Chapter 128: Planned Rebellion! The Thriller Bark Survivors Association

Deep within the forest hidden in a thicket of elm and ash trees was the cave base, and sanctuary to the people unlucky enough to have been stripped of their shadows and cursed to live in the darkness; pirates, merchants, civilians... anyone who was snared by Gecko Moria feared they would live in darkness forever. And as a result, they had banded together potting a revolution but for as long as they had been around; about fifty years, give or take a few months, the group had never gained enough strong willed people to actually spearhead the actual fight back.

That all changed when, two scouts for the Survivors Association spotted two large pirate ships in the bay thriller bark, and then saw the powers of the teenage boy captain, the swordsman, the blue haired young woman and the blonde chef. Suddenly, the association had found their hope of having returned to them their own individual shadows, ending their forced habitation within the darkened forest. The self appointed leader of the association was a pink haired, orange jump suit wearing woman, named Lola. The captain of the Rolling Pirates, and her crew, were captured by the warlord eight years and lived in growing hopelessness and distress ever since, yet with the stoical arrival of the Straw Hat pirates they, and the other survivors took in the straw hats after seeing them defeat Absalom.

Moreover, after somehow, walking into the approximate vicinity, the association met up with Zoro carrying his unconscious captain. The Risky Brother's, Lola's two commanders, lead them to their shipmates, and the other survivors, where Zoro relayed what he had seen and overheard about Moria's plans for the monster, known only as 'Number 900'; which now possessed captain luffy's shadow. As well as this, the swordsman explained his breakout, from the warlords fortress, with his captain's unconscious body. "The ghost girl", Zoro spoke finished afterwards, "...Perona", one of the survivors replied. "She noticed me, and yet she didn't move immediately to catch me. Almost as if she was pleading with me to strike Moria down then and there", the swordsman continued, pacing the cave floor as his captain received food and water from his navigator girlfriend and his crews doctor.

"She always was a strange one...", the risky brothers mused. "Perona, none of us here have any knowledge about her or why she joined Moria, despite her obvious disdain for him". Silence filled the cave, only punctuated by the dripping of water droplets from a spring that dropped into a small stone surrounded drinking pool. "Maybe she's like Vivi", Chopper spike up, his hoof raised showing that he had an idea. "Vivi wanted to protect her home form a warlord by infiltrating said warlords company and defeating him from within his own organisation. So maybe this Perona, is trying to do the same thing".

Listening to a brief origin story of her pre pirate life, Vivi felt bile raising up her throat at the remembrance of Bradman's glaive beheading her father, as well as the sight of Fire Kingdom airships besieging her home. Chopper didn't mean to make her remember those painful sad times but she still couldn't help but feel resentful of them. And, whilst she was relieved that an emperor didn't rule Alabaster, knowing that the World Republic did instead was suddenly a much more worrying occurrence. The goals of the Wizard Saints, and the machinations of Triumvirate, were unknown.

All of the world knew was that ERA was staunchly opposed to Mariejois, and was now apparently willing to threaten all out war in pursuit of its sole governing legitimacy. "Maybe I should recruit her..." Luffy suddenly announced, breaking her fro her thoughts; as it obviously had also done to Robin, not to mention end the conversation between Zoro, Sanji, Nami and Lola. "No way in hell!" Nami yelled, spinning around and smacking her grinning boyfriend, "those ghosts of hers can negatively affect a persons strength of will. It would be dangerous to have that power amongst us". "Oh come on Nami", Franky replied, "having that power could help us evade tricky situations and disarm dangerous foes without immeasurable repercussions", he yawned ignoring the pointed glare directed at him from the navigator.

"Anyway...", Lola of the Rolling Pirates stated, getting the conversation back on track, "Perona is an unknown. We should face her with the absolute worst option at hand, she could be a spy for the government. In which case she'll have to die". Once again the mood darkened. "Does she really have to die?" Suki asked, "couldn't we just imprison her?" Looking for any kind of life outside of servitude; to one person or people, was what Suki had sighed up to when she had joined the straw hats. And she didn't want to end the life of someone else who perhaps was like her; looking for purpose. "I'm sorry, Suki. But government agents are tricky, and unless they are dealt with then and there they will return later". Robin, seeing the discomfort, approached the younger girl and placed a hand in her shoulder giving it a gently squeeze, "it's only a worst case scenario. Probably won't even come to that". Sniffing, and not looking up, Suki wrapped her arms around the older woman and whispered; "stay be my side, please?" Robin smiled as she knelt down and hugged the girl, answering her question thusly.

"We will divide our forces between myself and StrawHat". Captain Lola spoke, showing great determination and fortitude, "we may only be four thousand strong; overwhelmed by zombies but remember we must beat them if we want to reclaim our shadows and leave the cursed Florian Triangle!" The chorus of war cries and defiant chants of "freedom" and "down with Moria" likened the cave to a tavern, with people drunk on nothing but their own bravado and sheer self belief. Vivi and Usopp both stood each side of the Rolling pirate captain, giving extra credence and support of their own captain to the plan.

"The straw hats pirates, led by captain Luffy, will face Gecko Moria with our combine full force", Vivi continued; where Lola left off. "We will end Thriller Bark and free all whom suffered here!" As Vivi and Lola continued to announce their plan, Nami was also telling Luffy about her plan to infiltrate the mansion again and loot all the treasures she could find, as compensation for the warlords actions against them. "Just be careful Nami", luffy whispered kissing her lips before embracing her. "If you encounter any..." he began only to be interrupted. "No luffy, I need to be able to protect myself, and not to simply always rely on you. But I love you for always wanting to protect me".

Meanwhile, as the reanimated zombie Oars devoured Moria's entire pantry of meat, fish fruit, sweets and anything else vaguely edible, the warlord himself was busy enshrining his orders into Oars' mind, whilst simultaneously prepping his central command. "Nearly complete, my dear 900! Kiishishishi!" Just as he was about to fully step inside Oars body, he recognised Hildon's shouting coming from behind him; "Master Moria! Master Moria! News from Marineford." Turning around, Moria took in the disheveled, pale and frightened look of his most faithful messenger.

"What is it Hildon? I'm very busy right now, so unless this isn't about the straw hats I'm not interested". He turned once more to enter Oars's stomach when a letter was thrust into his hands, "they are sending g another warlord here to help you defeat this rebellion..." Veins throbbed in his head as Hildon uttered the governments words; and the hidden meaning as well. "How dare they! They don't think me capable of defeating one little upstart rookie... I'll show them, by the time of this other warlords arrival straw hat will be dead!" And with that Moria spun around and stomped into central command: Oars' stomach. 'Whoever comes, will see my victory!'

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed as he swung his cane-sword into the gut of a zombie general, formerly known as the pirate Captain John, fall to the ground unmoving and the shadow exiting the body and fluting away to its original body. He had been so focused on finding his shadows wielder, that by the time he had killed the giant spider monkey, Tararan, he had just then noticed that his bod was being trailed by darkness. It had been soo long since his shadow had been stolen he had practically forgotten what it was like to have one back, so seeing his shadow returned to him took him by surprise and for all of ten minutes he was terrified of himself. Yet, now as he cut down the large platoon of zombies he felt pride in his humanity flowing back through him, his shadow.

His shadow, the object of his hunt, keeping him in the Florian Triangle was now back. And he didn't even know who had defeated Ryuma, he had wanted to fight him one last time yet something deep within him was telling him that he wouldn't have been strong enough. "Keep going, my zombies!" He heard the voice of Absalom yelling form somewhere ahead of him, in amongst the undead masses. "Three verse humming, Aero Naught Slash!" Within moments the line of zombies directly in front of him was obliterated and purified, and whilst there were still thousands more, the way to his target was clear. He had already eliminated Hogback, all that remained were Absalom, Perona; and lastly, the warlord Gecko Moria. Without, hesitation or wavering of conscience, the skeletonise Brook charged straight at the self styled 'Cemetery King'.