Shadows, or corpses?
For Moria, this was a difficult choice.
If he took the shadows, he couldn't have the corpses. If he took the corpses, he couldn't have the shadows.
The problem was that the Marines under Sean's command—whether their bodies or their shadows—were enough to make Moria drool. He was loath to give up either.
After all, the strength of a zombie was determined by the combined power of the corpse and the shadow inserted into it.
Take the legendary swordsman Ryuma from the original story, for example.
In life, he had been immensely powerful. Although Moria had obtained his corpse, he had stuffed it with Brook's shadow. Since Brook was quite weak at that time, the zombie Ryuma eventually lost to Zoro.
In other words, even if the corpse was powerful, a weak shadow would drag the zombie's overall strength down.
"Maybe I'll take shadows from half of them and corpses from the other half?"
"Then I can mix and match them."
After some serious consideration, Moria finally made his decision.
As for whether he could actually pull it off, he didn't care in the slightest. Perona had already informed him that the murderous Sean hadn't come along. On the three warships, there was only one officer of colonel rank or higher.
What was there to fear?
'''
One nautical mile away, the fleet came to a halt.
At that moment, a dilapidated sailing ship appeared between the first and second warships. Furthermore, on the side of the vessel stood a skeleton with an afro, holding a steaming cup of red tea and singing.
"Yohohoho! It's been so long since I've seen a living person, though I have no eyes to see with!"
"Would any of you like to come aboard for a cup of tea?"
On the deck of the first warship, everyone's hair stood on end as they stared at the skeleton inviting them.
They could understand ghosts—that was likely just some Devil Fruit ability. But what on earth was this talking skeleton? Was it another strange Devil Fruit power?
Compared to the others, Kaku remained far more composed.
"Brook, is it?"
"Yohohoho! Does this gentleman know me?"
"Of course!"
Kaku paused, then recited the information Sean had given him.
"Brook, born in the Kingdom of Sean. Originally the captain of the royal guard, he later joined the Rumbar Pirates as a swordsman and musician. He entered the Grand Line approximately fifty years ago, but vanished along with his entire crew while passing through the Florian Triangle. No news of him surfaced after that."
"Your last recorded bounty was 33 million Belly. There are no records of you pillaging civilians or attacking the Marine."
"Correct?"
As Kaku finished speaking, Brook's eyes widened. Although he had no actual eyes, everyone could see the sockets of his skull widen in shock.
"Vice Admiral Sean asked me to give you a message: Laboon is still waiting for you at Twin Cape!"
"Join the Marine and pledge your loyalty to the Vice Admiral, and you will be given the chance to reunite with Laboon. Your bounty will also be revoked."
"Otherwise... die right here!"
Only then did Brook notice the uniforms of the people before him.
'Holy... they're Marines!!!'
Having wandered this godforsaken place for decades, he had almost forgotten what Marine uniforms looked like.
But the Marine wanted to recruit him? No, no, that wasn't the important part. The important part was...
Laboon was still alive? And he was waiting for them to return?
At this moment, Brook felt a massive emotional shock.
"Well? Have you decided?"
"Yohohoho! My dear Marine officer, even if I agreed, I currently have no way of leaving this Florian Triangle region."
"I know. Moria stole your shadow, didn't he? We came here specifically to take down Gecko Moria. Once that guy is defeated, your shadow will naturally return to you. Any other problems?"
"Yes!!"
"Hmm? Speak up!"
"Could those beautiful young ladies over there please let me see their panties?"
Looking at the Kuja warriors on the warship's deck, Brook uttered a request that left everyone speechless.
However, as soon as the shock wore off, dozens of arrows coated in Armament Haki rained down on Brook in a concentrated barrage.
How powerful were arrows coated in Armament Haki? One only had to look at the original story; a single arrow from a Kuja warrior could blast a crater into the ground.
As for the pirate ship Brook was on... not only was it made of wood, but it was decades old. Its structural integrity had long since decayed.
Nearly half the ship was instantly blasted into splinters.
This was only because the Kuja warriors intended to teach him a lesson rather than kill him.
Brook shrank to the other side of the railing, trembling violently.
'Those ladies... are terrifying!!'
'''
A few minutes after the fleet set sail again, Kaku pinpointed the location of Thriller Park.
Although he couldn't see it visually, Kaku's Observation Haki could sense it once they were close enough. After all, there were people there.
Ten minutes later, the fleet arrived and docked.
It was described as "docking" because Thriller Park was simply too massive; rather than a ship, it was more like a small island.
After leaving a company of soldiers to guard each warship, Kaku took the remaining seven companies and began the operation.
"First through Third Companies, along with the Kuja First Company, are responsible for sweeping the graveyards and forest areas. Purge all zombies and use sea salt to cleanse them!"
"Fourth Company, along with the Kuja Second Company, head to the castle. Your target is Perona!"
"The Fifth Company will follow me to the castle. We will clear out all the General Zombies and deal with the executive Absalom, as well as Gecko Moria himself!"
"Does everyone understand their objectives?"
The operational plan had been prepared long ago. Kaku was simply executing the orders and allocating personnel according to the strategy.
In truth, the entire operation boiled down to five key points:
First, clear and purify all zombies, releasing all shadows to return to their original owners.
Second, capture Perona.
Third, capture Absalom.
Fourth, kill Hogback.
Fifth, capture Moria.
"Yes, Captain!"
Upon receiving their orders, the forces immediately split into three groups. Kaku's team took the shortest route, heading in a straight line toward the castle on the island.
A few minutes later, black shadows continuously soared into the air from one part of the island only to crash down into another. This scene repeated almost every second. This result was only natural; these ordinary zombies possessed the combat strength of a standard Marine.
Well, a "standard" Marine in the conventional sense! How could they possibly stand against the ferocious soldiers of the 16th Branch?
At the same time, Kaku and his men arrived in front of the castle. With a single kick, he blew the main gates open, and dozens of Marines rushed inside to establish a perimeter. However, as Kaku stepped into the castle, his brow furrowed.
His right hand shot out with lightning speed, grabbing something from the empty air. To the onlookers, he seemed to be grasping at nothing, his hand hanging uselessly in the void. But in the next instant, as Armament Haki coated his arm, turning it pitch-black, a figure was revealed.
Only then did the Marines notice that Kaku's hand was actually clamped around the throat of a blonde man with a lion-like jaw. Kaku squeezed the man's throat tightly. The man struggled violently, but as the seconds ticked by, his efforts weakened. Once he lost consciousness and his limbs went limp, Kaku slammed him onto the ground.
"Apply the Seastone handcuffs!"
"Yes, Captain!"
'''
Absalom: captured.
As for the next target... well, the next target had already appeared.
A large number of soldiers were descending the stairs ahead. At a glance, these were no ordinary zombies.
"General Zombies, huh? Take them all down and purify them!"
"Yes, Captain!"
In the next instant, the Marines charged forward—except for two individuals.
"Zoro, do you see that zombie with the black blade up ahead?"
"I do."
"Good. The Vice Admiral had me bring you along specifically because that guy was a formidable swordsman in his prime. Although his strength has diminished, he's still a decent target for you. Besides, weren't you looking for a good sword?"
"Understood," Zoro nodded.
He slowly drew the Wado Ichimonji and clamped it firmly between his teeth. Then, he drew his remaining two blades.
Three-Sword Style—Zoro has arrived!