One Piece Chapter 458: Just Not the Afro!

A towering stone castle rises against the sky as floating sections drift nearby with motion lines. A voice exclaims, "HOOO, WHAT A THING TO HAPPEN...". In the next tier, a group of armored and bandaged figures stands amid rubble; one declares, "WE, WHO ARE SO ROTTEN BAD THAT OUR PASSWORD IS 'WE WON'T DIE.'" while another growls, "HATE BEING AFRAID OF ANNIHILATION!!!". Nearby speech bubbles read, "THAT KNOW OUR WEAKNESS TO APPEAR...!!" and "FOR PEOPLE OTHER THAN 'HUMMING'". Sound effects "ドゴォ ドゴォ" punctuate the scene. Below, a vast stone staircase descends into shadow. A voice states, "I SEE. LUFFY WAS TRANSPORTED THROUGH HERE!!" Another replies, "IF WE FOLLOW THIS, NAMI WILL.....!!" A third notes, "I HEARD THAT THIS IS THE PASSAGEWAY WHERE THE ONES WHO HAVE THEIR SHADOWS TAKEN ARE TRANSPORTED." A small bubble adds, "SUCH LONG STAIRWAYS...".

A stern man with long braided hair glares upward, demanding answers. "WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT MONSTROUS ROARING SOUND WE HEARD ABOVE A WHILE AGO!I" Nearby allies reply, "WE HEARD IT AND CAME RUNNING." Franky, Brook, and another crewmate sprint up a long stone staircase inside a towering fortress. "IF WE HAVE A FRESH START, WE WILL DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO SAVE HER!!" one shouts. Another answers, "IT'S NOT AS IF HER LIFE HAS BEEN THREATENED." A worried voice calls out, "IS NAMI ALRIGHT!I" The group presses forward as a distant voice echoes through the halls. "WE'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING WE SAW!!" Someone recognizes the sound: "THAT IS... 'LUFFY'S' VOICE." The scene shifts to an exterior view of the massive, multi-tiered tower rising against a cloudy sky, with motion lines and debris indicating chaos. "...IT WAS A TRULY UNBELIEVABLE SIGHT!!" a voice exclaims. "ANYWAY," another adds as the perspective widens to show the full height of the structure and surrounding buildings.

Inside a vast hall with checkered flooring, a frenzy erupts as zombies devour supplies. A massive stitched zombie with wild hair and a stitched face roars while stuffing itself, "MY, HOW MUCH THAT SPECIAL ZOMBIE EATS!! THE FOOD STORES ON THE ISLAND WILL HIT ROCK BOTTOM!!" Smaller zombies scurry about carrying bags and boxes labeled "Vegetable." One shouts, "BRING MORE!! IT'S NOT ENOUGH YET!!" Kumashi stands nearby as a cloaked figure questions, "KUMASHI, WHY WERE YOU HIDING THE PIRATES!I" A voice replies, "HE DOES EAT QUITE A LOT." The special zombie continues gorging, declaring, "YOU LET ME EAT ALL THIS FOOD!! TOO BAD FOR YOU, BUT I STILL HAVEN'T EATEN ENOUGH, SHISHISHISHI!!" A small character protests, "SORRY, SHRIMP LEEK!! ALTHOUGH YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM." The giant zombie bellows, "NU!!I" as food flies everywhere and background zombies react in panic.

Zombies swarm around the massive Special Zombie, shouting angrily from above: "WHAT A WAY TO TALK TO THE RULER OF THIS THRILLER BARK, YOU ROTTEN MORON!!!" "WHO DO YOU THINK MADE US ZOMBIES MOVE!I" "DON'T GET SO COCKY!!!" "HEY YOU, SPECIAL ZOMBIE!!!" The Special Zombie, a towering horned figure with stitched skin, looms over the scene. In the next panels, a long-nosed zombie with a stitched face pleads, "YOU!! DON'T SELL OUT YOUR FRIENDS!!" while another voice adds, "FOR EVERYTHING HE SAID RIGHT NOW." The Special Zombie replies quietly, "I'M REALLY SORRY..." A close-up shows his determined glare as narration states, "MASTER WILL SOME DAY BE THIS SEA'S KING..." He then declares with fierce conviction, "I HAVE A DREAM!!" Smaller zombies react in shock: "I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A ZOMBIE!!!" The long-nosed zombie retorts, "UNDERLINGI I DON'T WANT TO." The Special Zombie continues, "YOU WERE A BIG VILLAIN WHO LEFT QUITE A FEW LEGENDS 500 HUNDRED YEARS AGO, BUT YOU WERE REVIVED IN THIS ERA TO BECOME MY UNDERLING." He finishes with, "LISTEN, OZ."

Luffy stretches his arms and slams both fists into Oars with a massive impact, shouting "GOMU GOMU NO BAZOOKA"!!!! The blow sends debris flying as Oars reels back. Nearby zombies panic: "THAT'S WEIRD." "HEY, HEY, HEY, YOU!!!" One zombie notes, "IT FELT LIKE MY HAND SHOULD HAVE STRETCHED OUT BUT... WELL, IT'S FINE." Another cries, "THAT'S ROTTING BAD!!! OZ HAS RUN AWAY!!!" Oars, recovering, roars with a huge open-mouthed bellow, "BECOME THE PIRATE KING!!!!" while declaring, "I WILL..." In a side panel he adds, "I'M GOING TO GO OUTSIDE FOR A WHILE/ I'LL GO TO SEA AND CREATE A REVOLUTION IN THE WORLD!" A voice responds, "THIS PLACE IS SO NARROW, IT'S BORING." Oars questions, "A BIG VOYAGE!!I" The final panels show shocked zombies yelling, "THIS SPECIAL FREEZER IS BUILT FROM REALLY THICK STEEL AND IS SEALED UP TIGHT!!" "MORON, THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE."

In a torch-lit stone corridor, Brook stands silhouetted against the darkness, his afro prominent. Voices echo around him: "SAYING 'JUST NOT THE AFRO, JUST NOT THE AFRO'...!I" and "ARE YOU GOING TO BEG SHAMEFULLY FOR YOUR LIFE... —AGAIN, JUST LIKE BEFORE." A small figure nearby cries, "... NO!! I CAN'T DO THAT." Further along the hall, a zombie swordsman with a scabbard labeled "SAIFUDO COOL" stands ready. In the next sequence, Brook battles skeletal zombies in a wooded area. He thinks, "EVEN IF I HAVE THE COURAGE TO SLASH AT THEM, THEY IMMEDIATELY GET BACK UP...!!" and "AGAINST ZOMBIES WITH SUCH SCARY FACES..." while declaring "I MADE NO PROGRESS...!!!" as he pants "HAA... HAA..." A close-up shows a zombie skull. In the bottom panels, Brook recoils in terror from a zombie's face, shouting "!I" and "GYAA AAAAA AAA!!!" while thinking "I WON'T BE ABLE TO DO A THING...!!! MORE THAN ANYTHING, THE ZOMBIES' FACES ARE SO SCARY... THEY MUST HAVE SOME KIND OF WEAKNESS. AS THINGS ARE, EVEN IF I FIND MY OWN ZOMBIE..."

The fight continues as Brook realizes "SO THEIR WEAKNESS IS FISH!!!" while a zombie skull sweats in shock. Other voices react: "IS HE A MORON!I HE WAS PROBABLY A NEW GUY." "HE...!!! HE WANTED TO EAT SOMETHING, SO HE ATE FISH GRILLED WITH SALT." "WHAT HAPPENED!!I" and "OUR COMRADE HAS BEEN 'PURIFIED'!!!" A question mark floats near Brook. In the next row, Brook faces a horned zombie in armor. He mutters "HMM...I FISH...!I" and "FOS, FOS..." while the zombie threatens "IF YOU DON'T ANSWER, I'LL FILL THE ISLAND WITH FISH!!!" and demands "WHAT WILL YOU ACHIEVE FROM DOING THATI" Brook presses "WHAT ZOMBIE WAS MY SHADOW PLACED INTO!I ANSWER MY QUESTION!!!" The horned zombie retorts "YOU!! THE SKELETON WE TOOK HIS SHADOW FROM THE OTHER DAY!! HOW DID YOU GET BACK!I" A massive impact erupts with "ビキーン" and "FO!!" as Brook yells "FOSS FOS!! FO...!!!" The horned zombie panics "WHA... WHAT ARE YOU DOING SCA... SCA-SCA-SCATTERING THE ISLAND WITH THAT... IT'S SALT!!!" while Brook stands shocked and a skull zombie exclaims "HUH...!!! SO... IT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE 'SALT'... EITHER."

Under the moonlit graveyard, a terrified skeleton in a top hat and afro hurries along, muttering, "ABOVE ALL, THIS TIME OF DAY IS DANGEROUS. IT'S EASY TO BE DISCOVERED BY THE ENEMY..." He adds nervously, "HAA... HAA, THE ZOMBIES ARE REALLY SUPER SCARY, AND IT'S WORSE AT NIGHT...!!" Deciding on a plan, he declares, "I'LL BE SUPER FAST WITH MY SKELETON SPEED... SO I WON'T HAVE TO SEE THEIR FACES. IF I CAN PURIFY THE ZOMBIES..." A sudden rustle makes him jump, "WAH!! THAT SCARED ME..." and he spots a grasshopper, asking, "WHAT WAS ITI A GRASS-HOPPERI" Reassuring himself, he says, "THA... THAT'S RIGHT. WHEN I'M SCARED, SINGING A SONG WILL DISTRACT ME FROM IT..." He begins humming loudly, "N~~~~~NNN, NN~~~~~NNN ♪" The eerie tune echoes through the ruins. Startled zombies react with shock, one demanding, "WHO IS DOING ALL THAT HUMMING...!I" Another growls, "WHAT IS THAT SONG...I" The skeleton continues confidently, "I'LL DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO MEET MY OWN SHADOW." More zombies burst from the ground, screaming "GYAA AAAAA AAA!!!" and "GYA AAAA AAA!! GYA AAAA AAA!!!" as the skeleton spins in alarm. A massive impact erupts with "バキバキバキ" and "ギャアアア" as a voice roars, "WHO ARE YOU ~~~!I"

In a candlelit room, Perona sits up in alarm as Kumashi stirs beside her. She shouts, "IS LOOKING FOR HIS OWN SHADOW!!!" and orders, "SHUT UP AND DON'T WAKE ME, KUMASHI!!" Outside, a swordsman with a bandaged face and a wrapped figure appear amid chaos. Narration states, "A SWORDSMAN WITH A FRIGHTENING FACE... SOMEONE HUMMING AND WRAPPED IN DARKNESS APPEARED." Perona yells, "WHAT IS IT!I WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THIS ISLAND!!I" while a panicked voice cries, "PLEASE DO SOMETHING!!!" The graveyard lies in ruins with toppled tombstones and defeated soldier zombies everywhere. A caption notes, "ALMOST ALL OF THE SOLDIER ZOMBIES HAVE BEEN ANNIHILATED." In the misty woods, Brook faces a tall figure in a cloak and hat. Brook gasps, "HAA... WE FINALLY MEET!!!" The cloaked man replies with a calm "HAA" as Brook stares in shock. Close-ups show two skull-faced zombies reacting with surprise, one exclaiming "!" and the other shouting "YOHOHO!!"

A massive impact erupts as the skeleton swordsman clashes violently with the afro zombie. The zombie swings his sword wildly while the skeleton blocks and counters, sending debris flying. "YOHoho!!!" the skeleton cries as he struggles, "CAN'T KEEP UP WITH HIM." In close-up the skeleton thinks, "ALTHOUGH HIS SWORD STYLE IS THE SAME AS MINE... I REALLY..." The zombie's skull face twists in shock: "ME!!I WHAT IS THAT POWER...I ISN'T THIS ZOMBIE..." The fight spills into a forest clearing. The afro zombie pleads desperately, "HUH... STO... STOP IT!!!" while the skeleton offers, "THAT AFRO FOR YOU, SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE IN THE WAY. IF YOU WANT TO RUN A LITTLE FASTER, I CAN CUT..." The zombie refuses, shouting, "PLEASE GIVE IN. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU COME AT ME, I'LL BE THE SAME!!" and finally screams, "PLEASE DON'T LAY A HAND ON THE AFRO!!" as the skeleton's blade flashes near his head.

The skeleton presses the attack, his blade flashing. The afro zombie yells in panic, "YOHohoHO, WHAT IS THISI I'VE FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT THE DAYS WHEN I FOLLOWED YOU!! BECAUSE NOW I HAVE MORIA-SAMA AND ABSALOM-SAMA AS MY 'MASTERS.'" The skeleton retorts, "... SINCE THE GROWTH OF MY BODY HAS STOPPED, I WON'T BE ABLE TO GROW IT BACK, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT!!" while thinking, "... YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY...!!!I IF YOU ARE REALLY MY SHADOW... DON'T YOU KNOW WHY THIS AFRO IS SO IMPORTANT!!!" The zombie begs, "WHAA!!! PLE... PLEASE STOP!!! JUST NOT THE AFRO!! JUST NOT THE AFRO!!!" as the skeleton's strikes create massive impact lines and the onomatopoeia "BUYUBUYU" rings out. The skeleton declares, "A SKELETON WHOSE AFRO IS IMPORTANT TO HIM... IS NOTHING BUT COMICAL TO ME!!!" The afro zombie finally yields, "I'LL LEAVE THIS ISLAND... HOW ABOUT IT... PLEASE LET ME RUN AWAY....!! SORRY... FOR COMING." The skeleton replies, "YOU HAVE AN HONEST SHAPE, MY FORMER MASTER."

In a ruined graveyard under stark trees, Brook's skull looms in close-up with a determined expression. "HUUUUU...!!!!" "HUU..." The skeletal swordsman clashes with a bandaged, mummy-like opponent. "SO DISAPPEAR QUICKLY!!!" "I CAN'T JUST LET YOU DIE LIKE THAT." The mummy charges as Brook leaps into action. "I'VE WAITED THESE FIVE YEARS..." "SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT..." "IT ISN'T THAT UGLY." "FOR THIS CHANCE TO COME ONCE AGAIN!!!" Brook's blade flashes with a massive "ギィィィィ!!" impact. A close-up of Brook's skull shows his resolve. "I HAVE BECOME STRONGER!!!" The skeleton in top hat and suit delivers a powerful downward strike against the mummy, sending debris flying as the opponent reels back with "!!!".

Inside a grand hall, a hunched zombie servant with wild hair bows excitedly. "HEEHEE, ABSALOM-SAMA! ARE THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE CEREMONY FINISHEDI" Absalom, tall in a black coat, stands near the doorway as another figure lingers in the background. "BEGIN THE CEREMONY RIGHT NOW." A lion-faced zombie growls nearby. "HOOOO, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BRIDE." "HEEHEE, THEY'RE ALWAYS READY." The servant points eagerly. In the next scene Nami lies unconscious on a stone table in her torn dress, eyes closed. A grotesque zombie leans over her, declaring "MAKE HER WEAR THE DRESS AND TAKE HER TO THE CEREMONIAL HALL." Another servant crawls forward with "HEEHEE. HERE I AM!!" while impact lines and "ゴゴゴゴ" sound effects fill the air.

A group races up the misty stone stairs of a towering fortress. A tall man in a top hat and chains shouts, "LET'S HURRY." Behind him a woman in fishnets pants, "HAA," while a masked figure in a cape and another in a sheep costume follow. Speech bubbles note, "LUFFY'S ZOMBIE SHOUTING AND MAKING A HUGE MESS EVERYWHERE," "I CAN'T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING BUT...," "THAT AMAZING SOUND FROM BEFORE!," and "IT SEEMS HE WAS THE ONE WHO SHOUTED." The scene widens to reveal the massive Thousand Sunny docked beside the castle labeled "THRILLER BARK." A small creature stands on the deck as voices continue, "AND TO THINK THAT IF WE WERE TO GO UP, WE COULD QUICKLY GET TO THE BOSS' ROOM," "I SEE. SO THEY WERE TRANSPORTED HERE...," "HERE IS THE THOUSAND SUNNY!!," and "IT LOOKS LIKE THE STAIRWAYS ARE USED TO UNLOAD THEM."

Inside the damaged castle corridors, the woman in fishnets observes muddy footprints and says, "IT'S THE ZOMBIES' DOING. IT'S FULL OF MUDDY FOOTPRINTS." The top-hatted man, gripping a large weapon, replies, "HEY!! IT'S BEEN DAMAGED QUITE A BIT!!" She gasps, "HUH!!! SO THERE STILL MORE!!" In the courtyard below, figures discuss, "— FIRST, WHAT ABOUT THE ESSENTIAL ONES...I THEY ARE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND...," "IT'S NOT LIKE THERE WAS MUCH TO TAKE ANYMORE...," "THEY WERE REALLY BRUTAL," and "THERE ARE NO ZOMBIES AROUND, RIGHTI" On an upper balcony the same woman stares down while a small horned figure in a top hat and cape cries out, "ALL THREE OF THEM!! I FOUND THEM!! THEY ARE IN THE DINING ROOM." The horned figure then shouts desperately, "SANJI ~~~~!!" "ZORO ~~~~!!" "HEEEY, LUFFY ~~~~!!!"

Three Straw Hats sit tied to wooden chairs inside a dim wooden room. The left figure, a skeleton wearing a black suit and pink bowtie, mutters, "... THAT'S CRUEL." Luffy, in the center with his straw hat tilted, stares blankly ahead while a voice notes, "THEY WERE COMPLETELY DECORATED BY THE ZOMBIES." Zoro slumps on the right, equally defeated. In the next tier of panels, unseen voices react in panic: "IT CAN'T BE HELPED. THEY'LL JUST HAVE TO DODGE THIS BAZOOKA." "HOW DO THEY HAVE THE NERVE...I" "THEY WON'T WAKE UP..." One replies, "NO... IT'S ALRIGHT..." Outside, a small group of zombies scatters as a figure shouts, "HEY!! YOU GUYS, WAKE UP!!! THERE'S NO TIME TO SLEEP!!! THE SITUATION IS SERIOUS!!!" Large impact sound effects explode across the scene. A long-nosed man with a massive nose and wild hair then yells in excitement, "A BEAUTIFUL SWORDSWOMAN HAS COME WITH MEAT!!!"

Close-up on Sanji's face, eyes wide and sweat flying as he reacts, "BEAUTIFUL!!I" with a small "PACHI..." sound. The next panel shows Luffy's intense glare, drooling slightly, as he blurts, "MEAT!!I" with another "PACHI..." effect. In the bottom tier, Zoro's scarred eye and intense expression appear as he growls, "A SWORD!!I" with a "GIRORI..." sound. Behind him, Chopper stands with arms raised, shouting, "THOSE GUYS ARE USELESS!!"

No description for this page.