"You… are… Brook?"
Vice Admiral Momonga immediately narrowed his eyes, staring at the skeleton blocking his path, as if searching his mind for information on Brook.
But to his surprise…
He realized that aside from Brook's name and identity, he knew nothing else about him.
No—
He had no information on the Starry Sky Pirates at all!
This strange realization instantly put Momonga on high alert.
A former Warlord of the Sea, and yet within the Marine, he had no presence whatsoever.
This was… abnormal.
No—
This was absolutely abnormal!
…
"Yohohoho~"
Facing a core group of Marines, Brook maintained his gentlemanly composure, his voice calm yet firm:
"To be precise…"
"I am the Starry Sky Pirates' chief musician, the Soul King, Brook!"
"Please, remember this well."
As he spoke, he executed a flawless hat-tip, like a true noble, embodying grace and etiquette in every movement.
"You… don't matter!"
Doberman, remained completely unmoved by Brook's etiquette.
A staunch hawk in the Marine, Doberman looked down upon every pirate in the world.
His silver-glimmering sword pointed directly at Brook's skeletal frame. The hot-headed Marine bellowed:
"What kind of Starry Sky Pirates!? What chief musician!?
"You're nothing but garbage of the seas!!
"From the moment you became pirates, your fates were sealed!
"Justice will punish you!"
SWOOSH!
Without hesitation, Doberman lunged.
A fierce sword beam cut across the specially-formed ice.
Though it left no mark on the ice, its sharpness remained fully intact.
Doberman was no ordinary swordsman; among the Marines, his swordsmanship ranked at the top.
But…
As the blade, capable of easily slicing through a warship, neared Brook…
The air suddenly froze.
A black skeletal hand shot out.
Even under the unchanged sun above, the Marines felt a chill—a piercing, bone-deep chill.
The sword beam trembled in Brook's grasp, but no matter how it vibrated and hummed, it could not advance even an inch.
CLAP!
Brook's skeletal hand clenched. The sword beam, loaded with Doberman's intent, shattered like fragile glass, scattering into the air.
"I cannot ignore what you just said…"
A breath of icy wind escaped Brook's mouth.
Still in his bow from the gentlemanly greeting, he slowly lifted his skull.
A shadowy darkness spread over his pale bones, transforming them into a horrifying black visage.
His rage became palpable pressure, crashing down on Doberman's shoulders.
The azure flames in front of the Admirals flared upward like a stage curtain.
As the curtain slowly parted…
Brook tightened his bone sword and stepped through, as light as his skeletal form.
CLANG!
The Admirals weren't fools; sensing this immense aura, they drew their blades, staring grimly at the Soul King emerging from the flames.
Hah…
Another breath of abyssal chill swept over, coating Brook sword in a cold gleam.
He advanced slowly, ignoring the vigilant eyes of Momonga and the others, heading straight toward the arrogant Doberman.
Then, suddenly…
The sight of the five Admirals blurred.
They stood dumbly, oblivious, their vision shrouded by a gray haze.
A deep, chilling voice began reciting grand, if narrow, verses:
"War… smoke… armor… swords…
"Flowers of death bloom but once.
"The prelude of life is unsung.
"Heroes of justice should be praised!
"Those who defy honor must be punished!
"Heroes angering the reaper shall meet their reaper.
"The final movement of heroes…"
SWISH!
In an instant, the Admirals snapped back to awareness.
But the skeletal figure before them had vanished, as if it had never appeared.
"What!?"
They turned sharply, only to see Brook had somehow moved behind them, half-bowed, sheathing his sword.
CLANG~
As the sword fully retracted, a thick scent of blood filled the air.
The Admirals twitched their noses, but before they could react, Akainu, standing beside Doberman, shouted in panic:
"Vice Admiral Doberman!!!"
Momonga and the others turned toward Doberman.
There, the Vice Admiral resembled a frozen statue.
His eyes twitched as if powerless, yet remained eerily still.
His body was entirely rigid.
His skeletal hands tried to reach forward, but no matter how, they couldn't break the invisible shackles holding him.
Cracks suddenly formed in his skin, bleeding in tiny spots.
"You… what did you do to Doberman!?"
Momonga raised his blade toward Brook, shouting.
His eyes, slowly moistening, seemed to have understood the answer.
Brook straightened, one skeletal hand resting lightly on his hat.
"I merely… made this gentleman pay for his words…"
BOOM!!!
As Brook finished speaking, Doberman's body violently exploded.
Countless shards of ice mingled with blood, raining down like stars.
"DOBERMAN!!!"
"AAAH!!!"
Blood and tears streamed from Momonga and the others' eyes.
Their comrade, their partner…
Killed before their eyes by a pirate!
And in such a cruel, fragmentary death!
Rage surged through their hearts.
Several sword beams suddenly lunged toward Brook.
With them came the full force of their physical strength.
SWISH!
Four white streaks arrived at Brook in an instant.
"Rokuogan!"
"Geppo!"
"Tekkai"
"Kami-e!"
…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Earth-shattering explosions echoed. Winds roared, twisting the air.
Brook danced through the attacks with his slender frame, evading with ease.
With his current strength, taking on Marine Admirals two to three tiers below him was trivial.
The sword deflected incoming attacks, yet Brook's expression remained calm.
He was never one to relish killing.
His actions were solely because Doberman insulted the Starry Sky Pirates, crossing Brook's non-negotiable line.
Hence… Doberman had to die.
…
A dazzling aura erupted around Brook.
Seemingly gentle sword energy, yet it overpowered Momonga and the others, forcing them backward instantly.
Brook stood, retracting his sword.
The battle had gone on long enough.
He had no desire to harm soldiers wearing the title of "Justice" unnecessarily.
Brook
Stamina: 2800
Strength: 3200
Agility: 4500
Mental Power: 4800
With his current power, even Doflamingo might not stand against him…
Let alone the Marine Admirals easily toyed with by Doflamingo.
However…
Despite their opposing positions and life-or-death stakes, the stability of the seas, and the safety of civilians, was upheld through the sacrifice of countless Marines.
Some served the Marine for wealth or personal gain, but most, especially at Headquarters, fought sincerely for the concept of Justice.
Additionally, these Marines posed no serious threat to the Starry Sky Pirates.
So even when the Marines blocked them, Luffy's crew preferred to "injure but not kill" whenever possible.
After sending the four Admirals flying, Brook grasped the sword's hilt, pointing the tip downward.
Frost descended.
The area was enveloped in a thick, cold blue mist.
Within the dense ghostly fog, shadows danced like restless spirits.
From Brook's eyes, the flames flickered, his skeletal frame moving subtly:
The mist surged into the bodies of the four Marine Admirals.
Instantly, their eyes took on an eerie blue glow.
Momonga and the others, now like puppets, struggled not at all, frozen in place.
A sly smile crept onto Brook's face.
The mist left their bodies, forming a connection to Brook's own soul.
A faint blue light flowed along these spiritual pathways, returning to Brook.
The Admirals, drained of their blue energy, aged visibly.
White hairs appeared here and there on their heads and brows.
Their lifespans… consumed by the Soul King.
…
Elsewhere in the mist…
BOOM!!!
The fire dragon in the sky still clashed with the ice bird.
Below, Luffy's fist met Aokiji's icy attack.
Aokiji's expression darkened further. He gritted his teeth and released another wave of freezing air.
But this time…
Luffy didn't just absorb the attack.
Instead, he took a step back, his face no longer smiling.
Perhaps Aokiji was tougher than he expected, or perhaps Doberman's arrogance had provoked Brook…
Irritation crept across Luffy's face as he spoke to Aokiji, voice low:
"It's time to end this!"
=============
Completed version available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria