Luffy, Franky, and Porche continued down a dimly lit passage. The walls were lined with towering suits of armor. Each knight stood frozen, their visors were down and swords were at their sides.
"Hey, Piglet," Luffy said as he rubbed his knuckles against Buhichuck's forehead. "You've definitely done something wrong," he added.
"I told you from the start. I don't know anything," Buhichuck squealed as he was dangling helplessly in Franky's hand. He giggled nervously,
"You are laughing," Franky said.
Porche glanced around. "I hope Nami and the others are okay," she remarked.
Luffy looked around. "Even Zoro's gone now. That's weird," he commented. Then, without warning, he leapt into a golden suit of armor standing nearby. "Where did they all go?" he asked, pulling down the metal visor. "Sanji and Zoro always wander off. It can't be helped," he added.
Franky smacked the back of Luffy's helmet. "What are you doing at a time like this?" he asked.
"I found it lying around," Luffy said as he turned around. "Isn't it a man's romance to wear cool armor?" he asked.
Franky paused. His hand was over his heart. "Romance…" he whispered.
Luffy grinned. "When you got that steel body, did your heart turn to iron too?" he asked.
Franky sniffled. "Please forgive me… I never meant to go so far," he said. He pulled out a guitar and began to strum them. Luffy clapped behind him.
Buhichuck groaned. "Are you two even aware of the situation you're in?" he remarked.
Porche rolled her eyes. She thought boys. She walked ahead. "Luffy, Franky, we've reached a big hall," she said.
Buhichuck began to laugh ominously.
The trio stepped into a vast chamber. A circular fence enclosed an oval field of grass. Behind the fence were several massive circus tents. Their stripes were faded and torn.
"You'd better prepare yourselves," Buhichuck said. "There's no escaping from here," he added.
Suddenly, a knight in full armor appeared atop a wall. He leapt down with his sword aimed at Franky.
Franky looked up just in time. He dodged the attack. The blade slammed into the ground, and kicked up a cloud of dust.
"What was that?" Franky shouted.
The knight rose. "A moving suit of armor," Luffy said as his eyes sparkled.
"A zombie?" Porche asked as she held her batons.
"Just because zombies are well-equipped doesn't mean I'm scared," Franky said as he stepped forward.
The zombie knight lunged with his sword raised.
"Strong Right," Franky shouted as he raised his fist and punched the knight's gut. The knight flew backward and landed on his feet. He skidded across the grass.
The knight stood. He swung his sword in a vertical and horizontal arc to form a cross. He launched it like a projectile. The projectile went through the air.
Franky dodged the attack. He watched the cross smash through a wall.
"So you can fence," Franky said. He opened his left arm. "Weapons Left," he added. The zombie knight came charging towards Franky.
Franky extended a bazooka from his forearm. He fired the shot and hit the knight.
The explosion sent the knight flying again and landed on the ground. There was smoke. However he rose up again.
He then charged forward. He raised his sword once again. Franky blocked the first strike. The zombie knight moved the sword down and slashed his torso.
"Franky," Luffy shouted.
Franky gritted his teeth. "It'll take more than that to kill me," he said as he grabbed the zombie knight's helmet and hurled him across the room.
The knight crashed into the ground. However slowly, he rose again.
"He's getting up again?" Luffy said.
"He's completely different from the zombies we've seen so far," Franky muttered.
Buhichuck laughed from the sidelines. "Soon you'll understand what makes them so terrifying," he said.
"That guy's still talking from way over there," Luffy remarked.
"Maybe he's scared," Porche said as she held her batons.
"They don't feel pain," Buhichuck continued. "And every one of those armored General Zombies made a name for themselves in battle. Knights who became criminals, legendary samurai, infamous pirates, deadly gunslingers… all reborn and invincible. You don't stand a chance," he said.
Luffy narrowed his eyes.
"Even now, your friends are in peril," Buhichuck added.
"You," Luffy growled. He charged forward.
Suddenly, a wall slammed down between them. "He blocked the path," Luffy said.
"Luffy, there's more ahead," Porche called out.
They turned to see Gill Bastar, Ganzui, and several other zombie knights. They all had their weapons drawn.
"There's no point fighting them one by one," Franky said. "Our attacks barely hurt them. If we go head-on, we'll be overwhelmed," he added.
"You're right," Porche agreed. "But I think the courtyard's just ahead," she added.
"Then let's get there," Luffy said. "Make sure no one disappears," he added.
Porche gulped.
Franky ran forward and launched his mechanical arm at Ganzui. The attack hitted his face and he was sent flying.
Porche saw a number of zombies coming towards her. She dodged and struck them with batons. She saw the bantons did almost no damage to them. She jumped back.
"Gum-Gum no Bazooka," Luffy shouted as he stretched his arms back and slamming several knights into the wall.
Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Phoenix of the Thirty-Six Earthly Desires," he said as a sword-wielding figure swung his blade over his head and sent a slicing air projectile toward Luffy.
Luffy dodged the attack. "That attack… Zoro?"he questioned.
From the shadows stepped a man. He was middle-aged, with shadowy eyes, long black hair, and a toothbrush mustache. His head was wrapped in bandages. There were nails coming from his skull. His yellow shirt read YOUR SONG, and his body was wrapped in belts and bullet-holed armor. He wore sandals and black socks over his hairy legs.
"A scar on a warrior's back is a shame," he said solemnly.
"Who are you?" Luffy asked. "I thought you were Zoro," he added.
"My name is Jigoro," the man replied.
"So you're just like him…" Luffy said with a smile on his face.
Suddenly, a coffin dropped from the ceiling and snapped shut around Luffy.
Meanwhile, Franky and Porche burst out of the building, They both were panting.
"Where's Luffy?" Porche asked.
"I don't know," Franky said. *"With that armor, he could be anywhere," he added.
They looked around. Porche was gasping for breath. The zombies were relentless.
"Let go of me," a muffled voice cried.
They looked up and saw a coffin suspended above them.
"Is that Luffy?" Porche asked.
"He's in there?" Franky said. "We need to get him out," he added.
"Wait there," said a voice Suddenly, a massive figure dropped down in front of them. It was a grotesque fusion of monkey and spider. He had the head, hands, and tail of a monkey, but the body of a black-and-yellow striped spider. There were bandages wrapped around his limbs and torso, and he wore a battered aviator cap with one goggle over his left eye. His right eye was shadowed, and a tooth was missing from his grin.
"A gigantic spider?" Porche gasped.
"That thing's bigger than any insect I've ever seen," Franky said.
"I'm the widely feared Spider Monkey Tararan," the creature declared. "You're not getting away. Your fate will be the same as his," he added. He laughed maniacally.