Meanwhile at the back of Hogback`s Mansion. "That was a close one," said a man.
"Hey Absalom," Hogback said. "I know you are here," he added. "Were you in the bathing room again?" he asked.
"I was looking for a bride," Absalom responded. "I like that woman. I will make her mine," he added.
"Well you are not getting any of the bounty money," Hogback responded.
"This time, six of them have bounties," said a ghostly figure. "One of them is 200 million and the captain himself is 300 million," the figure added.
"300 million? Are you sure Perona?" Absalom asked.
"The government does not put a bounty that high on any ordinary person Absalom," Hogback said. "We will have to put all our power into capturing them," he added. His eyes glowed red.
Meanwhile in the Thousand Sunny, Luffy, Franky, Porche, Sanji and Zoro stood on the deck. Their ship was trapped in large cobwebs. "No matter what we do, we can't get out," Franky said.
"The Skeleton`s ship is stuck too, just like the Sunny," Zoro said as he crossed his arm. "And the Mini Merry, Usopp and the others who were riding are stuck here too," he added as he looked down. He looked ahead at the bridge. There was a sign saying "Thriller Bark." It was covered in dust and more cobwebs. "With an entry like that, there are going to ghost everywhere," he said.
Porche swallowed her spit. She looked around and saw all the fog. It looked scary. She thought of Nami and the others.
"What are you going on about over there, Zoro?" Luffy said as he wailed his arms. He had a big smile on his face. "You need to come as well," Luffy said in a carefree attitude. "You can even share some of my bento," Luffy said.
Zoro nodded and jumped off the Thousand Sunny. "Let's go," he said. They all walked down the stairs.
At that moment, the three headed dog appeared. It started to bark at the crew. "What is that?" Porche shouted. Her mouth was open.
Luffy looked excited.
"A cerberus," Sanji remarked. "Hell would probably be safer than this place," he added.
"You think it can fight?" Franky asked.
"You think it tastes good?" Luffy questioned with his tongue out.
Cerberus froze, its three heads snarling in confusion. Then it barked.
"Looks like it wants a fight," Zoro said as his hand drifted toward his sword hilt.
But before he could draw, Luffy grabbed his wrist. "No, Zoro. I'll tame it," he said with a wide grin.
"Captain…" Porche warned, watching the beast's claws scrape the ground.
Luffy stepped forward. "Paw," he said cheerfully. He extended his arm like he was greeting a puppy.
Cerberus lunged and bit down hard. The three mouths hit his face and two arms.
"Luffy!" Porche cried.
"That idiot," Franky muttered.
"There, there. Good boy," he said calmly as he stroked the snarling heads with his free hands.
Cerberus blinked. Its grip loosened. He let go of Luffy and took a step back.
Luffy then punched Cerberus square in the chest. He sent the massive beast flying into the wall.
The dust exploded on impact. The wall cracked.
The crew stood frozen.
Cerberus groaned from the rubble, dazed but oddly submissive.
"See?" Luffy said, brushing off his arm. "He's friendly now," he added.
"This is all wrong," Zoro and Sanji said as they looked at the dog getting up and Luffy laughing.
Luffy leapt onto Cerberus's back, grinning wildly as the three-headed beast snarled beneath him. "Let's go," he shouted. "Fun things keep popping up. I love this island," he added.
Porche stared in disbelief. "Monster," she whispered as she watched Luffy ride the stitched-up hellhound like a parade float. She thought about how did she join this crew.
Cerberus trotted past the iron gates, its claws clicking against the stone path as the fog parted to reveal a twisted forest.
Franky looked around. He was confused. "This is weird. We left a tunnel and now we're in a forest?" He looked at the crooked trees. "This place doesn't follow any logic," he added.
Ahead, Luffy spotted something bizarre. He saw a tree with an old man's face carved into its trunk, sipping tea from a saucer beside a dainty unicorn with stitches across its body. "An old man tree and a unicorn drinking tea together," Luffy exclaimed. He immediately stretched his arm toward them. "Hey, you guys should be pirates with me," he said.
"Stop that!" Zoro and Sanji shouted in unison.
The tree and unicorn yelped and galloped off into the mist.
"They got away," Luffy said. The crew continued forward.
Sanji narrowed his eyes. "That tree, the unicorn, even Cerberus… they all have something in common," he commented as they walked down the path.
"Yes," Porche said. "Stitches. And numbered tattoos," she added.
"Numbers? You mean someone's making them?" Zoro remarked.
Sanji exhaled smoke. "It's just a theory. But it's starting to feel like a factory of freaks," he said.
"Look who is talking," Zoro responded.
Suddenly, a ghost floated down from the canopy. It was white and had round, black eyes. It was grinning with eerie cheer. It flapped its stubby arms like it was dancing.
"There it is. A ghost!" Luffy shouted.
Two more identical ghosts appeared. They were spinning and wiggling in midair.
"They're all dancing," Porche said, tilting her head.
"Let me catch one," Luffy jumped into the air. He swung his net but it passed straight through.
"So they can phase through things," Franky observed. He inhaled deeply. His chest expanded. "Fresh Fire," he roared as he unleashed a stream of flames.
The ghost floated through the fire unharmed and then passed straight through Franky's chest.
Franky dropped to his knees. "I'm worthless," he muttered. "I don't have the will to live," he added.
"Why are you getting depressed?" Sanji shouted.
Luffy tried again to catch a ghost but it phased through him. He collapsed dramatically. "If I were to be reborn… I want to be selfish," he said.
"Really. What the hell are you guys doin?" Sanji yelled.
Porche watched the ghosts swirl. "I think it's the ghosts… they're doing something to us," she said.
Zoro crossed his arms. "They're pathetic," he remarked. Then one ghost floated through him.
Zoro dropped to one knee. "I'm sorry I was ever born…" he whispered.
"Enough of that," Sanji shouted as he kicked a rock. "So these ghosts drain your will to live? That's their power?" he remarked.
"I think so, it might be a devil fruit," Porche commented.
The ghosts giggled and danced away, leaving the crew shaken and emotionally scrambled.
Luffy, Zoro, and Franky got to their feet. They were shaking off the lingering effects of the ghost attack.
"Those ghosts," Luffy growled as he stomped forward. "Next time I see them, I'm not holding back," he added.
Franky clenched his fist. "They've gotta have a weakness. Everything does," he said.
Nearby, Sanji and Porche climbed onto Cerberus, who was still chuckling with all three heads.
"That was just too funny," Sanji said as he laughed at Zoro.
"Shut up," Zoro snapped.
Sanji glanced at Porche. He thought back to the ghost. "You might be right. Something's off here… but the real question is: who's behind it?" he questioned.
The crew continued onward until they reached a sprawling graveyard. The tombstones were stretched in every direction. They were crooked and moss-covered. The air was cold and heavy.
"Sanji, this graveyard's huge," Luffy said. "Let's eat our bento here," he added.
"Idiot," Sanji replied. "Eating in a graveyard is bad luck," he added.
Suddenly, the ground shifted. A zombie clawed its way out of a grave, its face was covered in badges and stitched scars.
The crew froze.
Luffy walked up casually and pushed it back down. "There, there. Go back to sleep," he said.
The zombie sprang back up. "Why the hell would I wanna go back?" he shouted.
Luffy squinted. "Is this just a badly injured old guy?" he asked.
"It's a zombie, obviously," Porche, Sanji, Zoro, and Franky said in unison.
"Underestimating us zombies is a mistake," the zombie growled. More zombies erupted from the graves. They were shouting and flailing.
"Are zombies supposed to be this lively?" Sanji asked. He watched them jump around.
"We'll show you how dangerous we really are," the old zombie said.
Luffy grinned. "Oh, you wanna fight? Fine. We'll show you how dangerous we are," he said.
"Six hundred twenty-one million bounty jackpot," the crew shouted. Luffy punched the zombie straight in the jaw. Franky launched his mechanical arm. Zoro sliced through them. Sanji spun and kicked them. Porche twirled her baton and knocked several. The zombies collapsed in a heap.
Luffy stood over them. "So… what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Zombie stuff," one muttered.
"Yeah, rotting and stuff," another added.
Luffy narrowed his eyes. "Are you messing with me?" he asked.
"No. We're sorry," the zombies cried in unison.
"Have you seen a man with a long nose, a woman with orange hair, and a reindeer-like raccoon dog?" Luffy asked.
"We have orders not to give out that information," one zombie said. "Orders!" they all chanted.
Luffy cracked his knuckles. "So you absolutely won't tell us?" he questioned.
"They came through here," the zombies blurted instantly.
"They're my friends. You didn't touch them, right?" Luffy asked.
"We didn't," one zombie said.
"Are you sure?" Luffy pressed.
"He tried to kick one," another pointed.
"Don't sell us out," a third snapped. "You tried to bite one," he added.
"We all attacked together," another admitted.
"Don't say that!" they shouted at each other.
The Straw Hats beat them down again.
Porche pointed to a path. "They must've gone that way," she said.
"Good," Luffy said, smiling. "I'm glad they're okay," he added.
Suddenly, a voice called out. "Wait. Please hear my story," he shouted. An old man limped forward, collapsing to his knees.
"A badly injured old man?" Luffy asked.
"It's a zombie," Franky, Zoro, and Sanji said together.
"No," the man said weakly. "I'm just an old man… badly injured," he replied. "There are so many victims. If he were defeated, they'd all be saved. I'd be grateful if my shadow was returned," he said.
Luffy looked at him. "You're missing your shadow too?" he said.
"Who did this?" Zoro asked.
"Moria," the man replied.
"Moria?" Luffy echoed.
"Who's that?" Sanji asked.
Porche's eyes widened. "That name. I saw it in the newspaper. He's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea," she responded.