Two pirate ships closed in on each other, the distance shrinking rapidly.
"You're not running? Don't tell me you're here to join me? Miiihahaha~!"
Mist Etsumi sneered arrogantly. His crew had a notorious reputation, but they were also a formidable force. It wouldn't be the first time like-minded pirates sought to align themselves with him.
"Stay on the ship. This fight is mine."
As the two ships neared the point of boarding, Brook gave a casual command to Shakki and Antonio before leaping alone onto the enemy deck.
"You've got guts! Coming aboard on your own—what an idiot!"
Etsumi and his crew grinned menacingly, eager for a fight. But as soon as Brook unsheathed his sword, his posture left no doubt—he wasn't here to surrender. He was here to attack.
"Captain, I think that's the Avenger, Brook! His bounty is around 120 million Belly!"
A crew member, always keen on keeping track of bounty posters, recognized Brook immediately.
"So, you're a pirate too. Brook, we've got no quarrel with each other. What do you want?"
Etsumi kept his eyes locked on Brook, wary of a fellow high-bounty pirate. At the same time, a faint, colorless gas started seeping from his body, spreading through the air.
"A little practice. And a little plundering."
Brook exhaled, his breath now visible as a chilling mist. He had already drawn his blade, his skeletal body emanating a ghostly frost. Ice began to form beneath his feet as he activated his Yomi Yomi no Mi abilities.
"Tch. Confident, aren't you? But I bet you're already feeling a little drowsy. The moment you stepped onto my ship, you inhaled my Mist gas! Miiihahaha~!"
Etsumi watched Brook closely, expecting him to stagger any second now. Once he collapsed, Etsumi could do whatever he pleased.
Brook stabbed his sword into the deck, instantly covering it with thick ice. His ghostly aura spread across the floor, freezing the crew's feet to the wood. Panic set in as the pirates realized they were trapped. Etsumi cursed under his breath, leaping onto the railing to escape the creeping frost.
Brook lunged forward at inhuman speed. The moment the frozen crew made eye contact with him, their bodies tensed up in fear, their defenses crumbling. Before they could react, Brook cut through them in a single motion. They collapsed onto the ice-covered deck, their wounds instantly freezing over, their bodies locked in a state of suspended animation.
"No way… How are you this strong?!"
Etsumi's voice shook. His entire crew was defeated in an instant? Was Brook a Logia-type Ice user? And more importantly, why wasn't he succumbing to the Mist gas?
"Captain Brook is incredible!!"
Shakki and Antonio cheered from their ship. Meanwhile, the Memory Seahorse was practically drooling, eager to feast on the unconscious pirates' memories.
"No more hiding. Fight me properly, Supernova!"
Brook advanced on Etsumi, who scrambled to evade the incoming strikes. His only strengths were his Devil Fruit abilities and his speed—no match for Brook in a direct fight.
"W-Wait! I surrender! Please, let me go! I swear I won't cross you again!"
Etsumi glanced at the deck, now fully covered in his own mist. Yet Brook remained completely unaffected. Realizing he had no chance, he threw up his hands in surrender. If he didn't, he'd be cut down in seconds.
"Being a pirate isn't a game. And frankly, I don't like you."
Brook's cold gaze settled on Etsumi. He could tell at a glance—this was the kind of pirate who killed without reason, who had no honor, no morals. Someone who didn't deserve to walk away.
"D-Don't push me!"
Desperation flashing in his eyes, Etsumi inhaled sharply, then blew a thick cloud of his sleeping gas toward Shakki. At the same time, he kicked off the railing, using his agility to leap toward Brook's ship, aiming to take a hostage.
But Brook had already moved.
With Brook's whispered technique, the airborne Etsumi was struck mid-leap, blood spraying through the air before he crashed back onto the deck. His terrified eyes locked onto Brook, who exhaled a cold breath, and then he collapsed into unconsciousness.
"Woohoo! Captain Brook is amazing! We've taken down Mist Pirates' Etsumi, worth 150 million Belly!"
Shakki rushed forward, quickly tying up the unconscious Etsumi. With their captain subdued, the thick mist surrounding the Mist Pirates' ship began to dissipate. She wasted no time in searching the ship's loot—only to find a treasure hoard worth at least 500 million Belly. A massive payday!
Meanwhile, the Memory Seahorse had already latched onto Etsumi, feasting on his most vivid and delicious memories.
As the frozen deck thawed and the ice receded, Brook grabbed a random pirate by the collar and interrogated him about the Mist Pirates' crimes.
"They actually raided a shipyard? Unforgivable! And it was the same shipyard that built them a new ship? You scum don't deserve to call yourselves pirates!"
Shakki sneered, disgusted. Even among pirates, there were unspoken codes of honor. In a world ruled by the sea, shipwrights were invaluable—respected by everyone, even pirates themselves.
The Memory Seahorse didn't spare the rest of the Mist Pirates either, devouring their memories one by one.
"Oi, Memory Seahorse, that's enough! We still need them to sail the ship," Brook warned.
Reluctantly, the seahorse stopped, though it was clear it wanted to keep going. The remaining pirates, their faces drained of all color, trembled in fear. No one knew how much of their past had been erased—or if they even remembered how to sail.
Under Brook's orders, the dazed, mind-wiped pirates clumsily followed instructions, hoisting the sails and setting course for Water 7.
"Memory Seahorse, hurry up and digest all that. Don't you dare throw it back up and restore their memories," Brook muttered, watching the creature hiccup from overeating.
...
Water 7
Jelly Shipbuilding Company was in shambles. Shipwrights sat slumped, faces grim with despair. Their shipyard had been destroyed—by a pirate ship they themselves had built, no less. The betrayal stung worse than the loss itself, and their hatred for the Mist Pirates burned deep.
"Master Jelly! Please let me go after that bastard! I'll sink his ship with my own hands!"
Tom, the foreman of Jelly Shipbuilding, a bullhead fish-man with a massive, hulking frame, pleaded with his master. Though his body carried extra weight, his strength was unmatched—capable of lifting entire ships single-handedly. If not for underestimating Etsumi and succumbing to his mist, he would've beaten the pirate into pulp himself.
"Tom, a ship once built must sail on. The fault lies with its owner, not the vessel itself. Besides, we need you here. The shipyard cannot afford to lose you."
Jelly, wrapped in bandages, winced as fresh blood seeped from his wounds. Tensions among the major shipbuilding companies had reached a boiling point, with rival factions constantly battling for clients. The civilians of Water 7 lived under the looming threat of violence. Now, more than ever, the island needed Tom's strength to maintain order.
Water 7 was a city beset by crisis. Every year, it faced the devastating Tsunami of the Gods—a monstrous wave that forced all residents to flee to higher ground. But with each passing year, the water levels rose a little more, creeping further into the city.
Trade across the Grand Line was unreliable, and islands rarely communicated with one another. Water 7's seven major shipyards had become bitter enemies, fighting over customers to stay afloat. In their desperation, they even accepted commissions from pirates, regardless of their reputation.
"Master Jelly, I swear—I will save Water 7. I will unite the shipyards and rebuild this city."
The towering fish-man, Tom, clenched his fists as tears welled in his eyes.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg