A good person?
No matter how one tries to justify it, as long as someone is a member of a notorious pirate crew, they are, in the eyes of the Marines, an enemy that must be taken down at all costs.
So, even if Brook's identity and background had not been fully confirmed yet, the mere fact that he was associated with the Maude Pirates gave the Marines sufficient reason and motivation to eliminate him.
The surrounding Marines, with their weapons drawn, did not put much pressure on Brook.
Rather, it was the ones leading them—Gion (Momousagi), Tokikake (Chaton), and even Sentomaru, who was carrying his signature double-bladed axe.
Brook didn't recognize them.
But just by standing there, they gave him an overwhelming sense of impending doom, as if escape was no longer an option.
"Yohohoho, I should've had a few more glasses of high-calcium milk before heading out today!"
Brook held his sword horizontally in front of him, his gaze solemn.
From the hasty exchange just now, two cracks had already formed on the bones of his dominant hand.
Though it didn't hinder his grip on the sword, if he endured another attack of the same caliber, even if he managed to mitigate most of the damage, the cracks would only widen further.
A risk he could not afford to ignore.
With this in mind, Brook, who always fought with a fast, offensive style, surprisingly adopted a defensive stance for the first time.
Speed-based swordsmanship was meant to attack rather than defend. However, surrounded by such formidable foes, he had no choice.
If he attacked recklessly, he would only expose his weaknesses faster.
Seeing Brook assume a defensive posture, Gion's gaze remained calm. She raised her sword and pointed it at him, her voice steady:
"Where is Bacardi Maude?"
"..."
Upon hearing her words, Brook immediately understood.
He had been wondering why the Marines would go to such lengths just to deal with someone like him.
So they were after Maude.
That explained everything.
"Yohohoho…"
Now that he knew their true intent, there was no way Brook would reveal even the slightest bit of information about Maude. He simply let out his signature laugh, his jawbone moving up and down.
Seeing his blatant refusal to answer, Gion remained expressionless as she quietly activated her Devil Fruit ability.
Confess!
A mesmerizing fragrance suddenly spread from Gion's body.
This particular scent had the power to make those who inhaled it speak their innermost thoughts.
"Where is Bacardi Maude?"
As the fragrance drifted toward Brook, Gion repeated her question.
"Yohohoho…"
Brook thought to himself, Even if you ask me a thousand times, I still won't answer you.
Suddenly, he caught a whiff of an incredibly pleasant jasmine scent—fresh and elegant, without any overwhelming sweetness. The aroma filled him with an inexplicable sense of tranquility and peace.
Under its influence, his laughter gradually faded, his mind momentarily entranced by the deep, serene fragrance.
Then, without thinking, he blurted out—
"Can you show me your panties?"
"?"
Gion's expression flickered with surprise.
A stunned silence fell over the battlefield.
Sentomaru, along with the assembled Marines, stared at Brook in absolute disbelief.
Then, Chaton's voice rang out like a thunderclap:
"Momousagi-chan would never show you her panties, but I can tell you what style and color she's wearing today~"
The atmosphere instantly turned deathly silent.
"..."
Brook was dumbfounded.
Chaton was also dumbfounded.
Why did I say that out loud? But… that was exhilarating! Brook screamed internally.
Why did I say that out loud? Oh, right—this is Momousagi's ability. This is bad! Chaton screamed internally.
A moment later.
Brook looked at Chaton with hopeful anticipation.
"..."
Chaton felt a chill run down his spine at Brook's gaze. He forced a cough and cautiously turned to look at Gion, whose expression remained unreadable.
"Momousagi-chan, this guy is being really rude. Let me teach him a lesson."
Before his words even finished, Chaton took decisive action, stepping forward with a powerful stomp that instantly brought him face-to-face with Brook.
"So fast…!"
Brook was taken aback, but fortunately, he had already assumed a defensive stance. In an instant, he reacted.
Waltz: Shield of Melodies!
Brook's thin, skeletal arm trembled at high speed, guiding his cane sword to weave an intricate web of dazzling sword slashes, forming an impenetrable barrier in front of him to force Chaton back.
"Not bad."
Chaton's eyes reflected the shimmering, vibrating sword slashes. He could clearly sense the threat within them and gave a rare nod of approval.
But that was all.
With a slight smile, Chaton extended his hand and reached straight into the flurry of sharp slashes.
His Haki-coated index and middle fingers abruptly pinched together, precisely catching Brook's cane sword mid-air.
With that single motion, Brook's Shield of Melodies was utterly neutralized. The once-formidable flurry of vibrating sword strikes instantly vanished.
"Hmm?"
Brook's mind reeled in shock. He stared in horror at Chaton, who had effortlessly caught his sword.
It felt as though an entire mountain had fallen upon his weapon.
He couldn't pull it back. He couldn't even move it.
"Little skeleton, if you don't use Armament Haki soon, your nice-looking cane sword will be gone."
Chaton's face held a relaxed smile, exuding an air of effortless mastery—though his usual sleazy demeanor was somewhat diminished.
Brook suppressed his shock and tried to break free, but it was futile.
Chaton narrowed his eyes. "Oh, so you don't know Armament Haki? Well, that's unfortunate."
With that, his fingers suddenly exerted force.
Clang—!
He snapped Brook's cane sword clean in half.
The gap in our strength is too vast…
Brook despaired as he watched half of his sword shatter into the air, finally grasping the overwhelming power Chaton possessed.
Seeing Brook's weapon destroyed, Gion sheathed Konpira, deeming the battle already over.
Sentomaru silently observed. Only one move. As expected of Chaton-san.
From his perspective, Brook's sword technique was indeed powerful.
If it had been him facing that attack, even with Armament Haki, it would have taken considerable effort to suppress Brook's offense.
Yet, Chaton crushed Brook's defense with a single move.
As the other Marines watched Chaton's back, they marveled at his strength.
With Brook disarmed, Chaton stepped forward and grabbed hold of his bony neck.
"You're pretty weak, little skeleton."
Chaton chuckled. Against a pirate who didn't know Haki, he didn't even have to try.
Brook's heart turned cold.
Is this the end?
If I die here…
Captain… will you at least go see Laboon for me?
Just as Chaton was about to crush Brook's neck—
A jet-black bullet came whizzing in from afar, streaking through the air like a shooting star aimed straight at Chaton's left temple.
"Armament Haki-infused bullet? No… something's different…"
Chaton's expression shifted slightly as he tilted his head back.
The dark bullet narrowly grazed past his vision and struck the ground at his feet, leaving behind a smoldering bullet hole.
"The main player has arrived, huh?"
Yet, Chaton neither loosened his grip on Brook's skeletal neck nor straightened his backward-leaning posture. Instead, he simply turned his head in the direction the bullet had come from and murmured to himself:
"But since you opted for a long-range shot… that means you won't make it in time to assist, will you?"
"You're half right."
A voice suddenly sounded from Chaton's side.
"Hmm?"
Chaton's eyes widened slightly.
Not far away, Gion, Sentomaru, and the Marines turned to see Maude appear out of nowhere beside Chaton, their expressions filled with shock.
"How did he get here?"
Chaton's confusion barely had time to surface before Maude lifted his leg and aimed a kick at Chaton's right elbow, the arm restraining Brook.
"Armament Haki…"
Noticing the black sheen coating Maude's leg, Chaton reacted instantly, withdrawing his arm without hesitation.
Maude's kick sliced through empty air, but his attack wasn't over yet.
With a sharp twist of his waist, his entire body moved in seamless coordination. The force rippled through his upper body, transferred fluidly to his left leg, and then—
BANG!
With devastating momentum, Maude's Haki-infused kick slammed into Chaton's cheek.
Like an arrow loosed from a bow, Chaton's body shot backward at blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, he crashed into the trunk of a towering Yarukiman Mangrove, the impact unleashing a violent shockwave.
The Navy officers—Sentomaru, Wolfrat, and the others—stood frozen, their faces etched with disbelief.
"H-How… did he do that…?"
They stared at Maude, who had appeared out of nowhere, their expressions filled with shock and apprehension.
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