03 The First Raid... Ends?

As Brook and Hogback are walking down the hallways towards what could only be the room Brook got his shadow stolen, Brook noticed a sinister soul filled with hate, malice, grief and sorrow since the 'Soul Eye' has remained active. It was physically hard to stop from throwing up thank goodness there was nothing to throw up in the first place.

As they entered the room the first thing that our duo noticed was the blankness of the room, almost nothing inside except a surgery table and a giant pair of scissors. The surgery table has a body on it with a white sheet covering the whole body. The second thing Brook and Arthur noticed was the "man" that stood across from them that was almost 3 times as tall as Brook, with purple hair, with distinctive stitching in the face and wearing a black suit with orange checkered pants.

Arthur instantly recognized who this was although he looked slightly more fit and even had a visible chin. It was undeniably Gecko Moria.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?" screeched Moria

"Ah yes... Forgi-" Hogback was cut off by the sound of a blade being unsheathed as well as a boney arm holding him in a chokehold around his neck.

"Alright listen here Moria, you're going to do a few things for me." said Brook with a quite different tone of voice, Arthur has become the main personality to guarantee his plan succeeds.

"Y-YOU DARE CHALLENGE ME!?" screamed Moria as shadowy ball like bats arouse from the ground.

"If you wanna keep making bodies with your friend here." Arthur (When I say Arthur I mean Arthur in full control of Brooks body.) moved the blade closer. "You'll do what I say now... Hand over Shusui and point me in a direction I can get a ship." Arthur stated.

"Tch." Moria snorted as he walked over to the body on the surgery table. He lifted up the white sheet and grabbed a sword from beside the body and started walking towards the skeleton.

Arthur was a little surprised things were this easy but with Brook's skill it's to has to be expected, the only one stronger than him right now is Moria. One thing that unsettled him was that Moria was still smiling like a mad man which seemed out of character.

"Normally Moria would have a vien popping, teeth clenching reaction to this what's happening?" thought Arthur.

Moria drew closer and closer until he could hold back his laughter anymore.

"Kishishishishishi..." hissed out as Arthur finally realized but it was too late.

"Shit!" huffed Arthur as he was pushed by Hogback as he attempted to cut the wicked doctor.

"Ahhrg!" winced Hogback.

"SHIT IT WASN'T DEEP ENOUGH!" screamed Arthur as the ceiling tiles and floor tiles began to flip with zombies coming out of every which way.

"DOPPLEGANGER!" screeched Moria and a shadow like figure exactly like Moria only missing some features blocked the door.

"How... How?... HOW DID HE KNOW I WAS COMING!" yelled Arthur as he salted the sword and began slashing down the zombies. He slashed and slashed, expertly dismembering each zombie as if he were paint a picture until a shadowy fist slammed into the side of the two.

"BLUGHHH!" Arthur was hit so hard Brook re manifested some control while they were flying through the air only to be knocked unconscious along side Arthur when that same fist slammed them into the wall.

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-Inside Brook's Psyche-

"GODDAMN IT!" Arthur screamed as he through his ghastly green fist down.

"Yohoho... Arthur we gotta chat." said a familiar voice from behind him.

"Look Brook... I'm sorry ok? I just had to make sure it went perfectly!" snapped Arthur.

"But you clearly didn't think everything through!" Brook snapped back.

"But... I ha-" Arthur was cut short.

"But nothing! Did you really think you could take on someone like that?" Brook interrupted.

"No. That wasn't part of the plan." Arthur replied. "Next time..."

"Next time you'll let me in on the plan 100%" said Brook

"Yeah... your right." Arthur sighed as the motions ran through his mind but Brook was right there was no way they could take on a Warlord.

"Glad we came to this understanding... look we're waking up." Brook stated.

As they awoke the duo found themself bound by zombies. In there current state there was no way they could escape and Arthur new all too well what was going to happen.

"Yohoho... how did you know we were coming?" Brook asked as his literal hollow eye sockets met Moria's wicked stare.

"Kishishishi... well since you're the first person to ever make it this far..."

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-45 Minutes Earlier-

"One sec, lemme grab my telescope." said zombie Mike. as he peered through the telescope he saw a skeleton running on the water straight toward them. "Must be one of the doctors crazy creations."

Once the skeleton made it to shore they chatted for a minute before pointing him towards the food storage.

"Hey... uhhhhh Mike? Isn't kinda weird he didn't have a number?" said Zombie Jim.

"That is a little curious..." Mike replied. "Better phone the Doc just in case."

After about 10 minutes the news was sent to Moria and the plan hatched. When Brook entered the room with Hogback the zombie had already relayed the plan. The plan you ask? Get the skeleton to Moria for a 'test'.

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"...and now you have but one choice." Moria explained. "Join me."

"Never! I've seen Into your soul your a man of pure evil!" yelled Arthur as his Soul Eye fired back up causing green mist to form and condense in his eye sockets.

An evil smile crept onto Moria's face. "Well then enjoy a fate worse then death." Moria then unsheathed Shusui and dropped the scabbard. Then He peeled Brook's shadow off the ground and slashed Shusui across the bottom cutting the shadow clean from Brook.

"UGH!" Arthur and Brook almost fainted, if it wasn't for the extra life force they had with two souls they would have been in a 2 day coma forsure.

"Oh your still awake? You must be resilient." said Moria. "Then you'll make a perfect source of entertainment." Moria then put Brook's shadow into the body on the table.

"Release the skeleton!" Moria smiled as he barked out this order.

The minute the zombies let Brook go he fell to one knee.

"Hand him his sword." Moria gave his order before the show. He then gave Shusui to the corpse. "Ryuma, Just knock him unconscious."

As the sword met Ryuma's hand Brook was trying collect himself and Arthur noticed something with his Soul Eye. Them minute Ryuma touched his sword his fractured soul began to repair itself and initially jumped to about 40% completion.

"The heck? Well looks like we gotta chance to escape. get ready to fight Brook." Arthur said to his skeletal companion.

"Yohohoho! Indeed!" Brook replied as they readied their sword.

Then Ryuma rushed towards them at incredible speed.

*Shhhiiiiiiiing*

Ryuma's blade slid off and was parried to the side by Brook.

*Clink*

*Clank*

*Kertang*

They exchanged blow after blow but Brook was at a very clear disadvantage. Ryuma was just playing around to shake off the rust.

*Clankclickclickclick*

The swords locked while they were turning in circles.

"Your... Name..." Ryuma muttered exercising throat muscle that hadn't moved in centuries.

"Brook." as they answered they pushed Ryuma as far back as possible when their back was facing the window. Brook made a mad dash for the window but Ryuma was quick. Ryuma caught up easily and kicked Brook away from their closest escape.

"Gaaaah" Brook muttered as he was kicked away.

"Damn, I've only got enough energy for one more thing..." Brook muttered.

"hmph." grunted Ryuma. "Interesting."

The two swordsman locked empty gazes and readied their final technique.

Brook unsheathed his sword a little bit. "Yohohohoooooo... yohohohooo..."

"Sword God Style..."

The two passed each other in an instant.

"3rd Verse Humming... Arrow Notch Slash!" Brook snapped. A crack appearing on his skull as they go lights out.

"Reverse Ballad of the Dragon..." Ryuma exhaled.

"You didn't kill him did you?" Moria asked. "That would be far too light of a punishment for challenging me!"

"Relax Master Moria I knocked him out with a reverse slash... I hit him with the back of my sword." Ryuma explained.

"Yes yes I know what a reverse slash is!" Moria replied in a rather annoyed tone. "Alright let's move people time to get this skeleton to the docks Kishishishi!"

When they arrived at the docks they put him on the ship the previous pirate crew to come along used.

"Ryuma cut the rudder off." Moria commanded and with quick efficiency Ryuma cut the rudder off with one swift blow. With that our duo was faced to drift out in the sea once again.

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-3 days later-

"Wh... what the hell happened." Arthur muttered.

"Back to square one." a ghostly green projection muttered.

After a bit of explaining, exploring, thinking and planning the duo has resolved to get stronger and this time they'll wait for Thriller Bark to come their way. No matter how long it would take they would train constantly with no need to eat or go to the bathroom or rest up.

"Just you wait Moria We're coming for you! and I will get payback!" screamed Arthur at the top of his lungs well not that he has lungs to scream with.

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-15 Years Later-

"So the time has finally come! To think things would line up so perfectly with canon!" Arthur stated as a perfectly sculpted ice staircase formed between the ship that had no rudder and the island ship Thriller Bark.

"Yohohoho! what do you mean canons? I don't see any lined up?" said a green glowing ghostly clone of Brook no longer attached to the body.