Chapter Twenty-One: Proposal—Lola and Iron Fist Karp

Moria thought for a while before returning to his ship and departing. As he left, he instructed Buffon to head straight back, saying he had other matters to attend to.

He didn’t elaborate on what those matters were, nor did Buffon ask, though he could guess—it was likely negotiations with the World Government. The disappearance of those navy zombies from Punk Hazard would certainly be investigated. Even if the navy suspected they’d ultimately ended up in Moria’s hands, Moria would never admit it openly, and would even seek to reclaim the benefits of their cooperation.

As for whether they would continue working together, that was out of the question. Buffon, ever perceptive, knew that the equipment for manufacturing SAD had been abandoned on Punk Hazard, and the navy’s experiments with artificial Devil Fruits would have to be shelved for now.

When Buffon returned to the Thriller Bark, a week had passed. At the dock, the three oddballs welcomed him with tears streaming down their faces.

Perona said, “Buffon, I’m growing, I need new stockings—and a new skirt!”

Absalom declared, “Buffon, I still don’t feel strong enough. I need to keep getting stronger!”

Hogback confessed, “Buffon, I couldn’t resist—I stitched together a wild boar zombie, but…”

Buffon looked up and was struck by a sense of dread. Wasn’t that Lola proposing marriage?

He hadn’t been gone all that long, so how had Moria already recaptured her shadow?

With this in mind, Buffon donned his white mask, determined not to let Lola see his handsome face.

Yet as soon as he disembarked, the wild boar Lola, clad in a wedding dress, rushed toward him for an embrace, only for Buffon to sidestep.

But Lola was undeterred. Turning back, she exclaimed, “Lord Buffon, let’s make a vow! I am your bride!”

No matter how many calculations Buffon made, he had failed to account for this troublesome creature!

Within Lola, the shadow—Charlotte Lola, captain of the Rolling Pirates, twenty-third daughter of Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom), former chocolate minister of Cocoa Island, and twin sister of Charlotte Chiffon.

Prince Loki of the world’s greatest nation Elbaf had once proposed to her. Big Mom was delighted, seeing the giants as valuable allies for her pirate crew and a rare chance to defeat the other Four Emperors.

But fate had other plans. Lola rejected the proposal, unwilling to be used as a pawn in a political marriage, and fled, incurring Big Mom’s wrath.

Her obsession with marriage was inherited from her mother, but unlike her, Lola refused to treat marriage as a tool for power, seeking only “true love.”

“Ryuma!” Buffon said coldly.

Ryuma stepped forward and knocked Lola aside with the hilt of his sword, then said, “Yohohohoho! Lord Buffon is not someone pirates like you can covet!”

Buffon then began directing the zombie puppets to unload the corpses from the ship.

When Hogback saw the bodies of giants being carried out one after another, his glasses nearly popped off.

“Giants! So many of them! Buffon, did you raid the giants’ cemetery?”

Buffon shook his head. For such a foolish question, he would not even dignify it with a response.

Once Hogback recovered from his delirious joy, he pondered and remarked seriously, “With so many giant corpses, it seems Vegapunk was experimenting with human gigantification!”

Though Hogback was somewhat diminished now, he had once been a genius surgeon—he could see as much.

“Most likely,” Buffon confirmed, heading straight for the laboratory.

With a new batch of corpses, he could begin another round of stitching.

But first, he intended to deal with the eyesore that was Lola. Shortly after, Ryuma dragged the wild boar Lola inside.

Buffon dismantled and stitched Lola’s corpse anew. Before she could speak in her new body, Buffon poured salt into her mouth.

Then he handed the task of talking things over to Ryuma.

After half an hour, Lola, like Ryuma, chose to accept her fate. However, her habit of proposing marriage remained unchanged.

She just didn’t dare direct it at Buffon anymore, for Ryuma had told her that a snap of Buffon’s fingers could reduce her to pieces.

So she turned her sights on Absalom.

…

Meanwhile, off the coast near Navy Headquarters G3 Fortress, Karp’s warship faced Moria’s pirate ship across the waves.

On the navy side, the marines behind Karp were on high alert, as if waiting for his signal to charge at Moria.

On Moria’s side, he stood alone on his deck, fearless, even with the navy’s G3 fortress looming behind the warship like a steel bastion.

Karp brushed dust from his epaulettes and shouted to Moria, “Bat brat, why aren’t you hiding in your Devil’s Triangle? What are you doing in my territory?”

“Ji-hihihihihi! Iron Fist Karp, I’m here to talk business with the navy!” Moria replied, as carefree as ever.

“Business? Who knows if you’re behind the trouble at Punk Hazard? And now you dare come here to negotiate with us? If you didn’t have the Seven Warlords title, I’d punch you out of here right now!” Karp’s tone hinted at genuine anger.

“Ji-hihihihihi! Karp, you know my abilities—I can help you ensure that the inmates of Impel Down never step foot outside that prison again.” Moria spoke calmly.

Karp knew of Moria’s powers, but had never thought to connect them with the inmates of Impel Down. Now, Moria’s words stirred something within him.

Karp leaped onto Moria’s ship, adjusted his dog-head cap, and asked seriously, “Was it your zombies who defeated Spider?”

Moria shook his head, lying in earnest, “Those zombies were handed over to you. If they were lost, you should ask yourselves—not me. I fulfilled my part of our agreement, but your side has yet to deliver. I don’t want the previous condition anymore; I simply wish to enter Impel Down to find suitable shadows.”

At first, Karp, the righteous marine, was firmly opposed. But Sengoku’s argument—that letting dead marines continue to serve—had convinced both Kizaru and Akainu.

And since the experiment had the direct approval of the Five Elders, Karp had acquiesced.

Now, with old grievances resurfacing, Karp’s anger flared again.

“They’re our heroes, and you…” As he spoke, his fists clenched, threatening violence.

But Moria remained unhurried. “If I take their shadows, they’ll never leave Impel Down—that’s exactly what the navy wants, isn’t it? And the corpses you provided me in secret—I can remove the shadows and return them all.”

This last statement was the straw that broke the camel’s back, softening Karp’s resolve.

Before Karp could reply, Moria pointed to the cabin and said, “Ji-hihihihihi! I’ve come with the utmost sincerity!”