Poison Smoke Pirates, you can't escape today, Poison Cannon Sarin."
The temperature in the bar plummeted. Frost crept across the floor, starting from Brook and spreading outward like a silent predator.
"Brook? From the Rumbar Pirates? Hahaha! How the hell are you the only one left? You pathetic leftover bastard—go to hell!"
Poison Cannon Sarin laughed wildly and yanked the trigger, launching a poison gas bomb.
"Underworld Ghost Energy - Snow Blowing Slash."
Silence fell over the bar. Sarin's cannon and body split clean in half. No blood spilled—his entire form had turned into an ice sculpture, frozen by the eerie ghostly chill of the Underworld.
At the entrance of the bar, a large, cloth-covered box rested on the ground. Next to it stood a scrawny teenager, gazing in awe at the man who had appeared behind the frozen corpse.
"Pah."
A wine glass slipped from someone's fingers and shattered on the floor. The chilling air sent shivers down the spines of the pirate captains present, men whose bounties exceeded 50 million berries. They broke into cold sweats.
Before anyone could react, a blade flashed through the dim light. Flesh split, and in the next heartbeat, every crew member of the Poison Smoke Pirates collapsed, their faces twisted in terror, their deaths instant.
Brook sheathed his sword and turned toward the gathered pirates. "Whoever takes Sarin's head to the Navy branch for the bounty—I only want half."
He strolled back to the bar's entrance, picked up the box, and sat at the nearest table with Antonio. Pouring a drink, he muttered, "Rumbar Pirates, I've avenged you. Rest in peace."
The bar erupted in hushed murmurs. No one dared move Sarin's body.
"That's what you said!"
Amid the tense silence, a short-haired girl with a cigarette in her mouth sauntered forward, grabbed the frozen Sarin, and bolted out the door.
The pub was in an uproar. Just like that? That easy?
Some pirates slapped their thighs and pulled at their hair, cursing themselves for missing an easy 28 million berries.
As time passed, whispers spread—many believed the girl had run off with the money. They were ready to mock Brook for his gullibility.
Then, the bar doors swung open with a loud kick. The short-haired woman strolled in, exhaling a puff of smoke. She tossed a fat stack of berries onto the counter.
"I've got money today. No need to give me change."
She placed a cash box in front of Brook. "Here, 28 million. I've already taken the other half. If you regret it now, tough luck."
Brook waved her off. "No regrets."
He threw two stacks of berries at the bar owner. "For corpse disposal. Handle it yourself."
Brook tossed the cash box to Antonio and left the bar, heading straight for the news agency.
"Interesting," the short-haired woman mused, watching Brook's retreating figure. "A music adventurer? Too bad his whole crew was wiped out."
"Did you see the kid with him? Is Brook forming a new crew?"
"Brook, Avenger Brook with a 33 million berry bounty, just killed Poison Cannon Sarin—worth 56 million—in a single move. His bounty's gonna skyrocket!"
"He's gotten way stronger. I wanna join his crew!"
Excited chatter filled the bar. Some pirates seriously considered joining Brook's new crew.
"Hey, where'd that short-haired girl go? I was about to rob her! Damn it!"
"Anyone know who she is?"
"That's Shakky, an intelligence collector from Sabaody Archipelago. If you wanna be a pirate, act like one!"
"The hell did you say? Boys, get him!"
Chaos erupted once more as the short-haired woman slipped unnoticed into the alley behind the bar.
---
World Economic News Agency Headquarters
"Brook, here's the eternal pose for the islands you need. We're still searching for the rest. These Den Den Mushi are also from me."
Moore Thomas, the agency's leader, set a pile of supplies in front of Brook.
Brook nodded. "I just claimed a bounty over 20 million berries. Use it to support the agency. Gotta keep talent from slipping away."
Moore Thomas hesitated. "Brook, no need. I've got enough. I'm planning to move the news agency to a remote island in the New World."
His expression darkened. "We can't fight the World Peace Dove News Agency under the World Government. Moving is our only choice."
The World Government's grip on the New World was weak. Moore Thomas believed they could survive there.
Brook leaned forward. "If you trust me, move to Gaya Island. Above it is Sky Island. Control Sky Island, and the Celestial Dragons won't be able to touch you."
Moore Thomas furrowed his brows. "Brook, do you really believe in Sky Island?"
As a rational man, he struggled to believe in myths. There was no concrete proof of Sky Island's existence.
Brook's eyes gleamed. "I swear on my life—Sky Island exists. And so does Shandora, the Golden City. That land is mine to claim!"
Moore Thomas clenched his fists, staring into Brook's unwavering gaze. Finally, he exhaled. "I believe you, Brook."
He made up his mind. They wouldn't move to the New World. First, they would settle on Gaya Island. With his personal guard, they could survive there.
---
Sabaody Archipelago
"Shakky, I heard you made over 20 million berries. How about sharing some?"
A middle-aged man in gold-framed glasses grinned stiffly at the short-haired woman before him.
Shakky, puffing on her cigarette, sneered. "You want intel? Pay up. Otherwise, get lost. I made that money with my own skills. Why the hell should I give you a cut?"
The man's smile faltered, and Shakky exhaled another cloud of smoke, eyes gleaming with sharp amusement.
In the Sabaody Archipelago, within the lawless zone, down a secluded alleyway...
"Shakky, I know you're alone, with no ties to hold you back. You can do whatever you want—but that also means you're isolated and defenseless! Get her!"
The middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses didn't even glance at Shakky before turning around and walking away. Suddenly, dozens of burly men emerged, surrounding her.
"Over the years, I'd wager you've stashed away at least 500 million berries, haven't you, Shakky?"
When he heard that she had made tens of millions again today, he couldn't resist making a move. She was just a small-time intelligence hunter, but tonight, he intended to take her down.
"What a hypocritical bastard!"
Rip-Off Lime Powder!
Shakky struck the massive bamboo pole beside her, releasing a cloud of fine white powder into the air. The moment the dust touched their eyes, the thugs cried out in agony. Quicklime reacts with moisture, and their tear-filled eyes burned severely—some might even go blind.
Without hesitation, Shakky lifted the sewer cover and dropped down, vanishing into the labyrinthine tunnels below.
"That damn woman! Is she dead? If she's still alive, chase her down! I'll kill her tonight!"
The middle-aged man in the gold-rimmed glasses used his swift footwork to leap into the sewer. Gazing at the three branching paths ahead, he spotted footprints and pursued them. However, after some distance, the trail abruptly ended.
"Damn it! I was tricked!"
Realizing too late, he clenched his fists. Shakky had created the illusion of footprints in advance and slipped away in another direction. With no choice but to return empty-handed, he cursed under his breath.
Now that she was aware of the danger, Shakky had probably escaped far away. There was no chance she'd contact him again or sell him intel. His opportunity to rob her had vanished.
"These bastards... Not a single one of them is worth trusting. Good thing I had a trick up my sleeve, or I'd have suffered tonight."
Emerging from the sewer, Shakky scanned the familiar cityscape. It was time to move to another island.
"Wait... I just thought of someone!"
Her mind drifted to the cold man who had taken out Poison Cannon Sarin in a single strike. According to previous intel, Brook was supposed to be a passionate musician—so how had he become such a ruthless, unyielding force? The destruction of his crew must have changed him completely.
Rumors swirled that he was looking to assemble a new crew and set sail again. This was her chance to join.
No more hesitation.
Shakky gathered her belongings, hid her savings, and set off to find Brook.
---
World Economy News Agency Headquarters
Brook was deep in training, attempting to separate his soul from his body—to achieve an out-of-body experience. In this spectral state, he could pass through solid objects like walls and gather intelligence unnoticed.
He had escaped from the Underworld once before in spirit form, re-entering his body. Now, he aimed to refine the technique, willing his soul to emerge once again.
After relentless practice, a pale, translucent figure resembling Brook surfaced, though only his upper body was free—his lower soul remained tethered to his lower frame. The spirit Brook hovered across the room, but the tail of his soul refused to sever its link to his body.
Drifting toward the window, Brook prepared to exit when he locked eyes with a short-haired woman wielding a knife. With a swift motion, she pried the window open.
They stared at each other in silence.
"Aaaahhh! A ghost!"
Shakky's piercing scream shattered the quiet, startling Brook's spirit so much that he instinctively recoiled back into his body. His hollow blue eyes snapped open just as Shakky lost her balance and fell.
The commotion drew the agency's guards, who quickly surrounded her. Moore Thomas burst out in his pajamas, while Antonio groggily took in the scene.
"Wait a minute... Isn't this the woman who helped the Captain collect his bounty earlier today?" Antonio mumbled in confusion.
"Brook, are you alright?" Moore Thomas asked out of habit, though he highly doubted the woman could have harmed him.
Brook leaped from the window, landing effortlessly in front of Shakky.
"What are you doing here?"
"A-Are you human or ghost?!" Shakky stammered, still shaken by what she had just witnessed.
"Devil Fruit ability. You understand?" Brook replied coolly. "Now state your business. Otherwise, you'll be handed over to the Marines."
"No, no! My name's Shakky! I made more than twenty million berries off you today, remember? But now I'm being hunted! I want to join you!"
She spoke quickly, afraid that any hesitation would result in her capture.
"Shakky, huh? Alright, from this moment on, you're my second crew member."
Brook's chilling blue gaze fixed on her, seeing a glimmer of the cunning and sharp-witted woman he had encountered earlier that day. He hoped she would grow into the formidable pirate Garp had once described.
"Wait, just like that? You're not messing with me?!"
"I said it, Shakky—you're my second crew member."
Finally processing what had just happened, she stood up, dusting off her clothes. "Got it, Captain Brook! You better protect me!"
"What skills do you have?"
"I specialize in intelligence gathering, navigation, and I'm a damn good cook!"
"Then you'll be our navigator, with a secondary role as an intelligence officer. Antonio is already skilled in intelligence, so you'll work with him."
Brook dismissed Moore Thomas and the guards, ordering them back to bed. He led Shakky and Antonio inside to assess their abilities.
"A Den Den Mushi Devil Fruit user? That's an insanely good ability for an intelligence officer!"
"Yeah, I can communicate with the snails directly and even eavesdrop on their conversations, hehe~"
Antonio grinned sheepishly, knowing how sneaky that sounded.
Brook had acquired several varieties of Den Den Mushi, and Antonio had learned how to utilize them. He could mimic the Broadcasting Den Den Mushi's loudspeaker function, take photographs like a Camera Den Den Mushi, and even print out transmissions like a Fax Den Den Mushi. He was continuously developing his abilities, gradually mastering all known functions of Den Den Mushi.
"That's insane... I want a Den Den Mushi Devil Fruit too!"
Shakky's eyes gleamed with greed, unnerving Antonio enough to make him shuffle closer to Brook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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