One Piece: From Ninja To Pirates

In the tallest building of Thriller Bark, Moria sat comfortably on his massive sofa, grinning as he looked at the two "corpses" lying on the floor.

"Gehihihihi~"

"I do love the shadows of strong fighters."

As he spoke, Moria pulled out the Wanted Posters of the Straw Hat Pirates, examining them one by one. "This one’s the Pirate Hunter, Zoro. And this one is..."

"Hmm?"

"Who’s this blond guy?"

A question mark popped up above Moria’s head as he stared at the abstract sketch on the Wanted Poster. He glanced down at Sanji on the floor and muttered, "Is this him?"

"But they don’t look alike at all..."

"The difference is way too big. The guy below clearly looks much better."

"Lord Moria, in the entire Straw Hat Pirates, only this guy has blond hair," Mouse Spider chimed in.

They had observed the pirates from the shadows, and indeed, only this one matched the description on the Wanted Poster.

"Is that so? Then it must be him," Moria nodded.

Though he couldn’t fathom why the sketch was so abstract, it didn’t matter to him. After all, this was just material for harvesting shadows.

Casually tossing the Wanted Poster aside, Moria waved his hand. "As usual, throw them back."

"Yes, sir!"

The Mouse Zombies chuckled darkly as they lifted the two "corpses" and swiftly carried them away.

"How’s Absalom doing?" Moria asked.

"After receiving treatment from Dr. Hogback, Lord Absalom is no longer in critical condition. However, it’s unclear when he’ll regain consciousness," Squirrel Zombie reported.

"I see..." Moria frowned. "This crew’s strength is no joke."

To think they could knock Absalom unconscious—no wonder their total bounty reached 1 billion berries.

After a moment of thought, Moria declared, "Then summon Hogback and Perona. I plan to activate Zombie No. 900."

The Straw Hat Boy’s bounty alone was 420 million berries! His shadow would undoubtedly be powerful enough to animate a formidable corpse like Oars!

As for that ninja...

Hmph, let’s start by collecting some interest from him.

"Dr. Hogback is already on his way," Squirrel Zombie informed. "He sent us ahead to notify you."

"As for Lady Perona..."

Before the zombie could finish, Perona’s laughter echoed through the room.

"Horahorahora~"

"Lord Moria, I’m here~"

Hearing Perona’s voice, a warm smile flickered across Moria’s face—though he quickly suppressed it, remembering it didn’t suit his image. Waving Squirrel Zombie away to attend to his duties, Moria said, "Perfect timing, Perona."

"Stay and witness the resurrection of Zombie No. 900 with me."

"Gehihihihi!"

"Horahorahora~"

"Of course, Lord Moria~" Perona replied cheerfully as she landed gracefully on the floor.

Then, her gaze fell on the Wanted Posters scattered across the table, and her expression gradually darkened.

"Before that, there’s something I need to report to Lord Moria."

"Hmm?"

"Go ahead."

Seeing Perona’s expression, a hint of curiosity surfaced in Moria’s eyes.

This girl, whom he had raised like his own daughter, was usually so carefree—why was she so serious today?

"You’re aware there’s a ninja among the Straw Hat Pirates, right?" Perona said.

As she spoke, she picked out Meiser’s wanted poster and placed it before Moria.

Moria glanced at Meiser’s bounty poster and nodded. "Yes, of course I know."

This was also the reason for his earlier anger—this guy was most likely a ninja from the Land of Wano!!

"Lord Moria, we absolutely cannot underestimate him!" Perona said seriously. "His strength is terrifying."

"Oh?"

"How so?" Moria chuckled.

Seeing Moria’s indifferent attitude, Perona pressed, "Lord Moria, please take this seriously."

"Alright, alright, I’ll take it seriously," Moria relented.

Nearby, the Squirrel Zombie silently grumbled to himself: ’You just spoil her...

If any of us talked to Lord Moria like that, we’d probably get flattened.’

"I’m not joking—his power is truly overwhelming," Perona insisted. "He can unleash terrifying flames in an instant, flames so hot they can melt the armor of a Zombie General."

"Unleash flames?"

Moria’s expression gradually darkened. The ninjas he’d encountered before didn’t have such abilities.

The ones he’d met in the Land of Wano at most wielded strange weapons.

But this guy could use fire... Could it be the legendary Fire Release?

"Yes, flames!" Perona nodded. "They were horrifying—covering a huge area in the blink of an eye, with devastating power."

"The Zombie Generals you awakened earlier... they all died in..."

As if reliving the scene, Perona shuddered involuntarily, her eyes filled with dread.

"All of them?"

Moria shot to his feet, feeling as though his heart was bleeding. Those were his hard-earned assets over the years!!

"Yes, all the ones that came to the Animal Zombie Park died."

Hearing this, Moria’s expression faltered before he sat back down. "The ones sent to your area, then..."

"So not all of them were wiped out."

"Huh?"

"I split the Zombie Generals into two groups to block them in different zones," Moria explained. "About half of them."

Still, losing half was painful enough.

That damn ninja!

"Even if half survived, it doesn’t matter..." Perona said. "If they encounter that ninja, they’ll be burned to death just the same."

That terrifying Fire Release could kill John and the others—it could kill the rest too.

"That is indeed a problem," Moria muttered, frowning.

A ninja capable of Fire Release—that was a natural counter to zombies.

"Damn it, did Kaido deliberately send this guy to mess with me?" Moria thought angrily in his heart.

Had that bastard found out about his zombie research here and specifically sent someone to sabotage it?

Damn Kaido!

Thinking this, Moria said, "Don’t worry, Perona. If necessary, I’ll personally take him down."

A ninja with Fire Release might be powerful, but that didn’t mean they could defeat him.

A mere 400 million bounty wasn’t even worth his attention.

"Yes, Lord Moria," Perona replied, relieved.

Since Lord Moria intended to intervene personally, the problem would surely be resolved.

After all... this man was one of the mighty Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea!!

Just then, Mouse Spider rushed out from the tunnel, carrying a box on its head.

"Bastards, who the hell are you?! Let me go!" Luffy roared furiously.

Luffy was beyond pissed. He had been about to charge into the backyard when something suddenly tied him up, leaving him unable to break free.

"Eeek—"

The lid opened, revealing Luffy inside.

The moment he saw light, Luffy’s eyes lit up. "Damn it, finally some light!"

With a burst of strength, he tried to leap out of the box, but the restraints limited his movement. His legs caught on the edge, sending him face-first onto the ground.

Thud!

Watching Luffy eat dirt, Perona twitched her lips. "And... who is this?"

"Lady Perona, this is Straw Hat Luffy," Mouse Spider chuckled. "The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates."

"Then why is he wearing the Zombie General’s armor?"

"Uh..." Mouse Spider scratched his head awkwardly. "No idea."

Though he’d seen Luffy put it on, he had no clue why. The guy’s actions made no sense to him.

"What do you know?!" Luffy strained to lift his head. "This is a man’s romance!!"

How could he pass up wearing such a cool-looking armor? It’d be a waste not to!

Perona: "..."

Sorry, but she really didn’t get it.

"A man’s romance, huh..."

Moria’s eyes flickered with nostalgia, as if recalling some pleasant memories from the past.

But those images were quickly shattered by the thought of Kaido, darkening his expression.

"String him up!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Mouse Spiders immediately rushed to hoist Luffy up.

"No way I’m letting you do that!!"

Luffy bellowed, wriggling across the ground like a worm at astonishing speed.

"Quick, grab him!"

"Got it!"

The Mouse Spiders charged again, but this time Luffy had learned his lesson—dodging every attempt, driving them mad with frustration.

"Huh?"

"What the hell is this thing?"

Hogback, who had just arrived at the entrance, blinked in confusion at the wriggling figure on the ground, utterly baffled.

"Clearly, that’s the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Straw Hat Luffy," Cindry said flatly. "Can’t you see the straw hat on him?"

"Ah, so it’s Straw Hat Luffy..."

"Eh?!"

"Straw Hat Luffy?!"

Hogback showed a shocked expression. This guy writhing on the ground like a worm was Straw Hat Luffy?

"Ah, you’re here, Hogback," Moria said. "How long until Absalom wakes up?"

"Him..." Hogback said with a headache. "With his constitution, he’ll definitely wake up within a day."

"But Lord Moria, I think it’s necessary to modify this guy’s brain a bit. I hope to get your approval."

At this point, Hogback put on a very serious expression and said, "Otherwise, he might get beaten up again because of his lecherous habits."

"Gehihihihi, don’t be so strict, Hogback," Moria laughed. "Everyone has bad habits. Absalom being like this isn’t a big problem."

"After all... this time they encountered a particularly unusual pirate crew. Otherwise, with his strength, he wouldn’t have suffered."

Who would have thought that in a place like the Grand Line, they’d encounter a pirate crew with a total bounty exceeding 1 billion Berries?

Even he hadn’t expected it, let alone Absalom.

"Ah, fine," Hogback sighed.

If Lord Moria said so, what else could he say?

"Gehihihihi, though it’s a shame Absalom can’t make it, there’s no need to wait any longer," Moria stood up and said. "It’s time to activate Zombie No. 900!"

"Oh!"

"Finally starting?!"

Hogback showed an excited expression. This zombie was personally handled by him, so he naturally knew how powerful its body was.

If combined with a shadow worth 420 million Berries, it would definitely become an incredibly strong zombie warrior!!

"Exactly!" Moria said excitedly. "With this, I’m one step closer to becoming the Pirate King, gehihihihi!"

"Huh?"

These words seemed to trigger something in Luffy, making him immediately stop and look up angrily at Moria. "I’m the one who’s gonna be Pirate King!!"

As he spoke, Luffy struggled to jump up, kicking two Mouse Spiders away, and said, "You fat garlic head, I’m never giving the title of Pirate King to you!"

"Fa... fat garlic head?!"

All the zombies in the room stared at Luffy in horror, never expecting him to say such a thing.

But Moria wasn’t angry, just laughing and saying, "Kid, you’re a prisoner right now. Where do you get the courage to say such things?"

Being captured by a few weak Mouse Spiders, yet still daring to talk big?

It’s enough to make people laugh their teeth out.

"Hmph, I’ll defeat you!" Luffy said.

After speaking, he immediately lay down again and quickly rushed toward the door, clearly planning to escape first.

With his body restrained, defeating the enemy was impossible. Only by finding his crew and breaking free could he fight properly.

"Guess I’ll handle it."

Perona shook her head helplessly and released several small spirits. "Negative Spirit!!"

"Go!!"

"Bzz~"

Several small ghosts flew out from Perona’s body, darting toward Luffy at incredible speed.

"Not good, it’s this again—"

Before Luffy could finish his sentence, the Negative Spirit passed through his body.

"Ugh..."

The once high-spirited Luffy immediately became utterly dejected, curling up on the ground as he muttered, "I’m sorry... If there’s a next life, I’d rather be a sea worm..."

Hogback: "..."

The man who was just talking about becoming the Pirate King now wants to be a sea worm?

Perona’s Devil Fruit power... truly is terrifying.

Thinking this, Hogback glanced at Perona and instinctively gulped.

The ghost girl with the Ghost Fruit was a terrifying threat to others, even if she only enjoyed playing pranks.

"Hahahahaha~"

Perona laughed heartily, thoroughly pleased with her handiwork.

Aside from that terrifying ninja, everyone else could only become her playthings—hahahahaha!

Just then, Kumashi came running down the hallway, looking somewhat panicked.

"Oh?"

"Kumashi, you’re here." Perona grinned. "Did you notify them about moving the treasure?"

She had specifically sent Kumashi to inform the small zombies to gather treasure from the Straw Hat Pirates’ ship. She wasn’t sure if they’d succeeded yet.

"Mhm mhm!"

"No talking, Kumashi!" Perona glared. "It’s not cute when you talk!"

Kumashi: "..."

If he wasn’t allowed to speak, how was he supposed to report the problem?

"Good, that’s much cuter~" Perona nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, come here. Let’s witness the birth of No. 900."

With that, Perona ignored Kumashi and floated back to Moria’s side.

"Mm..."

Kumashi cautiously approached Perona, intending to explain what had happened to him, but Perona snapped, "Don’t bother me, Kumashi!"

"Yes—"

"No talking!"

Kumashi: "..."

Watching Kumashi’s pitiful state, Hogback remarked, "Perona, you’re too harsh on him. He looks like he’s about to cry."

"Shut up! He’s my subordinate!" Perona glared.

Kumashi’s voice was too rough—talking ruined his cuteness!

Hogback: "..."

This spoiled little girl... Whatever, it wasn’t him being bullied anyway.

Kumashi felt like crying as he looked at Perona’s stubborn expression.

There were people hiding inside him, and he really wanted to tell his master—but she wouldn’t let him speak. He was so desperate.

"Phew... We seem to have stumbled into quite a place," Nami whispered from inside Kumashi’s body.

After parting ways with Meiser, the four of them had searched for a way out, only to encounter another group of terrifying zombies along the way.

In their panic, they had hidden inside this plush zombie named Kumashi, narrowly escaping danger.

"Keep your voice down."

"I know!"

"I think I heard Luffy’s voice."

The group carefully unzipped Kumashi’s back and peeked outside, immediately witnessing a shocking scene.

Luffy was currently suspended mid-air while his shadow was being torn from the ground by Moria, who then snipped it off with scissors!

"Snip~"

With a muffled groan, Luffy’s head lolled as he lost consciousness. Seeing this, the four of them wore horrified expressions.

"Lu—"

Usopp swiftly covered Merry’s mouth and pulled her back into Kumashi’s body.

"Hmm?"

"Kumashi, don’t you dare speak!"

Kumashi: ...

He really hadn’t said a word!

"Gehihihihi."

Holding Luffy’s shadow, Moria laughed maniacally. "With this, Oars can be revived! Gehihihihi!"

"Lord Moria, what should we do with the Straw Hat Boy?" Mouse Spider asked. "Should we throw him back to his ship like Black Leg and the Pirate Hunter?"

"Exactly. Make sure they don’t die," Moria chuckled. "Otherwise, their shadows will disappear."

"Gehihihihi~"

If these shadow owners died, their shadows would vanish too—something he definitely didn’t want to see.

So these guys better struggle to stay alive! Gehihihihi!

"Yes!" Mouse Spider replied, then hoisted Luffy up and dashed toward a distant tunnel.

Hiding inside Kumashi, Usopp heard the commotion outside and muttered, "Zoro and Sanji too... Does that mean everyone who loses their shadow gets thrown back to the ship?"

Peeking out, he spotted Mouse Spider carrying Luffy into the tunnel. Usopp’s expression turned grave.

"If they won’t die... that’s at least some small mercy," Usopp thought to himself. At least there was still a chance to fight back!

"Usopp, should I summon Meiser now?" Merry whispered urgently.

With Luffy’s shadow stolen, should they call Meiser immediately to start the battle?

"No, let’s go back and find Luffy first," Usopp decided. "We’ll come back later to reclaim the shadows."

It was unclear whether Meiser had finished off the general zombies, nor how many high-level zombies were on the island. Waking up Luffy and the others took priority.

"Agreed," Nami nodded. "I support Usopp’s plan."

Given Meiser’s temperament, he’d charge straight into battle with Moria the moment he arrived—and who knew what chaos would follow?

Better to play it safe and regroup before engaging.

"Usopp, prepare smoke bombs."

"Got it!"

"Gehihihihihi~" Moria cackled, clutching Luffy’s shadow. "Let’s head to the freezer."

Striding toward the door, Moria’s approach made Nami and the others hold their breaths, not daring to make a sound.

"Yes, Lord Moria!"

"Horohorohoro~"

"Haraharahara~"

Two of Moria’s elite officers followed him downstairs.

Soon, they reached the freezer, where the massive, long-sealed corpse of Oars—the legendary "Country Wrecker"—awaited!

The massive body was like a prehistoric beast. Even in death, it still sent chills down one’s spine!

This sight left Nami and the other three utterly horrified

"What... what is this?!"