After defeating Taralan and releasing his shadow soul from within, Brook explains to Robin and Franky the truth that the zombies of Thriller Bark are actually corpses animated by shadows taken by Gecko Moria from his victims via the power of his Shadow-Shadow Fruit. Meanwhile, Moria meets with the rest of the Mysterious Four (as well as the hidden Straw Hats in Kumacy) where he uses his powers to steal Luffy's shadow to use his Special Zombie.

Brook confronts Ryuma, recalling his time on Thriller Bark five years prior - and his first battle with Ryuma and how he lost to a zombie with his own shadow. Ryuma mocks Brook for being so careful about his afro, and the two engage in another battle. Oars meanwhile continues to exhibit Luffy's personality traits as he devours most of Thriller Bark's food while declaring his desire to be King of the Pirates.

Usopp, Chopper, Robin and Franky return to the Sunny, discovering their ship had been ransacked before waking up Luffy, Zoro and Sanji. After informing the three about their current status and Nami's abduction, Franky reveals that he asked Brook before they parted way of is what driving him as he could not really return to society due to his appearance. Brook reveals that he and his crew made a promise to return to Reverse Mountain where they left a valuable friend fifty years ago. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp and Sanji are astonished to find out that friend Brook referred to is the whale Laboon.

With their goals in mind, Luffy, Sanji, Robin, Usopp, and Chopper go after Nami and Moria! Meanwhile, Franky and Zoro head toward Brook. However, Hildon tells the others of the Straw Hat's plan.

Luffy continues on to take on Moria while Chopper and Robin remain behind to take on Hogback who sics Jigoro and Inuppe on them. After Oars runs off with a new pirate hat from his destruction, his actions disrupting Abalsom as his wedding to Nami is almost complete, the remainder of the crew end up in Perona's room where she uses her negative powers on them. But Usopp reveals that he's immune to her attacks due his negative personality, staying behind to take on the ghost princess while the others continue towards Absalom and Ryuuma.

As Usopp continues to stand up to Perona's Negative Hollows while wiping out Wild Zombies, Brook is greatly overpowered by Ryuma was about to defeat the skeleton when Zoro arrives. Meanwhile, Oars continues to cause chaos on Thriller Bark, forcing Absalom to send his entire General Zombie audience to stop him. But Abolsom learns that Oars annihilated all of the General Zombies with a "non-Gum-Gum" Gatling before Sanji arrives, Luffy having found Gecko Moria and expressing his intent to beat him up.

As Luffy finds himself facing Gecko Moria's animated shadow Doppelman while attempting to attack Moria, Usopp manages to dispatch the Wild Zombies and chases after a frighten Perona with Kumacy chasing after him. Though Absalom initially believed Sanji to not be a threat as he easily dispatched Inuppe, he is shocked that the pirate able to actual due harm to his heavily modified body. Having placed Nami's unconscious body on a pew, Sanji explains that he has more of a beef with Absalom besides his actions against the women in his crew.