Two small animal zombies cowered in the shadows, trembling uncontrollably.
Who was Absalom?
A commander of the Zombie Army, a wielder of the Clear-Clear Fruit, and one of the top three monsters under Gecko Moria, a Warlord of the Sea!
Yet, despite all these grand titles, Absalom met an unexpectedly anticlimactic end.
"How could this happen? My idol, Lord Absalom… has been defeated…"
The pig-headed zombie looked utterly crestfallen, as if it had lost its reason to exist.
Beside it, the dog-headed zombie, though equally terrified, placed a trembling paw on its companion's shoulder and consoled:
"What's done is done. Dwelling on it won't help. Our top priority now is to get back to the castle and report this to Lord Moria!"
"My idol, Lord Absalom… defeated…"
"Hey, are you even listening?"
"My idol, Lord Absalom has been defeated…"
"???"
The dog-headed zombie's wrinkled face twitched in frustration as it stared at its unresponsive companion.
The pig-headed zombie slumped to the ground, utterly deflated. "Someone as powerful as Lord Absalom… how could he die so quietly?"
"???"
The dog-headed zombie was baffled, a series of question marks practically floating above its head.
Suddenly, the pig-headed zombie leapt to its feet, raising its tiny arms high as it bellowed indignantly, "A strong individual, even if they die from slipping on a banana peel or choking on water, should at least go out in a blaze of glory!"
"Zuzu, you idiot! Keep your voice down! What if they—"
The dog-headed zombie's panicked warning was abruptly cut short as a tall shadow loomed over them.
Maude stood there, gazing down at the two diminutive animal zombies.
The dog-headed zombie instantly froze, terror coursing through its body. It feared both formidable enemies and reckless allies.
Caught in Maude's unyielding gaze, the dog-headed zombie felt like crying but had no tears.
In stark contrast, the pig-headed zombie glared defiantly at Maude, raising its stubby arms and striking an amateurish boxing stance.
"No matter the situation, a true warrior must go out with a bang—"
Thud.
Maude's foot lashed out, sending the pig-headed zombie flying.
The sheer force of the kick expelled the shadow from the zombie's body.
The shadow drifted upwards, vanishing into the overcast sky within moments.
"Zuzu!"
The dog-headed zombie cried out, watching as its companion was sent hurtling into the distance like a shooting star. Then, its gaze shifted back to Maude, whose oppressive presence crushed any thought of resistance. Closing its eyes, it resigned itself to fate.
"Go ahead and kill me!"
"…"
Maude lowered his leg, silently observing the dog-headed zombie.
When the anticipated blow never came, the zombie opened one eye and hesitantly looked up at Maude.
"Why haven't you attacked yet? Don't tell me… you're trying to get information about my comrades out of me?"
As if seeing through Maude's intentions, the dog-headed zombie's eyes suddenly sharpened. With a solemn expression, it declared:
"Hmph! I am a man of honor. Even under torture, I won't tell you that Dr. Hogback is having tea with Miss Cindry in the lab behind the mansion!"
"Nor will I tell you that Lady Perona is currently in the Unbelievable Garden on the second floor of the castle, teaching the animal zombies how to sing!"
"And I certainly won't betray Lord Moria by revealing that he's napping on the grand balcony of his room at the top of the castle!"
"No matter what, I will never betray my masters!"
"If you understand, then hurry up and finish me off!"
The dog-headed zombie's fearless declaration radiated an impressive sense of determination.
Maude stared in disbelief at the zombie that had voluntarily revealed all the key information. A wry smile tugged at his lips as he began to wonder about the original personality of this zombie's shadow.
"You've got guts. I admire that."
"Hah! Trying to use flattery to sway me? Give it up! No matter how much you sweet-talk me, you'll never get any intel from me!"
"You misunderstand. I simply haven't met someone as resolute as you in a long time. I'd like to know your name."
Maude's tone was calm, and he smiled as he addressed the dog-headed zombie.
The zombie seemed momentarily taken aback but then snorted dismissively. "If it's just my name, then I suppose it's fine to tell you. But don't think for a second I'll divulge any intel! Even if I die, I won't tell you that the general zombies usually rest in the crypt near the chapel!"
"…"
Maude was speechless. He couldn't help but marvel at this zombie's peculiar knack for spilling secrets.
Shaking his head, he pulled out his Hunter's Notebook.
"Douglas Gill!" the dog-headed zombie declared proudly. "That's my name. Now that you know it, don't waste any more time—just finish me off!"
"Douglas Gill, huh…"
Maude repeated the name thoughtfully as he flipped open his notebook and began writing.
"What… are you doing?"
Douglas Gill's curiosity was piqued as he watched Maude jot something down in the notebook.
Maude didn't answer. Once he finished writing, he closed the notebook and raised his foot.
Seeing the movement, Gill's defiance wavered for a moment, his body trembling slightly despite his steadfast resolve.
From the beginning, he remained blissfully unaware of just how thoroughly he had betrayed his masters.
Thud!
Maude's kick struck like a hammer, sending Gill flying into a tree with a heavy crash.
The impact dislodged the shadow from Gill's body. The shadow rose skyward and vanished, leaving behind an empty husk.
Maude walked over to the lifeless zombie and checked his Hunter's Notebook.
"No progress, huh…"
Despite executing the steps correctly, eliminating Gill brought no experience points.
Maude sighed, mildly disappointed.
If the zombies on Thriller Bark couldn't yield experience points, then his gains here would be far less significant than expected.
Still, his primary objective for coming to Thriller Bark remained unchanged—defeating Gecko Moria and creating a vacancy in the Warlord ranks.
Furthermore, Maude hadn't pinned much hope on gaining experience from the zombies. After all, they were fundamentally corpses, making it unsurprising that they didn't qualify as proper prey.
Accepting this reality, Maude put away his notebook and returned to the Underworld Ferry.
Their true mission awaited—defeat Gecko Moria and acquire the Devil Fruits on the island.
There were three in total: Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Perona's Hollow-Hollow Fruit, and the Clear-Clear Fruit already in their possession.
On the deck of the Underworld Ferry, the crew watched Maude's calm return.
"We stick to the plan," Maude announced evenly. "Before Moria makes his move, use the salt and clear out as many zombies on Thriller Bark as possible."
The crew nodded in response.
With the intelligence they had gathered, the success rate of their plan to deal with Gecko Moria was relatively high...
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