Jevalle steadied himself in the storm and burst into laughter. He knew that Orion was finally showing his true strength.
"Hahaha! In Orion's Wind Dominion: Tempest's Wrath, none of you can escape his slaughter!"
He had already seen Brook's heart pierced through by Orion. Next, it would be these wretched pirates—every last one of the Hell Pirates would be sent to their deaths!
"I don't believe Captain Brook would go down that easily!"
Newgate regained his footing, throwing a furious punch at Jevalle. The strike was blocked by Jevalle's rapier, but the force still sent him flying, sword and all, a sharp crack echoing through the wind as his bones fractured.
"Your captain is dead. Why not join us, the Rocks Pirates?"
Ochoku stood firm against the storm's fierce gales, still pressing his attack on Redfield. He had already acknowledged the swordsman's strength—this man had managed to withstand his relentless swordplay for so long and was even growing stronger before his eyes.
"Captain Brook is not dead!!"
Redfield unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, and streaks of lightning crackled in the air. His form, like a phantom amidst the storm, remained unaffected by the roaring winds.
"Brook!!"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes turned bloodshot as she let out an earth-shaking roar. The violent gale around her was blasted away, leaving a massive vacuum in the storm. She had promised the nun—she would protect Brook!
Dark red lightning arced wildly around her as she charged toward Orion and Brook.
"Damn it! Another Conqueror's Haki user?!"
Orion attempted to pull his sword from Brook's heart, but to his shock, the skeleton—who should have been dead—clutched his blade with one hand and swung his own sword with the other.
Barely dodging the lethal slash, Orion was forced to abandon his weapon and retreat, using the storm to teleport himself away from Linlin's furious onslaught.
"So, getting my heart skewered still hurts... But Linlin seems to have awakened her Conqueror's Haki—worth it!"
Brook yanked Orion's sword from his chest and tossed it aside. Yomi energy poured from his damaged heart, slowly filling the gaping wound.
He had been caught off guard when the storm first surged, and in that brief moment of stabilization, Orion had struck. But there wouldn't be a next time!
...
Linlin, her crimson eyes burning with rage, pursued Orion through the storm. However, in this environment, the wind wielder's speed had drastically increased, while his enemies had to divert their focus just to resist the tempest's force. Worse still, he controlled the very storm itself, shifting its direction at will to throw off their attacks.
"I wonder... does my soul feel the wind's resistance?"
Brook's spirit suddenly emerged from his body. His massive reaper-like soul hovered in the air, trailing a legion of phantoms—souls he had enslaved over time.
To his relief, his spectral form remained unaffected by the raging storm. Without hesitation, he and his ghostly followers shot toward Orion, weaving through the tempest like shadows.
Linlin, seeing Brook's soul, momentarily regained some clarity.
Redfield had known all along about Brook's undead nature and wasn't worried. Meanwhile, Newgate and the other crew members battling Silver Axe finally let out sighs of relief.
...
Silver Axe was under siege from multiple members of the Hell Pirates. The Fish-Man powerhouse Tom held the front line, Shakky delivered fierce strikes, and Fisher Tiger provided backup. But even with their combined strength, they were struggling. The legendary pirate's raw power was overwhelming.
Luckily, Silva's poisoned bullets had landed multiple hits, weakening Silver Axe. Crewman Crocus further hindered him with his paralyzing harpoons and smoke bombs. Even so, the veteran pirate roared in frustration, cursing their underhanded tactics.
...
Orion, still navigating the chaotic battlefield, turned his attacks on both Ochoku and Redfield. Today, he would ensure these threats never left this place alive!
As for that damn Linlin, he would deal with her last.
Redfield, fully elementalized in the storm, evaded Ochoku's strikes with preemptive precision. But Orion's unexpected ambush forced them into a three-way battle.
The wind user's semi-mastery of Flowing Haki made him the most formidable combatant on the field, forcing Ochoku and Redfield into a temporary alliance to repel his attacks.
Just as Orion pressed his advantage, Brook's soul lunged into the fray. To everyone's shock, neither Ochoku nor Orion could land a single hit on him—not even with Armament Haki.
Their only relief was that Brook's spirit form seemed unable to deal direct damage either. Instead, his ghosts swarmed around them, their intentions unclear. Instinctively, they avoided contact.
"Yohohoho! Time for my Requiem!"
Brook saw the immense amount of Yomi energy and Netherworld aura surrounding Ochoku and Orion. With a grin, he conjured a skeletal guitar and began strumming an eerie, soul-rending melody.
Both Ochoku and Orion immediately sensed something was wrong. They reinforced their entire bodies with Armament Haki, bracing for the unknown technique.
"Follow my melody... and step out of your bodies!"
A terrifying force gripped their souls, as if some ancient horror was trying to rip them free. They resisted with all their might, but a gray energy surged within them.
"No escape? Then explode!"
Blood sprayed from their mouths as their Armament Haki failed to block the soul shockwave. Brook watched them hungrily—if he could kill these two, his ghost army would gain two high-level warriors. If his spirits ever gained the ability to interact with the physical world, he would grow stronger at an exponential rate!
"Brook, you damned skeleton! Not even crushing your heart could kill you, and now you can wound me?! Fine! I'll admit defeat for today! But next time, I'll shatter your entire body!"
Using the last of his strength, Orion activated his Wind-Wind Fruit, vanishing into the storm. Brook didn't have the means to stop him and was wary of him attacking his physical body. He quickly returned to his corpse while instructing Redfield to hold off Ochoku.
...
As the storm subsided, Orion had already fled, taking Jevalle with him. Pirates of this caliber had monstrous vitality and recovery abilities—if they weren't killed on the spot, they would return to full strength before long. Escaping was no challenge for them.
"Captain Brook! Enemy pirate ships are closing in fast! We need to move!"
Antonio shouted urgently as more and more News Coo circled above.
"Damn it! Those birds must have already informed the Vesper Pirates! We need to retreat—NOW!"
Brook had no time to finish off Ochoku. His priority now was escaping before they were completely surrounded by the two Emperor-class pirate crews.
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+122 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg