Ch. 14- Night of the Zombie Generals
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard © Me
The clock had struck midnight in Hogback's lab, and Nami, Usopp, and Chopper were now confronting the mad doctor and Cindry.
"Dr. Hogback," Nami said. "You said you were 'studying' the zombies! It looks more like you're making them!"
"W-wait, Nami!" Usopp said. "Don't say it so bluntly!"
"FOS-FOS-FOS-FOS!" Hogback cackled. "You can suspect whatever you want, but what evidence could you possibly have to support your claim?"
"Her obituary!" Nami exclaimed as she pointed to Cindry. "Victoria Cindry! She died 10 years ago!"
Hogback froze. Despite the rather permanent-looking grin, the trio could tell that his blood was starting to boil.
"You…" he hissed. "You dared to go into that room?"
"Now you've done it, Nami…!" Usopp whispered.
"Cindry! Samurai Ryuma!" Hogback ordered. "Escort our little guests into the shadow realm! Make sure they never see light, again!"
The figure that had attacked the Straw Hat trio revealed himself.
He was a zombie who appeared slightly shorter than Brook. He has several bandages on his face, but he had no eyes or nose. He wore a samurai gi with intricate designs, a dark blue scarf that hid his neck and mouth, and white hair done up in a traditional samurai topknot.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!" Ryuma chortled in a familiar laugh. "Now that I get a good look, there's a rather divine young lady here! How beautiful!"
A pause came.
"Would you be so kind as to show me your panties?" asked Ryuma.
"HELL NO!" Nami barked, but then she gasped. "Wait a minute…that's what Brook first said to me! How can that…?"
"FOS-FOS-FOS-FOS!" laughed Hogback. "Ryuma is a on a far different level of strength than the zombies you've been running into, my friends! He is one of the zombie generals with a very special flesh! He hails from the country of Wano in the New World! He is a legendary man whose story has been handed down from generations! Where he is from, he is known as the Legendary Dragon Slayer!"
"Dragon Slayer?" Nami and Chopper exclaimed, questioningly.
"Not good! Not good!" Usopp said.
"You cannot escape!" Ryuma said as he unsheathed his sword, an ominous looking katana with a black blade.
Usopp and Nami got out their weapons, poised to strike, while Chopper flinched, but then, Ryuma just…strolled passed them.
"What the…?" Usopp whispered.
"Miss Cindry," Ryuma said, politely, "would you be so kind as to open that door? And after that, I'd like to have my food."
"What is he doing?" asked Nami. "I thought he'd slice into bits for sure!"
"It doesn't matter!" said Usopp as he pointed to the door they came in. "We've gotta get outta here! There's an exit right in front of us!"
"You're right!" Chopper said.
The trio made a desperate run for it.
"C'mon!" Nami said. "Let's hurry!"
Suddenly, the three pirates doubled over in pain.
"FOS-FOS-FOS-FOS!" Hogback cackled. "When you are cut by Ryuma's sword, you take exactly ten steps forward, or three hums, and it is only then that you realized that you've been cut! It is known as…"
"Three Verse Humming…" whispered Ryuma as he began to sheath his sword. "ARROW NOTCH SLICE!"
Ryuma fully sheathed his sword, and then Usopp, Nami, and Chopper fell forward in a heap.
Their fates now…that was for Hogback to decide.
XXX
Outside the mansion, Luffy's group were now standing outside the entrance.
"Hello~!" Luffy called out. "Please excuse us! We need to come in!"
"Will you just open the damn door, already?" Zoro and Sanji barked.
Luffy looked down and saw that the lock on the door was missing.
"Oh! It's open!" Luffy said as he pushed the door open.
"Moron," Zoro, Sanji, and Franky said.
The group had now entered the dining room, which was now in shambles due to Usopp, Nami, and Chopper's earlier struggle.
"Hey!" Luffy called. "Anybody home? Anybody named Moria?"
"Where is everybody?" asked Zoro.
"It looks like there's been a bit of a scuffle in here," Sanji acknowledged. "Those creeps better not have hurt Nami, or else!"
"Blizzard!" Luffy called, hoping his dog would hear him. "Are you in here? Where are ya, buddy?"
The only answer he got was an evil laugh.
"BUHI-HI-HI-HI!" snickered Buhichuck, up on the wall. "You know the name of our lord and master, Moria! I must say, you've got guts if you're stupid enough to enter this place!"
"There's a talking pig mounted on a wall," Luffy said.
"Boys!" Buhichuck called. "Let's welcome our new guests, shall we?"
Suddenly, the Surprise Zombies jumped out, prepared to attack the Straw Hats. Luffy had his jaw dropped and eyes sparkling.
"These things are zombies, too?" Sanji questioned.
"This place has a lot of interesting characters, huh?" Zoro asked.
Sanji was the first to leap into action. He brought his foot to the face of a portrait zombie.
"Where are you hiding…" Sanji began before…
BAM! Sanji brought a painful kick to the zombie's face, forcing back into its frame.
"My precious Nami?" the cook finished.
Luffy felt a small twinge in his chest when he heard that. Hearing Sanji called Nami "his" made him feel a little angry.
One portrait zombie, the lady, lunged at Robin, who remained still and unafraid.
"It's rather unladylike," she began, "to have your mouth wide open like that."
"It is?" asked the zombie woman. She didn't know that more arms had sprouted from her body.
"Treinta Fleur…TWIST!" Robin exclaimed.
KA-KRACK! The zombie's spine made a sickening crack, causing her to scream in agony.
Two other portrait zombies attacked Franky, but when one tried to impale him with a spear, it broke on contact!
"What the hell?" cried one zombie. "The spear broke! It's like his body is made of steel!"
"Stop! Stop, stop, stop!" cried another zombie. "Who the hell are you guys? Were those weaklings your friends?"
"Yup," Franky answered simply before he grabbed the zombies by their heads and…
POW! The cyborg brought their skulls together, making a sickening crack.
"Two-swords style," Zoro said as he faced his opponent. "Nigiri."
"Huh? Rice balls?" the portrait zombie exclaimed, questioningly. "Sounds tasty!"
"HIRAMEKI!" Zoro exclaimed as he made a slash to the left, hitting the zombies.
"DAT DASTED VAAAAAD (THAT TASTED BAD)!" the zombie screamed, painfully.
Luffy was laughing as he faced the zombie bear rug.
"This place really is awesome!" he said.
"You damn kid!" the rug snarled as he slammed his paw down at Luffy, who jumped out of the way.
"Sorry for walking like this," said Luffy as he stretched his arms back. "You could've part of my crew if you hadn't decided to fight us! Gum-Gum…BAZOOKA!"
KA-POW! Luffy made a two-fisted punch into the rug's face, forcing him into a wall.
Buhichuck was left speechless. These pirates were nothing compared to the weak trio that came in, earlier. They were on a high level of strength and power!
"All right," Luffy said. "Now that's settled…" Luffy turned to Buhichuck, who gasped in shock.
XXX
"Oh, those three are your friends!" Buhichuck said as stood before the group. He had now dismounted himself from the wall. "I assure you, they're just fine! They're safely tucked away in the guest rooms! I swear!"
"What about my dog, Blizzard?" asked Luffy. "He's got white fur and looks like a wolf with pink eyes and a silver chain necklace around his neck!"
"I don't know anything about a dog," Buhichuck answered.
"Liar!" Franky said, accusingly.
"No, I'm telling you the truth, I swear!" Buhichuck said, his hooves raised in defense. "I seriously don't know about a white dog! As for your friends, they're upstairs! Go and see for yourselves!"
At that moment, Franky suddenly noticed that Sanji was missing from the group.
"Hey," Franky said. "Where's Bro Sanji?"
"That's weird," said Luffy. "He was just with a second ago. Where'd he go off to?"
Zoro heard one of the defeated zombies snickering.
"Shh!" whispered one zombie. "Quiet! They're gonna here ya!"
"These guys are up to something," Zoro whispered to himself before he turned back to the others. "Well, it appears we've lost a very dear man."
"Hey, now," Franky said, under his breath.
"Sanji will be fine," said Luffy.
"My only concern," Robin began, "is the mansion, itself. It's crawling with zombies, and it could be a possible race against time to save the others."
"BUHI-BUHI!" Buhichuck laughed. "Don't get so saucy now because you're a little strong. When your friends start to disappear, you'll probably be scared out of your skin, too! You'll get what's coming to ya, wait and see!"
"I say we continue with our instincts," said Robin.
"HEY! YOU LISTENING TO ME?" Buhichuck barked.
"Then let's use the pig as our guide," said Zoro.
"Huh? Me?" Buhichuck asked.
"Then go!" said one of the defeated portrait zombies. "You should see the terrifying power of our master, first hand!"
"Yeah!" agreed another zombie. "Our true master is the Warlord, Gecko Moria! Brr~! Just saying his name sends chills down my spine!"
"Me, too!" said another zombie.
"At any rate," said one zombie with a crown on his head, "it won't be very pretty for your friends. One after the other, your friends will get picked off, and you'll regret ever setting foot here! You won't be able to save anyone from the Warlord…no…our Master Moria's power!"
"Shut up," Luffy said.
The zombies gasped.
"You tell this 'Moria' guy," Luffy began, "that if he so much as lays a finger on my friends…I'll kick his ass to Kingdom Come, and every single zombie on this island, too!"
The zombies were left speechless. This boy was either really brave or really stupid to challenge their master.
"In any case," Luffy said, his pinky jammed up his nose, "Sanji can handle himself." He turned to Buhichuck. "Now let's get going."
With that being said, Luffy, Zoro, Franky, and Robin followed Buhichuck up the stairs.
XXX
Outside, the zombies were having a dance party, complete with a disco ball.
"Imbeciles," said Absalom as he walked passed them and opened the door into what appeared to be a church. "Look alive, my friends!" he shouted. "Our prey has now entered the mansion! Tonight, you shall do whatever you please! Now, arise, my Zombie Generals!"
A hand clad in armor grew from the floor, followed by a huge, armored zombie. One of the suits of armor turned to face Absalom, a glint in his eye.
"The infamous Straw Hat Pirates," Absalom began, "is a crew made up of 8 people and a mutt! Capture them and bring them to Master Moria!"
More and more of the Zombie Generals pulled themselves from the floor. One was already in one of the seats, drinking a bottle of sake, while another appeared headless and had four hands, each armed with a gun.
The Straw Hats shall face enemies like no other.
"NOW GO!" Absalom roared.