Chapter 144 The Courage-Building Method
The news of Garp's death never came.
Zane was surprised, but not shocked.
Garp was no ordinary man.
Beyond his own strength, he was a legendary hero of the Marines, possessing a level of prestige that even Sengoku might not match.
Even if only to save face and maintain morale, it was perfectly normal for the Marines to hush up the news of Garp's death.
As for whether the Marines would come after him again...
That was a certainty.
Given the relationship between Garp and Sengoku...
There was no way the latter wouldn't react.
However, the same rule applied.
If they still dared to send someone, he would have to give them credit for their sheer guts.
And naturally, he would continue to take them down.
He turned his attention away from Marine matters.
As they continued their voyage.
The New Riding the Wind and Waves finally reached the Florian Triangle.
"The mist here is so thick. Even with the high-powered searchlights, visibility is extremely limited."
On the forward deck, Nico Robin scanned the encroaching fog, her brow furrowing slightly.
"It's no problem. A bit of fog can't block my sight," Zane said, standing beside her with his arms crossed confidently.
What was a struggle for others was merely a trivial matter for someone with his abilities.
Even without using his God's Eye, his massive range of Observation Haki allowed him to easily locate targets within the fog.
And so it was.
Within moments of entering the Florian Triangle.
Several presences entered his range, allowing him to immediately determine their direction and issue navigation orders.
Half a day later.
Under the beams of the New Riding the Wind and Waves' searchlights, a tall, circular stone wall extending to both sides appeared in the fog ahead.
Right in the center was a massive, gaping mouth-shaped gate.
From a distance, the gate looked like the maw of a demon.
"Is this it? The lair of Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords."
"Is this the outer wall? Is there actually an island hidden in this fog?"
"It's not an island. It's supposedly the largest pirate ship in the world—Thriller Bark."
"A pirate ship??"
The members of the Hunting Team watched the stone walls and the giant gate emerge from the fog, all of them observing with curiosity.
Those who knew something about Gecko Moria explained the situation to the others.
Learning that the thing before them was actually a ship left many of them greatly shocked.
"Manlong, it's time for your performance."
Having found Thriller Bark, Zane sat back on his golden throne with his legs crossed, smiling as he gestured to Manlong, who was already standing by.
"Leave it to me, Boss!"
Manlong nodded steadily and immediately ordered the cannons to fire.
Boom!!!
The cannon barrels were calibrated, and a violent shell blasted out, shattering the giant mouth gate into fragments with a single hit.
The New Riding the Wind and Waves and the escort ships sailed forcefully into the stone walls.
They were greeted by an inner island filled with a gloomy, eerie atmosphere.
"Let's go, brothers!"
"Big brother Manlong, you better go easy on them later and leave some meat for us."
"This is a Warlord's territory, so there must be plenty of strong characters. I'm definitely finding myself a powerful opponent this time."
...
Led by Manlong, the combatants of the Hunting Team rushed onto the shore like a pack of hungry wolves, heading deep into the island.
"They certainly are motivated. Well, I'll be going too, Captain!"
Nico Robin rested a hand on her cheek, watching the crowd scramble onto the island with a sense of wonder. She gave Zane a light smile and followed the main force.
Baby 5 had already awakened her Armament Haki.
Although her physical strength had improved significantly during her recent training, if she didn't awaken her own Haki soon, wouldn't she be constantly suppressed by Baby 5?
She couldn't allow that.
"Captain, I'm going too!"
Baby 5 was startled when she saw Nico Robin leave.
Originally wanting to stay on the ship to guard her Captain, she hastily planted a kiss on Zane's cheek and then hurried after Robin.
"Honestly, if you two are going as well, I can't just be a spectator," Zane muttered helplessly and snapped his fingers.
Thunderclap!!!
A bolt of lightning flashed across the gloomy island, accurately striking a certain figure.
Indeed.
That certain figure was none other than Absalom, one of the Three Weirdos under Gecko Moria.
The wretched user of the Clear-Clear Fruit.
Baby 5 and Nico Robin had not yet awakened their Observation Haki.
Although their raw strength surpassed Absalom's...
If Absalom targeted them, there was no guarantee he wouldn't try to harass them.
Zane, of course, would never allow such a thing.
"Chopper!"
Locked on with Observation Haki and struck by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power.
After receiving such high-tier treatment, Absalom only had half a life left in Zane's perception.
The only reason he wasn't killed on the spot was that Zane wanted to put him to use by sacrificing his Devil Fruit to the Equality Space.
Looking back at Chopper, who had been secretly shrinking into a corner since they hit the shore, Zane waved at him kindly.
"Ca—Captain, what do you need me for?"
A bad premonition welled up in his heart. Chopper's short legs shook like noodles as he shuffled toward Zane step by step, asking with forced courage.
"It's nothing major. See, I just took care of an enemy, and I'd like to trouble you to go over and bring him back."
As a professional caretaker, Zane kept Chopper's favorite snacks readily available in his Munch-Munch Space.
With a flick of his hand, a wad of cotton candy appeared.
He smilingly handed it to Chopper, then patted the reindeer's shoulder earnestly, as if entrusting him with a vital mission.
"Huh?!" Chopper stared blankly, holding the cotton candy.
He looked back at the eerie island, then back at his Captain.
Tears began to flow uncontrollably.
'Doctorine, where are you? It's so dangerous out here, I want to go home.'
Putting aside the courage-building method Zane was putting Chopper through...
Deep within the island.
With the Hunting Team's grand entrance, it was impossible for Gecko Moria to remain unaware.
In fact.
Not long after the Hunting Team entered the island, battle broke out immediately.
On this island-sized ship called Thriller Bark, zombies were everywhere.
Under Gecko Moria's orders, any intruders were to be intercepted and captured by these zombies.
When the Hunting Team met the zombies, a massive chaotic battle quickly began.
Although Zane remained on the ship, he knew exactly what was happening on the island.
Sensing everything with his Observation Haki.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "Wyper and the others are still the same. As soon as they see someone even slightly formidable, they can't wait to fight over them."
In his perception.
As the Hunting Team clashed with the zombies, they quickly gained an overwhelming advantage, fighting their way from the coast all the way to the central castle.
Then, the Zombie Generals were deployed.
Clearly, even without Absalom's command, the Zombie Generals' actions were unaffected.
Facing these Zombie Generals, who were significantly stronger than the average zombie soldiers, Wyper and the other officers were extremely eager, quickly picking their opponents and splitting up the battlefield.