Chapter 47: The Giant Zombie

The deck groaned under the weight of the giant zombie as it stood tall, towering over Vulcan and his crew. Its glowing red eyes pulsed with an unnatural light, and its decayed body—stitched together with rotting flesh—moved with a terrifying strength that defied its grotesque appearance. The air around them was thick with the stench of death, and even the recruits, who had been brave so far, could feel the suffocating pressure of the looming fight.

"Alright, everyone," Vulcan said, his voice calm but firm, "we take this thing down as a team."

"Easier said than done," Smoker muttered, already shifting into his smoke form as the zombie swung its massive arm toward them. The giant fist cut through the air with a powerful whoosh, smashing into the deck where Smoker had stood only moments before. The force of the blow sent splinters flying in all directions, and the ground shook violently.

"We can't take this thing head-on," Hina said, her sharp eyes scanning the massive creature for any weak points. "Hina thinks we need a better plan."

Vulcan grinned as he dodged a falling chunk of debris, his naginata already spinning in his hands. "Good thing I'm full of those."

The giant zombie roared, its decayed face twisted into a grotesque snarl. It stomped forward, crushing the wooden planks beneath its feet as it swung again, this time aiming for the recruits who had just regrouped.

"Watch out!" Vulcan shouted, his body moving in a blur as he used Soru to close the distance between him and the recruits. He reached them just in time, shoving two of the young Marines out of the way as the giant zombie's fist crashed down where they had been standing.

The deck cracked and groaned under the impact, but Vulcan's focus was razor-sharp. "Stay on your feet! Don't let this thing corner you!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" one of the recruits stammered, his face pale with fear.

As the zombie lifted its arm again, Vulcan narrowed his eyes, assessing the situation. This wasn't just about brute force. The giant zombie's size and strength made it nearly impossible to take down with direct attacks. They needed to be smarter.

"Smoker! Hina! We need to slow this thing down!" Vulcan called out, his mind racing.

"Already on it," Smoker grumbled. His smoke powers activated in full force, and he zipped through the air like a wisp, circling around the giant zombie's head. The smoke coiled around the creature, blurring its vision and confusing its movements. "Let's see how you handle fighting blind."

The zombie roared, swinging wildly at the smoke, but its massive arms found nothing but air.

"Hina will trap its legs," Hina said, already in motion. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned iron bars that shot out from the ground, wrapping tightly around the giant zombie's ankles. "Cage-Cage: Iron Bind!"

The iron restraints dug into the zombie's decaying flesh, holding it in place as it struggled to break free. For a moment, it looked like they had immobilized the creature.

But then, with a sickening crack, the zombie tore through the iron bars, shattering the metal restraints like brittle bones. The power of its movements sent shockwaves through the air, and the crew had to brace themselves to avoid being knocked off their feet.

"This thing's strong," Smoker muttered, dodging another wild swing.

"Too strong," Hina agreed, though her expression remained calm and focused. "Hina thinks we need to rethink our approach."

Vulcan, however, wasn't discouraged. In fact, he looked more excited than ever. "That's the fun part," he said, his grin widening. "We've just gotta get creative."

He glanced up at the ship's towering structure, his eyes lingering on the crumbling beams that supported the deck above them. A plan started to form in his mind, one that would require precision—and a bit of luck.

"Smoker, keep it distracted!" Vulcan shouted, already sprinting toward one of the nearby columns. "Hina, trap its arms this time!"

Smoker didn't hesitate. He surged forward in his smoke form, zipping around the giant zombie's head to keep it off-balance. The creature roared in frustration, swinging its massive fists at the elusive smoke, but it couldn't land a hit.

Meanwhile, Hina moved into position, her hands glowing as she prepared to summon more iron bars. "Cage-Cage: Arm Bind!"

The iron restraints shot out again, this time wrapping tightly around the giant zombie's arms. The creature struggled, its rotting muscles bulging as it tried to break free, but the iron bars held firm.

"Now!" Vulcan shouted.

He darted forward, his body moving with incredible speed as he used Soru to propel himself upward. Leaping off the nearby wall, Vulcan launched himself toward the weakened ceiling beams. With a powerful swing of his naginata, he sliced through the brittle wood, causing the entire section of the ceiling to collapse.

The giant zombie let out a deafening roar as the debris came crashing down, burying it beneath a mountain of broken beams and shattered planks. The ground shook violently, and for a moment, everything was still.

Then, slowly, the dust began to settle.

The crew stood in silence, watching as the last remnants of the ceiling collapsed onto the giant zombie's unmoving form. Its glowing red eyes flickered once… twice… then went dark as its body crumbled under the weight of the debris.

Vulcan landed gracefully, his naginata still in hand, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "That should do it."

The recruits, who had been frozen in place for most of the fight, finally let out a collective breath of relief.

"We did it," one of them whispered, his voice trembling.

"You mean he did it," another recruit muttered, clearly still in awe of Vulcan's skill.

Smoker walked over, his usual grumpy expression intact, though there was a glimmer of approval in his eyes. "Not bad, kid. But you're still reckless as hell."

Vulcan chuckled. "Reckless gets results."

"Hina thinks we're lucky we didn't bring the whole ship down on our heads," Hina added, though her tone was more amused than annoyed.

Brook, who had been watching from a safe distance, clapped his bony hands together. "Yohohoho! A magnificent victory! I must say, you all handled yourselves splendidly—especially you, Vulcan! Though, I suppose a giant zombie is nothing to laugh at. Yohohoho!"

Vulcan grinned, but he could feel the exhaustion setting in. The fight had been tougher than he expected, and the weight of the battle was finally starting to sink in. But even as he caught his breath, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.

"Everyone okay?" Vulcan asked, turning to the recruits. They nodded, though some of them still looked a bit shaken.

"We're good, sir," one of them said, his voice steadier now. "But what do we do next?"

Vulcan glanced around, his gaze drifting toward the dark, twisted hallways that led deeper into Thriller Bark. They had won this fight, but the real threat was still waiting for them deeper inside. And somewhere in the shadows, Gecko Moria was undoubtedly watching their every move.

"We press on," Vulcan said, his grin returning. "We've come this far. No turning back now."

Smoker nodded in agreement, though his expression remained serious. "Let's be smart about it. Moria's got more tricks up his sleeve, and we're just getting started."

As they prepared to move forward, Brook spoke up. "Ah, before we continue, might I remind you that Moria's domain is full of more zombies? And let's not forget about the shadow-stealing powers. Yohohoho! We wouldn't want to end up like me, now would we?"

Vulcan chuckled. "Don't worry, Brook. We'll handle it."

But even as he said the words, he could feel the weight of the journey ahead. Thriller Bark was no ordinary ship, and Moria was no ordinary opponent. The crew was walking deeper into enemy territory, where shadows lurked and death was just another obstacle.

And Vulcan couldn't be more excited.

"Let's move," he said, leading the way into the darkness.