Hogback was a genius surgeon.
Every zombie currently roaming the Thriller Bark, as well as those stored in the freezer awaiting a suitable shadow, had undergone his modifications, repairs, and enhancements.
His expertise was indispensable to Moria's Zombie Army Project.
Yet, despite this, Maude had slain Hogback—someone of such critical importance—with a single stroke, right under Moria's nose.
To Maude, this only reinforced his view that Moria, as a captain, was simply unworthy of the title.
With a flick of his arm, Maude shook the blood off Chidori's blade before smoothly sheathing it.
"This place is pretty spacious."
He glanced around the hall. Though the furnishings were simple, the area was vast.
After a brief thought, he walked over to the long table and began brewing a fresh pot of tea.
Watching his actions, Philo blinked in confusion.
Shouldn't they be pressing forward? Why was he making tea all of a sudden?
Maude soon poured himself a cup before glancing at the still-stunned Philo.
"Would you like some?"
"…Alright."
Just moments ago, Philo had been puzzled by Maude's actions. But now, she pulled out a chair and sat down.
Maude poured her a cup as well.
And so, the two sat at the scene of a murder, enjoying afternoon tea.
"Yohoho…"
After some time, a deep laugh suddenly echoed from the doorway.
Hearing it, Maude set down his empty cup and turned toward the source.
There, at the entrance, stood a male zombie clad in tattered samurai robes, wearing wooden sandals, and carrying a long, black-sheathed katana at his waist.
White bandages covered his face, but they failed to hide the skeletal features—the exposed nasal cavity and the remnants of shriveled skin clinging to his rotting skull.
This was clearly a corpse that had been dead for a long time.
The only reason it was still functional was thanks to Hogback's remarkable surgical skills.
"Samurai Ryuma."
Maude recognized him instantly.
Among the various figures and events of the Thriller Bark arc, few had left a lasting impression on him. Ryuma was one of them.
He could easily forget Hogback's name—or rather, he had never bothered to remember it in the first place.
But figures like Samurai Ryuma, who carried an innate presence, naturally imprinted themselves into his memory.
For instance, Ryuma's "Yohoho" laugh immediately made Maude think of Brook, the skeleton musician.
Ryuma stood at the doorway, his right arm casually resting on the hilt of his famed sword, Shusui. His sharp gaze locked onto the Chidori at Maude's waist.
"Yohoho… The aura I sensed from the graveyard—it was you, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
Maude slowly stood and turned to face Ryuma.
He had remained in the hall to wait for Moria, but Ryuma had arrived first instead.
Lowering his gaze slightly, Maude focused on the black scabbard.
"Shusui."
Their eyes met for a brief moment before both instinctively shifted their gaze toward each other's swords.
A few seconds later, Ryuma broke eye contact and quickly glanced at Hogback's corpse by the shattered window.
"Before coming here, I learned of Absalom-sama's death."
Ryuma's eyes returned to Maude. He lowered his right hand, gripping Shusui's hilt, then slowly unsheathed the famed black blade.
"That was your doing as well, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
Maude nodded, drawing Chidori in response.
Resting Shusui on his shoulder, Ryuma stated calmly, "Then one of us must die here."
As a zombie created by Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Ryuma was bound to serve Moria and Absalom.
Thus, even without a direct order, he was compelled to eliminate the one who had slain Absalom.
Hogback's death, however, meant little to him, as their connection was not reinforced by the same contractual weight.
Seeing the battle-ready Ryuma, Maude held Chidori across his body and spoke with intent:
"Then, Shusui… will be mine."
"Yohoho, words are easy to say!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ryuma launched forward, his body cutting through the air like a blade.
Shusui, once resting on his shoulder, swung down in a devastating arc, the blackened edge carving a menacing trajectory toward Maude's vitals.
Maude's eyes sharpened as he raised his blade to meet the strike.
Clang—!
The blue steel of Chidori clashed against the blackened Shusui, sending sparks flying.
The impact generated a shockwave, splitting the stone floor behind Ryuma. Meanwhile, the long table behind Maude was cleaved cleanly in half and collapsed with a crash.
"Yohoho…"
Through the crossed blades, Ryuma gazed at Maude, his expression grave.
From just one exchange, he had immediately grasped Maude's strength.
He's incredibly strong!
This was the most formidable opponent Ryuma had faced since his reanimation.
Yet, in contrast to Ryuma's solemn demeanor, Maude remained entirely calm.
Using only one hand, he had effortlessly countered Ryuma's two-handed assault.
The gap between them was clear.
"You are, after all, merely a corpse long since dead."
His expression unchanged, Maude activated Armament Haki, coating Chidori in a deep, obsidian hue, mirroring Shusui's black blade.
"You can use Haki too, can't you?"
Though he could have overwhelmed Ryuma at any moment, Maude did not press his advantage just yet.
At his words, Ryuma hesitated, but remained silent, focusing instead on withstanding the pressure of Maude's blade.
With his free hand, Maude reached for the Twin Pistols at his waist.
"But you can't use it. That's the fundamental flaw of zombies—the Shadow-Shadow Fruit is an imperfect power."
As he spoke, his fingers brushed against the gun's grip.
He could have drawn and fired, destroying Ryuma's body within three seconds.
But he chose not to.
Instead, he softly muttered:
"Sword."
In response, Bailey transformed into a long sword, landing in Maude's outstretched hand.
Seeing this, Ryuma's gaze flickered slightly.
"…A pity."
Maude sighed.
Channeling a portion of his Armament Haki into the White Weasel Sword, he suddenly swung.
The Haki-infused blade cleaved through Ryuma's body effortlessly, releasing a tangible shockwave that obliterated the wall behind him.
Boom!
The entire wall crumbled under the force of the attack.
Ryuma's body split in two, before disintegrating into dust.
In his final moments, Maude thought he heard Ryuma sigh.
With Ryuma's fall, his tattered clothing and Shusui dropped to the ground.
Maude swiftly sheathed Chidori, then reached out and caught Shusui's hilt mid-air.
It felt heavy in his grasp.
Nearby, Philo silently glanced at the shattered wall, once again marveling at Maude's strength.
Meanwhile, the spider mice hidden in the shadows trembled in abject fear.
Ryuma had been one of the strongest General Zombies…
Yet, this demon had slain him with a single strike.
Their tiny bodies shook uncontrollably.
Only the master… Only Moria-sama could hope to stop him!
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