Chapter 124: Thriller Bark – The Strange Bandaged Creature

On the ship.

Enel couldn't help but mutter, "You Blue Sea folks sure have all kinds of weird creatures."

Takumi chuckled but didn't respond to Enel's comment.

Brook's fate had been tragic early on, but six years from now, when he met Luffy and his crew, his luck would finally change.

After all, Takumi's goal was simply to complete his sign-in mission on Thriller Bark. The other matters didn't concern him.

The ship flew forward, and soon, a massive pirate ship came into view. It was surrounded by gigantic walls, with enormous iron chains connecting it to an island. The chains linked the central island to a massive mast protruding from a castle in the middle of the island.

They had arrived.

This was the Thriller Bark—home to Gecko Moria.

"Wait, is that an island or a ship?" Enel stared in shock at the colossal vessel emerging from the mist.

As if anticipating the arrival of visitors, a giant gate shaped like a mouth slowly opened in front of them.

Takumi gazed indifferently at the eerie landscape beyond the gate.

Enel furrowed his brow. "Looks like the owner of this place is inviting us in. Should we go?"

Takumi gave a small nod of approval.

Enel steered the ship through the gate, entering the waterway that encircled the island at the heart of Thriller Bark.

As soon as they passed through, the massive mouth-shaped gate closed behind them, causing the waters inside to become turbulent.

Fortunately, their ship floated above the water, so they weren't affected by the rough waves.

Just as they approached the island within the giant ship, also known as Thriller Bark, an unexpected guest made their presence known on board.

Both Takumi and Enel sensed the intruder immediately.

"Yahahaha! Even little rats dare to sneak onto our ship. Bold move, huh, Captain Takumi? May I take care of this one?" Enel asked with a smirk.

"Go ahead," Takumi replied with a faint smile.

Enel's grin widened. As their invisible guest approached, thinking they were about to pull off a sneaky attack, Enel moved with lightning speed, grabbing the would-be assailant by the neck.

"What—how is this possible?!" the invisible figure gasped, still unseen but clearly stunned.

Enel sneered. "Twenty million volts. Enjoy."

"Wait, what? AAAAAAAHHHH!"

A terrifying crackle of electricity filled the air, followed by a loud scream that echoed throughout the area.

Moments later, a man with the face of a lion, wearing a round top hat and sporting long blonde hair, materialized in front of Enel, his body smoking from the electric shock.

This was Absalom, one of Gecko Moria's subordinates and the user of the Clear-Clear Fruit, which gave him the power to turn invisible.

Though he could make himself invisible, he couldn't hide his sound or scent. Against skilled warriors like Takumi and Enel, both of whom had strong Observation Haki, he was no match.

"Tch, that's all it took to take him down? Pathetic," Enel muttered in disgust, tossing the unconscious Absalom aside.

Takumi: "…"

Only twenty million volts and the guy's already out. Pretty weak.

Without a word, Takumi signaled to Enel to continue forward.

The ship soon landed on Thriller Bark.

Yet, the system hadn't triggered a notification.

Realizing what might be the issue, Takumi jumped off the ship without hesitation.

The moment his feet touched the ground, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.

["Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully arriving at the sign-in location: Thriller Bark. Sign-in progress +10%. Current total progress: 10%. Reward: Beginner-level Shadow Imitation Technique."]

Suddenly, knowledge about the Shadow Imitation Technique flooded Takumi's mind.

This was a jutsu from the Naruto world, allowing the user to extend their shadow to connect with an opponent's, forcing the opponent to mimic their movements.

While not particularly powerful in terms of damage, it was highly effective in restricting an enemy's actions. In a closely matched battle, even a single second of hesitation could be fatal. So, this skill could definitely come in handy.

As expected…

He had to personally step foot on the sign-in location to trigger the progress.

Seeing Takumi had disembarked, Enel parked the ship at the island's shore and joined him on land, walking side by side as they ventured deeper into Thriller Bark.

The two of them made their way down a narrow path lined with tall walls on both sides. The ground was littered with skeletal remains.

"This place gives me the creeps," Enel remarked as they walked.

Takumi remained silent, pressing onward. They hadn't gone far when the growl of a beast echoed through the air.

Suddenly, a monstrous creature with three heads appeared behind them, its necks crudely stitched together like some kind of Cerberus from hell.

Takumi barely reacted, continuing to walk forward.

Enel glanced back and sneered when he saw the creature. "And what do we have here? Another bizarre creation from the Blue Sea. A three-headed dog? Wait, is that… a fox head in the mix?"

Upon hearing Enel's words, the once-ferocious creature slumped, looking oddly dejected.

But it didn't stay down for long. Growling with renewed fury, the beast lunged at Enel, baring its teeth.

Enel yawned, raising his hand lazily. A small spark of lightning gathered at his fingertip, and with three quick flashes, the creature collapsed, eyes rolling back as it fell into the pile of bones.

The bone-strewn path wasn't long, and soon Takumi reached the end, where a staircase led upward.

Climbing the stairs, they emerged into a fog-covered dead forest.

Takumi continued moving forward, and before long, a shadowy figure appeared in the mist.

As the fog thinned, a unicorn covered in bandages and stitches emerged from the haze, locking eyes with Takumi.

Takumi: "…"

Unicorn: "…"

After a tense few seconds, the unicorn bolted as if it had just seen a ghost, galloping away in terror.

Takumi shrugged and kept walking, eventually arriving at a graveyard filled with tombstones.

Just then, Enel, who had been lagging behind, caught up. He sighed, clearly unimpressed. "What kind of place is Thriller Bark? These weird creatures are all bark and no bite. Are there even any real ghosts here?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, dozens of grotesque zombies, all wrapped in bandages, began clawing their way out of the ground. Groaning and moaning, they staggered toward Takumi and Enel, like a horde of the undead.

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