As the giants of Elbaf bickered among themselves, the Hell Pirates' Golden Island sailed closer, cutting through the seas with relentless speed.
When Brook's Yomi Yomi no Mi awakened, he'd noticed something off about Charlotte Linlin. Her soul carried a shadow—an extra presence, that of Mother Carmel.
The old nun had underestimated Linlin's extraordinary talent. Even at six years old, Linlin's spirit was too strong. Over a decade later, Carmel had only managed to seize less than half of Linlin's soul, nowhere near enough to take control.
Yet Carmel's cunning had left its mark, twisting Linlin into a volatile, brutal woman whose moods swung like a pendulum.
Thankfully, Brook's awakening came just in time. Had Carmel completed her takeover before Linlin turned twenty, she would've hijacked Linlin's body entirely. The thought of his fiery Linlin becoming that scheming old hag sent chills down Brook's spine—yohoho, what a nightmare!
After devouring Vesper's domineering soul, Brook's Yomi Yomi no Mi fully awakened. He quickly spotted Carmel's influence, which had crept into nearly half of Linlin's soul. Past fifty percent, she could've claimed dominance.
But Brook ruthlessly snuffed out Carmel's essence. That's why, over the past few months, Linlin had seemed a bit… off. A little naive, a touch reckless, but purer, free from the nun's taint.
He hadn't told a soul—not even Linlin herself—about the presence of her beloved Mother Carmel lurking within her.
By some stroke of luck, since Carmel's soul had fused halfway with Linlin's, destroying most of Carmel's essence didn't strip away the powers of the Soul-Soul Fruit. Instead, they became wholly Linlin's, cemented as her own.
"Brook, you spend way more time cuddling Kanna than Hades and Osiris combined. Talk about playing favorites!"
Stussy giggled behind her hand. Brook clearly doted on his daughter, but with a baby—likely another girl—on the way in her own belly, Stussy hoped for the same affection someday.
"Spoiling my little girl's no crime! Besides, Hades and Osiris have all of you to fuss over them!"
Brook chuckled, unbothered by his crew's teasing. So what if he adored his daughter? His sons were never short on love, with the crew constantly vying to care for them.
His gaze drifted toward Elbaf's Warrior Village. Giants there had witnessed Linlin's darkest moment—her eating incident. Brook knew he had to clean up that mess.
He'd already erased Streusen's memories of the event, and even Redfield hadn't peeked into that corner of the past. Brook had warned the Memory Seahorse to keep it locked tight, so Linlin's secret should be safe.
But he didn't know how many giants that one witness had told. If the whole Warrior Village knew, Brook was in a bind.
He could pin the blame on Mother Carmel, claiming her influence drove Linlin's actions. But how would Linlin feel, learning her cherished nun had betrayed her? The thought of her heartbreak gnawed at him.
If push came to shove, Brook was ready to wipe out the entire Warrior Village to protect her. Then he'd pivot, forging ties with other giant villages or the Elbaf royal capital.
Brook's curiosity burned about the royal capital's true strength. Elbaf's king couldn't be weaker than Oden Kozuki at his peak.
If a secluded nation like Wano could produce a monster like Oden, then Elbaf—a global powerhouse with constant world contact—had to boast at least one top-tier warrior to hold the line. After all, even Linlin's ordinary parents had known to abandon her in Elbaf's Warrior Village, a place so renowned its location was practically public knowledge.
If Elbaf's royal clan had near-Emperor or full Emperor-level fighters, Brook would need to reassess the world's so-called strongest nation.
According to Rocky, Elbaf's Winter Solstice Festival was a nationwide event. Villages and the capital would be too busy celebrating to meddle.
That gave the Hell Pirates a window to eliminate opposition in the Warrior Village without interference.
Still, Brook wondered if Rocky's recruited allies would resent the Hell Pirates for attacking their kin. Even if they didn't bow to Brook, slaughtering fellow giants could stir bad blood.
He sighed, glancing at his precious Kanna. Her smile melted his worries away. With Ryuo Armament Haki shielding her from the wind, Brook stood unfazed on the speeding island.
Still, he gently carried Kanna back to the castle tower, handing her to Linlin for feeding.
"Three kids, huh? Once they're toddling around, I'll have Kanna riding my neck, one son in each arm. What a picture!" Brook mused, already grinning at the thought.
...
In the Warrior Village's open plaza, food was piled high like mountains. Despite their grudges, the giants set aside their feuds for the festival, celebrating with hearty cheer.
Except for Rocky and his three comrades, still under the sway of Brook's Shichiseiken. Their eyes burned with murderous intent toward Elder Jarul, ready to take him out at any moment.
That old fool kept blocking reconciliation with Lady Linlin, spreading lies that she was a demon!
"Rocky, Captain Brook's crew is coming today. We gotta take out Jarul before he stirs up more trouble and upsets the captain or Lady Linlin!"
A young giant clad in alloy armor, gripping a massive alloy axe, growled fiercely. Brook had saved them from that horrific experiment island, and they owed him their lives—time to prove it.
"Let's wait till they're drunk off their gourds. Then we toss Jarul into the sea for the Sea Kings to snack on!"
Rocky seethed at Elder Jarul. Even with Captains Dorry and Brogy urging him to make peace with Linlin, the elder stubbornly branded her a demon.
All Rocky wanted was to rid Elbaf of that old relic, clinging to life far too long. Beside Jarul sat a middle-aged giant in a double-horned helmet, his face heavy with worry.
He was the one who'd seen Linlin's eating incident firsthand. After telling Jarul, he'd planned to warn the other giants about her terror.
But Jarul knew the truth: that demon girl was too strong for them. Challenging her would only bring injury or death.
So, he'd banned all contact with Linlin, expelled her, and fueled their hatred...