"This island isn't showing up on the Log Pose," Nami announces, looking at the pose on her wrist. They all stare at the fog covered island stretching out before them. Dead trees, grave stones and crumbling ruins abound in this place.
"That's not possible," Run says, stepping closer and looking at the pose. "There shouldn't be any islands in Paradise that change or hide their magnetic field." He stares at the Log Pose for a moment before looking at the island ahead of them. "Unless it's not an island."
"It's no surprise," Brook tells them. "This island has come all the way from the West Blue." Brook walks past them back into the ship. "This truly is my lucky day! Not only have I found people to talk to but my must heart-felt dream is coming true!" He exits through the opposite door, and they run around the outside of the ship just in time to see him leap from the upper deck to the figure-head in a single bound.
"He's pretty light on his feet," Sanji observes.
"Indeed! I became rather light after I died and become nothing but bones! Yohoho! Please break through the gate towering over you and escape with all haste! No matter what do not drop anchor by the shore! Truly, it made me very happy to meet you all here! I will never forget your kindness or that delicious meal! Farewell! May be have the fortune to meet again in other waters!" With that, he turns and leaps down towards the waters below.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Run shouts, approaching the railing of the Sunny quickly. "You ate a Devil Fruit, Brook! You can't swim!" He's never had to fish a skeleton out of the sea before but there's a first time for everything, right? However, rather than seeing a spray of foam from where he's splashed down, he's surprised to see him running across the surface of the sea. "Wow. Dahahaha~! Go, Brook, go!"
"A-At any rate," Nami begins. "Let's take his advice, Luffy. I don't know what's going on but it seems like this island is real trouble." Luffy turns to face them with a huge grin on his face.
"Aah, looks like someone is dying to go!"
"Hey, about that tremor we felt before," Robin says, pointing towards the large gate. "If that mouth like gate caused it when it closed, I believe that means we've been eaten."
"It ate us?" Luffy echos, staring at the gate.
"Yes. It's hard to see through the fog but the fence extending from the gate more than likely encircles the island entirely. In other words, we're trapped hear by the fence and the mouth." Usopp nods firmly in understanding turning towards them.
"I get it!" Usopp calls. "That's why the skeleton told us to escape immediately."
"So that means someone is making the island wander these waters," Nami concludes. "But what's the point?"
"If the island is moving that means we're still in open waters," Frank tells them. "Dropping anchor here is impossible."
"Huh?!" Usopp grunts quickly. "Why do I get the feeling that you want to stay here?! We gotta leave now or we're gonna get cursed!" Nami and Chopper immediately come down with 'fear-of-an-unknown-island' sickness and refuse to leave the ship. Luffy, on the other hand, makes an appearance with a butterfly net and orders them to bring the Sunny up to the shore. Naturally, Usopp is against this, telling him to open his eyes and see the island for the haunted trap that it is.
"Hahahaha~! I can see that!" Luffy laughs. "I'm just planning to catch that ghost and keep it as a pet! Besides that, we have to go get our crew mate back! Sanji! A pirate lunch, please!"
"Oi, I'm against that! I'd be too scared to have a skeleton on the ship! I wouldn't be able to sleep at night!"
"Aah, relax!" Run says, giving him a firm pat on the back. "It's not just a skeleton, it's Brook! There's no need to get all wound up."
"I'm telling you that that isn't the point! A skeleton is a skeleton! You're the First Mate here, talk some sense into him!"
"I've got the lunch," Robin announces, holding a lunch box.
"Luffy! Franky! Run! You three had better protect Robin with your lives!" Sanji orders them calmly.
"There's nothing like exploring an uncharted island!" Franky adds, raring to go.
"You've gotta be kidding!" Nami whines. "Robin, you're going with them?!"
"Of course! I simply love thrills," retorts Robin, smiling.
"Alright!" Franky tells them. "We're gonna take a small boat and disembark but I've still got a special surprise I haven't shown you, yet! It's the soldier dock system channel '2'!" He explains that there are five channels to the Soldier Dock system with '0' coming up twice. There is '0', '1', '2', '3' and '4' with each having it's own special function. They know what is contained in '0', '1' and '3' but so far '2' and '4' are empty. Franky laughs and leads, Nami, Usopp and Chopper to the lower deck of the ship. Seconds later, the panels on the side of the Sunny lift and a paddle ship comes sailing out quickly with Nami, Chopper and Usopp riding her.
"Aah! It's the Merry!" Luffy cries, leaning dangerously over the railing of the Sunny.
"With it's steam engine, this paddle steamer sits four people!" Franky announces, coming back up from the lower deck. "The Mini-Merry!"
"Oi, oi, I want a turn!" Luffy chirps, bouncing up and down.
"Just hold your horses, Straw Hat. You'll get a turn soon enough."
"Is that everything?"
"So far. Including the other docks, that's everything I've got to show you."
"Franky, you really rock! You rock!"
"Naturally! I'm the ultimate man again this week! Super~!" A loud, familiar scream from the island draws their attention to the island behind them. Sanji goes sprinting to the railing, leaning over it to try and get a good look and see what's happening. Rather than being concerned with the others, Luffy wants them to come back and let him drive the Mini-Merry.
"I wonder if that scream means she was killed by a ghosts curse," Robin mutters.
"Aah, I doubt it," Run tells her. "As scared as she is, she'd jump at a shadow right now. She probably just imagined something." The next second, the anchor drops by itself, drawing their attention. "Who dropped the anchor? No one was near it."
"It's too early for the gears to start coming loose," Franky tells them. "Let's pull it up before it unbalances us." The hatch to the lower deck suddenly pops open behind them, and all heads turn to it. "Who touched that?" Not a single person was near it, so it can't have been one of them. Luffy's cheeks stretch, pulled as if he's doing it on purpose.
"You...having fun, Luffy?"
"N-No, it's not me!" Luffy assures them...although, it sounds far less coherent than what he's intended. They snap back and he falls to the ground as if thrown. One of Zoro's swords, Nidai Kitetsu, flies from it's saya and then goes racing towards the downed Luffy. Run snags him up by the back of his vest and sends him sliding across the grass as it buries itself into the ground several inches.
"Dahahaha~! Safe!"
"Oi, punk, what's the big idea?!" Franky growls.
"S-Sorry, I didn't do it," Zoro retorts. "The katana just..." Run pulls it free from the ground and tosses it back to Zoro. The swordsman snatches it out of the air with ease and stares at the blade in silence for several moments before shoving it roughly back into it's saya. "...damn cursed thing."
"Guess we really are in haunted waters then, huh?" Run says with a grin. "Everyone, stay focused now."
"Is it a ghost?" Franky wonders. "Or some kinda psychic."
"I felt someone grabbing my face," Luffy says.
"I was sure I heard the sound of a beasts growling," Robin adds. Sanji suddenly jumps up onto the railing of the Sunny, announcing that he's going to help the others while everyone else deals with the ship. He leaps forward the sea...but very quickly face plants into the side of the Sunny.
"Dahahahaha~! Nice dive, casanova!" laughs Run. "Looks like you caught...your..." Sanji floats up slowly and is rapidly spun in circles before being thrown back onto the deck. "...shoe?"
"Looks like it doesn't want us to leave," Franky observes.
"What's it after, exactly?" Zoro growls, scanning the empty deck. "If it wants us dead we're just sitting ducks here."
"R-Run," Robin cries, attracting the red head's attention. A number of arms sprout from her body, pushing against some invisible force. "Something has me!" There's a loud slurping sound and she turns her face away with a grimace. It licked her! It actually licked her!
"Oi, hands to yerself!" Run shouts, disappearing and reappearing in front of her. He throws a quick punch that unfortunately seems to pass harmlessly through the air as Robin drops to the ground. The red head slowly scans the deck before reaching down and helping Robin to her feet. She feels an arm slide around her waist and pull her close. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It seems like it's gone now...whatever it was." The ship suddenly begins to pitch and roll over some rather unnatural waves that seem intent on pushing them to the shore...
- - -
Try as they might, they couldn't fight the way the waves were pushing them...and so ended up crashing head first into an absolutely gigantic spider-web. Thankfully, it didn't end up causing the Sunny any harm in the process but for the time being they were stuck fast. With that thought in mind, everyone but Zoro disembarks the ship on a 'convenient' dock. They need to find their missing crew mates before trying to escape, anyway.
"Oi, Zoro!" Luffy shouts. "Come on, already!" It takes a little persuading but eventually their swordsman leaps over the railing and lands on the dock beside them. "Alright! Let's go!"
"Dahahaha~! I was afraid you got cold feet, Zoro!" laughs Run, grinning at the man.
"Shut it, Red," Zoro tells him. "I just thought it might be best if one of us stays behind in case they come back!"
"Ooh, someone's snippy today!" From the dock, the only where they can go is down a long set of stairs into a trench, the floor of which is covered with numerous bones that look decidedly Human. They've barely made any progress at all through the trench when a three headed dog comes stalking out of the shadows, barring their path. "Cerberus?"
"My, how cute," Robin adds, staring at the animal.
"Think it's yummy?" Luffy asks them, earning a chuckle from Zoro and Run. "Oooh! Run! Run, can you tame it?! Tame it, Run! Let's keep it as a pet!"
"Aah, I mean, I suppose I could give it a shot," Run tells him, walking forward towards the animal. "But if it's the real Cerberus then I don't know if I can!" He stops several feet in front of the large dog with a grin. "Hell's watch dog should be rather strong-willed, after all."
"You can do it! A dog is a dog, right?"
"Alright...c'mere, puppy..."
- - -
"I can't believe we found such a cool animal right away!" Luffy laughs. "I can't wait to see what else this island has in store!" It was surprisingly easy, actually. A few light bursts of Haoshoku was all it took to turn the animal subservient to the red head. After that, Luffy immediately leaps on it's back, laughing like a fool and riding it all the way out of the trench and into a thick forest.
"Don't it wounds look rather horrible, though," Robin observes, staring at it's large body. "It's amazing he's even alive."
"Before that, doesn't the fox thrown in the mix make it messed up?" Sanji asks. All three heads droop in response to the cooks words, and Run reaches out to pat it on the closest head.
"Aww, you're alright, puppy~," Run says, scratching his head. "Don't listen to casanova, he doesn't know." Sanji begins calling out for their lost crew mates, or more specifically, Nami in particular.
"Aah, this fog is messing with me sense of distance and direction," Franky complains.
"We could just be walking in circles," Robin tells him. Luffy suddenly freezes, and calls Cerberus to a halt. He's staring off the beaten path, and when they follow his line of sight they find a...unicorn and a tree sharing a drink? Everyone stares at them while they stare back. Luffy and Franky suddenly break off in a run after the two. It's a short chase before both of them capture the two.
"You two, I want you to join my--"
"Knock if off!!" It takes a bit of convincing to get him to release the two of them but when they do they go running off into the forest. Afterwards, they continue on their way, as if they'd never seen the two of them to begin with. Luffy goes right back to riding on the back of Cerberus.
"You need to knock it off!" Sanji growls. "We've already got a raccoon dog and a robot on the crew."
"I'm a cyborg, idiot," Franky fires back.
"It's pretty obvious you're not Human anymore."
"I'm Human at the core!"
"You're a pervert at the core!"
"I've been thinking about this for a while now," Robin says, stopping their argument. "But all of the strange animals on this island, the unicorn and tree man included, seem to share the same traits. Each of them has stitches, bandages and a number tattooed on their bodies."
"Aah, so do you think that someone is pulling their strings?" Run asks. "Just churning 'em out and then cutting them loose on the island?"
"I believe so, yes." Over the chirping of the crickets, a voice rings out through the forest. It sounds to them like someone singing 'Negative' over and over again. From out of the tree cover above their heads, a small ghost comes floating out.
"Holy crap, ghosts are real?"
"It's a ghost!" screams Luffy. The ghost floats several meters in front of them, and multiplies twice before their eyes as it dances. "I'm gonna catch it! Let's keep it as a pet!" Luffy swings his net wildly, watching as it passes through them harmlessly.
"Alright, let's try this then!" Franky shouts. "Fresh Fire!" He spouts a huge gout of flames past his lips, completely engulfing the ghosts. However, they float right out of the flames. "Aah! They really are spirits!" It passes through him calmly. "Aah...nothing I do works out. I'm such a loser...how can I live like this?" Seeing the ghost still dancing around, Luffy drops the net and makes a grab for it...but only ends up passing through it.
"Aah...if I could be reborn, I should be a clam. I should just crawl into a hole somewhere."
"What in the HELL has gotten into you two?!" Sanji shouts, staring at the two of them.
"Perhaps touching the ghosts weakened their will?" Robin offers.
"Pathetic," Zoro grunts. "Those two are at the mercy of those ghosts because they're not calm and collected." One of the ghosts passes through him, and he drops to his knees. "I'm sorry I was ever born."
"They lack physical presence, and break your will just by touching them. They could be a formidable foe." The ghosts disappear just as suddenly as they'd appeared, leaving them to console the defeated Luffy, Franky and Zoro. When they were finally back on their feet, they pushed on through the forest. Zoro, Luffy and Franky stomp ahead of Sanji, Robin and Run while they ride on the back of Cerberus.
"Dahahahaha~! It's alright, Zoro, everyone has regrets!" Run laughs with Sanji, grinning at the man. Even Cerberus seems to be taunting the man, the three heads bobbing up and down as they stare at the angry swordsman ahead of them.
"'I'm sorry I was born'," Sanji adds, while the two nearly fall of Cerberus laughing. They eventually leave the forest behind for a gigantic graveyard.
"Ooh! It's huge!" Luffy laughs. "It's really got character! Let's eat here!"
"It'll ruin the experience if we eat here!"
"What?! No way! Nothing has ever once ruined a meal!" Several feet away from them, a hand suddenly breaks the surface of the ground. Following it, someone pulls themselves out all the way to the waist. Luffy cocks his head for a moment before approaching, and shoving him back down into the ground. It breaks back up through the ground almost immediately.
"I'm not goin' back down there!" screams the zombie. "Are you stupid?!"
"This old guy is really hurt."
"It's obviously a Zombie!" Countless more suddenly spring out of their graves while the rest of the crew dismounts from Cerberus. Run pushes one of Cerberus' heads back in the direction they've come, and the animal takes the hint, running off back into the forest that they've just come from.
"Huh," Run grunts. "I didn't think zombies were supposed to be this lively."
"We'll show you just how dangerous we Zombies are!"
"Then we'll show you just how dangerous we are," Luffy retorts. They're all a flurry of motion, scattering the newly gathered zombies to the wind like they aren't even there. "Nine-hundred Million Beli Jackpot!" After dealing with the zombies...it seems like they're willing to talk to them. Strange as it seems, they have a sit down with them. Under Luffy's questioning, they reveal that Nami, Usopp and Chopper passed through the graveyard on their way to the mansion in the distance. After they'd spilled everything they know, they beat the zombies into unconsciousness and head off for the mansion.
They've barely left the graveyard behind when the sound of running foot-steps and someone shouting from behind gives them pause. From out of the gloom, a man appears holding a lantern in front of his face.
"Oi! It's another hurt old man!"
"We told you before it's a zombie!"
"A-Actually, I am an injured old man," he replies.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"T...There's a man I want you to defeat! I saw you scatter those zombies, so I'm sure you could do it! The man has created countless victims! I won't ask you to do it for nothing! If I can get my shadow back, I'll do anything I can to help you!"
"So, he's like Brook then," Franky asserts. "He's lost his shadow, too."
"So, who stole it?" Zoro questions him. "Who is on this island?"
"M-Moria! The man's name is Moria!"
"Moria?" echos Robin. "By any chance, do you mean Gecko Moria?"
"You know this guy?" Run asks.
"I've never met him, no. But I know the name well. The man's bounty used to surpass yours and Luffy's."
"Used to? Aah, so he's one of the Shichibukai."
"Yes." The old man goes on to explain that Moria steals the shadows of everyone he's 'invited' to his island. Those who have their shadows stolen are doomed to wander the island, looking over both shoulders for fear of encountering his zombies. Naturally, Luffy agrees to help him get his shadow back since doing that would mean getting Brook's shadow back as well. With things decided they make for the mansion again. They've just reached the front gate when the fog finally begins to lift enough for Luffy to notice something over head.
"Oi, oi, what is that?" Luffy asks.
"Looks like...a flag," Zoro says.
"No, it's a sail," Franky tells them.
"It sure is," replies a voice from behind. It's the same old man from before...is he still following them? "Thriller Bark is carrying an entire village...it's the worlds largest pirate ship...!"
- - -
"Excuse us! We're coming in~!" Luffy cries, jiggling the door-knob. "Huh? It's locked?" With no more interruptions they made they way to the mansion. The main gate was open, and finding the front door was fairly easy considering the entire island seemed to be built like a maze. Unfortunately, it seems that that's the end of their good fortune.
"Aah, let me try, Luffy," Run says, brushing Luffy aside gently. "Sometimes these old doors stick, so you need to use a little--" A sharp 'crack!' briefly proceeds the jingling of metal across a stone floor before the door swings open and Run steps aside with a grin. "--force. See? The door's open." The rest of the crew enters, and the red head turns to toss the remains of the door knob into the weeds surrounding the mansion before following.
"Open, huh?" Zoro grunts.
"Well, what would you call it if not 'open'?" Robin giggles a bit as she walks beside the red head. Luffy calls for Moria at the top of his lungs as they walk into a large room. It looks like a tornado as swept through the place, honestly. Furniture is turned upside down and eating utensils lie strewn across the floor. "Man, it looks like there's been a heck of party here!"
"Shouldn't there be at least one servant for a mansion this large?" Hearing laughter, they all turn their heads up towards the sound. "What is that?" A pig's head is hanging from the wall and actually laughing at them as it stares down.
"You've sure got guts walking in here," the pig says. "Especially knowing our master's name."
"A piggy is growing out of the wall?" Luffy questions.
"Let's show our guests a warm welcome!" From the numerous paintings hanging on the wall, zombies come lunging out at them. At any other time or place they might have been surprised, but it seems to be common place here on Thriller Bark. It's child's-play to defeat them all, and when the dust settles they turn their attention back to the pig on the wall.
"Looks like there's only one left." Luffy stretches an arm up and snatches him off the wall.
"U-Umm, th-those three are sound asleep. In their bedrooms, actually."
"Bullshit," Franky retorts.
"They are! I swear! All you have to do is check and see! Just go up the stairs and down the hall!" Franky glares at the pig past his sunglasses for a moment before looking up, and scanning the room.
"Oi. The eyebrow cook is gone." They all look around quickly, and sure enough they find Sanji to be missing.
"Wasn't he here a moment ago?" Luffy asks. "Where'd he wander off to?" The defeated painting zombies, and even the pig all begin laughing.
"Looks like we lost a good man," Zoro concludes calmly.
"Don't write him off like that!" Run tells him quickly.
"Be that as it may, time might be off the essence for the other three," Robin tells them. The pig begins gloating but his words fall on deaf ears. "We'll just have to follow our intuition from here on out. I have my doubts as to whether the zombies will tell us the truth, even if we threaten them."
"Aah, so let's take the pig then. He'll serve as a good guide..." The red head cracks his knuckles loudly as he looks down at the creature. "...with a little persuading, anyway." The painting zombies begin laughing louder now, and start going on and on about just how terrifying Moria is.
"Well, let me tell you what you can tell your 'Master'," begins Luffy. "If even a single hair is out of place on any of my crew-members heads...I'm going to send him and everyone else to the grave..."
- - -
"Man, we bump into Shichibukai a lot," Run says, voice echoing through the halls. "Say, why would Moria want to steal someone's shadow, piggy?" They push up the stairs and through the long hall of the mansion. Sanji's disappearance might be cause for concern of they weren't so sure that he could take care of himself no matter what situation he finds himself in.
"I would love to know as well," Robin adds, looking at the pig.
"I-I don't know a thing," the pig responds.
"I know I promised that old guy I'd kick Moria's butt," Luffy begins. "But that'll have to go on hold for a bit. At least until we find the others."
"Your missing friends are already screwed! In fact, you're in no position to be worrying about others! Not anymore--"
"Quit your oinking and just lead the way, piggy." They walked for a bit more before finally noticing that Zoro wasn't with them anymore.
"Aah, don't tell me he wandered off," Run sighs. "One of these days, we're gonna have to tie him off to one of us."
"I didn't hear him scream," Robin says, looking back in the direction they've come from. "Maybe he was strangled?"
"Could you not be so ominous?!" Franky screams. Regardless, they forge on down the hall, sure that Zoro is going to be alright by himself. They try to keep an eye on each other while they move forward, to make sure that no one else disappears...but unfortunately, the next one to go is Luffy. "Where the heck did those two wander off to?"
"With those two there's no telling," Run retorts. Hearing loud clinking behind them, they all turn to find a golden knight approaching. It gets within a few feet of them before tripping over it's own two feet and falling face first to the ground in front of them. "Uhh...hello?"
"Aww, where did those two go?" complains a muffled voice. The knight sits up, and sweeps the visor up out of it's face to reveal Luffy. "I can't believe those two!" Franky immediately swats him in the back of his golden helmet.
"Idiot! Don't go goofing off!" Franky tells him.
"Idiot?! Isn't it every man's dream to don a suit of armor?!"
"Damn! That's...That's a pretty solid argument!" The red head bends and retrieves the piggy with a sigh.
"Walk with me?" Run asks Robin, motioning down the hall.
"Mm, always," Robin agrees, as the two continue on their way. Ahead of them the hall opens up into a large hall, adorned with multiple flags complete with a large arena. Run comes to an abrupt halt, carefully holding a hand out in front of Robin. "Hm? What is it?" Franky and Luffy come running up behind them, and stare at the large room. He takes several steps forward, scanning the room slowly for several long moments.
"Oi, what's gotten into you, red hair?" Franky asks, stepping up beside him. "Don't tell me you've got--"
"You better say your prayers," says the pig. "Because you're never leaving this place alive!" Run suddenly shoves Franky hard enough that he nearly falls onto his ass before leaping in the opposite direction. A knight clad in armor and complete with a large sword and shield drops from the sky, piercing the ground they'd occupied moments ago.
"Franky, Run!" Luffy shouts, voice reverberating inside his armor. The knight stands slowly, and turns to face the two of them. "Ohhh! Moving armor! So cool!"
"It's a zombie," Robin asserts. "Look at the spears piercing it." It readies it's large sword, and then charges the two of them. For being nothing more than a corpse, and one covered in armor at that, it's surprisingly light on it's feet. Run's hardens his arms and hands immediately while Franky produces a shield from his arm. Franky blocks the first slash of the sword with a resounding 'crash!' before pushing the knight back. Rather than being off balance, the knight instead lowers it's posture and rushes back faster than ever, this time targeting the red head. It's blade thrusts forward, leading the attack to pierce Run's chest. A loud 'smack!' echos through the room as Run slides backwards several feet.
"Dahahahaha~! Safe!" Run shouts, holding the blade between his palms. He suddenly shoves the blade to the side, and steps forward before sweeping the knights legs out from under him with a simple kick. He raises his fist as the knight twists in air, bringing it's shield up quickly. "Sea King's Bite!" The harsh groaning of metal briefly fills the air, accompanied by the clattering of it's armor plates as it bounces across the floor several meters away before striking the large stage in the middle of the room. "Ohhh! He's pretty quick for being covered in armor!" A silver glint sails out of the resulting dust, and Run turns his shoulder quickly. "Whoa-ho!" The knight's sword embeds itself into the ground inches in front of the red head.
"Well, not much of a Knight, throwing your sword away like that." He reaches out and grasps the large hilt with his left hand as the dust begins to clear. "Aah, I haven't used a sword since Alabasta." The large knight is kneeling in place, another sword clutched in it's hands, and shield discarded.
"My, looks as if it's made you out for a swordsman," Robin chuckles. "Will it be a duel to the death? Or...undeath as it were?" Before Run can retort to her words the knight has charged, showing itself to be far faster than ever with it's heavy shield cast away. Run back-pedals, weapon breaking free of the stone floor with a flick of his wrist. A shower of stone pings softly off the armored knight as it closes the gap in an instant, not the slightest bit daunted or fazed by the projectiles.
A shower of sparks follows as steel rakes against steel. Where as the knight had thrust again, the flat of Run's weapon rakes up the blade, cutting an upward arc intent on cleaving the knight from hip to shoulder. It's an awkward angle, one that wouldn't lend any power against a steel plated knight and leave him completely exposed in the process...if the weapon weren't infused with his Haki. For a corpse, the Knight has surprisingly good instincts. It raises it's free arm and twists it's body quickly before leaping backwards. There's no spray of blood, no cry of pain, as it's left arm strikes the floor between them.
"Even losing an arm doesn't seem to phase it."
"Red! Don't keep fighting it!" Franky calls. "It's just gonna get us nowhere fast!" His words fall on deaf ears, as instead Run sends the Knight's arm sailing back to it with a flick of his sword.
"Sorry, you dropped that, pal," Run tells him with a grin. The knight glances down at it and then back up at the red head who jams the large sword into the stone beside him, and wraps an arm around the grip before leaning on it. "Aah, what kinda guy do you take me for? Reattach it, I won't move until then." It relaxes it's stance, and jams it's blade deep into the stone floor before bending to retrieve it's arm. A 'crunch!' follows it's shoving it's arm back it's shoulder, trailed by several more as it flexes it's arm left and right before finally clenching it's hand into a fist. When it's finished, it retrieves the blade, and squares up to him again. "Alright...let's go, again!"
"It doesn't matter how many times your friend cuts down the knight!" calls the pig, earning the attention of everyone but Run. "Even if we take some damage it doesn't hurt! That's what makes Zombies so terrifying! We're as good as immortal! All of the General Zombies are robust warriors who made names for themselves while they were still amongst the living! None of your friends are gonna be ok!"
"You bastard!" Luffy attempts to pursue the now fleeing pig but a zombie wall drops down, barring his path. "Crap! He blocked the path!"
"That's not the only path that's been blocked," Robin tells him. Luffy spins quickly to find the path in front of them blocked by numerous zombies of all shapes and sizes, and wielding weapons nearly as diverse. Run stands across from the knight and the large group of zombies, sword raised to rest on his shoulder. The knight is missing both arms, and it's armor is rent in a large slash across it's chest...it's amazing it's still relatively whole after such a deep cut.
"Dahahaha~! Boy, you zombies are tough!" laughs Run. "I really..." He finally turns his attention to the massive group gathered several meters from him. "...oh-ho...that's not good."
"We'll burn through energy taking all these guys on," Franky tells them.
"Bail?"
"I'm thinkin' bail."
"If we make it out of this hall we should be at the inner courtyard," Robin asserts.
"Alright!" Luffy chirps. "We'll meet up there, then! But be careful! I don't want anyone else to end up missing!" The next moment they go charging into the zombies, fists and blades flying.
"Alright! Robin, stay close!" Run shouts, cutting one zombie down after another. Mixed up in the middle of them, the red head spins, cutting a wide arc with the blade and scattering those within reach of the weapon. Several more rush in without pause.
"Treinta Fleurs!" calls Robin, arms sprouting from the zombies. "Clutch!" The sounds of spines and necks snapping crackles loudly around. The two watch as moments later, the zombies all slowly stand. Some snap their bones back into place, while others crawl towards the lower half of their bodies or reconnect lost limbs before standing.
"Dahahaha~! That's so gross!"
"It seems that we're just wasting energy by fighting them."
"Aah, seems so. In that case--" Run turns, wrapping his free arm around her waist with a grin. "--Soru!" It's not his fastest movement considering he's carrying Robin but it's enough to by-pass the zombies with ease and appear outside of the large hall. "Where's Franky? And Luffy?" Both stare at the group of zombies crowding in the hall, looking for any sign of either one of them.
"I--"
"Strong Right!" exclaims Franky, bowling through the zombies and spilling out of the hall. He strikes the ground, and bounds to his feet before running in their direction. "Persistent bunch!" They take off running with their resident cyborg with the zombies hot on their heels. "Alright! I've got something for you!" Franky slides to a stop before turning quickly and inhaling deeply. "Fresh Fire!" The man exhales a massive gout of flames in the directions of the zombies, who quickly respond by dousing themselves with buckets of water. "Huh?!" A trio of zombies surge past Franky in the direction of Robin and Run. "Wait!" Franky turns sharply, and quickly drops to the ground as a trio of bodies come sailing in his direction, all three skewered by a large blade.
"Dahahahaha~! Strike!" Run laughs, grinning as the zombies crash into several more, scattering them in all directions. "Let's go, Franky! The path's clear!" Franky quickly leaps to his feet and sprints after them.
"Did you see Luffy in there?" Robin questions him.
"I couldn't tell!" Franky says quickly. "That idiot is wearing armor so I couldn't tell them apart!" Hearing shouting from above, they come to an abrupt halt and look up just in time to see a coffin being carried off by a large chain. It's rattling fiercely, and Luffy's muffled complaints are echoing from it. "A coffin?"
"Aah, give us a break!" Run shouts, turning and moving quickly to the opposite side of the bridge. "Robin, Franky! I'm gonna go after him!"
"What?! There's no way that you can make that--" The red head sprints quickly, and leaps with all his might towards the coffin in the distance. "What the hell?!" They watch as he covers the distance and suddenly smashes into the coffin, grasping tight to the wooden surface even as it swings back and forth violently. "He really made that jump?! What the hell is he made of?!
"You guys go on ahead! I'll spring him and catch up!" Run hangs tight to the coffin as it rattles down the chain into a building so dark he can't see his own hand in front of his face.
"Run! Run, is that you?!" Luffy shouts from within the coffin. "Oi! Say something if that's you!"
"It's me, it's me," Run assures him. "Don't worry, Luffy, I'll have you sprung in a-- whoa!" The coffin rattles violently as Luffy struggles inside the coffin. "Luffy! Luffy, stop squirming! Luffy, you're gonna knock me off! Stop squirming!"
"Hurry up and let me out!"
"Relax, relax! I'll spring you once we reach our-- whoa-ho!" The coffin comes to an abrupt halt, nearly causing the red head to fall off before he can catch himself. "Alright! I guess we've arrived." Light suddenly pierces the darkness, almost blinding the red head with it's intensity for a few moments before his eyes finally adjust. "Well...now I'm seeing spots." He blinks several times as he shakes his head and then looks at the floor below before finally dropping down. "Now!" He grins as he cracks his knuckles loudly, staring at the face of the coffin. "Let's have you sprung, huh, Luffy?" The red head draws back and comes to an abrupt halt when laughter begins to echo through the room.
"Kishishishishi~! What have we here?" asks a voice, causing Run to sigh heavily. "It looks like two for the price of one!"
"Aah, yeah, talk about a lucky break!" The red head turns with a grin, eyes widening slightly as he finds himself staring at a massive man sitting in the middle of the room. "Wow! You're one big ass guy! Ahem! Anyway, sorry about the intrusion! We were just lookin' for the can and wound up a little lost. So, if ya don't mind I'll be takin' Luffy here--" He raises a hand and points his thumb at the coffin with begins to shake violently. "--and we'll be on our way!"
"Planning to leave already? Well, that won't do! Kishishishi~! No, I'm afraid I've got something more important planned for YOU, 'Red' Run!"
"Dahahahaha~! My, aren't I the popular one these days? Seems everyone and their mother wants to involve me in their plans! Well, I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline, Gecko Moria!" The man reaches down slowly now, and Run watches with wide eyes as he grasps his shadow from the very floor, pulling it up with the sound of cloth ripping. "Oh, that's not good!" Run takes only a single step forward before Moria produces a pair of scissors with a wide grin, and slices through it like a piece of paper. "Oh, you...!" His body jerks, and he collapses to his knees and then face first to the floor.
"Thanks for delivering your shadow, red hair! I'll use it well! Kishishishi~...!"