Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.
Thriller Bark Opening: Dead or Lie by TRUSTRICK
Color Spread: Ryugetsu leading a group of geese south for the winter.
It was at that moment that Zoro knew their situation had just gone from bad to worse.
"Shit… everyone accounted for?" He heard Franky call out in the background. None of them even saw the attack coming. One moment they had been recuperating and the next, a massive arm had carved through their side of the mansion and caused everyone to be separated. The skeleton that accompanied them had fell down the crevasse towards the floor level of the mansion, while he and Franky were forced to confront the new threat.
"Marimo! What's going on?" Sanji demanded. Mere moments before he was still in a chapel with a roof over his head that has since been demolished by a monstrous foot and forced him outside. They were now gathered in the central courtyard of the massive abode. The cook looked a bit winded but was otherwise fine, while their resident sniper had also fallen from another floor, now rubbing his head as he sat back up.
"Let's just say this one isn't something we can take alone." The swordsman muttered.
"OH MY GOD!" Usopp yelped out loud. As the massive shadow cast over them, Zoro couldn't help but tighten his grip on his blades.
Leering down at them, the zombified Oars regarded all of them with rapt attention. By now, Luffy's shadow had been fully suppressed, Gecko Moria's dark powers now exerted complete control over the ancient giant. Previously, where some of Luffy's curiosity still shone through, now all that remains is a puppet doing whatever its master commands."
"Straw Hats…" the giant oni growled "Must destroy!"
"He spotted us! Everyone hit the deck!" Zoro shouted as they were all forced to essentially dive to the side as Oars' massive arm slammed down into the ground, shaking the foundations of the house even further. The giant red zombie's remaining eye peered around trying to spot his targets, from his height they were more like ants. He doesn't know why, something about them resonates with him that makes them seem familiar compared to just mere enemies. That thought was soon quashed however, as Moria's will made itself know again, purging his mind of all thought as the monstrous giant relinquished his memory before going on the attack once again.
"Damn it! How are we supposed to take something like this down?!" Sanji shouted as he ran around the giant trying to avoid "A normal zombie could shrug off a hit, let alone something this big!"
"Well, let's just try to take it apart piece by piece first!" Franky growled as his left fist popped open, revealing the bazooka inside "A few hits from this should knock a few chunks off! Weapons Left!"
Multiple rocket shots blasted Oars around his body, and to Franky's dismay the giant merely looked down with nary a reaction. What it did do is draw his attention to him, and the cyborg had to roll away to avoid a massive foot.
"If we can't blast it apart, then we'll knock him down!" Sanji barked before lashing out directly at the monster's face "Anti Matter Kick Course!"
Normally, such a powerful kick would at the very least stagger an opponent, yet this time Oars didn't even flinch! Sanji hardly had an opportunity to widen his eyes before Oar's gaze snapped to him and he found himself caught between the giant's massive hand.
"Shit! Not good!" the cook gave an alarmed cry as the oni simply flung him towards the wall, forming a man-sized hole where he landed. Sanji gritted his teeth; biting down on the pain as he tried to get up; The loud footsteps of the giant staggering towards him didn't make the pain any easier to bear. As his vision became clear again, he could see Usopp and Franky desperately firing projectiles to try and distract the giant zombie, Oars bellowing in retaliation as he tried to catch them.
"Great… this is gonna be a tough one." Sanji muttered before prepping himself to fight again.
Earlier:
Inside the Mansion, what happened just moments ago still stunned the trio. For Robin and Chopper, being face to face with a new enemy was stunning to say the least. They could already tell, whatever it is that has Gian's shadow, it was quite a powerful being. Robin hurried over to Chopper, the little deer now back in his Brain Point and still shocked at how his shadow was simply ripped from him like that.
For Doctor Hogback on the other hand, it was disbelief. The creation he's been carefully cultivating for years now just emerged, only it exceeded expectations completely, if not a bit too much. None of the other undead on this island even came close to the amount of sentience Project Alpha just displayed, they simply followed orders and did as they were told. But here was the doctor now, shadowless and just assaulted by the very project he spent countless hours trying to bring to life. He was still wrapping his head around what had just transpired.
"Chopper, are you hurt?" Robin hurried over to the doctor, concern evident despite her otherwise still smooth expressions. The little deer blinked a few times, still trying to process everything.
"It all happened so fast!" Chopper exclaimed "That thing… it moved like it was unnatural! How could a zombie act like that?"
"I don't know, but that zombie does not look like the ones we've seen before." Robin mused "I feel confident enough to even say it might not be a zombie altogether…"
Chopper looked up at the tall woman "Not a zombie? Then what could it be?"
"Fosfosfosfos…" the two snapped their heads back to the now recovering scientist "You'd be correct to say that, Nico Robin…" Hogback chuckled "That, is Project Alpha. The most advanced creation of Moria-sama's to date! It surpasses every zombie I've made! I don't know its full capabilities yet, but it may even be stronger than Oars! I've truly done it, previously it had been nothing but a mere skeleton, and through Moria-sama's efforts and mine we have brought life back to it!"
"Even right now that's the first thing that comes to your mind?!" Chopper balked "That thing isn't normal! How could you not see it?"
"What else matters? The fact is that I brought it back to life!" Hogback rejoiced "This just goes to show you! You can't deny my abilities to raise the dead! I am-!"
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT THING IN THERE?!"
"Beast Warrior-gurk?!" the doctor didn't get a chance to say more when Gian, now freed from the rubble, strode over and promptly picked the man up by the throat. Caked in dust as his wounds continued to mend, the embers in his eyes were unmistakable. The Kaiju-Zoan user looked like he's been through a lot, but all things considered he was more pissed off than anything.
"Those remains… where did you find them?!"
"You see it too, don't you?" The doctor managed a grin "How I've managed to bring life back to-AARGH!"
"I'm not playing games here old man!" Gian snarled "That thing's not a zombie is it? I can feel that it's different!"
"Gian!" the Kaiju-Zoan user turned to see Robin and Chopper run up to him "You're ok!"
"Chopper… Robin…!" Gian released Hogback, the doctor collapsing in a fit of gasps. Giving Robin a brief hug, he suddenly noticed something missing.
"Chopper, your shadow!" he realized in horror. The doctor nodded sadly.
"He just came out of nowhere… I tried to stop him but he was too strong, he just picked me up and tossed me away. Then tentacles came out of his hands and ripped my shadow out." Chopper remembered "It felt like my skin was being ripped off, but only for a split second. He took the other shadows from those zombies and Hogback as well."
Gian looked at the now motionless zombies, without a shadow they were back to being corpses. It begs to question just what he needed so many for.
"Not Cindry as well…" He grumbled when his eyes laid upon the actress zombie, before looking back to Robin.
"What about you? Did he hurt you as well?" Robin shook her head at that.
"I was surprised as well, but that undead being was somehow unable to remove mine." The archaeologist explained "He claimed it had something to do with the presence within him forcing him to stay his hand. It looks like I got lucky."
"But Gian, that thing has to be the one that's been transplanted your shadow, isn't it?" Chopper said again.
"It is, and unlike the zombies we've faced before, Grendolas might as well be still alive."
"You gave it a name?" Chopper tilted his head.
"I didn't give him nothing, that's what he's called." Gian grumbled "It's a long story, I'll explain after I talk to Victor Frankenstein over there."
Stomping back over to Hogback, Gian leaned down to face the man, making the doctor flinch.
"Now talk! How did you find those remains?"
Hogback looked up at him, realizing he was unable to weasel his way out of this one "It was 7 years ago, back then Moria-sama was already seeking the corpses of powerful warriors long passed on. In the beginning it was only the whisper of some drunkard that told of a horrific monster that took the shape of a man laid to rest in the middle of the sea. I had originally passed it off as merely the ravings of a madman, but for some reason Moria-sama seemed to think otherwise. We even found a source of confirmation of sorts, an old woman claims to know exactly where those remains sleep within the sea, but even then I sort of dismissed it as a half-truth."
Dr. Hogback gave a chuckle before continuing "Then, despite all my misgivings, we found it. Within a place in the Calm Belt where the seas are barren; no life even treads there. Despite being dead for over a century, with not even a name or a marked grave, the remains of the warrior who once laid waste to the world remained in perfect form! For the past 7 years I've been trying to resurrect it, yet always falling just short. Until now, it was your shadow that gave it the base it needs to live!"
"Well congrats, you got what you wished for." Gian growled "Or, shall I say you've just brought back something that shouldn't see the light of day ever again!"
"I don't care what it is, the very act of reviving a long dead warrior is in an act itself miraculous! I continue to surpass my limits and-!" The doctor's ravings soon devolved into a shriek once Gian lifted him by the neck again.
"You complete idiot… you really have no idea what you brought into this world, do you?" The Kaiju-Zoan user gradually morphed into his Partial Transformation, letting the doctor get a good, horrified look as well as feel the waves of his aura wash over him before changing back.
"Whatever, I wouldn't expect you to. You see this? This is the result of a Devil Fruit that's supposedly lost to history, and the skeleton that you shoved my shadow into just happens to be the very first one of those users, you've just raised something up from the depths of hell itself!"
"The guy that stole my shadow once had the same powers as you?" Chopper exclaimed.
"W-Well so what?" Despite his defiance, Dr. Hogback could sense something more was at play when he felt the monstrous power emanate over him "As long as your shadow is within it, Moria-sama would be able to control it! It's a point in our favor!"
"If that's the case, then I wouldn't have so much to worry about. Except for one problem: It can think!"
"W-What…?" the surgeon choked out.
"Gian, what do you mean?" Robin asked "Are you saying that the corpse is somehow able to think for itself?"
Gian nodded gravely "That's exactly what I mean; most of the zombies here follow the orders of either Moria or one of his underlings, and this one would've too. Except, somehow, he managed to regain the memories he had in life and is now acting upon his own agenda!"
"That's absurd!" Hogback shouted "Moria-sama's dominion over the shadows is absolute, there's no way a corpse could break the contract from him!"
"Well tell that to the guy who just buried me under a whole ass ceiling why don't you?" Gian snapped back "I don't know how either, and until now I thought Moria's pretty confident in his ability but clearly there was an oversight there!"
"But how can that be possible?" Chopper gasped "As far as we know, Moria has total control over the shadows, how could this one just start acting on its own?"
Gian looked down at that "Well… I can't 100% confirm it since it's something he brought up, but Grendolas said it had something to do with the power we share." He held up hand, Robin and Chopper both looked on as his Aura began to shape, briefly taking the shape of the familiar beast they've seen multiple times by now "Apparently Kaiju-Zoan users are able to be in tuned with a living being's Aura, the life energy that courses through all living matter. I can't be certain, but there might have still been trace remains of this monster's Aura that still remained buried within that skeleton, along with his past memories. All of that laid dormant until my shadow was placed within the skeleton, and it was further awakened when I used my powers in his vicinity. That's the best theory I can come up with."
"W-What are you talking about?!" Hogback stammered "Nothing you said makes any sense!"
"Look, I don't know how else I can describe it, alright?" Gian snapped back at the doctor "The fact remains that he now remembers everything from his birth up until 150 years ago, and he only started to take form again after you decided to use my shadow as a catalyst. If you can come up with anything better we'll use that!"
"T-This is… what am I supposed to make of this information?!" the surgeon groaned.
"Regardless, this is quite unsettling." Robin elaborated "A member of the undead that's no longer shackled by the one who brought him back can be an unpredictable wild card in this whole situation. We have no idea what he's planning now."
"Exactly, he mentioned something about reminding the world of the titans that came before them but I don't know exactly what his plan is. All I know is that he now wants off of this island and onto the blue yonder." Gian sighed "Which is why I need to stop him; If my powers really were the reason he's found his mind again, then he could unleash havoc in really short time."
"And he has my shadow too!" Chopper added "If we leave him unchecked, he could be an even bigger problem than Moria!"
"To think a seemingly unknown individual would cause this much trouble." Robin noted "And you mentioned you saw the name in that book I gave you?"
"Yeah, no doubt about it." Gian nodded "Grendolas, the King of Monsters they called him. We need to-!"
The sound of an approaching scream suddenly made them look up to see an unexpected sight. Falling his way down, flailing his arms and legs as he did so, Brook tumbled through the air before landing on Hogback, the two crashing down into a painful pile.
"Owww, a fall from that height surely would've dismantled my bones… Hey wait, I'm fine!" the skeleton glanced down in wonder.
"…You're welcome…" Dr. Hogback groaned.
"Brook?" Gian blinked "Where did you come from? Don't tell me Zoro got lost trying to find you again."
"Oh, it's you guys!" The skeleton realized "You guys are safe! I was worried that the giant might've tore through here too."
"Giant? What-?" Chopper suddenly yelped before diving behind Robin as a loud roar sounded through the air. The 3 Straw Hats looked at each other, realizing what has happened, right as a massive arm tore its way through the air above them, the group down below all giving a yell of surprise before scrambling to avoid the falling debris.
"Damn, almost forgot about him." Gian muttered "Looks like Luffy's zombie is on the warpath right now."
"That things has Luffy-san's shadow?" Brook gasped "He's currently ripping his way through this island trying to locate you all right now. Zoro-san and Franky-san are trying to deter him, but even with their skill I do not know if they can stand up to Oars. I was going to help them, but one of his attacks dislodged the floor I was standing on and I got separated from them."
"This is most unfortunate. Now we have two things to worry about." Robin sighed.
"Two things? What has transpired here?" Brook asked as he finally managed to see his surroundings and the resulting motionless corpses, before his eyes fell on Chopper "Oh no! You got your shadow taken from you as well! Did Moria get to you?"
"Not quite, instead of Moria we have something that could be even more of a problem." Gian explained "The situation just got very complicated."
"How terrifying!" the skeleton gasped as he was brought up to speed "I don't doubt that Moria's powers can bring something like that to life, but I've never seen a zombie regain its free will completely before. This is definitely something different!"
"Our thought exactly." Nodded Gian "And if we just let it do as it pleases, there's no doubt he'll cause problems further down the line." Standing up, he looked towards the gaping hole left behind by Oars.
"We'll have to split up. Chopper, Robin, you guys go help Zoro and Franky. If the big guy is rampaging the way he is right now, I'm relying on you all to keep him occupied. No doubt the others should be there by now too."
"We got it!" Chopper nodded "Are you going after your undead counterpart?"
"I am, if we really did once use the same fruit, then I might have a better chance to end things before it gets too far." Gian nodded.
"I'll come with you." Brook stated "I've been fighting Moria's armies for a while now, if I can help you release the shadows it's holding then I hope it'll be useful for you."
"Alright, I'll depend on you for that then." Gian nodded in gratitude "Just be careful, from what we've gathered Grendolas is able to somehow steal shadows in a way similar to Moria without the other benefits. Seeing how you just got yours back, it'd be best not to lose it again."
"I will be mindful of that, I am rather fast on my feet so that shouldn't be a problem." Brook assured him.
"Alright then, if no one else has any concerns, then let's not waste any more time." Gian nodded.
"Be safe." Robin spoke before following Chopper out the hole Oars left on the wall.
"You are all delusional!" Dr. Hogback scoffed "You're all speaking of things that aren't possible!"
Gian sighed.
"You know, if you had stayed quiet I would've forgotten you were there. Your bad takes on Cindry-chan aside, I didn't exactly ask for your opinion." The Kaiju-Zoan user snapped back "Do whatever you want, I have to put a stop to things. Come on, Brook." The skeleton nodded and they departed as well, leaving the surgeon alone to mull over his thoughts.
"That's preposterous! A zombie regaining it's free will! It's simply impossible!" the surgeon scoffed "Moria-sama has absolute control over every shadow he takes, why is this any different?"
And yet, 'Beast Warrior' sounded way too resolute in what he's suggesting, almost as if the Kaiju-Zoan user knew more than him in what he was dealing with. Even though years have passed since they've discovered the remains, Hogback still knows very little about it. Maybe it's because it was information he was never meant to find out.
And then, just moments before, when his own creation assaulted and tore his shadow from him, that certainly couldn't be the behaviour of any normal zombie.
No, it would be unwise to even refer to it as a mere zombie as of right now.
"Dammit…" the doctor grumbled before shuffling towards the topmost chambers of the now torn apart mansion "I better warn Moria-sama, just in case."
Outside:
"Shit!" Zoro grunted as he tumbled to the side, Oar's massive fist hammered into the ground next to him. Already picking himself up and sprinting up said arm, the swordsman now had all 3 of his blades out to deliver a devastating slash with the ferocity of a pouncing tiger.
"Santoryu: Tora Gari!"
Of course, being the undead giant he was, Oars hardly felt anything. Raising another arm to try and swat the annoyance away, he only offered him yet another platform.
"If you're too big to fall, I'll just cut you to pieces till you're small enough to beat!" Zoro growled as he ran along the other arm. To Oars he may as well be a gnat, but if that's the case then Zoro was about to become the single biggest irritant that the undead giant has ever seen in its undead life.
"We have to help him! Usopp, keep firing!" Franky pointed his left cannon at the giant zombie again as the two more ranged combatants rained more of their firepower in an attempt to shift some of Oar's attention to them. While this happened, Sanji leapt off from one of the ledges around them, running up the other arm. Leaping into the air at the same time as Zoro, both of them shouting out their battle cry, the two unleashed their attacks seemingly simultaneously.
"Santoryu: Daibutsu Giri!"
"Concasse!"
This time, the twin attack was actually enough to cause Oars to drop to one knee. Roaring in fury, the red giant soon threw out both fists, two massive punches towards the two airborne pirates.
"Shit! We won't have enough time to dodge!" Sanji cried. As the gargantuan fists barreled closer, it seemed both of them would be hit dead center.
"Cien Fleur: Big Tree!"
The twin punches stopped merely inches to the two pirates, by now falling to safety. Looking up, they saw 2 pairs of arms, formed by 100 smaller appendages, extending from the ground and locking Oars' punch in their grasp, holding them just barely. As the giant roared and thrashed about, a smaller figure darted up from behind the ogre.
"Kokutei Diamond!"
Leaping up and striking Oars from behind, the power of Arm Point added to the fact that Oars was already off balance. With such a powerful force propelling forwards and striking him, Oars had only one place to go. The rest of the crew braced themselves as the giant was knocked off his feet, faceplanting into the ground and sending up a cloud of dust that soon enveloped them.
"Robin-chwaaaan!" Sanji swooned when he realized who their saviors were "I'm so glad your safe."
"Looks like you all made it just in time." Zoro acknowledge the two as they regrouped "You at least managed to bring him down, however briefly."
"It's not going to be any easier." Robin panted; it took all her strength just to keep Oars from completing his attack she had to make her arms much bigger than she was used to and even then, had Chopper not finished his own move, she was sure the giant would've broken out of her grasp shortly after. "If Luffy's zombie is anything like the rest, then that attack won't be nearly enough to keep him down permanently."
"This is Luffy we're talking about." Zoro affirmed "He's already hard enough to keep down, put that trait into a massive beast like that, and you get something that keeps getting back up." The swordsman clenched his 3 blades tighter "Everyone get ready, it could get up at any moment!"
"Luffy and Gian are still out there, aren't they?" Usopp stammered.
"Yeah…" Chopper breathed "Luffy's no doubt got his hands full right now, and it turns out Gian's undead counterpart is a lot more problematic than we originally believed. Robin and I ended up running into it, and it could've ended worse."
"So that means it's just us…" Franky grunted "Let's give that zombie all we have."
And they'll have to be ready, because by now Oars managed to stagger back up, no more worse for wear, but now significantly more enraged.
"As Moria-sama commanded, I will destroy you all!"
"Damn… even after all that, he got up like it was nothing!" Sanji growled. Everyone's eyes then widened at a horrific sight, the massive giant reared his both arms back, prepared to punch again.
"Everybody heads up!" Zoro barked, but the attack struck within moments.
"Gomu Gomu no-"
"No way!" Usopp screamed "Is he about it-?!"
"-Gatling!"
And the entire courtyard fell to a rain of fists.
Meanwhile:
Nami held her breath as she felt the cold fingers of fear slowly creep up her spine. Hiding behind the remains of a chapel bench, she was out of her element completely. The sound of struggling was beginning to cease, considering the difference in strength, she couldn't do much.
She could see Absalom's prone figure lying unconscious a few steps away from where she was hiding. The lecher had the audacity to make off with her during the earlier chaos. She'd awaken just in time as he was about to resume his marriage ceremony, to her of all people and a fact that disgusted her to no end, but it was interrupted with fervor by a particular warthog zombie seeking her betrothed.
And said zombie was not currently pinned to the ground, shadowy tentacles extending from yet a third intruder as the stocky undead pig was forced to see her shadow torn from her. Nami peered around the corner, her heart seized upon seeing the helpless warthog in that position, barely taking in the sight of the pale monstrosity that stood over her.
Very briefly, she locked gazes with the pig. Despite being on opposing sides, during her captivity she had unexpectedly befriended the strange zombie. Nami found that Lola, also a fearsome swordswoman with a monstrous appearance, was actually quite affable and just a simple spirit with interesting insights in love. Yes, she had to give a false identity to herself for fear that the zombie was in league with Moria, but the two hit it off quite easily. It was a nice change of atmosphere as she continued to plot a way out of this mess.
"N-Namizo…" The warthog croaked "R-Run away…"
Then with a sickening squelch, the writhing shadow was ripped out and absorbed into the pale figure's body. Lola slumped over, her life extinguished as the original shadow that gave life to her no longer did so.
Nami had to clamp a hand over her mouth to avoid crying out.
Grendolas closed his eyes for a second, relishing in the feeling of adding yet another piece of essence to his growing body. He'd already consumed dozens of shadows since departing the mansion, zombies who found themselves caught in his path at the wrong time soon became a source of fuel for him. The two present here were yet another casualty of his growing hunger. That lion-faced man tried to assert himself, tried to command him as he was supposed to. He couldn't even stomach one punch before Grendolas removed his shadow. The same goes for this other zombie he just consumed from, and now he'll take the last one as well.
"I know you're in here, hiding will do you no good." Grendolas sneered "I can sense your shadow's energy, it's better for you to come out now lest I rip it from you forcibly."
Nami didn't dare say anything, only continuing to listen as the footsteps grew louder as the pale revenant approached. There was nowhere she could run, he was coming after her and there was nowhere she could go. When the hunter finally peered over the church bench, gazing at her with those demoniacally pale eyes. She was his target, and her shadow is all but his.
"Found you." Grendolas grinned as the black shadow tentacles writhed out of his hand once more, spearing the navigator before she could do a thing.
Only to blink with confusion when the girl faded in a cloud of mist.
The sound of running made Grendolas whip back, an irritated expression marking has face as he saw the ginger girl running out of a hole in the wall. Realizing the earlier target was an illusion, the revenant immediately gave chase, following the essence of the shadow deeper into the forest.
A few moments later, the air shimmered as the real Nami finally dropped her mirage. Breathing out with relief, she gathered up her Clima-tact before she continued to think of a plan. No doubt the disturbing creature would soon realize she had fooled him with yet another Mirage Tempo, she had to find a way back to everybody else soon.
And she could already hear footsteps approaching. Nami cursed as she realized she'd have too little time already. Hastily detaching the individual poles on her staff, she had to gather up as big of a storm as she could. It might not be enough to do any serious damage but any time bought was good enough for her to make an escape.
Sure enough, a foot soon emerged from outside the church doors. Nami didn't even hesitate to unleash her weather art.
"Thunder Tempo!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
"Huh?!" blinking in confusion, it was only when the target was struck did she realize who it really was. Rather than the ghastly undead from before, she only struck a bunch of bones inside a suit.
"Well… this is sure a rather shocking discovery… yohohoho…" Brook groaned as he shook off the jolts of lightning.
"Hey… you're the skeleton that everyone was talking about!" Nami gasped "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't-!"
"It is quite all right, I probably shouldn't have been so reckless." Brook dusted himself off as he got back up "Speaking of which, you haven't been hurt have you?" The skeleton nodded when Nami shook her head no "Ah that's a relief, then in that case will you show me your-?"
"I NO LONGER REGRET SHOCKING YOU!" The navigator snapped, proceeding to bonk the musical undead on the head with her staff.
"Well, I'm glad I didn't go in first." A much more familiar voice was heard, and only then did Nami let her guard down.
"Gian?" she sighed with relief "Something just came here earlier! I've never seen a zombie like it before! It attacked-!"
"-And stole a bunch of shadows from anything that has it, we know. That's why we're here." Gian replied. Following Grendolas was not as difficult as he thought it would be. The resurrected Kaiju-Zoan user left quite a trail in his quest for more shadows; he certainly spared no effort to take whatever he came across. All they had to do was follow a path of lifeless corpses. "Speaking of which, he didn't rip away yours, did he?"
"It would've been that way, I only just narrowly managed to avoid him." Nami shook her head "But what the hell is that thing? It looks so different from the zombies we've seen before!"
"Well, after some careful consideration, I've come to think that it isn't so much of a zombie anymore, at least not in the traditional sense." And he and Brook proceeded to bring the confused navigator up to date.
"Is that even possible? How could he have been dead for that long yet still remember everything?"
"I have a few theories, though none of that really matters at the moment." Gian explained "Right now our priority is to stop that things before it could do any worse."
"Do we have a plan, Gian-san?" Brook asked.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Back then, when we were both in the lab, I managed to cut him with my seastone weapon. It should've been the end of it there; I even applied salt to the blade just in case the Kairoseki doesn't work. Yet somehow Grendolas was able to shrug it off as if nothing happened. The blade was 2 inches deep in his shoulder yet all that happened was that he got pissed off and threw it back at me."
"I might have an idea, after everything you told me." the skeleton responded "Normally, even in the case of regular zombies, the amount of salt needed to purify them is relevant to how strong it is. A normal zombie only needs a bit of salt, a much stronger one would require more. Right now, the rest of your crew in their battle with Oars would require a couple bags worth of salt to even hope to cleanse the giant."
"Damn… Zoro and the others really picked the short straw this time…" Gian sighed, hoping they brought enough salt for that "Are you saying the reason my attack didn't work was because I simply didn't use enough salt?"
"Perhaps, if going by that logic it would make sense. No doubt that your resurrected counterpart is somehow very powerful, it's the procedure that seems different." Brook continued "Still, if he really was brought back by Moria's Kage Kage no Mi then theoretically it should still share the same weakness, we just need to somehow apply more of it."
"Well, good luck with that, the bastard wasn't exactly privy to that idea." Gian shrugged "Not to mention how we are going to get it into him in the first place?"
"In any case, we need to know where he went." Brook replied "Nami-san, did you by any chance manage to see which direction he left in?"
"It was through that hole," the navigator pointed "I think it was left behind when Luffy's zombie struck earlier. It's weird though, I managed to trick him earlier with a mirage, he should've figured that the jig was up by now. Is he that dense?"
"Or maybe he simply found more shadows to consume." Gian mused "What is in that direction?"
"I believe that should lead deeper into the surrounding woods, if my memory of the island serves correctly." Brook answered.
Gian frowned; yes there were many wild zombies living in the forest, but by now they should've all been scattered around the island in the search for them "What could be keeping him there? It's not as if there some people that-SHIT!"
Brook and Nami hardly had any time to react in shock when Gian bolted up, they only looked at each other before following.
"Captain! We can't hold anymore!"
"Just a little bit more! Straw Hat needs to have those shadows!"
Lola grimaced as another of their crewmembers was thrown hard against a tree. They had chanced upon the wayward 'Straw Hat' Luffy a few minutes before, the rubber boy was rather miffed about how Moria was able to play him so easily and was quite eager to get involved when the Thriller Bark Victims Association declared that they have a plan to help him achieve victory over the Shichibukai. His enthusiasm was curbed slightly when he realized that they'd have to stuff 100 shadows into his body in order to empower him, but after sampling one he realized that it was for the best. So began the process of merging shadows into his body, a rather arduous process that took a bit of time. Still, if there was anything that could help even the odds against the shadow man, then he would take it.
Unbeknownst to Luffy, something else had been draw to the large presence of shadows in the area. Even more unfortunately, it wasn't exactly tolerant of people getting in its way.
"Stop him! We can't let him get to the shadows!"
"Just what is that thing?! How is it so strong?"
Lola rushed to the frontlines, one hand gripping one of the swords strapped to her back. What she came across was a beatdown; the monster simply tossed any opposition away with one arm after another. She saw one of the Risky Brothers charge at the pale specter, knife raised and ready to bring it down, only for the being to slam its palm into his chest hard and sending him crumpling to the ground.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Mustering up all the courage she can, Lola shouted out her outrage. When the abomination's milk-white eyes pierced her own, all she could feel was an encroaching terror, making her grip his swords harder.
"Your shadows, I can feel them, give them to me."
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Lola gritted.
"Do not lie to me, I sense the flow of shadows within this vicinity. I require them, and unless you wish for bodily harm, you will surrender them to me."
"No way…" the woman growled "I don't know what kind of zombie Moria created you from, but you're not getting to those shadows!"
The pirate took a step back the pale revenant suddenly became enveloped in a black shadowy Aura, his cataract eyes hardening as he bunched up his body.
"There will be a time when I confront this Moria, until then I require more power." Grendolas growled "Do not fret for your followers, I need them alive lest their shadows burn out, but I will not leave you unscathed should you continue to stand against me."
"Those shadows represents the hopes and dreams of everyone that has fallen victim to the master of this island, it took blood to get them back." Lola growled "I'm not giving up a single one!"
"Then I see that you are unable to negotiate, truly a pity." Grendolas sighed "I, however, will not be denied." The dark aura began billowing more furiously than before, as Grendola's gaze never left the woman.
Lola only stifled a gulp before drawing her swords, seeing no other option out of this.
Meanwhile:
Oar's loud roar of triumph could be heard across the island. Raising his arms in victory, his eyes gazed down at his fallen opponents. The powerful assault earlier have left them all lying prone on the ground, bowing to his fearsome strength. His mind still hazy, all he could remember Moria's orders.
"One, two…" he began to count "…there's 6, 3 are still missing! Where are they hiding?" lifting the roofs off of their foundation, Oar's peered into the now mostly defunct mansion. When the missing Straw Hats are still not found he realized they must be somewhere present on the island. The sound of his footsteps echoed as he trudged off to find his quarry.
"Ichi Gorilla…"
A voice made the red giant pause.
"Ni Gorilla…"
Turning around, Oar's scanned the fallen Straw Hats. At first he didn't see anything different, but then he realized something was off.
There were now only 5 still visible.
"Santoryu-"
It happened fast, and the force of the attacks were ferocious. Oars roared in rage as the twin blades cut across his face, actually rending his undead flesh by a little. Disorientated, he plopped down just as Zoro landed.
"-Nigori Zake!"
Zoro panted, the attacks from earlier still stung and his wounds were evident. Still, with dawn rapidly approaching, he could not afford to fall right now. Around him, he could see the other Straw Hats slowly stagger to their feet. They still have a battle to win.
"Oi… if it's really the shadow of our captain in there, then you shouldn't be underestimating your own Nakama so easily!"
"You might be bigger, but it just means we'll have to whittle at you until you fall." Sanji scoffed.
"He's still a zombie, which means he has the same weaknesses." Chopper mumbled.
"There's plenty of ways to take him down." Franky grunted "We'll just have to all go at him,"
"Our captain's shadow stuck inside such a monstrous beast is rather unbecoming, wouldn't you say?" Robin declared.
"I am scared shitless right now…" Usopp shrugged.
"Well don't get ahead of yourself, we're gonna blow him away." Zoro stated, his swords ready to strike yet again. The crew glared up with defiance at the dead eyes of the giant zombie. It was a spark that the shadow within would've found very familiar, were it still able to register such things.
Still, even then, if their captain were able to see them now, he'd be rather proud if he could give his thoughts on it.
"Pesky pirates…" growled Oars as he leaned his massive body down "It seems I haven't crushed you yet!"
"Yeah? Well get used to it, you won't have another chance!" Zoro declared.
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" the crew leapt to the side as Oar's massive fist crashed into the ground yet again. Scattering, they had to formation a plan if they wished to bring down something that big.
"Alright, we had a great moment earlier, but does anyone actually have a plan to bring that thing down to size?" Franky requested.
"He's certainly a handful, despite being that big he's basically just Luffy minus the crazy stretching he does. All of his moves hit just as hard, if not harder due to his size." Sanji grunted. The crew had to scatter again once Oar's kicked his leg out in the same fashion.
"Gomu Gomu no Whip!"
"Damn! If Gian and Luffy were here they'd be able to knock that thing down in a second!" Usopp lamented.
"Well, maybe they won't have to!" Franky grinned "We still got plenty of power between us! Now get into position!"
"What are you planning?!" Zoro barked.
"To take something that big down, we'll need adequate firepower! Everyone! Get ready for tactic 15!"
"Huh?!" Chopper yelped "Are we really going that far?"
"No time like the present! LET'S GO!"
And, in that instant, the most glorious creation known to humankind had been unleashed. With flashes of light, the ultimate weapon of the Straw Hat Pirates was formed. Each member of the pirates slotted together like a gear system, once together there was nothing they could not accomplish. As Franky rocketed himself towards Zoro and Sanji, the two supporting his legs, Usopp and Chopper fitted themselves onto his right arm and shoulders respectively. With one more brilliant flash of light, their combined power was to be unleashed right this moment!
"Pirates Docking 6-!"
The world didn't know it yet, but this once in a lifetime sight was one to behold.
"-Giant Robot Warrior-!"
Strong individually, Once they are brought together they could only become:
"-BIIIIIGG EMPERORRRR!"
"Oi!" Luffy cried out from his stupor. In his state, he couldn't move much but he could feel the shadows being inserted into him. Already capable of new talents thanks to them, he could feel himself getting stronger "Something's happening!"
"It's ok, Straw Hat!" One of the survivors assured him "Captain's handling it the best she could! Just hang on for a bit longer, we only have a few more shadows to go!"
"No, I mean my nakama!" Luffy realized "They're doing something! I don't know what it is, but I can feel it and it's something I really, really want to be a part of!"
But he had another destiny ahead of him, and was unfortunately forced to sit this one out…
"Hmmmm…" racing deeper into the forest, Gian suddenly found himself pausing. Looking up in the direction of the courtyard, he could only see Oar's massive frame but even he could tell something extraordinary just occurred.
"Gian-san, what's the matter?" Brook realized they stopped and asked.
"Something glorious just happened, something I feel like I will regret missing out on…" he frowned, why did he feel like that there was something he's supposed to be participating in right now?
"Gian, we don't have time!" Nami reminded him "Are we still going the right way?"
"…Yeah, I can sense his presence just ahead of us." The Kaiju-Zoan user nodded "Let's go."
Still, he can't shake the feeling that he's lost the chance of becoming a part of something great.
"Alright guys!" Franky declared boisterously "Let's show that thing what we got!" the amalgamation of the titan that consisted of their combination attack was a sight to behold. The disdain for the activity was palpable on Zoro and Sanji's faces, but what do they know? Simply saying, with one attack, the crew would easily-
"W-Wait Franky!" Chopper called out "There's a problem! The left arm hasn't docked yet!"
"WHHHHAAAAAAAT?!"
And just like all great things, it takes one missing piece to bring it all down. As the cyborg looked back in betrayal, Robin simply stood her grown, gazing at the crew with her contempt far too visible.
"Hurry up will ya? Dock onto my left arm!" Franky snapped.
"Yeah!" Chopper called out "The technique wouldn't work without a 6th person!"
"No."
"HUH?!"
"This is embarrassing to me as a human being." Robin simply stated.
"EEHHHHHHHH?!"
The 3 childish fighters were devastated by such a claim. They could feel their entire world crumbling down as they tried to process the venomous words that just emerged from their archaeologist's mouth.
"S-She didn't just say it was-"
"It's embarrassing to me as a human being."
"SHE SAID IT TWICE!" the 3 wept.
Rumbling was felt as Oar's leaned down, his one eye peering at them with expectation.
"Huh? What was supposed to happen? Why did you stop the cool thing?" the oafish giant rumbled "I wanna see the docking! Hurry up!"
With a roar akin to a tantrum Oars slammed his foot down, causing the group to scatter again "SHOW ME THE DOCKING!"
"Dammit! Nico Robin! I blame you for all this backfiring on us!" Franky lamented once they got their bearings again.
"Yeah! If Luffy or Gian were here they'll dock with us for sure!" Usopp huffed.
"Gian would never participate in such a thing!" the normally cool woman said sharply.
"Incoming!" Zoro's warning jolted them out of their argument as Oar's arm hammered down once again. It was back to square one with how to bring the giant down to size, but at least now they have somewhat of an idea.
"Despite all that, Franky actually gave me an idea." Declared Sanji as he scanned the area around the undead gargantuan "We were able to get a few solid hits in when we attacked together earlier. Clearly one on one we're just begging to get killed, but a joint assault could help us out a lot."
"So we all go at him at once huh?" Zoro nodded "Can't believe I'm actually agreeing with you on something. In that case, I'm going in!" swift on his feet once again, Zoro lunged forwards, even as Oar's brought his massive trunk-like arms down for another punch he merely leapt onto them as they left craters in the ground.
"Robin! Restrain him!"
"Now I understand your plan." The archaeologist smiled "Cien Fleur: Big Tree!"
Arms extending out of the ground now strapped Oar's in place, holding him down as best he could. With the furious zombie now once again roaring in fury, Zoro once again dashed towards his head. Raising his other arm to try and swat him off, the giant found himself under attack from all fronts.
"We got one arm down, try to knock him off balance now!" Sanji ordered, diving towards once of Oars' feet. Glaring down at the now charging cook, Oar's raised a foot to try and squash him.
"Now Usopp!"
"On it! Hissatsu: Tokuyo Abura Boshi!" rather than a chef, Oar's foot instead came down onto slippery ground. Usopp's oil pellets made it slick enough that the Giant began to stumble. Hopping on one foot and trying to regain his balance. Oars could do nothing as both Zoro, Chopper and Franky attacked him on two fronts.
"Franky, aim for the back of his knee! He might be a zombie, but even if he can't feel pain his anatomy is still the same as it would be if he were alive!" Chopper explained. The cyborg nodded, grinning as he realize what the doctor was trying to convey.
"Together, on 3!" leaping up towards the back of Oar's hopping leg, the two reared their fists back.
"Super Frapper Gong!"
The force of the blow was enough to cause the giant's knees to buckle, and Oar's entire body became momentarily airborne before the howling giant began his descent.
It was now that Zoro and Sanji finally got into position, both of them ready for one final attack.
"Don't ruin this, Marimo!" Sanji stated as he stretched out one leg. Zoro only scoffed before getting into another stance, hopping onto the cook's foot "Now take him down!"
With his one eye, Oar's could only watch with mouth agape as Sanji sent the swordsman shooting towards him with a single kick.
"Armee de L'air Power Shoot!"
"Oni Giri!"
The force of the slash coincided right as it cut right into Oar's head, the added velocity sending the giant hurtling to the ground in an even heavier impact. Upon crashing down, Oar's instantly sent up a cloud of debris, obscuring all vision and causing the crew to brace themselves. The sound of someone cutting through the air was heard before Zoro landed close to the rest of the group.
"Did we do it?" Chopper stammered, everyone was panting with exertion as reality caught up with them. It took them that much strength to knock that giant down; their exhaustion was palpable by this point. As the smoke began to settle, it seems that they-
"Gomu Gomu no Kane!"
Zoro let out a shout as he ordered everyone to hit the deck, Oar's massive red arm cutting right above them, narrowly missing them by a hair thin as the zombie giant staggered back up before letting off a powerful roar.
"Damn! What is that thing made of?!" Franky balked "We threw everything at him, and he just got back up like it was nothing!"
"You damn pirates!" Oars bellowed as he glared at them with rage "You're making me angry now!"
"Shit…" Usopp gritted "It's like none of our hits even mattered! We really do need Luffy or Gian here to even try to take that thing down! None of us could-!"
"Except they can't!" Zoro shot back, startling the sniper as he saw the swordsman tighten his bandanna further around his head as he glared back at the giant defiantly "We all know right now they're dealing with something way more difficult than this, they're relying on us to take this bastard down to size. They both got their hands full, if this monster beats us, chances are they'll get overwhelmed too." Zoro growled as he grasped his swords. He could feel it; the black blade's bloodlust was seeping through the hilt. Shusui was no doubt a wonderful blade, the samurai knew that enough to keep it even after his death.
"So we'll have to keep fighting, if we can get that shadow out of that body, then we win."
The rest of the crew only nodded as they proceeded to face down Oar's yet again, hoping to think of something as dawn crept ever closer.
Meanwhile:
Lola stood panting, her eyes never leading the pale horror charging towards him. She's been no stranger to fighting, her entire life she had to fight for something. Being the daughter of an infamous pirate she had to stand out somehow against her many siblings, and when she left them to seek her own future she came into conflict ever so often with opposing crews and authority.
But nothing she's faced ever came close to this.
Grendolas' arms were out stretched, intent on crushing her. Lola braced herself, waiting for the undead man to take one more step. As soon as the revenant put his foot down Lola brought herself down low, sweeping her swords across the specter's abdomen in twin slashes. People have always underestimated her speed in the past; despite her rather portly size she could move a lot faster than most people presumed. As Grendolas turned back to her, Lola brought her blades up again ready for the next strike.
"Yeah! That's our captain!" members of her crew cheered. Lola smiled slightly, but she couldn't be celebrating with them just yet. She may have pulled off a few surprise maneuvers during the time they've been dueling, but she wasn't quite out of the woods yet. Her eyes fell to Grendolas' bare chest; her slashes from earlier didn't even leave a mark. That has been the situation for the last couple of minutes, she managed to inflict a few well-place cuts, but they couldn't even penetrate the fiend's skin. Clearly this thing was not a normal undead, but she didn't know what else it was.
Grendola's rushed at her again, this time faster than before. Lola gasped as she brought her swords up in a block, the undead fist the monstrous pale man threw crashing into the locked blades and pushing her back. Digging her heels into the mud, Lola braced herself, before bunching up and vaulting over the taller figure and delivering two more cuts down his back. She allowed herself a smile; even if her attacks don't seem to be doing much impact, at least she was holding her own.
"Looks like I haven't forgotten all of Katakuri-niichan's sparring lessons yet." She thought to herself.
"Get the salt ready." Lola panted to her crew "I'll hold him here for as long as it takes! We have to get Straw Hat powered up!"
"I don't think that will be necessary." Grendolas growled "I have wasted enough time already." This time, the ground itself impacted as Grendolas sprung up, charging at the woman faster than ever. Lola gasped as she heard what seems to be haunting cries from nowhere sound as Grendolas' right fist began coalescing into a dark mass, before the undead man smashed it into her blades.
"Atom Fist!"
The two struggled for a bit, before this time Grendolas overwhelmed her with the force of his punch. Crying out in shock as she was knocked off balance. Lola gave a short choked cry as the hand grabbed her neck before Grendolas choke-slammed her into the ground.
"CAPTAIN!" she could hear the Rolling Pirates cry out in horror. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of the Risky Brothers running towards her.
"S-Stay back!" Lola warned, wincing from the pain as she glared up at her assailant "This thing is not normal! It's dangerous!"
"I told you, I will not be ending anyone's life here." Grendolas growled "I can see that your shadows have been removed already, and your life is needed for them to continue existing. However, I can leave your body broken with an inch of your life, unless you surrender them to me now!"
"I already told you, hell no!" Lola spat "You have no idea how much pain we went through to get them back from Moria…! All these years we've suffered, there's no way in hell we'll give them up!"
"Then you'll be pleased to know they'll be safe within me." Grendolas sneered before raising a foot down to stomp on the woman's head. Lola clasped her eyes shut awaiting the pain.
"Aubade Coup Droit!"
It never came. Lola's eyes shot open in surprise as she saw the towering pale figure's fist was now bracing the impact of a thin blade, its tip slightly indenting his skin but not piercing it. Her gaze further widened as she saw who it was.
"Y-You're-!"
"My, my… it seems being dead for over a century has not taught you any manners there!" Brook sang "Harming such a nice young lady like that." Grendolas growled and threw his arms out, the skeleton merely flipping out of the way.
"Looks like Gian-san was right, there is something not right about you. That skin of yours is quite tough, definitely not something Dr. Hogback can make!"
"You…" Grendolas broke into a grin "You have a shadow!" thrusting his palm out, shadow tentacles writhed out towards the skeleton. Brook stood his ground, and with a swing of his sword, dissipated the attacking tendrils.
"No thanks, I just happened to be reunited with mine and I have no plans to be separated again."
"Then I hope the farewell doesn't come as too much of a shock!" Grendolas towards the skeleton, his fist once again shrouded by dark wisps.
"Lightning Tempo!"
Only to be knocked off balance by an electric bolt. The revenant stood up, shaking off the status as if nothing happened.
"Ah, so that's where you have been." Grendolas growled to Nami as the latter lowered her Clima-tact, her eyes hard but rather than referring to the undead, she turned her attention to Lola.
"Are you alright?" she asked the downed woman. Lola blinked; there was something familiar about this woman, but she's never met someone like the ginger navigator before, why does she feel familiar?"
"I'm fine, a few bruises isn't anything I haven't seen before."
Before he could do anything, another spark of light appeared in the distance. This time, the revenant frowned before crossing his arms to block the incoming Atom Ray as it seared into his body. His sneer returned as pale orbs locked with amber, the two counterparts stood apart from each other as Gian entered the clearing.
"'Beast Warrior' is here too?" the woman breathed.
"Oh? You're approaching me?" Grendolas taunted "Even though earlier it was clear there was a difference of strength between us you still seek me out?"
"I can't rip my shadow from your body unless I do!" Gian shot back.
"Oho! Then come as close as you like!"
"Damn… it really is like looking in a mirror…!" Nami whispered. Even if their mannerisms are quite different, it seems Gian's shadow remains some influence over the undead personality. The Kaiju-Zoan user took one more step, before promptly morphing into his Partial Transformation with a fiery roar and the two locked arms in a power struggle.
"Taking no chances this time I see?" Grendolas taunted "It's a sign of desperation how much you resort to that vile power."
"I more or less know all about that body of yours now!" Gian snarled "Last time you caught me off guard, but my shadow can only help you so much!"
Gripping the revenant by the arms, Gian wrenched him over his shoulder in a heavy slam that shook the ground. Following it up with a stomp, he delivered a few more strikes before Grendolas kicked him off.
"Fool, I was the first to have that fruit. Everything you can do, I remember it all!" the onlookers had to wince as a wailing screech resonated as Grendolas gathered a mass of shadows in between his palms. Gian growled, his own dorsal fins flaring to life as blue light shone across his body.
"ATOM RAY!"
The crowd had to shield their eyes from the light as the two beams, one a deep blue and the other a flaming black, pushed against each other erupting into a shockwave that caused everyone to brace themselves. The two fighters immediately rushed at each other once more, claws raking and blows being struck from both sides.
"Just being in the vicinity of this is making me nervous!" A member of the Thriller Bark Victim's Association stammered.
"What a horrific power…" Brook breathed "Had it been anyone else I'm not sure it would've been safe to even be in this area."
"And to think that Gian's shadow could power up something like that…!" Nami frowned "That definitely is no regular zombie!"
"That thing has Beast Warrior's shadow?!" Lola gasped "Don't tell me it could be…!"
"Do you know anything about that?" Nami asked. Lola pursed her lips at the thought.
"I don't know much. During the time we've been here a few of us have managed to hear that Moria's got a secret specimen within one of Hogback's labs. Apparently he's had it even before we've arrived here. But it's always very hush-hush about it; most of the regular zombies we've purified have never even heard of it… Project Alpha they called it. I thought it was only a rumor!"
"Then that means Moria knows something's up with that too!" Nami spoke firmly.
"You can't overcome me!" Grendolas growled as his shoved an elbow into his opponent's chest "Even with your Partial Transformation we are evenly matched in strength. Your shadow alongside every other shadow I've consumed have bestowed me power that can only grow! But as for you, you don't have much time!"
Gian only growled, before spinning on his heels and whipping his tail out. Grendolas pushed back against the appendage as it slammed into his body, digging his feet in as the force pushed him across the ground, before gripping it tightly and swung Gian in a circle, causing everyone else to scatter as he tossed him into a tree and snapping it in two.
"I know everything you can do, but unlike you I have the power of every shadow on this island. Each and every one of them ripe for the taking! The more I absorb, the more powerful this body grows. Soon, even the power of a Kaiju will not be enough!" the undead revenant gathered more shadows within his hands, ready to deliver more punishment.
"A kaiju won't be needed to take you down!"
But only yet another interruption occured, as Gendolas' head snapped up, right before a massive fist slammed into his body, sending him flying backwards as he bounced across the ground multiple times.
The onlookers were shocked at the sudden intrusion. A punch that powerful was something none of them could see coming! Lola, however, only grinned as she realized who had arrived.
"He's ready! The process is complete!"
"What?"
"Hey, thanks for the assist…" Gian growled as he staggered up "Though I probably could've-wait, HUH?!"
Gian had to do a double take, and then look up. So long he's spent having to look down when talking to his captain, Luffy had always been shorter than him.
But the gargantuan figure that stood before him might've had Luffy's face, yet the body was as if they placed his head onto another more gargantuan figure. Taller than even a Partially Transformed Gian by at least a foot and a half, Luffy's strange form was a sight to behold. Bulging muscles lined his arms as his broad body got into a fighting position, he seemed rather top-heavy compared to before.
"L-Luffy?!" Nami gaped.
"I didn't know Luffy-san could do that!" Brook gasped.
"You still hanging in there, Gian?" even his voice was different. The happy-go-lucky voice of his captain was now replaced by a straight forward no-nonsense tone. If not for the straw hat now hanging from his back, Gian almost would've thought it was a different person.
"…When did you turn blue?" Gian stammered "When did you get taller?!"
Luffy didn't answer that, rather his intense gaze was levelled towards the now recovered Grendolas. The former Kaiju-Zoan user narrowed his eyes, his white orbs focusing on the hulking figure before him.
"You… you're the source of all those shadows I sensed!"
"So you're the one that has Gian's shadow." Luffy grunted "I feel the same kind of power from you as I have right now."
"It seems you're also familiar with the procedure of absorbing these shadows to empower yourself." Grendolas stated "In any case, I am glad you showed yourself. It saves me the trouble of looking for them myself."
Grendolas flicked out his hand, his shadow tendrils snaking out ready to tear the shadows from Luffy's body.
"Luffy! You have to avoid that!" Gian warned. But Luffy didn't have to. Everyone present at the site couldn't believe that the empowered captain merely reached out with one hand and grasped the incoming tendrils with them, locking them down hard.
"W-What?!" Grendolas didn't get much time to act before Luffy wrenched his arm backwards, and he felt himself being pulled towards a fist. Hastily the undead man severed the tendrils with his other hand, and managed to duck right as Luffy's fist soared over his head, missing by an inch. The pale revenant's face morphed into a scowl as he charged forwards and delivered a hard, shadow infused punch to the Straw Hat captain's face, but aside from only slightly recoiling, Luffy soon recovered with very little reaction.
"My turn."
Gian had to forcibly close his mouth as he saw his captain launch his undead counterpart through multiple trees with just a single punch. Another moment passed before Grendolas fired another shadow-altered Atom Ray back towards the empowered captain, this time Luffy reached back and unsheathed his weapon. Gian blinked as he saw the hulking figure swinging down a massive Nodachi with only one hand, cutting a wind blade through the dark stream and narrowly grazing Gendolas' head. The revenant stepped back with a gasp; what did happen was the wave managed cut a huge gash into his shoulder, which his left arm now hung from by mere shadowy strands.
"He managed to wound him!" Brook gasped "I couldn't even do that before!"
"Since when do you know how to use a sword…?" Gian mumbled, still in disbelief at the sight.
That sentiment clearly extended to the rest of the group too. The members of the Thriller Bark Victims Association were all in awe at just how powerful 'Straw Hat' is. They knew from his reputation that he was a formidable pirate, but seeing it in person was even more impressive.
"Wow… I knew Luffy was strong before, but this is going even beyond that!" Nami gasped.
"I didn't think he'd take to the shadows so easily." Lola mumbled "When we figured out how to harness Moria's shadows for ourselves, we tried to bond with them, but only a few at a time. 'Straw Hat' was able to absorb 100 shadows! His spirit must be remarkable, he may really have enough power to defeat Moria now!"
"…I feel like I met you before." the navigator suddenly realized.
"Now that you mentioned it you do seem familiar somehow…" Lola also affirmed.
"Luffy-san is truly incredible…!" Brook noted.
And it seems Grendolas knew he was outmatched in this regard as well. Sizing up his options, against this new individual even the shadows he's accumulated could not last him the battle unless he wishes to lose them all.
"I am still not strong enough, I need more…" the revenant cursed "You wait… I will come and collect the shadows you bonded with soon enough…" Before Luffy could do anything, Grendolas had already disappeared into the undergrowth, gripping the remains of his mangled arm in the process.
"We can't let him get away again!" Gian panted, staggering to one knee. Luffy went over and helped him up as everyone gathered around.
"Luffy… That was amazing!" Nami breathed "How did you even-?"
"It looks like the process was a success!" Lola nodded affirmatively "You're able to contain a total of 100 shadows in your body, we've never even managed close to that before! You might really be able to save us from Moria!"
"The power is overwhelming… I feel like I can shatter entire buildings with a single punch!" Luffy bunched his fists up "I've been itching for a scrap ever since that bastard tricked me, and that fight earlier really got me going."
"No kidding, you basically threw him aside like he was nothing at all!" Gian whistled "It feels really weird to have to look up at you for once."
"So I take that's where your shadow went." Luffy said "I don't know how, but I could feel the same kind of power that I have within him. He's been gathering shadows within his body as well."
"Yeah, except unlike you he's 100% really dead. My shadow just ended up bringing him to life with a whole boatload of problems." Gian sighed "Still, that would answer a lot of questions about his physiology."
A few more explanations were made, mostly to Lola and her crew about the one that ransacked their camp. They were rather surprised to hear of the details behind it.
"Project Alpha really is real…" Lola whispered "And you said it has something to do with, you called it a Kaiju-Zoan?"
"Captain, do you know something of that?" One of the Risky Brothers asked when he saw the woman purse her lips in thought.
"One of my sisters ate a similar fruit, it turns her into a titanic monster capable of crushing entire cities in a single night. My mother knows quite a bit about the subject too, but they never really shared it with me. To think there may be deeper annotations to that…"
"It doesn't matter what he is now," Nami said firmly "I can tell from the way Gian talked about him that he's bad news. When he came after me earlier I could feel that he's no mere zombie."
"Well, then we need to bring him down as well." Luffy stated "He definitely sounds like a problem."
"Just leave him to me, I have a few things I need to ask him too." Gian nodded "Meanwhile, Robin and the others are still back at the mansion. They're currently facing down your zombie."
"Alright, I'm depending on you Gian." Luffy affirmed "Now it's time for me to kick Moria's ass!"
"I'm coming with you." Nami stated "Let's go save everyone!" Luffy nodded, before picking up the navigator with a single hand and placing it on his massive shoulders, her fitting easily on it.
"Be careful, Nightmare Luffy." Lola mentioned "We may have been able to empower you, but every time we've done it before the effects were always temporary. I'm not sure how long it will last, so make sure you give it to Moria good!"
"You won't get away from me this time Moria!" and Nightmare Luffy had already bounded away, his speed greatly increased from before as he charged towards the mansion.
"Yeah… I'm never going to get used to that…" Gian shook his head, still in disbelief over his captain's personality change.
"I'll stay with these guys for a little bit." Brook stated "We'll need to gather all the salt we have now that there's two powerful undead on the island."
"If everything goes well, we'll finally be free tonight." Lola nodded with determination "Now go get your shadow back as well!"
"Alright, time to hound my predecessor yet again." Gian agreed before bounding off into the woods after Grendolas once more.
Elsewhere:
Unbeknownst to the denizens of the island, someone else had arrived on the island.
"Hurry! I don't want to be here for another second!" Perona ordered as a few remaining animal zombies were currently loading up the Thousand Sunny. Her defeat still stung at the hands of that long-nosed sniper, but she clearly wanted nothing to do with those pirates anymore. Moria may have treated her well in the past, but out here it's survival first.
"Sh-Shouldn't we tell Moria-sama first?" a squirrel zombie asked.
"Are you dull? There's no way I'm going back there!" Perona shouted "Moria-sama is strong, he'll be fine! I was only partners with him because I was bored anyway! Just load up all the treasures and let's make off with Straw Hat's ship!"
However, she soon realized that she wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. The gasps and shouts of horror that sounded from her underlings soon made her realize that a massive shadow had passed over her.
"I am looking for Gecko Moria, Where is he located?" a monotone voice droned out.
"Eh? Who the hell are you supposed to-" Perona whirled around irritably, before her temper dramatically mellowed out to nervousness "-be…"
"Perona-sama! Who is this guy?"
"He just appeared out of nowhere!"
Her servant's cries went unheard as all she could focus on was the gigantic bear-like man before her. There was something cold about this person, one that unnerved her greatly.
"No way… what are you doing here?!"
The man said nothing, only lifting one hand and slipped off a glove, before speaking out a phrase that shook the gothic woman to her core.
"If you were to go on a trip, where would you choose to go?"
A/N: And here's chapter 90! We're getting close to the final battles! I wanted to mostly split things up for this chapter with the rest of the Straw Hats dealing with Oars while Gian went after Grendolas. They're separating again but soon they'll be brought back together in one explosive finish of a 2-part climax! It'll be coming sometimes next month. I know my upload speed has been slowing down lately, I'm half way done this semester and am now dealing with a few things regarding when I can graduate, so that's taking up some time. Meanwhile, I don't have much to say on this chapter. They've been getting longer mostly because I wanted to add more content to them! In the meantime, I thought I'd give Lola a small fight, mostly because we didn't really see what she could do in canon. Being Big Mom's daughter obviously means she's able to fight somewhat well, but it never got shown before. Quite a shame. In the meantime, hope you enjoy this chapter!
Responses to Reviews:
To Raidentensho:
I now to somehow work that ax into the OC that ate the Kong fruit… I also don't know if Theatres are open here in Canada or not yet and I also don't have access to HBO Max here either. So HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WATCH IT?!
G: Goddamn limitations…
To Shitabrick:
I have no idea what you just wrote.
G: I think there's a meme reference, but I- never mind.
To Matt:
I can't really expect a Japanese originated manga to feature any LGBT representations that much. Though if everything keep going, Yamato seems to be heading into a positive direction.
G: Who?
You don't need to know about them yet.
To Jaffa3:
Well, ya better start screaming.
G: MORE OCTAVES! MORE!
But don't worry, another Full Transformation's coming up!
To KaijuEmperor:
I use the word revenant to describe him a lot, and considering all I've done with him so far, I feel like that's probably the best way to describe him.
G: Do you even know what that word means?
Of course I do! I've seen the movie!
G: *Sigh…
To SolanaLeonhart:
Not so much the secret, but he knows more than most people and uncovered something that shouldn't have been. You'll get to know more of it next chapter.
To Wildan:
G: What the fuck did you say about my hair?
…You're not even using it right.
To Mystery889:
G: I am a perfectly healthy individual.
Physically yes, mentally debatable.
G: Eat ass.
To Perun3352:
Thanks for all the reviews again. You made a lot of points so I'm just going to say my piece on the parts I feel like I can answer best. I plan to touch base on Gian's progress with the Goji-Goji no mi in a Monster's Log chapter soon, but I'll summarize it here. Basically, for the last 8 years, he's used Solgell Island to train a little bit, just getting used to the amount of energy needed for a Full Transformation and how to balance it with some of its normal abilities as well. At the start of Romance Dawn he's got it down about 90%, but could still feel tired at times. By this point in Canon that's no longer an issue and really only affects him when he's Fully Transformed.
You're also right on the part with Chouchou. Looking back it does seem kind of unnecessary. I was planning to show a side of Gian where he would try to stand up for people who have been hurt, but it didn't translate as well as I thought. Also, I'm not ashamed to admit that I've stuck with canon a bit too close in the early parts. I'm hoping to change that now. The part about where I had Gian spill out his past was also not done as well as I hoped. I may go back and change the execution of that a bit to make it seem more natural and less over the top.
And thanks for reminding me, too often I get caught up in moving the adventure along I forgot Gian was stuck in a lab for some time. We often want our OCs to do awesome things that we forgot they have baggage that we've established at an earlier point. Rest assured, there will be a part where he talks about it better. I've never really had much experience in writing about that so it will be good practice.
Once again, thanks for all your reviews, I'm really glad you're here.
To LoneWolf427:
G: I got her Amogus.
STOP
To Nunami112:
I'm not doing Impel Down as Gian will be sent elsewhere. It may be referenced a few times, but he won't be there.
G: Jail can't hold us.
To The Black Kraven:
Sometimes I forget not everyone watches the Godzilla movies. I'll make sure to put the names in the author's note in the future. For reference, Mr. 0.5's monster was supposed to be Baragon.
And that's all for now, we'll see you next time!
Leave a review or Gian will be sus!
G: STOP