Xi Yan! You Didn't Use the Transformation Technique in the Bathhouse, Did You?!

"I don't care if she's the real person or not, I'll be satisfied as long as she can be resurrected," Hogback said, panting heavily.

Does it really matter whether the other person is actually them?

He was perfectly content as long as this person was by his side.

Xi Yan nodded in response, but said nothing more.

He discovered that this guy named Hogback might be somewhat obsessed.

Perhaps the other party did join Moria's ranks from the beginning because of what he said, but... so much time has passed, it's hard to guarantee that his mentality won't change.

Just like now, he wouldn't hesitate even if his fiancée turned into a zombie.

Although I don't understand, I respect it.

"I'm sorry," Hogback said, leaning on the table and sitting down again. "I'm sorry you had to see this."

"It's okay, I understand," Nami nodded.

She knew all too well what it felt like to lose a loved one.

Merry blinked, thought for a moment, and said, "Do those who have passed away really want to be resurrected as zombies?"

Upon hearing this, the group froze on the spot.

Yes, but would the other party really be willing?

To exist in this world in such a neither-human-nor-ghost state.

Xi Yan glanced at Merry in surprise; he hadn't expected her to say something like that.

"Thinking about it carefully, the zombies' lives and deaths are also in Moria's hands," Xi Yan said.

Hogback took a deep breath and then said, "Yes, that's why I can't leave here."

"So I'm sorry, Doctor Chopper..."

Chopper pursed his lips, unsure of what to say for a moment.

The fact that the other party helped Moria modify the corpse was a complete challenge to his medical ethics.

After the other person explained, Chopper understood that he had his reasons, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.

Finally, Chopper sighed and said, "Xi Yan, let's go."

Although the other party had their reasons, he still couldn't accept his idol doing such a thing, so he decided to avoid seeing it and getting upset.

"Gentlemen, if you are willing to trust me, please do not leave now," Hogback said.

"Why?"

"Because it's already night, a large number of terrifying zombies, extremely powerful, will appear on this island."

"Then... could you please ask Doctor Hogback to take us to the beach?" Nami said. "You should be able to command those zombies, right?"

Now that we've seen them, there's no need to stay here any longer. Let's go back and find Luffy and the others.

Ultimately, this is also the enemy's headquarters.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

"Can't do it?"

"Yes," Hogback explained, "They are all under Moria's control; I have no authority to command them."

He was telling the truth; he didn't have as many zombies on the island as he had imagined.

Most of the zombies obey Absalom's orders; he is Moria's handpicked zombie commander.

Just then, Cindry came over again and said, "Gentlemen, the bathwater is ready."

"Yes, yes, you guys go take a hot shower first," Hogback laughed. "After you shower, get some sleep, and you can leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"The zombies will all go back then."

Cindry, well done!

No matter what, these people have to stay here!

"Let's skip the bath and stuff..." Usopp said.

"No!"

"Why?"

"You're very dirty right now," Cindry said coldly. "You'll get the mattress dirty!"

Usopp:...

Usopp glanced down at himself and his lips twitched; he was indeed quite dirty.

They had been chased all the way because of the Cerberus, and only managed to escape by climbing a tree, but they ended up getting very dirty.

In addition, the zombies they encountered later left them covered in...

All I can say is that it's incredibly filthy!

"But the problem is, we are now..."

Before Chopper could finish speaking, Nami interrupted him, saying, "You need to wash!"

"Huh?!"

Chopper stared at Nami in shock. Was this the time to be so clean?

"Please consider the two of us girls~" Nami stuck out her tongue and said, "Is that alright, Xi Yan?"

She really wanted to take Merry to get a good bath right now.

"Yes, that's fine."

"Huh?!!"

Usopp and Chopper stared at Xi Yan in shock. The other party had actually agreed?

"Hehe, didn't Doctor Hogback say that nighttime is very dangerous?" Xi Yan said with a chuckle, "Then why don't we rest here for a while?"

"Yes, yes, you guys go take a shower." Hogback stood up and said, "It's inside, just walk down the corridor. Do you need Cindry to take you?"

"No need, we can go ourselves."

"Alright, please make yourselves at home," Hogback said, stretching deliberately. "I'll go rest for a bit first."

"After you've finished washing, Cindry will take you to your room."

"OK."

"Please... please wait a minute!" Usopp suddenly said, "Aren't you going to tell Moria what happened between us?"

"Don't worry, I won't do that," Hogback said. "I get along very well with you all, so naturally I won't let you get into danger."

Although the other party is not afraid of Lord Moria, it's not enough for Lord Moria to personally intervene; having a zombie handle it would be perfectly sufficient!

After all, Ryuma is right here with him!

"Really? Thank you."

"It's nothing, don't be so polite," Hogback said with a smile.

Then, swaying his chubby body, he left with a grin.

After watching Hogback leave, the group turned their attention to Xi Yan.

"Xi Yan..."

"Let's go, didn't you want to take a shower?"

Merry was stunned for a moment, "Really washing it?"

"Hey, Xi Yan, you're the best~" Nami chuckled and led Merry towards the distant corridor, soon arriving at a huge bathhouse.

After opening the door and peeking inside, Nami smiled and said, "It looks pretty good!"

As he spoke, he intended to take Merry inside, but Xi Yan stopped him.

"Xi Yan?"

"Let me take a look first."

Xi Yan, having activated his Sharinggan, went inside, glanced around, and, finding nothing unusual, came out.

"What's wrong?" Nami looked at Xi Yan in confusion, not knowing what she meant.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind.

"Xi Yan!" Nami said, hands on her hips, looking at Xi Yan. "You didn't use Transformation Technique, did you?"

She remembered Xi Yan's Transformation Technique; he could transform into anything!

Xi Yan was taken aback for a moment, then retorted, "Don't think of me as that Color Cook, okay?"

"So what are you doing?"

"There's an Transparent Man on this island who can completely conceal himself," Xi Yan explained. "He ambushed us on the ship."

Upon hearing this, Nami's expression immediately changed.

Transparent Man?

Wouldn't that be... a huge pervert?!

"So, you didn't catch him?" Nami asked nervously.

"Yes," Xi Yan nodded and said, "Although he was kicked over by Sanji, there's no guarantee he won't reappear."

Since he couldn't find that guy in the past, his location remains uncertain.

Who knows if this Transparent Man might come to spy on him? So he has to look carefully.

"I don't want to wash anymore..."

"It's alright, there's no one inside," Xi Yan said. "As long as you're sure no one can get in through the window, it's fine."

As they were talking, Xi Yan went inside and closed the windows tightly.

Seeing Xi Yan come out again, Nami asked, "Are you really sure no one's left?"

"There is none left."

"Alright then..."

Nami breathed a sigh of relief and said to Merry, "Let's go in."

After closing the door, Nami said, "Xi Yan, Usopp, Chopper, I'll have to trouble the three of you to guard this place for us."

The windows are now closed, and as long as we confirm the Great Gate is safe, there's absolutely no problem.

"Okay, I understand."

"Speaking of which... Xi Yan," Usopp glanced at Xi Yan and said, "What was Sanji's reaction when he discovered that Transparent Man?"

"I remember his dream was to eat the Transparent Fruit."

Sanji was very excited when he said that, and even after Nami beat him up, he didn't change his mind.

"Him...?"

Recalling Sanji's appearance, Xi Yan's lips twitched, "Yeah, like a salted fish that has lost its dreams."

They looked so devastated back then, just like Luffy and his Luffy when they were touched by Negative Ghost.

Usopp thought about it seriously for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's pretty bad."

However, Xi Yan said that Sanji later kicked that guy, which was probably an attack fueled by anger.

I just don't know if it's caught fire yet.

"Xi Yan ..." Chopper suddenly looked up and said, "If we defeat Moria, will Hogback's fiancée die too?"

"Yes."

"Then is it...?"

"Somewhat cruel?"

Chopper didn't speak, but simply nodded with his lips pursed.

The other party willingly became Moria's henchman, wasn't it all for the sake of resurrecting his fiancée?

And now, the other party's fiancée is about to die because of them...

Xi Yan sighed; the little guy's kindness was truly beyond his imagination.

He clearly didn't like what Hogback was doing...

'Looks like Chopper still hasn't shaken off the filter of seeing Hogback as the World's Number One Doctor...'

Thinking of this, Xi Yan said, "Before we consider this matter, let me ask you a question: Do you think Hogback is trustworthy?"

"Huh?!"

"Is it unbelievable?"

The two stared at Xi Yan in disbelief; they now completely trusted Hogback.

Although they are on opposing sides, the other side seems to be a decent person.

Xi Yan:...

Xi Yan covered his face, momentarily at a loss for words.

"What's wrong?"

"The intelligence I just received included information that he was working with zombies," Xi Yan said.

"That doesn't necessarily mean he wanted to," Chopper said after a moment's thought. "What if Moria ordered the zombies to stay with Doctor Hogback?"

Chopper actually found it quite reasonable for an ordinary person to have bodyguards in such a dangerous place.

"Well, I can't rule out the possibility you mentioned."

Looking at Xi Yan's expression, Usopp chuckled dryly, "What he just said didn't seem like a lie..."

"What he said does sound true, but we can't judge the truth of things based solely on appearances."

"Huh?!"

"Why?"

"Because some lies sound very real," Xi Yan explained. "Mixing a few lies with a lot of truth not only makes it more credible, but it can also change the meaning of things."

After saying that, Xi Yan paused for a moment, then continued, "Some people even change the order of their words to deceive others."

Perhaps Hogback's story is true, but the other person's initial expression seemed somewhat unnatural, which is clearly problematic.

Unless the other person is extremely socially anxious, they won't react that way.

But... would someone with social anxiety so naturally invite them into the room?

"Is that so...?"

Chopper was a bit dumbfounded, while Usopp beside him had a thoughtful expression, as if some new knowledge had entered his mind.

"Furthermore... you've overlooked one issue," Xi Yan said.

"What's the problem?"

"He belongs to Moria's camp!"

"We know."

"No, you don't know," Xi Yan said seriously, "Or rather, you haven't taken this factor seriously."

The two looked at each other, not understanding Xi Yan's question for a moment.

"The difference in status is a very important factor," Xi Yan said, holding up one finger. "Do you think he would fight against Moria for our sake?"

"Can't he?" Chopper blinked. "He just said he wouldn't tell Moria about us."

By hiding them, the enemy is essentially fighting against Moria, thus preventing their shadows from being stolen.

"How naive..." Xi Yan said helplessly, "Don't forget, we're still strangers to Hogback. Even if we've gotten a little closer to him because of Chopper, it doesn't change the fact that this is our first meeting!"

Would they really fight Moria for a group of strangers?

Xi Yan wasn't that naive, especially since the other party was originally Moria's man.

"Also, don't forget, from the moment we opened the Liuzun, we've been targeted by Moria." Xi Yan said seriously, "The shadow of a strong person has a great attraction for Moria, and I don't think he'll let us go."

"Do you think, under these circumstances, Hogback would still fight against Moria for us?"

"Even if it's just hiding us, it means betrayal to Moria!"

"And Moria holds Hogback's fiancée's life in his hands; you should know what that means."

Chopper fell silent; he understood what Xi Yan meant.

But it is precisely because I understood that I felt somewhat sad.

"So, he was lying to us just now?" Usopp asked, his eyes wide.

"At least I don't think he would willingly help us deceive Moria," Xi Yan said, glancing at the end of the corridor. "Judging from his behavior, there's a very high chance he's up to something."

"And... what he just said sounded like he wanted to keep us here."

Hogback's meaning was clear: he wanted them to stay.

After all... the idea that zombies only appear at midnight sounds a bit far-fetched.

This is the Thriller Bark where sunlight never shines. Is there any difference between day and night here?

"Then what you just did...?"

Why didn't I take immediate action?

Usopp didn't say anything, but his expression conveyed the same meaning.

Xi Yan smiled, looked down at Chopper, and said, "Chopper, after hearing Hogback's explanations, what would you do if I attacked him directly?"

Chopper thought for a moment and said, "I should... stop you, right?"

Although the other party's modification of the corpse was despicable, it was because they had their reasons, so Chopper still viewed Hogback with a biased perspective.

If Xi Yan were to make a move, Chopper would actually speak up to stop him.

Xi Yan shrugged at Usopp, as if to say, "You get it."

"So... you're doing this so we can see the truth?"

Usopp immediately understood Xi Yan's thoughts; if he were to directly attack, it would be very cruel to Chopper.

After all... in his eyes, Hogback was an idol!

Xi Yan is surprisingly gentle.

"More or less." Xi Yan nodded and said, "The most important thing is... my companions trusting others so easily... that's going to be a real problem for me."

"We won't always be there for you."

At this point, Xi Yan sighed silently.

Those four idiots...

Luffy may be a bit slow, but at least he's strong enough that even if he gets tricked, it won't be too bad.

But these four guys are different. Not only are they not strong, they're also easily fooled, which is a real headache.

Inside the bathroom, Nami and Merry looked embarrassed as they listened to Xi Yan's words, and subconsciously submerged themselves in the water, leaving only their noses and above exposed.

The two exchanged a glance and smiled sheepishly.

"Aren't you afraid of making a mistake in your judgment?" Usopp suddenly asked.

"I didn't do anything, did I?" Xi Yan said, spreading his hands. "Out of respect for Chopper, I didn't even use my hypnotic abilities."

"In the end, I was just telling you all the possibilities."

"Don't forget, we're now on the territory of the Shichibukai. There are some things we have to be wary of."

After saying that, Xi Yan glanced at the bathroom Great Gate and said, "Why did you two suddenly go silent?"

There was the sound of water just now, but now there's no sound at all.

"Don't worry, we're fine."

"Well, it's good that you're alright." After saying that, Xi Yan looked down at the silent Chopper and said, "Chopper, if my judgment was wrong, I will apologize."

However, the probability of this happening... is not as high as one might imagine.

Xi Yan preferred to trust his own judgment and intuition; this Hogback was most likely problematic.

"Um..."

Chopper nodded. He now understood Xi Yan's good intentions, which moved him deeply.

"Xi Yan..."

"Um?"

"If he dares to lie to us..." Chopper suddenly looked up at Xi Yan and said, "I'll kill him myself!"

If the other party deceived him, it would mean that Hogback was a heinous villain and not a respectable doctor at all!

Then he will withdraw his admiration and stop holding back!

Seeing Chopper's serious expression, Xi Yan smiled and said, "Okay."

"Doctor Chopper!"