Whitebeard Newgate caught Golden Lion Shiki eyeing his bounty poster with a sly grin. Did that schemer think he could take a swing at Newgate's Leafman just because he couldn't beat the real deal?
"Oi, hold up! Lily Carnation's one of us now—our crewmate! You think we'd let her be pushed around like that? Drop those stacks of bounty posters, all of you! Can't you see she's trembling?"
Brook pulled Viscount Fraule—Lily Carnation—close, shielding her from Shakky's greedy clutches.
"How could you exploit a crewmate like that? Tsk, tsk!"
As captain, Brook had to lead by example, protecting his crew. Sure, maybe he'd ask Lily to whip up an Empress clone now and then… for chores, of course!
The Sea Calendar tapestries in his captain's quarters were a constant reminder: this world was dangerous, but a bit of colorful, cozy living could keep the crew's spirits high.
"Ugh, I, Navigator Shakky, formally protest!" Shakky declared, throwing her hands up. "Brook, you're sabotaging my brilliant plan! This'll crush the creativity of innovators like me! Woe is me—this could doom the Hell Pirates' future!"
Her theatrics won a nod from Stussy, the crew's newest schemer. Stussy knew Brook's tail-twitch meant he was scheming something wild—maybe a 996 work schedule or some fire-and-ice nonsense. She wasn't about to let him monopolize Lily, especially when her Joy Street plans needed the Leafman's powers!
(T/N: 996 means from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week)
Charlotte Linlin, caught up in the moment, raised her hand too, giggling. That little yellow flower was just too fun—why not squeeze a bit more out of her?
Shiki chimed in, backing Shakky. With her, he could pay a few Belly to get a Newgate Leafman to pummel. But with Brook? Good luck getting anything!
"Motion overruled!" Brook snapped, his tail swishing. "Lily decides how her powers are used. Your patent application? Denied! If you want her help, convince her yourselves!"
Brook was going open-source with Lily's abilities. What, did Shakky think he'd pay her just to have a bit of fun as captain?
His ruling flipped the room. Stussy and Shiki instantly switched sides, cheering their captain's wisdom and ditching Shakky's capitalist schemes.
"Alright, that's settled," Brook said. "Shiki, get this island floating. Lily's power is tied to its giant roots!"
With the Grand Line's dangers and the Navy lurking, they couldn't linger. The New World needed a stronghold, and no one was guarding their turf yet.
"Uh, Brook," Shiki hedged, scratching his head. "It's getting late. Can we talk tonight? I'll start work tomorrow, promise!"
Shiki, ever the slacker, wasn't budging until they settled the " Sound Shell" issue. Without that, he'd lost all motivation to be the model officer!
"Fine," Brook sighed. "Everyone, take a break and enjoy! Streusen, fire up the banquet!"
Sensing Shiki had something big to say, Brook figured it was time to dangle another carrot. Clearly, this young comrade's resolve needed a boost.
...
The Hell Pirates dove into banquet mode. Under Shakky's "gentle persuasion," Lily Carnation used bounty posters to conjure a dozen notorious pirates, including two emperors, all programmed with dance moves.
The result? A bizarre spectacle: Leafmen emperors and pirates grooving on the deck. Shakky and the crew howled with laughter. She was tempted to have Antonio snap a photo for Mortomas's newspaper headlines, but pissing off that many big shots wasn't worth the risk.
The night ended with a beatdown contest. In front of the real Rocks and Vesper, the crew played nice. But against Leafmen Rocks and Vesper? They unleashed full fury, fists flying!
After the Omatsuri Island revelry, Shiki slipped into Brook's captain's quarters. Whatever they discussed that night stayed behind closed doors.
...
By dawn, every crewmate's prized "Sound Shell" had been confiscated. Shiki, bursting with newfound zeal, was already floating Omatsuri Island, his face radiating purpose.
Brook, true to form, had every crewmate's back, addressing their concerns with his signature charm. He dove into the crew's world, solving problems and keeping his leadership style sharp.
From that day, Shiki swore undying loyalty to Brook, vowing to be the Hell Pirates' top officer. He'd never forget his roots or waver in his dedication!
Seeing Shiki's hustle, Redfield and Newgate felt they were slacking. Their Devil Fruits lacked the Float-Float Fruit's strategic flair, so they doubled down on raw power to protect the crew.
Brook had said it best: everyone's strengths were different. No need to compete in every arena—just max out what you're best at. Shiki's floating islands made him indispensable, so Redfield and Newgate aimed to be the Hell Pirates' mightiest guardians.
...
When Omatsuri Island joined Merveille in drifting back to the New World, Brook noticed a shift. His crew was grinding. Training intensity spiked, each member pushing their limits.
Caught up in his officers' hustle, Brook had to step up too. A captain's strength set the tone—fall behind, and what kind of leader was he?
His Yomi Yomi no Mi was already honed to a fine edge, its ghostly aura and underworld energy rivaling the depths of hell. He sensed he was one spark away from awakening it.
Brook glimpsed his fruit's awakened potential: a miniature Yomi Hell centered on him, commanding souls. His spectral generals and soldiers were growing stronger, hinting at a future where he could claim dominion over the dead.
Souls he didn't personally slay could be dragged into his private underworld, stealing a sliver of hell's power. Once awakened, any soul within ten, a hundred, or a thousand meters might bend to his will—or be devoured.
With relentless development, he could amass an army of ghost soldiers, becoming the Yomi Emperor of the mortal world.
In the end, I'll become hell itself. I am the Reaper!
(T/N: I'm going to use Yomi Yomi no Mi instead of Revive-Revive Fruit because fanfic always plays with the word Yomi. Yomi or Yomi-no-kuni is the Japanese word for the land of the dead)
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+300 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg