The first zombie, a colossal creature with sagging flesh, leaped towards him, its claws aiming for Toji's throat. In a flash, the latter dodged with a sidestep. As he plunged the dagger into the zombie's heart, a bluish light burst from the wound, and the zombie collapsed, purified, reduced to a pile of ashes and bones. It was the signal for the carnage.
Toji plunged into the horde. His movements were a ballet of death, each gesture, each devastating blow was deadly. The zombies, despite their numbers, stood no chance. He pivoted on himself, his dagger tracing arcs in the darkness. With each impact, a zombie fell, purified by the sea stone. The bodies piled up around him, some still twitching before crumbling to dust.
A group of zombies tried to encircle him, their rusty weapons brandished clumsily. Toji chuckled. He leaped, his right fist crushing the skull of an attacker, reducing it to pieces. In the same motion, he parried an attack from behind with his dagger, blocking an axe with a resounding clang. With a backhand motion, he threw another zombie against a tree, the trunk shattering upon impact.
Zombies flew in all directions, their broken bodies crashing against rocks, trees, or each other. The ground trembled under the violence of Toji's assault, and the air filled with a pungent smell of burnt flesh and dust.
On the sidelines, Gecko Moria watched the scene, his eyes bulging with rage. He gritted his teeth seeing his army being massacred.
"Shit!" he roared, his shrill voice resonating. "These sea stone weapons are a nightmare! My army... slaughtered like cattle!"
Beside him, Absalom clenched his fists, his heart pounding fiercely. Despite the fear knotting his stomach, he saw an opportunity.
"Moria-sama, let me act!" he proposed, his voice trembling but determined. "With my invisibility fruit, I can catch him off guard while he's busy with the zombies!"
Moria, gritting his teeth, nodded. "Do it, Absalom. But do not disappoint me!"
Meanwhile, Toji continued his massacre. A giant zombie, armed with a spiked mace, charged roaring. Toji did not flinch. He crouched slightly, then leaped, his body darting like an arrow. In mid-air, he plunged his dagger into the chest of the colossus, piercing it through. The monster collapsed with a growl, raising a cloud of dust. Toji landed, already moving towards his next target.
The zombies, devoid of fear, seemed to hesitate, as if some primal instinct warned them of the danger. But Toji gave them no respite. He plunged into the heart of the horde, his dagger slashing at inhuman speed. Heads rolled, limbs flew, and the screams of the zombies were lost in the chaos. Within minutes, hundreds of creatures lay on the ground, reduced to nothing.
Absalom, taking advantage of his invisibility, approached stealthily. His breath was short, his hands clammy. He brandished a dagger, aiming for Toji's neck. *This is my chance*, he thought, his heart pounding. He struck.
But at the last moment, Toji's hand shot out, grabbing Absalom's arm as if he had always known he was there. The lion-man, frozen, felt a chilling terror envelop him. *How?* His invisibility power was flawless! Not even an average Haki user could have detected him so easily.
Toji slowly turned his head, his predatory smile revealing white teeth. At 9 feet, he towered over Absalom, whom he effortlessly lifted until their gazes met. Toji's eyes gleamed with a predatory, almost amused light.
"Nice try," he said, his deep voice resonating like a tolling bell.
Before Absalom could react, Toji brutally drove his knee into his stomach with brutal force. A sinister crack rang out, followed by a spray of blood. Absalom collapsed, breathless, his body convulsing in pain.
"Absalom!" Moria yelled, leaping forward, his eyes bloodshot.
"Impossible!" exclaimed Hogback, the mad surgeon, his glasses sliding down his nose. "His body was modified to withstand any impact!"
Perona, floating nearby, brought a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Moria-sama, what do we do?" she whimpered, her voice trembling. "He... he's massacring everyone!"
Toji, still holding Absalom by the arm, let him drop like a common bag. The lion-man was still breathing, but barely, blood dripping from his mouth. Toji slowly raised his dagger, attracting the horrified glances of the other three Mysterious.
"Let me end your suffering," he declared in a detached tone, the blade grazing Absalom's throat.
Suddenly, a massive shadow cut through the air. Half of a giant scissor, wielded by Moria, descended towards Toji. Without even turning around, Toji parried the attack with his dagger, the sea stone blocking the steel with a screeching noise. Moria, pushing with all his might, grunted in effort, but the blade did not budge an inch.
With a movement, Toji pushed back Moria's weapon, releasing Absalom, whom Perona hurried to retrieve and take to safety. Toji turned to Moria, sheathing his dagger into Wamu's mouth with provocative slowness. "Finally decided to fight me in person?" he taunted, raising an eyebrow.
"I will sever your shadow, cursed pirate!" roared Moria, his giant scissors clashing with a deafening clang. "Take this!"
He brought down a vertical blade, cutting through the air with a whistle. Toji dodged with a simple sidestep, so fast that Moria blinked in disbelief. "Too slow," Toji taunted, his dagger casually resting on his shoulder.
"Shut up!" Moria shouted, his shrill voice piercing the night. Enraged, he swung a lateral strike, his giant scissors aiming to cut Toji in half.
But Toji's left hand, covered in Armament Haki, halted the attack. The scissors trembled, unable to move. Moria, sweating, wide-eyed, felt a primitive terror creeping over him. Toji raised his dagger, a fierce smile on his lips.
"Fukai Kuso!" he roared.
The blade descended in a vertical arc, so fast it seemed to tear through space itself. A spray of blood spurted, splashing the ground. Moria screamed, a gaping gash opening from his shoulder to his stomach. Behind him, trees collapsed, cut clean, and the ground split with a rumble. The giant fell face down, his seven-meter body raising a cloud of dust.
"Moria-sama!" cried Perona, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Hogback, petrified, muttered incoherent words. Absalom, still on the ground, clenched his teeth, his gaze fixed on the monster that was Toji.
Toji, motionless, gazed at Moria's inert body. "You are weak, Gecko Moria," he said in a bored voice, sheathing his dagger into Wamu. "Fools like you think they can play big without paying the price."
He turned on his heels, one hand on his neck, the other on his waist. "I don't care what you did with this ship. But you crossed the captain, and that's your problem."
Moria, half-conscious, spat blood, his hands clawing at the ground. "Why...?" he articulated, his voice broken. "Why would someone so strong... obey another?"
Toji stopped, a deep laugh shaking his shoulders. "Good question," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Let's say I respect his strength. And above all, his recklessness." He shot a piercing glance at Moria. "Consider this a warning. Your life means nothing to me."
With those words, Toji walked away, his silhouette disappearing into the mist. Behind him, the battlefield was a cemetery of purified zombies, their ashes floating in the air. Out of Moria's 1500 creatures, barely 800 had survived Toji's fury.
**********
A few hours later, Toji stood on his small boat, the sea breeze tousling his black hair. He picked up his Den Den Mushi, dialing his captain's number.
"Hey, captain, it's done," he said, a lazy smile on his lips.
"Excellent, Toji!" came Gojo's cheerful voice. "I hope they've learned their lesson."
"They probably won't try that again anytime soon," grunted Toji, stifling a yawn.
"And now, what are your plans?" asked Gojo, amusement in his voice.
"I'm going to rest. I'll be back in two weeks."
"Perfect! See you soon, Toji-kun!" Gojo exclaimed before hanging up.
Toji stowed away the Den Den Mushi, a smirk playing on his lips. "Always so carefree..."
On Sagittarius Island, Gojo's stronghold, each lieutenant ruled over their domain. But at the heart of the island, Gojo's castle towered, surrounded by a vibrant city where humans, fish-men, and other races lived under the Emperor's protection. Toji, though loyal, was not one to linger. His role was clear: destroy anything that threatened the balance of their empire. And at Thriller Bark, he had just proven it.