While the others were still digesting the shocking information about the Rocks Pirates, Ash calmly lifted his wine gourd and took several measured swallows. The cool liquid eased the dryness in his throat.
Talking so much, even when the topic was fascinating, required effort. Explaining the hidden history of the world to a group that knew almost nothing about it was entertaining, but not without cost.
Youki suddenly turned toward him. "Speaking of which, Ash…"
Ash lowered the gourd. "What is it?"
"You said that almost all the famous powerhouses on the sea once came from the Rocks Pirates. If that crew was that powerful, how were they destroyed?"
He paused, then added with rising emotion, "Does the Marine really have that kind of strength? If they do, then why can't they end this cursed Great Pirate Era once and for all?"
Ash understood the bitterness in Youki's voice. He had learned from Pini that Youki's parents had died years ago when pirates raided their village. Only Youki and his uncle had survived. For him, pirates were not legends or adventure, they were the reason his family was gone.
After a brief silence, Ash answered directly.
"The Marine alone could not have done it," he said evenly. "It was Marine Hero Garp, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger at his peak, and the Celestial Dragons' secret military force, the God's Knights, who joined forces to defeat the Rocks Pirates."
The others froze.
Ash continued, "Even then, the Rocks Pirates were not united. Their core members were ambitious and self serving. When the battle turned against them, most had no intention of dying for Rocks D. Xebec. They abandoned their captain."
Kirk stared at him in disbelief. "A Marine Hero and the Pirate King fought side by side? The Marine can really cooperate with pirates?"
Youki frowned. "And what about the God's Knights? A secret unit under the Celestial Dragons? What kind of force is that?"
Tsuki threw up his hands. "Bro Ash, could you stop revealing earth shattering secrets like you're discussing the weather?"
Ash shrugged lightly. "You asked."
Brook trembled dramatically. "How terrifying are you people from Cathay, to know even such deeply buried secrets."
Ash smirked. "Information is a weapon. I prefer to keep mine sharp."
Brook leaned closer. "Then could you tell me, that lovely young lady earlier today, where she…"
Saff's fist clenched instantly. "Where she what?"
Brook broke into cold sweat. "Milk. I meant milk. I seem to be suffering from calcium deficiency lately."
"I do know a place," Ash replied with a faint chuckle. "There's a port town in the Lulusia Kingdom along the Grand Line. A dairy farm there produces milk said to be exceptional."
The others ignored the topic entirely.
"Why is a skeleton sweating?" Youki demanded.
Amid the bickering, the carriage abruptly came to a halt.
Ash smiled and lifted the curtain. "We've arrived."
They had stopped in the middle of a graveyard. Thick mist drifted between crooked tombstones. Ahead, Hilton and two grotesque zombie horses were quietly trying to slip away.
Ash's gaze sharpened.
"I would not have minded letting you return and report," he said lightly, raising his hand. "But you've been listening to far too much valuable information."
He waved casually.
Three compressed wind blades sliced cleanly through the fog. In an instant, Hilton and the two zombie horses were cut apart, their bodies collapsing into lifeless heaps.
"Done."
Ash stepped down from the carriage, brushing off his sleeves. The others followed.
Saff surveyed the cemetery and frowned. "Leaving them in a graveyard feels excessive."
Ash pointed toward the shredded remains. "It balances out. I've already done worse."
Youki shaded his eyes and stared toward the massive silhouette of Thriller Bark's castle in the distance. "So what now? Do we charge in and take out the enemy?"
"No rush," Ash replied.
"Moriah is inside the main mast tower at the rear of the castle. The ones currently inside the mansion are his three zombie commanders."
He continued, "The Ghost Princess and the perverted doctor are simple enough. The real issue is the user of the Clear Clear Fruit we discussed earlier."
Kirk and Youki's eyes brightened simultaneously. "We remember."
"A Paramecia type with invisibility is troublesome," Ash explained. "He might be similar to the ghosts earlier, possibly undetectable by Observation Haki. If we move too aggressively and scare him into hiding, finding him across Thriller Bark would be inefficient."
"So we just stand here?" Youki asked, clearly dissatisfied.
He had imagined a fierce confrontation with a Shichibukai level opponent. Since entering the Grand Line, they had only dealt with minor threats. His fists were itching for a real fight.
Ash caught the look in his eyes and smiled faintly.
"Relax. Once we eliminate the Invisible Man, the rest are yours. Just do not dismantle Thriller Bark. I will handle any complications."
Youki burst into laughter. "You said it, Bro Ash. No backing out."
Ash spread his hands. "If you can steamroll everything, I will happily lie down and watch. Think of this as practice. Gecko Moriah is among the weaker Shichibukai. Better to start here than jump straight into disaster."
Youki snorted. "We'll see who can't handle it."
Before the conversation could continue, the ground began to tremble.
Rotten, bandaged arms burst violently from beneath the earth, clawing upward from graves.
Saff's expression tightened instinctively.
Ash noticed at once. Though she possessed a powerful Devil Fruit ability, she was still a teenage girl. It was natural for her to dislike the grotesque sight.
He stepped forward and stomped the ground.
A dull thud echoed.
A wave of yellow brown energy rippled outward along the surface. The soil hardened instantly. The protruding zombie arms froze mid motion, locked in place like twisted cacti trapped in stone.
"Using fire or lightning would draw attention," Ash said calmly. "This will keep them contained."
Youki stared at the immobilized arms and suddenly brightened. "These zombies are all animated by Moriah's Devil Fruit ability, right? What if I drag some seawater over here and soak them?"
Ash nodded. "Their power would fail."
Youki prepared to move, but Ash raised a hand to stop him.
"If too many collapse at once, the shadows will return to their original owners. Moriah will immediately realize that powerful opponents have arrived. Earlier I destroyed only three. That would not raise suspicion. Hundreds disappearing would."
Youki exhaled sharply. "Fine. Out of sight, out of mind."
He leaned against the carriage and closed his eyes.
They waited in silence. Ash mentally reviewed what he knew. In the original sequence of events, if intruders deviated from expectations, the three commanders would regroup to discuss their response.
After estimating the timing, Ash rose slowly into the air.
"Wait here."
He ascended into the mist and glided toward the castle.
Suspended above Thriller Bark's towering structure, he activated his Observation Haki fully, spreading his awareness across the mansion.
Within the swirling fog and echoing corridors, faint presences flickered.
Ash's lips curved.
"I found you."