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Although Hikaru wasn't sure why Brook was pretending to be dead, he didn't mind playing along.
He gazed at the skeletal figure before him and thought of the Revive-Revive Fruit.
That Devil Fruit's power only activates after death, making it useless to steal.
I have no intention of dying—not even once.
But then a thought struck him. Brook had died and returned, leaving behind only bones. In other words, he possessed an undying body.
If I take his Revive-Revive Fruit, will he die again?
Brook was certainly worth studying. Understanding the secret of his Devil Fruit might unlock the path to eternal life.
And beyond that, Brook was a potential goldmine. As a musician with a voice that touched the soul, a few concerts could skyrocket his fame—bringing in an endless stream of wealth.
Hikaru smirked and said, "Get to work, Brook!"
"Oh! So white, smooth, and polished. Even after all these years, there's no decay. Truly a high-quality bone!"
Coming back to his senses, Hikaru spoke indifferently. Then, forming a sword of lightning, he coated it with Armament Haki and poked Brook a few times.
Brook, to his credit, didn't make a sound.
Wait… does he even feel pain?
"Hmm. Your bones are quite strong." Hikaru mused. Then he waved his hand and gave a command.
"Divine soldiers, grind him into powder, burn him to ashes, and scatter them into the sea as a tribute to the departed."
"Qyaaaahhh!!"
Brook finally couldn't stay still. He jumped up and ran to the bow of the ship, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Hikaru.
"What? The bones spoke?"
"Wait! Look at his feet—he has no shadow!"
The divine soldiers whispered among themselves in shock.
"Yohohoho~ You didn't expect that, did you? I'm still alive! Hello, everyone! I'm the talking skeleton, Brook!"
Brook's hollow eye sockets gleamed with joy. It had been so long since he last saw living people. If Hikaru hadn't just tried to grind him into dust, he might've been even happier.
Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "Your body is nothing but bones… Have you already attained immortality, Brook?"
"Yohohoho~ I don't know myself," Brook chuckled before his voice turned solemn. "I only know that I ate the Revive-Revive Fruit and experienced death once… and now, I'm just a skeleton."
As he spoke, his tone grew distant, as if reminiscing about the past—the days when the Rumbar Pirates laughed and sang together.
"Time passes, life's limitations fade… but I no longer feel bound by those things. I'm nothing more than a pile of bones."
Hikaru tapped his fingers against the armrest of his throne.
Brook's worth as a musician alone was enough reason to recruit him. But more than that, his immortal bones, seemingly untouched by time, made him a prime candidate for experiments on eternal life.
"Brook, join me," Hikaru stated plainly, wasting no time.
Brook was taken aback. The straightforwardness of the offer caught him off guard.
However, he shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave this place yet. A Devil Fruit user here stole my shadow. If I step into sunlight, I'll vanish instantly. I can only survive in the darkness."
"If you don't want to end up like me, I suggest you leave. Death isn't the scary part—it's the eternal loneliness."
Hikaru chuckled. "Brook, if you serve me, I'll retrieve your shadow and take you away from this abyss of solitude."
"Don't doubt our strength. Destroying everything here is simple for me."
"You've endured loneliness all this time. You must have a mission you need to fulfill. Perhaps this is your chance to escape your fate."
Brook's empty sockets gleamed with newfound determination. He knelt on one knee and spoke loudly,
"To be acknowledged like this… I am truly grateful. If you don't mind, I shall offer what remains of my bones in service to you!"
"Good! Brook, you'll be glad you made this choice today."
Hikaru reached into his storage space and retrieved a priest's uniform, tossing it to Brook.
"My name is Hikaru. I am the god and emperor of the Kingdom of God. This is your priest's uniform. From today onward, you serve under my command as a priest."
"Arigato." Brook gratefully accepted the uniform. In a blink, he changed into his new attire, neatly folding his tattered black suit and setting it aside.
"Keep moving forward!" Shura barked, snapping the divine soldiers out of their admiration for Brook.
In no time, the five ships closed in on Thriller Bark.
"Attack!" Shura raised his arms and roared.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The divine soldiers responded in unison, their battle cries echoing across the sea. They launched themselves forward, using iron cloud tracks to glide onto the massive ghost ship.
With the presence of Yasuie, Hikaru's divine soldiers were no ordinary warriors. Their magical weapons and aerial combat abilities made them a fearsome force.
On the other hand, Gekko Moriah's crew was lacking in real combat power, aside from Absalom, Perona, and the legendary samurai Shimotsuki Ryuma.
Moriah himself was nothing more than a fruit ability user. His reputation as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea came entirely from his past battle against the Emperor Kaido.
Yet, despite his title, he had no real authority. He suffered greatly for it, even becoming a target of assassination by Doflamingo during the Battle of Marineford.
Once, Moriah had ambition.
Otherwise, how could he have fought against Kaido?
But in this world, strength is not just about power—it is about the will to fight.
Moriah lost that will the day Kaido crushed him in Wano.
His entire crew was slaughtered by the Beasts Pirates. Just like Luffy, he valued his companions above all else.
After that tragedy, he was consumed by despair, convinced that "living means losing." His will crumbled, and with it, his ability to use Haki.
Now, all he had left were his zombies—mindless, weak, and no match for Hikaru's forces.
"Intruders!!! Run!"
The battle was one-sided. Moriah's zombies were too weak to put up a fight, reduced to screaming in panic as they were cut down. Not a single divine soldier was injured.
Before long, they stormed into the ghost castle at the heart of the island.
"Watch out for the picture frames!"
One divine soldier deftly dodged an attack from a dog's head lunging out of a portrait, quickly warning the others.
They ascended a spiral staircase and arrived at a grand manor. Without hesitation, they kicked the door open.
A startled scream rang out.
From behind the door, a purple-haired man in a fishnet outfit staggered backward.
Dr. Hogback was in the middle of stitching up a zombie with his scalpel when the sudden crash nearly made him drop his tools.
"You... you're those freaks with wings!" he shrieked.
The divine soldiers wasted no time on words.
Blades glinted in the dim candlelight as they raised their swords, spears, and knives—ready to strike.