The mist thickened as the forest grew darker. "The forest becomes far more dangerous at night," said Hildon. "Why don't you come with me?" he asked.
Just then, a horse-drawn carriage emerged from the fog. It was painted in a soft pink and purple. It had golden tassels, and a row of strange emblems lined the side panel. There were large curtains cinched with thick rope. A lantern swung gently from the side. Beneath it, red-painted wheels creaked forward. The horses pulling the carriage were white. Its mouth was unusually long and stretched into a permanent smile that felt too human.
"If you wish," Hildon said as he gestured to the carriage. "I can take you to Doctor Hogback's mansion," he added.
Chopper froze. "Hogback?" he whispered.
Nami turned to him. "What's wrong, Chopper?"
"Doctor Hogback?" Chopper repeated, eyes wide. "That name… it's legendary," he added.
They climbed into the carriage and shut the door behind.
Inside, velvet cushions lined the seats. Usopp leaned forward, trying to peer through the front window. "I can't see the horses properly. Are they… okay?" he asked. "They look different," he added.
Hildon chuckled softly. "They are, it's just your imagination," he replied.
Outside, the riders guiding the horses were wrapped in bandages, their heads tilted unnaturally. Hildon glanced at them briefly, then poured a glass of wine.
"The forest is filled with odd creatures," he said. "It's far too dangerous to walk," he added.
Nami accepted the glass and nodded politely.
"I was shocked too," Chopper said. "I thought Cerberus was just a myth," he added.
"It looked like a mutant," Usopp added. "Like someone stitched it together," he remarked.
Nami glanced out the window. "I wonder how Luffy and the others will find us," she said.
"If you're waiting for them," Hildon replied, "the mansion is ideal. It's large, visible, and hard to miss," he added.
Chopper smiled. "And we'll get to meet Doctor Hogback," he exclaimed.
"Is he really that famous?" Usopp asked as he rubbed his chin.
"Every doctor knows his name," Chopper said proudly. "He's a surgical genius. He had every honor a doctor could earn. But one day, he vanished. Some said he was abducted. The medical world went into an uproar," he explained.
Hildon nodded. "He's the one. And he's researching… new things," he said.
Nami pulled back the curtain to peek outside. She saw a massive creature with a lion's body prowled beside the carriage. "No way… there are lions here too?" Nami whispered.
It turned and showed its face was human and he was smiling.
Nami screamed. She dropped her wine glass, which splashed all over Chopper.
"Hey! What was that for?!" Usopp yelped as he dodged the spray.
Chopper flailed. "I'm soaked," he responded.
Nami trembled as she drew a picture of a loin with a man's face. "There was a lion like this," she remarked.
Usopp looked out. "There is nothing like that," he responded.
"Then take a look for yourself," Nami said as she opened the curtain. They saw trees. Each tree had a face with exaggerated features. They had large eyes, wide grins, and some were wrapped in bandages. Then there was a cat-like creature with a wide grin and a lion-like beast with sharp teeth that stood out among the crowd.
Nami, Usopp and Chopper blinked and rubbed their eyes. They looked back and saw nothing. Then they all screamed. "Something is there!" they all shouted.
"Wait up a second. Please stop the cart Hildon," Nami requested.
"Why are you so upset?" Hildon asked. "Perhaps you are seeing things," Hildon added.
"No she was not," Usopp said. "There was something out there," he added. "This forest is weird," he said.
"Yes this forest is strange, due to the thick fog, it can cause illusions," Hildon responded.
"So it was not real?" Chopper asked.
"Hang on," Usopp said. "They were real," he stated.
"Hildon, can you bring us to the coast, we can manage from there," Nami said.
"But then I can't meet Doctor Hogback. I want to meet him," Chopper cried.
The carriage creaked forward. "I know you want to meet him, Chopper," Usopp said. "But we need to rely on our instincts. Something fishy is going on here," he added.
"But…" Chopper hesitated, his hooves fidgeting.
Usopp leaned in. "Do you want to live? Or meet Hogback?" he asked.
Chopper gulped. "I want to live," he replied.
"Please take us back. Now," Nami said.
Hildon nodded calmly. "As you wish," he replied. He stepped out of the carriage.
"I'm sorry, Chopper," Nami said gently.
"It's okay," Chopper replied. "I'm not good at running like Luffy. I just wanted to meet him," he added.
They waited. Ten minutes passed.
"This is weird," Usopp muttered as he peered out the window. "He's should have just told them to turn around," he said. Usopp looked around. "He's gone. The horses too," he said. He looked around. "We're alone. In the middle of a graveyard," he added.
"What?!" Nami shouted as he jumped to her feet.
"Maybe he went to the bathroom?" Chopper offered weakly.
"Hildon? Where did you go?" Usopp called out.
Overhead, Hildon flew away. His bat-like wings flapped as he glanced down.
On the ground in the middle of a graveyard. "He abandoned us," Usopp whispered.
Suddenly, Chopper's eyes widened. "There is something there," he said. From the graves, hands began to rise. Their gray, rotting fingers clawed through the soil. One by one, the undead pulled themselves from the earth. They groaned and shambled toward the carriage.
"Z-Z-Zombies," Nami screamed.
The carriage was surrounded. Usopp was grabbed by three of them, struggling as they pulled him down.
"Chopper," Usopp cried.
Chopper transformed into his Heavy Point form and punched a zombie clean in the face. Its head flew off and rolled across the graveyard. Chopper looked surprised.
"Thanks, Chopper," Usopp gasped as he scrambled free.
Nami was being dragged.
Usopp saw this. "Flame Star," Usopp shouted as he launched a flaming projectile from his slingshot. The fireball soared but the zombies dodged with unnatural agility.
"You could've hit us!" one zombie scolded mid-dodge.
"They talk?!" Usopp shrieked.
"They seem mad," Chopper said.
The zombies lunged again.
The trio bolted through the graveyard, dodging grasping hands and leaping over tombstones.
"Keep going," Chopper said.
The fog parted just enough to reveal a looming silhouette ahead.
"I see something there," Nami said. They saw a mansion. "There," Nami shouted.
"That is Doctor Hogback`s Mansion?" Usopp asked.
"We made it," Chopper cried.