Temep's words made Brook frown. More powerful reinforcements were on their way? Could it be a Vice Admiral?
"Thanks for the good news. That just makes my decision easier—I'll finish this quickly and take you all out for good."
Brook's response left Temep stunned, and the officers behind him exchanged confused looks. Wasn't his intention to intimidate this pirate and make him back down?
Did this mean Brook had an even stronger technique up his sleeve? The thought sent a wave of unease through the Marines, and they instinctively took a more guarded stance.
...
Brook raised the Shichiseiken high above his head, and an overwhelming aura of death erupted from his body. The chilling presence struck the Marines like a freezing gust from the underworld itself. Their eyes widened in terror, sweat poured down their faces, and their hearts pounded frantically—before abruptly skipping a beat. They stood frozen, trembling uncontrollably, then collapsed to the ground, drained of strength.
"What is this power? It's so cold... so unsettling... This isn't Conqueror's Haki!"
Temep stared at Brook in shock. He had encountered the Conqueror's Haki of powerful pirates before, but this was different. This wasn't mere intimidation—this was the true fear of death.
As dozens of Marines fell unconscious, the bombardment from the three warships came to an abrupt halt. Redfield took a deep breath, relieved to finally have a moment to recover. Silva, on the other hand, had nearly run out of bullets.
Fish-man Tom stood firm, using a massive spare plank to shield himself from the cannon fire. Inside the ship, Antonio paced anxiously, while Shakky used her martial prowess to deflect any stray cannonballs that got through.
With the Marines incapacitated, only Temep and a few officers remained standing on the warship's deck. Redfield and Shakky wasted no time, following the icy trail Brook left across the water and leaping onto the warship.
"Captain, looks like we get to fight too!"
Shakky immediately locked onto Lieutenant Commander Sado from Asuka Island. He seemed weak enough to serve as a suitable opponent.
Redfield drew his cane sword and lunged at a Marine Captain with blinding speed. His swordsmanship was brutally efficient, focused on one thing—piercing through defenses with precision and force. The Captain barely managed to dodge and was quickly forced into a desperate retreat. Several Lieutenants rushed in to assist, but even together, they were completely overwhelmed.
The residual effects of Brook still weighed on them, making it impossible to fight at full strength.
"It seems I've already read your every move—you're all terrified of Captain Brook, aren't you?"
With those words, Redfield thrust his blade through a Lieutenant Commander's abdomen, sending him flying with a powerful kick. The surrounding officers, already struggling, now found themselves completely outmatched.
...
Meanwhile, unnoticed amidst the chaos, the Memory Seahorse had slithered aboard one of the warships. It gleefully feasted on the memories of the fallen Marines, savoring every thought and experience. Suddenly, a Marine with an unbreakable will stirred, preparing to strike the creature.
Before he could land a blow, a single gunshot rang out—Silva had been keeping an eye on the battlefield from the Yellow Springs, and his well-placed shot eliminated the threat just in time. If not for him, the Memory Seahorse might have been wounded mid-feast.
Realizing its close call, the creature became more cautious, though its insatiable hunger for memories remained undeterred.
...
"Uhhah!"
Temep let out a pained cry as Brook's sword cut deep into his flesh. Before he could react, Brook followed up with a powerful kick, sending him crashing to the ground, coughing up blood.
"Redfield, finish them quickly. We might be facing even stronger Marines soon."
Brook showed no hesitation. With one final strike, he ensured that Temep was completely incapacitated, left sprawled on the deck, powerless to continue the fight.
At Brook's command, Redfield's speed surged even further. His blade danced through the air with eerie sharpness, and in one swift motion, he struck down the Marine Captain. Shakky, meanwhile, had beaten Sado to a pulp, leaving his face bruised and swollen beyond recognition.
"Redfield, check the Rear Admiral's memories. See if you can find any information on Rokushiki training methods or Haki cultivation."
Though Temep had never awakened Haki, that didn't mean Marine Headquarters hadn't provided him with training materials. It was possible he had studied the techniques but simply failed to master them.
"Understood, Captain Brook."
Redfield pressed his hand against the unconscious Temep's forehead and activated his unique Observation Haki, delving into the Rear Admiral's mind in search of valuable secrets.
Meanwhile, the Memory Seahorse, having finished its meal of low-ranking Marines, turned its attention to the officers. Their memories, rich with combat experience and knowledge, were a true delicacy. It wasted no time leaping onto their motionless bodies, eagerly consuming their minds. With each stolen memory, its body swelled slightly, growing stronger and more formidable.
...
The battle had been won, but the real danger had yet to come.
"Captain Brook, I've found it! The Rokushiki techniques, Marine swordsmanship, Haki awakening training methods... Everything you mentioned is here!!"
Redfield eagerly reported his findings, his excitement barely contained at the prospect of obtaining even stronger training methods.
"Excellent! Return to the ship and write them all down. Now, we're pulling out—stronger Marine Vice Admirals might be on their way!"
Brook was satisfied with their haul. While his Yomi Yomi no Mi body couldn't use Haki, his crew certainly could. And as for Rokushiki, there were some techniques even he could train in.
"Got it!!"
Shakky quickly raided the Marine warship's offices and storage rooms. Meanwhile, the Memory Seahorse, practically drooling at the sight of Rear Admiral Temep, finally saw Brook and Redfield leaving. Unable to hold back any longer, it lunged forward, eager to devour the Marine's memories.
Silva and Tom maneuvered the ship closer, and the crew began hauling Marine supplies and treasure—Belly glinting under the sunlight. The Memory Seahorse, having consumed a portion of Rear Admiral Temep's memories, let out a satisfied burp and returned to the Yellow Springs.
If not for the limits of its own abilities (or the fact that it was already stuffed), the Memory Seahorse would have loved to devour the memories of every Marine present. It even entertained the thought of capturing them all, storing them away for later consumption—like a meal prepped for the future.
However, Brook wasn't about to take a bunch of Marines with him, so the greedy creature had to abandon the idea.
"Captain Brook, an incoming Den Den Mushi call—seems like it's from another Marine."
Antonio, who had been loading supplies, suddenly noticed a Den Den Mushi ringing aboard the Marine ship. He quickly located it and handed it to Brook.
Brook hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding to answer.
"Oi!! Temep, what the hell took you so long?! Have you taken care of those pirates yet, or do you need me to come bail you out?! I'm trying to wrap things up here—I've got a vacation planned! Gotta head home and see my kid!"
A gruff, impatient voice came through the Den Den Mushi, full of irritation and urgency.
"No backup needed. We're leaving soon," Brook replied coldly.
There was a pause on the other end.
"Who the hell are you? What did you do to Temep?"
The Marine's voice lost its earlier impatience, replaced by something heavy, laced with an underlying fury and concern.
"Relax. Your Rear Admiral is still alive."
"You better hope so! If anything happens to him, I, Monkey D. Garp, Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters, will hunt you down to the ends of the earth!"
Brook's eyes widened in shock. Iron Fist Garp?!
So this was the legendary Garp. At 26 years old, he was already a Rear Admiral, judging by the tone of respect Temep had used when addressing him.
And if he was talking about going on leave to see his son... that meant Monkey D. Dragon was already around three years old, probably growing up in Foosha Village in the East Blue.
"So, it's Rear Admiral Garp… I have a bit of interest in the 'D' Clan. Fine, I'll give you some respect—your Rear Admiral will live, and I'll leave these three Marine warships intact. However, in return, I expect the Marines to stop chasing us in the Grand Line."
Brook figured getting targeted by a rabid dog like Garp would be more trouble than it was worth. Besides, he had never planned to kill Temep in the first place—letting him go was simply a convenient way to smooth things over.
"Hah! Marines hunting down pirates is the natural order of things! I can't control what Headquarters orders, but I'll tell you this—I won't personally go after you."
Garp sounded frustrated, as if he wasn't sure whether his offer would even be taken seriously. He prided himself on his strength, but if these pirates didn't understand the weight of his words, they might react in anger and slaughter Temep and the Marines anyway.
If that happened, he'd feel at least a little guilty.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg