zombies, Absalom nearly jumped out of his skin.
If he hadn't reacted fast just now, he would have been frozen too.
Absalom stared at Sith Oguro with a serious expression.
"That's the two hundred million bounty 'Gentleman' Sith Oguro… I didn't expect such a big shot to show up."
He quickly summoned one of Perona's ghosts.
"Go inform Lord Moria immediately! Tell him it's 'Gentleman' Sith Oguro! I'll stall them!"
Absalom wasn't arrogant enough to think he could defeat Oguro's group.
All he needed to do was delay them and wait for Moria's reinforcements.
The ghost nodded and drifted through the wall.
Nothing was faster than messengers that ignored physical barriers.
Absalom turned back toward the corridor Oguro's group was entering.
Rather than attack head on, he slipped into a secret passage and moved ahead of them.
They soon arrived at a hall that resembled a banquet room, only to be blocked.
A massive man stood in front of them, half the path covered by the golden heavy armor wrapped around his body.
In his hand was a nearly three meter longsword.
To his left was a man of average build in a typical pirate outfit, chugging from a sake bottle.
To his right stood a burly woman with pink twin-tails and thick lips.
All three had the same eerie blue-black faces.
"More zombies?" Nami frowned.
But this time Brook shouted in alarm.
"Nami! These are not ordinary zombies! These are Zombie Generals, and their strength is terrifying!"
These zombies were created from the corpses of powerful people, their human forms still intact.
Moria had given them shadows, granting them strength far beyond regular zombie soldiers.
"Tch." Nami sounded unimpressed. "Terrifying? Can they be stronger than Lord Oguro?"
Brook had no answer to that.
If she said it like that, there was nothing left to argue.
"Hmph."
Hidden and transparent, Absalom sneered to himself.
"These are Moria's carefully crafted Zombie Generals. Even a pirate with a two hundred million bounty can't defeat them unharmed."
He had no idea Oguro's group had already fought a Marine Admiral to a draw.
"Go! Invincible Zombie Generals!"
With that order, the three Zombie Generals lunged.
Because they carried the shadows of their original bodies, their personalities also remained.
The only woman among them was named Lola, former captain of the Rolling Pirates.
The moment she saw Oguro, her eyes sparkled.
"Handsome little guy, want to marry me?"
This had been Lola's habit in life, proposing to any man she saw.
In the original timeline she was rejected four thousand four hundred fifty one times.
A truly indestructible spirit.
This time, Oguro hadn't even reacted yet before the expressions of the women beside him darkened.
"Shameless creature. I'll send you straight to hell." Rukia drew Sode no Shirayuki with icy anger.
Rangiku scoffed coldly. "No. Leave her to me. I'll show her what it feels like to live wishing for death."
The two hadn't even settled who would fight when—
Boom!
Lola blasted through the castle wall and vanished into the distance.
Soi Fon dusted off her shoe with a disgusted expression.
"Garbage like that dirties the Soul King's eyes and ears. Why waste words on her?"
Absalom was frozen in shock.
Lola wasn't the strongest Zombie General, but she definitely wasn't weak.
She hadn't even lasted a single move.
"These guys are even stronger than I thought. I'll need another plan…"
Using his Clear-Clear Fruit, Absalom crept toward their side.
The moment he saw Nami, his heart felt like it exploded.
"That… that's the bride I've been searching for…"
As a pervert who was always "scouting for a wife," he fell for Nami instantly, even a year early compared to the original timeline.
Compared to strong women like Robin, he preferred girls who looked more delicate.
"I'll kidnap her and hold a wedding. I can stall them and fulfill my dream. Two birds with one stone!"
Absalom was very proud of his plan.
Rukia and Rangiku had already engaged the other two Zombie Generals.
"Second Dance, Hakuren!"
Cold air surged out and froze half of the armored zombie's body.
He fell over, unable to move.
"Bakudo 33, Shitotsu Sansen!"
Three beak-shaped beams shot forward and pinned the pirate zombie's arms and waist to the wall.
In life they had been famous pirates in the Grand Line, but as zombies controlled by Moria, their strength wasn't even half of what it once was.
Rukia and Rangiku overwhelmed them easily.
Brook rushed forward with his sea salt to purify the two.
Oguro shook his head.
Moria had truly fallen.
With zombies like this he still dreamed of taking revenge on Kaido?
Even one of Kaido's All-Stars could crush the whole army.
With everyone distracted, Absalom grinned.
Perfect timing.
He moved behind Nami, hands stretching out toward her slender waist.
He could even smell her faint fragrance.
Slash!
A cold flash of steel dropped down from above, aiming straight for Absalom's hands.
He jerked back, leaping several meters away.
A red gleam flashed through Oguro's eyes.
"No wonder I kept feeling someone's gaze on us. So there really was a rat hiding nearby."
"Let me think… you must be Absalom, who ate the Paramecia Clear-Clear Fruit."
"No wonder we couldn't see you."
***
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