Nami shrank back, practically chanting "they can't see me, they can't see me," the snarling zombies on the wharf still unnerving her.
All of it, however, lay within the scope of Van Augur, crouched atop the outer wall of the ship-isle, Senriku braced.
Only because Moria was willing to spend so much time crafting zombie soldiers had Augur been able to track them all the way from his homeland.
His goal, of course, was revenge on this crew but that green-haired swordsman had to be the Pirate Hunter of the Hiroto Pirates. After the recent annihilation of the Arlong Pirates, his bounty had risen from 9 million to 11 million berries.
Fighting had broken out inside the church. The black spot that had just fallen must be the Sea-Cleaving Swordsman Hiroto.
They were clearly enemies, yet they were no match for Moria.
Perfect. I'll lend a hand.
Van Augur muttered inwardly, murderous intent gleaming in his eyes.
He wore a cloak and a pair of spectacles: the left lens normal, the right a much larger circle etched with a cross.
Thanks to the magnifying lens, Van Augur could see for kilometers without fear of being spotted in return.
After lying low for two days, only moments ago had he felt anything odd. In the end, though, nothing had seemed out of place.
As for how to help...
Van Augur pressed his hand to the trigger of Senriku and focused.
An invisible force spread out, drawing the small town several kilometers away into his perception.
Since the disaster in his homeland, Van Augur had discovered he'd awakened a power. Or rather, a talent he'd had since childhood—an ability to sense things across vast ranges—had been activated by the catastrophe into a true perceptive force.
Even without using his eyes, he could "see" farther and clearer. Combined with the magnification of his lens, it granted him a kill-shot capability within several kilometers.
Of course, he couldn't be sure his bullets would work. On the day his home was destroyed, he hadn't even witnessed Moria's true strength.
The undying zombie soldiers alone had exhausted him, and in the end, a gaunt zombie carrying a bottle and two swords had beaten him.
After that...
The lovely face flashed before Van Augur's eyes again.
He shook his head and snapped his attention back to the battle.
On the harbor pier, Zoro landed with both blades drawn, slashing the zombies at lightning speed.
Normally the zombies feared no cuts. Spare parts were plentiful, and back in the lab, Hogback could always stitch them together.
They howled and swarmed, planning to wear the human down with their undead stamina as they always did. This time, however, the situation changed drastically.
Blue flames licked along Zoro's arcs of steel. Wherever a zombie was cut, fire ignited and burned it to ash.
One Sword Style: Hiryu Kaen!
Thanks to that incinerating property, the surrounding zombie troops were decimated in moments.
Soon the remaining zombies sensed something was wrong and hesitated to advance.
Just then, the church behind them collapsed with a roar that rolled on and on.
High on a rooftop, Perona glanced over and saw Moria sent flying, crashing through several buildings before being buried in rubble.
The enemy was racing toward Moria, only to be intercepted by Doppelman.
Who could do this to Moria?
No, she had to help!
Perona turned toward the green-haired swordsman cutting his way up from the wharf.
Deal with him first!
She waved a hand and five or six Negative Hollows appeared.
Pale and phantom-like, with ugly doll faces and long tongues lolling out.
These were the Negative Hollows summoned by her Devil Fruit Ability.
A single pass through a body and the hollow sapped all will to fight, leaving the victim helpless.
Perona leapt from the rooftop, her Hollow-Hollow Fruit letting her drift through the air toward the green-haired swordsman.
At that instant, a blur burst from a nearby building.
Carina, barefoot, slid across the walls and sprang, each push adding more speed.
Her target: Perona, who had just turned instinctively toward her.
I can do this! I will do this!
Carina locked her eyes on Perona and the translucent ghosts around her.
She mustn't let a Negative Hollow pass through her, or she'd lose the will to fight and Zoro wouldn't be spared either.
That was the intel Hiroto had given them, and the reason she and Zoro had chosen this plan.
Crude, but effective.
"An enemy!?"
Startled, Perona swept her hand and the Negative Hollows rushed out to form a shield in front of her. She didn't aim at the fast-moving foe, instead building a wall.
Sure enough, the unaware enemy charged straight in.
"Got—"
The thought had just formed when Perona's eyes widened: the intruder hadn't been pierced by the hollows.
The hollows had missed?
No, it was more like...
They slid aside!
Smack!
Carina slid in and slammed a fist into Perona's stomach, snapping the girl backward. Her other arm whipped around, locking Perona's neck in a choke that looked like a cross-armbar.
"Damn it!"
Perona thrashed, small hands flailing. But she couldn't get a grip. Her foe's skin was slick, and twisting only made her neck burn.
This can't go on!
Gritting her teeth, Perona summoned an oversized hollow—just a huge head—that swallowed them both in a single bite.
So fast that Carina had no time to react.
Special Hollow: Kamikaze Rap!
Snap!
Boom!
With a blinding white flash, a blast fierce enough to shred an ordinary person to pieces sent a shock-wave ripping outward.
Windows shattered for hundreds of meters and the two nearest buildings simply collapsed.
Dust billowed ten meters high, and under the stunned gaze of nearby zombie soldiers, the two figures tumbled down.
"Failed! This woman's tougher than I thought!"
Carina hit the street, her skin blackened by the explosion.
The Smooth-Smooth Fruit could slide away many things—even the Negative Hollows had slipped past her. But kinetic and thermal energy still got through. Or rather, her mastery of the devil fruit ability wasn't deep enough.
Had Zoro been the one locking Perona's neck, a simple twist would have snapped it.
Maybe Hiroto was right: her ability needed to evolve toward the "conceptual."
No matter. She still had to finish the mission.
(End of Chapter)
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