Shakky, completely unfazed by Brook's mock-threatening tone, struck a playful pose, her voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness as she teased about accepting his "punishment."
Maybe she thought Brook was just bluffing—after all, who'd believe in a 30,000-meter-tall elephant? Or perhaps Shakky was seizing the chance to mess with him, flaunting her charm and sultry voice, hoping for a "punishment" that involved a little close contact.
More likely, though, Shakky was poking fun at Brook to lighten the mood. She wanted to see if she could rile him up, maybe even make him blush, all while keeping the banquet's vibe lively.
As the crew's charismatic crewmate, Shakky knew how to work a room. By teasing Brook, she pulled him off his lofty, icy captain's pedestal, making him more approachable to the mix of new and veteran crewmates. It was her way of knitting the Hell Pirates closer together, fostering that tight-knit pirate family feel.
"Phew, yo ho ho! I'm not wasting my breath arguing with you, Shakky. When we hit the New World and you see that giant elephant, you'll find out !"
Brook dropped the banter, knowing Shakky thrived on it. The more you pushed, the more she'd revel in it, her grin growing wider. The old hands on the crew were used to her antics by now—cutting it short was the smart play.
"Aww, then I'll be waiting~"
Shakky's voice stayed sugary, but her face flashed an Anya-style smirk, mocking yet playful. Deep down, though, a flicker of nerves—and maybe a spark of curiosity—stirred in her chest.
...
"Tomorrow, we set sail back to the New World. According to Antonio, that sleaze Shirokiri's been lurking around Elan Island, hassling Angelie and stirring up trouble on our turf!"
"This time, we're gonna teach him a lesson. The Overlord Alliance is a hollow shell now, practically splintered. After the loot-sharing summit, we've all but cut ties with them!"
Brook's tone was calm but firm, though a hint of irritation crept in when he mentioned Shirokiri. Angelie was a prize catch in his metaphorical fishpond—there was no way he'd let a sleazy old playboy like Shirokiri reel her in!
"Don't sweat it, Captain Brook! I'll handle it myself when we get back. No one else jumps in—I'm calling a one-on-one duel with Shirokiri!"
Golden Lion Shiki leapt to his feet, slamming the table with a fiery glint in his eyes. His gaze flicked toward Redfield, a subtle challenge. Shirokiri, touted as the strongest below the overlords, carried a whopping 1.1-billion-Belly bounty—matching the pseudo-overlord Wilank.
If Shiki could take down Shirokiri, his bounty would surely eclipse Redfield's 1 billion, cementing him as the Hell Pirates' undisputed number two. Redfield could step aside—Shiki, the Golden Lion, would prove he was the baddest!
Standing by the table, Shiki's grin widened, his laughter bubbling up uncontrollably. The crew exchanged puzzled looks—what was he cackling about? Did he already think he had Shirokiri in the bag?
Brook sighed inwardly.
Oh, Shiki, always so headstrong.
It wasn't that Brook doubted him, but none of the four top officers—Shiki included—had the raw power to solo Shirokiri. A sparring match, sure, but a clean win? That was a tall order.
Shirokiri, at 45, was in his prime, with years of experience and a deep, refined Armament Haki. Shiki, Redfield, and Newgate, all in their twenties, couldn't match that polish yet.
In a group brawl, Shirokiri wouldn't stand a chance on Brook's turf. Two officers could chase him off or beat him down; three could capture or kill him outright. But Shiki going solo? That was dicey—best case, he'd escape by taking to the skies.
"Gurarara"
Whitebeard Newgate chuckled, knowing Shiki's limits better than anyone. They'd sparred countless times, and Newgate always held back, faking exhaustion to end in a draw to spare Shiki's pride.
"Jahaha! Newgate, don't act like you don't know my strength! Most of our spars, I've had the edge!"
Shiki puffed on his cigar, smirking smugly. Newgate's grin froze.
Oh, really? If he hadn't been babying Shiki's sky-high ego, he'd have pounded him into the dirt ages ago!
Newgate stayed quiet, his pride simmering. Next spar, he vowed to unleash his full strength—show Shiki what a quake-fueled fist, stronger than a giant's, could do!
Redfield didn't need his mind-reading tricks to see through Shiki's ambitions. He stayed silent, fine with letting Shiki take a humbling from Shirokiri. Shiki's escape skills were top-notch, and he'd been gunning for Redfield's "strongest officer" title and number-two spot for too long. A loss wouldn't hurt.
Brook shared the sentiment but couldn't outright deny Shiki's request. The guy had just pulled off a massive feat, floating O'Hara into the sky!
Unless it was a fight against a monster like Rocks or Shirokiri's old man, Brook wasn't worried Shiki would die. Even trading blows with Saracha wouldn't be fatal.
"Alright, it's settled. When we hit the New World, if Shirokiri's still loitering around Elan Island, Shiki gets first crack at him. Give it your all, Shiki!"
Brook left out the part about backup plans—covering Shiki's back, keeping the field under control, or stepping in if needed. No need to bruise Shiki's pride; those precautions could stay behind the scenes.
Brook handled Shiki like a pro. Give Shiki enough respect, and he'd work harder than a 9-9-7 salaryman, tackling any task Brook threw his way.
(T/N: "997" refers to working from 9 am to 9 pm, seven days a week.)
Who knows? Maybe Shiki would pull off a miracle, his inner spark igniting to topple Shirokiri!
After all, no one saw 19-year-old Straw Hat Luffy awakening the Nika Fruit, fresh off becoming the Sun God, and hammering down Kaido, a veteran Azure Dragon Fruit awakener, in a single fight.
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+240 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg