The distorted shadow projection of Moya's maniacal laughter echoed through the thick black mist, carrying bone-chilling malice and the confidence of one who controlled the battlefield.
The words "graveyard" fell like an icy curse, striking heavily upon the hearts of every member of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew. Yet, what answered him wasn't fearful unrest, but an even more resolute fighting spirit and the metallic ring of weapons being drawn.
Ye Yu stepped onto the skeletal docks of Shadow Island, as if shattering the atmosphere of terror Moya's words had created. He surveyed his surroundings, his Observation Haki piercing through the dense mist and death energy.
"All hands, combat readiness. Let's play with them."
"Aye, Captain!" came the unified response, filled with ironclad determination.
Xiao Ke loaded his rifle, Xia Ling's body radiated cold energy, Sun Long gripped his three swords, Zhao Yan'er's fists blazed with flames, and Qiao Ling'er stood protected at the center, healing green light at the ready.
At that moment, the island's shadows seemed to come alive.
"Roar!"
"Hiss!"
Countless inhuman howls erupted from all directions as the thick mist was torn apart, revealing the terrifying army lurking within.
Zombie pirates of various forms, their pupils hollow, skin gray and withered, with grotesque stitching, brandished rusted blades.
Massive exotic beast zombies, their bones exposed, muscles rotting, yet exuding the ferocity of their former selves; even twisted sea beast zombies emerged from the black waters, climbing onto the docks, dripping foul-smelling slime.
Their numbers were like a black tide, instantly surrounding the area where the Tyrant Feather Pirate Ship had landed. The dark clouds of death energy and resentful thoughts pressed lower, nearly suffocating.
"Hmph, trash leading the charge!" Sun Long's eyes flashed with ferocity. "Three-Sword Style: Black Rope Great Tornado!"
A violent tornado of sword energy roared forth, instantly shredding dozens of charging zombies to pieces. Yet, as the fragments fell into the shadows, tendrils of black energy were absorbed by the island, and more zombies crawled out from the darkness, seemingly endless.
"Their power comes from the island's shadows! Destroying the corpses is meaningless!" Xiao Ke analyzed coolly, his sniper rifle firing precise shots, each bullet piercing the shadow nodes within the zombies' heads—the suspected cores. The struck zombies immediately collapsed.
"Frozen Path!" Xia Ling pressed her hands to the ground as frost rapidly spread across the docks, freezing the leading sea beast zombies into ice sculptures, temporarily halting the assault.
Zhao Yan'er's flames exploded, incinerating swathes of rotting corpses, the stench of burning flesh filling the air.
The battle erupted instantly, with the Dominant Feather executives showcasing their abilities, tearing gaps through the zombie tide.
But the zombies were far too numerous, fearless of death, attacking with mindless frenzy. Hidden exotic beast zombies spat venom and unleashed frost, causing significant trouble for the crew.
Ye Yu didn't immediately join the cleanup. His gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield, firmly locked onto the direction of the skeletal castle. He could sense a powerful, icy malice watching from there.
"The Shadow-Shadow Fruit, huh? Interesting. It's indeed a powerful Fruit. Seems like they've collected quite a few corpses in this world. How amusing."
Ye Yu found it somewhat intriguing.
"Ye Yu! Look who this is?!" Moya's voice, laced with mockery, echoed through the amplified shadows.
At the edge of the battlefield, the shadows suddenly surged violently as several figures emitting auras far surpassing ordinary zombies slowly emerged from the thick mist.
Leading them was a burly man with wild golden hair like a lion's mane, instantly recognized by many—the deceased Float-Float Fruit Ability User, Jin Mo!
His hollow eye sockets flickered with eerie green ghost flames, and he wielded two renowned swords in his hands.
On the other side stood a towering giant with muscles like coiled steel, his skin an unnatural bluish-gray—Ba Ye, the one Ye Yu had defeated, now bound by Barrett's Contract.
He clashed his fists together, producing a dull metallic clang as death energy swirled around him.
Soon, more familiar figures appeared: powerful Captains who had participated in the joint siege, notorious Pirates, and even a few zombie corpses reconstructed from terrifying Exotic Beasts.
Finally, when that particular figure emerged, Ye Yu's brow twitched slightly.
Yang Luo!
The cunning and sinister contractor of Rocks, whom Ye Yu had personally slain.
His corpse had been preserved remarkably "intact," still clad in his Captain's coat from life, though his face was deathly pale, his pupils replaced by flickering green ghost flames.
In his hand was a longsword wreathed in dense death energy, and the aura he exuded was even more sinister and eerie than in life—stronger, as if Moya had forcibly infused a significant portion of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit's power into him, creating an even greater monster.
"Surprised, Ye Yu?" Moya's voice dripped with smugness. "Your old friends couldn't wait to catch up with you! Especially Captain Yang Luo—his 'longing' for you is bone-deep! I gave him greater power so he can repay you properly!"
Jin Mo, Ba Ye, Yang Luo… These formidable enemies who had once brought immense trouble to the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, ultimately ended by Ye Yu, now stood before him once more—reborn as the dead, carrying deeper resentment and the twisted power Moya had bestowed upon them.
Their hollow gazes locked onto Ye Yu in unison, an invisible pressure coiling around him like icy chains.
"Captain!" Xiao Ke and the others paled, ready to intervene.
Ye Ling grinned with delight. "The experience gained from killing someone is determined by their strength. The difficulty of the Mystic Realm is also judged comprehensively—and these are part of your overall power. So killing you will yield unprecedented rewards."
Ye Yu drew Black Blade Night from his back, dark-red Conqueror's Haki coiling around the blade like an awakened furious dragon, emitting a low thunderous hum that stunned and shattered nearby zombies. His gaze swept past Jin Mo and Ba Ye before settling on Yang Luo's lifeless yet malice-filled face.
"I killed them effortlessly when they were alive. Now that they're zombies, slaughtering them will be like butchering chickens." Ye Yu's voice was as cold as eternal ice, brimming with lethal intent.
Moya snorted. "Even if you've contracted seven powerful warriors, they're no match for my Shadow-Shadow Fruit. You have seven—but my ability grants me endless troops! I will annihilate you all, even kill you. With your corpses, I'll be invincible in this world! Zombies, attack!"
The moment Moya's voice fell, led by Yang Luo's zombie, Jin Mo, Ba Ye, and the other revived powerful zombie warriors, along with formidable Exotic Beasts and Sea Beast zombies, as if receiving a silent command, surged toward Ye Yu with overwhelming death energy and resentful thoughts.
Ye Yu chose to fight alone, leaving the rest of the zombie army to the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew.
Since they were zombies, Conqueror's Haki was useless—it couldn't reduce the numbers of the zombie army. But it didn't matter. He trusted his crew could handle it.
(End of Chapter)