CP0

Just as Brook was about to press his hand against Aokiji's chest and extract the Ice-Ice Fruit.

The shadow beneath his feet suddenly "came alive" without warning.

A figure whose presence had nearly vanished, blending into the shadows, appeared abruptly like a ghost.

A short sword wreathed in an eerie purple-black aura, as though it could absorb light itself, silently stabbed toward Brook's lower back.

There was no sound of cutting wind, no leaking killing intent.

It truly embodied the pinnacle of assassination: fast, precise, ruthless, and poisonous.

The timing of this strike was terrifyingly tricky.

Even an Admiral-level powerhouse would find it difficult to evade completely in the instant after a fierce battle, when their guard had slightly relaxed.

But it was as though Brook had known all along.

At the instant the short sword was about to touch him, he flicked the sheath in his right hand backward without even looking.

Clang!

A crisp yet brief clash rang out.

The sheath struck the side of the short sword with perfect accuracy, immediately knocking its trajectory aside as it scraped past Brook's waist.

At the same time, Brook formed a sword hand with the fingers of his left hand and jabbed backward without turning his head.

A highly concentrated orange-blue Fiendfyre glow lit up at his fingertips.

Burning Heart Finger.

The CP0 agent who emerged from the shadows suddenly widened his eyes, filled with disbelief.

He had never expected Brook to deliver such a precise, vicious counterattack even with his guard down.

Pfft.

A soft sound.

He only felt a burst of heat in his chest as a violent, sinister flame energy pierced straight through his Armament Haki defense and burrowed into his heart.

Urgh—Aah!!!

His brief, miserable scream was cut short the moment it left his mouth.

Orange-blue