Chapter 135: Thriller Bark
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--xLOVEx--
Coby stood over the lifeless body of Absalom, yanking his trident free. Blood dripped from the weapon, pooling on the deck as the crew gathered around, staring at the grotesque form of the bestial man.
"Who is he, Coby?" Nami asked, her voice tense, her eyes flicking between the corpse and Coby.
Coby snorted, wiping the blood off his trident. "An invisible bastard who wanted to lick Robin's face."
Robin's expression darkened, her hands crossing over her chest in disgust. Sanji's eyes bulged with pure rage, his cigarette dropping from his lips.
"My dream!" Sanji shouted, his fists clenched, flames sparking around him. "He stole my dream, Coby! I wanted to kill him!"
Coby ignored Sanji's outburst and casually rested his trident against his shoulder. "Too bad, cook. One down, two more to go." His voice was flat, showing no remorse for taking the kill.
Sanji grumbled, lighting another cigarette, but didn't push the issue further. He knew when Coby had his mind set, there was no point arguing. Instead, he kicked the corpse off the deck, sending it into the sea with a heavy splash.
Coby nodded as he turned to the rest of the crew. "Alright, let's move. We've still got Moria and Hogback to deal with."
Luffy didn't say a word as he watched Absalom's body disappear into the sea. Killing wasn't his thing, but he understood Coby had his reasons. Coby didn't act without purpose, and Luffy respected that, even if he wasn't comfortable with it.
Brook, on the other hand, was visibly shaken. "One of Moria's lieutenants… taken out so swiftly…" His bony jaw clattered as he processed what had just happened.
Franky, however, wasn't so impressed. He eyed the bloodstain and the slight gouge in the deck with a scowl. "Oi, asshole, couldn't you kill the guy without hurting the ship?" He wiped some oil from his hands and walked over to inspect the damage.
Coby gave an apologetic smile, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, Franky. When I sensed him creeping up on Robin, I lost my cool. Didn't mean to damage the Sunny."
Franky sighed, pulling out some tools from his belt. "Just don't make it a habit, alright?" He knelt down to start repairing the deck.
The rest of the crew stayed quiet, understanding what had just happened. No one liked the idea of Moria's men sneaking up on them, especially not someone as creepy as Absalom.
With the invisible threat dealt with, they prepared to disembark. As they approached the island, Luffy's eyes lit up when he spotted a strange creature wandering near the shore.
"Hey, what's that?" Luffy pointed excitedly at a large, patched-up beast with two dog heads and one fox head. Its body was a mess of stitches and mismatched parts, but the creature didn't seem aggressive.
"Ahh! That is a cerberus!" Usopp shrieked if fear.
Before anyone could stop him, Luffy jumped off the ship and landed right in front of the beast. "Oi, wanna be friends?" he asked, his usual goofy grin plastered on his face.
The creature growled, its three heads snapping toward Luffy as it lunged, aiming to bite his head off. Luffy stood still, grinning as usual. Before the creature could sink its teeth into him, Luffy's fist shot out.
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" he shouted, punching the beast square in the center head. The impact was enough to send it reeling back, momentarily stunned.
The crew quickly climbed onto the now-dazed creature's back. It staggered slightly under their combined weight, but with a few reluctant growls, it started moving deeper into the eerie forest, carrying them forward.
As they ventured deeper into Thriller Bark, Luffy's attention was immediately drawn to a bizarre sight. Up ahead, a tree with a stitched-up face was sitting next to a patched-up unicorn, both casually sipping from small sake cups. Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement.
"A middle-aged man tree and a unicorn are having a drink together?!" Luffy yelled, his voice full of amazement.
Without missing a beat, he leapt off the creature's back and landed right in front of the odd pair. "Oi! You two, join my crew!" Luffy shouted enthusiastically, his arms stretched out in invitation.
Before the tree or the unicorn could respond, Coby appeared at Luffy's side, tossing a handful of salt toward the two patched creatures. The salt hit their mouths, and almost immediately, the strange glow in their eyes faded. Their bodies twitched and convulsed before the shadows that had been keeping them alive escaped, leaving the now-lifeless forms slumped over.
"Stop goofing around, Luffy," Coby said, stepping past him. "These are all zombies powered by stolen shadows. We need to free the shadows so their real owners can get them back."
Luffy scratched his head, looking down at the fallen zombie creatures. "Oh, right... shadows," he muttered, finally remembering Brook's explanation from earlier. He gave Coby a nod, looking more serious now. "Got it. No more messing around."
The crew continued forward, the eerie forest around them growing darker as they neared the heart of Thriller Bark. Strange, distorted shapes moved in the shadows, but none of the crew seemed fazed, except for Usopp and Chopper, who were huddled together in fear, their eyes darting around nervously.
"G-G-Ghosts… zombies… why do we have to deal with this?" Usopp stammered, shaking.
Chopper, just as terrified, clung to Usopp's leg. "I don't like this place… it's too scary!"
Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "You two need to calm down. It's just zombies. They're not even that strong."
Soon, a group of ghosts floated above the crew's heads, chanting in eerie, hollow voices, "Negative, negative…"
Coby's eyes narrowed as he quickly called out, "Scan."
[Skill Scan initiated on 'Negative Ghost (Perona's Horo Horo no Mi)'. Analysis in progress… The Negative Ghost ability allows the user to create intangible ghosts that, upon passing through a target, drain them of all positive energy and render them emotionally devastated. Victims are left in a state of deep depression, unable to fight or defend themselves effectively. This ability can incapacitate opponents mentally rather than physically, making it highly effective in combat. However, users must remain aware of its limitations, as those with unshakable self-confidence or unique mental states may resist or even be unaffected by the ghosts. Estimated cost for acquisition: 35,000 SP. Please confirm if you wish to proceed with the Skill Scan and acquisition.]
"Woah, expensive, but makes sense," Coby muttered to himself. "That's one hell of an ability."
Just as he processed the information, a Negative Ghost rushed toward him. Coby quickly sidestepped, dodging the ghost with ease, but the others weren't so lucky.
The ghosts passed through Usopp, Franky, Zoro, and Luffy in rapid succession. The effects were immediate. All four of them dropped to their knees, their faces drained of color as overwhelming negativity washed over them.
Franky groaned, his voice weak. "I'm totally not cool this weak. I should just die… I have no confidence…"
Luffy, his usually cheerful face contorted with despair, muttered, "If I come back to life, I want to be a seashell… I'm the worst… I should just die…"
Zoro was on his knees, his head hanging low as he mumbled, "I'm sorry… I was born…"
Nami and Chopper watched in shock as their crewmates sank deeper into their depressive states, completely incapacitated by the ghosts.
But then, something strange happened.
Usopp stood up, completely unfazed by the Negative Ghosts. In fact, he was grinning from ear to ear. "Ha! Useless ghosts! You can't affect me because I'm always negative!" he boasted, his chest puffed out in pride.
The crew, still reeling from the ghost's effects, glanced at Usopp in bewilderment.
"How is that even possible?" Nami asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Usopp crossed his arms confidently. "I'm naturally full of doubt and fear! I've been training my whole life for this moment!" He struck a ridiculous pose, beaming with pride at his unexpected immunity.
Chopper, always quick to celebrate his crewmates, cheered, "Usopp, you're amazing!"
As Luffy, Zoro, and Franky slowly regained their senses, they all turned to Usopp with shock and admiration.
"Did… did Usopp just resist those ghosts?" Franky muttered, still rubbing his head.
Luffy burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Usopp, you're awesome!"
Usopp, riding high on the praise, raised his fist triumphantly. "That's right! Nothing can keep the Great Captain Usopp down!"
Coby, having watched the whole thing unfold, smirked. "Alright, that's enough celebrating. Let's keep moving before more of those things show up."
Sanji strolled over to Zoro with a smirk, leaning in to tease him. "Hey, Marimo, you shouldn't be so sorry you were born," His voice was dripping with sarcasm.
Zoro shot him a death glare. "Shut it, shitty cook, or I'll make you the next ghost."
Before their bickering could escalate, the crew arrived at a large, eerie graveyard. Fog swirled around the crooked tombstones, and the ground beneath them felt cold and unsettling.
Luffy's eyes widened with excitement as he watched the earth in front of one of the graves start to shift. A hand burst through the soil, and soon a zombie crawled out, groaning as it shook off the dirt.
Without missing a beat, Luffy tilted his head, watching the zombie struggle to its feet. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he walked over, placed both hands on the zombie's shoulders, and pushed it right back into the grave.
The zombie, outraged, jumped back up, howling. "I'm not going back that easily, you fool!"
Luffy looked at him blankly and said, "An old man with serious injuries."
Franky, Zoro, and Sanji facepalmed in unison. "It's a zombie, no matter how you look at it!" they shouted.
Coby, standing nearby, couldn't help but chuckle. The whole scene reminded him of the exact moment from the anime. It was just as ridiculous and funny in real life.
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