Chapter 94
Brook knew he had to explain clearly, or everyone would keep asking.
"Hm, yes. Because I died in the fog, when my soul returned, I got lost." "After a year, I finally found the pirate ship. And so I ended up like this."
Brook continued.
"The Revive-Revive Fruit actually has this kind of ability?"
Heracles, standing nearby, looked at Brook in surprise.
"The world is full of wonders."
Victor nodded.
Then, Brook told Crocus about the Baren Pirates and the promise he had made.
"So that's how it was. Sigh… I never expected the Baren Pirates would be reduced to just you."
After hearing the full story, Crocus sighed heavily. No wonder they couldn't find any trace of the Baren Pirates—they had been trapped in the fog and struck by plague.
"By the way—Crocus, how's Laboon?"
Brook hurriedly asked about Laboon.
"Laboon is still at Twin Cape. Right now, he's probably still ramming the Red Line." "He's been waiting there the whole time—for all of you to come back and see him."
Crocus had visited Laboon once when he returned to Drum Kingdom. He knew Laboon was definitely still waiting for the Baren Pirates. Unfortunately, Laboon would never see them again.
"Woo woo woo… Laboon…"
Brook burst into tears upon hearing this.
Afterward, Brook kept asking Crocus all sorts of questions. Crocus showed no impatience at all—he patiently answered everything.
"Heracles, Brook is one of us now. Arrange a room for him."
Victor glanced at Brook and said to Heracles.
"Got it, no problem."
Heracles happily accepted the task.
In the following days, Brook entered full chatterbox mode. Seeing that no one feared or disliked him, he felt warmth in his heart (if he still had one).
Anyway, he wanted to talk to everyone he saw. If it was just for a short while, it was fine—but nonstop talking became a bit hard to bear. Only Crocus didn't mind.
Crocus understood why Brook was like this and constantly comforted him. He also told Brook all about the Plant Scholars.
With Crocus's reassurance, Brook's inner anxiety gradually faded. Brook finally settled in and began integrating into the Plant Scholars.
Just as Heracles was preparing to return to Boin Archipelago for a visit, an uninvited guest appeared on their route.
"Hawkeye—Dracule Mihawk."
Victor, who was devouring food, saw Hawkeye and felt a mix of surprise and expectation.
"Victor—looks like he's here for you."
Heracles said with a smile.
At this point, the other crew members came to the deck, looking at Hawkeye's small boat drifting in the distance.
"Is that so?" "Go find a deserted island. I want to see how Mihawk stacks up now."
Victor told Heracles to find a deserted island.
Hawkeye, seeing the Plant Scholars change course, immediately followed suit.
Soon, the Plant Scholars reached the nearest small island and stopped to wait for Hawkeye's arrival.
"Hey, Mihawk—your speed is too slow. I've already eaten another meal, and you're just getting here."
Victor finished his food and said to Mihawk below the ship.
"Victor-san, I, Dracule Mihawk, hereby formally challenge you as a swordsman."
Hawkeye wasted no words and directly issued the challenge to Victor.
"Ho ho, Victor—you seem to be the world's greatest swordsman now."
Heracles laughed.
"Is that so? How come I didn't know?" "Isn't Whitebeard still around? His strength is pretty impressive too."
Victor was stunned for a moment—he had become the world's greatest swordsman? Then he realized Roger was dead, and his own swordsmanship was likely second only to Roger's.
"Hey, Mihawk—if you join the Plant Scholars Pirates, I'll accept your challenge." "After the duel, I'll personally teach you swordsmanship. How about it?"
Such a perfect recruitment opportunity—how could Victor let it slip?
Hawkeye was stunned upon hearing this. He had never considered joining any pirate crew, let alone the Plant Scholars.
There were two super pirate forces on the seas: Whitebeard Pirates and Victor's Plant Scholars. And not long ago, they had fought an earth-shaking battle that shocked the world.
What qualifications did Hawkeye have to receive a personal invitation from Victor? But what Hawkeye valued most was Victor personally teaching him swordsmanship. That was his lifelong dream—everything else didn't matter.
Still, he didn't want to be constrained—he still planned to challenge other master swordsmen. For a moment, he hesitated.
Heracles and the others watched the drama unfold—Brook also joined in to watch.
"This guy's so stubborn—even Captain Victor personally invites him, and he won't join our crew?"
Brook said in confusion.
"Hey, Brook—don't say that. Everyone has their own choices."
Heracles pressed down on Brook to stop him from continuing.
"Mihawk—no need to overthink it." "Our Plant Scholars Pirates don't restrict the freedom of official members." "When you feel you can stand on your own, you can claim a division title and form your own team." "Of course, you can also act freely."
Victor saw Mihawk's hesitation and knew this was a rare chance. The current Mihawk was only around twenty—there was a high chance he'd join a crew. If he waited until later, when his mindset and will had fully matured, it would be much harder.
When Mihawk heard there were no restrictions on freedom, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Fine—I'm willing to join the Plant Scholars Pirates."
For the chance to learn from the world's greatest swordsman, Mihawk decisively agreed.
"Excellent. Welcome, new member, to our big family. Hahaha!"
Victor laughed happily seeing Mihawk accept.
Heracles and the others cheered upon seeing this.
"Alright—let's complete your challenge first." "Then I'll explain the crew rules."
Victor said with a smile.
"Yes, thank you, Captain."
Mihawk adapted quickly—he was already calling him Captain.
So the two quickly went to the small island.
"Let's begin, Mihawk."
Polaris automatically appeared in Victor's hand—he signaled Mihawk to start the challenge.
When Mihawk saw Polaris's movement, he was instantly shocked. He had never seen a blade with such spirituality—it was truly astonishing.
"Yes."
Immediately after, Mihawk drew the sword from his back—Yoru.
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