Moria had just ripped Hiccup's from his body, much to the surprise of Astrid and the others who had seen everything from their hiding place inside of Treacle.

"Now Dragon has become just another one of my subjects," he smiled. "And my ultimate minion will have the power he needs to come to life."

"Poor Hiccup," Fishlegs cried.

"What just happened; that's not possible," said Astrid stunned.

"Clearly it is," said Snotlout.

"His shadow… he cut it off and took it," said Chopper shaking uncontrollably.

"Hang on, we've heard about this, haven't we?" said Snotlout. "Didn't that skeleton say the same thing happened to him?"

"Yeah, I remember; he said that his shadow had been stolen," Astrid nodded.

"Then this must be the guy who did it," said Fishlegs.

"I bet you're right; how awful," said Chopper. "What's the trick? It must be a Devil Fruit power."

Perona then turned to face Treacle, and they quickly pulled themselves back inside him.

"Treacle, am I imagining things, or were you speaking again!" Perona snapped as she marched up to his face.

Treacle quickly shook his head.

"When I say don't talk, you shut your mouth good," she said threateningly. "Now listen to you, don't make me keep repeating myself over and over again! You're not the least bit cute when you talk, so don't do it!"

"She's very strict with him, poor Treacle," said Absalom.

After the others gave a sigh of relief, but then Treacle began shaking his body while no doubt trying to force them out of him. He also tried to get Perona's attention, but she merely marched up to him once again.

"Is there something you would like to say?" she asked. "Because if you want to talk, don't… ever!"

Moria was more preoccupied with Hiccup's shadow as if it was his most prized possession.

"This little guy is just what I need to bring one step close to becoming King of the Pirates," he said fiendishly. "Right, Doctor Hogback?"

"Since the time I met you 10 years ago, I have put all my time, resources and energy into making Number 900," Hogback smiled broadly. "With that shadow, it will make it the greatest zombie of all time! With that power at your fingertips, nothing will be beyond your reach!"

Absalom chuckled. "That means it will only be a matter of time before I become the Cemetery King of the entire world."

Perona smiled. "And I will transform all the cute creatures of the world into zombies, then I'll have an entire global kingdom full of love servants that never talk back."

"That's right, it is a matter of who the person is, how powerful they are or how strong-willed they may be; once the shadow is taken and placed into another, they bowed to your will," Moria smiled. "Soon, I will fill the world with my servants; if I had an army like that before, I would have been beaten by the idiot Kaido in the New World. I think it is about time that we open his eyes, don't you?"

Moria then turned to the free colourful zombies. "Nep! Nap! Nip!"

"Yes, Master? What is your command?" they asked.

"Go on ahead and open the door to the special refrigerator," Moria commanded.

"Right, as you wish, Master!" they said, and they scampered off to was a large door with a number 900 on it.

"It is almost time, sweet 900; in but a few moments, your eyes will open last," said Moria eagerly. "The perfect shadow has finally found its way to my doorstep, and once I place it inside you, you'll help me become King of the Pirates."

"Hey, spider mouse, come here!" Absalom commanded.

"Yes?" said a spider mouse lowering himself to face him.

"Take Dragon Conqueror Hiccup's body and put it back on his ship; make sure to remove those webs. We'll be in trouble if he dies."

"Right away," the spider mouse saluted.

Then a second spider mouse appeared. "Wait! I have an urgent report to give you!"

"What is it?" Absalom asked.

"Just moments ago, the spider monkey, Captain Arachkey, was defeated by intruders!"

"Defeated? What is that matter so long his shadow wasn't removed?"

"That's just it; his shadow was removed!"

Both Absalom and Hogback's eyes widened in shock.

"You're certain of this?" Absalom asked.

"Yes, there's no doubt!"

"It's him, Absalom," said Hogback fearfully. "Only one man is capable of doing this; he has returned."

"Damn, that Humming Swordsman," Absalom growled furiously. "It would seem as if the report I received this morning weren't so crazy after all."

"How could this happen?" Hogback cried.

"The Humming Swordsman is running around removing every zombie shadow he comes across!" the spider mouse reported. "Out of nowhere, the number of as he has gone through the roof! Everything is just playing out as the terrible ordeal we went through years ago!"

Skull, meanwhile, was still explaining everything to Heather and the others, but the twins weren't really paying attention playing with Arachkey's body.

"What return to the ship?" said Eret. "You want us to go back on board the Night Fury?"

"Yes, that's right," Skull nodded. "If your comrades have been captured, I fear the worst by now, and if not very soon, they shall have their shadow stolen. But even if that's the case, they want to die; their bodies will likely be taken back to your ship."

"So even if you had your shadow taken, you won't die, is that right?" Eret asked.

"Yes, that would be correct. But whenever it's taken, you immediately weaken and lose consciousness, usually for about two days or so. If the victim are strong enough, they'll put them on a ship and set them out to drift out on the open sea. Which is why I am urging you to return to yours. Any guesses why they do this?"

"Well, I would assume that it is to prevent the victims from trying to take back their shadows, correct?" Heather assumed.

"That's exactly right," said Skull.

"Why don't they just kill them while they unconscious and get it over with?" Eret asked.

"That is something they cannot do. Now, this is important, so be sure to pay close attention. Firstly, even though the body and shadow have been separated, they still represent one being. Think of the shadow as the soul; if the body dies, the shadow will disappear as well, thus killing the host zombie in the process. Since they're trying to build an army of minions, this would certainly not bode well for them.

Secondly, in the likely event that your friends have had their shadow stolen. They would most definitely still be alive, and their bodies will return to the ship as soon as possible. This is why the four of you must not lose your shadows as well. If you do, all hope will be lost, and you will be forced to wander the seas aimlessly for all eternity.

While you have this window of opportunity, you should use it to attempt to awaken your comrades. Once you do, you must formulate a group and come up with a plan to reclaim their shadows. Do you understand? Does all of this make sense?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Eret. "Your shadow story wasn't so crazy after all."

"Both of you take this," said Skull handing each of them a small bag.

"What is it?" Heather asked curiously.

"The weakness of the zombies," said Skull simply. "You've seen its power; this is the weapon that I used to defeat the spider monkey."

Eret remembered it perfectly and looked at the bag. "Their weakness, huh? What is this stuff anyway?"

"It's ordinary salt," said Skull.

"It's just salt?" said Eret looking rather underwhelmed. "Not exactly what I had in mind that the vanquisher of evil. Does it lift the curse or something?"

"I suppose that would be one way of putting it, yes. The reanimated life of the zombies is brought about by a Devil Fruit power, and just as one that is a power holder is weakened by seawater. The salt that is contained in that water can be used as a weapon to unbind the shadow from a zombie leaving them perfectly deceased."

"Okay, I get it," said Eret. "So when the spider monkey went down, that black thing that floated out of him afterwards was someone else's shadow that he had been given."

"To think something so simple would be their weakness," said Heather astonished.

"Sometimes it is the little things that are the greatest weapons," Skull chuckled. "To simply defeat a zombie from the salt in their mouths, and their shadows will be freed, and there will be nothing more than dead husks."

"Pardon me, Skull, but how do you know so much about this island and its residents?" Heather asked curiously. "And how do you know the zombies' weakness?"

"It all relates back to an incident on this island five years ago," Skull sighed. "The time when I lost my shadow. I was sent out to see it just like all the others. Luckily I awoke and managed to retrace my path to return here."

Skull remembered the incident rather vividly; a bunch of seagulls were picking at his skull, which awoke him. Once he regained his senses, he quickly turned the ship about and made his way back to Breakneck Bog.

"Once I did, I went ashore and began my battle," he said. "I fought against the very sodomy that had my shadow. Unfortunately, the outcome was a crushing defeat."

He then clenched his fist in frustration.

"As I vowed to survive no matter what I faced, I ran. Even though it was shameful, I had to keep on living; I have an obligation, you see. I was the only survivor of my crew. One day I will escape these evil seas and make good on the promises made by myself and my comrades. Until then, I cannot die a second time. Sadly living longer hasn't helped me keep my promises or reach my goal at all, but this time I'm back, and I won't run away. Not until I defeat that man and reclaim my shadow!"

Eret and Heather could clearly see that he was rather terrified, but he didn't let that stop him.

"I have to hurry, so please excuse me; I'll be on my way now," he said and began to walk away. "Good luck to you."

"Hold on, a second," said Eret, and he stopped in his tracks.

"While you're still in a mood to talk, there's one burning question I still need an answer to," said Eret.

Skull then turned his head to face him.

Meanwhile, the Mysterious Three had just been informed of Skull's presence on the island.

"That swordsman," Hogback cursed. "That damned Humming Swordsman. Bastard, that infuriating troublemaker is the only enemy we have who knows the weakness of the zombies."

Cindry then chose that moment to step in front of him, blocking everyone's view of him.

"How did he manage to return here again?" said Hogback as he stepped away from Cindry, who then blocked everyone's view of him once more. He then stepped back again towards the mouse spider. "How much damage has he done this time?" Cindry then blocked everyone's view of him again. "Cindry?! Stop that! Why do you keep blocking me?"

"The Humming Swordsman?" said Perona curiously. "I've heard many stories about him, but what kind of a man is he?"

Absalom stared at her. "You don't mean that you… Perona, are you saying you've never seen his face before? I see then; that's probably how he slipped past your ghost network undetected."

"Yeah, so it would seem," Perona nodded.

Absalom then approached Moria. "Master, apparently, the humming pain in the ass has returned."

"Like I care, don't bother me with such nonsense, idiot," said Moria dismissively and then walked away. "I'm busy; you take care of him."

"Hold on!" Absalom protested.

The large door with the number 900 and then slowly began to open. The moment the door opened, a chilly breeze filled the room and revealed a dark corridor of metal and pipes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Master," said the three colourful zombies.

"Come on, let's make our way to the refrigerator," said Moria as he stepped inside.

"Master, I have news concerning the current situation," said the mouse spider leaning towards Absalom and whispered something in his ear.

"Why didn't you say so before, fool?" Absalom growled, punching him. "If that's the case slowing him down shouldn't be an issue."

"True," the mouse spider groaned.

"Keep me informed of any more problems should they arise," Absalom ordered. "Now hurry up and up, Dragon, back on the boat."

"You got it!" said the spider mice as they lowered themselves to the floor and then picked Hiccup up. "One! Two! Heave ho, heave ho!"

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried.

Snotlout quickly covered her mouth. "Keep your voice down! He lost his shadow. That doesn't mean he's dead; remember, Skull said so."

Mysterious Three had already started to make their way into the chamber, and all of them, apart from Absalom, grabbed a fur coat.

"Treacle, hurry up!" Perona commanded.

Treacle then began to follow them, carrying Astrid and the others along with him.

"We can't just pop out right now," said Snotlout. "We have to wait for the right moment."

"It sounds like they have plans for Hiccup's shadow; we need to keep hiding in here to find out whether to take it so we can rescue it later," said Fishelgs.

Astrid nodded, though she didn't like it.

The Zombie Generals had finally made their way up to the destroyed bridge, but there was no sign of heaven and the others. The only thing they could find was Arachkey's dead body.

"Those pirates aren't here anymore."

"Where did they run off to?"

"To think that Arachakey was defeated, impressive," said Captain John as he drank a bottle of booze which then exited through the holes in his chest.

"He was more than just defeated; his shadow was taken," said Deathbringer. "We need to find those pirates; it is clear they are a much bigger threat than we first imagined."

Heather and the others were already making their way back to the Night Fury under Skull's orders.

"Eret, why did you ask about that?" said Heather.

"I have my reasons, but I have to admit what he said got me right here," said Eret pounding his heart.

"What are you two talking about?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yeah, we're a bit out of the loop here," said Tuffnut.

"Maybe if you to one so busy playing with that corpse, you would know," said Eret. "And I don't plan on repeating the story over and over; you two just have to wait until we find the others."

"Even I admit that his story was touching," said Heather.

Skull, meanwhile, was walking down a corridor humming, and the zombie portraits immediately came to life.

They then pounced upon him, but he quickly drew his sword and cut them down with blinding speed. Once he was finished, he then sheathed his sword, and the zombie paintings collapsed to the ground.

She had also placed salt in their mouth when they weren't looking so that the shadows inside of them flew out of them.

"Nice try, gentleman, but alas, I am too quickly you," he said as he walked away.

"He's so fearsome, he even kills us zombies in fright," said one of the portraits before his shadow flew out of him.

"I will not give up, not this time," said Skull as he reached a staircase. He then began making his way up. "Nothing will stop me; I will see this battle through no matter what. I won't run away."

The zombie that possessed his shadow was none other than Ryuma, who was in Hogback's lab. He had tried desperately to overpower him, but Ryuma was just too strong for him and was the one that sent him flying straight through the wall, where he landed in the courtyard.

However, despite his defeat, he would try and try again, no matter how many times it took. 'I'm taking back my shadow.'

Moria and his underlings were now making their way through the corridor, which was a giant fridge. He was laughing with excitement as he clutched Hiccup's shadow in his hand and couldn't wait to awaken his pride and joy.

"I'm looking forward to this," said Hogback. "When I first came across this court in the Land of Ice, I couldn't stop shaking. Honestly, I was trembling; it is just simply fascinating to think that such a monstrous creature was alive and breathing, wreaking havoc across the seas 500 years ago. The countries that fell to his hands were taken whole. Under his strength, a legendary nation of criminals was born; imagine my surprise when I found myself staring at the Demon they called the Continent Pull."

Astrid and the others were inside Treacle and were freezing cold, except for Chopper, as he was used to these temperatures.

"It's getting colder and colder," Snotlout shivered. "Where in the world are these guys going anyway?"

"I have no idea, but they did say something earlier that there is some sort of special refrigerator, didn't they?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yeah, you're right," Snotlout nodded.

"Wherever they're taking us, I have a bad feeling about it," said Astrid.

Chopper had been listening to Hogback closely. 'The Land of Ice? A corpse?'

"I can't believe I'm going to revive this extraordinary creature," said Hogback excitedly, and Cindry stepped in front of him again. "This will go down in the books of zombie creators! Cindry, why do you keep blocking me?"

"Another legend will be brought back to life!" Moria laughed as they reached the end of the corridor to another set of doors.

He opened wide, and they stepped inside a chamber, and Moria smiled at his long-awaited dream.

"It's been a while, hasn't it 900?" he said, and the lights switched on.

Astrid and the others then poked out of Treacle, positive they weren't going to like what they were about to see, and they were right. What stood before them was a monstrous creature that was 400 feet tall with a demon-like face and horns sticking out of its head with the number 900 painted on its right arm. They were all completely terrified upon seeing this monstrous corpse, even Astrid.

"The time for us for his revival is finally here," Moria smiled. "Behold the only warrior in history who is ruthless and powerful enough to be given the name devil… this is Oras!"