When Golden Lion Shiki saw that Charlotte Linlin had snapped out of her frenzy, he finally let out a breath of relief. If she hadn't, he would've had no choice but to back off for now. As expected, Linlin's natural nemesis was none other than Brook.
The Yomi Yomi no Mi's power to control souls completely countered Linlin's Soru Soru no Mi. Even her Homies were terrified of the aura of the underworld and Brook's ghostly energy!
Suddenly, Shiki spotted Angelie—this woman actually jumped into the sea on her own. She was a Devil Fruit user! Was this despair so deep that she chose suicide?
Shiki scoffed. Back when his own crew got wiped out, and only Scarlet survived alongside him, even then he never gave up on revenge. And now this woman, wasting her life so easily? Such a shame too—under the charm of her Devil Fruit, even he had to admit she was a real stunner.
But to him, power was everything. Women? Just fleeting clouds.
A swordsman without distractions sharpens the blade with his heart.
So he couldn't be bothered to save some beauty who dared invade their turf. He just watched as she plunged into the sea, a few bubbles rising before she sank beneath the waves.
On the surface, plenty of pirates were still alive. Shiki had only flung them into the ocean—they were expert swimmers, not so easy to drown.
And when they saw their beloved captain, the beautiful young lady, jump into the water, they all frantically swam toward her to save her. After all, she was their admired and adored leader.
Even the heavily wounded Bull was dragged out of the sea by some crew members. He wasn't dead yet, just barely hanging on. Now they all floated in the water, awaiting the Hell Pirates' finishing blow.
And waiting for death… that was often crueler than death itself.
All eyes turned in terror toward the golden ship hovering in the sky and the wreckage of the capsized ship. A suffocating despair spread like a virus.
Some crew finally pulled Angelie back to the surface. They couldn't bear to let their beautiful captain just die, even if it only meant buying her a few more seconds.
"Brook, should I just wipe them out completely?"
Redfield asked, lightning crackling in his palm. One strike from him and these pirates would be fried and left to sink in the sea forever.
Brook waved his hand. "Forget it. Shiki, toss that wrecked ship down and haul them up. I want to see if they're useful. These are some fine souls!"
After all, Brook hadn't reaped fresh souls in ages. His ghost army was still far from complete!
"Understood, Brook! And hey, there's a real knockout among them too! Shihahaha~"
But the moment Shiki said that, he earned death stares from both Linlin and Shakky. He immediately cut off his laugh, descended, and used the shattered ship to scoop up the defeated pirates like captives.
...
On Elan Island…
All the surviving crew of the Edward Pirates were lined up, awaiting Brook's judgment. Even Bull, against the odds, had been pulled back from death's door.
Angelie now sat shackled with Seastone cuffs, her Devil Fruit powers sealed. Yet even without them, she was still a striking blonde beauty, full of allure.
She shot Brook and his crew a defiant glare while her eyes flickered with worry toward the gravely injured Bull. She'd already steeled herself to die, but instead, they'd saved her—only to make her a prisoner.
"Your father, Edward, wasn't killed by Rocks? You came here looking for revenge against us? What's the matter, picking on the weak while you fear the strong? Thought we'd be easy prey?"
Brook's voice was cool and sharp.
"Let me be clear—even if we're not quite at the Rocks Pirates' level yet, we're not some leftovers you can push around. So, make your choice: submit, or die?"
Brook had to admit—this fair-skinned, golden-haired bombshell did hit right at his taste. At two and a half meters tall, she matched him perfectly in stature. Strong too, with a bounty of 500 million Belly, skilled in both Armament and Observation Haki. And best of all—she was in her twenties, not some underage kid like the eight-meter-tall Linlin or the barely-grown Shakky and Stussy.
Brook had been stuck in this world for over a year now, and he was still a lonely, pure-hearted old bachelor. And here he was—a pirate with a 700 million bounty—yet still sleeping alone?
Wasn't a pirate supposed to live a pirate's life? Wasn't he supposed to enjoy some pleasures?
Angelie gritted her teeth.
"If you hadn't destroyed my father's fleet, he wouldn't have fallen into despair! He wouldn't have made that fatal mistake against Rocks… You're my enemy too!"
Her words made the air freeze—then the whole scene burst into awkward chuckles. Even her own crew looked uncomfortable.
"Miss Angelie, we're pirates. Your father lost because he wasn't strong enough. And now you're blaming me? Should I also take responsibility for every pirate who ever beat him? Why not go yell at Vesper? He stomped your old man more times than I can count. Or better yet, curse out Rocks' mom—after all, she gave birth to the monster who killed him!"
Brook narrowed his eyes.
"Maybe while you're at it, blame your own mother for draining your father's energy and making him weak. And for birthing you—a real genius, huh?"
Angelie's face flushed crimson, seething with fury. Her crew, casting aside their fear, glared daggers at Brook. No one insulted their goddess.
"Do what you want! Kill me if you dare!" Angelie raised her chin, shut her eyes, and put on a proud, defiant pose, as if ready to die with dignity.
Brook clicked his tongue. "Hard to believe you've got a 500 million bounty. With brains like that, no wonder your father died. He must be rolling in his grave, wishing he could send you some brain supplements from the afterlife!"
With a sneer, he drew the Shichiseiken. A chilling underworld aura spread instantly over the prisoners, sending shivers of death down their spines.
"Let's start with your dear Bull-san. His soul's nice and fresh. I'll enslave it, make sure he never finds peace, and then use his ghost to execute you one by one…"
Brook muttered, but every word stabbed deep into their nerves. Using Bull's spirit to kill them? That was beyond cruel—it was pure evil.
"You devil!! If you're going to kill someone, kill me first! Please, I beg you—spare Bull-san! He's barely alive, he's no threat to you!"
Angelie's eyes snapped open, tears welling up as she screamed. Only now did the weight of her crew's suffering truly hit her. She wasn't afraid of death, but them…?
Brook's grin widened. "Oh, they'll all die. You refused to submit, so that leaves only death. I'm just giving you a special treat—letting your most respected elder be the one to execute you. Isn't that a blessing? A gift from the heavens!"
Slowly, he stepped toward the unconscious Bull…
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+188 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg