บท 134: The Unleashing of Oars and the Straw Hats’ Counterattack

Deep in the eerie halls of Thriller Bark, Luffy was bound tightly inside a cage, struggling against his restraints. Perona, Kumashi, Absalom, and Dr. Hogback led him into the shadowy chamber of Gecko Moria, the Warlord of the Sea.

"So, you're the one they call Luffy," Moria said with a sinister grin, his towering figure casting a long shadow over Luffy. "I've got big plans to become Pirate King… with a little help from you!"

Luffy, undeterred, shouted, "I'll be Pirate King, not you!" His voice was defiant, but before he could continue, Perona's ghosts floated around him, casting their negative energy over him. Luffy slumped, momentarily subdued, his confidence sapped by the ghosts' strange power.

With Luffy weakened, Moria approached, his fingers glowing as he began to pull Luffy's shadow from his body. Luffy gasped, feeling his strength fading. Memories of his journey, his friends, and his determination to protect them all flickered through his mind as Moria tore his shadow away.

As Luffy slipped into unconsciousness, Moria chuckled. "Kaido might have beaten me once, but I won't lose again. Not after this."

Turning to his loyal Spider Mice, Moria ordered them to take Luffy's lifeless body to the Mighty Merry. With Luffy's shadow in hand, Moria prepared for his next sinister move.

The Spider Mice, scurrying across the dim corridors, hauled Luffy's unconscious body toward the Mighty Merry. Meanwhile, Moria relished in his power, directing his underlings to open the ominous freezer where the infamous Zombie 900 awaited.

"Release Zombie 900," Moria commanded, a wicked smile stretching across his face. "With the shadow of Monkey D. Luffy, my masterpiece will rise again!"

The heavy iron doors creaked open, revealing the colossal figure of Oars—a giant zombie, formidable and fearsome. Moria, wasting no time, approached Oars and infused Luffy's shadow into the beast. A dark aura enveloped the giant as his monstrous form began to twitch with life.

Meanwhile, Franky and Robin were racing through the eerie corridors, determined to find their crewmates. As they approached Hogback's lab, a familiar figure blocked their path—Ryuma, a zombie samurai who bore an uncanny resemblance to Brook.

Brook, who had been trailing them, finally caught up and faced Ryuma head-on. "I have a promise to keep, one that I've held for fifty years," Brook said solemnly, brandishing his sword.

Ryuma smirked. "A dead man with a promise? How amusing."

With a flash of steel, the two clashed, their blades echoing through the halls. Brook fought with fierce determination, each strike fueled by memories of his long-lost crewmates and his promise to Laboon. His heart may have stopped beating, but his resolve was stronger than ever.

In the freezer, Oars' eyes snapped open, his colossal form shaking the entire room. He let out an earth-shattering roar, startling the zombies and even Moria.

"HUNGRY!" Oars bellowed, his voice booming like thunder.

Nearby, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper heard the roar and exchanged horrified glances. They tried to flee, but Oars spotted them. In a panic, they ran through the halls, barely evading his grasp.

"Pirate… King…" Oars murmured, his massive hand reaching for anything nearby to stuff into his mouth.

Usopp and Chopper barely managed to dodge a group of soldier zombies that attacked them. Luckily, Franky and Robin arrived just in time, using bags of salt to purify the undead soldiers. As the shadows left the zombies' bodies, they collapsed, freed from Moria's control.

Oars continued his rampage, tearing through anything that crossed his path. The zombies desperately tried to appease his insatiable hunger, shoveling food toward him, but it was never enough.

"MORE! I want to eat more!" Oars demanded, stomping around with reckless abandon. His towering figure cast an ominous shadow over Moria and the other zombies, who were awestruck by his raw power.

"Pirate King… I will be Pirate King!" Oars declared, breaking free from the freezer and sending a shiver down Moria's spine. This monstrous entity, imbued with Luffy's shadow, seemed unstoppable.

As Oars rampaged, Franky, Robin, Usopp, and Chopper hurried toward the exit, fighting off any remaining zombies in their way. Nearby, Brook continued his duel with Ryuma in Hogback's lab, his resolve unbreakable.

With each clash, Brook thought of Laboon and the promise he'd made to return. "Even if my heart no longer beats, my spirit will always be free," Brook said as he delivered a decisive strike.

Back at the Mighty Merry, Franky shook the other Straw Hats awake. They groggily opened their eyes, surprised to find themselves still alive.

"Wake up, you idiots!" Franky scolded. "We've got a lot of trouble here!"

As they regrouped, Franky revealed Brook's tragic story, including his promise to a whale named Laboon, whom he'd vowed to meet again at Reverse Mountain. Luffy's eyes sparkled with determination.

"He has to join us!" Luffy declared. "Brook will be part of our crew!"

Determined to reclaim their stolen shadows, the crew devised a plan. "Forget searching for all the shadows," Luffy said. "We'll take down Moria directly."

Sanji volunteered to guard Nami, while Usopp and Franky set out to assist Brook. Usopp handed each crew member a pouch of salt to weaken the zombies.

"Let's get this done before dawn!" he urged.

Meanwhile, Oars clambered onto the highest point of Thriller Bark, overlooking the vast landscape. He observed his surroundings, his voice booming across the ship as he declared, "This is my ship! I'll be Pirate King!"

Hildon, ever the dutiful servant, reported to Moria about the Straw Hats' activities and the chaos they were causing. Absalom, meanwhile, prepared for his wedding with an unconscious Nami, oblivious to the mayhem outside.

Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, Robin, and Chopper pressed on toward Moria's location, but their path was soon blocked by Perona's ghostly minions. One by one, the crew fell victim to the ghosts' negative energy, leaving them feeling weak and disheartened.

At that moment, Oars crashed down, destroying the bridge. Sanji and Usopp tumbled down with him, landing on a lower bridge where they reunited with Zoro and Franky. Oars continued on his way, completely unaware of the Straw Hats watching from below.

With the bridge destroyed, Franky took matters into his own hands, quickly constructing a makeshift bridge to cross the gap. The crew marveled at his speed and ingenuity.

On the other side, they confronted Perona, who summoned more ghosts to drain their morale. However, Usopp surprised everyone by resisting her powers, revealing that his naturally negative state rendered him immune to her ghosts' effects. Usopp fired his Salt Star to exorcise the zombies, much to Perona's dismay.

Standing his ground, Usopp boldly declared that he would face Perona alone. Shocked by his resilience, Perona struggled to comprehend how Usopp could resist her powers.

"Ghosts and negativity don't work on someone like me!" Usopp declared, ready to take her down.

Meanwhile, in the dark, eerie halls of Thriller Bark, Absalom stood proudly before an unconscious Nami, who was bound and unable to resist. He leaned closer, ready to seal his twisted vows with a kiss.

Suddenly, the room erupted in chaos as a fierce lightning bolt struck down, scattering the wedding party. Raja's Thunder Bird descended upon the scene, blasting Absalom with lightning. The force of the attack sent Absalom crashing against the wall.

Seizing the opportunity, the Thunder Bird scooped Nami up, lifting her to safety and carrying her out of the dark clutches of Thriller Bark.