Karslana instinctively pulled the trigger of her pistol. With a loud bang, the suspected zombie at the front staggered back two steps as if hit with great force. A distinct bullet hole appeared on its left chest, yet the creature seemed unfazed. After swaying slightly, it continued to advance.
This action solidified everyone's suspicions—they were certain it was a zombie.
The sound of footsteps echoed continuously from both ends of the trench, and no one could tell how many zombies were approaching. Joey Fello glanced up at the trench walls and made a decisive call to the others: "Climb up! These zombies should be clumsy..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the zombie Karslana had shot suddenly froze. Its neck twisted unnaturally, and it turned to shout behind it, "Hurry up! They're trying to escape!"
Joey Fello was dumbfounded, and Brook exclaimed in disbelief, "They can talk?!"
"You're a talking skeleton—what's there to be surprised about?" William, who had already reached the wall with Gin and Selkirk, quipped as the three of them began climbing with mutual assistance.
The others quickly snapped out of their shock. The zombies, having called out to their companions, suddenly swung their arms and sprinted toward the group with exaggerated movements, faster than professional sprinters.
Karslana was startled by their speed. Brook stepped forward just as one of the zombies lunged at her. In an instant, he drew a thin rapier from within his cane with remarkable speed. Only William and his two companions could clearly see Brook's movements; to everyone else, it was merely a flash of steel, as though Brook had sheathed his sword before it even touched the zombie.
Joey Fello delivered a powerful kick to the zombie charging at Karslana. The zombie, seemingly oblivious to the attack, made no effort to dodge and took the full brunt of the kick. The force sent it flying, and as it soared through the air, wounds suddenly erupted across its body.
It was only then that Joey Fello and the others realized Brook had already executed multiple strikes in the brief moment before.
Brook, recalling legends of zombies, had focused his attacks on the creature's head. The zombie's entire skull was cleanly severed, separating from its body like a ball. It bounced off the trench wall and rolled to the ground. Yet, bizarrely, the decapitation seemed to have no effect. The disembodied head continued to shout angrily, "Hurry up, or they'll really escape!"
"We're coming!" came a reply. From both ends of the trench, dozens of grotesque zombies burst forth from the mist like runners at the sound of a starting pistol. Their exaggerated strides and swinging arms made for a chilling sight as they charged toward the crew.
The scene was too horrifying for the sailors, who scrambled up the wall in a mad panic.
"Stop fumbling!" Joey Fello yelled, drenched in sweat. He lifted his shirt to reveal several solid iron bombs with fuses strapped to his waist.
"Brook, Karslana, hold off the zombies in front! I'll handle the ones behind!" Joey Fello shouted as he lit one of the bombs with a lighter. While the fuse burned, he quickly gave instructions and then hurled the bomb at the feet of the zombies approaching from the rear.
Boom!
The bomb exploded as the fuse burned out. Though Joey Fello's makeshift bomb wasn't particularly powerful, it managed to blow off the legs of a few nearby zombies. The burst of flames also frightened several other zombies, causing them to hesitate.
The terrified sailors regained some composure and continued climbing. Meanwhile, William, Gin, and Selkirk, who had feigned weakness to climb out of the trench first, didn't spare a glance back once they reached the top.
"Zombies? What a game," William muttered. He then looked at Gin, and the two exchanged a knowing glance. Without a word, Gin nodded and ran off into the mist.
William waited until Gin's figure disappeared before pulling Selkirk back to help the others still in the trench.
Brook's swordsmanship was extraordinary, entirely different from the style William had inherited from Koushirou. Koushirou and William typically wielded traditional katana, excelling in slashing techniques. The Isshin-ryu style emphasized the swordsman's willpower and strength, ultimately striving for a grand unity of mind and body. While speed was valued, it was not the primary focus, nor would they compromise their preferred weaponry for the sake of speed.
Brook, on the other hand, had been part of a special assault unit from a kingdom in the West Blue during his lifetime. His swordsmanship was purely speed-oriented. The rapier he drew from his cane seemed fragile, as if it would snap against heavier weapons like katanas or sabers. However, this lightness made it incredibly nimble in Brook's hands. Paired with his agile footwork, he moved through the zombies as if performing a dance, delivering lethal strikes almost imperceptibly.
Karslana felt she hardly needed to lift a finger. Brook weaved effortlessly through the horde of zombies, and by the time he casually sheathed his sword, the zombies he had struck—unaware they had been hit—suddenly split apart with gruesome wounds.
The zombies collapsed one after another. If they had been living humans, they would have lost their ability to fight in mere moments. Unfortunately, these were zombies, immune to pain and injury. Even as they fell, they muttered things like, "This skeleton is amazing!" and "He doesn't seem like one of us, does he?" while struggling to rise again.
"They're immune to slashes!" Brook warned the Starlight crew, uncharacteristically serious.
"They fear fire!" Joey Fello shouted from the other end of the trench, tossing another lit bomb.
Boom!
The explosion and accompanying flames startled the zombies, causing them to retreat. The sailors seized the opportunity to climb out of the trench one by one. Brook leapt gracefully to Karslana's side, helping her up to the surface with ease.
Joey Fello threw another bomb to stall the zombies and attempted to jump out of the trench like Brook. However, his legs buckled, and he lost his balance, falling back to the ground.
Looking down, he discovered his calves were bound by a pencil-thin strand of spider silk.
The zombies took advantage of Joey Fello's immobilization, pouncing on him with alarming agility. Brook moved to intervene, but a translucent ghost suddenly appeared behind him. It dove into Brook's body as if diving into water.
In the next instant, Brook dropped his precious rapier—a weapon no swordsman would abandon in battle or danger. He fell to his knees, pressing his head to the ground, and cried out in despair, "I should never have clung to this wretched existence!"
William's gaze turned cold. Zombies, ghosts, and that elusive assassin—who knew what other tricks Moria had up his sleeve or where he might be hiding?
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