Meanwhile

Just then, Gecko Moria's expression suddenly darkened. He stared fixedly at a shadow drifting back, an ominous feeling rising in his heart. The appearance of this shadow meant that one of the zombies he had painstakingly created had been killed, undoubtedly dealing him a heavy blow.

Hogback and Perona, standing nearby, both changed expression at the sight. After exchanging a glance, they reached the same conclusion almost simultaneously: "Intruders!" This sudden development made them realize that the island might no longer be safe.

However, while they were on their way, the Hollows seemed fated to encounter Moke and Ata, who had already successfully landed on the island.

"Ghosts?!!!!" Ata's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, her face filled with terror. After all, in this fantastical and mysterious world of pirates, ghosts were undoubtedly frightening. Especially for those who were superstitious or timid.

Brook's unique soul-projection ability had scared plenty of people senseless before! So Ata's terrified reaction was perfectly understandable.

Seeing this, Moke immediately warned her, "Gecko Moria has three officers, also known as the Three Freaks. The first Freak was Absalom, whom you just killed. The other two are Hogback and Perona. These ghosts before us were created by Perona of the Three Freaks. She's a powerful user of the Paramecia-type Hollow-Hollow Fruit!"

"There's actually a Devil Fruit like that?" Ata widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief. She was clearly shocked and curious about a Devil Fruit that could create ghosts.

However, just as Ata was reeling in shock, an unusually strange laugh suddenly came from behind them. It sounded eerie and sinister, enough to make one's skin crawl. Judging from the sound, its owner seemed to be rushing toward them at incredible speed.

"Yoho..."

A glint suddenly flashed through Moke's eyes as he thought to