Brook and his companions had finally reached the summit of the mountain, stepping into the ancient stone altar nestled at its peak.
A massive stone chest rested atop a pedestal, its surface seamless, without so much as a crack.
Brook braced himself and pushed against the chest with all his strength, but it didn't budge an inch. He coughed awkwardly as Silva and Shakki tactfully pretended not to notice his failed attempt.
With a sharp humph, Brook drew his cane sword and unleashed a razor-sharp slash. The blade struck the chest's lid, slicing through it cleanly before losing momentum against something solid inside.
A strange green light seeped from the cut, and as the eerie glow intensified, the seal upon the chest seemed to break. Its once-dark stone surface faded to an ashen gray, and with a swift kick, Brook sent the lid flying off.
Inside lay a long, ominous green sword. Strange patterns adorned its blade, and seven glowing spots formed a shape resembling the Big Dipper.
Unlike the single-edged katanas commonly referred to as swords in this world, this was a double-edged blade—a traditional straight sword, much more to Brook's refined taste.
The sinister green glow pulsed hypnotically, drawing both Silva and Shakki forward as if entranced.
"Hmph."
Brook snorted and released a surge of his chilling Yomi Yomi no Mi aura. The bone-chilling cold snapped Silva and Shakki out of their trance, both recoiling in shock.
"Captain Brook, this sword… it's truly cursed. I could feel it pulling me in."
Shakki shuddered, still shaken by the experience. Silva, on the other hand, wore a dark scowl—he was a sniper, trained in precision and discipline, yet a mere blade had ensnared his senses. It was a disgrace.
Brook, unfazed, stepped forward. He was no ordinary man—he had already died once. Perhaps this blade's influence would have no hold over someone who had returned from the underworld.
"Don't touch the Cursed Holy Sword! It brings disaster!"
A terrified voice rang out. Elensa, her face pale with fear, screamed as though she had foreseen an impending catastrophe.
But Brook paid her no heed. He reached out and grasped the sword's hilt.
Instantly, the eerie green aura surged up his arm, spreading rapidly over his entire body.
"No! The curse is about to awaken!"
Elensa wasted no time. She pulled three sacred orbs from her belongings and began chanting in an ancient tongue. A soft white glow emanated from the orbs, drifting toward Brook in an attempt to purify the encroaching energy.
However, the sword's sinister aura found no blood to corrupt—Brook was devoid of life. Instead, it merged with his own spectral energy, the chilling force of the underworld consuming and assimilating the sword's malevolent power.
The green, ghostly aura intertwined with Brook's pale spectral energy, transforming into a deep, eerie blue—an ethereal fusion of the underworld's might and the sword's demonic will. The sword, possessing a faint consciousness of its own, trembled before this overwhelming force.
In that moment, it submitted.
Brook swung the blade casually, unleashing a massive slash of ghostly blue energy that sliced clean through the stone chest and pedestal beneath it, reducing them to rubble.
"Yohohoho~! A fine blade indeed. Here, take my cane sword."
Brook tossed his old weapon to Shakki and admired his new prize. It felt as though this sword had always belonged to him. Its cursed aura, born of blood and death, had been easily subdued by his spectral essence.
Even the nascent will within the blade cowered before his dominion over the underworld.
"You… you weren't possessed?!"
Elensa's voice trembled with disbelief before giving way to excitement.
"Then… that means our tribe's thousand-year curse… it ends today?!"
Her eyes sparkled with hope. Their people had isolated themselves for generations, bound by ancient warnings and traditions. If this curse was truly broken, perhaps at last, they could step into the future.
"That's right. The Cursed Holy Sword has submitted to me. You don't have to worry about it causing any more harm!"
Brook was already considering what materials to use to forge a proper scabbard for the legendary sword.
"Elensa, don't be afraid! I'm here!"
A young Marine officer wearing a lieutenant commander's coat rushed forward, followed by dozens of Marines who quickly surrounded them.
"Sado, it's over! We don't have to guard this place anymore!"
Elensa cheerfully shared the good news with Lieutenant Commander Sado. The two had always been close.
But Sado's eyes were fixed on the sword in Brook's hands—the Cursed Holy Sword, a demonic blade said to grant immense power. He had pursued Elensa under the guise of justice, but in truth, it was all for this very sword.
He had tried sneaking up before but failed to open the stone chest that sealed it. Hadn't Elensa once said that the Cursed Holy Sword could only break its seal when the Red Moon was about to descend?
So why had it fallen into the hands of this man standing before him?
"I am Lieutenant Commander Sado of the Marines! You, pirate! You stole this island's treasured sword! In the name of justice, I'm placing you under arrest!"
Sado immediately unsheathed his Marine-issued saber. He didn't care whether Brook was truly a pirate or not—he just wanted the Cursed Holy Sword for himself. Without hesitation, he lunged at Brook, determined to seize it.
"Sado! What are you doing?! Why are you attacking him?!" Elensa shouted anxiously.
"Elensa, they are pirates! As a Marine, it is my duty to capture them!"
Whether Sado was acting for justice or his own greed didn't matter. He had already drawn his sword, and there was no turning back. Brook swung the Cursed Holy Sword effortlessly, sending Sado flying dozens of meters before he crashed to the ground, coughing up blood.
"Such terrifying power…! Could it be the Cursed Holy Sword's strength?"
Even gravely injured, Sado's gaze never left the sword. He was convinced that Brook's power came from the blade. His greed surged, overpowering any rational thought.
"Lieutenant Commander Sado! That pirate is Supernova Brook! His bounty is 160 million Belly! We have to retreat!"
A Marine intelligence officer shouted desperately. Sado's face twisted in disbelief. A pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million Belly had appeared on such a small island?
"You… you really are a pirate…?"
Elensa stumbled backward, fear creeping into her expression as she distanced herself from Brook, standing beside the Marines. The words "Supernova" and "big-time pirate" echoed in her mind, leaving her shaken.
Brook didn't bother finishing Sado off. Instead, he stepped forward and appeared in front of Elensa in the blink of an eye.
"These three gemstones… not bad. I'll take them as payment for dealing with the Cursed Holy Sword problem."
The mysterious gems emanated a strange energy. Brook found them intriguing and decided they would make a fine addition to his collection. Without hesitation, he plucked them from Elensa's hands and turned to leave.
Silva slung his sniper rifle over his shoulder, his revolver hanging at his hip as he silently followed. Shaki, grinning with excitement, spun Brook's former weapon—a cane sword—skillfully in her hands, still feeling the lingering chill from its blade. Without a second thought, she sprinted after her captain.
Sado, seething with resentment, watched as Brook stole what should have been his. The Cursed Holy Sword belonged to him!
The thought burned in his mind, filling him with rage. His vision blurred, and with one final mouthful of blood, he collapsed unconscious. The surrounding Marines panicked and rushed to carry their fallen officer back to the Marine branch, immediately reporting the incident to Marine Headquarters.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg