Chapter 122: Struck Off the Medical Licence

The Government had always prided itself on having the greatest scientific minds working for it. Vegapunk still, Ceasar Clown formerly and Doctor Hogback; also formerly. Hogback had been chiefly in charge of creating medicinal advancements and coming up new power sources for government installations. That had been up until the day that he was found out to be a necromancer; using dark magic to fuel his fascination with longevity. The then Fleet Admiral, Kong, ordered Hogback be arrested and sent to Impel Down but by the time marines arrived at Hogback's Laboratory at Dawn Island, the good doctor had fled. Taking with him all his research, and burning what was left behind. Instead of being declared a traitor he was deemed, by the Five Elders, an 'Asset of Worth', and given a bounty of 280 million berries. Thus his standing, and reputation, were what drew him to the attention of the warlord Gecko Moria; who himself was fascinated with Hogback's scientific work and dark magics. Granting his a position in his crew and a laboratory, in which he could create as many zombies and experiments as he desired.

News of a second of the three's resultant bounties against the Government, was a shock to all those kingdoms that owed so much to Doctor Hogback's pioneering medical advances and his tireless work ethic. And as a result of his defection, he was struck off the global medical register for government allied nations. Joining a warlords crew meant that Hogback was now gave Moria the potential to become as powerful and infamous as Caesar Clown had made Doflamingo. And for the marines, that was a worrying precedent, Caesar was a genius; neurotic and paranoid but still a genius. Hogback on the other hand, was pragmatic, thorough and capable; all the ingredients needed for the creation of another Underworld Emperor, of his boss.

Gecko Moria, warlord of the sea, saved Hogback from execution and granted him a new purpose and the ex-government doctor/scientist always paid his debts. His loyalty was absolute, as were the loyalties of the others lieutenants; they had everything to gain for following their masters plan, and no jumped up little green rookie would get in their way. From his position, inside a surgery; complete with mask, scrubs and gloves, Dr Hogback continued to tweak his prototype weapon, ready for its grand reveal. "Vegapunk... you may be regarded at 500 years ahead of your time but I will never be overshadowed".

Meanwhile. Back in the murky forests surrounding the mansion of Dr Hogback; Suki and Chopper had overcome the second Cerberus freeing Usopp and then with his help, carried the unconscious Luffy back to the mini merry and headed back to the Sunny. Only to find, the Sunny was covered bow to stern, mast to deck in cobwebs; and the others, nowhere in sight. "What's going on?" Usopp whispered, trying to keep a low profile and not disturb any of the silken strings, as he guessed that they were a form of motion detection system, for whomever had taken their ship. "Keep low, and quiet", he continued, taking Luffy and gently placing him on the deck before then crawling under several strands of cobwebs towards the kitchen door.

"Where are you going?" Suki spoke, digging her nails into her arm, to keep herself from succumbing to her arachnophobia. "Usopp has gone to get some meat", Chopper whispered, "Luffy will need sustenance when he wakes up... you're not feeling ill are you?" The doctor asked, pressing his stethoscope to the young girls chest, and a hoof to her forehead. "I'm f-f-fine, I just don't like spiders..." suki stated. They were interrupted by a sudden spluttering coming from their captain as he rolled over on to his side, coughing before sitting up and wheezing.

"Luffy", Chopper whispered, "you're awake!" As the captain went to stand he was pressed back down by a hoof on his shoulder. "Stay down Luffy, otherwise the strings will sense movement and alert our enemies". Now thoroughly awake, and with eyes flashing with protective instincts; Luffy allowed himself to lay back down. "Where are we? I thought we were fighting the dog and that snakeman?" He wearily asked. This time it was Suki who answered. "Me and chopper beat the three headed dog, saving Usopp, and you... you killed snakeman and that Ophiuchus fellow. Although we don't know how..."

The sudden fright picked up in the girl's voice made Luffy cringe. "I don't know what I did... all I remember is feeling clearheaded, and then letting go of a 'black hole'". Luffy leant forwards and hugged his youngest crew mate. "Suki, please don't be scared. I know my devil fruit is still an unknown to me and the others, but I promise I will continues to learn and understand it's power. And I will never misuse them". Suki felt tears welling in her eyes, so she broke out of the hug and wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt before puling a paint brush out of her dungarees pocket and paint from her satchel, and then spreading some "healing green" on her captain's wounds. "You'll always be my friend Suki", Luffy spoke. "If you have any trouble you can ask for help from any of us on the Sunny".

"I'm still not sure about this," Nami muttered uneasily, glancing back the way they had come. Temporarily abandoning the Sunny had been not her idea, but Sanji and Vivi's. The giant monkey spider had appeared out of nowhere and immediately had the ship trapped in webs, so she and the others left behind all went ashore to try and meet up with Luffy's group. Yet, ever since they had found a trail, and decided to follow it, Nami had felt a distinct feeling of eyes watching their group pass by. Tree, even if that was impossible, or animals... she had been about to tell Vivi, who was leading the group, about her feeling when Zoro had caught a bat wearing a suit and cape, and forcing it to act as a guide; which it begrudgingly did leading them to a large mansion in the centre of the forest surrounded by black iron fencing and a huge wrought iron gate. "This seems too good to be true", she continued, towards Vivi and Robin. "Oh come on..." the voice of the bat, Hildon spoke, "Dr. Hogback will be disappointed if he doesn't get to greet visitors". Nami glared at the bat messenger, "oh shut up you! I don't recall asking for you're input". With a sigh, Hildon wriggled out of Zoro's grasp and flew off grumbling about 'rude unsophisticated girls'.

"Thanks Nami, you didn't need to be that cold with him" Vivi sighed. "He's ditched us now!" she quipped. "On the plus side", Robin spoke up, "He left us in a graveyard, outside the mansion". It was then that Sanji spun around and kicked out at an arm that just burst from the ground, followed by an entire upper torso of a human male with decomposing flesh fumbling out of the grave. "What the hell is that?" Zoro questioned, his hands creeping towards the two swords at his hip, and the great sword across his back. Before anyone knew what was happening, the graveyard was swamped with zombies rising out of the ground and moving towards the pirates, muttering "shadows and bodies, for master Moria". Stepping forward Robin, crosses both hands in front of her chest and muttered, "Giganto Mano!"

A great big hand rose up for the ground and then collapsed down upon the advancing zombies, before rising up and then brushing them aside like dust on a mantlepiece. Not wanting to be outdone, the navigator swung her Clima-Tact, through the air, creating an arch of lightning slicing into any oncoming undead that evaded the archeologists attack. Whilst survivable to living beings, the undead decomposing flesh of the zombies was burnt to ash by the impact of the lightning, leaving no physical trace behind except a strange black blob that flew through the air towards the forest, and into the rapidly encroaching night. "That looked like..." Sanji uttered, only to be interrupted by Franky. "Luffy's darkness..."

The mansion was tall dark and creepy. As if that did anything to dissolve Nami's fears and unsettling feeling. Upon reaching the porch, Zoro took ahold of the bell pull and rang. It didn't take long for someone to answer the door, except when someone did they appeared to also be a zombie, but upon seeing Zoro, Sanji and Franky the female suddenly held a stack of plates in her hand and began throwing them into the faces of each of the three men. "You may enter", she coldly stated, pointing to Robin, Vivi and Nami. "They cannot!" And then began another relay of smashing plates into the males bodies, leaving them sprawled across the cobbled porch. "Come now, Cindrey," a male voice interjected from inside. "There's no need for that." The door of the mansion opened further, revealing a large man dressed in a long-sleeved fishnet top dark tights and black boots. Two fangs stuck out of his mouth and curved stitches raced over his forehead to connect the top of his eyes. His hair seemed to be racing itself across his his head, and even though he only appeared to be middle aged, his physique was not of someone who cared for an active lifestyle.

"Who are you? And could you please ask her not to throw anymore plates. Our friends would gladly appreciate it". Vivi's words were met by a toothy grin, not one of obvious ill intent but one that made her and the others nervous. "I am Doctor Hogback," the man answered, bowing. "And this is my assistant, Cindrey. You'll have to forgive her brusqueness, for you see she was once engaged to a wealthy man who claimed to love her dearly, but one day she caught him cheating. And so went about destroying all the

crockery, pottery and porcelain in the house". Hogback explained, further after taking a drink from a hip flask, "the man became enraged and tried to reprimand her but he became a victim to her own rage. She tore him and the mistress limb from limb, and then burnt their home to the ground. Devastated, disowned by her family and a wanted woman; she wandered the seas until finding her way here where she's worked for me ever since. Since that day, plates have a particular never survived her wrath".

The story was interrupted by Cindry herself, "I wish every plate on earth would break," she muttered angrily. Sighing, Hogback waved off, his assistants malcontent, standing aside for the pirates to enter his home. "It's almost dinnertime, and I do so rarely get guests. Your rooms are upstairs, Cindry will show you, won't you my dear..." He was cut off by a plate smashing into his face knocking him over. "I had one left".