The Straw Hats are confused by their new predicament, captured by the massive island of Thriller Bark within a massive pair of lips and watching the ghost disappear back to its "home". Robin realizes that the mechanism for the island is locked with the Thousand Sunny approaching the island that Brook had been running towards. Everyone is scared or confused about going to the island, except for Luffy, who just wants to go out and catch the earlier ghost. Sanji and Robin bring Luffy his important "Pirate Bento", with Robin being one of the few interested in their latest escapade. With no stopping them, Franky decides to further explain the Soldier Dock System in regards to their new ship and the potential both held within and what could be held later. When they are asked to open it on Channel 2, they reveal Mini Merry II, their former Going Merry, resurrected as a shopping ship. Nami, Usopp and Chopper ride on it while Franky explains the further usage of the Soldier Dock, including a Waver and some submarines and the empty potential within Dock 4. A while after setting off, Mini-Merry does not come back as Nami unexpectedly screams from the island, with the remaining Straw Hats unable to trace them from the ship. Suddenly, Sunny's anchor drops by itself and an invisible being boards onto the ship by way of the hatch. The being messes around, first with Luffy's face and Zoro's swords while making sounds of a beast. Fearing the unknown, Sanji tries to leave the ship but is thrown back on it instantly. But "the invisible creature" makes its weirdest attack towards Robin, attempting to grab and lick her. The beast pushes the ship away as it leaves, with the Straw Hats continuing to fight on whether to go off to save the others or not. The Mini Merry trio, meanwhile, run ashore and land directly on Thriller Bark. Nami tries to apologize but gets none of it from Usopp and Chopper's fear. Yet before being able to regroup too easily, the trio encounter a large Cerberus, a creature with two dog heads and the head of a fox. The trio flees, terrified and perplexed by the beast, with Chopper further enraged by its fox head. Running up a flight of stairs, the trio end up in a forest where they attempt to hide from the Cerberus. But hiding in a tree, they instead encounter Hildon, a bat-like creature trying to find the monster chasing them. Hildon offers to ride in a prepared carriage to the mansion of a doctor named Hogback, a name Chopper immediately recognizes.