Stunned, Absalom quickly shoved the amorous warthog's face away. "Lola, what are you doing here?" he demanded, trying to sound authoritative. "Why aren't you in Perona's garden helping with the ambush?"
"Because I knew that you, my dear Master Absalom, would want to hold a romantic wedding with me at this very moment," the zombie cooed lovingly.
As the lion-faced general and the boar zombie argued, a sharp voice cut through the air from the church entrance.
"I found you! You're the villain who kidnapped Sister Carina!"
Carrot and Kotatsu stood silhouetted in the doorway, their eyes locked on the scene within.
"Eh?" Absalom blinked, confused by Carrot's appearance. "You… you have a strange look about you. You're no ordinary human girl, are you?"
"That doesn't matter!" Carrot shot back, her usual cheerfulness replaced by a cold fury. "What were you planning to do to my friend?"
Seeing Carina lying safely on a nearby bench, Carrot let out a secret sigh of relief before she and Kotatsu slowly advanced into the church.
Absalom's eyes flickered toward the unconscious Carina. A lecherous grin spread across his face. "So my bride's name is Carina? A lovely name."
"What?! You're marrying her?!" the wild boar zombie shrieked, realizing the unfaithful man hadn't come for her at all. He had found another woman and brought her here for a wedding! "I won't allow it!"
Consumed by jealousy, Zombie Lola raised her giant axe and brought it crashing down toward the still-unconscious Carina. Absalom reached out to stop her, but the zombie was too clever. Anticipating his move, she let go of the handle at the last second, sending the axe flying through the air on its own.
But in a flash of white and gold, Carina vanished from the bench just as the axe blade splintered the wood into pieces. Absalom and Lola turned to see that Carrot had already snatched Carina and was gently placing her on Kotatsu's back.
"Kotatsu, protect Sister Carina," Carrot ordered softly. Her gaze then returned to the two zombies, her eyes glowing with intensity. "You tried to hurt my friend. I will not forgive you."
In that moment, the harmless, innocent rabbit mink disappeared. She had grown up on Zou, where all citizens are trained as warriors from a young age, and she had received careful instruction from Musketeers like Wanda and Guardians like Pedro. She cherished her friends deeply, and she would show no mercy to anyone who threatened them.
Slipping on her clawed fighting gloves, Carrot's body erupted in crackling electricity. She crouched low, and in the next instant, she vanished, reappearing directly in front of the two stunned zombies.
"Electro-Luna Strike!"
Gathering the electricity from her entire body into her hands, Carrot leaped into the air. She descended like a thunderbolt, launching a swift, ferocious attack from above. The blast of lightning exploded at the zombies' feet with a deafening roar. The wild boar, Lola, had no time to dodge and took the full force of the powerful electric current. Her body was instantly charred, and the distinct smell of burnt pork filled the air as she collapsed in a heap.
Absalom, who had been focused on his potential bride, was secretly glad to see Carina rescued. He was completely unprepared for Carrot's sudden, explosive attack. He leaped back with all his might, but the arc of electricity still grazed him. The current traveled up the two concealed cannon barrels strapped to his arms, sending a painful jolt through his body. Thanks to the incredible durability granted by his patchwork animal body, he was not seriously injured, but the shock left him staggering.
"Ahem… little girl, I didn't want to hurt a female," he grunted, shaking his arm. "But it seems you're not entirely human, are you? In that case, I'll have to bend my rules a little."
Carrot ignored his words, stepping over the smoldering pig zombie and pouncing on him again. Absalom fired his invisible arm cannons, but even though she couldn't see the barrels, Carrot's keen instincts allowed her to dodge the projectiles with ease. He tried to move in for a physical attack, but when he looked up, his opponent had vanished again. He didn't have time to react before a fierce attack struck his flank.
"Electro Claw!"
His invisibility was useless. The Clear-Clear fruit could hide his form, but it couldn't hide the strong, beastly odor that clung to his body, a scent Carrot could track effortlessly. Absalom parried hastily but was still hit by the electric shock, which made his muscles seize and forced him to reappear.
He was in trouble. This small rabbit girl possessed astonishing speed and flexibility, and her strength was far greater than he had anticipated. His own body, weighing over 300 kilograms, was no match for her relentless, electrified attacks. The constant jolts made him timid, unable to fight at full strength. After a frantic exchange, Absalom decided his best option was to escape and find reinforcements.
As he was distracted, searching for an opening, he saw a cold determination flash in Carrot's eyes. For a split second, the lightning enveloping her body receded, only to be drawn into the claws on her right hand. Jerry had taught her this trick: using a low-level current to activate her cells, pushing her already incredible mink speed to an entirely new level.
She condensed every last spark of electricity in her body into her palm, forming a dazzling, furiously crackling ball of energy. The sound of the gathering power was like hundreds of birds chirping at once, a deafening crescendo of pure energy. In that shocking moment, Carrot appeared right beside Absalom, moving so fast she was little more than a blur.
Absalom had no time to dodge. He threw a desperate punch, hoping to knock her away. But this was exactly what Carrot had anticipated. Her super-charged reflexes allowed her to duck under his clumsy swing in an instant, and she drove her electrified claws forward. The attack struck him squarely in the chest.
Absalom's thick hide was instantly pierced. A powerful electrical charge coursed through his body, charring the wound black and sending wisps of smoke into the air. He coughed up a spray of blood, his body twitching uncontrollably before he finally collapsed, unconscious.
Though Carrot hadn't fully mastered the move, it was more than enough to deal with Absalom. She stood over him, gasping for breath, as Carina, who had woken up at some point during the fight, jumped off Kotatsu's back.
"Carrot! Are you okay?" she asked, rushing to the mink's side.
"Sister Carina, you're awake!"
Just then, a massive explosion roared from overhead, shaking the entire church. The two looked at each other, then at the fallen enemies. They didn't know what was happening above, but they couldn't risk the building collapsing on them. Under Carrot's lead, they quickly fled, retracing their steps back the way they came.
Meanwhile, on another side of the estate, Jerry and a trembling Brook had finally reached the vicinity of Hogback's mansion. The journey had been nerve-wracking for the skeleton; at every shadow, he was convinced a zombie was about to leap out. Jerry, however, remained unconcerned. He knew that as long as they defeated Moria, the zombie soldiers would be no threat at all. He wasn't about to waste his time on small fry.
"Next," Brook said, his voice now firm with resolve, "I must find the samurai, Ryoma. The one who possesses my shadow." His fists clenched. "For years, I have done nothing but train, all for the day I could defeat him and take back what is mine."
"Lead the way," Jerry said, giving Brook an encouraging nod. "I've got your back."
"Thank you, Mr. Jerry. Let's go."
Knowing that Ryoma served as one of the mansion's primary guards, Brook led Jerry on a stealthy approach, sneaking directly into the main research institute. They had barely stepped inside when a cold, arrogant voice echoed from the hall.
"Well, well. What a rare guest."
Standing before them was a samurai zombie in full armor, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana. It was Ryoma.
He looked down at Brook with a contemptuous sneer. "So, the shadow returns to its source. Did you finally work up the courage to face me again after all this time?"