Portia was uneasy about entrusting the ship's doctor solely to Hogback. She wanted Clark to lead a team to protect the doctor, but Clark refused.
As Portia's personal bodyguard, Clark's primary duty was to protect her. The mysterious enemy who had gravely injured the doctor and several sailors was still at large. If Clark left, Portia would have no trustworthy protection by her side.
Unlike Joey Fello, Portia lacked experience in handling such situations. After much hesitation, she finally decided to accompany the doctor to the manor herself, bringing Clark and a few sailors along. Though unsure if her decision was the right one, her willingness to take a risk for the doctor moved the sailors, who admired their young lady's courage.
Hogback's small boat was now crowded with passengers as it returned to the island. Portia sat at the bow with Hogback, who seemed to be in a good mood. She asked casually, "Dr. Hogback, why did you come to this place?"
Hogback, once a world-renowned surgeon hailed as a genius, had achieved unparalleled fame and prestige in the medical field. Many patients who had been declared incurable by other doctors experienced miraculous recoveries under his care. For a doctor, his career had reached the pinnacle of success, a level few could ever hope to surpass.
But several years ago, Hogback had mysteriously disappeared, causing a massive stir in the medical community. Some speculated that he had been kidnapped, but no one could uncover the truth. His impeccable career, combined with his enigmatic disappearance, made Hogback's life a subject of great intrigue and legend.
Hogback grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. "This island, located in the Florian Triangle, is home to many creatures that defy common sense."
"You mean... ghosts?!" Portia caught the implication in his words. Thinking of the strange events aboard the Starlight, she asked nervously.
"Exactly. Ghosts, and also zombies," Hogback replied, ignoring the shocked expressions of the Starlight's crew. He continued, "Most people would feel terrified upon hearing such words and would want to stay far away. But not me. Ghosts and zombies are manifestations of the soul and body being revived after death, are they not? I am a doctor. A doctor's job is to save lives, to heal those who are on the brink of death. If I can uncover the principles behind the revival of ghosts and zombies on this island, wouldn't I be able to go even further—to bring the dead back to life?"
Portia's lips parted slightly in surprise. Clark and the sailors aboard were equally stunned by Hogback's bold declaration. One of the sailors, filled with admiration, said, "Doctor, if you can achieve that, it would be truly incredible."
But to their surprise, Hogback let out a bitter laugh. "Thank you. You are open-minded, but the rest of the world may not be. Researching zombies and ghosts, experimenting with techniques to resurrect the dead—it all sounds horrifying. If unscrupulous newspapers write sensational headlines for the sake of sales, countless people who don't understand my work might protest outside my lab."
"So you came here alone to conduct your research? The world thought you'd been kidnapped!" Portia sighed.
"I believe that when I return to the world with perfected techniques, people will finally understand my good intentions," Hogback said with a smile.
The sailors fell silent. Many began to doubt whether they had misjudged Hogback. Before his disappearance, Hogback had already reached the pinnacle of fame and fortune. It was hard to imagine why such a celebrated master of medicine would trouble himself with a mere merchant ship.
Hogback's decision to abandon his career and wealth to conduct research on this desolate and eerie island earned him a certain level of respect. After hearing his explanation, the sailors looked at him with newfound admiration.
However, a trace of doubt lingered in Portia's eyes.
She had witnessed the terrifying nature of the island's "ghosts." The sailors on watch had been incapacitated without any resistance. Hogback was just an ordinary doctor—how had he managed to live and conduct research on such a dangerous island?
Meanwhile, as Hogback conversed with Portia and the remaining crew of the Starlight, Joey Fello's team had reached the edge of the island. To their surprise, they discovered a trench that had been deliberately excavated along the island's perimeter.
With the help of ropes, the team descended into the trench one by one. When Joey Fello, who was bringing up the rear, finally reached the bottom, Karslana suddenly let out a sharp scream. Though she quickly covered her mouth, the sound echoed through the trench, piercing and unsettling.
Joey Fello frowned and turned to Karslana. She was pale, one hand covering her mouth while the other pointed at the ground. Following her gaze, Joey Fello looked down and realized the trench floor was covered in bones. They were standing atop a layer of skeletal remains.
Karslana was far from a battle-hardened Marine. Though she often put on a tough front, she had little experience with truly harrowing situations and lacked mental fortitude. Caught off guard, the sight of the bones had terrified her.
Selkirk couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.
Embarrassed and furious, Karslana glared at Selkirk. But before she could retort, a sound of bones clattering suddenly came from the other end of the trench.
The group immediately fell silent, turning their attention toward the source of the noise. The dense fog of the Florian Triangle, combined with the trench's depth, obscured what little light there was. They could only make out a faint figure shambling toward them.
"Who are you?" Karslana, still smarting from Selkirk's mockery, tried to muster her courage and called out loudly.
The figure didn't respond or stop moving. Karslana drew the flintlock pistol at her waist and shouted, "I am Marine Sergeant Karslana! Answer me, or I'll shoot!"
Still, there was no reply. Meanwhile, the sound of bones shifting grew louder. The group realized that more figures were emerging from the fog.
"Captain, there are people behind us too!" A sailor glanced back and reported nervously to Joey Fello.
With unknown figures closing in from both the front and rear, the group instinctively drew their weapons. Brook, ever the joker, quipped, "If they're enemies, perhaps I could just lie down and play dead to fool them."
He let out an exaggerated laugh, but no one responded. All eyes were fixed on the silhouettes in the fog. The nearest figure finally stepped into the dim light, revealing its grotesque form. A collective gasp filled the trench, even William wearing a look of disgust.
The figure's skin had begun to rot in many places, exposing pale muscles and sinews beneath. Its body was riddled with stitched wounds, and the remaining patches of skin were mismatched in tone, as though it were a patchwork doll sewn together from different corpses. Its lips were missing, revealing jagged teeth and exposed gums.
This was no living person. As they took in its horrifying appearance, a single word surfaced in everyone's mind—zombie.
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