One Piece Chapter 448: Moria

Inside the mansion, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper find a room covered with photographs of Cindry. Usopp studies the portraits and says, "NOW THAT I LOOK AT IT AGAIN, SHE'S QUITE PRETTY..." then realizes, "THE SERVANT GIRL, CINDRY-CHAN... IS THIS HER ROOM...?" Nami doubts it: "WOULD YOU PUT UP THIS MANY PICTURES OF YOURSELF IN YOUR OWN ROOM?" Chopper notices the difference between the woman in the photos and the Cindry they met: "BUT SHE HAD A LOT OF SCARS FROM STITCHES ALL OVER HER FACE AND BODY." Usopp agrees, "THAT'S TRUE... NONE OF THESE PHOTOS HAVE THEM... IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S SOMEONE ELSE... SO IT MUST BE HER OLD PHOTO...!!"

Chopper reads the clippings in the room and finds the name behind the photographs: "VICTORIA CINDRY..." He explains, "IT SEEMS LIKE SHE WAS A FAIRLY FAMOUS STAGE ACTRESS. LOOK, THESE ARE ALL THE ARTICLES ABOUT HER." Usopp is confused because she was introduced as a servant: "ACTRESS? DIDN'T HE SAY THAT SHE WAS A SERVANT SOMEWHERE BEFORE, TOO?" Nami remembers the story: "SHE WAS KICKED OUT AFTER SHE BROKE SOME DISHES OR SOMETHING." Chopper says that version makes no sense: "LOOKING AT THIS, IT'S UNTHINKABLE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH SHE WAS BORN INTO AN ARISTOCRATIC FAMILY. SHE WAS POPULAR EVER SINCE SHE WAS A CHILD..." Then he freezes at a darker article. Usopp asks, "WHAT IS IT?" Chopper reads, "... FELL OFF THE STAGE..." and Nami finishes the discovery: "SHE DIED IN AN ACCIDENT... TEN YEARS AGO."

The truth hits them at once. Usopp screams, "WHAAAA!? WH-WH-WH-WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!?" Nami insists, "SHE WAS ALIVE!! SHE'S NOT DEAD!!" Chopper looks shaken but follows the logic: "... BUT IF THAT OBITUARY IS REAL, THEN THAT MEANS THAT SHE'S BEEN DEAD ONCE AND REVIVED." He reaches the conclusion none of them wanted: "THE ONES ON THIS ISLAND ARE... REALLY ZOMBIES. THE ONES THAT WE SAW ARE ALL... THE DEAD BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE!!" Outside, the mansion howls, and Usopp cries, "WHAT THE HELL!? IT'S GETTING EVEN CREEPIER...!! IT WAS BETTER NOT TO KNOW THAT...!!" Then Chopper spots a chest and instantly changes mood: "WAIT, USOPP!! ISN'T THAT... A TREASURE CHEST!!?" Usopp and Nami shout for him to try it: "WHAT A QUICK CHANGE!" "OPEN IT!! TRY TO OPEN THAT CHEST!"

The treasure chest springs open as a trap. A jack-in-the-box zombie bursts out yelling, "TOO BAAAD!!! THE PLACE TO HOLD THE TREASURE ISN'T IN HERE!!!!" The three shriek, "GYAAH!! JACK IN THE BOOOOX!!!" and more zombies spill from the wall paintings. Someone cries, "THEY CAME OUT!" and the room erupts with "GYAAAAH, PAINTING ZOMBIES!!!" Even in panic, Usopp catches the clue in the zombie's words: "'THE PLACE TO HOLD THE TREASURE'... ISN'T IN HERE!? THAT ZOMBIE DEFINITELY SAID THAT...!!"

In the mansion hallway, zombies realize intruders are loose. One calls out, "OOH, IT'S YOU...!! IT SEEMS AS THOUGH SOMEONE IS LOST IN THE MANSION...!!" and another greets the skeletal swordsman as "OH! BODYGUARD...!!" Brook answers cheerfully, "YO HO HO HO HO!!! NOT A PROBLEM!! I'LL CATCH THEM." Outside, Luffy is still imagining bizarre new crewmates. Franky complains, "WE ALREADY HAVE A RACCOON DOG AND A ROBOT, AMONG OTHER THINGS!!!" and snaps, "HEY, I'M NOT A ROBOT, I'M A CYBORG, YOU DORK!!" Someone shoots back, "WELL, YOU'RE NOT A HUMAN ANYMORE, THAT'S FOR SURE."

Luffy keeps the absurd argument going: "I'M BASED ON A HUMAN!!" Franky fires back, "YOU'RE BASED ON SOMETHING ABNORMAL!!!" and Sanji protests, "NO, I'M NOT PRAISING YOU!!!" Luffy looks ahead eagerly: "WHAT'S GONNA COME OUT NEXT~~~ HOW FUN~~~ LIKE THE 'TREE MAN' AND THAT 'UNICORN' THAT WE JUST SAW..." Zoro asks, "WHAT IS IT?" Robin calmly summarizes the pattern: "THE COMMON DENOMINATOR FOR THE ODD CREATURES IN THIS FOREST ARE BANDAGES, SCARS FROM STITCHES, AND NUMBERS ENGRAVED ON THEIR BODIES." Zoro agrees, "NUMBERS, HUH... THAT'S TRUE." Robin says, "... IT MEANS THAT THEY'RE BEING MONITORED BY SOMETHING. THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS." Then Luffy hears something and says, "HM? I CAN HEAR SOMETHING." Pale ghosts drift out of the dark, murmuring, "NEGATIVE. NEGATIVE," and the crew spots them: "THERE!! IT'S A GHOOOST!!!"

The ghosts multiply as they float and dance through the graveyard. Someone says, "THEY'RE MULTIPLYING WHILE DANCING, HOW FUNNY!?" while another mutters, "WHAT A DISTURBING CALL..." Luffy's first reaction is not fear but desire: "I'LL CATCH AND RAISE THEM!!" Franky recognizes the danger too late: "THEY'RE TOTALLY SPIRITS... ALL RIGHT..." Luffy attacks with a net and shouts, "FRESH FIRE!!!!" but the ghosts pass straight through him with "HORO HORO HORO."

Franky sees Luffy's attack fail and says, "NO GOOD, IT DIDN'T WORK." Then a ghost passes through him too. In an instant, both Luffy and Franky collapse into despair. Franky groans, "IT'S USELESS. I'M TOTALLY NO GOOD THIS WEEK... EVERYTHING I DO IS NO GOOD. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE TO LIVE. ... I SHOULD DIE." Luffy sinks beside him and mutters, "IF I'M GOING TO BE REBORN... I WANT TO BE A SHELL. I'M THE WORST... I SHOULD DIE..." Sanji explodes, "HOW DEPRESSED ARE YOU GETTING!!? YOU BASTARD!!" As more ghosts whisper "NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE," Sanji yells at the two fallen men, "LIKE I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING TOGETHER!!?"

Zoro studies the effect and says, "MAYBE WHEN YOU TOUCH THESE GHOSTS, YOUR WILL BECOMES WEAK..." Sanji scoffs, "THAT'S SILLY," then lectures the broken pair: "... HMPH, THEY'RE PATHETIC. IT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T USUALLY PREPARE THEIR SPIRITS, THAT THEY GET THEIR MINDS PLAYED WITH BY SOME WEIRD GHOSTS!!" Luffy and Franky keep crying, "I'M SORRY I WAS BORN..." until even a ghost snaps, "THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" Sanji admits, "IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT ROBIN-CHAN SAID IS TRUE... WHAT AN ODD ISLAND." The ghosts drift away with "HORO HORO HORO" and "NEGATIVE. NEGATIVE." Zoro warns that if these are enemies, they will be difficult: "ON TOP OF NOT HAVING BODIES, IF YOUR WILLPOWER IS CUT DOWN JUST BY TOUCHING THEM... IF THEY'RE 'ENEMIES,' THEY'LL BE A HANDFUL." Robin answers, "THAT'S TRUE."

Once the effect wears off, Franky tries to laugh it away: "SHUT UP!!! WAHHAHA! I SAW SOMETHING AMUSING." Luffy is furious instead: "I WON'T FORGIVE THEM!!! THEY MUST HAVE A WEAKNESS!! I'LL ERADICATE THEM!!! IF THOSE GHOSTS COME AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA RAISE THEM, EITHER!! I DON'T NEED THEM!!" Sanji separates the island's threats: "THE PUT-TOGETHER CREATURES WITH NUMBERS SEEM TO BE IN A CATEGORY OF THEIR OWN, BUT... THOSE GHOSTS ARE A DIFFERENT KIND OF CREATURE." He remembers, "THOSE WERE ON THE SHIP, TOO... THEY WOULD COME OUT ONCE IN A WHILE AND APPEARED TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR US... THE PROBLEM IS... WHO IS BEHIND IT?" Then Luffy spots a vast graveyard and says, "HEY, IT'S A HUGE GRAVEYARD! IT REALLY SETS THE MOOD. HEY, LET'S EAT OUR LUNCH HERE!!" Sanji refuses: "IDIOT. IT'LL MAKE THE FOOD TASTE BAD. ON TOP OF THAT, WE'RE IN A HURRY."

A weak voice comes from the graves: "AAAAH..." A hand reaches up from the earth, and Luffy, completely misreading the situation, grabs it and hauls the figure out with a sharp "PA!" The buried corpse yells, "I'M NOT GOING BACK JUST LIKE THAT, YOU FOOL!!!" Luffy stares at him and asks, "AN OLD PERSON WITH MAJOR INJURIES!?" The others shout the obvious correction: "IT'S A ZOMBIE ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT!!!"

The graveyard explodes with zombies. They rise shouting, "HOW DARE YOU LOOK DOWN ON ZOMBIES...!!!" "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE US!!!!" "URUA!!!" "UOACHAH!!!" and "HOACHOH!!!" Luffy watches the lively dead and says, "I DIDN'T KNOW THAT ZOMBIES ARE THIS LIVELY." One zombie rallies the others: "SHOW THEM HOW DANGEROUS ZOMBIES ARE!!!" Dogs bark "WAN! WAN! KOON!" and the dead roar "WULOOOH!!!!" The Straw Hats calmly prepare. Zoro says, "CHARY," Sanji says, "BERI," Luffy says, "BOSS," Franky says, "SUPA!" and Robin says, "FWAH." Luffy understands their intent: "I SEE, SO THEY WANT TO FIGHT." Someone adds, "WE CAN ALSO TEACH THEM HOW DANGEROUS WE ARE...!!"

The graveyard turns into a one-sided brawl. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and Franky smash through the attacking zombies from every direction, bodies and stitched limbs flying across the battlefield. Over the chaos comes the shout, "600 MILLION BERI JACKPOT!!!" The zombies' confidence breaks under the combined force of the Straw Hats' bounties and strength.

After the beating, Luffy questions the defeated zombies. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?" he asks. They answer, "UMM? ... WE'RE ZOMBIES, SO... WE WERE BURIED, OR MORE LIKE WE WERE ROTTING..." One admits, "I WAS ROTTING," and another adds, "ME, TOO." Luffy is unimpressed: "YOU JOKING AROUND?" The zombies panic and cry, "WE'RE SORRY!!" "FOR REAL!!" Luffy asks about his missing friends: "A GUY WITH A LONG NOSE AND... A GIRL WITH ORANGE HAIR, AND... A RACCOON DOG THAT LOOKS LIKE A REINDEER. DID THEY PASS THROUGH HERE?" The zombies tremble: "AHH!?" "AAAAH, YES, YES, YES..." Then they hesitate: "... BUT WE CAN'T SAY!! WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY ANYTHING TO ANYONE ABOUT INFORMATION SUCH AS THAT." Luffy presses them: "HMM... SO YOU SURE YOU WON'T TALK?" After a pause, the narration shifts toward the mansion: "THREE OF THEM PASSED."

Luffy thinks of his crew and warns the zombies, "THEY'RE MY NAKAMA. YOU DIDN'T MESS WITH THEM, DID YOU?" The zombies stammer, "EH...!?" "N-" "NO, I DIDN'T!" "I DIDN'T, EITHER." "... I DIDN'T." Luffy demands, "BE TRUTHFUL!!!" and one zombie points out the guilty ones: "THIS GUY DID." Another shouts, "EH!? HEY, DON'T SELL OUT YOUR FRIENDS!!" The accused protest, "AND... YOU BIT THEM, TOO!!!" "FOOL!! DON'T SAY THAT." "WE ALL ATTACKED THEM." From the sky come wingbeats, "FLAP FLAP," as the scene widens toward the mansion. Luffy is relieved: "IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY HEADED TOWARDS THAT MANSION. I'M GLAD THEY'RE SAFE." Zoro notes, "THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT BROOK..." and Sanji says, "IT'S OK IF HE ISN'T AROUND."

As the crew walks away, one zombie calls after them, "HEY!! ... H-HEY, YOU GUYS...!! WAIT A MOMENT!!" He admits, "I... WAS WATCHING. YOU'RE HORRENDOUSLY STRONG. WILL YOU LET ME TALK A LITTLE!?" Luffy turns back with the same misunderstanding as before: "AN OLD GUY WITH MAJOR INJURIES?" The crew corrects him again: "LIKE WE SAID, IT'S A ZOMBIE!!!" The zombie insists, "NO, I'M AN OLD GUY WITH MAJOR INJURIES." Sanji shouts, "HOW CONFLUSING!!!" and another voice snaps, "YOU CAN JUST BE A ZOMBIE." The old-looking zombie reveals the real problem: "THERE'S A GUY I WANT YOU GUYS TO BEAT...!! YOU GUYS WILL BE ABLE TO DO IT!!" He explains, "THERE WERE A WHOLE BUNCH OF VICTIMS, BUT... IF YOU BEAT HIM, THEY'LL ALL BE SAVED. ONCE MY 'SHADOW' RETURNS, I'LL THANK YOU AS MUCH AS YOU WANT."

The Straw Hats realize the old zombie-like man has no shadow. Sanji says, "THAT'S TRUE: YOU DON'T HAVE A SHADOW, EITHER. JUST LIKE BROOK...!!!" Zoro asks the questions that matter: "WHOSE WORK IS THIS ANYWAY? WHO'S ON THIS ISLAND?" The man answers, "A MAN CALLED MORIA. HE'S REALLY FRIGHTENING...!!" Luffy repeats the name: "MORIA?" Robin recognizes it at once: "DO YOU MEAN...! YOU DON'T MEAN GECKO MORIA......?" Luffy remembers, "YEAH... THAT'S RIGHT... THAT MORIA!!" Zoro asks, "ROBIN, YOU KNOW OF HIM?" Robin says, "... I KNOW HIS NAME WELL. EVEN HIS ORIGINAL BOUNTY SURPASSES YOURS, LUFFY...!!" Then she reveals the weight of the name: "GECKO MORIA... IS ONE OF THE SHICHIBUKAI!!!"

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