At Brook's words, Kaido's eyes lit up with glee. The guy was practically bouncing, itching to dive back into battle and snag his first-ever bounty poster!
"No need for a break! Now that we've got this island floating, it's even easier to handle. This rock's under my control!"
Golden Lion Shiki, wiping sweat from his brow, flicked his right hand. The Golden Island drifted closer, slamming into Ohara with a jarring quake. The collision kicked up clouds of dirt, the two landmasses grinding together, fusing into a massive gourd-shaped island. Golden Island, smaller than Ohara, nestled snugly against it.
The effort nearly wiped Shiki out, but he played it cool, standing tall with steady breaths, hands unshaking, as if he hadn't just moved mountains.
"I'm grabbing a box of cigars!"
With his last ounce of strength, Shiki zipped back to the Golden Ark, darting into his cabin and slamming the door. The second it shut, he collapsed, gasping for air, sprawled on the floor like a beached fish.
"Phew! That was exhausting! But man, I totally nailed that performance. Those brats must be worshipping me now, right? Jahaha!"
Shiki felt his cells trembling from the strain. He'd pushed his Float-Float Fruit to the limit, but it paid off—he could sense his powers growing stronger. Nothing like a near-death workout to level up!
After a fifteen-minute breather, he hauled himself up and shuffled to the kitchen. Time to scarf down some grub and recharge.
...
But the second he stepped out, heading for the main hall, he ran smack into Stussy, roused by the island's shaking.
Stussy blinked at a haggard, spiritless Shiki. Shiki gawked at a pale, stiff-moving Stussy. Neither had ever seen the other in such a sorry state, and an awkward silence hung between them.
Shiki's mind raced: Of all people, Stussy sees me looking like a weakling? My badass image is ruined!
Stussy, catching his weird stare, panicked: Oh no, does he know I've… become a real woman?
"Ahem, don't wander around. Get some rest!"
Shiki summoned his swagger, puffing out his chest, and tossed out the line with a cool nod before ducking into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.
Stussy's face flushed at Shiki's words. He'd totally misread the situation, but that was fine by her. She scurried back to her room, dropping any curiosity about the island's tremors.
...
While Shiki raided the kitchen, gorging on food, the crew outside grew restless. How long did it take to grab cigars, anyway?
Brook saw right through it. Shiki was probably wiped out but too stubborn to admit it. The guy would rather keel over than drop his tough-guy act.
"Since the islands are merged, let's keep the Ohara residents in line for now. We'll set sail tomorrow. Redfield, Vegapunk, you two guard the Tree of Knowledge. Don't let those scholars torch any rare books!"
Brook, mindful of Shiki's state, decided to give him a day to recover. No need to let his showboating burn him out.
Redfield and Vegapunk nodded, heading to the Tree of Knowledge to keep an eye on the scholars. Some hot-headed, diehard types might try to destroy priceless texts in defiance.
The islanders, knocked out by Shiki's Conqueror's Haki, were carried home by worried families, grappling with the terrifying reality that their home now floated in the sky.
...
With nothing else to do, Charlotte Linlin plopped down with her prized Rare Animal Encyclopedia, flipping through it like it held the secrets of the universe. The pictures had her hooked.
The rest of the crew scattered, tending to their own tasks. Brook, meanwhile, sought out Director Kutu to have a word. Time to make the old man face reality and quit any pointless resistance.
When Shiki finally swaggered back, ready for round two of his grand performance, he froze. Everyone was gone, off doing their own thing. His spotlight moment—poof! Where were his adoring fans?
"Gurarara! Shiki, you're back with those cigars? Brook says we're leaving tomorrow. Take a break or go poke around!"
Whitebeard Newgate, spotting Shiki drifting aimlessly in the air, hollered up at him with a grin.
Shiki muttered to himself, "Brook said there'll be big banners later. Plenty of chances to make these punks worship me!"
Reigniting his pride, Shiki, the golden lion of untamed arrogance, vowed to dazzle the world. Since they weren't leaving till tomorrow, he flew back to his room, crashed on his bed, and passed out.
...
Tree of Knowledge, Director's Office.
Brook sat across from Director Kutu, with archaeologists Nico Barobi and Charles Pero standing behind the old man, their faces stern.
"Let's cut to the chase. Your research into the Poneglyphs might've already tipped off the World Government. If you keep sending archaeologists to hunt for historical texts, Ohara—and everyone on it—could be wiped out."
Brook crossed his legs, eyeing the defiant scholars coolly.
"On another note, I'm saving you lot. And I'm saving the other researchers you've dragged into this mess."
He leaned back, his tone blunt. These brainiacs had no strength, no defenses, yet they dared poke at the World Government's forbidden line: the truth of the Void Century.
Ohara's Poneglyph-hunting expeditions were likely already on the World Government's radar. The threat just wasn't big enough—yet—for them to burn down the Tree of Knowledge, a hub of global scholarship.
Every year, researchers flocked to Ohara, sparking innovations that benefited the World Government. But that goodwill hinged on one rule: don't dig into the ancient past.
"Pirate Brook, don't try to scare us! Uncovering the Void Century is the duty of every archaeologist and historian!"
Nico Barobi snapped, unfazed by the Hell Pirates' control over the island.
To her, Brook's words painted their archaeological work as the root of Ohara's potential doom—a cheap tactic to bully them into abandoning their research.
"And what if you crack the code? You gonna topple the World Government with your noodle arms? You can't even survive a trip to sea!"
Brook's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Stick with me, and you might actually have a shot at unraveling the Void Century. I happen to know where a few Poneglyphs are stashed."
Intimidation alone wouldn't sway these stubborn scholars. Brook needed a carrot to dangle, and his knowledge of Poneglyph locations was the perfect bait.
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+240 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg