Brook followed Antonio back to his Prism Gate Den Den Mushi room. He had previously instructed Shakky and Antonio not to tell anyone else about the Den Den Mushi chat group.
The new crew members had no idea it even existed, which made him wonder if Redfield had peeked into Antonio and the others' thoughts. But in the end, it didn't really matter.
Even Shakky wasn't aware of Brook's private conversations with Charlotte Linlin and Edward Newgate, and Antonio wasn't the type to pry into the captain's affairs.
However, it was time to cut off Charlotte Linlin and Edward Newgate's Den Den Mushi connections. The special screen-linked Den Den Mushi had an active detachment function—once activated, it would disconnect the screen and return the Den Den Mushi to its original state.
By tomorrow morning, Edward Newgate would wake up to find his Den Den Mushi screen broken and its connection severed.
Every lie needed another lie to cover it up. Brook had already foreseen this day coming, and though it made him feel a little helpless, they were all white lies—ones that wouldn't cause real harm.
Since fate had given Brook the chance to travel through time and witness these people's futures, wasn't this an encounter arranged by the heavens? Well, at least, that's how Brook convinced himself.
---
Brook picked up his personal Den Den Mushi, preparing to tell Charlotte Linlin that Streusen as leading her away.
[Carmel: Linlin, did you find Brook?]
At this moment, Charlotte Linlin was still excited about their speeding pirate ship, believing she was finally closing in on the Hell Pirates. When she heard her Den Den Mushi buzz with a message, she immediately picked it up.
[No. 43: Sister! This is great! You finally contacted me again! We're on our way to find Brook!]
[Carmel: Linlin, are you sure you're heading in the right direction? Did Streusel lie to you? Go ask him. If he looks guilty, stop at the next island and wait for Brook to find you.]
[No. 43: Sister, Streusel Would never lie to me! He's always been the one to take me out to sea!]
[Carmel: Linlin, do you not trust me? I—]
Before she could finish typing, Charlotte Linlin's Den Den Mushi suddenly started emitting a puff of white smoke. The cable connecting the screen to the Den Den Mushi snapped.
The Den Den Mushi weakly retreated into its shell, acting as if it had completely broken down. It didn't respond, no matter how much she tried to fix it.
Panic surged through Charlotte Linlin as she desperately attempted to reconnect the screen, but it was no use.
Streusen, seeing this, couldn't help but smirk. But before he could enjoy his moment of satisfaction, Charlotte Linlin caught sight of his grin, and her fury erupted.
"You! Did you do something to my Den Den Mushi?!"
Seeing Linlin's rage-filled expression, Streusen immediately wiped the smirk off his face and waved his hands frantically.
"I swear, I didn't do anything! Linlin, I had nothing to do with it!"
Streusen kept shaking his head, but deep inside, he was pleased. The Den Den Mushi was broken—Brook could no longer deceive Linlin.
As long as he kept her away from the Hell Pirates, he would always have control over her. That damn Brook had ruined his and Linlin's "firstborn" plan.
"Why were you laughing?!" Charlotte Linlin's eyes burned with anger. "I can't contact Mama Carmel anymore! Also… where the hell is our ship heading right now?!"
Streusen froze. He had to think fast.
"I… I…"
He stammered, struggling to come up with an excuse that would make Linlin ignore both issues.
"You are lying to me! Turn the ship around—go back to the last island immediately!!"
Charlotte Linlin had already made up her mind. She believed what Mama Carmel had said—Streusen had led her in the wrong direction. And now, he was the reason her Den Den Mushi was broken!
"Linlin, how do you even know—"
Streusen's mind reeled. Since when did Linlin care about directions? How could she even tell?
It had to be Brook again. That bastard—did he figure out his scheme? Or did he already suspect it?
Brook, meanwhile, had just learned that Antonio had developed a tracking function for Den Den Mushi. The discovery blew his mind.
What if we sent Antonio's modified Den Den Mushi for free through Seagull News Bird? Brook thought. Distribute them to famous pirate crews, even Marine Admirals and Vice Admirals… Then, we'd know their exact locations at all times.
The idea of global surveillance sent a chill down his spine.
It also made Brook realize just how invaluable Antonio was.
---
Back on the ship, Charlotte Linlin's fury reached its peak.
"It was YOU!!!"
She grabbed Streusen by the collar, lifting his short, frail body with ease.
He was the one who had tried to keep her away from the Hell Pirates. He was the one who had broken her Den Den Mushi, severing her connection with Mama Carmel!
"Linlin, I'm telling you! That Carmel nun is a fraud! Just trust me for once!"
Streusen was frustrated. Linlin was being manipulated by Brook, and now she had turned against the very man who had raised her for ten years.
"How dare you slander Mama Carmel?! Tell me right now—is our ship headed in the wrong direction?!"
Charlotte Linlin's grip tightened as her fury intensified.
"Linlin, I was only trying to take you away from that liar, Brook! He's pretending to be Sister Carmel, and he's got the World Nobles after him! If we join him, we're doomed!"
Streusen desperation seeped into his voice.
"Brook doesn't even know us! How could he possibly know about Mama Carmel?!"
The Sheep House, Sister Carmelite's past—barely anyone knew those details. So how could Brook, who had never even met them, possibly know?
Charlotte Linlin refused to believe another word from Streusen's mouth.
Even if she had to go alone, she would fulfill Mother Carmel's wishes and join Brook's Hell Pirates!
Streusen gritted his teeth.
He wanted to shout the truth. He wanted to tell her: You were the one who ate Sister Carmel and the others! That's how you got the Soul-Soul Fruit!
But he couldn't.
If he revealed the truth, there would be no turning back. Linlin would never trust him again—she might even kill him in a blind rage.
He had seen firsthand the horror of her hunger-driven rampages.
So instead, Streusen swallowed his pride and conceded.
"Linlin, I was wrong… I was lying… I won't stop you anymore. I'll take you there right away… I'll join the Hell Pirates with you!"
His words were bitter, but if that was the only way to survive, he had no other choice.
---
Looking at Charlotte Linlin's furious and distrustful eyes, Streusen was completely convinced—this Brook guy was a master at playing with people's minds.
Even though they were so far apart, Linlin was completely thrown off by just a small Den Den Mushi!
Maybe joining the Hell Pirates wouldn't be such a bad choice after all. Aside from their goal of eliminating the Celestial Dragons, their strength aligned with his expectations.
But... would Brook be like him and target Linlin's monstrous Iron Balloon physique to produce offspring?
If so, then conflict between him and Brook was inevitable. All he could do now was hope Brook was only drawn to Linlin's combat ability and nothing else.
Or maybe, Linlin's dream of uniting all races could give him an opportunity—perhaps he could get involved with Linlin, have a child of his own, and scrap the whole "firstborn" plan. But that all depended on Brook's stance.
If Brook had his eyes on Linlin and intended to make her his concubine, then Streusen would have to come up with another plan—continue to provoke her and look for an opening.
Maybe... he could secretly tell Brook that Linlin was a cannibal. Brook would definitely despise her for that, and then, she might just fall right into his hands!
---
"I'll trust you one last time. If you slander Mother Carmel again, I'll kill you! Now, get back to the ship!"
Charlotte Linlin threw Streusen aside, her scarlet eyes gradually returning to normal. In the end, she couldn't completely ignore the ten years they had spent together and chose to let him go once again.
Carefully, she picked up the broken Den Den Mushi, wondering if it could still be repaired. Losing contact with Mother Carmel left her feeling unsettled. She could only stare at the nun's photograph in silence.
Streusen got up from the ground, immediately adjusted the sails of their small boat, turned around, and headed back toward the island near the entrance to the New World!
---
On a commercial island in the Kingdom of Magara, not far from Dressrosa, another country near the New World's entrance, two infamous brothers—the Vank Brothers, who had eaten the Jacket-Jacket Fruit—were known to be lurking.
That morning, Edward Newgate woke up from a drunken stupor in a tavern and noticed something off—his Den Den Mushi's screen had fallen off. Alarmed, he immediately searched for a Den Den Mushi repair shop nearby.
However, the local merchants had never seen such a small projection Den Den Mushi before. Ordinary ones couldn't maintain a continuous screen display; only large Projection Den Den Mushi had that capability.
With no other choice, Newgate had to accept the reality—his Den Den Mushi had reverted to a regular communication device. At least it was still functional, but he could no longer read the mysterious messages in the secret chat group.
Turns out, there were still many unknown secrets in the world. If he wanted to uncover them, he needed to become stronger.
Recently, a new member in the group had awakened Conqueror's Haki, an ability that only true kings possessed. Having traveled with the Lion Pirates for years, he had long heard of this incredible power.
Would he have the chance to awaken it himself?
Captain Ryan only had a basic understanding of Armament Haki and had never taught him. He wondered—did Captain Brook possess this legendary power?
---
Aboard the Golden Ship, Erebus
The Erebus, now soaring through the sky, was heading straight for the Kingdom of Magara—closer than Charlotte Linlin's location.
The crew members were busy training. Redfield had taken it upon himself to teach Fisher Tiger some basic Haki techniques.
Even though Brook hadn't waited for Newgate to reach out, that didn't mean he couldn't take the initiative. A captain should always be proactive!
"Bururu~"
Edward Newgate, still pondering where the Hell Pirates would make landfall, suddenly heard the Den Den Mushi ring.
Only high-level figures had this number… Could it be No. 2? Or was it Brook?
If No. 2 had been able to give him Brook's number, then it made sense that Brook could get his number as well.
Newgate hesitated for only a second before picking up.
"Moshi moshi, who is this?"
No matter who it was, Newgate knew he had to be respectful—everyone in that group was stronger than him. He had always been a mere enforcer in the Lion Pirates, and his bounty wasn't particularly high.
It wasn't until he ate the Tremor-Tremor Fruit that his combat power skyrocketed, surpassing Captain Ryan. But since he hadn't fought anyone recently, his bounty hadn't been updated.
"Yohohoho~ Is this Newgate? I'm Brook, captain of the Hell Pirates!"
For the first time, Brook heard Whitebeard's young voice—deep and rough, yet filled with potential.
"Captain Brook! Yes, this is me!"
Though still a bit unfamiliar, Newgate addressed his future captain with a hint of excitement.
"Yohohoho~ No need to be so tense, Newgate! Just call me Brother Brook from now on. Our ship is heading for the Kingdom of Magara. Can you wait for us there?"
Through Antonio's wiretaps and the World Economy News Agency's intelligence network, Brook had already pinpointed Newgate's approximate location.
As long as the seagull news birds could reach an area, Moore' intelligence network could be expanded there.
"That's perfect, Brother Brook! I'm already on an island in the Kingdom of Magara!"
Newgate was shocked by the sheer coincidence. Was this fate? A sign from the heavens?
"Understood! Our ship will arrive from the sky and land near the port to pick you up!"
Brook was also feeling excited—Edward Newgate was about to become one of his crew!
"I'll be waiting for you at the port!"
Newgate clenched his fists in anticipation. Was it really a golden ship? The Hell Pirates seemed loaded!
Maybe... just maybe, he could send some gold back home to Sphinx Island. Newgate had always been poor, sending most of his pirate earnings back home to improve his birthplace.
After ending the call, Newgate immediately rushed to the nearest tavern by the port, eager to witness Brook's arrival.
Meanwhile, aboard the Erebus, Brook ordered the ship to speed up—he couldn't wait to meet Edward Newgate, the future Emperor of the Seas.
The rest of the crew knew that a powerful new member was about to join. Word had spread—this little giant had immense strength and untapped potential.
Redfield smirked, eager for a fight.
A newcomer personally recruited by Captain Brook?
He had to be a beast in combat.
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