One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 80 The Red-Nosed Clown

South China Sea, Dorati Island.

"That's right, that's it. That way they won't die, they won't leave me, and I'll never have to worry about losing my companions again." The shrill voice, filled with uncontrollable madness, was chilling in the boundless darkness.

The once lush green land was now stained with thick, red blood. The stench of rotting flesh, like that of rotten apples, filled the air, attracting many mosquitoes, who found it a delicious meal. The damp air was also filled with the unpleasant smell of various disinfectants.

"That's right, that's right, that's exactly it, I can definitely assemble an army of zombies."

……

So who is your enemy?

As they were about to enter the South China Sea region, Roman fell into deep thought once again.

If the person on the other end of the Den Den Mushi is indeed using Dale's face to speak, then it's either a master of disguise or a Devil Fruit ability.

For example, Bon Clay, a user of the Imitation Fruit.

But how could Bon Clay, who is only a teenager, possibly attack a naval branch?

This possibility is very low.

Wait, the Shadow-Shadow Fruit can do that too.

All you need is Dill's body, and then you can place a shadow inside it.

Could it be Gecko Moria?

When the image of that tall, purple-haired man flashed into his mind, Roman broke out in a cold sweat.

Normally, a person's strength gradually increases before they get old, but Moria's situation was the opposite.

In his youth, Moria was a tough guy who dared to go head-to-head with Kaido. Although he failed in the end, it was enough to show Moria's strength at the time.

Later, after losing his companions, he was greatly affected and wanted to create an army of zombies that would never die, because he did not want to suffer the pain of losing his companions again.

Therefore, he began to focus on researching and developing his Devil Fruit ability, abandoning Haki and physical skills, which caused his peak strength to stop at the age of 27, after which he made no further progress.

If this were in the training camp, it would be another Borsalino that would give Zeff a headache.

Although it was just a guess, Roman felt it was increasingly possible.

Although Moria cherishes his comrades, he is cruel by nature. The massacre of an island puts almost no psychological pressure on him. If he wants to create an army, he also needs a relatively inconspicuous place to settle down.

A small island in the South China Sea would be perfect.

First, he killed everyone on the island and used the corpses as containers. Then, he kidnapped pirates who attacked the islands along the way and cut out their shadows. Theoretically, this was entirely feasible, since there was a gem mine in Doradi. Pirates with a little strength would naturally be willing to try their luck, which brought Moria a continuous stream of shadows.

Therefore, it's highly likely that his enemy won't just be Moria alone, but a group of people. Although Absalom and the others aren't with him according to the timeline, Moria alone would be troublesome enough.

Kaido is like a mother figure to him, and Moria is someone who dared to challenge Kaido. Although he suffered a crushing defeat, he was still a force to be reckoned with because he managed to come back alive from Kaido's clutches. Although Moria's strength is currently declining, he is definitely stronger than when he encountered Luffy.

He had only been out of the spotlight for four or five years. For a martial arts expert, this might be a period of decline, but it wasn't enough to cause a significant drop in strength.

It seems like my luck isn't very good.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will be one of the future Shichibukai.

These guys are strong enough to have a place in the New World, but they keep running around in the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line, disrupting the balance of power.

It might be a life-or-death situation.

As expected, military merit is not something that falls from the sky.

No, I can use a much simpler method.

If it really is Moria, then I can totally...

"Excuse me, could I take that thing from the warship?" Roman smiled broadly at the person in charge of the warship.

……

Are you kidding me? Didn't they say there are gem mines here? Otherwise, why would I travel all the way from the East China Sea to the relatively dangerous South China Sea?

Is there no one left on this island?

No matter who it was, they were all wrapped in bandages or stitched up with needles and thread. They could even smell the stench of death on them, though it was very faint, but their noses would never be wrong.

Should I leave quickly? There seems to be a super scary guy on this island.

But doesn't that mean giving up the gem?

I'm a pirate, not a coward. How can I just back down like that?

Just as I was desperately trying to bolster my confidence and tentatively taking that step to sell, a black bat suddenly appeared, its blood-red eyes utterly terrifying.

"Ahhh!!!" Startled, the young man scrambled into the bushes.

Ah, it was definitely a mistake. Why did I step onto this island? Something's completely wrong here.

Leave now, yes, leave now. Although treasure is important, it is insignificant compared to life. There are still many treasures in this world waiting for me to discover. I can't lose my life here.

With mental preparation, the young man finally regained his strength and stumbled as he ran wildly towards the edge of the island.

He fled quickly, with only the whistling wind in his ears. The surroundings were quiet, and this tranquil environment gave him a great sense of security.

It's okay, it'll be soon...

Suddenly, a flash of cold light appeared, and his head was detached from his body. It happened so suddenly that his head immediately rolled into the grass.

Ouch, that hurts! Who was it that was so blind? Oh no, I was killed, so I'm dead? But that's not right either. I'm a Chop-Chop Fruit user, I can't die from my head falling off, can I?

So I should pretend to be dead now, right? As long as the other party doesn't notice that I'm not bleeding, I can get away with it...

But suddenly, he found his head being lifted up, and what came into view was a girl's face.

"Buggy, the clown from the East Blue, it really is you! Your red nose is quite conspicuous, isn't it?"

"You're not allowed to speak ill of my nose like that! My nose is... huh? You know my name? Then you'd better put me down right now!" Bucky yelled angrily and began to struggle violently.

Unfortunately, she didn't budge. What did this girl eat to grow up like this? Her strength is astonishing.

"I'm sorry, but no, if I remember correctly, you're a pirate, and I'm a Marine. So now that you've fallen into my hands, you're going to hell." The girl's sinister tone was filled with murderous intent, and she revealed a demonic expression.

"Help!!!" Bucky's screams immediately echoed through the dark rainforest.