In the heart of Punk Hazard, Brook hadn't expected Coss Davo to be this reckless—this determined to stop Golden Lion Shiki from floating the island. Even if it meant taking attacks from Brook and the others head-on, he was willing to disrupt Shiki's ability at all costs.
"I won't let you take Punk Hazard!" Coss Davo roared mid-air, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
This wasn't just any island to him. Punk Hazard held assets worth hundreds of billions of berries—decades of investment, experimentation, and infrastructure. How could he just hand it over to the Hell Pirates?
If he—an iron-blooded admiral—wouldn't allow it, the Five Elders of the World Government certainly wouldn't either.
"Then stay here," Brook replied coldly. "Your Devil Fruit… is a perfect match for me."
Brook didn't waste time with words. He focused on protecting Shiki, who continued the massive task of lifting the island. Brook recalled all his ghost armies and merged them with him, successfully boosting his power to a level just above that of Coss Davo.
"Then come take it!" Davo barked as he darted into the sky again.
Rather than engage head-on, Coss Davo harassed Golden Lion Shiki from above, trying to interfere with his concentration. His Flying Mythical Beast Devil Fruit gave him unmatched speed and maneuverability, making him incredibly slippery. Even Brook's Cloud-Somersault Hera, Homie created by Linlin, couldn't keep up.
The only one who could match Davo in the air was Redfield, whose terrifying speed made him the main pursuer. Meanwhile, Brook and Newgate stayed on the ground, defending Shiki while he continued to envelop Punk Hazard in the Float-Float Fruit's energy.
"Then we'll move Punk Hazard right in front of your eyes!" Brook growled, keeping a close watch on Davo's movements. His Soul Slash was ready at any moment—but with Davo so high up and moving so fast, Brook couldn't risk wasting an attack. He needed the perfect shot.
"Hmph! You'd better run while you still can," Davo threatened from above. " Kong and CP0 are on their way. Once they arrive, there'll be no escape!"
His tone was defiant, but the warning was clear: if this turned into a full-on battle, the entire island could be reduced to rubble. His only goal now was to stall until reinforcements arrived—then reclaim everything.
"Yohoho~ Is that so?" Brook grinned. "Then let's see if they get here in time."
Brook wasn't afraid of Kong. In fact, Kong was exactly the kind of enemy he preferred—purely physical, without soul defenses. His Soul Slash would cut right through someone like that.
Still, he wasn't sure how many CP0 agents or Vice Admirals Kong would bring, and whether the Hell Pirates' elite combat power would be enough to hold them off.
Shiki, too, was growing frustrated. If not for Brook's order to keep the island intact, he would've already soared into the sky to take the fight to Davo personally. Instead, he focused his efforts below—targeting the underground research base. If need be, he would lift just that part of Punk Hazard.
BOOM!
Another black energy cannon blasted toward Shiki, but it was neutralized instantly—Newgate crushed it with a shockwave, while Brook's Seven-Star Sword cut through what remained.
Brook observed Davo closely now. In his goat-horned demon form, the admiral had few long-range attacks. His strengths clearly lay in close combat, high-speed flight, and absurd regeneration. A brutal frontline tank.
Brook grinned darkly. He really is tailor-made for the Hell Pirates. If we don't take him down today... we'll make him ours someday.
But before reinforcements could arrive, Charlotte Linlin appeared on the battlefield, dragging three Vice Admirals behind her like broken toys. All three were shackled with seastone cuffs, completely powerless.
Following Brook's earlier instructions, Linlin and Hiruba had captured them alive in hopes of bartering for greater benefits with the Navy or World Government. If no deal could be struck, they would simply become fuel for the Hell Pirates' forces.
"Yohoho~ Coss Davo," Brook called out with a mocking laugh, "your little backup team seems to have been misplaced. Maybe you should run along and help Kong."
He didn't expect Linlin and Hiruba to succeed this quickly. Even if these were the weakest Vice Admirals, they were still Vice Admirals—elite officers of Marineford.
Of course, the stronger ones were already deployed with Admiral Hoss against the Rocks Pirates. The ones guarding Davo were mostly strategic officers—tasked with managing New World affairs alongside him.
Marineford hadn't expected the Hell Pirates to strike so aggressively after the chaos caused by the Rocks Pirates. Even with Kong en route, they were clearly a step behind.
"Brook… you've gone even further than Rocks ever did!" Davo snarled. "The World Government and Navy will never forgive this. They will come down on you with everything!"
He didn't retreat. Davo was confident in both his strength and his Devil Fruit. He believed that even if every Hell Pirate attacked him at once, they couldn't trap him. He could escape whenever he wanted.
"Yohoho~ Then I hope you can dodge every bullet," Brook said ominously. "Because today, you'll see what real luxury looks like."
With a gesture, the skies darkened with movement.
Hundreds of Sky Island musketeers rose up with their seastone rifles—white wings flapping behind them, aiming at the airborne admiral. They began firing nonstop, seastone bullets pouring through the air like rain.
*Seastone bullets—*rare, expensive, and deadly. Yet the Hell Pirates were firing them like they grew on trees.
Despite the barrage, Davo barely flinched. With his current defenses and altitude, the bullets couldn't hit him—shouldn't hit him.
So why… did he feel a sense of danger?
Trusting his instincts, Davo flew even higher, using powerful gusts from his wings to knock aside the projectiles. But then—
BOOM!
A dial hidden among the seastone bullets exploded mid-air. Shrapnel burst in all directions. Reflexively, Davo raised his demon wings to shield himself.
A mistake.
The moment the shrapnel tore through his wing, a sickening weakness washed over him.
His demon form vanished.
He plummeted.
Embedded in his arm… a piece of black shrapnel.
His eyes widened.
"Seastone...!" he gasped.
Panic overtook him, but it was too late.
Brook and Redfield were already closing in, their attacks primed and deadly. Brook's Soul Slash shimmered with spectral energy, while Redfield's Condensed Lightning Spear crackled with rage.
Davo roared in fury and pain, digging the seastone shard from his arm with raw strength. He forced his body back into its demon form, but the twin attacks were already upon him.
With no time to dodge, he wrapped himself in his armored wings. Armament Haki exploded from his body in a last-ditch defense.
But Brook's Soul Slash pierced the Haki barrier—striking Davo's very soul.
And Redfield's spear, wreathed in electricity and Armament Haki, tore through his thick hide.
------------------------
"BOOM—!"
Redfield's Lightning Spear erupted in a deafening explosion. Coss Davo was sent flying across the sky, his body engulfed in flames and smoke. Riding atop the Somersault Cloud Hera, Brook didn't hesitate—he surged forward like a blade of wind, aiming to finish off the fleeing Admir.
This wasn't a turn-based battle. In the unforgiving world of pirates and monsters, any edge had to be exploited immediately. Combo attacks—relentless, ruthless, overwhelming. That was how you killed an enemy like this.
"Demon Rebirth!"
A flood of dark-red energy erupted from Coss Davo's broken form as he flew backward. His shredded demon wings and torn flesh began to regenerate at high speed, rivaling even the Octopus Siren's legendary healing.
"I'll be back for you, Brook!!" he roared, his voice filled with venom.
With a desperate flap of his wings, Coss Davo accelerated through the sky. The wounds from Redfield's Thunder Spear were healing, but Brook's soul slash had cut far deeper—it lingered in his core, gnawing at his very essence. His demon form, with goat horns and supernatural bulk, had better soul defense than a pure physical fighter like Sora… but it still wasn't enough to block Brook's blade of the soul.
Seeing the Admiral attempting to flee, Brook grit his teeth. He couldn't keep up—Hera was fast for travel, but too slow for high-speed aerial combat. Meanwhile, Redfield transformed into pure lightning, zigzagging through the sky to intercept Davo again and again. But even with their combined effort, the Admir continued his retreat.
"Kirin Lion!!"
Brook summoned his personal war beast in a flash of light. Leaping off Hera, he landed squarely on the back of the majestic golden creature, wind howling around him.
The Kirin, powered by the Wind-Wind Fruit, burst into full sprint. Brook's black coat whipped violently behind him as they chased through the skies. The speed was incredible, but the wind in his face was brutal.
No wonder commanders in the Revolutionary Army always wore goggles. Crow from the Northern Army had the mysterious Crow-Crow Fruit, and Dragon's storm-controlling abilities meant that high-altitude travel was the norm for them. Goggles weren't just gear—they were a lifestyle. In contrast, the Hell Pirates' Golden Island, Golden ship, and Flying Fleet didn't rely on personal flight as much. Goggles existed, but were rarely used—except by the ever-fashionable Shakky and Stussy, who had entire collections.
Brook shielded his eyes with Haki, cutting through the wind and restoring his vision. The Kirin howled forward, gaining speed. Ahead, Redfield continued to clash with Coss Davo, intercepting him at every turn. Though not quite as strong as a Marine Admiral, Redfield's presence was enough to slow theAdmirals's escape significantly.
Soon, the three left the skies of Punk Hazard behind, soaring out over open sea.
"Shiki! Hurry up or you'll be left behind!" Linlin shouted, riding Zeus as she gave chase, her wild hair crackling with lightning.
Whitebeard stood silently on the floating Punk Hazard, watching her fly away. After a moment of thought, he chose to stay and protect the island with Shiki. His brows furrowed.
Should I start working on a way to fly too...?
He clenched his naginata, eyeing the horizon. Maybe I can ask Linlin to make me a flying Homie—like Brook's Somersault Cloud Hera. Or a pair of cloud-based jet boots? Hmm… flying shoes with Homie souls in them?
Even Memory Seahorse, who didn't even have hands or legs, flew around all day thanks to the Wasp-Wasp Fruit. Among the Four Great Fighters of the new era, Whitebeard was the only one who couldn't fly.
A bit depressing, really.
Out at sea, Brook continued his high-speed chase. Seeing the golden lion gaining ground, Coss Davo's heart sank. He no longer dared clash with Redfield and focused entirely on escaping. But the pain—that damned pain in his soul!—made him flinch with every beat of his wings.
It reminded him of what Konh had suffered at Brook's hands.
Had he not possessed the mythical Goat-Horn Demon Fruit, he'd have been obliterated mid-air by Brook's soul attack, just like Kong nearly was.
Brook narrowed his eyes, locked onto his prey. He was fascinated by the potential of this Mythical Zoan fruit. Flying capabilities, immense durability, rapid regeneration—it was more appealing than even the Buddha Fruit once held by Sengoku.
Among mythical beasts, only the Blue Dragon and Phoenix Fruits might be able to match this.
"Coss Davo!" Brook shouted across the sky, his voice booming with theatrical intensity. "Where's that justice in your heart now? Why not stop and fight a 'heinous pirate' like me to the death?"
He laughed wildly.
"Besides, Redfield and I killed a Celestial Dragon! You're not going to avenge your master? What's the matter? Don't have the guts?!"
He was goading him, pure and simple. Brook knew this was dangerous—if Davo suddenly turned around and dragged them into the sea, all four of them were Devil Fruit users. If the Kirin died, or if Redfield got knocked out of the sky, no one would be there to save them.
Wait... if I fall into the sea, would I die? I'm immortal... but I've never tested that with seawater.
He made a mental note to set up some experiments in the Golden Island's test pools. Just in case.
"Brook!!" Coss Davo spat out blood as he shouted back. "You pirates will never escape justice! The World Government will wipe you off the face of the sea!"
He didn't stop—he couldn't stop. His only chance was to lure Brook and Redfield into a trap. If he could make it to Kong's position… then together with Kong and CP0, they could surround and crush these two monsters once and for all.
Two rogue killers alone—even if they were legendary—wouldn't survive an ambush by four top-tier forces.
Brook, so fixated on the demon fruit and his opponent, hadn't noticed how far they'd chased Davo. Separated from the Hell Pirates, cut off from reinforcements.
Only when he saw the massive Marine fleet appear on the horizon did the realization hit.
"Redfield! Stop!" Brook barked.
Their target had been Punk Hazard. Chasing Coss Davo this far had been a distraction—a trap!
Redfield halted instantly, his red eyes flashing with annoyance.
And now, the tide turned. Coss Davo stopped retreating and started pressing forward. He sneered, soul still burning, but with resolve in his eyes. He would pin Brook and Redfield here, long enough for backup to arrive. He didn't care if it cost his life.
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