Chapter 145: Goat-Horned Demon Baphomet
Clack—Clack—Clack!
On a high platform beside the courtyard, the crisp sound of wooden clogs echoed with slow steps.
A white robe was adorned with a few wild blue patterns, and a white bandage covered one empty eye.
Ryuma, with three swords at his waist, walked to the edge of the terrace, his clothes fluttering in the wind, his empty eyes shifting to the battlefield below.
"I see the enemy. I just need to cut them down, right?"
His aura was as sharp and fierce as a blade. Even the people on the battlefield below faintly sensed it and subconsciously cast their gazes towards him.
Under a white crescent moon, three figures stood on the high platform, overlooking the battlefield.
"That's!"
Upon seeing one of the figures, a green flame seemed to ignite in Brook's empty skull sockets, and he subconsciously gripped his cane sword tightly.
"What's wrong, Skeleton?" Sanji asked, noticing his shocked expression.
Brook slowly drew his rapier, a cold glint moving with it. "That's the zombie with my shadow! The Dragon-Slaying Swordsman, Ryuma the Kensei!"
With that, he strode forward, his steps quickening, his light body transforming into a black streak of light, speeding through the flame-ravaged battlefield straight towards his opponent!
"This time, this time, I will definitely get my shadow back!"
Brook's voice was low, his gaze fervent. He reached the bottom of the high platform and leaped up, his cold blade thrusting straight at his opponent.
"A skeleton? Doesn't seem familiar."
Ryuma's tone was flat, one hand resting on the black blade Shusui at his waist. "But he's an enemy, right? I just need to cut him down."
"Even if your memories of the original owner are completely lost, you should at least remember our duel back then. How heartless."
Brook twirled his longsword in a flourish. In the blink of an eye, he had already rushed in front of his opponent.
"My previous defeat was as bitter as coffee, but it also made me train hard until today. This time, I will definitely defeat you!"
The rapier glinted with a silver-white cold light. He turned sideways, holding his arm across his chest, the sword tip pointing straight at his opponent as he thrust out rapidly!
"Aubade Coup Droit: True Thrust!"
"What is this skeleton talking about so nonsensically? I don't understand a thing."
Clack!
Ryuma's right hand rested on Shusui's hilt. The blade was drawn slightly, revealing a glint of cold light, as he took a step forward.
"Ittoryu..."
The next moment, to Brook's alarm, the opponent's figure instantly vanished from the spot. His eyes only saw a fleeting青芒.
Clang—!
The sword hummed like a dragon's roar. He had just landed and hadn't even reacted when Ryuma was already standing behind him. Only the crisp sound of the blade being sheathed reached his ears.
Clang!
"Iai: Shishi Sonson!"
As the cold, low voice fell, a crack instantly appeared on the collar of his black tuxedo. Bone fragments, intertwined with shattered black and white fabric, scattered in mid-air.
"How is this possible..."
Bang!
Brook slowly collapsed to the ground, his face filled with unwillingness as he looked back at the white-haired figure, murmuring in disbelief:
"How... How can he be this strong? So strong it's almost not like my shadow..."
"I told you, I don't understand what you're saying."
Ryuma, out of some strange habit, didn't return Shusui to his waist but held it to his chest. He looked down, a corner of his mouth lifting.
"There seems to be a decent swordsman. I'm leaving first."
With that, he leaped directly from the high platform, leaving Brook in stunned silence.
A black silhouette slowly emerged in his mind, scenes from the past flashing by, as if their parting was only yesterday.
At the Twin Cape Misaki, on a sailboat setting sail, the stern deck was filled with figures.
Everyone waved goodbye to a certain figure, filled with the joy of departure and the reluctance of parting...
On the water behind the ship, a still-young whale revealed its round head, grinning, and let out a clear cry towards the sky.
As if bidding them farewell, celebrating their departure. No one saw the tears welling in its round eyes.
I'm sorry... Laboon. It seems... none of us can go back...
Brook lay趴 on the ground, his fluffy afro burying his face. Tears flowed uncontrollably from his empty eye sockets. Even though I'm a skeleton...
"I'm so scared, Laboon. I'm afraid you remember our promise, afraid you're still waiting for us. I'm sorry, Laboon."
"I don't know why, but hearing your words, something important seems to surface in my memory."
A voice came from the side. Jigorou of the Wind slowly walked over to the afro. "Although I have no memory, yohohohoho~~"
"This is..."
A strange yet familiar laugh reached his ears. Brook, lying on the ground, froze and looked up in disbelief.
A man wearing strange discs around his waist and only underwear was looking at him with a chuckle.
"My shadow... You are my shadow!"
Brook hurriedly cried out, desperately seeking confirmation. "No wonder! No wonder my shadow became so unfamiliar! Come to think of it, his moves are different from mine too!"
Over time, a shadow would forget the memories of its original owner, and even its habits and behaviors would gradually change.
He had initially thought it was because too much time had passed and the shadow had changed. But, personality and fighting style wouldn't change!
Calming down and thinking about it, the Ryuma just now was not like him at all!
"Ah, it's me, yohohohoho~~." Jigorou of the Wind said with a chuckle.
"You haven't changed a bit, even that exaggerated afro is exactly the same. With such a big weakness, how could you possibly beat me?"
With that, he walked past the struggling Brook and jumped directly down to the battlefield below.
Only one tall figure remained, a humanoid body grotesquely topped with a grayish-white goat head.
Long fur revealed two curved goat horns, and a conspicuous black suture line ran across his neck where the fur draped over his shoulders.
Even more bizarrely, he was wearing a neat black suit, which, though old, seemed to have been meticulously cared for.
The goat-headed, suited monster leaped lightly, flying off the high platform and departing.
Below—
"Hey! What's wrong with you guys!"
Absalom pointed at the center of the fiercely contested courtyard, yelling with dissatisfaction.
"Isn't it just from the mansion to the front courtyard! How can you be so slow? Any later and the Zombie Generals will all be killed!"
"Well, it can't be helped."
Ryuma said nonchalantly, walking towards the center of the battlefield with his sword, and added faintly without looking back, "The terrain here is just too complicated."
"Isn't it just across a bridge!!" Absalom roared, baring his teeth!
How is it complicated!
Whose shadow is this directionally challenged!
"Sigh~~"
Absalom sighed. Oh well, at least they came to help. And with these three zombies...
Jigorou of the Wind, the stubborn old man who once killed 7,000 pirates to protect his family.
From the New World's Wano Country, the legendary dragon-slaying samurai, Ryuma the Kensei, revered as a Sword God.
And the corpse obtained just two days ago, the recently notorious pirate with a bounty close to one hundred million, Foxbat Sono, modified into the goat-headed demon [Baphomet].
And they were infused with Roronoa's and Black Leg Sanji's shadows. With the three of them working together, they could definitely take them down!
However, before that, Absalom raised his hand and pointed at Nami in the field.
"You guys can use that Haki thing, right? Go and capture her for me. I want her to be my bride."
"Not interested. I'm going to find that swordsman. Ask someone else," Ryuma said faintly without turning back.
Absalom: "..."
Suddenly, two cold voices spoke in unison from behind him.
"What did you just say?"
Absalom instantly felt a chill run down his spine, a bone-chilling coldness reaching his heart. He looked terrified, his neck stiffly turning back bit by bit.
At some unknown point, that Black Snake Reiner had appeared behind him, staring at him grimly, his gaze as if wanting to swallow him alive.
Beside him, there was a tall figure with a goat's head, its eyes glowing with a crimson, ferocious light, letting out an enraged low growl:
"You dare, you ugly, stupid beast, to even think of laying a finger on that lady."
"No! What are you angry about, hey!!"
Absalom couldn't help but curse loudly, "Baphomet! Aren't we on the same side? Just listen to my orders, damn it!"
What the hell is wrong with these two zombies!!
Where are the powerful helpers I was promised! Did they come to help the other side instead?!
Although the shadows were newly merged and their wills hadn't completely dissipated, these two guys...
How exaggerated must they usually be to be this ridiculous!!
"My master, is Lord Moria—"
"Hey, wait, wait a minute!"
Before Absalom's panicked eyes, the goat-headed zombie Baphomet slowly lifted its leg above its head. Its long muscle lines were clearly visible, full of violent beauty.
The next moment, that leg moved as swift as the wind, carrying the force of a thousand jun, and slammed heavily towards his head. "Not you, you idiot!!"
Bang!!
"Puwaah!"
Absalom's entire head compressed like a spring. His eyes rolled back, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!
The next moment, his vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness.
Lord Moria, you've... really screwed me over this time...
Nearby, Reiner quietly watched this scene.
This zombie, no matter how you looked at it, screamed "Sanji" in big letters.
Thinking of this, he took out a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out, and offered it. "Smoke?"
"Ah, thanks. I was just wondering where to find some."
The goat-headed, suited zombie subconsciously took the cigarette, then paused, stunned. Suddenly, he erupted, throwing the cigarette to the ground and roaring angrily,
"Smoke my ass! You can go to hell too!!"
A pitch-black leg, like a whip, wrapped in flowing wind, lashed towards his head. Baphomet roared furiously:
"I don't know why, but I have this inexplicable urge to kill you and that directionally challenged samurai!"
Bang!!
"Tch."
Reiner scoffed, raising his arm to block it. He already had a good idea; this was Sanji's shadow, no doubt about it.
"Don't cause trouble for others, you pervy cook!"
His palm struck the opponent's leg, his fingers slightly curled, gripping it tightly. He pivoted on the ball of his foot, turned his waist, and executed a shoulder throw, slamming him hard onto the ground!
The goat-headed zombie, headfirst, was about to hit the ground when he forcefully pushed off with both hands. Then, his arms powered his entire body into a spin.
His legs, like helicopter propellers, lashed out powerfully and rapidly towards Reiner's body!
Bang! Bang!
Reiner was practically blocking and tanking at the same time. He had to admit, Sanji's kicking skills were indeed exquisite.
But after taking a few kicks and finding he was completely unharmed, he simply couldn't be bothered to block anymore.
Bang! A pitch-black leg in a suit whipped against his chest. Reiner casually caught it with one hand.
At the same time, he lashed out with one leg with a whistling sound, heavily striking the opponent's body and sending him flying.
The goat-headed zombie flew back dozens of meters, skimming the ground, plowing a deep furrow in the soil before landing headfirst in the dirt.
"He's really as hard as iron."
Pushing himself out of the dirt with both hands, he quickly shook his goat head to get rid of the soil. After patting the dust off his clothes, Baphomet looked at him with a grave expression.
The goat-headed zombie lifted one leg, twisted the other foot firmly on the ground, and spun his body like a top. A hurricane spread out from him as the center, blowing away countless surrounding pebbles.
"Diable Jambe!"
You really are Baphomet, the goat-horned demon, huh! Reiner's golden hair, which had been dancing, gradually settled. The opponent's leg was already burning red hot.
However, this wasn't over yet—
A touch of Haki, black as ink, began to spread from the tip of his toe, gradually covering the burning calf, black and red intermingling like lava!
"He knows Haki, huh? But it's Sanji's shadow, so it's understandable."
Haki is a power hidden within humans... no, even Kung Fu Dugongs have it. Or rather, the power of Haki is latent in all living beings.
It's just that some can awaken it and master the techniques of using Haki, while others can never guide it, or even sense this power, throughout their entire lives.
Conqueror's Haki is an exception. That thing seems to be pure willpower and cannot be obtained by practicing its techniques. Even the undead with Ace's template couldn't use Conqueror's Haki.
As for Moria's zombies, their personality and combat abilities depend on the shadow, while other attributes depend on the physical body.
Sanji's shadow mastered the techniques of using Haki, so it was normal for it to awaken this power in the physical body. Just like his undead creatures, they all inherited it from their original owners.
However—
"Hey, Sanji!"
Reiner turned towards the battlefield and called out to a black silhouette, "This zombie! Your shadow! Deal with it yourself!"
"Don't order me around, bastard!" Sanji gritted his teeth and shouted.
Then he looked towards the goat-headed demon. Seeing the opponent actually using his own moves, he became enraged and transformed into a black streak of light, rushing forward.
"Impostor! Give me back my shadow!"
Reiner scanned the area. The original Zombie Generals on the field had mostly been dealt with by Nami, Chopper, Robin, and Franky. The battle was nearing its end.
Usopp was still fighting the man in the trench coat, faintly at a disadvantage. Reiner had a strong impression of that zombie.
The opponent was quite strong, with superb marksmanship and good movement. More importantly, he used four pistols simultaneously, allowing him to handle even close-quarters combat with ease.
His performance among the Zombie Generals was much stronger than Captain John, whom he had initially paid attention to.
Captain John's shadow was decent, with some combat skills, but his body was too weak. It was probably already on its last legs when Moria got his hands on it.
Reiner lost all interest in him after a few glances. Even if Garp's shadow were put into it, it wouldn't be able to display much strength.
Among the other zombies worthy of his attention, only Ryuma remained on the field. The goat-headed demon's physical stats were only so-so, relying on Sanji's shadow to boost its strength.
Ryuma, on the other hand, seemed to have Zoro's shadow now. He wanted to go take a look.
After all, that was his main target. Even if the physical body was somewhat lacking, its original swordsmanship mastery was definitely beyond what Zoro's current shadow could compare to.
Thinking of this, he looked towards a figure hiding not far away. "Hey, you, come over here. Stop hiding."
"Eh?!"
Behind a ruined wall, the hidden Hogback trembled and was instantly startled. Have I been discovered?
He cautiously poked out half his head. Sure enough, as soon as he did, a pair of eyes met his!
Looking at Reiner staring straight at him, cold sweat dripped down Hogback's forehead. He pointed to his own pointed nose and tried to struggle, "Are you calling me?"
"Who else? Cut the crap."
Reiner said in a low voice, "If I have to come over there, I'll start by tearing off a few of your arms."
"Wait, wait, wait a minute! I'm coming right over!"
Hogback was instantly panicked. He had seen the opponent's strength. Now that there were no zombies to hold him back, how could he possibly provoke him?
He ran out on his two thin legs, reluctantly coming before Reiner. Despite his fear, he forced a stiff smile.
"Um, excuse me, what can I do for you?"
"Come with me over there."
Reiner gestured with his hand towards the samurai who had sought out Zoro for a fight not far away, then turned and walked over himself.
"While we're at it, tell me about Ryuma. You should know some legends about him, right? What's his physical condition like? How has it been preserved until now..."
As he walked, he asked a barrage of questions. Hogback, however, was wondering whether to take the opportunity to slip away.
But as soon as he turned, a sand serpent, as thick as several men embracing, lifelike, stood erect right behind him, its ferocious maw wide open, revealing its fangs, staring at him viciously.
"Wait for me! It's like this, Ryuma, he was back then..."
Hogback sensibly followed Reiner and began to answer his questions one by one.
(End of chapter)
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you