"Yohohoho..."
Brook's signature laugh echoed through the forest.
"So that's how it is."
After listening to Lola and the others' account, Brook finally understood the full picture.
"Both the swordsman and Moria were defeated by that black-haired young man..."
Brook glanced at the two severed arms lying on the ground in the distance.
Lola and her crew hadn't witnessed Ryuma's defeat with their own eyes, but seeing that Maude wielded Ryuma's sword, they were certain of the outcome.
Brook had no reason to doubt them and began striding toward the castle.
"Where are you going?"
Lola and the other pirates called out to Brook's tall, slender figure.
"Yohohoho..."
Brook simply left behind another burst of laughter.
The pirates exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss.
A few seconds later, Lola clenched her fist. "Let's go too! We need to properly thank that handsome guy!"
"..."
Inside the castle.
The grand hall beyond the main entrance.
Maude casually tossed the unconscious Moria onto the carpet.
Watching the blood continue to pool beneath Moria, Maude ultimately decided to administer some basic first aid.
Then, he sat cross-legged on the ground, facing the castle's main doors, waiting for Lafitte and the others to arrive.
Before treating Moria's wounds, he had already updated them via Den Den Mushi.
Even without the call, Lafitte and Law would have realized that Moria had been defeated the moment it happened.
A few minutes passed.
Philo, who had been inside the castle, was the first to arrive at the hall.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
Maude looked up at her as she descended the staircase.
He had sent Philo to clear out the zombies in the castle alone. To be honest, he had been a bit worried.
After all, Philo's strength was nowhere near that of the crew members back in Gaya.
Even Jim, who had eaten the Ancient Zoan Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Triceratops, could take Philo on single-handedly despite lacking Haki.
"No."
Philo shook her head.
Though she wasn't particularly strong, the castle's animated corpse decorations weren't nearly enough to harm her.
"Huh? This bandaging job is so amateurish!"
Philo spotted Moria lying on the carpet. A glance at his blood-soaked shoulder was enough for her to critique Maude's handiwork without restraint.
Wearing her signature crow plague mask, she was always one to speak her mind.
Maude chuckled. "Can't be helped. I'm no doctor."
"Fair point."
Philo nodded and asked, "Need me to redo it?"
"No need."
Maude shook his head.
With Observation Haki, he could tell that Moria's condition wasn't life-threatening. Rebandaging him was unnecessary.
Since Maude declined, Philo didn't insist. Instead, she sat down beside him.
Perhaps feeling a bit stuffy, and with no outsiders present, Philo removed her crow mask.
"Phew..."
As she took off the mask, her flushed face was revealed, and she let out a soft breath.
Setting her mask aside, she pulled out a collection of plants she had gathered from the ship's island garden and began sorting them.
If she had the proper tools and equipment, she'd have already started brewing medicines.
A few more minutes passed.
Creak—
The large, tightly shut doors slowly swung open.
The newcomer wasn't Lafitte or the others, but a tall skeleton in a black gentleman's suit, sporting an afro.
"Yohohoho, is anyone here? I've come in."
Brook slipped through the doorway and stepped into the hall. His hollow eye sockets immediately landed on the black-haired young man described by Lola's crew.
So, it's him...
Brook thought to himself. Then, his gaze shifted to the unconscious, armless Moria sprawled on the carpet.
But before he could study Moria further, his soul was instantly captivated by the sight of Philo sitting beside Maude.
"Oh my, what a beautiful young lady~~!"
Brook practically glided across the floor, his feet floating on air. Under Maude's mildly surprised gaze, he suddenly appeared right in front of Philo and earnestly asked, "May I see your panties?"
"Huh?"
Philo looked up at Brook, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
"I-I..."
Without her mask, she was caught completely off guard. Even when faced with such an unreasonable request, she didn't know how to refuse.
To make matters worse, her naturally reserved personality made her prone to agreeing to requests.
"...Alright."
After a long moment of internal struggle, Philo reluctantly agreed.
"Eh???"
Hearing this unexpected response, Brook was momentarily dumbfounded.
Then, as if basking in divine enlightenment, his skull beamed with joy. "I can die without regrets now! Yohohoho... though I'm already dead!"
Philo looked troubled but still slowly stood up, preparing to fulfill Brook's request.
"..."
Maude watched with a helpless smile. Without a word, he reached for Philo's crow mask and gently placed it back on her face.
Philo froze mid-motion.
Brook, initially puzzled, quickly remembered the promise of what he was about to witness, his anticipation swelling.
Then, he vaguely heard Philo mumbling something from beneath her mask. The only word he could make out was "joint."
Something about that word felt oddly ominous.
Philo tilted her head and met Brook's gaze.
A question mark floated above Brook's skull. Though the mask obscured her face, he could almost sense the dangerous smile lurking behind it.
Then, she slowly reached out her hands.
Brook hesitated, his mind racing with possibilities, and suddenly, he bashfully chuckled. "Yohohoho, isn't this a bit too fast?"
Philo said nothing, simply running her fingers along Brook's arm.
Crack.
A crisp snapping sound echoed through the hall.
"Eh?"
Brook blinked.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Five seconds later, Philo withdrew her hands.
Brook lay face-down on the floor, his arm and leg bones twisted into bizarre angles, draped awkwardly over his shoulders and back.
"Oh no! My bones are broken!!!"
After a brief pause, Brook, entirely unaffected by pain, solemnly declared, "Ah, right. I'm just bones, so I don't feel pain. But my bones are broken!!!"
The next moment, he let out another dramatic wail.
Philo, unbothered by his theatrics, coolly observed, "The texture suggests some age, but the preservation is excellent—no signs of calcification."
Curious, she scrutinized Brook more closely, her eyes practically gleaming through her mask.
"Also, this is my first time seeing a moving skeleton... I'd love to dissect you and see what's inside."
"..."
Brook fell silent.
This beautiful young lady... is terrifying!
Maude merely smiled, shifting his gaze from Philo to the now-motionless Brook. He pondered for a moment before murmuring to himself, "The Yomi Yomi no Mi, huh..."
Creak—
Just then, the door swung fully open.
Lola and her crew stood at the entrance, immediately taking in the sight of Brook's contorted body.
"Uh..."
Seeing him utterly silent and still, they panicked.
Was he... killed?!
Why?!
Didn't he just come to express his gratitude to that black-haired young man?
But...
Their hearts pounded in unison.
Then, without any prior coordination, they instinctively bowed deeply and shouted in unison, "Sorry for the intrusion!"
As soon as they finished speaking, the entire group bolted, disappearing faster than a rabbit.
"...?"
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