Joey Fello was quickly overwhelmed by the agile and communicative zombies, stacked atop him like a human pyramid. Strangely, neither Joey Fello himself nor the crew witnessed the zombies devouring him as they had imagined. Although several zombies bit down hard on his legs, William realized they were merely trying to immobilize him.
Struggling to look up, Joey Fello found himself unable to break free from the zombies' astonishing strength. As more zombies piled on top of him, he could barely breathe, veins bulging on his forehead. He shouted, "Go on without me! I've been bitten; saving me is pointless now."
The sailors hesitated, unable to make a decision. It was Karslana who finally regained her composure, gritting her teeth as she ordered everyone to leave. She understood that if these agile zombies freed themselves, they could easily climb out of the trench and continue pursuing them. Moreover, there was the mysterious ghost, against which even the formidable Brook was powerless. Staying would not only fail to save Joey Fello but also cost them their lives.
However, Karslana's authority was insufficient, and many sailors still cried out to save their captain. Just then, the zombies in the trench began to climb out with incredible speed, faster than the sailors had managed earlier.
William glanced at the indecisive Karslana and pushed her, saying, "What are you standing around for? Run!"
Meanwhile, Selkirk had already grabbed the still despondent Brook and sprinted in the opposite direction of the trench. William followed closely behind. Karslana hesitated for a moment, but upon seeing the first zombie emerge from the trench, she quickly chased after William. The remaining sailors who reacted quickly also fled, while those who hesitated were immediately knocked down by the zombies climbing out one after another.
"What kind of island is this, with so many strange zombies!" Karslana exclaimed in despair as she ran, listening to the continuous screams behind her.
If the hand of God were to part the mist shrouding the Florian Triangle, those trapped on the mysterious island would discover that they were actually on a colossal three-masted ship. This giant ship, transformed from an entire island, used the tall building in the center as the main mast, with numerous structures radiating from it. The entire architectural complex was as exquisite as a royal palace, yet it lacked any human presence, appearing eerie amidst the fog.
At the center of this "palace," in the most luxurious bedroom, lay the master of the palace and indeed the entire island—Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He was sound asleep on an exceptionally large bed, a bubble of snot slowly expanding from his nostril, occasionally breaking into a sinister laugh, perhaps dreaming a delightful dream.
Gecko Moria was reputed to be the most enigmatic of the current Seven Warlords. Since accepting this title, he had seldom appeared before the public. Even the Marines knew little about his activities after entering the Florian Triangle. People's impressions of him stemmed from his past reputation, recalling him as a man who once rivaled Kaido of the Four Emperors. Although Moria was ultimately defeated and forced to retreat to the first half of the Grand Line, others viewed his defeat as honorable, considering his opponent was one of the few at the pinnacle of the pirate world. Thus, they feared his past exploits.
However, Moria never felt that surviving after being beaten by Kaido was anything to be proud of. To him, the title of Seven Warlords was merely a stepping stone, a protective charm to prevent World Government interference while executing his grand plans. For years, Moria had been fantasizing not about serving the World Government, but about regrouping and charging toward the top of the pirate hierarchy. Hence, he willingly hid in the desolate, eerie Florian Triangle, attacking various ships like a petty pirate.
All of this was to steal shadows.
Gecko Moria was a Shadow-Shadow Fruit user, one of his abilities being the theft of others' shadows. Those who lost their shadows would immediately fall into a coma and take a long time to awaken. Upon waking, having lost their shadow, their "existence" was essentially erased—they couldn't appear in mirrors and would disintegrate under sunlight, forced to live forever in darkness.
Moria would control the stolen shadows, signing contracts to turn them into his slaves. These shadows, akin to fragments of the original owner's soul, could revive bodies when placed within soulless shells.
This was the origin of the island's zombies. Dr. Hogback possessed surgical skills akin to miracles, but they were only "akin" to miracles. He could solve various physical ailments but was powerless against the soul.
However, with Gecko Moria and his shadows, these challenges seemed resolved. Hogback created powerful physical shells using his techniques, while Moria infused them with "souls"—the shadows.
Yet, even when shadows were stolen by Moria's fruit ability, they remained intricately linked to their original owners. The strength of the shadow was closely related to the individual's power, and the shadow's combat skills, will, and personality were influenced by the original owner.
Moria aimed to forge a formidable zombie army, strong and fearless, immune to pain, loyal and obedient—a peerless killing force in his eyes. To achieve this, he needed both powerful bodies and souls.
For this goal, Moria became a grave robber, scouring graves for the corpses of once-renowned warriors, which Hogback would repair or even enhance. He would then place the shadows of strong individuals captured in the Florian Triangle into these bodies.
The zombies chasing the Starlight crew, though immensely powerful and fearless, were merely ordinary corpses, with souls of little significance. Moria's true trump cards, zombies with strong bodies and shadows, remained dormant, yet to be deployed.
Despite possessing great strength, Moria's group leisurely allowed ordinary zombies to drive away intruders. Beyond the pirate's innate desire to toy with prey, it was a matter of sifting through the sand, assessing the quality of outsiders' shadows.
Moria's annual captives included not only pirates but civilians and even Marines. Unlike pirates, who had bounties as a measure of strength, distinguishing whose shadows were fit for ordinary zombies and whose were suitable for Moria's "general" zombies was a crucial consideration.
(End of Chapter)
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