Kaya and Chopper stood firm. They looked at Hogback and the silent, sorrowful figure of Cindry.
"The zombie generals will be here soon," Hogback sneered. "And when they arrive, you'll all be crushed," he added.
He looked at Kaya. "And who are you supposed to be?" he asked.
Kaya lifted her chin proudly. "I am Kaya, a member of the Love Pirates," she replied.
"Love Pirates?" Hogback repeated with a mocking laugh.
Cindry's eyes flickered. The name stirred something in her memory. She saw a bounty poster. She whispered softly, almost to herself, "Ben…"
Kaya smiled. "My sisters and our Captain will defeat every last one of you," she said.
Hogback threw his head back and laughed. "Your sisters? They'll lose their shadows and we will put them into mindless zombies. And when they do, they'll serve us for eternity," he said.
Chopper's fists clenched. His voice trembled with anger. "I'm almost glad I can see what you've become, Hogback. You once saved countless lives. That's why I admired you as a doctor. Even your research into zombies," he said.
"Zombie research?" Kaya asked. She had heard of Hogback however not closely.
Chopper nodded grimly. "Yes, Kaya," she responded. He turned and looked at Hogback. "Death always comes suddenly. It leaves so many words unspoken between the dead and the living. That pain… it's unbearable. If there were a way to bring someone back, even briefly, even if it was heretical and dangerous. There are people who would still be grateful for that chance," he added.
Kaya's eyes softened. She thought of her own family, of the pain of loss. It still hurt, but she also thought of her best friend, her sisters, and of Ben. He was a pervert, yes but he was her pervert, her lover, her captain, her family. Her heart fluttered.
Chopper's voice grew heavier. "That's why, when you spoke of raising the dead, I thought your words carried the weight of a true doctor," he said.
"Fool," Hogback roared as he slammed a hand against his chest. "Why would I waste my genius on strangers? They begged for my help for the same reason you admired me because I am brilliant," he added.
His grin twisted into something cruel. "It was never about kindness. It was about money. I didn't save lives out of compassion. I did it for profit," he laughed.
Kaya's eyes blazed with fury. "What a monster," she said.
Hogback sneered. "And you, you look like a child playing hero," he said. He looked at Kaya. She had a long and slender tail. Her skin was a pale alabaster, and her hands had sharp claws. She had a pair of large, feathered wings. Her eyes were yellow. He thought she had a devil fruit.
"Bringing people back like this," Kaya's voice shook. "Yes, it hurts when someone dies. But there is always light. Always hope. And you, you are neither," she said.
Chopper stepped forward, his voice sharp as a blade. "There is light, Hogback. But you are not it. You are no doctor. You're a fraud. And you have no right to play with life," he said.
At that moment, the ceiling above them cracked. A hulking zombie clad in armor dropped from the sky with a massive javelin in hand.
Chopper looked at him. "These are not the living," he said.
"What a cruel statement," Hogback said mockingly. "How can you deny them?" he asked. He turned and, without hesitation, kicked Cindry. She flew across the room, and crashed to the ground.
"Leave her," Kaya said as she darted forward towards Hogback.
The armored zombie lunged. He thrusted its javelin at her. Kaya twisted at the last second. The weapon grazed past her as she dodged and jumped back.
"Don't hurt her," Chopper said.
Hogback's lips curled into a cruel smile. "They are mindless. Cindry, lick the floor," he ordered.
"Yes, Hogback," Cindry replied in a hollow voice. She opened her mouth, her tongue slid out as she leaned forward. She began to lick the cold stone floor.
"You," Kaya said.
Before she could move, the armored zombie knight lunged forward with a javelin in hand. The weapon swung in a brutal arc. Kaya leaped back as the armored titan shoved Chopper aside with sheer force.
"Angel Beam," Kaya said as she held out her hand. A yellow blast of energy erupted from her palm and struck the knight square in the chest. The impact hurled him backward and he crashed into the wall with a thunderous crack.
Hogback chuckled darkly. "Chopper, you saw that room, didn't you? That was my room," he said.
Chopper pushed himself back to his feet,
"Every picture on those walls was of the stage actress Victoria Cindry, back when she was alive," Hogback continued. Behind him, Cindry continued to lick the floor. "I fell in love with her. Not just me, men across the entire country adored her beauty. She was kind, devoted to her family but she had a lover. She rejected my flowers," he said. His face twisted with bitterness. "She broke my heart. And then she died. An accident," he added. His grin widened. "But then my master, Gekko Moria, appeared. With his miraculous power, he resurrected her. In exchange, I pledged myself to him," he said.
Chopper's voice shook with fury. "A person with no connection between heart and body is not human," he said.
"You've created a monster," Kaya added as her eyes glowed. "You can't treat people like this," she said.
"Monster?" Hogback sneered. "How dare you talk to me like that," he added. "Cindry, kill them," he ordered.
"Yes, Hogback," Cindry murmured as she rose to her feet. She began hurling plates.
Chopper's body swelled as he shifted into Arm Point. He pushed forward. The plates hit his body however he powered through. Chopper grabbed Cindry by the shoulders. "Stop it! Please," he said.
The armored zombie knight charged again. He thrusted his javelin forward.
Kaya's wings flared as she shot forward. "Angel Smash," she said as her fist glowed. She punched the knight's face. The impact sent him flying across the hall. He crashed into the stone. Dust and rubble rained down. However he slowly rose again.
"He keeps getting up," Kaya said. "Angel Barrage," she said as feather-like projectiles of glowing energy formed around her wings. She then launched in a rapid volley. They flew across the room and struck the knight.
The knight pushed through the barrage,and lunged at Kaya with his javelin.
"Paper Art," Kaya whispered as her body relaxed and twisting like a sheet of paper. She flowed around the strike, the javelin slicing past her harmlessly.
Her wings flared again. Her fists glowed. "Angel Rapid Smash," she said as she unleashed a barrage of glowing punches. She punched the knight with explosive force. She punched the chest rapidly and pushed him back.
He was sent flying back and crashed into the wall once again.
Kaya looked at the zombie knight who got up once again.
"They can never be beaten," Hogback said.
Chopper tried to hold Cindry back.
"But they have a weakness," Kaya said. "Angel Heaven`s Arrow," Kaya said as she formed a large white arrow shaped projection. She hurled it at high speed towards the armoured zombie knight. It hit his head and took the helmet off.
The zombie head had now exploded. Kaya hurled a cube of salt straight into its mouth. The creature gagged, its body convulsing violently before a dark shadow tore free. It went into the air before vanishing.
Hogback's eyes widened. "So you figured it out?" he hissed.
Kaya smiled faintly. "Chopper, let go of her," he said.
Chopper nodded and released his grip. Cindry remained still. "Get them, Cindry," Hogback barked.
But Cindry didn't obey. Her hands twitched. "My body, it's not moving," she said.
"What?" Hogback snarled. There was disbelief flashed across his face.
Kaya soared forward and stopped in front of her. She held another cube of salt in her hand. "Maybe we can save you," KKaya said.
Cindry's eyes softened. For the first time, a faint smile touched her lips. She opened her mouth willingly. "My time is over, please," she said.
"No," Hogback roared as he lunged forward.
Chopper leapt and tackled him to the ground. He pinned Hogback with all his strength. "You're not stopping this," he said.
Kaya gently placed the salt into Cindry's mouth. The actress swallowed. Her body shuddered as the curse broke. A shadow ripped free from within her and dissolved into the air.
Cindry's eyes cleared. She looked at Kaya and Chopper. "Thank you." she said.
Hogback thrashed beneath Chopper's grip. His face twisted with rage. "No, No," he said.
Chopper roared. His muscles bulged as he seized Hogback by the collar. With a surge of raw strength, he lifted the doctor off his feet and slammed him into the ground. The stone floor cracked beneath the impact.
"You deserve this," Chopper growled as he released his grip.
Hogback groaned. He was coughing as he struggled back to his feet.
Kaya's wings spread wide. She drew in a deep breath, energy gathering in her chest until her entire body shimmered with golden brilliance.
"Angel Hyper Beam," she cried as from her mouth erupted a blinding torrent of golden light. It was a concentrated beam of energy that tore through the air. The blast struck Hogback square in the chest. His scream was drowned out by the roar of the beam as it engulfed him. He hurled backwards. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body slammed into the ground with bone-rattling force, leaving a scorched crater beneath him.
There was smoke curling from his body.
Kaya lowered her head. "You are scum," she said. She thought back to Belo Betty saying that.
"Are you okay?" Chopper asked.
Kaya nodded. "I am," she replied.
At that moment, they felt the building shake.