"Poison Smoke Pirates, Poison Cannon Sarin, you're not getting away today."
The temperature in the entire bar plunged rapidly. Starting from Brook, white frost slowly formed across the floor and continued creeping inward.
"You're Brook? Brook of the Rumbar Pirates? Hah! Why are you the only one left? You miserable survivor, you can go to hell too!"
Poison Cannon Sarin laughed maniacally and immediately pulled the trigger, firing a poison gas bomb.
Underworld Ghost Qi: Blizzard Slash.
The bar fell silent in an instant. Sarin's cannon and his entire body had been cleaved in two. Before any blood could spray, the cold ghostly energy of the Underworld had frozen him into an ice sculpture.
A large cloth-covered box sat quietly on the ground by the bar's entrance. Beside it, a thin young man of about ten stared in admiration at the man who had appeared behind the ice sculpture in an instant.
"Crash."
A glass fell to the floor and shattered, accompanied by the sound of someone swallowing nervously. As they looked at the path of ice stretching from the entrance to Sarin, the chill emanating from it made even the pirate captains present, whose bounties exceeded fifty million, break into a cold sweat.
While they were still in shock, sword light flashed, followed by the sound of flesh being torn. The Poison Smoke Pirates' crew all collapsed under terrified gazes, overcome by sheer fear.
"Whoever takes Sarin's head to the Marine Branch to claim the bounty can keep half. I only want the other half!"
Brook sheathed his sword and slowly walked back to the bar entrance. He picked up the box, sat down with Antonio at the table nearest the door, then grabbed a bottle and began drinking straight from it. Brook, Rumbar Pirates, I've avenged you. Rest in peace!
At Brook's words, the bar finally erupted into a hubbub. The pirates from the many crews discussed things in hushed, cautious voices, but no one dared approach Sarin's corpse to claim the bounty.
"You said it!"
Just as no one else dared to make a move, a black-haired girl with short hair and a cigarette dangling from her lips brazenly hefted Poison Cannon Sarin's ice sculpture in front of all the pirates and ran off with it.
The bar instantly burst into an uproar. That was it? That was all?
Several small-time pirates slapped their thighs, clutched their heads, and tore at their hair, as if they had just missed a chance to earn twenty-eight million.
A long time passed. The pirates assumed the girl had run off with the money and were about to mock Brook for being so gullible when the bar's door was kicked off its hinges by the short-haired girl. She tossed a stack of Beli to the bartender and, cigarette in her mouth, swaggered in like a delinquent.
"I've got money today, so keep the change!"
She slowly carried the box of money over and gently set it on the table in front of Brook.
"Want to count it? Twenty-eight million. I've already taken my half. Don't even think about going back on your word!"
"No need."
Brook took two bundles of Beli from the box and tossed them to the bartender.
"That's for cleaning up the bodies. Please take care of them yourselves!"
Brook handed the box of money to Antonio, then left the bar and headed toward the news agency!
"Interesting. An adventurer who plays music? Too bad his whole crew was wiped out!"
The short-haired girl watched Brook's retreating figure with an intrigued expression.
"The Rumbar Pirates really were wiped out. Now only Humming Brook has returned to take revenge."
"Did you see the boy beside him? Is Brook planning to gather new crewmates and set sail again?"
"Humming Brook, with a bounty of thirty-three million, took down Poison Cannon Sarin, whose bounty was fifty-six million, in one move! Is Brook's bounty going to skyrocket now?"
"Brook's become so strong. I want to join his new pirate crew, haha!"
The pirates in the bar chattered among themselves. Some independent pirates were already thinking of joining Brook.
"Huh? Where's that short-haired girl? How'd she disappear all of a sudden? I was just about to snatch her money! Damn it!"
"Does anyone know anything about that girl?"
"She's an information broker from Sabaody Archipelago, you backwater pirate. Go be a bandit instead!"
"What did you say? Guys, get him!"
The bar descended into chaos once more, while the short-haired girl had already slipped away through the alley behind it.
World Economic News Agency headquarters.
"Big Brother Brook, here are some of the Eternal Poses for the islands you asked for. We're still searching for and buying the rest. And I'm giving you these dozen or so Den Den Mushi as well."
Moore Thomas eagerly brought over everything he had collected or purchased and set it down in front of Brook.
"Perfect timing. I just killed a pirate and got a bounty of over twenty million Beli. You can keep it. The news agency needs funding to retain its talent."
Recently, some of the agency's staff had been warned by certain scoundrels, causing several talented people to leave.
"Big Brother Brook, there's no need. I still have enough money. I've already decided to move the World Economic News Agency to a fairly remote island in the New World."
Moore Thomas spoke to Brook with a heavy heart. For now, they couldn't compete with the World Government's World Peace Dove News Agency, so they had no choice but to take this measure.
The World Government's grip on the New World had never been very strong. Moore Thomas believed he could survive there!
"If you trust me, you can move to Jaya Island. Sky Island is right above it. As long as you take control of Sky Island, you won't have to worry about the Celestial Dragons threatening you anymore!"
Brook didn't want to head into the New World so soon. At the very least, he needed to find a group of promising subordinates first.
"Big Brother Brook, you really believe Sky Island exists?"
Moore Thomas wasn't trying to doubt Brook, but as a rational man, he truly couldn't believe in such an ethereal legend. There was no proof that Sky Island existed.
"Moore Thomas, I'll stake my life on Sky Island's existence. And it's also home to the City of Gold, Shandora. It's a place I'm determined to conquer!"
Brook could only stake his life on it to keep the World Economic News Agency on his side.
"I believe you, Big Brother Brook."
Moore Thomas looked into Brook's ghostly blue eyes, gritted his teeth, and made up his mind. He wouldn't move to the New World. He would go to Jaya Island first. With his security team, surviving there shouldn't be a problem!
"Shakky, I heard you made over twenty million Beli. How about contributing a little?"
A middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses gave the short-haired woman with a cigarette in her mouth a stiff smile.
"Want to buy information? If not, get lost. I made my money through my own skills here in Sabaody Archipelago. Why should I give you a cut?"
The short-haired woman, Shakky, the future proprietress of Shakky's Rip-off Bar, sneered at the grinning, gold-rimmed-glasses-wearing information broker.
[End spoiler removed?]
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