On the golden spaceship, Erebus.
During the long and uneventful voyage, Brook played the violin. He wasn't doing it for fun—Shakky and the others had practically forced him to play music, recording every piece on a Sound Dial. Not just the violin, either; they had him record piano and guitar versions as well.
In his past life, Brook had been a video editor, so he still retained memories of a lot of background music. Combined with his own musical talent, he managed to replicate these pieces with about 70% accuracy!
From the grand and legendary God of Gamblers' Entrance Song to the epic Seven Swords Battle Theme, his playlist included stunning soundtracks like Starsky, Victory, The Masses, Eldorado, Immortal, Gotime, Breath and Life, Last Reunion, and Conquer Heaven. These were the kinds of tracks he used often in his previous work, and now, he even taught Shakky how to harmonize, letting everyone choose their own theme music.
Even the aloof Redfield couldn't resist. He wanted something cool and dramatic to match his elegance. Conquer Heaven—just from the name, he knew it was perfect.
Brook spent days playing music, and while he was satisfied with his talent, a sense of frustration started to creep in. This world was ruled by strength. What was he doing wasting time with music?
He immediately grabbed Redfield for a sparring match and was promptly zapped by lightning, waking him up in more ways than one.
"Shakky, stop making me play music! My goal is to be the strongest, not a damn musician!!!" Brook snapped, blaming her for constantly nagging him to perform.
"Haha~, don't you think Captain Brook seems more alive this way? Usually, he looks like a walking corpse with that blank, cold face!"
Shakky's words earned laughter from the entire crew—including Redfield.
"…Anyway, I'm done with this music nonsense!" Brook huffed.
"Captain, have you ever noticed how your music is… unique? It seems to soothe the soul, excite it, even shake it," Redfield said, his Observation Haki allowing him to sense the deeper effect of Brook's music.
"You're saying my music affects the soul?" Brook raised an eyebrow. If that was true, then maybe he could develop it into Soul Music—something like Underworld Lament, Six-Fingered Demon Strings, Sorrow and Euphoria, or Nine Netherworld Requiem…
"Yes. When you played Ambush from All Sides, even I felt my heartbeat race. My soul tensed up, almost like it restricted my movements. For a moment, I couldn't even control my hands," Redfield admitted.
Brook's eyes gleamed. "Really? If that's the case, I need to experiment. Redfield, you're going to be my test subject from now on!"
"…Excuse me?" Redfield's expression turned grim. "You're using me as an experiment? That soul-wrenching sensation is not pleasant!"
Brook ignored his complaints. He grabbed his custom-made guitar and started jamming like a rock legend. Waves of music blasted in all directions.
At that moment, Brook fully embraced the state of Underworld Release. He played with wild, unrestrained energy, grinning as he looked at Shakky and the others. They all seemed… smaller, somehow.
"CAPTAIN BROOK, YOUR SOUL IS LEAVING YOUR BODY AGAIN!!!"
Shakky paled as she recalled the first time she was scared senseless by Brook's ghostly form.
The rest of the crew watched in shock as Brook's soul ascended seven or eight meters into the air. He floated above them, strumming a spectral guitar, while his real body continued playing on the deck.
The force of his music hit the crew hard. Antonio staggered, the parrot assistant and Memory Seahorse rolled their eyes and collapsed, and—
"STOP! STOP! CAPTAIN BROOK, I'M DIZZY! I CAN'T STAND IT!!!"
Shakky suddenly felt weightless, like she was floating. Wait… was that her body on the ground?!
Am I dead? she panicked.
Before she could process it, dizziness overtook her, and everything went black.
Brook's hands froze on his guitar. Oh, shit. He definitely overdid it. Several crewmates were down. He quickly cut off the music, and his soul snapped back into his body.
"Redfield… I swear, I was just testing it! I didn't think it'd be this strong!" Brook laughed awkwardly.
Redfield, the only one still standing, glared at him. Meanwhile, Fishman Tom and Crocus were sitting on the deck, holding their heads as if trying to recover from the out-of-body experience.
Sniper Hiruba was gasping for breath, sweating bullets. "What… the hell… did I just experience? I thought I died for a second…"
Shakky and Antonio were completely knocked out, their faces frozen in shock. Even the Kirin Lion lay on the ground, tongue hanging out, refusing to move.
"Ugh, Captain Brook… that was awful. It felt like my soul was getting pulled!" Redfield groaned, still nauseous. The sensation had been eerily similar to seasickness.
Brook rubbed his chin. "So the Soul Music I create with my Devil Fruit really is that powerful…"
With the right development, he could enhance his Hades Energy: Death's Gaze—making it just as dangerous as mid-level Haki techniques.
"Captain, I feel like this move of yours could completely catch enemies off guard. You can control their souls!"
Redfield recognized the terrifying potential. Brook's music-based soul attacks would be lethal against fighters who relied on physical strength. Maybe only those with advanced Haki could resist.
But now? Redfield wanted nothing to do with Brook's "experiments" anymore. No way in hell was he signing up for another round of soul torture.
----
Seeing the state of the crew, Brook wondered—if his soul music could cause harm, could it also heal? He had to try. Picking up his violin, he played a requiem, followed by a soft lullaby, hoping to restore his crew's spirits.
It worked. Redfield immediately felt much better, while Fishman Tom and Kurokas managed to stand.
Shakky and Antonio, who had been stunned stiff, finally started moving again. Their faces softened as the music washed over them, and soon, they drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Parrot Assistant and Memory Seahorse rolled their eyes before closing them again, snoring as if nothing had happened.
"Haha~ These were just minor miscalculations! I'm sure everyone will forgive me!"
Brook laughed as he met the crew's resentful stares, choosing to ignore them. Instead, his mind was already racing with ideas on how to further develop his soul music. This ability had incredible potential—he just needed to unlock it.
Almost an hour later, Shakky and Antonio woke up. The first thing they did after sitting up was frantically pat their bodies, still shaken from what they had just experienced.
"CAPTAIN BROOK!!! I thought you killed me! I even saw my own dead body!"
Shakky screamed, rushing over and kicking Brook a few times to vent her frustration. The memory of watching her own body collapse had been terrifying—like she had truly died once before. Now, she cherished her life even more!
"Don't worry, I just gave you an out-of-body experience."
Brook genuinely hadn't expected his music to have that kind of effect. If he had known, he wouldn't have tested it on his own crew. All he could do now was try to comfort Shakky.
"'Out-of-body experience' my ass! You had no clue what would happen! What if I had actually died from a soul attack? Do you know how much I'm worth? A beautiful woman with a bright future—gone just like that?!"
Shakky snapped, glaring at Brook like he was the biggest scam artist in the world.
"Alright, alright! I'll make it up to you guys—I'll cook for everyone right now!"
Brook quickly apologized and headed to the kitchen. As captain, he rarely cooked, but when he did, his meals were second to none.
Normally, Antonio handled the cooking, but even he had to admit—Brook's culinary skills were on another level.
"That's more like it! But don't use us as guinea pigs for your weird experiments again, you bastard captain!"
Under Shakky's sharp glare, Brook sighed and trudged toward the kitchen, looking defeated.
"Haha~ Only Shakky would dare to chew out Captain Brook like that."
Tom, the shipwright and Fishman, chuckled. The more time he spent on this crew, the more he wanted to stay. Brook might seem cold on the surface, but he was actually a kind and caring captain.
Not to mention, the golden spaceship Erebus was his proudest creation. He didn't want to leave it behind—but at the same time, the people of Water 7 were waiting for him. He had to return and help rebuild the city's economy.
"That's true. Only Shakky and Laboon can bring out Captain Brook's more human side."
Crocus sighed. Because Erebus was now complete, Brook hadn't been able to bring young Laboon along. Instead, he had arranged for him to live near Jaya Island.
To keep in touch, Brook had built a private port for Laboon in a secluded corner of Jaya and installed a Den Den Mushi projection system, which was managed by Moore Thomas. This way, Brook and Laboon could communicate almost every day.
Brook's plan was simple—once he found a stable foothold in the New World, Laboon would have grown strong enough to join him. With his massive size, Laboon could help him search for the legendary Lantern Fish in the deep waters of the New World.
---
"Come on, come on! You're all probably sick of eating grilled meat every day. Time to try some real food from my homeland!"
Brook brought out a massive plate of Dongpo pork, Mapo tofu, and sweet-and-sour ribs. The mouthwatering aroma instantly caught everyone's attention.
"Captain Brook! I swear, I really only know how to make barbecue. Please, teach me how to cook like this!"
Antonio devoured his food while pleading for cooking lessons. As the ship's backup chef, it was humiliating that his captain's food was leagues above his own.
"Don't worry. I'll find a real chef in the future, so you won't have to cook for me anymore. But if I ever feel like cooking, you're welcome to learn from me."
Brook only cooked on rare occasions. Most of his time was spent training—honing his Devil Fruit powers and swordsmanship to strengthen himself.
---
As the golden spaceship Erebus continued its voyage, the crew finally spotted the towering Yarukiman Mangroves. The Sabaody Archipelago was just ahead!
"Redfield, get ready to make a statement! Any pirate who lays eyes on our golden spaceship—send them straight to hell!"
Brook stood at the bow, grinning with excitement. His 200-million-berry bounty didn't reflect his true strength.
This time, he planned to stir up trouble at the headquarters of the World Peace Dove News Agency—Moore Thomas's arch-enemy. It was the perfect way to strike back for the World Economic News Agency and get his bounty raised at the same time.
After all, a pirate's bounty was often the best way to measure their reputation. Right now, Charlotte Linlin's bounty far exceeded Brook's, which meant he wouldn't be able to keep her in check for long.
He needed to boost both his strength and his bounty—fast.
His Revive-Revive Fruit had the potential to counter Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit. And his soul music… it might even have the power to wipe out her Homies entirely!
"I got it, Captain Brook. My 80-million-berry bounty isn't cutting it either. Let's raise some hell today!"
Right now, Brook and Redfield's combat abilities were at the level of a Marine Headquarters rear admiral and a branch vice admiral. Could they stand up to elite Marine officers like Garp?
Redfield, Garp, and Roger were all prodigies. Even at a young age, their strength far surpassed the previous generation. But compared to some of the rising stars of today, they weren't necessarily overpowered.
Take Luffy, for example. At just 19 years old, he was already a Yonko-level powerhouse. Zoro, Law, and Kidd—all in their early twenties—had reached the level of vice admirals, strong enough to challenge admiral candidates.
Law and Kidd had even awakened their Devil Fruits, managing to take down Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors.
When you compared that to Roger, who was still wandering the Grand Line at 25, or Garp, who was just a major general at 26… it was clear that this generation was the strongest in history.
And today, Brook and Redfield were about to prove that they belonged among them.
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