Kuro did not let down his guard. He pointed toward the Wano-style zombie with the katana at his waist.
"I'll take this one. You deal with the other."
"Why don't I get the Wano one?"
Kuro cast a sidelong glance at the ever-argumentative Buggy, then waved his hand dismissively. "Fine, you take him."
"…On second thought, you can have him." Buggy quickly backpedaled, then jabbed a finger toward the bottle-wielding zombie. "That one's mine!"
Keeping his feet planted in place, the rest of Buggy's body split apart, flying forward aggressively toward the drunken zombie.
But before he got close, the Wano zombie made the first move.
"Yoh-ho-ho-ho—!"
With a sudden surge, the Wano zombie drew the katana at lightning speed. It was a black blade, radiating a chilling killing intent.
Vmm—
The slanted slash cut through the air. The wound it carved into the world appeared only a heartbeat later.
Crack!
The entire bridge split in two. A massive section collapsed into the abyss below, leaving only broken stubs on either end.
Buggy's head was neatly sliced in half by the attack as well.
For a moment he gaped in shock, then snapped it back together—his expression turning flustered and angry. "You nearly scared me to death! For a second there, I thought you really cut me down!"
The Wano zombie stood unmoving, then sighed. "So slashes really are useless against you, eh…? This body's original owner could sever anything— even sky-dwelling dragons could not escape his blade. And yet… it seems I cannot do the same."
With the bridge's collapse, the battlefield was split into two.
Kuro now stood on one side with the Wano zombie.
Buggy had flown to the opposite end, left facing the bottle zombie alone.
The Wano zombie glanced once at Buggy, then turned back to Kuro.
"Who are you?" Kuro had overheard the zombie's muttering just now, and knew this opponent was no ordinary foe.
"Yoh-ho-ho-ho… Which do you mean? The body? Or the shadow?"
"Is there a difference?" Kuro's mind was already piecing together the truth of this island.
"The 'shadow' is merely that of a swordsman from fifty years ago…" The Wano zombie lifted his black blade, his stance curiously resembling that of a fencer. "But the body… that belongs to none other than the swordsman of Wano—Ryuma of the Shimotsuki clan."
With his withered left hand, he caressed the black sword. "This is his legendary blade—Shusui, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords."
The swordsman zombie grinned. "State your name. I do not cut down nameless men."
"Ryuma… and Shusui." Kuro crossed his Ten-Blade Cat Claws before his legs, narrowing his eyes. "Very well. I am Kuro."
"Then watch closely, Kuro—watch as I sever your head!"
---
Meanwhile, on the other half of the bridge, battle had already begun.
"This guy's too quick!" Buggy's throwing knives and mini-bombs were all evaded by the drunken zombie, who even paused mid-fight to take a swig of liquor.
At last, when the bottle was drained completely, he shook it upside down to check. Not a drop remained.
With a crash, he smashed the bottle against the ground. Shards scattered everywhere.
"Little pirate… allow Captain John to test you."
Drawing the twin swords at his waist, he lunged with startling speed.
"Captain John—?"
The name rang a bell for Buggy. After a moment's thought, he remembered—wasn't Captain John one of the great pirates from the Rocks Pirates?
Could this really be the same man? And if so, how had he fallen to such a state?
But in the heat of battle, Buggy had no time to ponder.
He whipped out his pistol and fired. Captain John twisted aside, the bullet whistling past.
In the blink of an eye, the zombie pirate closed the distance. His twin swords stabbed and slashed relentlessly, chopping Buggy's body into countless pieces.
"Ha ha ha! Ordinary slashes don't work on me. That Wano zombie just demonstrated that, didn't he?"
Buggy gloated as he hurled more knives.
Captain John flickered out of the way again.
Neither could harm the other—John's slashes meant nothing to Buggy, while Buggy's blades could not pierce his foe.
The two began to pant, but it was John who drained more stamina.
Still, Buggy didn't want to drag this out.
Especially since his feet were still with Kuro on the other side of the bridge—if that fight spread, his legs could be in danger. He needed to finish here quickly and return.
"If only I still had that golden shield…" Buggy thought regretfully. "Shame it got destroyed back in Water 7…"
Then his eyes lit up with an idea.
His head spun around in the air, then suddenly dove straight at Captain John.
The zombie's body was indeed that of the great pirate himself, once a monster of physical strength. He easily dodged the charging head.
But the "shadow soul" within him was another matter. Though decent by zombie standards, when placed inside Captain John's corpse it provided little enhancement—in fact, it dragged his potential down.
If the shadow had possessed Haki, John might have stood a chance.
As Buggy's head whizzed past, John frowned. "What trick are you playing at, clown?"
The answer came too late. Suddenly, his body tightened. Looking down, he realized Buggy's scattered flesh had latched onto his back and torso, clinging tightly.
The head-on charge was only a feint.
"Combination Lock Technique!"
Buggy's arms hooked around John's throat, while his legs coiled around his waist. Both pulled in opposite directions—forcing John into a brutal, bridge-like backbend.
Crack!
With a sickening snap, Captain John's spine shattered.
Buggy released his grip. John collapsed limp to the ground, his twin swords clattering from his hands.
"To think… I'd lose. To a nobody…"
The zombie gave a few raspy laughs. "Too bad I'm not the real Captain John. Otherwise, my defeat would not be so pitiful…"
With his spine broken, even as an undead, his body could no longer move.
Buggy puffed himself up in triumph—but froze at those words. "Wait… you mean you really are connected to the Captain John of the Rocks Pirates?"
"My body belonged to him, yes. Perhaps he was cursed for trying to hoard treasure. Betrayed by his crew, he was gunned down, stabbed to death, and in the end… his remains found their way to Doctor Hogback, who remade me into this. As for the shadow… I can't recall whose it was."
"Treasure—?" Buggy's eyes lit up. "I heard Captain John's treasure was never found. Do you know where it is?"
The zombie stared at him for a moment. "You're not afraid? That treasure carries a curse."
"What's there to fear?" Buggy's eyes gleamed with unrestrained greed.
"Ha ha ha… Then seek it out. Captain John's treasure lies hidden within a certain bracelet. And that bracelet… rests among the troves Lord Moria has painstakingly gathered over the years."