Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Unstoppable Momentum - Zombie General.
"Cough, cough, that was just an accident!"
Facing the timid trio who had become nervous again... well, including Brook with his 'I'm so scared' expression on his skull face, now the Straw Hat crew had become a timid quartet.
— Although Brook hadn't 'boarded the ship' yet, Roman had long accepted him as a companion.
"Don't worry, everything is under my control!"
Roman straightened his collar. Now that he had calmed down and thought about it carefully, since his 'basic' Haki could help him shake off the negative state earlier than others, what if it was advanced Haki, 'black and hard', or even in the 'Ryuo' state?
It should be able to resist these strange Paramecia fruits, or at least greatly weaken them. — Just like when he used the slow beam on Blackbeard, even though it was supposed to slow him down for 'thirty seconds', he quickly shook it off...While Roman was thinking, everyone arrived at a:
Graveyard!
The howling night wind brought a misty fog, and the faint smell of earth mixed with the scent of decay, as if the land here was burying corpses of various ages. The tombstones scattered around reflected a cold light, making people feel an inexplicable chill.
Of course, to the full Straw Hat crew, this eerie atmosphere was just—"Ah, such a spacious graveyard."
Luffy looked around with satisfaction, "Great, let's have our lunch here."
"Don't you find it disgusting?!"
Sanji retorted helplessly, "And our top priority isn't..."
Smack,A hand suddenly reached out from the soil!
In the dim night light, a person wrapped in bandages and covered in stitched wounds slowly crawled out from the ground! Facing this horrifying scene, Luffy calmly placed a hand on the person's shoulder, and then:Pressed—
Slash,The 'monster' that had just emerged from the soil was forcefully pressed back into the ground by Luffy, causing everyone behind him to break out in a cold sweat.
Hey, hey, hey, doesn't it care about its dignity?
Boom!
"Why did you push me back, you jerk!!"
With dirt flying everywhere, the humanoid 'monster' underground suddenly lunged out! Faced with this terrifying scene, Luffy was stunned.
"An old man with serious injuries?"
"That looks like a zombie!!" X3Boom, boom, boom!
The entire graveyard was in turmoil, with corpses suddenly rising from the soil and from beneath tombstones, densely packed! At a glance, there were at least hundreds or thousands of them—
"How dare you underestimate us zombies?"
"Unforgivable,"
"Brothers, attack!"
"We are immortal—"
One by one, the zombies suddenly leaped out of the soil, their stitched bodies showing muscular outlines, their swinging arms making whistling sounds! Coupled with their terrifying appearance...
Generally,In terms of physical strength alone, they were already on par with elite pirates and Marine headquarters soldiers.
Roman nodded. These zombies were just the first 'defense line' here, but their great strength combined with their fearless nature made them formidable opponents for normal Marines and pirates. However!Creak,
Luffy clenched his fist, Zoro flicked his thumb on his sword hilt, Sanji took a deep drag on his cigarette, and Franky removed his human 'gloves'...
"Want to fight? Let us show you our power."
"Charge—"
Bang!
The next second, the zombies howled and charged madly, not only were they strong, but their jumping ability was amazing!
The zombies in front charged, while the zombies in the back suddenly leaped several meters high! The group's vision was instantly filled with zombies, and it seemed as if a canopy made of zombies had risen in front of them and in the sky.
And outside the gaps in the canopy were still densely packed zombies, layer upon layer of zombies rushing in like waves! It was clear they were not truly mindless corpses, as they knew how to use this 'human pyramid' tactic against the fearless Straw Hat crew.
Unfortunately:"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
The next second, fists even stronger and more violent than the charging zombies came crashing down like dense cannonballs! The bodies of the first dozen zombies instantly folded into a 'V' shape, and the zombies a bit further away were also knocked flying by the rebounding zombies. The surging offensive shattered like waves crashing against a giant rock.
"Rankyaku - Shuriken!"
"Strong Right!"
"One Sword Style - 36 Pound Phoenix!"
As the others joined the fight, vacuum waves and sword slashes flew, metal and rubber crisscrossed in a killing spree! Bones and flesh flew everywhere, blood splattered, and the cold graveyard was instantly covered with various severed limbs and flesh. These so-called 'zombies'—If no one stitched them back together, they could only hope for Moria to use shadows to piece the shattered bodies together.
However, the twitching limbs on the ground clearly indicated that— they couldn't!
The Straw Hat crew's attack was wild, but the consequences were equally severe.
"Ahhh, it stinks~~~"
"Who told you to cut them up like this!!"
"What is this smell..."
"I can't take it anymore!—Oh, I don't even have a nose..."
In just a few seconds, these ordinary zombies turned back into broken corpses, but the rotting stench in the air intensified by dozens of times, making it seem like just a slight breath could make a normal person faint. So:"Paper Dance - Gas Mask."
White paper flew onto the faces of Nami, Robin, and Chopper, forming a full-cover white mask. Below the mask, a long 'pig snout' with layers of soft, honeycomb-like paper formed a filter.
"Roman, give me a gas mask!"
Facing Luffy, whose face was all scrunched up, Roman calmly waved his hand.
"Combatants need to keep their senses sharp, so no masks."
???
"Why me too..."
Hmm?
Facing Roman's glance, Usopp quickly put down his hands covering his nose and straightened his collar. He had already read from Roman's expression that 'this guy needs olfactory endurance training,' so:
Usopp calmly took a deep breath.
"This smell is nothing... ugh... not... ugh... anything... ugh~~~"
Seeing the long-nosed sniper vomiting while holding onto a tombstone, Nami and Chopper silently clasped their hands together.
As the saying goes, better you than me, Usopp, you can rest in peace~~"Hmph,"
Zoro snorted coldly. As long as it wasn't a negative ghost, he could still maintain his tough guy image.
"Foolish, those masks would dull our senses."
"Only by training our bodies to be as strong as steel, without any flaws, can we reach the peak!"
"Well said!"
Roman clapped his hands.
"A strong person should be fearless! A mere corpse stench can't hinder our path to becoming stronger!"
For a moment, Roman and Zoro felt a mutual admiration, like 'the only heroes in the world are you and me.' This left the Straw Hat crew speechless at these two training fanatics!
"Yohoho~~"
Brook, who had only half-drawn the 'Soul-Slaying Sword' from his cane, looked around. These zombies were certainly no match for him, but if so many of them swarmed at once, even knowing their 'weakness,' he would have to retreat immediately...But such a fearless 'army' was dealt with by this group of newly acquainted people in just a few seconds.
So strong!
If he had been this strong back then, his comrades wouldn't have..."Hey... wait a minute,"
A figure in a tattered coat, holding a kerosene lamp, covered in bandages and stitches, staggered out of the nearby woods.
"You guys are amazing! Can I say a few words?"
Facing this figure, Luffy was stunned.
"A seriously injured old man?"
"I told you, it's a zombie!" x3Facing the angry Zoro, Sanji, and Franky, the old man with the kerosene lamp waved his hand.
"No, I'm a seriously injured old man."
..."Stop confusing everyone!! Just say you're a zombie!"
Smack,Putting down the lantern, the heavily injured old man, who looked like a zombie, knelt before the Straw Hat crew.
"I have a request..."
"We know."
Roman interrupted him directly.
"You want us to help you get your shadows back, right? We'll take care of it."
?
"But that man..."
"Gecko-Moria,"
Roman interrupted him again.
"One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the culprit behind the disappearance of hundreds of ships in this area every year."
?!
"He's in..."
"The main mast building at the back."
Roman interrupted him once more.
"Just go through the mansion and courtyard ahead, and you'll reach it. — Do you have anything else to say?"
???
"No, that's all..."
"Alright, let's go."
..."Roman, you just..."
Nami frowned, unsure how to describe it. It was like... it was like a hero in a fairy tale skipping all the interactions with villagers and heading straight to the demon king's castle..."They're just a bunch of unlucky people whose shadows were taken by Moria, hiding on this island. Do you really expect any help from them?"
Roman rolled his eyes. If he were alone, he would have sneaked into Moria's room, launched a big attack while the guy was sleeping, and finished the job. Why give the enemy time to gather their forces? Just like now:"Be careful, the next ones won't be as easy as those small fries."
"Hee hee! Hee hee! Hee hee!"
A strange laugh echoed as they stood before a tall Gothic mansion. On the second-floor balcony, a round man with purple hair and a fishnet outfit laughed perversely in the wind.
"Straw Hat crew, I'm sorry. This is the end of your journey!"
The fat man, who had pulled his mask down to his chin, looked at the group below with an 'excited' gaze, as if he were picking fresh meat at a market, making Nami, Chopper, and Usopp all feel uncomfortable.
"I will turn your bodies into zombies! Let your shadows serve the master! Now—"
Boom!
The mansion's door burst open, and fully armed zombie generals emerged.
There was a five-meter-tall warrior in heavy armor with a long beard; a knight with a cross sword and round shield; a captain in a coat, drinking with his head held high; a sniper with four guns at his waist...
Each one, regardless of their 'style' or aura, exuded the threat of a strong opponent!
"Guardians of the kingdom, notorious captains, fearsome bounty hunters—" The round man on the balcony spread his arms.
"Go, take down the Straw Hat crew!"
"Use their bodies to please your master, and then be 'revived' by me, Hogback!"
Hogback?!
Chopper looked incredulously at the smug man on the balcony, finding it hard to associate him with the doctor he once admired. But...As expected, Roman was right.
You have fallen, doctor...Or rather, you have revealed your true nature. You—are not worthy of being a doctor!
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