Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
"Xinduli! Xinduli!" Hogback screamed in panic, but with nowhere to run, he could only cower on the operating table, desperately trying to avoid the attack.
Hearing his cry, Victoria Cindry stepped out from the nearby doorway, holding a plate in her hand. Seeing the commotion, she instinctively hurled the plate at the enemy soldiers.
However, Cindry was never meant to be a combatant, and fragile plates were useless in a fight.
Hogback let out a final scream before meeting his end.
Under the effects of the salt water, Cindry also lost the shadow that had been keeping her body animated.
Just then, a powerful slash of sword energy tore through the air with incredible force.
"Yohohoho~"
Brook stepped in front of everyone, intercepting the incoming attack with his own blade.
As the zombie of Shimotsuki Ryuma approached, Brook dropped his usual playful tone and spoke solemnly:
"My shadow is inside him. I've fought him many times before, but every time... I lost."
"Then let's make it a three-on-one!" Shura and Gedatsu stepped up on either side of Brook, looking at Ryuma with a mocking smirk.
"Don't waste time. Wait for the right moment to douse him in salt water," Hikaru instructed before continuing his ascent toward the top of the ghostly castle.
"Yes! Lord God!"
Under the command of Shura and Ohm, the divine soldiers charged forward, advancing through the eerie halls.
Hikaru followed behind at a leisurely pace, his sharp gaze sweeping across the massive Thriller Bark, searching for Perona's whereabouts.
It wasn't that he was shirking battle.
But think about it—if he had to handle everything himself, then what was the point of building an army? He wasn't raising a bunch of overgrown children out of kindness.
His goal was to reap the benefits of his growing power, not to become a servant running around doing all the work himself.
It was acceptable to put in effort in the early stages, investing in the growth of his subordinates. But later on, once his forces were well-established, he would use them whenever possible—only stepping in to take down the strongest opponents.
As the number of zombies dwindled, the divine soldiers found themselves wondering if they had taken a wrong turn. They had entered a room with an oddly whimsical atmosphere.
The floor was covered in soft green grass, while the walls and ceiling were painted in a blend of purple and pink. Scattered around the room were colorful soft balls, each adorned with five-pointed stars, tempting one to kick them just for fun.
"Who are you? Why are you invading this castle?"
A light, ethereal voice echoed through the room. Everyone turned toward the source, spotting a girl peeking out from above.
She was dressed like a princess, with pink twin ponytails and a small crown atop her head—Perona, the very person Hikaru had come for.
But her cute, harmless appearance was deceptive—despite looking like a child, she was, in reality, a 23-year-old "legal."
"Little girl, don't you realize your captain has captured my people?"
Hikaru eyed Perona's ghostly form with amusement. His Observation Haki had already pinpointed her real body, meaning there was no escaping him.
"Eh? Oh, you mean those weird people with little wings?" Perona exclaimed in surprise, having never seen winged people before.
"Really! Since when did Lord Moria start picking fights with guys like you?" she pouted in annoyance.
"My Lord God, should we…?" Shyarly asked hesitantly, but upon seeing the look in Hikaru's eyes, he immediately understood.
"Brothers, keep moving up!"
Without hesitation, he took the lead, charging toward the door ahead with his divine soldiers.
"Damn it! How dare you ignore me!"
Perona clenched her fingers, and in an instant, dozens of ghosts shot out from her delicate hands.
"Negative Ghosts!"
The spectral entities passed through several divine soldiers, continuing their eerie assault on the rest of the group.
"I am not worthy of being a divine soldier of the Lord God…"
"Actually… I'm just a worthless bug… I crawl~ I crawl~ I crawl crawl~"
"I'm so sorry for surviving another day… I've wasted so much food…"
"I…"
The divine soldier struck by the Negative Ghost instantly slumped to his knees, his energy drained as he mumbled strange, sorrowful wails.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ~" Perona twirled her wine-red umbrella with delight. "Bow before me!"
Hikaru let her revel in her victory for a brief moment before calmly raising his hand. A flicker of lightning crackled around him.
"Thunder Art – Evil Purge!"
Bolts of lightning surged forward, striking the Negative Ghosts with precise accuracy. Against the sheer power of his thunder, the ghosts had no chance—they were instantly obliterated, vanishing without a trace.
"What!?" Perona's eyes widened in pure shock, nearly popping out of her head.
"Lightning!?" she gasped.
She hesitated for only a second before making up her mind—she had to get away.
Perona knew her ghostly form was weak against energy-based attacks. If Hikaru struck her with a lightning bolt, the pain would be unbearable.
But Hikaru had no intention of electrocuting her senselessly. He didn't want his adorable ghost princess passing out just yet—after all, he had plans for her.
"I'll go after her. You guys keep moving up," he said casually.
The next moment, his body transformed into a flash of lightning, streaking through the castle as he pursued her. Every obstacle in his way was bypassed in an instant.
"Why are you running? I won't shock you," he called out in amusement.
Seeing the Thunder Man (whose lower body had turned into pure lightning) hot on her heels, Perona panicked.
"Stop chasing me! I was wrong! I was wrong!" she shrieked.
"Then stop flying."
Perona's heart pounded. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake him off.
Was today the day she was going to be fried to a crisp!?
[No! I can't fly toward my real body—if he finds it, I'll be in even bigger trouble!]
Thinking quickly, she changed direction and flew toward another part of the castle.
A moment passed.
"Huh? Why is it so quiet?" she muttered, glancing behind her. Seeing nothing but empty space, she smirked confidently.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ~ This princess knows the ghost castle's layout far better than you!"
Just as she was about to celebrate, she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder.
"Umm~" Perona let out a startled gasp.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Her expression shifted from shock to horror. "Wait… No way!!!"
With a grimace, she turned and flew toward her real body.
"Please don't do this!! I was wrong! Handsome brother, please don't do anything weird to my real body!" she begged as she rushed toward her room.
The corridors blurred past her, but when she finally reached her chamber, she froze.
Lying peacefully on the luxurious princess bed was her real body.
And standing beside it… was him.
Hikaru held her unconscious form gently in his arms, a relaxed smile on his face.
"Wow~ You got back pretty fast," he mused, pinching her soft little cheeks.
"AHHHHHH!!!"
Perona's high-pitched scream echoed through the entire ghost castle, sharp enough to make the windows tremble.
Perona
Title: Ghost Princess
Age: 23 (a legal with a mischievous "Horohorohoro~" laugh)
Appearance: Long pink hair, childlike features, and a princess dress
Status:Captured? Hikaru will surely take good care of her… right?