Suddenly, the pirates' wild laughter shattered the darkness creeping into Brook's mind.
"Wahahaha…"
River the Slave Hunter sensed Brook's hesitation and let out a sinister laugh. His grip tightened around Little Labu's arm, squeezing the life out of her. She gasped weakly, her breath cutting off as if she were drowning.
"Brother Skeleton, I suggest you put on those cuffs like a good boy. Otherwise, I cannot promise this little one's neck will remain intact in the next second."
The blood-red glow in Brook's eyes vanished instantly.
"Don't hurt her! I'll wear them!"
His voice trembled as he reached for the Seastone handcuffs on the deck, his resolve firm despite the humiliation.
Boom!!!!
The entire ship suddenly shook violently.
A cannonball struck the pirate ship from afar.
River frowned and turned sharply toward the sea behind him.
Three small fishing boats were chasing them, their figures barely visible. The cannonball had clearly been fired from one of those fragile vessels.
Faint shouts echoed across the waves.
"Give us back our children, you filthy pirates!"
"Children, don't be afraid, we're here to save you!"
"Pirates, we've already contacted the Marines, surrender now!"
River's bloodshot eyes twitched with rage.
"Damn fools! We spared your lives, and now you come begging for death! Fire the cannons, blow them out of the water!"
Then, suddenly, he froze.
Something was wrong.
"Hey, Skeleton, you…"
He turned back slowly.
Brook had already passed him.
"Hum, hum, hum…"
Brook walked calmly, humming a quiet tune as he sheathed his cane sword.
"Yohohoho… I apologize. You have already been cut by my blade."
He turned his skull toward River, a faint smile forming.
"Please fall."
River's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What… how is this possible…"
Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!
Sharp bursts of icy slashes erupted across his body. His clothes tore apart as blood sprayed into the air. He collapsed heavily onto the deck, his face pale, his voice reduced to broken cries.
A deep cut across his neck sealed his fate.
Little Labu slipped from his grasp and fell through the air.
"Little Labu!"
Brook rushed forward and caught her just in time.
"Damn skeleton! What did you do to the Captain!"
The female pirate beside them exploded with rage.
Her once alluring face twisted grotesquely as six different male and female faces surfaced at once. Twelve furious eyes glared at Brook with hatred.
"This old lady is furious! Die!"
Her body expanded into a monstrous form as she launched a devastating punch.
"Six-Face Fury Punch!"
Her Mask Fruit ability allowed her to fuse the strength of those whose faces she had stolen, pushing her power far beyond normal limits.
"Night Song: Straight Through!"
Brook reacted instantly. Holding Little Labu with one arm, he turned and blocked the attack with his blade.
But the moment their attacks clashed, his expression changed.
The force was overwhelming.
Three of the faces she used belonged to pirates worth nearly a hundred million Berries each. Their combined strength surged through her strike.
Brook was blown away, crashing into the sea.
"This is bad… with Little Labu, I cannot stay afloat."
Thinking quickly, he spun midair and tossed Little Labu safely onto a corner of the deck before falling headfirst.
"Soul Solid Dance: Rapid Strikes!"
His blade flashed repeatedly, striking the sea and using the recoil to regain control.
Snap!
Brook stepped lightly on the water and launched himself back toward the ship.
"Stop!"
The moment he landed, his hollow eyes widened.
The female pirate was already beside Little Labu.
"Skeleton…"
Her voice, layered with six overlapping tones, sounded like a demon's whisper.
"You took my Captain from me. I will take what you cherish most."
She raised her foot and stomped down toward Little Labu's head.
"No!"
Brook surged forward, his blade radiating chilling energy.
Swish!
His attack passed through her body, ghostly and precise.
The female pirate froze.
"…I haven't even avenged the Captain…"
Blood poured from her mouth as she collapsed, her life fading.
But it was too late.
Little Labu lay motionless.
The deck was stained.
"… "
Brook knelt slowly, his body trembling as he lifted her small, broken form into his arms.
"Little Labu… Little Labu…"
A cold aura spread from his skeletal body. His empty eye sockets flickered with a blood-red glow.
He raised his head toward the sky and let out a roar that tore through the sea.
"No! No! No!!!"
In an instant, an overwhelming chill engulfed the entire ship.
The sea froze solid.
This was not the natural ice of a Devil Fruit.
It was something deeper, something far more terrifying.
The freezing cold of the underworld itself, the chilling presence of wandering souls from the land of the dead.