One Piece: From Ninja To Pirates Chapter 91: True Feelings Revealed

Inside the castle, iser and his four companions encountered the so-called Dr. Hogback shortly after entering.

The man appeared extrely hospitable, imdiately inviting the five of them into his room upon seeing them.

"Horohorohoro~"

"It's rare to have guests visit~" Hogback laughed heartily. "Welco to my castle!"

"Are you Dr. Hogback?" iser narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Hogback.

After his clone disappeared earlier, he had already obtained information about this man.

According to Lola and the others, this person was likely one of Gekko Moria's subordinates, possibly serving as the ship's doctor or sothing similar.

The question was whether this so-called "world's greatest doctor" had willingly followed Moria or had been forcibly brought here.

Under iser's piercing gaze, Hogback instinctively broke into a cold sweat on the back of his neck and replied, "Ah, yes, I am Hogback~"

"Do you know , guests?"

At this mont, Hogback felt uneasy—the pressure from the other party's stare was overwhelming.

It gave him the illusion that the one staring at him wasn't a person, but a terrifying beast.

"No, it's not who knows you." iser pointed at Chopper. "It's this little guy."

After saying this, iser averted his gaze, no longer looking at Hogback.

Hogback secretly sighed in relief—being stared at like that was truly unbearable.

'Just what kind of people are these...? They don't seem weak at all.' Hogback grew wary.

Could they have noticed sothing?

That shouldn't be the case. He hadn't revealed any flaws, so there was no way they could have spotted anything.

Unless... they had encountered those Zombies on their way here, and the Zombies had leaked so information!

Thinking this, Hogback found it plausible.

However, since they hadn't attacked him outright, it ant his secrets hadn't been exposed.

"It seems I'll have to be more careful with my words from now on."

Clearing his throat, Hogback said, "Cindry-chan, please bring so food for our guests."

Cindry: "..."

Cindry remained silent, staring coldly at Hogback.

"Cindry-chan..." Hogback said awkwardly. "We have guests here... Could you please spare so dignity..."

Cindry still didn't speak, continuing to glare at Hogback. After a mont, she finally replied,

"...Fine."

Watching Cindry walk away, Hogback sighed in relief—that could have been embarrassing.

This woman...

iser's gaze lingered on Cindry as she left, a trace of doubt in his eyes.

He had noticed the stitching marks on her body the mont they entered, initially assuming she was another Zombie.

But now... it didn't seem that way.

If she really were a Zombie, she shouldn't have treated one of Moria's subordinates with such disdain.

Could it be... she's actually alive?

Or perhaps... Lola and the others had made so mistakes in their judgnt of Hogback?

At this thought, iser fell into deep contemplation.

"Dr. Hogback, I have so much to say to you!" Chopper exclaid. "I'm also a doctor—Doctor Chopper!"

"Oh!"

"Doctor Chopper," Hogback replied, as if finding common ground, smiling at him. "What would you like to discuss with , Doctor Chopper?"

"What are you doing here, Dr. Hogback?"

"Of course, it's for groundbreaking research!!" Hogback imdiately perked up at the question, slamming the table as he stood. "I assu you encountered so terrifying Zombies on your way here."

"Huh?"

The group exchanged glances, taken aback by how bluntly he brought it up.

"We did run into so frightening Zombies," Nami nodded. "We were almost eaten."

Hogback nodded in turn, confirming his earlier suspicion—they had indeed noticed sothing.

"That's right. We also know this is Gecko Moria's territory."

"Wha—?!"

Hogback was shocked. Had such crucial information already leaked?

What were those Zombies even doing? Why would they reveal Lord Moria's secrets?

Though these people would find out eventually, knowing now might scare them off!

And if they ran away, how would they replenish their Shadows?

"Why do you look so surprised...?" Usopp asked suspiciously. "You're not going to claim you don't know Moria, are you?"

After speaking, Usopp fixed Hogback with an intense stare.

"That's right, Dr. Hogback, answer us truthfully!" Chopper's expression turned serious as he glared at Hogback. "I want to know—did those modified Zombies co from you?"

"And... were you willing, or were you forcibly brought here by Moria?"

Chopper stood on a stool, his gaze locked onto Hogback, his presence growing more imposing.

Under their scrutiny, Hogback let out an awkward chuckle.

Now he understood why they had been looking at him that way from the start—they already knew whose territory this was!

"You're not thinking of lying to us, are you?" Nami said.

"Horohorohoro~"

"Of course not," Hogback laughed nervously. "I wasn't planning to deceive you. I'm just... surprised."

"Surprised about what?"

"Surprised that you're not afraid of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea," Hogback replied. "Most people would have fled the mont they heard that na."

The fact that they hadn't run despite knowing about the Warlords ant they weren't weak... He needed a convincing excuse, or he might really be done for!

Hogback's mind raced, desperately searching for a plausible explanation to extricate himself.

Just then, Cindry walked over with a wooden tray carrying several puddings and casually tossed them onto the table.

"Wha—?!!"

Everyone stared at Cindry in shock—why wasn't she using a plate?

"Hey, Cindry-chan!" Hogback gaped at her and said, "At least use a plate to serve it, a plate!"

"Can't you even fulfill this simple request for us?"

"Hmph."

Cindry sneered coldly, her voice icy as she replied, "Plates... If only they could all vanish from this world."

Hogback: "..."

The others: "..."

"What's up with her?" Nami muttered.

Why did she seem to hold such a deep grudge against plates?

"Ah~"

"She once shattered all the beloved plates of her wealthy fiancé to test his devotion," Hogback explained. "As a result, the furious tycoon drove her out. That's why she despises plates so much."

Listening to Hogback's explanation, iser fell into deep thought. Was this really not just so made-up story?

Did such an absurd person truly exist in the world?

Deliberately destroying soone's most cherished possessions to test their feelings—that was just too ridiculous.

"Plates... They should all shatter."

"Cindry-chan..."

Hogback sighed helplessly. This was her one flaw—she didn't perfectly execute all his commands.

Perhaps this was the downside of an incomplete contract.

Watching as Cindry placed the pudding directly on the table, Hogback sighed quietly before saying, "Everyone, please enjoy."

"Though there are no plates, to prevent such incidents, I've already wiped the table spotless."

With that, Hogback began eating first, as if to show that the food wasn't poisoned.

But iser and the others didn't move, simply staring at Hogback.

Having already learned plenty beforehand, they wouldn't casually eat sothing offered by Hogback just because of his words.

Even the usually naive Chopper was no exception.

"Eh? You're not eating?"

"Dr. Hogback, you still haven't answered our question," rry reminded him.

"Ah, the question..."

Hogback laughed awkwardly. It seed this matter couldn't be brushed off so easily. But it didn't matter—he'd already thought of a solution.

Lifting his head, Hogback straightened his expression and said, "That's right. I do know this is Gekko Moria's territory."

"Eh?!"

"Then... are you one of his n?" Chopper's expression instantly changed. "Does that an you're the one who modified all these Zombies?"

"Correct."

"You bastard! Why would you do sothing like this?!"

Enraged, Chopper imdiately enlarged, glaring at Hogback with fury as if ready to puml him.

"W-Wait!"

"Dr. Chopper, please don't act yet. Let finish speaking first."

"Fine. Talk."

Chopper stopped in his tracks. He wanted to hear exactly what excuses this scoundrel could co up with.

"What I an is... I had no choice but to do this..." Hogback said helplessly.

"No choice?"

Nami and iser exchanged glances before asking curiously, "What do you an?"

"Yes, this is Gekko Moria's territory, and I am working for him. But things aren't as you imagine," Hogback said solemnly.

After finishing his words, Hogback seed to reminisce about the past as he slowly said, "I still rember the first ti I t Gekko Moria was on Banaccus Island."

"At the ti, I was performing a difficult surgical operation there. It took several hours before I successfully saved several patients."

Listening to Hogback's account, Chopper's expression gradually changed. Clearly, the other party's glorious deeds had made Chopper develop so goodwill toward him.

"Then why did you co here?"

Hogback imdiately knew he had a chance when he heard the change in Chopper's tone!

"Let finish."

"After completing the surgery, I encountered this legendary Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea," Hogback sighed. "Without saying a word, he forcibly abducted , giving no chance to resist."

"It wasn't until I arrived here that I understood why he had brought ..."

Hogback's expression suddenly turned furious, as if resisting sothing, as he said, "That bastard wanted to help him modify corpses, creating one powerful Zombie after another!"

"At the ti, I refused—righteously and firmly refused!"

"You... refused?"

Hearing this, Chopper's anger imdiately subsided, and he returned to his original size.

"Yes, I refused," Hogback nodded. "But Moria threatened , saying he would kill if I didn't comply."

"Yet such threats ant nothing to . As a doctor, I'm not afraid of death!"

"Only..."

"Only what?"

"Only he offered a condition I couldn't refuse."

"What condition?" rry asked curiously.

"If I agreed to his terms, he would help revive my fiancée!"

"I loved her deeply..." At this point, Hogback suddenly beca agitated and shouted, "But she died!"

"Now, soone suddenly tells they can bring her back to life—and even demonstrated it right before my eyes by reviving a corpse. Tell , how could I refuse?!"

Hogback trembled with emotion, his deanor completely genuine.

Because the resurrection he spoke of was real.

He truly loved soone, and that person had indeed died... and this was the reason he joined Moria's crew!

For a lie to be convincing, it couldn't be entirely false.

Hogback, having studied psychology, understood this very well. That's why he straightforwardly recounted so real events from his past.

Even if soone had actually been to Banaccus Island, there was no risk of exposure—because he really had practiced dicine there!

As for the rest...

The fiancée was a lie.

She was a famous stage actress, well-known in many places, and had no connection to him whatsoever.

He was rely one of her many admirers.

But his love for her was real. Even after her death, he still loved her deeply—so much so that he was willing to turn her into a Zombie if it ant having her back.

The rest was true—except that he had surrendered much faster than his words suggested.

"To think... sothing like this happened..."

Nami covered her mouth and said, "For the sake of my beloved...

...fiancée, I would brave even the den of demons without hesitation..."

"Dr. Hogback..."

Tears welled up in Chopper's eyes as he looked at Hogback and said, "I misjudged you."

He had thought the man had willingly beco Moria's lackey, but it turned out there was more to the story.

"So, you were forced into this?" Usopp asked.

"More or less, sigh..." Hogback sighed. "But for my fiancée, I had no choice."

After a pause, Hogback glanced at Chopper and added, "Dr. Chopper, modifying those corpses was never my intention. But if I didn't do it, Moria wouldn't help revive my fiancée."

"So... please understand."

Chopper opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.

Scanning their expressions, Hogback continued, "I know you might not understand , but... who doesn't have a loved one they wish could be brought back to life?!"

His words plunged everyone into silence.

Nami thought of her adoptive mother, Usopp of his mother, and Chopper of his adoptive father.

If possible, they too would want their loved ones to return.

"But the question is... is the revived person truly your loved one?" iser interjected. "Are you sure it's still them?"

When a person dies, their soul leaves the body.

It's like a machine losing its controller—it can no longer function.

What Moria calls "reviving" by implanting a Shadow is essentially adding a new controller. But whose personality does that controller have?

The Shadow's? Or the deceased's?

iser remained skeptical.

Hogback opened his mouth but couldn't answer.

Yes, the revived person wasn't the original.

Even with fragnts of mory or a similar body, that person's soul was gone—utterly and irrevocably dead.

This was sothing Hogback, having followed Gecko Moria for so long, knew all too well.

But... but!!

"So what?!" Hogback slamd the table and stood up, furious. "All I want is for her to be by my side again!"

"Nothing else matters!"