Just then, Jozu's voice came from outside. "Marco, Zou is in sight, we'll be there soon."
"We're here," Marco murmured to Garett, pulling her into his arms. "Want to know why I came to Zou?"
Garett looked up at him, curiosity in her eyes. Marco explained, "On this island, there are two members of the Mink Tribe who once served as apprentice crew on the Whitebeard Pirates' ship."
"So we came this time to bring Zou Island into the Phoenix Pirates' sphere of influence?" Garett asked.
"Yes, that's right." Marco nodded, then added, "Besides that, there's a big secret on this island. If Kaido or Big Mom found out, they'd go crazy trying to take it— they'd even be willing to destroy Zou to get it."
"A big secret?" Garett's curiosity only grew.
Marco no longer bothered to put on any airs. With the Moby Dick about to reach Zou, there was no longer any need to keep things from her. He said calmly, "There's a Road poneglyph on this island."
"A Road poneglyph?" Garett stared at him in shock. "Dear, didn't you say the Phoenix Pirates didn't have a Road poneglyph?"
Then she quickly realized that Zou Island wasn't actually under the Phoenix Pirates' control yet.
"Indeed, we don't—and Zou Island isn't Phoenix Pirates territory," Marco replied with a small chuckle.
He went on, "The reason we're here now is to protect that poneglyph and to protect the Mink Tribe living on the island."
"After all, the two kings who rule this place also once sailed under Whitebeard's flag. It's been over twenty years since we last saw them, but comrades are comrades."
"And even though I'm not interested in becoming pirate king, it's not bad to have a card like this in my hand."
With that, Marco led Garett out onto the deck. Ahead of them, a colossal shadow rose out of the mist. When Garett saw the several-thousand-meter-tall giant elephant, she couldn't help crying out, stunned, "Is this Zou Island? There's actually such a massive creature in this world."
Vista laughed. "This is a giant elephant that's been walking for a thousand years. The Mink Tribe, a warrior race of the New World, lives on its back."
Marco raised his voice to the crew. "Alright, everyone, prepare to go ashore!"
—
On the Grand Line, Devil Island, Ghost town.
The Blackbeard Pirates had finally arrived.
The island before them was known as Devil Island, infamous across the Grand Line because of Ghost town—a place completely cut off from the outside world. The rumor was absolute: once you entered, you never came out again.
Teach had only half believed the stories, but his gambler's nature wouldn't let him ignore a legend like this. He'd come to see it for himself.
Setting foot near the legendary Devil Island felt like crossing into another world. Even while they were still on the ship, the sun vanished from sight. Thick, oppressive clouds swallowed the sky, just like in the Devil's Triangle.
Before long, the Blackbeard Pirates went ashore.
A deadly stillness blanketed the entire island. The town was utterly deserted—not a single person in sight, not even a mouse. The silence felt suffocating.
A sudden gust of icy wind swept past, making Blackbeard shudder. He spat out a curse. "Fuck!! This island really is weird! It's broad daylight, so why the hell isn't there a single ray of sunlight here?"
From beside him, Shiryu replied lazily, "We're just at the edge. The real horror is in Ghost town. Rumor has it no one who goes in ever comes out alive."
Trebol, hovering nearby, hurried to flatter him. "Teach-sama, this is just how this town's always been. The sky's covered in thick dark clouds that never fade. Day here is no different from night."
Baby-5 tilted her head, curiosity plain on her face. "Teach-sama, what exactly are we doing here?"
Blackbeard's grin turned sinister. "This town's always had a legend about a Vampire."
"Vampire legend?" Baby-5 echoed, even more intrigued.
Shiryu took over the explanation. "They say a vampire once appeared on this island. In a single night, every resident had their blood drained and died. The clear skies turned to darkness after that. The Vampire set up some kind of barrier around Ghost town, and ever since, the whole island's been shrouded in dark clouds, never seeing the sun again."
"Later, the World Government sent people to investigate, but by then the island's magnetic field was already a mess. Log poses couldn't lock onto it, and once you go into Ghost town, transponder snails can't contact the outside world. Every year, countless people land on this island and enter Ghost town… but in the end, not a single one has ever made it back."
"So the World Government marked this island as a forbidden zone, and Ghost town became a famous ghost town on the Grand Line."
"Because of the mystery around Ghost town, all kinds of rumors spread across the seas—ghosts wandering the streets, powerful Devil Fruits hidden inside, and so on."
Baby-5 frowned slightly. "Is it really true that no one can make it out of Ghost town alive?"
"At least, that's what the World Government's reports say," Shiryu answered, eyes cold.
Blackbeard's lips twisted into a wicked smile. "Alright, boys, let's head in and have a look! It's not every day you get an adventure like this!"
Trebol's voice trembled as he asked, "Uh… T-Teach-sama, do we really all have to go in too?"
Response 9Blackbeard bared his teeth in a feral grin at Trebol and the others. "Of course! You're my crewmates too!"
Not long after, dozens of Blackbeard's pirates filed into town. The deeper they went, the more they noticed it: the air inside the town was noticeably colder than outside, and the light here felt strangely soft and muted. That unnatural calm put the crew on edge.
They passed rows of houses, all a bit run-down, walls cracked and splintered with old impact marks. The traces of battle were everywhere, but clearly from long ago.
Then Blackbeard spotted several headless corpses lying up ahead. He frowned, confused, and led the group closer. Shiryu crouched down to inspect them and said flatly, "These guys have been dead for a long time."
Even as he spoke, he couldn't help wondering who had killed them and why their heads were taken. His gaze shifted to their hands; the corpses' fingernails were long and unnaturally sharp, their skin a sickly pale.
Baby 5 stared at the dozen or so headless bodies and said solemnly, "These people must have been the ones who entered Ghost town before! But who cut off their heads?"
Shiryu straightened up, losing interest in the corpses, and said coolly, "Who knows. But, Teach, this town really is strange. Are we still going forward?"
Blackbeard's grin stretched wider. "Zehahahahaha, of course! Since I've already come, how could I leave so easily! If everything behind this town is man-made, then I really want to see who did it."
Shiryu's lips curled into a sinister smile. "I figured you'd say that. Besides, now that we're in, if I don't figure out what's going on, I won't be able to sleep easy either."
The Blackbeard Pirates pressed on, continuing their exploration of Ghost town.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."
Suddenly, shapes crawled out from the dark doorways and shattered windows of the houses, red light burning in their eyes. The Blackbeard pirates instinctively frowned, bracing themselves.
Figures emerged from every direction, baring fangs and claws. Their skin was bone-white, their eyes blood-red, with protruding fangs and razor-sharp nails. They looked like something between human and ghost.
Diamante gaped at them, horrified. "Hey, hey, hey, what the hell are these monsters?! Are they humans or ghosts?!"
Shiryu's expression hardened as he gripped his sword. "There shouldn't be any living humans in a place like this. And judging by their looks, they really do resemble the legendary vampires."
Vasco shot went rigid. "There are actually vampires in this world?!"
Blackbeard's eyes went cold, and a sinister grin split his face. "Zehahahahaha, I don't care what they are! Come on!"
Darkness spread in thick waves from beneath Blackbeard's feet, swallowing the ground. He laughed, voice low and menacing. "Release..."
"All of you, come out!"
From the darkness, corpses began to claw their way up—zombies, one after another, swarming toward the vampires and immediately tearing and biting into them.
Blackbeard watched, grinning wickedly. "Zehahahahaha, this is my Undying Legion! Let's see which are stronger—the zombies, or the vampires!"
The rest of the Blackbeard Pirates were fighting as well. Shiryu glanced around, speaking in his usual cool tone. "These vampires must be the people who died back then. I wonder who turned them into vampires.
Blackbeard watched the clash between zombies and vampires, shoulders shaking with wild laughter. "How interesting! Looks like this island really is hiding a lot of secrets. No matter what they are, I'll drag every last one of them out."
"Darkness… Devour!"
As he spoke, Blackbeard kept swallowing up vampires with the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, dragging their bodies into a swirling darkness. But the vampires in this town were like a never‑ending tide, surging out again and again.
Staring at that massive wave of corpses, even Blackbeard was a little taken aback. If they hadn't created so many zombies beforehand, dealing with this number of vampires would've been a real problem.
"No wonder this town is called a 'ghost town'," Vasco shot said, his expression serious. "With this many monsters, any normal person who wandered in would be dead for sure."
Before long, Shiryu noticed something off. Every time he cut a vampire, the wounds closed almost instantly. He sliced one cleanly, severing its head, then spoke up:
"Pay attention. These vampires only stay down if you cut off their heads. Aim for the head when you attack."
Vasco shot knocked a vampire away with a heavy punch, scowling. "Even if you say that, it's not easy for those of us who don't use swords to take their heads off!"
These vampires weren't weak. Out on the Grand Line, each one could basically match a pirate with a bounty of five million—maybe even ten million—and on top of that, their regenerative power was frighteningly strong.
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