"It's good that you understand," iser nodded.
Having a kind heart isn't a bad thing, but showing rcy depends on the situation. If the other party is a zombie, it might only bring harm to yourself.
It was excellent that Chopper could grasp this now.
"And you three, now you know not to trust others so easily," iser said, glancing at the other three.
"Sorry..."
"No need to apologize to ," iser replied. "As long as this incident serves as a lesson for you."
The three nodded solemnly—this experience had truly taught them sothing.
So people might appear friendly, but in reality, they were far from good.
"Then... it's ti to deal with them," iser said, glancing at the terrified murals before raising his hands. "These guys are getting a bit too noisy."
"Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique!"
"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—"
A barrage of fireballs shot from iser's mouth, precisely striking the murals and setting them ablaze!
"AHHH—!"
Piercing screams erupted as the Mural Zombies writhed, desperately trying to break free from the walls to extinguish the flas. But their unique structure trapped them, leaving them no choice but to burn to ashes.
"How...?!"
Puwai Chuck stared in disbelief. That long-nosed guy using gunpowder to start fires was one thing, but how could this man conjure flas out of thin air?!
Just how did he do it?!
"Who... are you...?"
Ignoring him, iser turned to his companions. "Let's go. We need to find Luffy and the others."
"Right!"
"You bastard, don't ignore !!" Puwai Chuck roared. "Did you forget I'm still here?!"
"I am Captain Puwai Chuck, leader of these Mural Zombies!"
The pig-headed man's face twisted with fury—how dare a captain-ranked figure like him be dismissed like this?!
Listening to Puwai Chuck's outburst, the Carpet Bear lying motionless on the ground didn't dare twitch, terrified of becoming the next casualty.
"Captain, stop talking nonsense!"
If that terrifying guy got angry and decided to set the whole house on fire, they'd all be dood—himself included!
"Captain?" iser glanced at Puwai Chuck. "You?"
"What about ?!"
"Can you even move?"
Puwai Chuck: "..."
Stuck in the wall, Puwai Chuck fell silent—because he really couldn't move. Only his pig head and arms were embedded in the specin fra.
Apart from wiggling his hands, he couldn't do a thing.
Seeing Puwai Chuck speechless, iser couldn't be bothered with him.
"Luffy and the others should be close by now," iser said. "Let's go find them."
"We'll handle the fighting after we regroup."
Nami and the other girl had taken quite a long bath—at least half an hour. By now, Luffy and the crew must have already landed.
He just wasn't sure if his clone had managed to locate them yet.
"Let's hurry then. The sll here is a bit too pungent," Nami said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
Set ablaze by iser's Fire Release Technique, the zombies emitted an indescribable stench that made Nami wonder if the fus were toxic.
"Seems like I bathed for nothing..." rry said, examining her arm.
Ash had settled on it, likely from the zombies' desperate thrashing earlier.
"You can wash again later."
Without hesitation, Nami brushed the ashes off for her.
"Let's go, we—"
Before Nami could finish, an eerily familiar laugh echoed through the air.
"Yohohohoho~"
"My, what a ruckus you've caused~"
"Who's there?!"
The group looked up to see a... zombie samurai erging from the stairwell door?!
"Ah!"
"It's Ryuma!"
Puwai Chuck beca ecstatic at Ryuma's appearance, as if seeing a savior.
"Ryuma!"
"These bastards burned all our comrades to ashes!" Puwai Chuck raged. "Don't let them escape!"
When had their Mural Army ever suffered such devastating losses?
Previous intruders would only scream upon seeing them—never fight back.
But this ti...
"Yohohoho, leave it to ," Ryuma said.
"And who might you be?"
"?..." Ryuma replied. "Just an ordinary swordsman."
His modest deanor surprised iser—this was completely unlike the arrogant zombies they'd encountered.
"Kehkehkeh, you're done for!" Puwai Chuck crossed his arms, sneering at iser. "Ryuma's a Sword Master from the Land of Wano who once slew a dragon with his own blade!"
"You stand no chance against him!"
Puwai Chuck's arrogance swelled, as if Ryuma's presence had granted him absolute confidence.
"Dragon slayer..." Usopp muttered in disbelief. "Hey now, that's gotta be fake, right?"
A swordsman who could kill dragons?
Wouldn't that make him stronger than Zoro?
"More importantly..." Nami gulped. "Why does his laugh sound just like Brook's... Unless..."
"He's Brook's shadow zombie!"
Nami voiced the possibility, her face lighting up.
If they defeated him, might they avoid confronting a Royal Seven Warlords-level threat?
"What... an amusing coincidence." iser grinned. "Never thought Brook's shadow would deliver itself to us."
Usopp had just been wondering if they'd find Brook's shadow—now here it was.
An unexpected windfall.
"Hey iser, take this guy out!" Usopp urged. "Then we won't have to face the Royal Seven Warlords!"
"Even if we defeat him, we'll still face them eventually." iser didn't bother turning around. "Best abandon that hope."
"Rember Hogback? You really think... Chopper would let that bastard go?"
"Never!"
Chopper's eyes burned with anger as he said, "I'll never let that guy get away with this!"
Usopp::
At this point, it seed inevitable that they'd have to fight the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Recalling Luffy's words from the beginning, Usopp sighed deeply.
"Yohohoho, how... sharp-tongued indeed." Ryuma didn't seem angered by their words. Instead, he chuckled as he descended the stairs step by step, carrying an air of unexpected elegance.
"You've really picked up all of Brook's mannerisms."
"Yohohoho, that Afro-wearing fellow?" Ryuma laughed. "Perhaps we do share so similarities."
Ryuma's response made iser narrow his eyes in suspicion. 'Why does it feel like this guy doesn't know Brook that well?'
His Shadow clearly ca from Brook, yet his knowledge of Brook seems...
Could it be that Shadows gradually forget their past after separating from their owners?
This was information even Lola's group hadn't managed to obtain.
Click
As Ryuma reached the floor, he looked up at iser and asked, "Are you also from the Land of Wano?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Ninjas are unique to the Land of Wano."
"Eh?!" Puchak stared at iser in shock. "You're from the Land of Wano too?"
Did that an this man was as powerful as Ryuma?
The thought made cold sweat break out on Puchak's forehead.
Ignoring Puchak, iser kept his gaze on Ryuma. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a ninja from the Land of Wano."
"Rather... since you're from there, could you tell about it?"
With so many people ntioning the Land of Wano, he'd grown genuinely curious about the place.
"So you're not..."
Ryuma suddenly fell into deep thought, as if iser's words had caused so confusion in his mind.
In his understanding, only the Land of Wano had ninjas.
After a long pause, Ryuma finally spoke slowly. "What a pity then..."
"Not going to talk about it...?"
"No, it's not that I refuse to speak of the Land of Wano. I simply don't know much." Ryuma explained.
"But you said you're from the Land of Wano," Usopp questioned, puzzled.
"Yohohoho, I was indeed the Dragon-Slaying Swordsman from the Land of Wano, but I'm already dead." Ryuma laughed. "The now... you could say is him, yet also not him."
The mories preserved in his mind weren't as complete as one might expect.
But Ryuma didn't dwell on it too much, rely expressing so lancholy.
Shaking his head, Ryuma placed his hand on Autumn Water at his waist. "Enough idle chatter now."
"Please co with !"
As he spoke, Ryuma instantly vanished from sight.
Seeing this, Nami's pupils contracted sharply.
'He disappeared?!'
Clang!
A clear tallic ring sounded from in front of iser as two weapons locked in fierce opposition.
"Yohohohoho, truly a formidable ninja indeed."
"Not bad yourself, Dragon-Slaying Swordsman." iser grinned. "Surprisingly strong..."
"Nami, take them to find Luffy."
"Got it!"
Snapping back to reality, Nami nodded. She knew staying here would only cause trouble for iser, so without hesitation, she picked up rry and dashed toward the door.
Usopp and Chopper imdiately followed suit, terrified of being even a step too slow and getting killed by Ryuma.
A swordsman who could vanish in an instant was simply beyond their ability to contend with.
Ryuma made no move to stop them. Once he dealt with the enemy before him, the rest would be re trivialities.
"How thrilling it is to cross blades with a ninja~" Ryuma remarked. "Though as a mummy, I suppose I don't actually have blood~"
"Yohohoho~"
"That's a textbook-level bad joke."
Glancing at the weapon in Ryuma's hand, iser said, "That sword of yours looks pretty impressive."
"Oh? Taken a liking to my weapon?"
"Yeah, my buddy's missing a good blade, and yours seems perfect." iser grinned. "How about handing it over quietly?"
"Afraid that won't do~" Ryuma replied. "This Great Grade Blade - 21 Craftsn, the famous sword Autumn Water, was my weapon in life."
"I currently have no intention of parting with it."
Even though his resurrection hadn't restored his original self, he still had no reason to surrender his weapon without cause.
Unless his opponent could kill him!
"Then I'll just have to take it myself!"
iser threw a swift left punch, but Ryuma noticed instantly and retreated, dodging the strike.
After locking eyes for a mont, the two clashed again, exchanging furious slashes.
Thanks to the Sharingan's keen perception, iser flawlessly blocked every one of Ryuma's attacks!
"So this is the strength of a Sword Master—definitely packs a punch!"
Excitent radiated from iser's face, clearly marking him as a battle enthusiast.
"Yohohoho, it seems my performance has disappointed you~" Ryuma said. "Then allow to try this!"
"Cask Dance Suite: Retreat!"
Ryuma thrust Autumn Water with blinding speed, creating the illusion of multiple simultaneous strikes.
But iser's Sharingan saw through the technique effortlessly, and he forcefully parried the blade.
"Clang!"
"Yohohoho, so you saw through it..." Ryuma stared at iser. "Is it because of those eyes?"
He'd noticed—this man's eyes were unlike any ordinary person's. They were blood-red with peculiar patterns.
He'd never seen such eyes before.
A Devil Fruit Ability User? Or... so unique bloodline?
"Under these eyes, no secret remains hidden."
With that, iser abruptly disengaged to create distance and shouted, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"BOOM!!"
A massive fireball hurtled toward Ryuma, instantly paling the zombie's face.
Without hesitation, he lunged sideways, narrowly evading the attack.
"BOOM!!"
"AAAH!!"
While Ryuma escaped unscathed, the Carpet Bear feigning death on the ground wasn't so lucky—engulfed by the flas, it was reduced to ashes in seconds.
"Huh?"
iser blinked in surprise. That thing on the ground was alive too?
"Carpet Bear..."
Puwai Chuck nearly burst into tears. The only one left in the room besides him was Carpet Bear, and now even his companion was dead.
No... wait. The room was already ablaze, and it wouldn't be long before the flas reached him up high. At this rate, he wouldn't survive either!
"To think it's a legendary Release Technique..." Ryuma muttered in astonishnt. "This truly exceeds my expectations."
"However... using Fire Release at such close range—aren't you afraid of burning yourself?"
iser didn't answer. Instead, he unleashed another Ninjutsu.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"BOOM!!"
Water surged around iser, coalescing into the form of a roaring Water Dragon that charged straight at Ryuma!
"ROAR!"
"This...!" Puwai Chuck stared in disbelief.
First fire, and now water... Was this the power of a Ninja?!
This was terrifying!!
If the opponent could summon seawater, wouldn't that make them a natural counter to Zombies like them?
"So you possess Water Release as well," Ryuma said gravely. "You continue to surprise ."
He realized this Ninja was different from those in his holand. After all, Ninjas from the Land of Wano couldn't summon Water Dragons out of thin air, nor could they wield Fire Release!
"Nocturne: True Thrust!"
"THUD!"
A Flying Slash shot forth, piercing straight through the Water Dragon's head and leaving a gaping hole.
But to Ryuma's surprise, the attack failed to completely destroy the Water Dragon—sothing he hadn't anticipated.
"BOOM!!"
The massive Water Dragon slamd into Ryuma, pinning him against the wall with such force that the entire castle trembled.
At the sa ti, the Water Release extinguished all the flas in the room, plunging the space into darkness.
But this wasn't a problem for iser—his Sharingan granted him night vision!
"Yohohoho~"
"That was... quite the powerful strike."
"It seems simple blunt force isn't enough to kill Zombies like you," iser mused, narrowing his eyes.
He recalled the intel Lola had given him—salt could suppress Zombies, as it originated from the sea, and fire could burn them to death.
But Fire Release wasn't fast enough to reliably hit speed-based opponents like this.
In that case...
"Let's try this move!"
"Lightning Release: Ear—"
Before iser could finish, his expression suddenly shifted, and his body vanished in a puff of white smoke.
"POP~"
"Hm?"
"He... left?"
Ryuma blinked in confusion at iser's abrupt disappearance. This defied all logic.
He had never seen anyone vanish into thin air like that.
This wasn't just speed—it was true instantaneous disappearance.
"Yohohoho~"
"Though I don't understand how... Ninjas truly are fascinating."
It seed his mission this ti would remain incomplete.
Shaking his head, Ryuma turned and left, leaving behind a stunned Puwai Chuck.
This ti, it felt like he had witnessed gods clashing.
"What was that tremor just now?"
Outside the castle, Luffy and the others looked toward the castle in confusion—the tremors were unmistakably loud.
"Could iser have already clashed with them?" Sanji's expression darkened. "Quick, we need to find them!"
Though they didn't know whose territory this was... if anyone dared to ss with their crew, they'd beat them to a pulp!
"Let's go," Luffy said. "Hurry and find iser and the others!"
The area was in complete disarray, clearly the aftermath of a battle. It seed they needed to catch up fast.
"Right!"
anwhile, on the other side, Lola and her group—who had been led by iser to search for Luffy—stood silently by the shore, staring at the sea.
"So... where's our ship?!"
Where the hell had those guys taken it? If they were coming ashore, they should've at least docked properly, damn it!
Those idiots... Had they landed sowhere else entirely? If so, they might've completely missed each other.
Just thinking about it gave iser a headache.
"Ninja bro, let's check the other side," Echo suggested. "Near the entrance—there's a huge spiderweb there. They might be around that area."
Their pirate ship had originally been caught there, giving Moria's zombies the perfect chance to ambush them. Otherwise, they could've just smashed through the walls and escaped!
"Guess we have no choice," iser said, glancing back toward the castle. "Let's just hope those guys didn't run off too fast."
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