Just as the little zombie dog had mentioned earlier, Gecko Moria was indeed napping on a balcony atop the castle at this time.
However, the commotion in the graveyard caused by Maude quickly disrupted Moria's peaceful rest.
The towering figure, nearly seven meters tall, slowly rose and looked down in the direction of the graveyard.
Using his Observation Haki, his gaze pierced through the mist, instantly identifying Maude.
A bounty of 360 million berries, and this year's hottest up-and-coming rookie pirate.
Yet, in Moria's eyes, Maude was just another greenhorn.
"Hehehe..."
A cold glint flickered in Moria's eyes, but he made no move to intervene.
Relying on others to handle his affairs was one of his mottos.
Thus, even though Maude was causing havoc in the graveyard, Moria had no intention of dealing with him personally.
After all, his "adorable subordinates" would handle it for him.
Despite this, Moria did not resume his nap, instead keeping an eye on Maude's actions from afar.
Inside the Graveyard.
On the right side of the central path, over a hundred zombies lay quietly in the soft soil, their shadows stolen.
On the left side, another group of cemetery zombies, seemingly intimidated by Maude, ceased their attack on Philo.
Philo was momentarily puzzled, but when Maude approached her and she noticed the dozens of motionless zombies behind him, she immediately understood.
"So fast…"
She had only managed to defeat a few zombies, but Maude had already wiped out nearly a hundred.
The gap in efficiency was…
Truly, comparisons could be painful.
Maude glanced at the zombies standing in a daze ahead before turning to Philo.
"Want to use them for practice?"
"No need. I've never liked fighting in the first place," Philo replied, shaking her head to decline the offer.
Maude's expression shifted slightly.
Not a fan of fighting?
Yet, the techniques you use in combat are joint locks—moves explicitly designed for fighting.
With a small shake of his head, Maude drew his twin pistols, transformed from Bailey's body.
"Bang! Bang!"
A series of intense gunshots echoed, and the remaining zombies in the graveyard were completely annihilated.
The successful first test of the Arms-Arms Fruit left Maude quite satisfied.
For a marksman, a weapon that didn't require reloading was a game-changer.
Furthermore, aspects like rate of fire, precision, and power would undoubtedly improve as Bailey mastered his abilities. Future upgrades in firearm mechanics were just a matter of time.
After all, Bailey had only consumed the Arms-Arms Fruit three days ago.
Give him another six months or a year, and the fruit's true potential would be realized.
For now, its current functionality was merely convenient.
Holstering his pistols, Maude gave the lifeless zombies on the ground a final glance before turning and leaving the graveyard with Philo.
Inside the Mansion.
Hogback, one of Moria's top three subordinates and a brilliant surgeon, sat at a long table, setting down his steaming teacup.
"Fsshh… fsshh…"
Rising from his seat, he approached the floor-to-ceiling window, staring calmly at the mist-shrouded forest outside.
However, without Observation Haki, he couldn't discern what was happening in the graveyard, let alone sense Maude's presence.
"Judging by the frequency of gunshots, it seems we've got quite the haul of 'materials' this time. Fsshh… fsshh…"
Hogback remained unfazed by the gunfire from the graveyard, confident in the strength of the zombie army on the island.
Besides, he had the protection of none other than the infamous Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria.
Under such circumstances, anyone setting foot on this island would ultimately lose their shadow and be left to perish.
This time would be no different.
Clasping his hands behind his back, Hogback muttered to himself, "People have already infiltrated this far, yet Absalom still hasn't returned. Could it be… that he got distracted by some pretty woman again?"
The thought gave Hogback a headache.
Though accustomed to Absalom's irresponsibility, he couldn't help but grumble whenever something serious arose.
After all, the commanding authority over the General Zombie Corps rested in Absalom's hands.
If the intruders were powerful, deploying the General Zombies in time would be crucial.
Shaking his head, Hogback was interrupted by a sudden crash behind him.
Clang—
A plate shattered on the floor.
Zombie maid Cindry stood expressionless by the long table, extending her hand to swipe another plate to the ground.
Clang!
A second plate joined the debris.
Hogback paid no mind to Cindry's antics, having long grown accustomed to her behavior.
At that moment, faint scuttling sounds echoed through the hall.
A group of small mice with spider-like legs scurried across the broken plates, gathering at Hogback's feet.
"What's the matter?"
Hogback looked down at the spider mice, which served as messengers and informants.
One mouse stepped forward and squeaked, "Lord Absalom… has been killed!"
"What?!"
Hogback's face twisted in shock as if he'd heard the most unbelievable news.
Absalom, with his invisibility powers, had been killed?
"Who did this?!"
Struggling to process the information, Hogback blurted out the question.
Before the spider mice could respond, a calm male voice interrupted.
"It was me."
Maude's emotionless face emerged from the shadows.
Recognizing Hogback by his flamboyant netted shirt, pointed nose, and small sunglasses, Maude instantly identified him as one of Moria's top three subordinates.
Though he couldn't recall Hogback's name, Maude knew he was the weakest of the trio, even less capable than an ordinary zombie soldier.
A pure "technician," in other words.
"You're Bacardi Ma…"
Hogback's words were cut short as a flash of cold light swept past.
Before he could react, his head flew from his shoulders, his final expression frozen in terror.
Maude's strike was merciless and swift, leaving no chance for retaliation.
Turning his gaze to the trembling spider mice at his feet, Maude ignored them and sheathed his blade.
Behind him, Philo dealt with zombie maid Cindry in an instant, using a joint lock to knock her down and release her shadow, freeing her from her manipulated state.
"It's about time for you to show up, Moria…"
Maude's eyes shifted toward the ceiling.
That gaze seemed as though it could pierce through the floors above and lock onto Moria's shadowy figure.
The reason Maude had set his sights on Moria wasn't just because sea salt was effective against zombies. There was another critical factor at play.
Moria's glaring character flaw.
For instance, this very moment.
Maude had boldly walked in, making no effort to conceal his presence, yet Moria had not appeared immediately to confront him.
The end result?
The cemetery's zombies were annihilated to no purpose, and Hogback—unable to even finish a sentence—had been sent packing to the grave.
Their meaningless sacrifices could not be disentangled from Moria's own failings.
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule?
Join here: patreon.com / emperorgarus
There are more than 200 advance chapters available for you!