One Piece: The Template System-Chapter 145: Thriller Bark - 9

The guest quarters in the west wing of Gecko Moria's sprawling, gothic palace were dead silent. The thick stone walls blocked out the usual howling winds of the Florian Triangle, leaving the Straw Hat Pirates to sleep off the heavy feast and the exhaustion of the previous day's travels.

In the girls' room, the fire in the hearth had burned down to glowing red embers. Nami, Vivi, and Robin were sleeping soundly in their respective plush beds. Curled up comfortably right beside Robin was Merry, her tiny chest rising and falling rhythmically in sleep mode.

Suddenly, Merry's eyes snapped open.

There was no grogginess, no slow waking process. The blue digital irises instantly shifted to a sharp, flashing tactical red. Her internal processing core whirred to life as proximity sensors, linked to the satellite Ben had deployed in orbit in space, fed a massive stream of alarming data directly into her neural network.

Merry sat up rigidly.

"Red Alert. Red Alert," Merry whispered into the comms, keeping her voice low so as not to wake the women around her. "Papa, do you copy? We have a situation."

Down the hall, in the magically expanded gymnasium-sized boys' room, Ben opened his eyes. He lay in his bed, staring at the high vaulted ceiling. The room was currently a symphony of aggressive snoring from Zoro, Franky, and the Giants.

Ben tapped his kimiyo bead, sitting up and pushing the blanket aside. "I copy, Merry. What happened?"

"Major perimeter breach, Papa," Merry reported, her tone clinical and fast. "Six Marine battleships have just breached the fog and are currently docking at the main front gates. Simultaneously, I am reading seven unidentified pirate vessels smashing through the western perimeter wall. And we have one more independent pirate ship making a forced landing on the northern wall."

Ben paused, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Three separate, massive factions arriving at the exact same time.

"Understood," Ben said calmly, slipping on his glasses. "Monitor the situation from the network. I'm deploying the drones to get visual confirmation on the targets."

Ben opened his spatial storage and pulled out a handful of tiny, metallic spheres. He tossed them into the air. They unfolded into sleek, silent surveillance drones. With a mental command, they zipped out of the slightly open window, scattering across the island to gather intel.

Next, Ben closed his eyes and pushed his Observation Haki outward. The invisible wave of spiritual energy washed over the massive castle of Thriller Bark, sweeping through the courtyards, the graveyard, and plunging deep into the foundations of the island.

He skipped past the roaming zombies and the sleeping forms of Dr. Hogback and Perona. He focused on the largest, darkest signature on the island.

Gecko Moria.

Ben found him. Moria was not in his throne room. He was deep underground, in a massive subterranean freezer chamber, moving sluggishly around a gigantic, dormant corpse. Preparing Oars, Ben deduced. He knows the Marines are here. He's probably trying to secure his ultimate weapon before everything goes sideways.

"Merry," Ben spoke into the bead. "Moria is underground, busy with his own projects. Wake the girls up and bring them to the boys' room. I'll wake the heavy sleepers here."

"Copy that, Papa. Waking the squad now," Merry replied.

Ben cut the connection. He stood up and looked at the scattering of king-sized beds across the expanded room.

"Alright, everybody up," Ben said, his voice carrying clearly through the room.

A few groans echoed, but mostly, the snoring continued.

Ben walked over to the nearest bed. Sanji was tangled in his sheets. Ben nudged the bedframe with his foot.

Sanji's visible eye snapped open instantly, his combat instincts kicking in. He sat up, looking around the room, instantly noting Ben's serious expression.

"What is it?" Sanji asked, already reaching for his clothes. "Enemies?"

"A small war is starting outside," Ben said. "Help me wake the rest of them. We don't have much time."

"Right," Sanji stood up. He walked over to Zoro's bed and delivered a swift, precise kick to the mattress, launching the swordsman into the air.

"Wha—?!" Zoro hit the floor, instantly drawing Sandai Kitetsu. He glared at Sanji. "You want to die, cook?!"

"Shut up and get dressed, moss-head," Sanji snapped. "We have company."

Franky woke up with a loud mechanical whir. Usopp bolted upright, already reaching for his goggles. Ace also woke up hearing the commotion. Dory, Brogy, Oimo, and Kashii sat up, stretching their thick arms.

"Gebababa! A morning battle?" Dory laughed. "Good for the blood!"

Ben looked at the final bed. Luffy was sprawled diagonally across the mattress, drooling onto the pillow, completely dead to the world. A massive snot bubble expanded and contracted with his heavy breathing.

Sanji kicked Luffy's bed. Nothing.

Zoro poked him with the hilt of his sword. Nothing.

Usopp sighed, stepping forward. He put his hands around his mouth to form a megaphone.

"BREAKFAST IS READY!" Usopp screamed at the top of his lungs.

POP.

The snot bubble burst. Luffy rocketed upward, his eyes wide open, completely ignoring the fact that he was in his pajamas.

"WHERE IS BREAKFAST?!" Luffy shouted, his head swiveling rapidly left and right. "MEAT! I SMELL MEAT!"

Ben sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. With a flick of his wrist, he reached into his spatial storage and pulled out a whole, perfectly roasted chicken, still steaming hot. He tossed it across the room.

Luffy's rubber neck stretched out like a snake, catching the entire chicken in his mouth mid-air. He swallowed it in three seconds flat, bones and all, and gave a satisfied burp.

"Good morning!" Luffy grinned, wiping grease from his chin.

Just as Luffy finished his impromptu meal, the heavy double doors of the room swung open. Nami, Vivi, and Robin walked in, looking alert and fully dressed for action. Merry trotted in behind them, wearing her tactical gear.

"Ben," Nami said, her face pale but determined. "Merry woke us up. She said the island is surrounded. What exactly is going on out there?"

"A convergence," Ben said, walking to the center of the room. "Gather around."

The crew quickly formed a circle. The playful atmosphere evaporated, replaced by the disciplined, battle-ready focus they had honed during their fourteen months in the Time Chamber.

"Merry," Ben prompted. "What did the drones find?"

"Downloading visual telemetry now, Papa," Merry said.

Merry stepped into the center of the circle. Her blue robotic eyes whirred and shifted, emitting two crisp, high-definition holographic projectors from her pupils. The beams of light merged in the air, creating three distinct, floating video feeds for the crew to see.

"Feed One: The Main Gates," Merry announced.

The first hologram showed the rocky shoreline of Thriller Bark. Six massive Marine battleships were moored at the docks. Hundreds of Marines were pouring out onto the island, securing a perimeter.

But it was the figures leading them that drew the crew's attention.

Stepping off the lead ship was Admiral Akainu, smoke rising from his shoulders, his face set in a permanent, hateful scowl. Walking lazily behind him was Admiral Aokiji, his hands in his pockets.

"Two Admirals," Zoro noted, his hand resting on his swords.

"It gets worse," Ben pointed to the hologram. "Look to the right."

Marching down the ramp of a separate ship was the towering, silent form of Bartholomew Kuma, holding his Bible. Behind him marched twenty identical Pacifista cyborgs, their robotic eyes glowing menacingly. And standing near the rear, clad in white suits and strange masks, were three agents of CP0.

"Akainu is absolute justice," Ben briefed them, his voice analytical. "His Magma fruit is lethal. He doesn't capture; he executes. Aokiji uses ice. He's lazier, but his area-of-effect freezing can immobilize an entire army in seconds. Kuma possesses the Paw-Paw fruit, which can repel anything, including pain and physical matter. The Pacifistas are cyborgs built with Kizaru's lasers. And CP0... they are the elites above CP9. Do not underestimate their Rokushiki mastery."

"We can handle them," Luffy said confidently, cracking his knuckles.

"Feed Two: The Western Wall," Merry announced, shifting the hologram.

The image showed a massive hole blown into the stone wall of the island. Seven distinct pirate ships were docked in the rubble.

"Supernovas," Robin observed, recognizing the flags.

The hologram zoomed in on the captains stepping onto the island. Eustass Kid, sparking with red magnetic electricity. Trafalgar Law, resting his nodachi on his shoulder. Capone Bege, smoking a cigar. Scratchmen Apoo, Basil Hawkins, X Drake, and Jewelry Bonney.

"They are the rookies of our generation," Ben explained. "Bounties all exceeding a hundred million. Kid uses magnetism to control metal. Law can manipulate space within a specific spherical room. Bege is a living fortress. Hawkins uses voodoo and probability. Apoo uses sound as a weapon. Drake is an Ancient Zoan dinosaur. Bonney alters age."

"Why are they here?" Nami asked, frowning.

"If my guess is correct, they came to hunt Moria," Ben replied. "They want the glory of taking down a Warlord to boost their names before entering the New World. They likely don't know the Marines are here yet. Or that we are here."

"Feed Three: The Northern Wall," Merry projected the final image.

The hologram showed a single, massive wooden raft crashing through the stone wall. Stepping off the rubble was a massive, barrel-chested man missing a few teeth, laughing loudly. Marshall D. Teach. Behind him were Burgess, Van Augur, Doc Q, and Lafitte.

The moment the image of Blackbeard appeared, the temperature in the room skyrocketed.

FWOOSH.

Ace's entire body burst into white-hot flames. The floorboards beneath his feet blackened instantly. His eyes narrowed into slits of pure, murderous rage.

"Teach," Ace growled, his voice vibrating with a terrifying intensity. He took a step toward the door. "I'm going. Right now."

"Hold it, Ace," Ben said sharply, stepping into his path.

"Move, Ben," Ace warned, the flames licking at the ceiling. "He's mine. I have a score to settle."

"I know you do," Ben said, unflinching against the heat. "And you will get your chance. But we have to fight smart. We have three massive enemy forces outside, and we still have a Warlord and his zombie army underneath our feet."

Ben locked eyes with the Fire Commander.

"First, we take care of the enemy inside the castle. We do not leave our back open to Moria while we fight the Admirals. If we get distracted, Moria could steal our shadows or activate Oars. We secure our exit, then we march out and face the horde."

Ace glared at Ben for a long moment. Slowly, the white-hot flames receded, leaving only smoking floorboards. Ace took a deep breath, nodding curtly. "Fine. But Blackbeard is my kill."

"Understood," Ben agreed.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Usopp shrieked, his knees knocking together violently as the sheer scale of the three holograms finally set in. "We are surrounded by two Admirals, a Warlord, an army of cyborgs, and a dozen crazy rookie captains?! Let's escape! Ben, we can use the Sunny's thrusters and fly away right now before they see us!"

"Yes! Tactical retreat!" Nami vigorously nodded, grabbing Luffy's arm in a panic. "We survived Enies Lobby, let's not push our luck today!"

"I don't want to die in a spooky graveyard!" Chopper wailed, clinging to Usopp's leg with tears streaming down his furry face.

Luffy didn't budge. He adjusted his straw hat, a wide, thrilled grin spreading across his face. He cracked his knuckles, bouncing slightly on his toes.

"No!" Luffy laughed, his eyes shining with pure excitement. "I want to fight! I am not running away! Let's have some fun!"

Ben chuckled, completely unfazed by the trio's panic. "You heard the Captain. We stay."

He turned back to the group, shifting into full tactical command. "Here are the assignments."

"Ace. You take Vivi, Usopp, Brogy, and Chopper," Ben ordered. "You five will head north to intercept Blackbeard's crew. Ace, you handle Teach. Keep your distance and use your advanced Armament to bypass his darkness. Brogy will suppress Jesus Burgess. Usopp, you are on counter-sniper duty against Van Augur. Brogy, hold the line and support them. Chopper and Vivi neutralize Doc Q and Lafitte."

"Got it," Usopp said, adjusting his goggles. "Counter-sniping. Easy."

"Zoro. Sanji," Ben looked at the two rivals. "You two are heading for the docks. Your target is Admiral Aokiji."

"He's gonna melt," Sanji lit his cigarette.

"I'm gonna make shaved Ice" Zoro said.

"Perfect. I'll provide the syrup. Strawberry or Mango, Moss-head?"

"Booze flavor," Zoro deadpan smirked.

"Luffy," Ben looked at his captain. "You take Akainu. He is the most dangerous man on this island. Do not let him touch you. Use your Internal Destruction Haki to hit him without making physical contact with his magma."

"I'll punch him so hard his magma goes backward," Luffy stated, his voice completely serious.

"Dory, Oimo, Kashii, Nami, Franky," Ben turned to the remaining group. "You are crowd control and heavy support. You will engage Kuma, the Pacifistas, CP0, and the Marine infantry at the docks. Keep them off Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji's backs."

"SUUUUPER crowd control!" Franky posed, his robotic arms humming. "I'll blow those cyborgs away!"

"Which leaves the Supernovas on the western wall," Ben finished. "Robin, Merry, Sunny, and I will handle them."

"Are we fighting them, Papa?" Sunny asked, his eyes flashing with data.

"We are going to confront them," Ben corrected. "They are here for their own agendas. I am going to talk to them. If I can broker a deal to have them turn their fire on the Marines, I will do it. If they refuse and want to fight us..." Ben smiled coldly, "...we will show them why our bounty is higher."

Nami frowned, looking down at the two ten-year-old androids. "Ben, is it really okay for Merry and Sunny to go into a battle with seven notorious pirate captains? They're just kids."

Ben chuckled. "Nami, they have the bodies of children, but they are built with Vibranium endoskeletons, powered by miniature Arc Reactors, and programmed with the combat data of every fight this crew has ever had. Don't worry. They can hold themselves perfectly against anyone."

Merry smiled brightly, her blue eyes shining. "Don't worry, Auntie Nami. Sunny and I have fully integrated combat protocols. We can protect ourselves and help Papa perfectly!"

"I have lasers!" Sunny beamed cheerfully.

Nami sighed, massaging her temples. "Right. I keep forgetting about that."

"Everyone, get changed into your combat gear," Ben ordered. "We move out in five minutes."

The crew quickly dispersed, they discarded their sleepwear and donned the sleek, durable combat clothing Ben had fabricated for them prior to the journey. Colours suited for them, reinforced fabrics. They looked like a professional army ready for war.

Once geared up, the crew moved out, marching in a tight, focused formation down the wide, stone corridors of Moria's palace, heading for the main entrance.

They reached the grand foyer of the castle. The massive iron doors leading outside were just ahead.

"Ah! Good morning, Straw Hats!"

The crew stopped.

Standing in the center of the foyer, rubbing his hands together and smiling a wide, perfectly gracious smile, was Gecko Moria. He looked exactly like a hospitable host, showing absolutely zero signs of the panic that should have accompanied a Marine invasion.

"I trust you all slept well?" Moria chuckled, his stitched neck bobbing. "Kishishishi! I apologize for the noise outside. The weather in the Florian Triangle can be quite rowdy! But please, don't mind that! I have my zombie servants preparing a massive, delicious breakfast for you all in the dining room! Let us eat first, and then we can discuss—"

"BREAKFAST?!"

Luffy's eyes bugged out of his head. The serious, intense, battle-ready aura he had been radiating for the last twenty minutes instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of pure, unadulterated joy.

Luffy completely forgot about the Admirals. He forgot about Blackbeard. He forgot about the tactical briefing they had literally just finished.

"MEAT?! YOU HAVE MEAT READY?!" Luffy yelled, sprinting toward Moria with a wide grin.

Ben stood there. He looked at Luffy, whose brain had completely reset. He looked at Moria, who was grinning triumphantly, clearly trying to stall them or lead them into a trap room while the Marines secured the perimeter outside.

Ben let out a long, heavy, exhausted sigh.

"I really don't have time for this," Ben muttered.

Ben didn't walk forward. He simply vanished.

CRACK.

The sound of Apparition echoed like a gunshot in the foyer.

Before Moria could even blink, before his smile could drop, before he could even register the shift in the air, Ben materialized directly in front of him, inside his personal guard.

Ben's fist, glowing with the immense physical strength of the Thomas Andre and coated entirely in pitch-black Advanced Armament Haki, was already moving.

"Wait—!" Moria gasped.

KRA-KOOOOOOM!

Ben's fist buried itself deep into Moria's stomach.

The impact was catastrophic. It sounded like a bomb going off inside a vault. The sheer kinetic force of the blow folded the massive Warlord perfectly in half. His eyes rolled into the back of his head instantly.

The shockwave blasted out from the impact point, tearing the stone floor of the foyer to shreds. Moria didn't just fall backward; he was launched like a cannonball.

He flew backward at supersonic speed, smashing straight through the heavy iron doors of the palace, tearing them off their hinges. He flew across the main courtyard, skipping off the cobblestones, shattering gravestones, and plowing through the thick fog of the island.

---

Admiral Akainu stepped heavily off the gangplank of his battleship, his polished black shoes touching the dark soil of Thriller Bark. Smoke billowed from his cigar, matching the heat radiating from his magma-infused shoulders.

"Secure the perimeter," Akainu ordered the trembling Marine captains around him. "Do not let a single pirate escape this island. We march on the castle and execute the stragglers."

Akainu took one step forward.

FWOOSH! SMASH!

A massive, blurry shape tore out of the dense fog at unbelievable speed. It skipped across the rocky terrain, digging a deep trench through the dirt, before skidding to a violent, dusty halt exactly three feet in front of Admiral Akainu's polished shoes.

Akainu frowned, looking down.

Lying unconscious in the dirt, his eyes entirely white, drooling, and folded in half with a massive, smoking fist-print indented in his stomach, was the Warlord of the Sea, Gecko Moria.

Akainu didn't panic. He didn't even look particularly surprised by the sudden, supersonic arrival of an unconscious Warlord. He just looked profoundly annoyed.

He took a slow, deliberate drag from his cigar, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke over the defeated giant.

"The standards for Warlords have severely dropped," Akainu muttered flatly.

Without missing a beat, he casually stepped right over Moria's massive body and continued his march toward the castle.

Back in the castle foyer, the aftermath of the punch had an immediate, supernatural effect.

Because Moria had been instantly knocked completely unconscious, his control over his Devil Fruit powers severed.

All around Thriller Bark, from the deepest freezers to the wandering zombies in the graveyard, shadows began to detach themselves from their undead hosts. The shadows elongated, peeling away from the corpses, and shot into the sky like thousands of black ribbons, returning to their original owners.

---

"BEN!" Luffy spun around, pointing an angry, accusing finger at the Magician. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! HE WAS GOING TO GIVE US BREAKFAST! YOU PUNCHED THE BREAKFAST MAN!"

Nami and Usopp didn't hesitate. They moved in perfect synchronization.

WHACK! BAM!

Nami's Clima-Tact and Usopp's rifle butt came down hard on the top of Luffy's head, creating two fresh, smoking bumps.

"HE WAS TRYING TO TRAP US, YOU MORON!" Nami roared, her teeth turning sharp. "WE LITERALLY JUST HAD A MEETING ABOUT THE MASSIVE MARINE INVASION OUTSIDE!"

"HOW DO YOU FORGET A WAR IN FIVE MINUTES?!" Usopp shrieked, shaking his fists.

Ben adjusted his glasses, completely unbothered by the chaos. He casually dusted off his knuckles.

"Our back is secured," Ben announced calmly. "Now, let's go greet our guests."