Seeing the curious looks from the crew, the weakened Antonio became a little shy, acting coy.
"Oh, so that's why you rode the Kirin Lion down here! You just wanted to show off your new abilities~"
Shakky teased, clearly disappointed she couldn't ride the majestic Kirin Lion for free. But when she saw Antonio getting on, she immediately changed her mind, stepping down using Moonwalk instead.
"Wow~, what new abilities did you develop? Come on, show them off! Let's see how strong the First Crew member is!"
Brook's tone carried a hint of amusement, but he wasn't wrong. Antonio was indeed his first crew member, and Brook had always valued his Den Den Mushi Fruit ability. Even though Antonio's combat strength was lacking, that wasn't a major problem.
Hearing Brook refer to him as the "first crew member," even Redfield, the arrogant swordsman who always wanted to be the strongest officer on the ship, chuckled.
Antonio had often bragged about being Brook's first crew member, hoping for some extra respect from the others. But "first crew member" said by Brook and "first crew member" said by him had two different meanings.
Still, technically, Antonio wasn't wrong.
Amid the laughter, Antonio straightened his chest, feeling proud. Having Brook's recognition was his greatest encouragement!
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Antonio focused on Goth for a moment. Then, something unexpected happened—his hairstyle, clothing, and even his appearance started changing to resemble Goth's.
"Shit, Antonio! Your Den Den Mushi Fruit can transform you too?"
Shakky was stunned. She immediately walked up to Antonio and pinched him out of curiosity.
"This is the mimicry ability of the Den Den Mushi. I was inspired by how Den Den Mushi can imitate the voice of the person they're transmitting. So, I experimented with it, and I didn't expect it to work. But the face still isn't perfect."
Antonio now looked about 70% like Captain Goth. He explained his ability seriously, with a trace of pride in his voice.
Brook watched Antonio demonstrate his newly developed Mimicry ability and couldn't help but praise him. Even though it wasn't a perfect imitation yet, who knew? If Antonio kept developing it, he might achieve full transformation.
"Not bad! This is a real surprise. Perfect timing—over the next few days, you can imitate this bastard and report the island's information to Ewald!"
Antonio's ability made Brook decide that keeping this fence-sitter around was pointless. It was time to kill Goth, reclaim his soul, and add him to the ghost army.
Seeing Brook's killing intent, Goth struggled desperately, but Brook simply drew his Seven-Star Sword.
"Traitor, this is the end for you. I'll be the one to take your head~"
A sharp cry rang out.
A young girl with short blonde hair suddenly rushed forward, dagger in hand, aiming straight for Goth. Her eyes burned with deep-seated hatred.
But Brook wasn't about to let someone else steal his kill.
"I, the Hand of Noxus, Brook, will never allow someone to take my head!"
Seven-Star Sword: Guillotine!
A flash of the blade.
Goth's eyes widened in shock.
The blonde girl's dagger stabbed into his chest—again and again—until his body was covered in blood.
His head tumbled to the ground, blood splattering across the girl's face.
Her expression of hatred softened into one of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Tears welled up in her large eyes and streamed down her face.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The vengeful girl was now a pitiful, tear-streaked beauty, making others feel protective of her.
Brook, satisfied, absorbed Goth's pirate soul—one with a 290-million-berry bounty. But as he looked at the girl's delicate, sorrowful face, something about her seemed oddly familiar.
"Excuse me… Are you the Hell Pirates? The ones who defy the Celestial Dragons? Thank you, great pirate heroes, for helping me get my revenge!"
The blonde girl gazed at them with admiration and gratitude, but Redfield frowned.
She was too fast.
And that movement—why did it feel like Shave, one of the Navy's Six Powers?
"Yeah, we're the Hell Pirates. Little sister, what's your grudge against this guy?"
Shakky was stunned by the blonde beauty before her, as were the other men.
"Sniff… I was born on this island. After this pirate took control, he saw me on the street and wanted to capture me with those disgusting eyes. My parents tried to protect me, so he killed them both.
They bought me time to escape, but ever since then, he's been hunting me down. I hate that bastard!!"
The blonde girl sobbed pitifully, her tragic past immediately stirring the sympathy of Charlotte Linlin and Antonio.
"So… how exactly did you escape from a pirate with a 290-million-berry bounty?"
Brook raised an eyebrow.
If she was weak, how did she manage to escape someone that powerful?
"Because my family once saved a stranded Marine officer. That Marine uncle taught me an escape technique, so I can run really fast!"
It sounded reasonable, but… the Six Powers?
That was a superhuman technique, supposedly requiring an insane physique to master.
"Captain Brook, is she using Shave from the Navy's Six Powers?"
Shakky was surprised.
"Maybe she's a genius like me, someone who can master superhuman skills at a young age!"
She was clearly flattering herself, but she wasn't wrong. There were some rare talents in the world.
And this girl was beautiful—too beautiful. Even Shakky felt a little envious.
"May I ask your name?"
Shakky took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood off the girl's face, revealing a delicate, breathtaking beauty.
If I had her looks, even a cool guy like Captain Brook would fall for me…
"My name is Stussy~"
The blonde girl introduced herself softly.
The moment Brook heard that name, his mind clicked.
The hair. The face. The figure.
It was her.
Even her name remained unchanged.
The future Queen of Pleasure Street. One of the Six Rulers of the Underworld.
Stussy.
------
Redfield's expression shifted slightly. He could already tell what Stussy was thinking. He was about to warn Brook, but when he saw the look in Brook's eyes, he calmed down and decided to watch how this CP agent performed.
Brook sneered inwardly. The World Government trying to plant a spy directly within the Hell Pirates? What a joke.
Their little scheme was doomed from the start. Even if it wasn't Stussy but some other agent, Antonio's Den Den Mushi Fruit would have easily exposed her whenever she transmitted information. And then there was Redfield—his ability to read minds through Observation Haki meant no spy could hide from them.
As Stussy continued trying to gain sympathy from Shakky, Linlin, and the others, Brook quietly considered how to deal with this blonde beauty.
Currently, thanks to Redfield's Thunder Fruit, all Den Den Mushi signals on Doraganzo Island were completely blocked. That meant she hadn't reported the Hell Pirates' presence yet.
But the fact that she was already here meant the World Government had anticipated that Brook and his crew were searching for Sky Island. They must have stationed Stussy in advance, waiting for an opportunity to infiltrate the Hell Pirates.
This also meant the Government had likely guessed the location of his Sky Island territory in the Grand Line. That was a problem. Jaya Island and Sky Island Shandora might no longer be safe.
Brook needed to warn Moore Thomas. Had the World Government already confirmed Sky Island's existence? Or was this just speculation based on intelligence analysis?
The more he thought about it, the more frustrating it became. But worrying wouldn't help. At the very least, he could instruct Moore to deploy more seagulls to patrol Sky Island and have the navy's flying Devil Fruit users monitored using spy Den Den Mushi.
They also needed to stockpile Water Shells to counter potential aerial attacks. If anyone attempted to fly up to Sky Island, they would shoot them down.
And if worst came to worst… Shiki the Golden Lion could simply move the Grand Line's Sky Island closer to the New World's Sky Island, making it impossible for the Government to pinpoint its location.
---
Watching Shakky comfort Stussy, Brook glanced at the Memory Seahorse and flashed a small smile.
Stussy was no ordinary woman.
In the future, she wouldn't just become the Queen of Pleasure District—one of the Six Dark Emperors of the Underworld—she would also rise to CP0's elite ranks.
Her true strength was hard to gauge, but the fact that she could kill the Loan Shark King, Feld, from a thousand meters away using Flying Finger Pistol spoke volumes.
This woman had been personally gifted by the World Government. It would be a shame to let that talent go to waste.
And then there was her race… a mystery. She possessed eternal youth, never aging despite the passage of time. Her commanding yet deceptively cute looks made her stand out. Brook found the idea amusing.
She was someone who could be captured but never truly imprisoned.
---
"Ms. Stussy, from now on, Doraganzo Island belongs to the Hell Pirates. What are your plans?"
Brook approached with an easygoing, almost gentle expression. He looked harmless.
"Captain Brook, you're my idol!" Stussy exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration. "Ever since I saw how you stood up to the Celestial Dragons, I've wanted to join you!
Now that the bastard who killed my parents is dead, I have nowhere to go. Please take me in! I'll work hard, I won't slow you down!"
She even flexed her arms to show her "strength." Though they looked soft and delicate, she made sure to emphasize her determination.
Standing nearby, Fisher Tiger scoffed. To him, those little arms were nothing. Real strength belonged to Fish-Men.
But Brook knew better.
Stussy was dangerous.
Her Flying Finger Pistol could kill from a thousand meters away. That wasn't something just any fighter could do.
And yet, despite her beauty, she had managed to navigate the Underworld without ever being taken advantage of. That alone was proof of her terrifying power.
She even addressed Big Mom as 'Linlin' at the Tea Party, something very few dared to do. Not only did Big Mom accept it, but she also happily took the gift Stussy prepared.
Brook estimated that, at her peak, Stussy would be at least at the level of an elite Vice Admiral, if not higher.
---
"It's not impossible for you to join us," Brook said, stepping even closer. "But do you have any special talents?"
Stussy hesitated. Was she exposed?
"I can sing and dance!" she declared. "And I'm super fast! That kind navy officer once said I had natural talent for martial arts!"
She made sure to present herself as gifted, full of potential, yet vulnerable and in need of guidance.
Brook smiled.
"You said you admire us because we attacked the Celestial Dragons." His voice remained casual. "So, I take it you hate them as much as we do?"
Stussy nodded.
"Good. Next time we kill a Celestial Dragon, we'll let you be the first one to do it." Brook's grin widened. "That way, you can get a taste of the New World firsthand!"
A chill ran through Stussy's spine.
Were these people insane?! They were planning to hunt Celestial Dragons?!
No. This was worse than she imagined.
She had to alert the Admirals immediately and wipe out the Hell Pirates before they became an even greater threat.
"I…"
She tried to think of a response, but Brook's next words nearly shattered her composure.
"Alright, let's make it simple. As a test to join the Hell Pirates, all you need to do is curse the Celestial Dragons ten times… and then come up with five different ways to kill them."
Brook's serious expression made her want to tear his face off.
If the Celestial Dragons ever found out about this, even if she completed her mission, her life would be over.
"Captain Brook, do we really have that kind of test?" Fisher Tiger suddenly chimed in. "I didn't have to do it when I joined! I'm great at cursing Celestial Dragons!"
Without hesitation, the young Fish-Man launched into a stream of insults.
"Celestial Dragons are pigs, snot-nosed morons, uglier than blobfish, weaker than katydids, meaner than cherry fish, softer than mudfish…"
Stussy swallowed hard.
Did she really have to curse her own masters like this vulgar Fish-Man?!
"And killing them? That's even easier!" Fisher Tiger continued excitedly. "Smash 'em, strangle 'em, chop 'em into pieces, drown 'em, or even better—whip 'em to death!"
The enthusiasm in his voice was almost infectious.
Stussy felt a cold sweat form on her back.
How the hell was she supposed to pass this "test"?!
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