Summary:
Usopp, Nami, and Chopper travel through the forest of Thriller Bark, where they are attacked by a squad of zombies, before finally reaching the mansion of the bizarre surgeon Dr. Hogback and his assistant Cindra. While the Doctor is immediately hospitable, he begins to act strangely after mentioning that Brook has arrived on the island. Meanwhile, The Thousand Sunny gets caught in a giant web.
Usopp, Nami, and Chopper accept Hildon’s offer and escort them to the mansion as they ride through the forest in a carriage. Inside the carriage, they discuss the strange creatures in the woods, and Hildon tells the three that it’s dangerous at night and that the mansion is the best place to wait for the rest of the crew. Chopper excitedly asks if they can actually meet Dr. Hogback, the doctor he adores, and explains to Usopp and Nami who he is, telling them that he is a renowned surgical genius who suddenly disappeared without a trace. While Hildon tells Chopper that Dr. Hogback is at the mansion, Nami is shocked when she looks out the window to see a lion with a man’s face and starts screaming, scaring Usopp and Chopper as well. Usopp asks what she was yelling for. When she told about the lion, he didn’t believe her, so they looked out the window again, only to find many strange creatures, but after they blinked, the creatures were gone, which made them more afraid.
Nami and Usopp want the carriage to stop and go back, but Hildon explains that maybe what they saw were just illusions created by the fog. Chopper is saddened by their decision to return, but Usopp manages to convince him. When the three decided to go back, Hildon told them to stay inside while he spoke to the carriage driver. However, after a few minutes of waiting, Usopp decides to check on Hildon and ask what is taking so long, only to find out that no one was there and that they are in the middle of a graveyard. The three madmen went crazy and tried to calm down, but then zombies started rising from the ground. The three tried to hide in the carriage, but a zombie grabbed Usopp and pulled him out while the other zombies overturned the carriage, forcing Nami and Chopper out. Nami heard Usopp scream and saw zombies biting him. As Nami tries to get to Usopp, she is grabbed by a zombie that suddenly emerges from under her, causing her to fall to her knees as the zombie tries to bite her while a squad of zombies surround her.
Chopper runs towards Usopp in his Heavy Point, helps Usopp and knocks the zombie’s head off, but is shocked when the zombie puts his head back. Nami screams for help and Usopp used Hisatsu Kayenboshi to start a fire, scaring the zombies and making them let go of Nami. They used it to run away from the zombies, with Usopp telling the two that zombies move slowly so running is impossible, which enraged the zombies and they ran after them at a fast pace, shocking the three. However, the zombies soon run out of stamina, giving the three pirates a chance to escape.
Meanwhile, on the Thousand Sunny, the rest of the crew attempt to steer the ship, but the rudder is jammed due to the current causing it to hit a giant web, becoming entangled in it and having trouble getting out.
Nami, Chopper, and Usopp continue into the forest and eventually arrive at the mansion gate. Having no other choice, they decide to go where Cindry welcomes them. He then starts throwing plates at Usopp saying that he can’t enter the mansion while the other two can. Finally a man comes out and greets them, saying they are welcome inside, and explains that Cindry was once betrothed to a man whose love she tested by breaking his most prized plates, making him leave her, and that’s why she was negative. . He introduces himself as Dr. Hogback. Cindry invited the three inside and locked the door, leaving Hogback outside.
In the dining room, Hogback asks why they came to his mansion. Chopper says he wants to talk to Hogback while Nami and Usopp tell him they were chased by zombies. Hogback is surprised to see them escaping the zombies and tells them that he had no idea what they were, saying that they are the reason he lives here to study them. Impressed by Hogback, Chopper stopped him and asked for his autograph, which Hogback readily gave. However, when Chopper asked if he could see Hogback’s lab, to which he angrily stated that he, Chopper, would never see his lab. Then Cindry returned, served them flasks without plates, and told all three that the bath was ready for them to clean. Usopp then asked Hogback if he had seen any skeletons walking around the mansion, to which he nervously replied “No”.